Hong Kong: Farewell to butchery personnel Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan today saw off members of the Mainland professional and skilled butchery personnel deployed to Hong Kong to assist in the operation of the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse. She was joined by Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region He Jing at the Shenzhen Bay Port through which the skilled personnel left the city. In view of the manpower shortage at Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse due to the fifth wave of the epidemic, a team of 38 personnel deployed from the Mainland arrived in Hong Kong on March 2 to assist in the slaughterhouses operation. The team members were subject to closed-loop management during their stay in Hong Kong. Prof Chan said: "We thank the central government for the staunch support to Hong Kong in fighting the epidemic, and for their proactive facilitation in stabilising the supply of fresh produce in Hong Kong. We are particularly grateful for the assistance of the team over the past two months. With their support, Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse has been operating smoothly and the supply of fresh meat is now plentiful." Twenty-four members of the team departed Hong Kong today. The remaining 14 members will stay in the city to assist in the operation of the slaughterhouse. This story has been published on: 2022-04-30. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Beijing requires 48-hr negative COVID-19 test result to enter public venues Xinhua) 15:24, April 30, 2022 BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Residents in Beijing will be required to have a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours to enter public spaces from Saturday, the municipal government said Friday. A negative test result will be required to enter public venues during the upcoming five-day Labor Day holiday, and students and employees should produce their test results before they go back to work or school after the holiday, according to a press conference on local epidemic prevention and control work. Beijing reported 31 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and three asymptomatic cases between 3 p.m. Thursday and 3 p.m. Friday, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy head of the Beijing municipal disease prevention and control center. A total of 228 local infections have been logged in Beijing since April 22. On Friday, two communities in Beijing were classified as high-risk and medium-risk areas for COVID-19, respectively. The latest classifications have brought the total number of high-risk areas in Beijing to six and medium-risk areas to 19. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Flipkart, India's homegrown e-commerce marketplace, has announced a slew of industry-first marketplace policy changes and new capabilities to build a more inclusive e-commerce ecosystem that contributes to the growth, prosperity, and empowerment of seller partners. These efforts build on Flipkarts commitment to helping MSMEs and small businesses leverage the power of e-commerce to serve their consumer base, gain access to best-in-class solutions and drive their growth. The innovative policy changes under Flipkart EDGE have been introduced to address the growing needs of all its sellers to help them to enter the next phase of growth in their respective journey, by significantly improving their ease of doing business on the Flipkart platform. The mix of policy changes and capabilities include a best-in-class payment policy with the fastest payment settlement cycle in the industry, hassle-free 10-min onboarding, guaranteed ROI on Ad spends, low return cost for performing sellers, deals with Cleartrip integration for travel-related requirements along with a host of other integrated benefits. Jagjeet Harode, Senior Director and Head Marketplace, Flipkart, said, As a democratic marketplace, we want to ensure that all our seller partners can grow their business and keep pace with the growing consumer needs. We continue to innovate and grow the e-commerce marketplace segment in India with industry-first innovations and equip MSMEs and seller partners on their journey towards strong, sustainable growth. Our industry-first policy changes and new tech capabilities aim to empower sellers and consumers while promoting Indias e-commerce growth story. We are committed to address some of the industry limitations faced by sellers, from payments to onboarding to cataloging, through our new policies and capabilities. Policy changes and tech capability details uniformly for existing and new sellers on Flipkart Marketplace: 1) Seamless 10-minute onboarding - An industry-first capability focused on simplifying the sellers' barriers to getting started on their e-commerce journey. This frictionless onboarding process empowers sellers to get started without any hassles. 2) Ease of listing and cataloging - Flipkart has solved for easy product listing/cataloging by introducing an industry-first AI-led automated solution which converts any product image to Flipkart-standard quality on the go making it easier for sellers. 3) Best-in-class payment/return policies - Flipkart is easing the liabilities for sellers and freeing up their working capital with this industry best payment policy. Flipkart will now process seller payments 7-10 days from dispatch, making it the fastest and most predictable payment settlement platform. 4) Guaranteed ROI delivery on Ads for sellers - Flipkart is creating industry benchmarks by being the first in the market to guarantee growth for new sellers based on their capability to serve consumers. The guaranteed ROI on Ad spends for the right customer inputs will boost sellers visibility making it easier to scale their businesses. 5) Integrated group travel benefits for sellers with Cleartrip integration - A single window dashboard with Cleartrip integration will assist sellers by offering exclusive and special deals for their frequent travel needs. 6) All new iOS app for sellers - Now, sellers can manage all aspects of their businesses using their mobile through the Flipkart Seller Hub app, which is among the best rated B2B apps currently. Flipkarts new iOS app allows easy listing and AI-based cataloging on the app itself. The industry-first marketplace policy changes and new capabilities reinforce Flipkarts efforts to enable and empower more seller entrepreneurs on its platform this year. The company continues to invest in technology, innovation, supply chain and business processes to help build a sustainable and inclusive platform. Kantar has revealed the results of its Creative Effectiveness Awards 2022, recognising the most impactful ads of last year, as judged by consumers. Throughout 2021, Kantars creative testing platform was used to evaluate more than 13,000 TV, digital, print and outdoor ads in 75 markets. The awards celebrate those which were most impactful in building brands, driving sales and increasing long-term equity. As well as recognising the best creative work of the year, the awards showcase the creative sparks the common themes which set apart the most effective ads, and underline some of the key market trends influencing advertising in 2021. An accelerated shift to digital Advertisers increased their advertising and media investments in 2021, as lockdown restrictions in many markets started to ease. There was further investment in digital platforms, with digital ad spend growing by 30.5%, compared with 19.2% overall, and more media channels became digitalised. These dynamic trends create significant opportunities for new types of creative expression in advertising, both online and offline. Channel fragmentation means a greater need to understand ad effectiveness than ever. The integration of Behavioural Science techniques, better automation, and faster, more granular insights mean creative testing should be part of every teams development cycle, commented Jane Ostler, EVP, Creative and Media Solutions, Kantar. And of course, the universal principles still hold true; when you combine clear marketing objectives with brilliantly executed creative, we see effectiveness in action. Revealed: The most creative and effective ads of 2021 This years winning ads come from a diverse range of brands, categories, and markets, each using a range of different tactics to guarantee consumer impact: TV Brand Country Spot Agency 1 Mitre10 New Zealand With You All The Way FCB New Zealand 2 Pernod Ricard, Martell Nigeria Be The Standout Swift BBH London 3 Diageo, Johnnie Walker Mexico Keep Walking Anthem Anomaly Digital Print and outdoor Brand Country Spot Agency 1 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G with Google United States Google + Samsung DOOH The Future is Unfolding Consigliere 2 Zespri Spain Kiwi brothers VMLY&R (London) 3 Diageo, Tanqueray Blackcurrant Royale Germany Tanqueray Royale OOH - Blindfold Lady St Lukes Winning ads reveal the creative sparks to ignite effectiveness Across the 13,000+ adverts analysed using Kantars validated ad testing solution, Kantar identified five creative sparks that set the most effective executions apart: #1 - Ad breaks go social The winning TV ads in this years awards demonstrate a clear move towards infusing direct references to digital environments and themes. This could be a deliberate attempt to acknowledge the existence of online platforms, which many of us are immersed in for hours each day. Including visual cues from the digital world undoubtedly makes TV ads more compelling and more absorbing to watch. In eighth place in the top 10 TV ads of the year, Chupa Chups XXL Flavour Playlist TV spot is one example of this trend in action. Jordi Rosell, Senior Brand Manager, Perfetti Van Melle, said, We are delighted to have our work recognised by Kantar. Our goal was to use the launch of our new product as an opportunity to extend the brands reach and relevance among young adults. One of the key things we wanted to capture was the independence, assertiveness, and rebellious spirit of young people. The creative approach was designed to break with tradition, using references to TikTok, gaming and other cultural touchpoints in a way that reflects their lives, while giving prominence to the unique features of the product. #2 - Every second counts With winning ads ranging from six to 136 seconds long, the awards show you can effectively tell a story at any ad length. While digital ads are often short to reflect our online attention span, one of the winners in the digital category is a two minutes and 15 seconds long ad for Colombian beer brand BBC, which uses an unusual and distinct graphic style soundtracked by a jazz track that draws viewers in. #3 - Global campaigns, local heroes Many brands want to build a consistent perception amongst viewers globally, but local understanding is key to creative choices that are effective and support the global brand vision. Diageo brand Johnnie Walker scooped awards for ads in the UK, Mexico and Thailand with effective local executions which contribute to a consistent global strategy. #4 - Show, dont tell Even with the myriad of new developments and sophisticated ways to stretch creative boundaries with advancements in visual and audio techniques, our winning ads show that the product demo is still as effective as ever. In first place in the TV category, Mitre 10s With you all the way spot is a stand out example of a product demo that is natural and maintains the flow of the ad. Jules Lloyd-Jones, Chief Marketing Officer, Mitre 10, commented: With you all the way is a promise of partnership. Were there to help our customers build confidence in their ability to get the job done right. With a touch of humour thrown in, the ad creative reflects that promise and centres on our greatest asset our people. Leaning into that differentiator, the aim was to take us from retailer to trusted project partner for our customers, really inspiring them to love where they live, work and play. Were so pleased the ad has landed so well with Kiwi customers and were honoured to see the campaign recognised internationally in the Creative Effectiveness Awards. #5 - Make them smile Laughter has long been a staple in advertising. But the last twenty years have seen a steady decline in the use of humour as a result of the purpose-based marketing boom, and as brands looked to communicate sensitively during the pandemic. Recent analysis from Kantar shows that humour is a powerful tool in creating ads which are expressive, involving and distinct. Award winners from Rappi, Zespri, Amazon and Chromebook show that bringing humour back into advertising pays off. Mission accomplished: Elon Musk seals deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion After days of speculations over Tesla boss Elon Musks move to acquire Twitter, Twitter Inc. yesterday (April 25, 2022) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an entity wholly owned by Elon Musk, for $54.20 per share in cash in a transaction valued at approximately $44 billion. Upon completion of the transaction, Twitter will become a privately held company. ABBYs has surpassed the 2019 number of entries by a significant margin Speaking to Adgully on what is new for ABBYs this year, Partha Sinha, President, The Ad Club, remarked, The biggest news is that ABBYs and One Show have tied up and ABBYs is on the One Show, this is a long term tie-up. One Show is possibly the most credible of all awards platforms. Adani Enterprises makes its first foray into media, sets up AMG Media Network Adani Enterprises has announced the formation of AMG Media Networks, a wholly-owned subsidiary. The entitys initial authorised and paid-up share capital will be Rs 1,000,000 per share. The corporation was formed on April 26, 2022. In-depth: What the abrupt demise of CNN+ tells us It is an awfully premature demise! CNNs news streaming platform, CNN+, will be shut down on April 30, within a month of its much-touted launch. Warner Media-Discovery merger has been cited as the apparent trigger for the quiet burial of CNN+. Discovery executives were opposed to the idea of CNN+ from the very start. Amazon Prime announces its biggest content slate Unveiling its biggest slate to date in India, at its maiden Prime Video Presents India showcase event in Mumbai, Amazon Prime Video today announced over 40 new titles, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, across original series, original movies and co-productions that it plans to launch over the next 24 months. Print media still weak from the pandemic blow, though fighting back The print media segment is on a strong rebound as the two mainstay revenue streams subscription and advertisements (ads) recover, but could take beyond this fiscal to reach pre-pandemic levels. Netflix, MIB to jointly develop creative ecosystem in India for VFX, music, animation Netflix has entered into a long-term partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to produce 25 two-minute videos on various themes. IPL 2022: How ESPNcricinfo is winning the game with multiple brand associations With a list of brand partnerships like Apple, OnePlus, Toyota, Simplilearn, Maruti Suzuki, iQOO, Swiggy Instamart, and more, ESPNcricinfo is widening its horizons of sponsorships to offer more as they record growth. Lenskart is today re-imagining eyewear as a lifestyle choice: Aanchal Jain In an exclusive conversation with Adgully as part of the Marketing Minds column, Aanchal Jain, Head of Brand & Consumer Experience, Lenskart Solutions, speaks at length about the setting up of the Lenskart Global Design Studio, evolution of eyewear as a fashion statement, converting Lenskart into an omni-experience brand, and more. How brand Happilo has achieved 4x growth in the Covid era In conversation with Adgully, Vikas D Nahar, Founder, Happilo International, speaks about how the healthy snacking industry has seen great traction during the pandemic period, the brands association with IPL franchise team Rajasthan Royals and much more. The food ordering business in India is very undervalued right now: Raymond Andrews In an exclusive conversation with Adgully at NRAIs Cloud Kitchen Convention Raymond Andrews, Founder, Biryani Blues, speaks about how the food industry in India will transform in the next five years and more. Soaring temperatures, innovations, premiumisation driving fan industry growth The fan market consists of both organised and unorganised players. The organised fan sector is dominated by national and multi-national brands such as Crompton Greaves, Usha, Orient, Almonard, Havells, Bajaj, Surya Roshni, Luminous, and Polycab EORTV celebrates the emotions & stories of the LGBTQ community: Deepak Pandey In conversation with Adgully, Deepak Pandey talks about his objective behind EORTV and his future expectations around the same. Upstox aims to promote financial inclusion by targeting millennials: Kavitha Subramanian Talking to Adgully for their column Talking insights, Kavitha Subramanian, Co-Founder, Upstox, speaks about their latest campaign, Own Your Future, which is aimed at driving a culture of equity investment in India and also to encourage and motivate more Indian investors to take control of their financial future. Sonic Branding can be a strategic & enduring brand asset: Rajeev Raja In an interaction with Adgully, Rajeev Raja, Founder & Soundsmith, BrandMusiq, provides a broader insight on Sonic Branding and its success over the years and how BrandMusiq has helped several renowned companies both global and nationally in creating consumer stickiness and stay ahead of their competition. Streaming platform Aha sharpens South focus, to launch Aha Malayalam in 2023 In an interview with Adgully, Aha CEO Ajit Thakur said: 100 per cent local positioning is our core strategy, and we want to build on the vision. Excerpts from the interview Communications ecosystem has seen a paradigm shift in storytelling: Manisha Chaudhary In conversation with Adgully, Manisha Chaudhary, Founder & Director, Value360 Communication, speaks at length about the role of PR for start-ups, the changing communications landscape, creating differentiation, and more. Syska Group eyes Rs 250 crore revenue in the fans segment in 2022 Syska Group, a leading FMEG (Fast Moving Electrical Goods) brand in India, envisions witnessing more robust growth momentum this year for its fans vertical. Syska has set a target of Rs 250 crore revenue gain, banking on pent-up demand from consumers as India will experience a hotter summer. Bajaj Allianz Life sustained a holistic biz growth during the pandemic: Chandramohan Mehra In an exclusive interview with Adgully, Chandramohan Mehra, Chief Marketing Officer, Bajaj Allianz Life, speaks about their various initiatives and how the company is confident of sustaining a robust performance during the new financial year, enhance customer experience with rapid digital adoption, which will strengthen the equity of the brand further, and more. The food business is going to be a 15-20 bn opportunity: Anurag Mehrotra In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Anurag Mehrotra, Co-Founder & CEO of Charcoal Eats, speaks at length about the trends he has observed in the food & beverage industry, new launches for Charcoal Eats, and more. Google leads Digital Rankings in India for March 2022, but reach dips: Comscore Comscores Digital Rankings for India for March 2022 see Google, Facebook and Times Internet Ltd continue in the top 3 ranks. Google led among the digital players, but saw a slight dip in the number of total unique visitors at 476,134(000), while it recorded a reach of 97.9%, compared to 98% reach in February 2022. Aaj Tak records growth of 188% on Jahangirpuri encroachment coverage Aaj Tak, Indias most trusted news channel for 21 years has clearly clawed back to its number one position in reach as per the Viewership rating released for week 16. MIB blocks 16 YouTube news channels for spreading disinformation Utilising the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), vide two separate orders on 22.04.2022, issued directions for blocking of 16 YouTube based news channels and one Facebook account. WPP expands into end-to-end ecommerce with the launch of Everymile WPP today launches Everymile expanding its offer with a new fully managed service that will provide brands with an outsourced direct-to-consumer (DTC) ecommerce solution. The progressive elites are having a meltdown following the announcement of Elon Musks buyout of Twitter. At The View, the ever-thoughtful Sunny Hostin proclaimed that Elon Musk only wanted to protect the free speech of straight white men. At NBC, correspondent Jo Ling Kent predicted a surge in safety problems especially for women and minorities. CBS Evening News anchor Norah ODonnell warned that Twitter will become a haven for disinformation and hate speech. Nothing of the sort will happen, of course, except for the overblown incantations of the Cultural Marxists. And what about colleges and universities? Thanks to the vagaries of political correctness, U.S. colleges have become an intellectual backwater. The effects of Marxist ideology are evident in terms of widespread speech codes, promotion of critical theories, and other campus practices that seek to vitiate basic cultural precepts. The dismal state of campus free speech is revealed by a recent survey of 481 colleges that reported only 12% of colleges received a green-light rating. But a green-light score is not as impressive as it sounds. It only means that the school has no written policies that directly imperil free speech. The rating does not signify that right-of-center student groups can hold events without harassment, that professors allow free-wheeling classroom debates, or that white males are not subjected to villainous stereotypes. Second are the critical theories, philosophies that classify, stereotype, and divide persons based on their race or sex. According to criticalrace.org, more than 200 colleges and universities around the country are now promoting Critical Race Theory. CRTs first cousin, Critical Feminist Theory, dogmatically insists that gender oppression is endemic in American society, and is widely embraced by university womens studies programs. Noting that the educational system is central in transmitting and preserving the ideology of whatever class dominates society, Cal State University professor Glynn Custred explains that doctrines of critical race theory, intersectionality, and identity politics are clearly rooted in Marxist doctrine. And third are the persons who engage in crazy-making, practices that aim to undermine basic cultural precepts about human biology, race, and spirituality. These are a few of many examples: At Columbia University, women are now referred to as people with uteruses. Carlow University in Pittsburgh hosted an event at which the speaker argued white people should crucify their whiteness and called for the embrace of hopelessness. Duke Divinity School hosted a Pride Worship Service at which students prayed to the Great Queer One. Recent developments offer hope that we may be breaking free from the intellectual straight-jacket that now encumbers campus discourse: Oklahoma: Governor Kevin Stitt signed HB 3543 into law, which will establish the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee to review First Amendment complaints at public universities in the state. Florida: Last Thursday, a federal appeals court ruled that the University of Central Floridas broadly worded free speech policy violates the First Amendment. In a 38-page decision, Judge Kevin Newsom wrote the UCF policy objectively chills speech because its operation would cause a reasonable student to fear expressing potentially unpopular beliefs. Ohio: Shawnee State University agreed to pay philosophy professor Nick Meriwether $400,000 after disciplining him for not using a transgender student's preferred pronouns. Unfortunately, a new threat to campus free speech now looms... In May, the federal Department of Education is expected to release a draft Title IX regulation that many fear will eliminate the presumption of innocence and reduce due process protections for students and faculty members accused of flouting campus speech codes. The sex discrimination policy reportedly will expand the definition of sex to include, discrimination on the basis of sex stereotypes, sex-related characteristics (including intersex traits), pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity. You may want to reread that bloated definition, because it is certain to have a chilling effect on campus debates about LGBTQ issues, and will impose long-lasting, harmful effects on womens sports. Seeking to head off this dystopian scenario, 26 leading organizations recently sent a letter to the Department of Education with this admonition: We strongly urge the Department to set aside its Title IX rulemaking and to allow institutions to continue their efforts to comply with the 2020 Rule. Even more remarkably, the attorneys general from 15 states sent a letter on April 5 to the Department of Education that bluntly concludes, We strongly urge the Department to cancel its plans to engage in rulemaking on Title IX. The expanded definition of sex represents a stunning example of regulatory overreach that is unlikely to succeed either in courts of law, or in the court of public opinion. Given that the current trend in American society is to restore free speech and assure due process, the Department of Education is well-advised to reconsider the plan to usher in its Brave New World on college campuses. Image: Daniel Oberhaus Why is a tax-exempt charity ghostwriting a newspaper column for a Hollywood star? And why did it time publication of the op-ed to coincide with the release of her high-budget movie? Could it have anything to do with the pledge that star made to donate millions to it? These are all legitimate questions for the ACLU, which revealed that the ghostwriting in a recorded deposition by chief operating officer Terrance Daughtry that was played in court Thursday. Amber Heard appears to be writing something down at the trial. Bizpac Review reports: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) revealed in testimony during the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard $100 million defamation trial that it had ghost-written the Washington Post op-ed allegedly accusing Depp of domestic abuse, reportedly timing it for the release of "Aquaman" in which she played a role. The ACLU also stated that Heard had only donated $1.3 million to their coffers after promising in 2016 to fork over $3.5 million from her divorce settlement with Depp, stating that the actress was having financial difficulties. The organization also contends that Heard's ex, South African billionaire Elon Musk donated $500,000 of the money that Heard gave to the ACLU, according to the Daily Mail. (snip) Jezebel is reporting that email correspondence indicates that Robin Shulman, who is a communications strategist with the ACLU, first drafted the op-ed for consumption in November of 2018 a month before it was published. It is being alleged that Heard's legal team deliberately edited the piece to make sure it did not outwardly incriminate Depp by name. Amber Heards lawyers today: This op-Ed is not about Johnny Depp Amber Heards lawyers before publishing the op-Ed: pic.twitter.com/XF9UyibGdQ brooke (@depplyhaIIows) April 28, 2022 Sordid and sleazy is the nature of the Depp-Heard marriage, as revealed in testimony, and the same adjectives apply to the ACLU, it is quite evident. I wonder if Depp will sue the ACLU as well. I bet they have deeper pockets than Ms. Heard. Photo credit: YouTube screen grab. Most Americans live in a state of denial. We have always believed, or at least wanted to believe, that like a good daddy, our president and his confederates care about us and about America, have our best interests at heart, want to improve our lives and protect us. This brings us to the Biden administration. Every decision they have made since Day One has harmed our country its economic welfare, social cohesion, physical and mental health, morale, international relations, and longstanding cultural mores. But what did critics say about Biden's termination of a major gas pipeline before we had a sustainable energy alternative? What do they say as he vaporizes our southern border, exposing our country to millions of unvetted refugees? What do they say when his administration, abandoning diplomacy, deliberately provokes Russia to the brink of World War III by shipping more weapons to Ukraine and inviting Finland, Russia's neighbor, to join NATO? They accuse Biden of dementia, ineptitude, stupidity, poor judgment, and financial corruption. Although these accusations are accurate, they miss the most important point. All those who miss this point enable the demolition of our society to continue. What few pundits dare to point out is that all the Biden's administration's missteps trend in the same direction toward destruction of our society. If ineptitude was the culprit, we would expect a randomness in the administration's decisions and consequences some might fortuitously make good public policy, others terrible policy, and others in between. So incompetence is an inadequate explanation. What we find difficult to face is that our government intends us harm in order to accrue power and usher in a globalist takeover of the remnants of our society. It intends to destroy us, if not through nuclear war, then though economic privation, starvation, and cultural upheaval. It does not give a damn about us. It despises us. It may even wish to kill us. It is not dumb but malevolent. It is evil. (I include in this characterization not only federal officials but many mayors and governors Democrats mainly, but also fellow-traveling Republicans.) Denial is the most primitive psychological defense. Through it we refuse to accept reality as when a four-year old covers his ears, shuts his eyes, and screams nonsense syllables to drown out his older brother's taunts. But evil abides even when we refuse to see or hear it. We deny our officials' malevolence the way family members deny that Daddy sexually abuses six-year old Molly: surely, he couldn't have done that; why, only yesterday, he took us to a ballgame and bought us Cracker Jacks. To acknowledge that the authority most expected to protect us wishes us harm threatens our sense of reality, destroys our trust in the world. So we create a fake reality to comfort ourselves, maintain our sanity. As the character Verbal Kint says in the film The Usual Suspects, "the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." What he might have added is that the Devil operates best if we deny his existence. We must uncover our ears and open our eyes and face reality. Our leaders intend to destroy us if we let them get away with it. Steven Goldsmith, M.D. is a Board-certified psychiatrist in Los Angeles and author of The Healing Paradox. Image: PxHere. It's possible that, without Julie Kelly's dogged journalistic efforts, almost no one would remember the January 6 martyrs, immured in dirty, cruelly managed D.C. prisons for the sin of entering the Capitol last January. For 15 months, Kelly has lived and breathed the story, ferreting out every bit of information that the government isn't hiding from defendants and journalists alike. That knowledge, combined with a book revealing Sen. Mitch McConnell's feelings about Trump, led her to suggest that McConnell encouraged the breakdown on January 6 to avoid protest votes against Biden's assuming the presidency. I strongly urge you to read Kelly's entire article, because she includes chapter and verse to make her case. Here's the short version. Mitch McConnell was as desperate as Democrats to get Biden into the White House after the election ended: During a conference call on December 31, 2020, McConnell urged his Republican Senate colleagues to abandon plans to object to the certification, insisting his vote to certify the 2020 election results would be "the most consequential I have ever cast" in his 36-year Senate career. From the Senate floor on the afternoon of January 6, McConnell gave a dramatic speech warning of the dire consequences to the country should Republicans succeed in delaying the vote. He downplayed examples of voting fraud and even mocked the fact that Trump-appointed judges rejected election lawsuits. Despite his pleas, McConnell knew that fourteen senators were going to reject the Electoral College results from disputed states. (As an aside, there was nothing extraordinary about this, except for the fact that Republicans were doing it. Beginning in 2002, Senate Democrats objected when Bush's and Trump's Electoral College votes were being counted.) Although McConnell knew that these objections would fail, he also knew that they had publicity value, writes Kelly. "The Hail Mary effort was doomed to fail; yet the American people would have heard hours of debate related to provable election fraud over the course of the day." It turns out that McConnell wasn't just thinking in somber terms about America's well-being. Instead, he was "exhilarated" that Trump was on his way out: While he projected a sober tone to the American public, McConnell privately was ecstatic, a new book about the 2020 election reveals. "I feel exhilarated by the fact that this fellow finally, totally discredited himself," McConnell told New York Times reporter Jonathan Martin late on January 6, 2021 about Trump. Martin is the co-author of This Will Not Pass, of which excerpts were published in the Washington Post this week. Martin in the book recounts his midnight conversation with McConnell. [snip] Calling Trump a "despicable person," McConnell reportedly bragged how he "crushed the sons of b-----" on January 6 and promised to do the same to them in the 2022 primaries. With that as background McConnell's vicious hatred for Trump and his desperation to ignore the mountains of evidence that there was fraud in the disputed states Kelly asks an important question: "why did McConnell's office fail to protect the Capitol on January 6?" Image: Mitch McConnell (edited). YouTube screen grab. She explains that we've heard that Nancy Pelosi asked Paul Irving, her sergeant at arms for the House, not to provide any extra policing despite the expectation that 100,000 Trump-supporters would descend on the Capitol. It turns out that McConnell's sergeant at arms, Michael Stenger, was also unwilling to provide any extra help. Beginning on January 4, Steven Sund, a Capitol Police captain, was unable to get additional support from either Irving or Stenger. Once events began to unfold on January 6 (despite, or perhaps because of, an FBI presence), Sund again asked for help. Both of the sergeants at arms later said they were waiting for authority from Pelosi and McConnell. "That approval came an hour later, but with a caveat: Sund also needed the Pentagon's authorization," writes Kelly. The Pentagon (which also hated Trump) dragged its feet, and extra help arrived only 4.5 hours after the request and long after the protest ended. McConnell had a role in the protest because he refused to act to prevent or minimize it: Not only did McConnell's top law enforcement officials purportedly overlook the potential for violence on January 6, he denied requests for more officers days before and delayed sending guardsmen to Capitol Hill that afternoon. I will always be grateful to McConnell for keeping Merrick Garland off the Supreme Court. Other than that, it's currently hard for me to think of any other reason to respect this man. He is a stark reminder that, during primaries, Republicans must stop electing the same old RINOs. If we want to push back against the anti-American madness in Washington, D.C., we must vote for politicians who believe in the Constitution and the rule of law, owe nothing to China, and support the American people. In addition to being an immoral betrayal of our pledge to care for those who served us in uniform and politically insane, this diversion if resources would be unnecessary if Biden fulfilled his oath of office and enforced the law. Spencer Brown reports in Townhall: During his recent testimony before Congress, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas informed lawmakers that the Biden administration was considering diverting resources from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to deal with Biden's border debacle. This includes not just funding but also VA nurses and doctors who are tasked with caring for America's veterans, and who may now be sent to care for illegal immigrants. (snip) [Iowa Senator Joni] Ernst previously sent a letter with Senator John Boozman (R-AR) to President Biden further explaining Republicans' opposition to the idea that VA personnel would be shifted to address "the inevitable escalation of the border crisis" if Title 42 is lifted: The VA is currently experiencing major staffing shortages and high workforce turnover rates. The deployment of VA personnel in a 'Fourth Mission' capacity will impact veterans' ability to receive timely care from the VA and should not be a consideration while developing your Administration's plan as a result of the failure to implement and maintain commonsense border security policies. ... As you know, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported over 1.6 million border encounters in the Fiscal Year 2021, which is the highest annual total on record. The Title 42 Order has been used over one million times and has been essential for CBP to deny entry to illegal immigrants. Reports indicate that your Administration is aware of the inevitable surge of illegal immigrants once this authority endsThere is bipartisan support in the Senate requesting a detailed plan be made available before revoking this authority. These plans should absolutely not include using the VA's "Fourth Mission." Chicago's streets are a little safer thanks to a federal crackdown on gun violence there, even though the Biden administration ended the program that President Trump initiated. The Chicago Sun-Times reports: It's been about two years since then-President Donald Trump launched [a] high-profile, five-month operation in the face of a surge in violence in Chicago, looking to make people arrested for crimes involving guns face tougher federal penalties than they might if prosecuted in the Cook County courts. That program was called Operation Legend, named after four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, a Kansas City child who was shot to death in his sleep. President Trump dispatched hundreds of federal agents to work with Chicago Police. Then-A.G. Barr's press conference in Chicago on Operation Legend, 9/9/20. Authorities have said that at least 170 people were arrested in the Chicago area in Operation Legend, including 130 on gun charges and 40 on drug charges. For context, Chicago recorded more than 770 killings that year and thousands of nonfatal shootings. The average federal sentence of nearly four years in the cases the Chicago Sun-Times reviewed was far higher than whats typically seen in the Cook County courts. To determine that, the Sun-Times examined a decade of Cook County sentences in cases in which the most serious charge was illegal gun possession. The average prison sentence was less than a year 254 days in the approximately 4,000 cases filed between 2011 and the end of 2021. About 2,300 other cases resulted in probation, according to a Cook County database. Since the overwhelming percentage of victims of gun crime in Chicago are black, almost certainly Operation Legend has saved black lives by locking up people inclined to violence for longer sentences. For some reason, Black Lives Matter doesn't seem very grateful. Hat tip: Peter von Buol Angelina Jolie has reportedly been spotted in Ukraine on a visit to the city of Lviv. In a video shared on Facebook, the actor can be seen smiling and waving at fans as she ordered a coffee. Jolie has worked as a special envoy for the United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency for many years, but the specifics of her trip to Ukraine are unclear. The video, which shows Jolie signing a piece of paper and waving to the camera, was posted on Facebook by Ukrainian Maya Pidhorodetska and has since had more than 19,000 shares. Ms Pidhorodetska wrote a post with the video in Ukrainian which, translated by Google, said: Nothing special. Just Lviv. I just went to have coffee. Just Angelina Jolie. Ukraine is simply supported by the whole world. (PA Graphics) Lviv, in western Ukraine, has been under attack from the Russian army in recent weeks and earlier this month, a missile attack on the city left at least seven people dead. In February, Jolie spoke about the war in Ukraine in a post to her 12.7 million Instagram followers. She wrote: Like many of you, Im praying for the people in Ukraine. My focus along with my @refugees colleagues is that everything possible is done to ensure the protection and basic human rights of those displaced, and refugees in the region. We have already seen reports of casualties and people starting to flee their homes to seek safety. It is too soon to know what will happen, but the significance of this moment for the people of Ukraine, and for the international rule of law cannot be overstated. The Foreign Office is investigating reports that a British national has been detained by Russia after a video emerged showing a man in camouflage clothes being questioned. In the video, reportedly shown on Russian television, the man appears to give his name as Andrew Hill. He speaks with an English accent, has his arm in a sling, a bandage around his head, and blood can be seen on his hand. Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 30 April 2022 Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/TU1DzgHpEu #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/mfMgJGMqAL Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) April 30, 2022 The video, which has not been verified, has been shared online. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is investigating the reports and also supporting family members. The FCDO condemns the exploitation of prisoners of war for political purposes and calls for anyone detained to be treated humanely in accordance with the requirements of international humanitarian law. Two other British men, said to be working as humanitarian aid volunteers, are also believed to have been detained in Ukraine by Russian forces. The Presidium Network, a non-profit group, said said Paul Urey and Dylan Healey were captured early on Monday morning at a checkpoint south of the city of Zaporizhzhia in south-eastern Ukraine. Paul Urey (Presidium Network/PA) Mr Urey, who was born in 1977 and is from Manchester, and Mr Healey, born in 2000 and from Cambridgeshire, travelled to Ukraine of their own accord, the organisation said. They were not working for the Presidium Network, which helps to get aid into Kyiv. The organisation said the pair were driving to help a woman and two children to evacuate when they went missing. Presidium Network said it is concerned Russian forces may think the two men are British spies. The Foreign Office said it was urgently seeking more information following reports of British nationals being detained in Ukraine. Meanwhile, in an intelligence update on Saturday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the UK said Russia faces considerable challenges and troops are likely to be suffering from weakened morale. I keep in touch with @BorisJohnson. Spoke about the situation on the battlefield and in the blocked Mariupol. Discussed defensive support for Ukraine and the necessary diplomatic efforts to achieve peace. (@ZelenskyyUa) April 30, 2022 Posting on Twitter, the MoD said: Russia hopes to rectify issues that have previously constrained its invasion by geographically concentrating combat power, shortening supply lines and simplifying command and control. Russia still faces considerable challenges. It has been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in north-east Ukraine. Many of these units are likely suffering from weakened morale. Shortcomings in Russian tactical co-ordination remain. A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localised improvements. Later, President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: I keep in touch with @BorisJohnson. Spoke about the situation on the battlefield and in the blocked Mariupol. Discussed defensive support for Ukraine and the necessary diplomatic efforts to achieve peace. Russia and the West are closer to nuclear war than during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the great-granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev has said. Nina Khrushcheva, an academic whose great-grandfather was leader of the Soviet Union during the 1962 standoff, warned the conflict in Ukraine is more dangerous because neither side appears prepared to back off. Ms Khrushcheva said despite a war of words during the period of Cold War brinkmanship, both President John F Kennedy and Khrushchev agreed to de-escalate as soon as there was a real threat of nuclear action. Speaking on the Today programme, she said it was clear the current conflict was a proxy war between the West and Russia in which Ukraine is to some degree a pawn. A picture issued by the US Embassy in London in 1962 was said to show Intermediate ballistic missile site under construction in Cuba (PA) Ms Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at The New School in New York, said of the 1962 crisis: What really saved the world at the time was that both Khrushchev and Kennedy, whatever they thought of each others ideology and disagreed with it, and didnt want to give in and blink first, yet when the threat appeared of a potential conflict of any kind they immediately backed off. We are closer to more issues, nuclear, than any other way, because I dont see today any side, particularly the Russian side, backing off, and thats what really scares me the most. She added: It was clear on February 24 it was a proxy war because it was the negotiations of Ukraine with the United States first of all and then Nato, so that was already a proxy conversation and Ukraine was to some degree a pawn in this relationship. Her concerns about escalation were echoed by former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger, who said the discipline of deterrence that helped both sides back down in 1962 appears to have been lost. Sir Alex told the programme that aggressive rhetoric from Russia was in part an attempt to bully and intimidate the West, but the situation should still be taken seriously. I think in some ways weve lost the discipline of deterrence, he said. Its a very emotional situation that were in So I think there are real dangers here, but I think Putin also is essentially trying to bully us and intimidate us with talk of his nuclear weapons. He knows full well that its a much more complicated situation than that. Of course, the West has the capacity to retaliate and it would not in any way be a rational manoeuvre on his part to try and employ them. But Sir Alex rejected the argument that the war was a proxy battle, warning that such claims risk inadvertently strengthening Russias position. The idea that this is a broader war, that were in a broader conflict with Russia, simply plays to the Russian narrative as they come under pressure because theyll be able to tell their people that this is a defensive war, he said. Elisabeth Moss is coming to the defense of "misunderstood" Scientology. A New Yorker profile detailed The Handmaids Tale actress's long association with the controversial organization as a second-generation Scientologist. While she tried not to come off as "cagey" while answering questions about the group, she admitted she is for professional reasons because she doesn't want the topic to "distract" from her work. But she did respond to several rumors, including whether she fled an awards show when Leah Remini's anti-Scientology docuseries won, and whether her cursing in her 2017 Emmys acceptance speech was a Scientology thing. "I dont want to come off as being cagey, Moss told the outlet. If you and I met, just hanging out as friends, Im, like, an open book about it. "However, I dont want people to be distracted by something when theyre watching me," she said. "I want them to be seeing the character. I feel like, when actors reveal too much of their lives, Im sometimes watching something and Im going, Oh, I know that she just broke up with that person, or, I know that she loves to do hot yoga, or whatever it is." When told that people are already distracted, the Mad Men alum replied, People can obviously hold in their mind whatever they want to, and I cant control that. If its not that, its going to be something else." She said Scientology is "not really a closed-off religion. Its a place that is very open to, like, welcoming in somebody who wants to learn more about it. I think thats the thing that is probably the most misunderstood." Moss was asked about a report that she fled the room at the 2017 Television Critics Association Award when anti-Scientology activist Remini won for Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. "I went to the bathroom," Moss replied. I wish it was more exciting than that. Moss also responded to Remini's claim she's not allowed to talk to her for being a defector. "I have never been approached by her," Moss replied. "I have never received any request to talk to her. So there hasnt been an opportunity for her to say that. I dont know her that well, so its not like we were friends." Moss also addressed her infamous Emmys acceptance speech for Handmaids from that same year. In it, she dropped an F-bomb while thanking her musician mom, Linda, for teaching her to "be kind and a f****** badass. The Hollywood Reporter did a story at the time that Scientologists use profanity when addressing non-members to "down the tone scale" because if someone is "too high-tone, non-members will not understand them." "That pissed me off," Moss replied. "That was a really, really big moment for me, and it was a big moment for my mom and me. My mom, who has supported me through the years and been such an incredible mother to both me and my brother. And to tell a lie like that, about that I didnt deserve that, and it was wrong." Moss said Scientology has made her a skilled communicator, and encouraged people to find out for themselves" about the group. "Ive certainly been guilty of reading an article or watching something and taking that as gospel," adding, And obviously something like religious freedom and resistance against a theocracy is very important to me. The interview wasn't all about the last "Purification Rundown," a Scientology detox treatment she reportedly did in 2017 involving prolonged heat exposure and ingesting large quantities of niacin, she did. She also talked about being a "Moss Boss" on the set of The Handmaids Tale. CrackerClips / Getty Images/iStockphoto Social Security is an essential safety net for many Americans. Even if you haven't saved enough for retirement, you can still count on Social Security benefits in retirement. Read: 14 Key Signs You Will Run Out of Money in Retirement Learn: Best and Worst States for Pensions However, with an average monthly benefit of just over $1,400, America's most expensive cities are far out of reach without another source of income. If you do have to rely on your Social Security benefits alone -- and still want to make the most of your golden years -- you'll need to live somewhere affordable that won't compromise your quality of life. That's why GOBankingRates compiled a list of the 20 best cities to live off of just Social Security. The study factored in the cost of living, livability and median rent and -- after comparing the 143 largest cities in the U.S. -- combined the scores to determine where you really can get by on just your Social Security benefit. DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images 20. Lubbock, Texas Cost of Living Score: 79.9 Livability Score: 68 Average Rent: $719 Lubbock is one of five Texas cities identified in the study as a good place to live just on Social Security. Its relatively low livability score and rent of more than $700 per month prevented it from moving up on the list. Ron_Thomas / iStock.com 19. Toledo, Ohio Cost of Living Score: 72.7 Livability Score: 62 Average Rent: $651 Toledo's cost of living indicates that you can expect to spend more than 25% less on your basic expenses than you would in the rest of the country, on average. What's more, Toledo is one of the cities where your money stretches the furthest, according to a separate GOBankingRates study. Sean Pavone / Getty Images/iStockphoto 18. Cleveland, Ohio Cost of Living Score: 72.6 Livability Score: 60 Average Rent: $612 If you're younger and looking to avoid living off your Social Security check alone when you reach retirement, one of the best ways is to start saving early. However, even if it's too late to build the sort of nest egg you would like, a city like Cleveland -- which combines modest rent with a low cost of living -- should help you make the most of your Social Security benefits. RoschetzkyIstockPhoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto 17. Magnolia, Texas Cost of Living Score: 104 Livability Score: 80 Average Rent: $773 Magnolia is about 45 miles northwest of Houston in fast-growing Montgomery County. Its popularity probably has led to the high rental rate in the city - eighth-highest on the list. It also has the second-highest cost of living in the study. Art Wager / Getty Images/iStockphoto 16. Richmond, Texas Cost of Living Score: 108.2 Livability Score: 82 Average Rent: $780 Also located in the Houston metropolitan area is Richmond, and it has the highest cost-of-living index in the study. It's livability score is among the biggest, too. WilliamSherman / Getty Images/iStockphoto 15. Roanoke, Virginia Cost of Living Score: 84.1 Livability Score: 75 Average Rent: $792 The average rent cost in Roanoke is the fourth-highest on the list, but its lower cost of living and high livability rates make it desirable for retirees. If you wanted supplement your Social Security earnings, Roanoke is a good place to do it. Another GOBankingRates study showed it's one of the top 20 cities for remote workers. Shutterstock.com 14. Lincoln, Nebraska Cost of Living Score: 89.8 Livability Score: 78 Average Rent: $806 The average rent in Lincoln of $806 is second-highest on the list, but overall, living in this college town still is 10% cheaper to live in than the rest of the United States. DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images 13. Grand Forks, North Dakota Cost of Living Score: 88.2 Livability Score: 74 Average Rent: $733 Grand Forks is the northernmost city on the list, and one of two in North Dakota. At $733, rent in Grand Forks is at the midpoint, but it's still 11% less expensive to live here than elsewhere. DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 12. Odessa, Texas Cost of Living Score: 88 Livability Score: 63 Average Rent: $504 The primary appeal of Odessa to retirees is the low cost of rent. At $504 per month, it's the cheapest in the study - and by a wide margin. But the livability score of 63 also is among the lowest, knocking Odessa to No. 12 on the list. DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images 11. Fargo, North Dakota Cost of Living Score: 91.9 Livability Score: 77 Average Rent: $740 Fargo is one of the best cities to live in on a fixed income, another GOBankingRates study revealed. That should appeal to those relying on Social Security. Shutterstock.com 10. Davenport, Iowa Cost of Living Score: 81.7 Livability Score: 69 Average Rent: $644 It costs about 19% less to live in Davenport than the average American city, fueled by its average rent of $644 per month. Dragging it down is its livability score of just 69. DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto 9. Abilene, Texas Cost of Living Score: 78.1 Livability Score: 75 Average Rent: $780 The last of the five Texas cities on the list, Abilene has a cost of living that is about 22% below the national average - one of the lowest in the study. That makes the comparatively high apartment cost of $780 easier to bear. Gau Meo / Shutterstock.com 8. Norman, Oklahoma Cost of Living Score: 89.4 Livability Score: 76 Average Rent: $715 Norman is the home of the University of Oklahoma, and living surrounded by all of those college students will keep a retiree young. The average rent of $715 is the seventh-lowest among cities on the list. Shutterstock.com 7. Lake Charles, Louisiana Cost of Living Score: 83.4 Livability Score: 70 Average Rent: $622 For retirees interested in living near the water, with all of the recreational opportunities that brings - think fishing! - there's good news: Lake Charles has the third-lowest rent cost of the cities considered in this study. benkrut / Getty Images/iStockphoto 6. Des Moines, Iowa Cost of Living Score: 81.2 Livability Score: 75 Average Rent: $729 Des Moines scored high in two categories, livability and cost of living, which led to its No. 6 ranking on this list. IMG_191 / Shutterstock.com 5. Rochester, Minnesota Cost of Living Score: 94.1 Livability Score: 84 Average Rent: $800 About 3 million people visit Rochester annually, many of them to visit with doctors at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, which opened in the city in 1889. While rents are the third-highest in the study, its livability score is high, too, making it desirable for retirees. ChrisBoswell / Getty Images/iStockphoto 4. Fort Wayne, Indiana Cost of Living Score: 78.9 Livability Score: 75 Average Rent: $718 Fort Wayne is a little pricier than many of the other cities on this list, but it still is among one of the best cities in the nation to retire on $1,500 a month, found a separate GOBankingRates study. Wikimedia Commons 3. St. Charles, Missouri Cost of Living Score: 92.2 Livability Score: 86 Average Rent: $831 St. Charles has the highest rental cost in the study at $831 but it also has the highest livability score at 86. There's a lot for retirees to do there, from exploring historic Main Street to touring the local wine country. Shutterstock.com 2. Lynchburg, Virginia Cost of Living Score: 82.9 Livability Score: 81 Average Rent: $786 Lynchburg's relatively high livability score is the primary factor in pushing the city to No. 2 on this list, but its retiree-friendly cost of living is another major factor. The cost of living is about 17% below the U.S. average. Shutterstock.com 1. Rock Springs, Wyoming Cost of Living Score: 96.2 Livability Score: 83 Average Rent: $692 Outlaw Butch Cassidy once called Rock Springs, an outpost of the Old West, home. Today, it's a city welcoming to retirees, with a low average rent of $692 and a high livability score. An old mining town located in the high desert, Rock Springs is near the Killpecker Sand Dunes, which are the largest sand dunes in North America. More From GOBankingRates Joel Anderson contributed to the reporting for this article. Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the best places to live on only a Social Security check based on the (1) average monthly benefit for retired workers, $1,518.97, sourced from Social Security Administration; (2) the overall cost of living in each city, sourced from Sperling's Best Places; (3) average 2021 rent for a one-bedroom apartment as sourced from ApartmentList,; and (4) Livability scores sourced from areavibes. Factors (2) through (4) were scored and combined with the lowest score being best. Factor (4) was weighted double in final calculations. All data was collected and is up to date as of Dec. 14, 2021. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Best Places To Live on Only a Social Security Check A screen shows the trading info for The Walt Disney Company company on the floor of the NYSE in New York By Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Walt Disney Co's head of corporate affairs, Geoff Morrell, is leaving the company three months after joining from oil and energy company BP Plc, according to an email on Friday from Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek. Morrell's brief tenure has been marked by controversy over the company's response to Floridas law barring classroom instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity for some younger students. "It has become clear to me that for a number of reasons it is not the right fit," Morrell wrote in a separate email to his staff. "I have decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities." Both emails were seen by Reuters. Kristina Schake will lead the company's communications efforts, Chapek said in the email. Her 30-plus years of experience include heading up President Joe Biden's vaccine education program, as well as communications for Instagram and work in the Obama administration. Government relations and global public policy will be led by Disney's general counsel, Horacio Gutierrez. Disney became the focus of criticism for initially failing to speak out publicly against the Florida legislation, which critics call the Dont Say Gay bill. The company said it worked behind the scenes to influence the legislation, an approach Chapek admitted had failed. He later voiced disappointment with the measure and apologized to the company's LGBTQ employees for failing to be a "stronger ally in the fight for equal rights." When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education bill into law on March 28, Disney issued a statement saying it "should never have passed" and said that it should be repealed. Disney's public condemnation opened a new front in the nation's culture wars, with DeSantis signing a bill on April 22 that would strip the company of its self-governing authority at its Orlando-area parks in apparent retaliation. The company has yet to issue a statement on the new law, which would take effect on June 1, 2023. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine in Los AngelesEditing by Chris Reese and Matthew Lewis) An Alabama corrections deputy and suspect charged with capital murder have been missing since Friday morning after leaving the jail for a court appointment that did not exist, said authorities, who warned the suspect should be considered armed and "extremely dangerous." Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office employee Vicki White was last seen escorting inmate Casey White to the local courthouse on Friday around 9:40 a.m. for an "alleged mental health evaluation," Sheriff Rick Singleton told reporters. "We have confirmed that there was no mental health evaluation scheduled," Singleton said. Vicki White was also alone with the inmate, which is a "strict violation of policy," he said, noting that Casey White should have been escorted by two deputies given his charges. The two are not related, the sheriff said. PHOTO: Lauderdale County assistant director of corrections Vicki White and inmate Casey Cole White. (Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office, Alabama) As the assistant director of corrections, Vicki White is in charge of coordinating transportation between the detention center and the court, and the breach of protocol wasn't flagged by her employees, the sheriff said. Vicki White told a booking officer that she was going to the doctor after dropping off the inmate, but she never made that appointment either, authorities said. MORE: 2 of 3 Tennessee jail escapees killed in North Carolina police chase The sheriff's office did not realize the two were missing until 3:30 p.m. Friday, when the booking officer reported he was unable to get ahold of Vicki White and her phone was going to voicemail. They then realized that the inmate was not back at the detention center, either, Singleton said. The patrol vehicle the two took from the detention center was located in the parking lot of a nearby shopping center, authorities said. The car was spotted in the parking lot as early as 11 a.m. Friday, authorities said. PHOTO: The Lauderdale County Detention Center in Florence, Alabama. (WAAY) Investigators are searching for any footage that can shed light on what happened, going off the inmate's phone logs to determine if his escape was premeditated and looking into the previous interactions between the deputy and inmate. Authorities are considering all angles, Singleton said. "Did she assist him in escaping? That's obviously a possibility," Singleton said. "We're assuming at this point that she was taken against her will unless we can absolutely prove otherwise." Vicki White has been an employee of the sheriff's office for 25 years. The office is "shocked" that she is missing, Singleton said, describing her as an "exemplary employee." PHOTO: Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office employee Vicki White and inmate Casey Cole White have not been seen since leaving the Lauderdale County Detention Center in Florence, Alabama, together April 29, 2022, authorities said. (WAAY) The deputy was armed with a 9 mm pistol, authorities said. "Casey White should be considered armed and extremely dangerous," Singleton said. "Right now we hope and pray we get him before somebody gets hurt." The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency are assisting in the search, according to Huntsville ABC affiliate WAAY. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a reward up to $10,000 for information leading to the capture of Casey White. "Casey White is believed to be a serious threat to the corrections officer and the public," said U.S. Marshal Marty Keely in a statement on Sunday. MORE: 4 Florida correctional officers charged with murder in alleged beating of inmate The state has issued a "blue alert," which is activated when an Alabama officer has been killed or seriously injured and the perpetrator is at large. Casey White, 38, is described by authorities as 6 feet, 6 inches tall and 252 pounds, with salt and pepper hair, hazel eyes and tattoos on both arms. Vicki White, 56, is described as 5 foot, 5 inches tall and 160 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes. "Casey White is believed to be a serious threat to the corrections officer and the public," the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in its alert. The suspect was arrested in 2020 and charged with two counts of capital murder in a nearly 5-year-old cold case that authorities said was a murder for hire, AL.com reported at the time. He was in the Lauderdale County jail awaiting trial, set to begin on June 13, according to WAAY. Deputy, murder suspect missing after leaving jail against protocol: Authorities originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Evangelical Christians have been a subject of head-scratching puzzlement to many other Americans for years, but the author of a popular book analyzing the group says thats because their views are formed by an entire subculture that is invisible to others. Most non-evangelicals are not aware of the culture of evangelicalism and just how influential it is on ordinary evangelicals, said Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, a New York Times bestseller released in 2020. Du Mez, a professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University a private evangelical college said the evangelical subculture begins at an early age, with youth group culture and separate systems for education, from home schooling to private Christian schools that begin in kindergarten and extend up through college, like Calvin itself. There is also the consumer culture of Christian publishing, Christian radio, Christian music, online media and other inputs. Kristin Kobes Du Mez and her book "Jesus and John Wayne." (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photo: Liveright, kristindumez.com) There's a whole universe out there that really forms the faith of ordinary evangelicals. And it is largely invisible to people outside this community, Du Mez said in an interview on The Long Game, a Yahoo News podcast. These sources are really formative for shaping their understanding of what is good and true. One of the arguments in Du Mezs book is that evangelical Christians believe that their worldview derives from the Bible, when it has in fact been shaped more by American popular culture. They primarily identify as Bible-believing Christians. Thats their brand, she said, arguing that instead, it is cultural and political allegiances [that] actually shape the ways in which they understand what is biblical. Evangelicalism, she writes in the book, is a historical and cultural movement forged over time by individuals and organizations with varied motivations the desire to discern God's will, to bring order to uncertain times, and for many, to extend their own power." Du Mezs book makes the case that American culture, not the Bible, has shaped the beliefs of many American evangelicals, most of them white conservatives, about gender roles, what it means to be strong, and the definition of true power and how to properly use it. People at a concert by the evangelical musician Sean Feucht on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in October 2020. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) The book documents decades of evangelical literature that describes Jesus as a warrior God. Du Mez says conservative evangelicalism has long been grounded in views of male domination over women, the idea that the United States is Gods chosen country and that it must be defended at all costs and by any means necessary, and a fear of any threats to white racial identity. Jesus and John Wayne has been criticized by numerous conservative religious writers. Some have accused Du Mez of spreading false teaching, a serious allegation among evangelicals. But much of the pushback from conservatives has been measured in tone and has included an acknowledgment that the patterns she documents are troubling. Du Mez began writing the book after a recording of Donald Trumps comments to the host of "Access Hollywood," Billy Bush, was leaked to the public in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election. She was not surprised by how quickly many evangelicals forgave Trump after they heard the bombshell recording, and the second half of her book discusses her theory as to why he did not lose favor with evangelicals after the episode. It explores connections between conservative views on gender roles and how churches handled cases of sexual misconduct and abuse. Du Mezs argument is that the more an evangelical leader emphasized male authority and female submission, the more twisted his justifications for any personal scandal. An "Evangelicals for Trump" campaign event in Miami on Jan. 3, 2020. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) The list of scandals involving evangelical figures and institutions was long enough when Du Mez wrote her book, but it has grown even longer since. In the past few weeks, celebrity pastors at Hillsong Church have been accused of preying on women and have resigned from their jobs; a renowned pastor, John MacArthur, has been accused of protecting a pedophile who was in leadership in his family of churches; and top former editors at Christianity Today magazine have been accused of sexual harassment in the workplace. Other scandals in recent years include the extensive sexual misconduct allegations against Ravi Zacharias, who was celebrated by evangelicals until his death in 2020 as one of the great champions of the Christian faith. After his death, however, it was reported that he abused his power to solicit and pressure at least 200 women for sexual favors. The Southern Baptist Convention has faced turmoil over the Houston Chronicles revelations in 2019 that church officials routinely swept allegations of sexual abuse under the rug. A culture that considered male authority not just as important but as a central pillar of the Christian faith itself led to patterns of protecting abusers and minimizing the effect of their actions on victims, who were usually women and children, Du Mez writes. She concludes in her book that evangelicals response to allegations of abuse in the era of Trump cannot be explained by political expediency alone. Rather, these tendencies appear to be endemic to the movement itself, she writes. A former Idaho lawmaker was convicted Friday of raping a teenage intern, ending a dramatic trial. Former Idaho state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger glances toward the gallery during his rape trial at the Ada County Courthouse on Wednesday in Boise, Idaho. Former Idaho state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger glances toward the gallery during his rape trial at the Ada County Courthouse on Wednesday in Boise, Idaho. (Brian Myrick/) Idaho Republican Aaron von Ehlinger, 39, was convicted of forcing sex onto the 19-year-old woman who ran off the witness stand saying I cant do this during her testimony. She became upset after explaining he tried to put his fingers between my legs and the unidentified victim closed her knees. Judge Michael Reardon instructed the jury to disregard the womans testimony after she was no longer able to continue and unavailable for cross-examination. The young woman had told a Statehouse supervisor she and von Ehlinger had gone out to dinner, then returned to her apartment where she was raped. Von Ehlinger testified the pairs March 2021 night out in Boise was going well and that the sex was consensual. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert got into heated clash: report He resigned his position as a state representative amid the allegations of impropriety. Von Ehlinger could serve as little as a year in prison and as much as the rest of his life for a felony rape conviction when he is sentenced on July 28. He was not convicted on a charge of sexual penetration with a foreign object. The defendant kept his composure throughout the trial and was walked off in handcuffs to start the weekend. Prosecutors commended the victim for showing an incredible amount of courage by coming forward. She had reportedly been harassed by von Ehlinger supporters who identified her online and shared the womans personal information after her allegations became public. One of her alleged tormentors showed up to attend the hearing, but law enforcement kept that man from the courthouse floor while the case was being tried. With News Wire Services California and 15 states that want the U.S. Postal Service to electrify its mail delivery vehicles are suing to halt purchases of thousands of gas-powered trucks as the agency modernizes its delivery fleet. Three separate lawsuits, filed Thursday by the states and environmental groups in New York and California, ask judges to order a more thorough environmental review before the Postal Service moves forward with the next-generation delivery vehicle program. Plaintiffs contend that purchases of fossil fuel-powered delivery vehicles will cause environmental harm for decades to come. The lawsuits could further delay the Postal Services efforts to replace the ubiquitous delivery trucks that went into service between 1987 and 1994. Louis DeJoys gas-guzzling fleet guarantees decades of pollution with every postcard and package, said Scott Hochberg, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, referring to the postmaster general. Attorneys general from 16 states 14 of which have Democratic governors sued in San Francisco. A separate lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, CleanAirNow KC and Sierra Club was filed in the same venue. Another was filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and United Auto Workers in New York. All three of them target the environmental review underpinning the Postal Service's planned purchase of up to 165,000 next-generation delivery vehicles over the next decade. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said its key to stop the process before its too late. Once this purchase goes through, well be stuck with more than 100,000 new gas-guzzling vehicles on neighborhood streets, serving homes across our state and across the country, for the next 30 years. There wont be a reset button, he said. The Postal Service defended the process it followed under DeJoy, a wealthy former logistics executive and Republican donor who was appointed by a board of governors controlled by then-President Donald Trump. The Postal Service conducted a robust and thorough review and fully complied with all of our obligations under (the National Environmental Policy Act), spokesperson Kim Frum said Thursday in an email. The Postal Service contract calls for 10% of the new vehicles to be electric but the Postal Service contends more electric vehicles can be purchased based on financial outlook and strategic considerations. The percentage of battery-electric vehicles was doubled to 20% in the initial $2.98 billion order for 50,000 vehicles. Environmental advocates contend the Postal Service's environmental review was inadequate and flawed, and that the contract represented a missed opportunity to electrify the fleet and reduce emissions. The review process was so rickety and riddled with error that it failed to meet the basic standards of the National Environmental Policy Act, said Adrian Martinez, senior attorney on Earthjustice's Right to Zero campaign. New York Attorney General Letitia James said the Postal Service used fatally flawed decision-making that led to an outcome that was fiscally and environmentally irresponsible. New York is among the plaintiffs. If the parties cant agree on a settlement, the lawsuit could drag on for months, possibly into next year, if there are appeals, said University of Richmond School of Law professor Carl Tobias. The new gasoline-powered vehicles would get 14.7 miles per gallon (23.7 kilometers per gallon) without air conditioning, compared to 8.4 mpg (13.5 kpg) for the older vehicles, the Postal Service said. All told, the Postal Services fleet includes 190,000 local delivery vehicles. More than 141,000 of those are the old models that lack safety features like air bags, anti-lock brakes and backup cameras. The new vehicles are taller to make it easier for postal carriers to grab packages and parcels that make up a greater share of volume. They also have improved ergonomics and climate control. The states that sued are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District in California, District of Columbia and city of New York joined that lawsuit, as well. ___ Sharp reported from Portland, Maine. FILE - Former Idaho state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger glances toward the gallery during his rape trial at the Ada County Courthouse on April 27, 2022, in Boise, Idaho. The former Idaho lawmaker was convicted Friday, April 29, 2022, of raping a 19-year-old legislative intern after a dramatic trial in which the young woman fled the witness stand during testimony, saying I cant do this. (Brian Myrick/The Idaho Press-Tribune via AP) BOISE, Idaho (AP) A former Idaho lawmaker was convicted Friday of raping a 19-year-old legislative intern after a dramatic trial in which the young woman fled the witness stand during testimony, saying I cant do this. The intern told a Statehouse supervisor that Aaron von Ehlinger raped her at his apartment after the two had dinner at a Boise restaurant in March 2021. Von Ehlinger said the sex was consensual. At the time, the Lewiston Republican was serving as state representative, but he later resigned. Von Ehlinger, 39, was found guilty Friday of rape. He was found not guilty of sexual penetration with a foreign object. Von Ehlinger sat calmly as the verdict was read, as he has throughout the trial. Afterward, 4th District Judge Michael Reardon told the jury: This has been an unusual case attended by many unexpected circumstances, but I appreciate your attention ... and hard work. A felony rape conviction carries a minimum sentence of one year in prison in Idaho. The maximum penalty can be as high as life in prison, at the judge's discretion. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 28. As von Ehlinger was remanded into custody and handcuffed, he talked quietly with his attorney who removed items from von Ehlinger's pockets. The prosecution remained stoic as they left the courtroom, but once they reached a lower floor they stopped to briefly celebrate the verdict. Von Ehlinger's attorney, Jon Cox, could not be immediately reached for comment after the trial. The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, and has referred to the woman in this case as Jane Doe at her request. In a press conference, Ada County Prosecuting Attorney Jan Bennetts thanked the jury, investigators and the prosecutors who handled the case. Last but not least, it took an incredible amount of courage for the victim in this case, Jane Doe, to come forward, Bennetts said. I want to acknowledge the courage that she took in coming forward. Doe testified on the second day of the trial. She haltingly described the moments the alleged assault began, before abruptly leaving the witness stand. He tried to put his fingers between my legs and I closed my knees, Doe said. At that, she stood up. I cant do this, she said, quickly walking out of the courtroom. The judge gave the prosecuting attorneys 10 minutes to find her to determine if she would return and resume her testimony. When she did not, the judge told the jurors they had to strike (Does testimony) from your minds as if it never happened, because the defense could not cross-examine her. During the press conference, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Katelyn Farley said the moment Doe left the trial was heart-wrenching, but said she and deputy prosecutor Whitney Welsh had prepared for trial knowing that Doe may not be able to testify. I think it's important that she decided to walk in the room, and she also decided to walk out those were her choices, Welsh said. During his testimony Thursday, von Ehlinger often spoke in a clear, loud voice directly to jurors, saying he and Doe decided to return to his apartment to hang out after eating at a fancy Boise restaurant. Then they began making out on the couch, he said. Things were going well, and I asked (Doe) if she would like to move to the bedroom, von Ehlinger said. She said Sure. We got up, held hands and walked into the bedroom. Deliberations stretched for seven hours until nearly 8 p.m. Thursday before the jury decided to break for the evening. At one point, the judge summoned the attorneys to his chambers because the jury asked a question. No details were made public about the jury's inquiry. When the allegations became public largely because of the legislative ethics investigation Doe faced unrelenting harassment from some of von Ehlinger's supporters. Her name, photo and personal details about her life were repeatedly publicized in doxxing incidents. One of the people who frequently harassed her was in the courthouse to attend the trial, but law enforcement banned the man from the floor where where case was being heard. During closing arguments, Farley told jurors that the case was about power in the wrong hands" used to the great devastation of Doe. Von Ehlinger had social, political and physical power over the petite intern, Farley said. He used that power to rape and forcibly penetrate her, Farley said, pointing at von Ehlinger. Doe resisted in several ways, she said, highlighting the testimony of law enforcement investigators and a nurse sexual assault examiner who interviewed Doe after the alleged assault. Words show lack of consent. Excuses of Why this shouldnt happen' show lack of consent. Yanking your head back and getting an injury shows lack of consent, Farley said. But von Ehlinger's attorney told jurors the prosecution's case was made up of red herrings, and said von Ehlinger was a credible person who willingly took the stand to share his side of the story. Earlier this week, jurors heard from investigators and a nurse who performed a rape exam. They testified that Doe reported being pinned down while von Ehlinger forced her to perform oral sex, and that she knew he frequently carried a handgun and had placed it on a dresser near the bed at the time of the assault. A nurse also testified that Doe had a goose egg on the back of her head from striking the wall or a headboard while trying to jerk her head away from von Ehlinger's grip. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan addressed a message on the occasion of the Citizens Day, his Office said. The message reads: Dear citizens of the Republic of Armenia, I warmly congratulate all of us on the occasion of the Citizens Day. This holiday was enshrined to record the key role of the most important institute of the democratic state the Citizen, in the development of state. The non-violent, velvet and peoples Revolution of 2018 is the symbol of establishment of Citizens power in Armenia, and this value is irreversible and unshakeable. The page of falsification of elections and depriving the Citizen of the constitutional right to make decisions is left in the past, and Armenia is perceived all over the world as a country with electoral democracy. Also because that after the 44-day devastating war of 2020 the Citizen firstly not only did not allow his/her countrys entry into the chaos, but also raised the democratic profile of our country in the difficult post-war period. Dear people, proud Citizens of the Republic of Armenia, We have gone through and are going through indescribable, sometimes, unbearable difficulties. Every day, every hour, at every step an attempt is made to infect us with the infection of doubt and hesitation, an attempt is made to shake our faith to our past and future, and most importantly to our mission. I call on, ask you all, urge you all dont doubt, dont hesitate, we are not the author of the disasters that have befallen on our country, we have suffered a cruel fate and have a sacred mission to lead our homeland through inevitable disasters that have befallen on us for many years, and deliver it to a peaceful, prosperous and happy future. And on this path our knees have not bent and will not bend. Now more than ever I am convinced we are moving on a right path and we will take our ship, that appeared in a stormy ocean, to a peaceful destination. Long live the Freedom, Long live the Republic of Armenia, Long live our children who will live in a free and happy Armenia, Eternal glory to our martyrs. YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. Governor of Syunik province Robert Ghukasyan received Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri. The meeting was also attended by Mayor of Kapan Gevorg Parsyan and head of the Syunik department of Police Alexander Mamikonyan, the Governors Office said. The main topic discussed at the meeting was the Consulate of Iran that is going to open in Kapan and in this context the actions to be taken to deepen and strengthen the cooperation between Syunik and Iran in different areas. Governor Robert Ghukasyan thanked the diplomat for the visit, stating that the relations with Iran are very important for Armenia, especially for Syunik, and the governorate is ready to do everything to make the bilateral ties more effective. In his turn the Iranian Ambassador said that despite the close cultural ties, the economic relations between the two countries are not at a desirable level, stressing the need for efforts on this direction. He also thanked for helping Iranian citizens who appeared in a difficult situation in the inter-state highway because of heavy snows this year in March. The Ambassador reminded the position of Iran on the inviolability of Armenias internationally recognized borders and said that all countries should respect it. Statements on corridors around communication routes are unacceptable for us, we believe that Armenia should preserve its territorial integrity, he said. The Governor of Syunik and the Mayor of Kapan thanked the Ambassador for Irans official position on corridor. Your opinion is important and is appreciated by each resident of Syunik, Robert Ghukasyan said. 9 months ago the Iranian side reached an agreement to open a consulate in Kapan, and the Ambassador said that the purpose of this is to develop the relations in all areas. He also introduced the consul at the meeting, adding that they will soon present the staff of the consulate to the Armenian foreign ministry. The Iranian side also talked about its interest to the section of the North-South highway passing via Syunik and informed that there are Iranian companies who expressed readiness to participate in the construction of that section. The sides also discussed economic, cultural, educational and other issues. Gevorg Parsyan informed that the teaching of Persian will start in the communitys educational institution from September. At the end of the visit the Iranian guests observed sites for the future consulate building in Kapan. YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received on April 30 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili, the Presidential Office said. Welcoming the Georgian Foreign Ministers official visit to Armenia and congratulating him on assuming office, the President of Armenia expressed hope that this visit will be productive and will contribute to strengthening the inter-state ties. Both sides highlighted strengthening the intensity of meetings of different levels. The Armenian President and the Georgian FM attached importance to peace and stability from the perspective of the development of the region and said that the strengthening of mutual trust, constant dialogue and cooperation between the two countries will contribute to regional security and stability. The sides praised the fact that the construction of the Friendship bridge in the Sadakhlo-Bagratashen border checkpoint is actively underway. In this context the Georgian FM expressed confidence that the traditional friendly and partnering ties between Armenia and Georgia will receive a new impetus and will further develop. The sides attached importance to the ongoing programs in telecommunication, high technologies and the necessity of supplementing them with new initiatives. YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Armenia strongly condemns the acts of vandalism and desecration of the St. Harutyun Church in the city of Hadrut, that came under the control of Azerbaijan after the 2020 war, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vahan Hunanyan said in a statement released over the St. Harutyun Church in Hadrut. The statement says: We strongly condemn the acts of vandalism and desecration of the St. Harutyun Church in the city of Hadrut, fallen under the control of Azerbaijan. These pre-planned actions carried out by the authorities of Azerbaijan, aimed at destroying and desecrating the identity of Armenian religious, historical and cultural monuments in the territories under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces, are another manifestation of Azerbaijan's ethnic and religious intolerance and the continuation of the policy of depriving Artsakh of Armenians and the Armenian trace. The atrocities against Armenian churches and other cultural and religious monuments in Artsakh grossly violate the norms of international law, including the decision on application of provisional measures issued by the UN International Court of Justice on December 7, 2021. This case reaffirms the claims of the Armenian side on the urgent need for the visit of UNESCO assessment mission to Nagorno Karabakh. Pande, who was serving as VC of Army Staff is the first-ever officer commissioned into the Corps of Engineers to become the Army chief New Delhi: General Manoj Pande, on Saturday took over as the 29th Chief of Army Staff, following the superannuation of General M.M. Naravane. General Pande, who was serving as Vice Chief of Army Staff is the first-ever officer commissioned into the Corps of Engineers to become the Army chief. The top position has been traditionally held by officers from fighting arms of the Indian army: Infantry, Armoured and Artillery. General Pande, is taking over at a time when India is in a military stand-off with China since the past two years in Ladakh sector. Chinese military has also been rapidly building up its infrastructure all along the Line of Actual Control and has deployed heavy weapon systems and its troops at advance positions. The current Russia-Ukraine conflict will also result in heightened geopolitical tensions. He will also have to coordinate with the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force on the governments plan to roll out theatre commands. The theatre commands were to be carved out by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in coordination with army, navy and Air Force. However, there is still no clarity when government will appoint the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Gen Pande had previously headed Indian Armys crucial Eastern Command looking after LAC with China in North-East and has also served as Commander-in-Chief of Indias only tri-services command Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN). He was the senior-most officer after the retirement of Gen Naravane. In his 39 years of military career, Gen Pande has tenanted important and challenging command and staff appointments in different operational environments. Born on May 06, 1962, Gen Pande was commissioned on December 24, 1982 in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) of the Indian Army. He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy and has undergone courses at Staff College, Camberley (UK), Army War College, Mhow and National Defence College, New Delhi. He has held Command of an Engineer Brigade in the Western Theatre, as part of Strike Corps and an Infantry Brigade along with Line-of-Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The other important Command appointments include a Mountain Division in the high-altitude area of the Western Ladakh. He has also served as Chief Engineer in the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea. He has also held the post of Additional Director General in the Military Operations Directorate at Army Headquarters, Chief of Staff Headquarters Southern Command and Director General Discipline Ceremonial and Welfare at the Army Headquarters. Eligible students to bear cost of preventing Covid, follow curb After New Delhi put sustained diplomatic pressure put on Beijing, China has told India that it is willing to allow Indian students to return to study in China on a need-assessed basis. (Representational Photo:PTI) New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, after New Delhi put sustained diplomatic pressure put on Beijing, China has told India that it is willing to allow Indian students to return to study in China on a need-assessed basis. Thousands of Indian students enrolled in Chinese universities have been under severe stress after Beijing had refused to allow them to re-enter the country to pursue their studies in-person, after leaving amid the Covid-19 pandemic two years ago. In a statement on Friday, the Indian Embassy in Beijing said, Following the meeting of Indian external affairs minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar with the state councillor and foreign minister of China Mr Wang Yi on March 25, the Chinese side has expressed its willingness to consider facilitating the return of Indian students to China on a need-assessed basis. ... The Chinese side has also conveyed that eligible students should unconditionally abide by the Covid-19 prevention measures, and agree to bear all expenses related to Covid-19 prevention measures by themselves. On its website, it added. The Indian Embassy intends to prepare a list of such students which will be shared with the Chinese side for their consideration. Therefore Indian students are requested to provide necessary information by filling up the Google form ... the latest by May 8. Once the collated information is shared with the Chinese side, they would consult relevant Chinese departments to verify the list and indicate whether the identified students can travel to China to complete the course. This coordination process would be carried out in a time-bound manner. India had been concerned that China had not allowed thousands of Indian students back to resume their classes in-person there. What added to the anxieties of Indian students were media reports that China is allowing students from Pakistan and Sri Lanka back. Asked on Thursday about whether India felt that there was discrimination by the Chinese authorities against Indian students, the ministry of external affairs in New Delhi did not give a direct answer. Asked about the plight of such Indian students, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said, We understand their pain, adding that New Delhi had been taking up the matter with Beijing. This (the concerns and anxiety of Indian students) is exactly what we have been sharing with the Chinese side, he added. India had on Thursday said tourist visas of Chinese nationals had been frozen in March 2020, due to the pandemic and that there had been no resumption since. New Delhi had said that it was not an opportune moment to resume these visas of Chinese nationals in view of the Covid situation in Chinese cities. Interestingly, India had also pointed out that China too had suspended issue of most types of visas to Indians since November 2020. The PM underlined that the country is investing heavily in skilling and training young Indians for the needs of the 21st century Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inaugural session of Semi-con India Conference in Bengaluru, through video conferencing, in New Delhi, Friday, April 29, 2022. (PTI Photo) Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India is headed for a robust economy and the country's consumption of semi-conductors is expected to cross USD 110 billion by 2030 and has the world's fastest growing start-up eco-system. He said India is set to lead the next technology revolution and investments are being made in developing capabilities in 5G among other things. "We are paving the way for India to lead the next technology revolution. We are on our way to connect six hundred thousand villages with broadband. We are investing in developing capabilities in 5G, Internet of Things and clean energy technologies," Modi said at the inaugural session of the Semicon India-2022 conference here. "India's own consumption of semi-conductors is expected to cross USD 80 billion by 2026 and USD 110 billion by 2030," he added. Speaking about the economic health of the country, the Prime Minister said India is headed for robust economic growth with the world's fastest growing startup eco-system where new unicorns are coming up every few weeks. Modi called upon the industry to establish India as one of the key partners in global semi-conductor supply chains and work in this direction based on the principle of hi-tech, high quality and high reliability. Citing reasons for India to become an attractive investment destination for semi-conductor technologies, Modi said, "We are building the digital infrastructure to connect over 1.3 billion Indians and the UPI is the world's most efficient payment infrastructure today." Modi also said the country is using digital technology to transform lives in all sectors of governance from health and welfare to inclusion and empowerment. The Prime Minister also underlined that the country is investing heavily in skilling and training young Indians for the needs of the 21st century. "We have an exceptional semi-conductor design talent pool which makes up to 20 per cent of the world's semiconductor design engineers," Modi said. The Prime Minister also apprised the audience that the government has undertaken several measures towards transforming the Indian manufacturing sector. "At a time when humanity was fighting a once in a century pandemic, India was not only improving the health of our people but also the health of our economy," he added. Modi said the previous government was like a 'Not Gate' whereas the role of the government should be like 'And Gate'. "In earlier times, industries were ready to do their work but the government was like a ''Not Gate''. When any input flows into the ''Not Gate'', it gets negated," he added. The Prime Minister was using the popular terms of 'Not Gate' and 'And Gate' used in the semiconductor industry. Modi said there were many needless compliances and no ease of doing business in the past. "But, we understand that the government must be like the ''And Gate''. While the industry works hard, the government must work even harder," the Prime Minister explained. According to him, the government has undertaken wide-ranging reforms for improving ease of doing business in India. In this connection, he recalled that the government has abolished more than 25,000 compliances and gave push towards auto-renewal of licences. Modi pointed out that digitisation is also bringing speed and transparency to the regulatory framework. Ramana expressed satisfaction that in less than a year 126 judges had been appointed to different High Courts NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India, Justice N.V. Ramana on Friday urged Chief Justices of High Courts with a number of vacancies to recommend names for the appointment of judges. He expressed satisfaction that in less than a year 126 judges had been appointed to different High Courts, with another 50 expected to be appointed soon and said it could be achieved because of the wholehearted co-operation and commitment to the institution of the Chief Justices of different High Courts. Referring to his first online interaction with the Chief Justices of High Courts last year asking them to expedite the process of recommending names for elevation to High Courts, with an emphasis on social diversity, Chief Justice Ramana said that response from some of the High Courts has been extremely encouraging. Delivering his welcome address at the 39th conference of Chief Justices of High Courts, CJI Ramana urged the Chief Justices of High Courts, which are still having a number of vacancies, to forward the names for elevation at the earliest. Though the conference of Chief Justices of the High Courts is an annual event, this conference is being held after a gap of six years. The day-long conclave will be followed by a joint conference of CMs and CJs of High Courts on Saturday which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Gotabaya agreed that a national council will be appointed to name a new prime minister and Cabinet comprised of all parties in Parliament Mahinda Rajapaksa, left, and his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa wave to supporters during a party convention held to announce the presidential candidacy in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP file photo) Colombo: Sri Lanka's president has agreed to replace his older brother as prime minister in a proposed interim government to solve a political impasse caused by the country's worst economic crisis in decades, a prominent lawmaker said Friday. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed that a national council will be appointed to name a new prime minister and Cabinet comprised of all parties in Parliament, lawmaker Maithripala Sirisena said after meeting with the president. Sirisena, who was president before Rajapaksa, was a governing party lawmaker before defecting earlier this month along with nearly 40 other legislators. However, Rohan Weliwita, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, said the president has not communicated any intent to remove the prime minister and a decision will be announced if such a step is taken. Rajapaksa earlier reshuffled his Cabinet and offered a unity government in an attempt to quell the protests, but opposition parties refused to join a government headed by the Rajapaksa brothers. Both the president and prime minister have held on to their positions, while three other Rajapaksa family members resigned from the Cabinet earlier in April in what appeared an attempt to pacify angry protesters. The weak, divided opposition has been unable to form a majority and take control of Parliament on its own. Today's headlines: Chinese authorities ban from social media (and detain) a popular influencer son of Wanda Group owner; Jakarta suspends palm oil exports; the world's longest glass bridge is inaugurated in Vietnam; foreign companies flee Moscow; a new political opposition movement is born in Bishkek; Jerusalem: two more victims in the new wave of violence, an Israeli and a Palestinian. AFGHANISTAN The death toll from the (probable) suicide bombing that struck the Khalifa Sahib mosque in Kabul yesterday afternoon has risen to over 50, the latest in a series of bloody attacks during the holy month of Ramadan. The explosion occurred at the end of the prayer, while the faithful (Sunnites) were preparing to perform the Zikr, a ritual act considered "heretical" by the radical movements. ISRAEL - PALESTINE A Palestinian and an Israeli security officer are the latest victims of the escalation of violence in the area. The first died during a military operation in the north of the West Bank, in Azzun. An Israeli armed guard died in an attack on the settlement of Ariel. Yesterday afternoon at least 42 people were injured in new clashes at the Esplanade of Mosques in Jerusalem. INDONESIA Since 28 April, Jakarta has provisionally suspended palm oil exports to protect local consumers and the domestic market. High global demand and the war in Ukraine, the main producer of sunflower oil, were behind the price escalation. The measure is also intended to calm protests and social tensions. President Joko Widodo wants "reasonable prices". CHINA Chinese authorities banned from Weibo Wang Sicong, one of the most popular influencers and son of the multi-billionaire Wang Jianlin, owner of Wanda Group. According to the Global Times, the Communist Party's megaphone, he "violated the law". In fact, he criticised a herbal preparation from traditional medicine and distributed it to treat Covid-19. Unconfirmed rumours spoke of his arrest. VIETNAM Hanoi wants to revive tourism, hit by a two-year Covid-19 pandemic, by inaugurating the longest glass bridge in the world. The structure, inaugurated yesterday, is called Bach Long, is 150 metres high and 632 metres long, joins two mountains and can support a weight of at least 500 people. Built in Moc Chau, in the Northern Highlands, the bridge marks 47 years since the end of the war. RUSSIA According to Rbk's calculations, foreign companies occupy almost six million square kilometres of commercial space in Moscow. This is 15% of the total number of offices, shopping centres and warehouses in the capital. As a result of the war with Ukraine, most of them have announced their intention to leave the country; however, properties can only be sold at steep discounts and consequent losses. KYRGYZSTAN In Biskek, a new political opposition movement called the "Social Council" was born, with about 50 politicians and social activists as members. The movement does not intend to take the side of the current government or the opposition parliamentary groups. According to one of its founders, Islam Isakov, the future group 'rejects radical methods'. by Stefano Caprio It was the members of the nineteenth-century intelligentsia who gave rise to it with the call to "go to the people" after the abolition of serfdom. But today the dictatorship of the "simple man" is destroying Russia even more than the tormented Ukraine, much more than militant Soviet atheism has done in seventy years. After two long months of war without respite, not even for Easter services, the "sacred" dates of May are approaching, during which Russia would like to celebrate Victory, annihilating the so-called "uchronazism", the Ukrainian neo-Nazism cursed by Putin, in memory of the solemn entry into Berlin of the Soviet armies of Marshal Georgij Zukov, whom Patriarch Kirill compared to Saint George slaying the dragon, symbol of Moscow, mother city of all the Russias. The long-awaited victory over the Western invaders, corrupters of the pure spirit of the Russians, still seems very much in doubt, beyond the laborious conquest of the Black Sea coasts and the threats to launch "unseen bombs" directly against Europe and America. The "de-Nazification", i.e. the replacement of the entire Ukrainian ruling class starting from the "drug addict" Zelenskyj and the cancellation of the very national title of "Ukraine" to return to that of "Little Russia", will hardly succeed. The "de-militarisation" is equally improbable, given the exorbitant number of weapons of all kinds supplied to the Ukrainians by all the Western countries, devoid of any timid scruples of conscience and the anguished call of Pope Francis not to exaggerate. Above all, the total "purification" of the faithful people, increasingly exasperated by the patriotic war, seems impossible. On the eve of May Day, the classic slogan "Workers of the world, unite!" is now replaced by "Russians of the world, unite!", according to the nebulous and mythological perspectives of the idea of the Russkij Mir, which calls everyone to gather around the one true Church of "just moral values". It is the apocalyptic proclamation of the dogma of populism, a term that has come back into vogue in the last decade, and which had its origin in Russia. It was the members of the nineteenth-century intelligentsia who called for "going to the people" after the abolition of serfdom in 1861, to educate the peasants to live as free men, hence the definition of "populism" as the mission of the upper classes towards the "simple people" described in decades of stories and novels by Gogol' and Dostoevsky, the author of "Poor People". In Dostoyevsky's story, a mature civil servant from St Petersburg, Makar, opens his heart to the young Varvara in an epistolary dialogue between different generations and social aspirations, and at a certain point explains to her that "poor people are like that by nature; they have their whims. I had already experienced this. The poor, you see, are meticulous, sensitive; they see things in their own way, they look around with apprehension, they peek at everyone who passes them by, they try to catch every word... Could it be that they don't talk about him at all down there? Certainly they say: why is he in such bad shape? And what is he thinking? And what does he hear? They turn him this way and that; what is he like on this side, what is he like on that side? And everyone knows, Varvara, that a poor man is worse than a dishcloth, and cannot expect any consideration from anyone, in spite of what they print in their books. Some scribblers have a lot to do: the poor man of tomorrow will always be the same poor man of today! And to think that Dostoevsky did not know the world of today's social networks. Makar's scepticism today is a perfect description of the mood of the Russians, who are forced, like it or not, to support the patriotic war against the whole world, but have few illusions about the future that awaits them. As the Russian philosopher Vadim Kalinin recently observed, 'we are observing the collapse of a myth that is very important for the whole of contemporary history, that of the wonderful simple man'. It is precisely on this Russovian idea of the "good savage" that the images of the "people" are built, carrying on their shoulders the values of national culture, religious and moral identity, which some enlightened people take it upon themselves to correct from time to time, and sometimes to restore by acts of force. According to Kalinin, "the Putin regime has tried to build the paradise of the simple man, with the assistance of the Orthodox Church. They gave the Russian man everything he needed, a conservative and anti-extravagance fashion, cheap and tasty alcoholic beverages, allowed domestic violence [effectively decreeing its non-punishability, at the suggestion of the patriarch] and aggression against sexual minorities. The religious revival has been codified in an elementary and superficial religiosity, supported by a prehistoric television culture, which leaves no room for doubt and imagination'. The places of production of creative and alternative culture have all been silenced and removed, as has happened in so many circumstances in the past: Pushkin was confined, Dostoevsky spent ten years in a concentration camp, Tolstoy was excommunicated by the Orthodox Church. The 'simple' Russian man has been guaranteed a comfortable and smooth life, far more comfortable than that of the proletariat in Soviet times, which at best could count on marble-hard salami, cheap vodka and a thirty-square-metre flat. It is what Kalinin calls "a mass social experiment, which instead of the dictatorship of the workers proclaims the dictatorship of simple men" of which the president himself wants to be the image, even in street language and in the grotesque reinterpretations of history that he has been proposing for the last twenty years to justify the growing aggression, which resulted in the Ukrainian invasion. It is precisely these 'simple men' who vented their anger in the massacres of Buca and Mariupol, and precisely against the defenceless population, shouting at the Western world "who allowed you to live in luxury and degradation?". This man who is supposed to bring 'moral values' to the world shows his monstrous face, with all the possible variants of lies, cruelty and absolute lack of control. The dictatorship of the simple man is destroying Russia even more than the martyred Ukraine, far more than militant Soviet atheism has done in seventy years. In order to remove the cancel-culture, they have erased Russian culture. The masses of the population in Russia watch this spectacle helplessly and in dismay, without having either the will or the possibility to react, with the resigned spirit of a people who have seen self-destruction as the outcome of their claims to universal domination so many times. This was the case for the Soviet Union, for the Russia of the tsars, for the Petersburg court of the tsarinas and their lovers, for the madness of Ivan the Terrible's Third Rome, all the way back to the mythological Rus', handed over unopposed to the Asian invasion because of the divisions within it. Economists predict a long winter of deep crisis, in which Ukraine, if it survives, will be able to rebuild its economy in five years with Western aid, while Russia will need at least ten years, having destroyed everything built in the last thirty years: if in the Soviet Union the Volga and Ziguli were produced, now without Western companies even cars will be difficult to build. The Putin regime is now presenting the crisis as a 'necessary sacrifice' for the purification of the economy and social life from all external influences, but the prospect is one of absolute dependence on the Asian giants, and the renunciation of any leading role at world level. How can we explain this masochistic populism, which at least has the merit of alerting the whole world to the possible consequences of trusting the prophets of morality, widespread in so many countries in the East and West? Once again, we can turn to a true prophet, Dostoevsky, who in his novel "The Idiot" (written in 1869) gives a heartfelt speech to the symbol par excellence of the "pure" man, Prince Myskin: "To resist the West, we have to oppose Western values with something that the West has never known: the purity of our Christ. We must oppose the influence of the Jesuits, avoiding falling into their traps and trying to bring to them what is Russian civilisation. And let us stop saying that their preaching is elegant and original, as someone did just now...We Russians, as soon as we discover something, we don't wait a single moment and immediately run like madmen to its extreme limits... Here, for example, you are astonished by Pavliscev and you attribute the case to his madness or goodness; but it is not like that. Russian passion doesn't just amaze us, but the whole of Europe. In Russia, it is enough to become a Catholic and immediately become a Jesuit; it is enough to become an atheist and demand the immediate eradication of faith in God by violence, that is, by the sword. And why does this happen? Don't you know? Because the Russian, in these ideas, is able to find the homeland that he has never been able to appreciate on his own soil, and that is why he takes possession of it so willingly. And we, not only become atheists, but we believe in atheism as if it were a new faith, without realising that this faith is faith in nothingness. This is our anxiety, this is our malaise. He who has no earth under his feet has no God! Show the Russian the Russian world, let him find that gold, that treasure that his land hides from him. Show him in the distant future the renewal of the whole human race, indeed, its resurrection by virtue of the one Russian idea, of the Russian God, of the Russian Christ, and you will see what a mighty giant of justice, wisdom and love he will present to the astonished and terrified world. Astonished and terrified because the world expects iron and fire from us... it expects violence because, using its own yardstick of judgement, it cannot describe us except by imagining us similar to barbarians. This is how it has always been and this is how it will be again tomorrow, to an ever greater extent. Dostoevsky foresaw nihilism, atheism, revolution and universal war, trying to show hope in the true God through evil. The madness of the Russian Idiot is a warning to all peoples to seek the true face of God, the true face of themselves. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. For all its smallness in some ways, Mazda is of incredible importance to the auto industry, and in some circles viewed as the best brand that ever was. For instance, the name will forever be linked to the rotary engine technology, but also with the most popular roadster of all time, the tiny, but mighty Miata Down the line, during the most recent decades of its existence, the carmaker gave birth to some incredibly fun to drive vehicles, especially the ones that formed the RX line.Among that line, the RX-7 occupies a special place. Having arrived onto this world in 1978, it was in production for almost two and a half decades and stretched for three generations, all packing the incredible rotary engine.The car was so successful in the eyes of some that even to this day, it continues to live, as either custom builds or renderings. It was even made famous on the big screen by movies like Fast and Furious, and the flicks success only piled on top of the growing mountain of admiration people feel for this machine.In some cases, the passion for the RX-7 cannot manifest itself in real life, for various reasons, and when that happens, a toy, scale replica of the car, customized to oblivion, might be all it takes to quench the thirst.So, if you were in some mood for a custom RX-7 dish this weekend, heres something a Hot Wheels customizer going by the name Jakarta Diecast Project ( JDP ) has to offer: a Japanese wonder car, wearing a hycade body kit for an aggressive stance and for looks worthy to be transported into the real world. EV Here are BYD's battery factories mapped, as of today. pic.twitter.com/pBzUPVsZjL Bridget McCarthy (@bridgemccarthy_) April 26, 2022 Bridget McCarthy mapped all the cell plants BYD currently has and concluded it has an amazing installed capacity above 500 GWh. To be more precise, were talking about 522 GWh, which is not counting a huge battery factory planned for Europe and some other plants such as Huangpi, in Wuhan that still have not disclosed how many cells they will be able to manufacture.The list provided by the financial analyst at Snow Capital is impressive. Here are the factories announced in 2022 (so far):Xiangyang, Hubei: 30 GWhChangchun, Jilin (with FAW): 45 GWhTaizhou, Zhejiang: 22 GWhNanning, Guanxi: 45 GWhYancheng, Jiangsu Phase II: 15 GWhThats 157 GWh. McCarthy then tweeted about the ones that BYD will start to operate this year until the end of Q3:Chuzhou, Anhui Phase I: 5 GWhWuwei, Anhui Phase II: 15 GWhYancheng, Jiangsu Phase I: 15 GWhShaoxing, Zhejiang Phase I: 15 GWhXi'an, Shaanxi Phase III: 12 GWhJinan, Shandong Phase I: 15 GWhFuzhou, Jiangxi Phase I: 15 GWhHere we have 92 GWh more, which will be added to BYDs current installed capacity to achieve the 522 GWh the Snow Capital analyst disclosed. Tesla planned to make 100 GWh at Giga Nevada but would be delivering around 30 GWh. Most of its cars now need suppliers such as LG Energy Solution and CATL, which provides Tesla with LFP cells Themaker planned to change that with its 4680 cells, which would be produced at Giga Grunheide and Giga Austin. There is no information on the German cell plant after Tesla gave up on subsidies that would help it build it there. Regarding the factory in Texas, were still waiting for confirmation that its vehicles really use the new cells. Nothing indicates Terafactories will be more than another unfulfilled promise at this point. The 1985 BMW R 80 G/S Paris-Dakar pictured above this paragraph had stayed with the original owner up until 2021, and it comes equipped with hard-sided Krauser panniers, Kenda tires, and a modern battery. Unfortunately, theres no way of knowing the bikes total mileage because its five-digit counter stopped working shortly after the current owners acquisition.We do, however, know that Motorrads dual-sport predator has covered approximately 20k (32,000 km) miles before this occurrence. For its front brake to perform as well as it did nearly forty years ago, the motorcycles Brembo caliper was refurbished in May of last year. Within its duplex cradle frame, the R 80 G/S Paris-Dakar hosts an air-cooled 798cc boxer-twin mill, which is linked to a dry single-plate clutch and a five-speed gearbox.Featuring dual 32 mm (1.3 inches) Bing carburetors and a total of four pushrod-operated valves, the engine is good for up to 50 hp at 6,500 rpm. In the vicinity of 5,000 spins per minute, a peak torque output figure of 41 pound-feet (56 Nm) will be generated at the crankshaft. With these digits at its disposal, Bavarias rugged specimen is able to reach a top speed of 102 mph (164 kph).The entire structure is perched on leading-axle telescopic forks with black rubber gaiters and a single shock absorber mounted on the right-hand side of the rear wheel. Stopping power hails from a drilled 260 mm (10.2 inches) brake rotor up front and a traditional drum unit measuring 200 mm (7.9 inches) on the other end.If you were to browse through the live listings on Bring a Trailer right now, youd find that BMWs old-school icon is preparing to change hands for a second time. There are currently four days separating us from the auctioning deadline (May 4), and the top bidder is ready to spend just north of eight grand on this 85 MY R 80 G/S ABS ESP Curiously, Datsun was reborn in India, a country that also did not forgive the Tata Nano for the same sin. Although Tatas engineering challenge of creating the worlds cheapest car was accomplished, it did not realize that most people do not want to buy something reputed as cheap if it does not offer them something in return.The only mainstream automaker to have successfully done that more recently was Dacia. When it created the Logan in 2004, it allowed people that needed a roomier C-segment car to buy a new one for the same price as the cheapest B-segment vehicles. People purchased it not because it was cheap: they did that because it made sense.When Ratan Tata came up with the idea of creating the Nano, he wanted to put the families that rode motorcycles in a safer and more protected vehicle. The problem is that the families who could afford it preferred to buy used cars with more content or room for the same prices. The cheapest car in the world costing the equivalent of $2,500 endured for ten years.Datsun was presented when Nissan celebrated its 80 years in August 2013. The Japanese carmaker held an event called Nissan 360 in California to explain its future steps. Datsun would be Nissans affordable brand, much like Dacia became the attainable Renault. It even had a French executive in charge: Vincent Cobee, now Citroens brand CEO at Stellantis. It was there that I had the chance to ask Cobee about something that bugged me: why the Datsun Go the companys first new vehicle did not haveor airbags.At the time, I lived in Brazil, and the country had ruled that all cars made starting in 2014 would have to offer ABS and airbags as standard equipment. That is what killed the first-generation Fiat Uno and the Volkswagen T2 locally called Kombi in that market. Latin NCAP had been crash-testing vehicles in the region since 2010, and that revealed some serious death traps for sale as new vehicles. The only excuse automakers had was that they complied with all safety regulations in all South American markets. That said more about how automakers ignored safety even with their advanced knowledge of biomechanics than about how pitiful those regulations were and still are, in some countries.It also made it evident that cars that looked the same and even had the same names presented much different safety levels depending on the market in which they were sold. I called that the second-class lives strategy, meaning lives in developing countries were cheaper and more disposable than those in wealthy markets. It was in that scenario that I asked Cobee about the lack of ABS and airbags in Datsuns vehicles.The French executive told me that the Japanese brand could create an incredibly safe vehicle withand other standard features in European cars. The problem was that it would make it extremely expensive by Indian standards, restricting the number of people that could buy it. Summing up, a safe car that very few can buy does not play its role.Although it seems to make sense, you could also say that selling millions of dangerous cars that poor people can afford can have horrible repercussions. It would be better to sell only a few if any car company could survive doing so. The irony here is that being affordable did not save Datsun.In a test made by Global NCAP and published on November 6, 2014, Max Mosley called Carlos Ghosn to ask him to withdraw the Datsun Go from the market. It was also deadly, getting no stars in the entitys crash tests. Saying that the body shell was unstable was an understatement: the A-pillar and the roof deformed in a scary way, as you can see in the video below.People who have no idea how bad that is must watch a video recorded in July 2018 by Carlos Cristofalo from Motor1 Argentina. It shows how hard it is to remove a crash-test dummy from a zero-stars vehicle. The car in that video was a Chevrolet Aveo, but its body deformation was very similar to that of the Datsun Go . Make sure you also watch it.When customers learn that a given car is dangerous, they tend to avoid it. The bargain proposition Datsun made incorporated a high cost. Even if it didnt, it also offered nothing more to make it a clever choice spending little money on its vehicles, like Dacia pulled off with the Logan. Datsuns didnt offer more room, more equipment, and didnt look coolThe brands failure may seem a misfortune if you miss all the elements that led it to an inevitable and melancholic end. It had nothing to save it apart from the low prices, which can actually play against it, as the Tata Nano taught us. Buying something just because it is cheap may make you look poor or a cheapskate, and most people will avoid being framed in either of these ways. Again, human nature. Deal with it, carmakers. His mistake was he did not check his hall ticket thoroughly before taking the examination. Representational image/DC TIRUPATI: A Class 10 student appearing for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) board examination was disappointed on the first day when he allegedly received a Hindi (SL) question paper instead of Telugu that he had chosen as his first language. The grave error continued on the second day when he again received a wrong question paper. This time, he received a Telugu (SL) question paper instead of a Hindi paper. His mistake was he did not check his hall ticket thoroughly before taking the examination. The error was reported from Atmakur town of Nellore district. The student who was unable to write the two important exams was identified as Modem Siva Kumar, hailing from Karatampadu village. According to his father Bujjaiah, Siva Kumar pursued his Class 10 at the Zilla Parishad High School and he was appearing for the board exams at St Marys High School in Atmakur town. On the first day of the examination, the invigilator issued Hindi (SL) question paper instead of Telugu to my son. When he raised an alarm, the invigilator told him that they had issued a question paper based on his hall ticket. In the hall ticket (No.2217121499) issued to my son, it mentioned Hindi as the first paper and Telugu as the second paper. My son pleaded with the invigilator to let him go out and inform this to exam officials. The invigilator refused permission, saying he was not permitted to send students out during the exam, Bujjaiah said. The student informed this to his parents. The headmaster reportedly came to the house of the student and asked him to sign a paper. He promised the student that he will be allowed to write the Hindi exam. On the first day, invigilators have given me a special Hindi question paper, which is not in my syllabus. Then, on the second day, they issued a Telugu question paper instead of Hindi. When asked, the exam officials said they have issued question papers based on the hall ticket, Siva Kumar said, while requesting the involvement of higher officials in rectifying the mistake committed by his school staff. When Deccan Chronicle contacted the Nellore DEO, Ramesh, he said the headmaster and the student who received the hall ticket must check the details properly before taking the exam. If any mistake was found in the hall ticket, it should be taken to the notice of the higher ups, so that there would be chances to correct them and reissue the hall ticket. The incident was so unfortunate and it happened due to the mistake of the school headmaster and the student, he said. As the Irvine Police Department noted on its Facebook page, a concerned resident emailed them with a video of a car that was doing donuts in the Great Park parking lot. Mind you, it is unclear if the person who sent the video filmed it themselves, if someone sent it to them, or if they found it online.With the video in question sent to the police by someone who did not call the cops when the disturbance was happening, the Irvine PD's traffic detectives, as the post describes them, went to work to identify the driver. That did not take long, as the gray Mazda Miata NA still had its license plate on, so it was all just a matter of tracking down owners of similar vehicles.Sadly, the police still do not have the Hollywood -style magic capabilities of enhancing video footage or photos to increase their level of detail.So, if you cannot read the license plate in the video below, neither could they, if you ask us. Unless Facebook's video upload feature dramatically dropped the image quality for some reason, but that is a different story.In less than 48 hours from the anonymous tip from a person that can be described with a word that starts with an "s," and rhymes with "," the driver of the Miata was contacted by the police, who visited him at his place of residence.The traffic detectives found "multiple illegal modifications" on the vehicle, and they impounded it. The latter part means that the driver will have to pay even more money, so we are looking at the price of a stock NA Miata if you add the tow, the costs associated with the impound, and a few taxi or ride-hailing fares along the way, on top of the $3,700 fine. Is that too much for doing donuts ? Many people think so.Now, the described traffic detectives went on to the Irvine Public Works department to check the Great Park parking lot , and they determined that the driver in question "caused over $3,700 in damage to the parking lot, and painted parking lot lines." It is not clear how they calculated that amount, but they noted that the parking lot, as well as its lines, were damaged.We do not know how many gallons of paint you need to draw white lines in a parking lot, not to mention labor, brushes, and all that is needed in between, but that sounds like a steep price to us. A gallon of white paint costs as little as $20, and if you splurge, it may cost up to $55 a gallon or so.Regardless of that, the citizen will have to pay for the damage, even though it is not clear if it was caused just by his Miata on that particular day. As you might imagine, the people of the internet had a field day in the comments section, which you can read for yourself below.We took a few screen-grabs of the whole thing while concealing the identity of commenters, just to be sure this "excellent example of the importance of community partnership" will remain on the internet going forward.With that being written, do not do donuts in parking lots, as you may get in trouble . It's not worth it. EV Henrik Fisker was invited to a podcast with Jason Stein where he touched on a variety of topics. The man was also asked by the host what he thinks of Tesla, and he gave an unscripted answer that shows what most people from the auto industry think about Elon Musk s company.Fisker says he watched Tesla closely along the years and witnessed firsthand how everyone was calling for the companys bankruptcy and It never happened. Hes confident themaker is at the epicenter of a seismic shift in the automotive space but also underlines some key changes that took place over the years.The man thinks the future of personal transport will be about who has the right products, not the most products. Fisker believes enticing the customer will play a major role in the success of EV manufacturers, as the cult-like following developed around Tesla and its leader showed.Clearly Tesla has shown that despite the quality and service issues, people are still buying the cars and the company's products still get the highest consumer ratings, said the CEO while pointing out that cars shouldnt behave like aging smartphones. He thinks Tesla played the market extremely well and understood that customers arent as sensitive about certain car issues as they were ten years ago. Buyers accept some problems just to experience new technologies first and don't worry that much about software reliability.Henrik Fisker even says hes confident carmakers will even out at some point in terms of build quality because some aspects that mattered the most in the past are now almost irrelevant. For the time being, everything remains dynamic.The executive is also anticipating that in the next five to seven years most legacy automakers wont find themselves in the most successful section any longer, while up and coming entities will easily take their spots. He attributes this shift to Teslas way of interacting with customers, something that nearly all relevant stakeholders witnessed when Lucid and Rivian came to fruition and adopted almost the same business model.Henrik Fisker is the CEO of Fisker Inc, the company that follows in the path of the defunct Fisker Automotive. Now the CEO and his new company are ready to follow through with a new crossover EV that borrowed some ideas from the Fisker Karma and improved them.If you dont know the executive, then you should keep in mind that before the Karma was a thing, he worked for BMW where he designed the Z8, and for Aston Martin where he envisioned the DB9 and the V8 Vantage. The Danish-American designer knows his stuff and hes not giving up on the dream to make his own all-electric car. Thats why Fisker Ocean and PEAR are coming soon , despite what happened in the last couple of years. The former glamour model, 43, crashed and rolled over her BMW on a country road while driving under the influence on September 28, 2021. She managed to avoid jail after she completed a mandatory rehabilitation program at The Priory in London, UK. But she received a two-year driving ban, 100 hours of community work, 20 sessions of rehabilitation work with probation, and a fine.The former model turned reality star and entrepreneur is still under a driving ban, and it's her sixth one. But that doesn't seem to stop her from buying new cars and building herself a pink car collection.Not long ago, we reported that she splashed $240,000 on a custom pink Ferrari with a white interior . So far, theres no word on the model she chose, but she knows whom shell work with for the customization: Lisa Marie Brown, an entrepreneur and supercar collector.But it looks like just one new addition wont do it, so she needs a second one. In a set of pictures shared on her Instagram Stories on April 29, Katie Price gives us a glimpse of her upcoming vehicle: a Bentley. The mom of five shared that this is her dream car. She wrote: It may take a long time to design but I have time. Price added: Dreams do come true.The set of pictures shows both the interior of the luxurious Bentley, which combines pink and purple, and how shed like the exterior to look, completed with a pink finish.Besides the plans for her Ferrari and Bentley, she also used to own a Range Rover and a 2001 Suzuki Vitara , both pink. DOHC We can probably all agree that Kawasakis fiendish Z H2 is, for all intents and purposes, an absolute marvel. It draws power from a supercharged 998cc inline-four leviathan that features liquid cooling, four valves per cylinder head and an electronic fuel injection system with 40 mm (1.6 inches) throttle bodies.Boasting a compression ratio of 11.2:1, themill is good for up to 197 force-fed horses at 11,000 rpm. When the tachometer reads 8,500 revs, a brutal torque output of no less than 101 pound-feet (137 Nm) will be routed over to the H2s six-speed gearbox, which is paired with a sealed drive chain.The Japanese monstrosity combines this force with a curb weight 527 pounds (239 kg), and it is therefore able to achieve a top speed of 175 mph (282 kg). With great power comes the need for solid brakes, so Kawasaki s engineers blessed the titans front wheel with dual 320 mm (12.6 inches) semi-floating discs and four-piston Brembo M4.32 calipers.At the other end, one may find a 250 mm (9.8 inches) brake rotor thats mated to a single-piston caliper. The bikes construction employs a trellis skeleton made of high-tensile steel, which stands on Showa SFF-BP forks up north and a gas-charged monoshock down south.This articles photo gallery introduces a 2020 MY Z H2 with just over 8k miles (13,000 km) on the odometer, wearing a Vortex rear sprocket, Graves Motorsports exhaust plumbing and a tinted Zero Gravity wind deflector.If youve got a decent bit of cash to spare, then you may want to visit the IMA (Iconic Motorbike Auctions) website soon, because the startling Kawi weve just examined is currently up for grabs! The bidding deadline is set for May 6, so theres still plenty of time for you to try your luck at snatching this supercharged gemstone DOHC Although it was produced well over four decades ago, the 1979 Honda CBX1000 shown above is just a few corroded fasteners away from mint condition. Moreover, a quick gander at the creatures analog counter will reveal that it has only been ridden for approximately 2,900 miles (4,700 km) over the years.Hondas classic brute was recently blessed with a carburetor overhaul, modern spark plugs, and an aftermarket battery. Prior to the current owners acquisition, its OEM exhaust pipes were ditched to make room for six-into-one Moto GPWerks plumbing made of stainless steel.The CBX1000 is pushed forward by an air-cooledinline-six colossus with 24 valves, Keihin carburetion hardware, and a hulking displacement of 1,047cc. A five-speed transmission connects the engine to the bikes rear alloy Comstar hoop by means of a drive chain. In the neighborhood of 9,000 revs per minute, the four-stroke mill is able to spawn as much as 105 hp at the crankshaft.Moving lower down the rpm range, well be seeing its torque output digits plateau at 52 pound-feet (71 Nm). As soon as it makes contact with the asphalt, this force enables the CBX to hit 60 mph (96 kph) from a standstill in a very respectable 4.6 ticks of the stopwatch.Eventually, it will achieve a top speed of 135 mph (217 kph). Stopping power is drawn from dual 276 mm (10.9 inches) brake rotors up front and a single 296 mm (11.7 inches) disc down south, while suspension duties get taken care of by 35 mm (1.4 inches) telescopic forks and twin preload-adjustable shock absorbers.Now then, well have you know this 79 MY artifact is going under the hammer on Bring a Trailer, so the next person to enjoy it could be you! If that sounds like an intriguing prospect, then we encourage you to get in on the action sooner rather than later because the online auction will end on Wednesday, May 4. EV What that means is that NIO just tested all the machines that will make the ET5 by producing one unit of thewith them. It is the vehicle we can see in these pictures. Coincidentally or not, the ET5 rolled off the assembly line on April 29, the first anniversary of the construction kickoff for the new plant.More than the ET5, NeoPark deserves a lot of attention. It will not only be NIOs first own factory: it will be a massive one. With 16,950 acres (68,594,183.46 square meters), it is 12 times the size of Teslas plant in Fremont. The plan is to produce 1 million EVs per year there, as well as 100 GWh in battery packs. NIO will invest RMB 50 billion ($7,566 billion at the current exchange rate) there only in the first phase to have not only its manufacturing operations but also R&D (research and development) and a living space. NIO plans to achieve big economies of scale with the factory, putting many of its suppliers in the same area and significantly reducing transportation costs. This strategy will also help it reduce carbon emissions.The company intends to start production in NeoPark by the third quarter of the year. That means we may be only two months away from getting the ET5 in the Chinese market and also in European markets. When sales start, it will be the most affordable car with a swappable battery, until NIO puts its affordable brand in operations. Rumor has it that it will do so in a partnership with BYD Since February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, international authorities have seized or are in the process of seizing tens of luxury yachts, pieces of high-end real estate, private jets and other luxury assets from Russian oligarchs known for their ties with President Putin. The international list of sanctions includes former multi-billionaire and UK-based Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, whose personal collection of uber-expensive toys includes Eclipse and Solaris, two of the priciest and most spectacular superyachts ever built.These two, along with several others currently flying under the Bermuda flag, are about to get mothballed, claims a new report in the Daily Mail . Neither Eclipse nor Solaris have been seized as of the time of press (one is floating in the East Mediterranean, while the other is docked in a Turkish port), but they might as well be. Sources claim Bermuda is moving to remove the registration for the flag of convenience theyre sailing under.First things first, though: the media outlet says that both Eclipse and Solaris are sailing under the Bermuda flag, but thats not accurate. Eclipse is, while Solaris is registered in the Cayman Islands, which means the mothballing, a term used for ships when theyre retired from active service and put into protective storage, would only apply to the former. This would be forced mothballing, since the megayacht wouldnt be put into storage, but blocked from sailing.So, while the owner wouldnt lose ownership over the yacht , it would still be pointless, since thered be no way for him to move it elsewhere. Re-registering the flag would be an option, but not in this case, when most countries are turning their backs to Russian owners.Many Russian oligarchs have chosen Bermuda and or the Cayman Islands to register their yachts to bury their connection to them and avoid higher taxes. Abramovich did, too, but Bermuda is said to be caving to criticism that it continued to allow oligarchs to fly the countrys flag of convenience.The whole fleet is under the Bermuda flag and they are in the process of being de-registered, explains a source. We dont know when it will happen. All we know is that its imminent. Without a flag, youre not allowed to sail. The captain would be arrested. Theres also a fuel shortage. When you pay millions of pounds to refuel boats, it goes through banking channels and it gets rejected.Being stuck in a port wouldnt be half as bad, if crew onboard could still get supplies and regular wages but theyre not. Derek Byrne, head of the yacht division of seafarers union Nautilus International, tells the publication that crew members onboard Abramovichs vessels (he has five superyachts in total) have complained they havent been paid since late February. Supplies have also been cut short, with contractors refusing to pick up new assignments and jobs out of fear financial compensation wouldnt go through.In short, its easy to scoff at the thought of just another multi-billionaire having their toys taken away by force, for something they may or may not have done. Its also easy to applaud to decision to impose sanctions against oligarchs by stripping of their ill-begotten gains, to paraphrase a statement from the U.S. government.But the reality of sanctions is that its not just the oligarchs paying the price when they lose their fancy assets or scuttle to hide them away on friendlier territories. The reality is that crew members and captains, contractors and third-parties, and even the authorities handling the seizure of such a massive and costly asset as a megayacht have to chip in, unwillingly so. First of all, this is not something entirely new. Weve told you since February this year that Hertz was already taken to court because of their problems with bogus stolen car reports. Customers were arrested at gunpoint, even though they were completely innocent. But the subject crossed Scotty Kilmers path, and he wants you to know a couple more things.Secondly, the mechanic-turned-YouTuber gives the example of a couple of people that suffered some traumatic experiences thanks to Hertzs actions. Drew Seaser wanted to travel to Mexico with his close ones, but he was stopped at the border and arrested for stealing a rental car in Georgia. The Colorado man never went to Georgia and never had any deal with Hertz.A Hertz customer, Charles Doucette from New Hampshire was arrested this month while he was returning from a cruise vacation. Police cuffed him immediately after he disembarked in Florida. Even though he didnt have any outstanding balance, the man was flown in handcuffs to Arizona. Thankfully, a judge released him the same day.An Oklahoma woman that used Hertz rentals waited a month in jail before she could clear things up and be released. Scotty Kilmer points out that Hertz is now at the center of a major class-action lawsuit. Almost 230 plaintiffs that spent a combined 2,742 days behind bars are asking for over $500 million in damages. But the mechanic says there are over 50,000 people that were affected by the rental companys actions.Kilmer says Hertz preferred to just submit theft reports instead of making sure its inventory has been correctly updated. The CEO admitted it this month. But thats not because the rental company had an evil plan brewing. The health crisis led to many layoffs, and without enough staff on duty, nobody was able to keep track of all the cars and transactions. But whats worrying is that Hertz did this even before movement restrictions were a thing.Now the company is trying to come back to profitability even though it had to sell a third of its fleet of vehicles. They avoided bankruptcy for the time being, but Kilmer says the entity is still facing a lot of issues. For example, there are a lot of last-minute cancelations, and reserved cars are nowhere to be found when the customers want to get inside them and drive. Moreover, the company admitted to installing hidden cameras in one out of every eight cars.Now justice must follow its due process. For example, the owner of an early model of the second-generation Chevrolet Equinox had to carry hay every day for a couple of weeks to feed an ailing horse. The equine was under its ideal weight, so its caretaker had to take a 45-minute drive every day to make sure it gets fed with hay. As you can imagine, carrying a bale of hay every day in your vehicle will leave a few marks.When the same vehicle is used on a farm , where you have mud, dirt, and sand, things get even messier than before. As the detailing specialists noted, this vehicle was in need of their help, and they were happy to work an entire workday on it alone.The transformation is fantastic to watch, as it just goes to show the power of a good vacuum cleaner in a dirty vehicle . Unlike other disaster detailing jobs, where the vehicle in question had been essentially abandoned for years, this vehicle was still in use, but it was dirty.The specialists at WD Detailing walk us through the steps of the cleaning process . With a bit of caution, the right tools, several hours of your time, and good-old-fashioned elbow grease, you could do something like this at home for your vehicle, so watch the video to cover the basics.First, you vacuum the interior, then you take out the floor mats and vacuum under them as well. So far, so good, right? The next step is to use automotive-grade cleaning supplies, which may require a bit more attention than just a vacuum cleaner.Second, the detailing specialists use an injection-extraction vacuum cleaner, as well as a brush on a drill. Both these elements are not for beginners, as there is a risk of damaging the upholstery if you apply too much pressure, insufficient cleaning solution, or just focus too much on a spot.Third, all the surfaces inside must receive the appropriate cleaning solution sprayed on them and then wiped clean with a microfiber towel. The latter can be reused repeatedly, but using several will allow you to have a clean one on hand every time.The fourth part is making sure everything gets to dry in a well-ventilated space at an appropriate temperature, which will prevent mold from forming. It looks easy when you read it or when you watch someone else do it, but things change when you have to put it in the world. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon blocks some (or all) of the Sun's light, casting a massive shadow on our planet. The event that we're witnessing tonight happens when the Moon and the star are not perfectly aligned, so the satellite doesn't totally cover it.From our perspective, the Sun will look as if the Moon took a bite out of it, and not just any Moon, but a Black Moon. While this is not an astronomical term, it commonly refers to a second new Moon in a calendar month. According to the Almanac , it's a rare phenomenon that takes place about every 32 months. The first new Moon of April was on April 1st. The second one you guessed it is today.Those with clear skies from Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, western Paraguay, southern Bolivia, southeastern Peru, and southwestern Brazil will see the Sun partially hidden as it sets. The eclipse will also be visible throughout regions in Antarctica, parts of southern South America, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific and Southern Oceans.The eclipse starts at 2:45 p.m. ET, and the deepest part will be at 4:41 p.m. ET. Skywatchers will see the Sun partially blocked until 6:37 p.m. ET. If you're planning to enjoy this unique celestial show, do not watch the Sun without a proper solar filter, even if it's somewhat obscured. NASA recommends wearing special solar viewing or eclipse glasses throughout the entire eclipse. If you don't own a pair, you can still watch the spectacle with the help of a pinhole projector, which projects sunlight onto a surface. There's a video attached below that shows you how to DIY one from a cereal box. It will come in handy for the next partial solar eclipse as well, which is set to take place on October 25th. Xi Focus-Closeup: A county official always on the go Xinhua) 15:45, April 30, 2022 BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- It was an ordinary day in the 1980s. As Feng Yuming toiled in the cotton fields, a young man parked his bike by the fields and approached him. "Hello, uncle Feng! I'm here to learn how to grow cotton from you," the young man politely greeted Feng, who was regarded as a local expert in cotton cultivation. Feng was initially taken aback by the courteous demeanor, and was even more surprised when he realized that the young man was 29-year-old Xi Jinping, who was then deputy chief of the Communist Party of China committee of Zhengding county, Hebei Province. Xi has never been someone who likes sitting idly by. Early in his life, he has fostered the habit of going on field trips to forge close ties with the people and hear their thoughts. In Zhengding, his passion for making such trips to connect with local residents has left a lasting impression on his colleagues. When Xi first came to work in the county, he didn't start giving orders and instructions right away, recalled Li Yaping, a former county official who worked closely with him. "Instead, he spent the first three months visiting places in the county to get familiar with local situations." Xi's down-to-earth attitude toward work enabled him to identify the most pressing issues that needed to be addressed. Zhou Weisi, a former journalist who interviewed Xi in 1984, recalled a field trip during which Xi inspected school conditions in a local village. Shocked by the poorly equipped classrooms with shattered windows at a primary school, Xi immediately questioned the principal, "How can you bear to see children studying in such run-down classrooms?" Upon learning that the village was financially capable of refurbishing the school but did not allocate the funds, Xi instructed, "You are to discuss the matter tonight and submit a rectification plan next week to the county education bureau." Of course, Xi's inspection trips were more than just discovering problems. Along the way, he also made new friends at the grassroots level, and Feng was one of them. Recalling those days, Gao Peiqi, who worked in the county's publicity department at the time, said that not long after meeting Feng in the cotton field, Xi spent time learning cotton-growing techniques from the veteran farmer, and developed a close friendship with him. "Later, Xi promoted the techniques across the county," said Gao, adding that these efforts resulted in a significant increase in local cotton yield, bringing tangible benefits to the cotton growers. Even after becoming the country's top leader, Xi has never alienated himself from the people. Whenever his inspection tour takes him to local households, he always asks specific questions to learn about their livelihoods and find out their needs. Xi had made up his mind to devote himself to the country and the people early in his life, Li Yaping summarized. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji) HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Saturday directed the state government to immediately commence restoration and conservation works of the Hill Fort Palace, a heritage precinct, at Basheerbagh in the city. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili expressed displeasure over the authorities inaction over the issue. It asked why the state government was not concerned about its own historical buildings. Governments had the duty to protect historical buildings, the court observed. The Hill Fort Palace, which once housed Ritz Hotel, is owned by the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation. It was built in 1915 by Nizamat Jung, chief justice in the government of the erstwhile Nizam government. The building is said to be styled on the Trinity College, Cambridge. The bench was hearing a PIL filed in 2020 by Deepak Kant Gir of Hyderabad Heritage Trust seeking conservation and restoration of the Hill Fort Palace. The petitioner complained that the government was not taking any steps for the revival of the palatial building. Expressing concern over the dilapidated condition of the building, which was once owned by Asaf Jah, son of the Nizam, he requested the court to grant permission to Hyderabad Heritage Trust to start restoration works or to protect the palace, if the government was not concerned. He also faulted the Centre and Archaeological Survey of India for being silent about the issue. The government had constituted a committee on August 17, 2021, to examine the condition of the palace and to grant approvals to repair and start maintenance of the structure. The committee has been inactive for more than five months. The state government conveyed its intent to restore the heritage structure only when Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma took serious note of the issue and summoned the managing director of Telangana State Tourism Corporation Ltd in January 2022. However, there was again a delay in studying the structural strength of the building. With regular monitoring of the case by the court, the government stated that repair works would be started. The bench directed the state to commence the same immediately and furnish the status of restoration works by August 8. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The owner of Covfefe Cafe, a new coffee shop in Port Neches, wants the restaurant to be as much of a conversation starter as the presidential tweet its named for. Regardless of what your political views are, religious beliefs or whatever, its a good way to sit down and have a conversation, said owner Jorg Kitchen, a first-generation American and U.S. Army veteran who served in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf. Its a way for me to interact with people in the community and have them understand that we dont always have to agree on everything, but we can agree to disagree and we can do it cordially. The cafe at 3120 Saba Lane specializes in Vietnamese coffee, boba tea and fruit smoothies. It opened on June 7, which Kitchen notes was the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox Kitchen, 52, is also a veteran of the oil industry, which he says took him to 27 countries for work. When his last job ended, he decided to enroll at Lamar University in 2017. He said he started Covfefe to support his family while he completes a business degree. He launched the cafe with a budget of about $30,000 in personal funds. One nearby competitor is Starbucks, which has a store on U.S. 287. But Kitchen believes his location is more convenient, especially when school is in session. We wanted something on this end of Port Neches, Kitchen said. It sits on the city limits of Port Arthur and Port Neches, but its a high-traffic area. Its a good place to be set up to reach a lot of people that are exiting this neighborhood going to work or coming back from work. The most expensive cup of coffee is $4.75, a price Kitchen is proud of. Were not Starbucks, were not Raos, Kitchen said. Were just us, and we dont want to break our customers financially when they come in. We may have to adjust as products that we get adjust in price but not so significantly to where youre paying $8 for a cup of coffee. Thats crazy. Kitchen plans to add a karaoke coffee bar, lounge area and better signs in the future. He called making money a secondary goal. The primary goal is actually as a community outreach just to get people to come and sit down and relax, he said. The coffee shops name was inspired by a much-discussed tweet by President Donald Trump two years ago that referred to negative press covfefe, instead of, presumably, press coverage. Kitchen said he chose the name to get the community talking. He said he wants his customers to set aside their cell phones and talk to each other, no matter the topic. Life still exists regardless of what happens in politics or religion, Kitchen said. Put the tech down, start having conversations and maybe learn a few things. Its just realizing that we are different people and that we can have a difference of opinion and thats OK. Though some believe the name is politically charged, Kitchen welcomes the comments and criticism to incite conversation. Some people like us and some people dont, and you know what? Thats okay, Kitchen said. Everybodys not going to like you and thats why were here. Were all different. Kitchen wants patrons to respect others political beliefs to better understand others views. When asked his personal political beliefs, he says they dont matter. I respect the office of this president, or any president or any political official or officer, Kitchen said. Military wise, thats what I had to do when I was in uniform and I still hold true to that today. If I dont agree with them and I have a lot of issues with a politician, Ill exercise my right to vote and try to vote them out and vote someone else in that I feel like can do a better job. Kitchen welcomes more than just political conversation to the table. He believes the best way to combat problems in America is to simply talk about them and follow up with action. Another item of conversation in the Covfefe Cafe is the reserved table, which belonged to Kitchens late mother and has her sweater hanging on one chair. A POW/MIA flag is draped across the chair opposite. Kitchen wants to keep his late mother and those who did not come back from battle at the forefront of his mind and honor them. The cafe has many beverage and food offerings, including the highly caffeinated Vietnamese coffee, sometimes described as the Red Bull of coffees. This kind of coffee has a Kahlua type flavor that can be cut in strength for less caffeine. Their signature blend is a Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk and caramel or mocha syrup. Were just a homegrown coffee shop here to serve the community, Kitchen said. Were trying to bring some joy and happiness to people you know to sit down and engage again. And Im happy with that. alyssa.faykus@beaumontenteprise.com twitter.com/AlyssaFaykus In 2019, there were 97 sexual assaults in Beaumont, 29 in Port Arthur, 13 in Nederland and six in Port Neches, according to the latest data from the FBIs Uniform Crime Report. Some cities have larger numbers than others depending on the population. But every year you will never find zero, said Crisis Center of Southeast Texas Executive Director Cheryl Williams. In every county, there's always been sexual assault in some way, form or fashion. I wish there would be a day where I wouldn't have a job anymore because there'd be no more sexual assault. That's just a given. Its always been (this way). She still has a job, but its seeing changes working with Jefferson Countys newly reformed Sexual Assault Response Team. The group, which has been around since at least 2016 according to Williams, is coming together again in response to the passage of Senate Bill 476. The bill passed last year and stipulates that the commissioners court of every county form an adult sexual assault response team. This piece of legislation took effect in early September after much lobbying from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault. Areas that had SARTS were discovering that in counties that had a SART, there was more movement on sexual assault cases progressing through the legal system. There was a measurable difference in outcomes, said Crisis Center of Southeast Texas Crisis Intervention Counselor Tracie Middleton. Having a SART makes an impact on how those cases end up and outcomes for survivors. Moving cases through the legal system is the groups first priority. But it will focus on two additional issues as well, including helping survivors heal from the experience with advocacy, behavioral healthcare and physical care, among other resources. There may also be a component that is involved in prevention or restorative justice potentially work with offenders. That is a piece of it, right? Interrupting this cycle, Middleton said. One of the things that TAASA has research on is that not very many people rape people. The people who do commit rape tend to commit serial rape, and so it may be important to address the offender side of it, too, and so that's why one of the groups that we had in our stakeholder list was people who work with adult probation, people who work with prisons. State law now requires each county to meet certain standards for caring for survivors and leveraging community resources. Law enforcement, medical providers, social service providers, victim assistants, nurse examiners, forensics professionals and others have a general blueprint to deliver services to those who need them without gaps in coverage. The latest Response Team, however, will work together to continue addressing long-standing coverage gaps. Middleton led Jefferson Countys Teams first meeting, which included representatives from the sheriffs office, Beaumont Police Department, the district attorneys office, Victims Assistance, Baptist Hospitals Behavioral Health Center and Rape and Suicide Crisis of Southeast Texas, Inc. The group is hoping to also make space for more professionals, such as nursing students from Lamar, grant-funded SART staff members, and other community members who care about sexual assault prevention and response. Williams believes the SART will be a source of support for a hurting community. We are hoping that the SART provides a continuum of services for the sexual assault survivor, she said. We hope that by providing a continuum of services, no one will fall through the cracks. Thus far, the team has discussed how responsibilities will be allocated, efforts will be funded and to be competitive for grants as a smaller county. Its also brainstormed politicians and organizations to work with as well as other Teams in nearby counties that Jefferson County could model. We don't need to make any big decisions today. Were all starting to think on the same wavelength, said Jefferson County attorney Fred Jackson, who is facilitating the group. If we can create an umbrella for services then we have some political power. I see this group as designed specifically to help the victims and to enable us to grow the services to benefit more people in a more uniform way. The group doesnt have an exact date for their next meeting, but Middleton expects to meet again in May. This is serious, Williams said. (It's) such an emotional thing for someone to go through. Those emotional wounds never heal for some people. But I think the most important point about the whole process is that the survivors have the support they need while they wait. Nihangs gather after a clash between followers of Shiv Sena and pro-Khalistani Sikh organisations, near Kali Mata Mandir in Patiala, Friday, April 29, 2022. (PTI) Chandigarh: The Punjab government on Saturday suspended mobile internet and SMS services, except voice calls, in Patiala district a day after clashes between two groups over an anti-Khalistan march left four people injured. The order to suspend the services was issued by the home affairs and justice department and heavy police security was deployed at the site of the clashes outside the Kali Mata temple in Patiala. "In exercise of power conferred upon me by virtue of temporary suspension of telecom services (public emergency or public safety) rules, 2017, I Anurag Verma, principal secretary, home affairs and justice, do hereby order suspension of the mobile internet services (2G/3G/45/CDMA), all SMS services and all dongle services etc provided on mobile networks except voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of the district of Patiala from 9:30 am to 6 pm on April 30," the order read. Four people were injured as the two groups clashed and hurled stones at each other on Friday and police fired in the air to bring the situation under control. Patiala clashes: IG, SSP among 3 police officers transferred The Punjab government on Saturday transferred the inspector general of police (Patiala Range), the Patiala senior superintendent of police and the superintendent of police, a day after clashes between two groups over an anti-Khalistan march left four people injured. The police officers were transferred on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said Mukhwinder Singh Chinna has been appointed as the new IG-Patiala Range while Deepak Parik will be the new senior superintendent of police for Patiala. Wazir Singh has been appointed as the new superintendent of police of Patiala. Curfew in Patiala after clash over 'anti-Khalistan march' Curfew was clamped Friday evening after four people were injured as two groups clashed over an anti-Khalistan march in this Punjab city, hurling stones at each other. Police opened fire in the air to bring the situation under control. Hours later, police arrested Harish Singla, working president of a group called "Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray)" for taking out the procession without permission and instigating violence. The clash took place outside the Kali Mata temple after Singla's group had begun the "Khalistan Murdabad March" from the nearby Arya Samaj Chowk. Some Sikh activists, including Nihangs, who had initially gathered at Dukh Niwaran Sahib Gurdwara, marched towards the temple, a few of them seen brandishing swords. Their procession too did not have permission from the authorities, officials said. Near the temple, the two groups came face to face and hurled stones at each other, police said. The temple gates were locked and police deployed in large numbers to prevent the violence from spreading further in the city, officials said. Harish Singla said the march was organised as a reply to the announcement by the Sikhs for Justice to mark April 29 as the foundation day of Khalistan. The banned group based overseas is headed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Two of the four people injured in the violence are policemen. Their condition is stable, police said. They have registered a case over the violence. The National Commission for Minorities wrote to the Punjab government seeking a report on the Patiala violence within a week. Opposition leaders slammed the new Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab over the violence. "Visuals from Patiala are disturbing, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, stressing that peace and harmony are most imperative. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann summoned a high-level meeting of officers after the clash. The CM later said he has ordered a probe into the clash and given strict instructions that not a single culprit is spared. "Anti-Punjab forces will not be allowed to disturb Punjab's peace at any cost," he said. "The incident of clashes in Patiala is deeply unfortunate, he tweeted. We are closely monitoring the situation and will not let anyone create disturbance in the state." A few hours after the clash, Patiala Inspector General of Police Rakesh Agarwal told reporters that the situation was under control. "We have called force from outside. A peace committee meeting has been called by the Deputy Commissioner on Saturday," he said. He said the incident took place because of rumours spread by some some mischievous elements. We have controlled the situation. We are also conducting a flag march in Patiala city," he added. Patiala Deputy Commissioner-cum District Magistrate Sakshi Sawhney said, We appeal to all to maintain calm and not to lend credence to any rumours." Several Punjab ministers and MLAs expressed concern over the violence. "I strongly condemn the clashes that took place in Patiala today. Appealing to all sections of society to follow the path of peace and humanity," Punjab's Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said. But the opposition targeted the AAP government over the worsening law and order situation. "Complete anarchy in the state, Leader of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa tweeted. It's high time that the Punjab CM gets his house in order. Law & order has collapsed in the past one month with one incident after the other taking place in the state, the Congress leader said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This week is Soil and Water Stewardship Week in Jefferson County and across Texas. The designation aims to encourage residents to reflect on the importance of a healthy ecosystem and ways they can contribute to that goal. Our agricultural and economic security depend on the future viability of (our) lands, said Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick. If we let our soil get tainted or even our water supply in any way get tainted, no matter how much oil and gas you have or how much wind or how much solar, if you don't have water and soil thats clean, that you can raise food (on), you're dead meat, said local agriculture magnate Mike Doguet. It's over with. There is no shortage of water in Southeast Texas. Whether from rains, flooding, the Sabine and Neches rivers, or the Gulf, water is in abundant in Jefferson County in a way that cannot be said of many other areas of Texas. Soil conservation, however, is of concern to a great many residents from farmers to restaurateurs to birds, oysters and other critters that share the land with humans. It's mostly soil conservation around here, Branick said. Soil erosion and runoff from agricultural fields and things like that are important issues that the Soil and Water Conservation District looks at. Part of soil conservation is making sure the water stays clean and contained. On the Gulf Coast, there is a particular type of land loss that conservationists are especially concerned about. Wetlands are basically a large sponge, and that kind of helps with flooding mitigation, said Texas A&Ms Texas Sea Grant and AgriLife Extension Services Coastal and Marine Resources Extension Agent Nikki Fitzgerald. Wetlands are a huge habitat for the area. It also filters our water. Its important for people to understand that without wetlands, our water would not get clean. Unfortunately, the abundance of water is often a big force for coastal erosion be it through storms or even the wake that ripples out when a boat passes. Because water and soil exist in a symbiotic relationship, stewarding both well is essential. We sat down with Fitzgerald to learn how everyday residents can do their part: Use less plastic We encourage people to not use straws or water bottles or plastic forks because those one-time-use plastics are kind of whats polluting our waterways along with nurdles and things like that, Fitzgerald said. If they do drink from plastic water bottles, pour out the water because it gets trapped in the water bottles and can end up in our landfill. Take care with chemicals Be conservative about what they put in their lawns, she said. They use pesticides and herbicides and things like that, and if we have a heavy rainfall and they put too much on their lawn, that can run off and pollute our waterways. Pick up after yourself We actually encourage people to clean up their trash and debris on the beaches and stuff (and) to get nurdles while they're walking along the way as well, Fitzgerald said. Nurdles are small, plastic pellets that fall off the sides of ships. They are used in the manufacturing of plastic water bottles and other objects, and they litter beaches with colorful beads. When they leave their trash and stuff on the beaches, it affects nesting shoreline birds and in affects nesting turtles and things like that, she said. With the increasing politicization of environmental issues, finding common ground can be difficult but its necessary. I don't care if you're conservative or liberal, said Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board member Wayne Wilber. Weve got to all agree on one thing that we have to take care of our soil and water because we're stuck here on this planet, and we have to make the best of it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana during a joint conference of CMs of States & Chief Justices of High Courts, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (PTI Photo/Vijay Verma) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a strong pitch for use of local languages in courts, contending that it will increase the confidence of common citizens in the justice system and they will feel more connected to it. "We need to encourage local languages in courts. This will not only increase the confidence of common citizens in the justice system but they will feel more connected to it," Modi said addressing a joint conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts here. The prime minister also appealed to chief ministers to repeal outdated laws to make delivery of justice easier. "In 2015, we identified about 1,800 laws which had become irrelevant. Out of these, 1,450 such laws of the Centre were abolished. But, only 75 such laws have been abolished by the states," he said. Prime Minister Modi said as India celebrates the 75th anniversary of Independence, focus should be on creation of a judicial system where justice is easily available, is quick and for everyone. "In our country, while the role of the judiciary is that of the guardian of the Constitution, the legislature represents the aspirations of citizens. I believe that the confluence of these two will prepare the roadmap for an effective and time-bound judicial system in the country," he said. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Jim Shulman, a Pittsfield native living in Ohio, is the author of Berkshire Memories: A Baby Boomer Looks Back at Growing Up in Pittsfield. If you have a memory of a Berkshire baby-boom landmark, business or event youd like to share or read about, please write Jim at jesjmskali@aol.com. You are the owner of this article. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. When it comes to analyzing deadly and controversial interactions between police and civilians, zooming in on the truth should be prioritized by every department and available to every community. Pittsfield is learning this lesson the hard way as the community continues to be torn by the death of Miguel Estrella, the 22-year-old city resident who was fatally shot by police while in the throes of mental health crisis after officers say he advanced on them with a knife. Pittsfield residents say 'never again' should a mental health crisis end in a police shooting. Some think body cameras could be the solution Local attorney Rinaldo Del Gallo, who submitted the petition for body cameras to the City Council Tuesay, said "clearly body cameras are not a fix all or panacea," but argued that adding the technology to the police department would go a long way to "preserving truth." No policy can undo the tragedy of this case, but it painfully underscores what should have already been clear: Any uncertainty surrounding the granular details of such encounters only turns up tensions and multiplies the hanging questions that often sow distrust between police forces and vulnerable communities. In the story of how Mr. Estrella died that Friday night on Onota Street, we can only wonder which details might have been made clearer and more readily apparent to officials and an anxious public if Pittsfield Police officers were equipped with body cameras. We should not have to wonder. To that end, we agree with 100-plus community signatories on the central premise of a petition submitted this week to the City Council: Pittsfield Police should be equipped with body cameras. Pittsfield Police Department study finds officer was justified in fatal March shooting of Miguel Estrella An internal investigation by Pittsfield police finds that the officer who shot and killed city resident Miguel Estrella on March 25 followed use of force guidelines and that Estrella posed an immediate threat as he came at an officer at a fast pace with a raised knife. While the PPD has released its internal force investigation team report, other probes, like that of the District Attorneys Office, are still pending. Previously, we have stressed that we will not prejudge these investigations, and we reiterate our urge for others to do the same and delay any far-reaching conclusions until the culmination of all relevant fact-finding missions. It also bears repeating that the DAs Office and other relevant authorities should get this critical information out to the public as swiftly and transparently as possible. Still, a common-sense policy like putting body cams on public safety agents equipped with deadly force need not be pursued or perceived as taking a side in this or any particular case. One need not prejudge the necessary investigations into Mr. Estrellas death to see the benefit body cams offer. In fact, they stand to help the investigative process itself, especially in cases like this one with multiple and sometimes contradictory eyewitness accounts. Further, they add a layer of accountability to policing a field whose ethical practice demands more of it but they can just as easily serve to exonerate police who act properly in tense situations. They also offer valuable instructional potential for demonstrating to trainee officers how (and how not) to handle difficult situations from a first-person perspective. Improving de-escalation and use-of-force training makes everyone, civilians and officers alike, safer. Body cams should also be seen as an important tool to that end. While we believe this policys upsides are worth it, as with any proposal there should be an honest accounting of potential downsides as well. Police and the public would have to be properly educated for the desired effect to take hold. There are concrete but complicated questions about how footage is stored and made available, as well as what happens if and when cameras malfunction or arent deployed properly. For some, it will also brush up against the ever-shifting line between public-facing technology and privacy expectations. Clarity on how the cameras work would be necessary for fairly adjusting those expectations: Are there different brands of body cameras with different functionality? Are they always recording, or only sometimes? If the latter, is it automatic, such as when a weapon is drawn or a traffic stop is initiated, or does the officer have to manually switch it on? Then there is the actual cost, which could be considerable for a city department, though there is the possibility of some relief from external funding. Like their counterparts in Great Barrington and Sheffield, the PPD could seek grants from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, which promotes police body cam use across the commonwealth. Yes, there are costs to systematically getting a better view of the truth in police encounters. But eschewing that view when theres a relatively simple and fair lens available bears its own costs. Pittsfield is now finding out how high that cost can be as toxic uncertainty still grips the public in the wake of a high-profile fatal police encounter that is poised to further deadly divisions between the police and the people they serve. Body cams could curb that cost; city and police department leadership cant afford to ignore that. But as the matter is sub-judice, he refused permission. They have, however, been allowed to clear bushes and level the ground for convenience of organising prayers on occasion of Ramzan Twitter KAKINADA: A row has broken out over levelling of a ground within the premises of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada (JNTUK), for offering prayers on occasion of Ramzan. BJP state spokesperson Y. Malakondaiah, senior Kakinada city party leader Duvvuri Subrahmanyam and district secretary Chitneedi Srinivas told media that university authorities should stop the levelling, as land belonging to an educational institution cannot be used for religious purposes. Subrahmanyam said their party has written a letter to AP Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan, who is also chancellor of AP universities, pointing out that a portion of university land had been illegally occupied long ago by a religious group. It now proposes to construct a shopping complex with active connivance of local ruling party leaders. Subrahmanyam said in view of future expansion of the university, Governor should stop the construction immediately. He pointed out that the site is also involved in court cases. JNTUK vice chancellor Prof. G.V.R. Prasada Raju told Deccan Chronicle that a group of persons had approached him for erecting a fencing or wall to offer prayers on the university site. But as the matter is sub-judice, he refused permission. They have, however, been allowed to clear bushes and level the ground for convenience of organising prayers on occasion of Ramzan. MEWA in-charge Deen told Deccan Chronicle that there is no controversy over the site. He underlined that decades back, a donor Noor Seth of Gujarat donated six acres of his land for prayers, which has also been notified by AP Wakf Board. Prayers for Ramzan have been going on at this site since then. Deen recalled that he has been offering prayers at this site since his childhood on occasion of Ramzan and Bakrid. You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:43-44) When we find ourselves coming against those who are rallied against us, we have an important decision to make in how we respond. Thankfully, Jesus Christ has provided the instructions. The greatest example He provided was dying on the cross, at the hands of His persecutors. Instead of smiting the people who sought His blood, Jesus asked God to forgive them (Luke 23:34). This is the same approach Jesus taught His disciples to take toward those who persecute them. Jesus reframes a past way of thinking into something new, and by doing so reveals how we can become more like Him. Apparent in American culture is the notion of there being two sides of the aisle. This idea is often evoked in political conversations, but the phrase has biblical relevance too. There are believers and then there are nonbelievers. The Bible gives us instructions on how to be the former. Moreover, Scripture specifically draws a contrast between the righteous and the unrighteous. Because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil. (1 Peter 3:12) Instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age. (Titus 2:12) As we are called to live righteously, we must then decline to live in ways that are incompatible with Gods teachings. This at times will cause friction with the world. The way we live and the way others live will at times feel incompatible, but the Bible makes clear that God blesses those who seek Him. He looks after His own. In our choosing to follow God, there will be those in the world who rise against His kingdom. We witnessed this in the Bible with kingdoms like Babylon in the Book of Daniel, or Pharoah and the Egyptians holding the Jews as slaves in the Book of Exodus. Godless kingdoms will always rise against Gods kingdom because the flesh and the spirit are constantly at war with one another (Romans 8:7-8). What Did Jesus Mean by Love Your Enemies and Pray for Those Who Persecute You? (Matt. 5:44) The passage of Matthew 5 details Jesus Sermon on the Mount. There He instructs His followers on a number of different topics including divorce, honesty, adultery, and murder. During this time, they also discussed the concept of forgiveness, specifically toward those who persecute. Jesus begins by drawing a comparison, the love we have for a neighbor versus the hate we have for an enemy (Matthew 5:43). This reappears later in the Book of Luke during the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This story allows Jesus to present the similarities between what people would prefer to distinguish as enemy and neighbor. In both of these passages, He admonishes believers to refrain from their cultural hate and to instead love everyone. This allows us to serve others as God intended. Here in Matthew 5, He follows with a commandment of loving enemies. Whats more, is that Jesus readily gives an example of how to love through prayer. We are to pray for those who are persecuting us. Doing so pleases our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:45). To Jesus, this is what being a child of God truly means. Jesus expounds on this idea of love by highlighting Gods love for us, humanity, the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). He is not impressed with those who love and support other like-minded people (Matthew 5:46-47). Thats normal in every culture, but to live as a believer is to be different. Loving others is easy when those people are in agreement with who we are as individuals. When someone persecutes us, they are in opposition to us, meaning they are not in agreement, but rather full disagreement. To love even those people is to emulate the love of God. The larger point that Jesus alludes to here is that God loves each and every one of us. Just as He makes the sun rise and fall above everyones heads, righteous or unrighteous, He is in control of all of our lives. Yet, God still loves them. As Jesus commands us to love then, He wants us to emulate the same love that God is displaying. Prayer is one way basic to do that. What Does the Bible Say about How to 'Pray for Those Who Persecute You' Jesus wanted Christians of old and modern-day to know that they will be persecuted in the world, but He didnt present this as fearful information. On the contrary, Jesus wanted us to take solace because He provided the example of how we can overcome our adversaries, especially those who persecute us. I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world. (John 16:33) Having trials and knowing we will overcome, however, does not mean that we will not be faced with adverse circumstances, sometimes life-changing. With Jesus Himself, He showed that Christians can be persecuted so far as being killed. We also witnessed this is the death of believers at the hands of Paul (before converting). Still, Jesus is clear in His desire for believers to love their enemies. Peter once asked Jesus about the topic of forgiveness. He figured there must naturally have been a limit to how much we forgive people. Jesus answer speaks to the unnatural love He wants Christians to show others. Then Peter approached him and asked, Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times? I tell you, not as many as seven, Jesus replied, but seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-22) With these ideas in mind, we can move forward striving to love God and others with the godly love that has been role-modeled for us and instilled in us through the Holy Spirit. 3 Ways to Pray for Those Who Persecute Us 1. Pray with Forgiveness For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you dont forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses. (Matthew 6:14-15) Forgiving others allows God to forgive us. Not doing so, means God wont forgive us. When we pray with forgiveness on our hearts, we beseech God to bless those who have offended us instead of cursing them. When we forgive, we replace the malice in our hearts with care with the person instead. While forgiveness is easy to discuss, the feelings held after an offense has been made can be difficult to release. The solution then is to ask God to support us in forgiving the person. The more we can pray with forgiveness in our hearts, the more we can operate in the way Jesus taught. 2. Pray with Love By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35) If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22) The worldly response to persecution whether by means of violence or slander is to retaliate. Jesus showed us on the cross how we can respond to our persecutors. When we pray for our oppressors from a place of love, we seek their wellbeing, not their harm. We can ask God to mold and shift their hearts instead of us trying to force change. 3. Pray with Humility With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love (Ephesiasn 4:2) When we achieve forgiveness and love in our prayers, we are putting on full display our humility. This means we do not act or pray in a way that indicates God values us any more or any less than the other person. Instead, we see the persecutor as a child of God and ask God to bless them just as he blesses us. The more we can see everyone as being made in Gods image, the less we will see them as an enemy (Genesis 1:26). Praying for others will be easier, and in turn, there may be less persecution, at the very least from Christians. A Prayer for Those Who Persecute You ord Jesus, following Your example and command, we pray for our enemies today. We ask first that You would saturate our lives with the Holy Spirits power and might. Send Your love flowing through us, and forgive us for holding on to anything that could hinder our prayers. We release any unforgiveness, thoughts of revenge, or hateful emotions that can quench Your Spirit in our hearts. Then give us wisdom as we seek how to bless, to love, and to pray for our enemies. We pray for you to bless our enemies and to orchestrate events in their lives that will leave their hearts exposed before you. As You characterized blessing in the Beatitudes, we pray that You would give them a poverty of spirit that recognizes their deep need for You. We pray they will discover Your comfort in times of mourning, and they would be humbled before Youin Your way and Your time. We pray You would show them mercy before it is too lateknowing we were all Gods enemies before You extended mercy to usand that they would, in turn, be merciful to others. Knowing how you sometimes use pain and difficulty to bring blessing to our lives, we pray the same for our enemies. Use whatever means You need to soften stony hearts, open blind eyes, and to help them realize their ultimate neediness for You. If necessary, allow persecution in their own lives so they can experience Your blessing. Speak to them in miraculous, supernatural ways if necessary, through a dream, a movie, another believer, Your Wordor even through our own lives if we are ever confronted. In some way, let them witness Your power and recognize that You are the source. We pray for conviction, for an honest evaluation of their own destiny, and for a sense of desperation if thats what it takes for them to consider Your claims and to discover Who You really are. Pursue them, even allowing goodness to lead them to repentance. And give us patience and a deep trust in You, Lord, even when we cant see any change in our enemies. When we waver, not wanting to pray for our enemies, help us to remember Your grace in our own lives, and what we would be without You. Amen. (prayer by Rebecca Barlow Jordan) Further Reading A Powerful Prayer for Your Enemies How Do We Pray for Those Who Hurt Us? Photo credit: GettyImages/Layland Masuda Aaron Brown is a freelance writer, hip-hop dance teacher, and visual artist, living in Virginia. He currently contributes work to iBelieve, Crosswalk, and supports various clients through the platform Upwork. He's an outside-the-box thinker with a penchant for challenging the status quo. Check out his short story Serenity. This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today. Listen to our Daily Bible Verse Podcast Now! HYDERABAD: State Congress president A. Revanth Reddy alleged that the TRS government had failed to procure paddy in proper manner. Of 7,000 paddy purchase centres, only 2,300 were opened so far, he said. Around 15 crore gunny bags were required for paddy procurement, but there was no response to tenders floated for the purchase of eight crore gunny bags, he said. The government had also failed to supply tarpaulins to protect paddy from untimely rains, he said. He said the state government failed to complete irrigation project works launched by the previous Congress government. The TRS government lacked the ability to complete the ongoing projects, he said. For instance, TRS leaders assured that the Nellikallu lift irrigation scheme would be completed within one-and-a-half years but that had not happened. Speaking at the preparatory meeting of undivided Nalgonda district at Nagarjunasagar on Congress leader Rahul Gandhis visit to the state, Revanth Reddy said the Congress was proud to say that it constructed major irrigation projects including Nagarjunasagar. The TPCC president said undivided Nalgonda district had a great history and people had played key roles in Telangana armed struggle. There were numerous trouble shooters in the Congress, but it needed guidance of senior leaders like K. Jana Reddy, he said. People of Nalgonda would bring previous glory to the Congress soon, he said. Revanth Reddy said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao betrayed the farmers. He (KCR) advised farmers not to sow paddy in yasangi season, but he had cultivated paddy in 150 acres in his farmhouse, Revanth Reddy said. The Congress alerted the state government over paddy procurement, but it failed to open paddy purchase centres and provide gunny bags as required, he said. The TPCC president said the BJP and the TRS governments always preferred political interests rather than the welfare of farmers. He appealed to the Congress cadres to make Rahul Gandhis public meeting in Warangal on May 6 a grand success. Jana Reddy said that Congress leaders should not behave suspiciously in party affairs, which led to disunity among party leaders. Besides difference of opinions, Congress leaders were working collectively, he said, and suggested that leaders should honour the aspiration of cadre. He said farmers had incurred heavy losses due to delay in crop loan waiver. Congress MP Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana was the only state in the country, which was not implementing crop insurance. He demanded that compensation be given to farmers, who had lost crops due to untimely rains. MECOSTA, OSCEOLA COUNTY Mecosta Osceola Transit Authority executive director Michael Tillman, who retires May 15, was honored at a reception at the MOTA offices in Big Rapids this week. At the reception, he was presented with an award for his 17 years of service to the organization by Mecosta County commissioner Ray Steinke, which read: Thank you for your years of service to the community. Your leadership and guidance to MOTA has brought us great success and your retirement will be greatly felt. Not only has he been a great leader, but he has been a good friend, Steinke said. I think everyone here would say that. Tillman told those in attendance it has been a heck of a ride," and he is now looking forward to doing some of the things he has had limited time for. We have had our ups and downs, we have had our fears, Tillman said. I did what I had to do the best way I knew how to do it, and I think we basically got lucky. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank each and every one of you. It has been a heck of ride and one that I wouldnt change or wouldnt trade. "Like most things in life, there are things I wouldnt mind being able to roll back and do a little differently, however, I have discovered over the years that it is those times, along with the good times, that help mold us into who we are, and so from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all. There is one person I need to give credit to more than anyone else, and that is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, without whose guidance I fall very short, he added. Tillman started out as an original board member at MOTA, at the urging of his wife, he said. In 2005, the county board of commissioners approved his appointment to the board, where he served as vice chair the first year, and as chairman the following 10 years. With the departure of the former director, I was encouraged to throw my hat into the ring, and as a result, I have been the executive director since 2016, Tillman said. SURVIVING NO MILLAGE During his tenure, he said, the number one accomplishment has been the successful passing of a MOTA millage. The first two years of the existence of MOTA, they attempted to get a millage passed, but it failed both times. The first time it failed by 4% and the second time by 5%, Tillman said. Seeing those results, we put all of that on hold and basically went into survival mode. With the funding from the state and federal governments, along with our contract partners, we were able to keep the doors open and provide our services to get everybody from point A to point B. We did that for a number of years, until 2019, when one of our contractors pulled out. That put us in a financial hardship. Tillman said they were faced with closing the doors for good, so they went to the Michigan Department of Transportation where they were able to secure a $60,000 grant as part of the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program. Because of MDOTs effort we were able to secure a grant that allowed us to operate and keep the doors open and provide our service until the millage went before the people, Tillman said. Had they (MDOT) not stepped up to the plate with the additional funding, we were looking to close our doors. Because of that influx of funds, we were able to keep the doors open and show the people what we do. I believe the service we continued to provide was a large factor in the millage being approved. At the end of the day, they approved the millage proposal with over 62% of the vote, he added. That was tremendous. With the passage of the millage, MOTA was getting ready to expand their services to later evening hours and service on weekends when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he said. That shut everything down, Tillman said. We had one driver, one dispatcher and myself everyone else was on administrative leave. Because of the millage we were able to meet our financial obligations to make sure our people were paid so they didnt suffer any economic hardship. Now, as restrictions are being lifted, they have returned to later evening services hours until 7 p.m. and Saturday service. In addition, the are considering Sunday hours and will use the results of a Michigan State University survey to gauge the publics interest. As a result of the millage funds coming in, things are looking rosy, Tillman said. We are adding drivers, picking up vehicles and increasing services. We are hopeful the MSU survey results will justify to appropriateness of Sunday service. PASSING THE ROPE Tillman said his plans for retirement include fishing, hunting, motorcycle riding and working his farm. I havent had a bike in a while, so I am going to pick up one of those again, he said. There are a lot of things around the farm I want to do, including picking up some more animals, which will require some infrastructure that I dont currently have. I have been getting the equipment I will need for that. Replacing Tillman as executive director will be Staci Hitts, currently the operations manager. Hitts has been with MOTA for two years, starting out as a bus washer then moving into dispatch and working her way up, doing everything but driving, she said. We gave her a little bit of rope and waited to see if she would hang herself or climb, and she climbed, Tillman said of Hitts. Then we gave her a little more and she climbed a little more. Hitts said she never though that she would find herself working in public transportation, but it has been the biggest blessing to her and her family. I have developed a passion for public transportation, she said. It is very rewarding being able to serve the community and to help people get to appointments, to the grocery store and even to visit someone. I am looking forward to the next step in the journey and hope to be able to serve the community as well as Mike has. He has paved a good road, and if he hadnt done what he did, I wouldnt be here. I am incredibly grateful for Mike and everything he has done for me, and I am very grateful for this opportunity to carry on his legacy. Tillman said he is very confident in Hitts, as well as Marsha Cornelius, who will be the new operations manager, in their ability to take care of MOTA clients and staff. I have always said that if you take care of your people, they will take care of you, he said. It has been my pleasure to be able to work with everyone here that has stepped up to the plate for those that truly need it. The facility is dedicated to the development and manufacturing of RT-PCR kits for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, dengue etc GeneStore's Founder, Anubhav Anusha, has announced the launch of the company's Center of Excellence for Molecular Diagnostics and Proteomics in Gurugram, Haryana. The facility is dedicated to the development and manufacturing of RT-PCR kits for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, dengue, Hepatitis C, Japanese Encephalitis Virus that contribute to a high public health burden in India. GeneStore's mission in India is to support the government in drastically lowering healthcare costs related to diagnostic testing for infectious diseases through its highly affordable RT-PCR testing kits. "We have a pipeline of RT-PCR diagnostic kits for over 80 infectious disease pathogens that are relevant across diverse regions across India and the world," Anubhav Anusha, Founder, R&D Head and Global CEO of GeneStore. Expands Young Health Programme AstraZeneca India with Plan India has announced the expansion of their flagship CSR initiative, Young Health Programme by opening three Health Information Centres (HIC) in Delhi across the communities of Sangam Vihar and Dakshin Puri. The flag-off event organised at The India Habitat Centre saw participation by senior dignitaries from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Directorate of Family Welfare, NCD Cell, MCD North, beneficiaries from the multiple under-resourced communities, Plan India and AstraZeneca India. Young Health Programme (YHP) aims to reduce the growing burden of non-communicable diseases on health systems with a focused approach to bring about a behaviour change specifically amongst youth from 10-24 years of age. In a direction to create a multi-faceted impact, AstraZeneca is complementing the YHP with New Normal Same Cancer and Ganga Godavari Initiative that focuses on creating a mass scale awareness on cancers with the help of ambassadors and partners such as Indian Cancer Society and Banaras Hindu University. Under these initiatives, multiple cancer screening camps are conducted in the remote areas of the country where not many facilities are available. Mainly Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province & Ringing Trips to Bahrain In a setback for Telangana Congress, Osmania University on Saturday denied permission for Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi's proposed visit to the varsity on May 7. The row over the Congress leader's visit had been escalating by the day, with reports from dissidence emerging from within the party. While some students approached the High Court seeking its intervention to allow the visit, TRSV and ABVP activists are not in favour of allowing the visit. If given permission, Rahul Gandhi would have been the second MP in recent times to enter the varsity. In November 2020, as part of campaigning for the GHMC elections, Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya had allegedly trespassed the OU campus by removing barricades and conducting a meeting within the campus. HYDERABAD: The row over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's proposed visit to Osmania University (OU) on May 7 seems to be escalating by the day. While some students approached the High Court seeking its intervention to allow the visit, dean of PG College of Law, Prof G. Vinod Kumar has thrown his weight behind the Congress leader. On the other hand, TRSV and ABVP activists are not in favour of allowing the visit. The issue arose when TPCC members asked OU's vice chancellor (VC) to permit the visit, while TRSV, the TRS' student wing, asked the VC to deny permission. Former Rajya Sabha MP Hanumantha Rao and former MLC Ramulu Naik, along with other Congress leaders, met the VC on Tuesday, asking for his nod. On Friday, K. Manavatha Roy, a research scholar at Arts College, OU, and the chairman of Telangana Students Unemployed JAC (joint action committee), and three other students approached the High Court to file a lunch motion petition, seeking directions to the varsity to allow the visit. However, as Friday was the last day of the court before the summer vacation, they were asked to file a house motion on Monday. Apart from this, Roy and five other students have written to the OU registrar seeking permission for Rahul Gandhi to meet students at Tagore Auditorium. The letter states that Rahul Gandhi wants to meet the varsity's students as well as unemployed people for the purpose of nation building, and the visit was not planned to be a political one. Prof. Kumar said not allowing the visit would be unconstitutional and undemocratic. "He is the Congress senior leader and MP. He will talk about what is happening in Telangana and why social justice is being denied. That is an intellectual discourse, so what is wrong if he shares his views," asked the dean. Prof Kumar added that leaders from other parties, including TRS, BJP, CPM and CPI had come to the university earlier, so not allowing a Congress leader was wrong. "Every democratic intellectual, students and scholars must oppose it," he said. If given permission, Rahul Gandhi would be the second MP in recent times to enter the varsity. In November 2020, as part of campaigning for the GHMC elections, Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya had allegedly trespassed the OU campus by removing barricades and conducting a meeting within the campus. Meanwhile, students from the ABVP too are opposing the visit. A research scholar from the party said if Rahul Gandhi arrived, he and his supporters would surely speak in favour of Congress and the visit would be a purely political one. Over the Brandon Suns 140-year history, the paper has grown, transformed and moved, just like the Wheat City has. Advertisement Advertise With Us Over the Brandon Suns 140-year history, the paper has grown, transformed and moved, just like the Wheat City has. This spring the newspaper is saying goodbye to its current home of almost 58 years on Rosser Avenue and taking a trip down the road to a suite in The Town Centre Mall. FILE This building on 12th Street served as the Suns first home from 1881 to 1895. From its early days in a frame building on 12th Street to its more than 59 years on 10th Street, the Sun has been an integral part of downtown Brandon and its growth over the years has reflected the citys rise from pioneer settlement along the railway to Manitobas second-largest city and regional hub. As the times and technology have changed, so have the Suns needs for space, equipment and personnel. When the Suns original publisher and owner W.J. White reflected on his arrival in Brandon in 1881 in a special section of the paper commemorating Brandons 45th birthday in 1927, he said he initially thought the city consisted of nothing but tents. He eventually discovered he was wrong. There were a few buildings and two pieces of wood lining the side of each road acting as a poor set of sidewalks. FILE On Nov. 4, 1964, the Brandon Sun ran this cartoon featuring some of the main cast from the long-running comic strip Lil Abner as drawn by creator Al Capp. The cartoon appeared on the front page to advertise the Suns impending move from 10th Street to Rosser Avenue. The Suns first permanent office was located on 12th Street, south of the Daymin Court building at 1202 Rosser Ave. Out of that frame building, the papers original format was a daily four-page tabloid. Though that building no longer exists, the Archives of Manitoba possess a photo of the building from 1958, indicating it survived for more than 75 years. After 14 years, the Sun had grown just like Brandon and needed to move to a bigger location. The second home for the newspaper was the Patmore Florist Building at 183 Eighth St. After that stint, the paper moved to 24 10th St., its final home before settling on Rosser Avenue for almost six decades. As the paper continued to grow, so did its home. In the early days on 10th Street, the sign on the outside simply said "The Sun." Later, when the paper changed its name to reflect a more thorough publishing schedule, the sign changed to read "The Brandon Daily Sun." Publisher J.B. Whitehead had the building established after getting a permit in 1905, with the first newspaper being published out of there arriving in 1906. Expansions and renovations were done to the 10th Street location in 1952 and against in 1957. After the Sun would leave the space in the following decade after more than 59 years at its second home, the building became the Drop-In Centre, a seniors facility. FILE Workers pose for a photo in the Brandon Sun pressroom. Date unknown. Before newspapers were sold out of the Rosser location, it was a farm implement dealership. In 1963, the Sun purchased what had been a John Deere dealership at 501 Rosser Ave., originally built in 1947. However, it needed a bit of work including the installation of a printing plant before employees moved in and got to work. "Traffic along Rosser Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Streets slowed perceptibly this week as passersby stopped to watch the large crane positioning the huge slabs that will face the new Brandon Sun building," a page from the Aug. 7, 1964 edition of the Sun reads. "The slabs, weighing three and a half tonnes each, are made of white quartz pressed into concrete and are part of the $500,000 expansion and renovation of The Sun. The new plant, modern in every way, air conditioned and equipped with new presses is expected to be completed next month." Where the 10th Street location had 7,000 total square feet of space over three floors, the Rosser building had 18,000 square feet of production space and 19,000 square feet of warehouse space. The last paper completely published out of the 10th Street location was on Nov. 7, 1964, with production expected to move full-time to the new location the following Monday. However, the presses at the old home were being kept in working condition in case any teething problems arose at the new place. FILE The Suns third headquarters in Brandon was this building at 24 10th St., shown in a photo from 1905. Most of the furniture and equipment were moved over to the new building, but the existing press was replaced by a 40-ton Goss duplex tubular press, which could put out 30,000 newspapers in an hour and allowed the Sun to finally print in colour. The front page of that days paper features a front-page drawing of Lil Abner from the long-running comic strip of the same name along with a couple of the series supporting characters drawn by creator Al Capp. "Were hurryin to spread the word The Brandon Sun is moving into new quarters and they sure are purty!" Lil Abner exclaims in the drawing. Despite working out of the Rosser building since the year before, the grand reopening ceremony was held on June 17, 1965. On hand to unveil the dedication plaque was then-Canadian Press general manager Gillis Purcell, whose father had worked for the Sun decades prior. When the Sun published an edition commemorating the opening of the Rosser location, it was reported there were 73 regular employees and 241 paper carriers. That plaque remains in the same place to this day, on the second floor near the entrance to the main reception area on the west side of the building. FILE The Brandon Sun building, decorated with a previous Sun logo, located at 501 Rosser Ave., is shown here in this undated photo. Moving with the times, the Sun upgraded its equipment in 1973 by installing new offset presses and introducing computerized type-setting. When Cathy Arthur, the Suns current longest-tenured employee, first started working at the paper in 1986, it was an extremely busy place. She estimates there were around 140 to 150 employees then, enough to make a seat in the breakroom a rare commodity during lunchtime. Though it was before her time, Arthur remembers colleagues talking about the canteen that used to operate in the building, with a cook providing hot lunches. She started off working in the composition room, where editorial staff would send their work to be assembled for the next daily edition. "We designed ads and laid out the paper," Arthur said. "Editorial would draw up a layout sheet and then theyd send all the copy to us. Wed print them off and then have to lay out the pages and shoot them to the darkroom to make negatives who would then shoot those out to make plates." Advances in technology mean darkrooms are no longer needed and layouts can be done directly on a computer and sent to the press, leaving both of those spaces mostly unused these days. When U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, a Sun staffer had to drive out to Winnipeg to get copies of photos off of a plane landing at midnight and bring them back to Brandon for the next days paper. That kind of effort is no longer necessary with the advent of the internet. COLIN SLARK/THE BRANDON SUN Finishing touches are being put on The Brandon Suns new home at The Town Centre. The new location will be adjacent to the FYIdoctors outlet on the west side of the building. After being laid off in 1990, Arthur was invited back a year and a half later to work as an editorial assistant. Visitors to the Sun building in recent years might remember the newsroom is an enclosed space, with steps up to a room currently housing the advertising department and a hallway leading to the Suns print archives. Back in the 1990s, the downstairs of the Rosser building was a lot more open, with no walls separating the newsroom from adjacent departments. While there was a main reception desk on the second floor, the editorial department also had receptionists. Currently empty and disused, the warehouse had a second floor with a change room and lockers so the pressmen could put on their uniforms when arriving at work. Recently, the west second floor contained the classifieds department and the advertising department, with executives and the boardroom on the eastern side of the floor. In the basement were the graphics and editorial departments on the east side, with a break room and the circulation department on the west side. Due to the sunk-in nature of the newsroom and the yellow paint covering some of the walls and pillars, the epithet "The Sungeon" has sometimes been applied to the newsroom. One of the major changes to operations at the Rosser location was in 2010, when the companys printing presses were shut down. "That was a very, very depressing day," Arthur said. When the presses were active, Arthur can remember a slight rumble and a low hum permeating the building. After they were shut down, the loss of employees working on the press and in the mailroom combined with the empty spaces made the building a lot quieter. Another sad day for Arthur will be when she has to say goodbye to the building she has worked out of for the last 36 years. "Theyre going to have to drag me out of here," she said with a chuckle. "Right now its like oh yeah, no big deal, but the days coming and its going to be a sad day. Too many memories left in this building." Now 12 years after the closure, the machinery and equipment that used to churn out copies of the Sun and The Globe and Mail is largely gone, but the magnitude of the operation can still be felt when seeing how much space used to be needed on daily basis. The Suns new digs are on the western side of The Town Centre, adjacent to the optometrist on the opposite side of the building from where the Western Manitoba Regional Library is located. An official opening date has yet to be set, but it will be sometime in May. Work is currently underway to move furniture, set up workstations and put the finishing touches on renovations. "As the newspaper business changes, The Brandon Sun is changing with it," said Eric Lawson, the FP Canadian Newspapers executive in charge of the Sun. "Our new location will give us an office that better suits our contemporary needs while maintaining a high profile downtown. Our customers will be able to find us easily and we will be well-positioned to keep our finger on the pulse of Westman, as we always have." The Sun will publish a notice when the new office is ready to open and continue the papers almost six decades of history on Rosser Avenue. cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark The government put out a tweet seeking donations in cryptocurrencies, and people from across the globe contributed 9.9 million dollars in just 48 hours (Its now above 20 million). While some Ukrainians are twitter-bombing in a bid to inspire the world to take a tough stand against Russia, young politicians, professionals and even models have been posting stylish pictures of themselves with Kalashnikov rifles, encouraging people to pick up arms and resist the invading Russian forces. Even Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is using the platform as a force to fight the enemy, connecting with his people via social media and exhorting them to fight and drive out the Russians. In fact, social media appears to be the most potent weapon for the Ukrainians in the current war. If it hadnt been for this particular battlefront, perhaps Russia, with its state-of-the-art weapons, may have been in a stronger position than it is today. Ukrainian President and onetime actor Volodymyr Zelenskyy put out a selfie- style video viewed 3 million times within an hour as part of an effort to mobilize international opinion against the Russian invasion of his country. And it is clearly working. SOCIAL MEDIA, A TOOL OF WAR The Ukrainians have launched a stunning defense, and pitched street battles using everything from Molotov Cocktails to automatic weapons including Ak-47s, have succeeded in halting the Russian forces. Social media is a tool of war which is a high-speed, fast-track subset of the larger media and has the capability of producing instant results. It is an influence enabler, feels Lt Gen P R Shankar, former Director General, Artillery, Indian Army and currently Professor, Aerospace Department, at IIT Madras. Fundamentally, he says, the domain in which a war is fought is a three-tiered sandwich of data, information and knowledge. He explains that the media conveys information to create a knowledge narrative for recipients, and the narrative in turn influences people and governments to chart a course of action for a desired outcome. ADVANTAGE UKRAINE Ukraine requested Elon Musk to provide them with non-stop internet connectivity, and has used that facility to gain immense advantages so far: The government put out a tweet seeking donations in cryptocurrencies, and people from across the globe contributed 9.9 million dollars in just 48 hours (Its now above 20 million). When Ukraines minister for digital transformation announced the creation of a volunteer IT army for cyber defense and attacks, 1,75,000 people (and counting) joined the Telegram channel Ukrainian MPs like Kira Rudik and Oleksiy Goncharenko and former Miss Ukraine Anastasia Lenna posed with weapons, and the photos went viral on social media, leading many of their countrymen to pick up arms and receive training to fight the enemy Through TikTok, Ukranians are teaching people how to drive abandoned military vehicles. In short, the numbers of those putting up a resistance have grown exponentially through effective use of social media propaganda. CLEVER MOVE It was a clever move to ask Elon Musk for satellite internet. Social media is definitely the most potent weapon of psychological warfare in this age. While the platform is mostly controlled by the US, and Ukraine has the sympathies of USA, for Russia, it has come as a huge disadvantage as social media companies pulled out support to the Russian state media, says Lt Col (Retd.) Mohan Bhandari. Pointing out that very few people are aware of the history behind the current conflict, he stresses that the visuals of an invading Russian Army disrupting civilian life has created a very negative image of Russia, and there is huge sympathy for Ukraine due to social media. Informality and lack of controls in social media is an advantage. The facility to share posts allows messages to spread like wildfire. Had Internet been banned in Ukraine, the situation would have been entirely different, says Lt Col Bhandari. TOOL TO STOP HAVOC Shalini Samuel, an influencer on Instagram and YouTube, says social media has emerged as the most powerful medium to galvanize public support. In times of war, it can be that one weapon that can drive the difference between large scale destruction and the saving of human lives, resources and livelihood, she feels. International pressure to stop the war in the form of people calling for this on social media can be immensely successful and should be used as a tool to stop further destruction and havoc, she says. SM ALONE CANT WIN A WAR Another retired Army official, Col. S K Sinha, who has served in insurgency-hit regions of Jammu and Kashmir, the North- Eastern States, and Sri Lanka, however, doesnt quite agree with these views. He feels that while social media will help keep up the morale of the Ukrainian Army and the countrys citizens, it cannot by itself win the war. To defeat the Russian Army, the Ukrainian Army and volunteers will have to adopt hit and run tactics or guerrilla warfare, since their Army is smaller and has less firepower, he says. VIRTUAL INSPIRATION President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has emerged as an online hero. His Twitter account has leapt by hundreds of thousands of followers a day, and he now has 4.3 million. TikTok, the video-sharing app with more than a billion active users, has shaped views of the conflict and contributed to an intense global wave of sympathy for Ukraine. Kira Rudik, MP , posted a photo of herself holding a Kalashnikov rifle on Instagram and Twitter, saying, Our #women will protect our soil the same way as our #men. Ukrainians have also shared online tactical guides on how to dodge sniper fire, block road-ways and make explosive Molotov Cocktails, sometimes along with memes saying the Russians will find them very delicious. Beauty queen and former Miss Grand Ukraine Anastasia Lenna, has apparently traded in her high heels for combat boots, joining the Ukrainian military in its push against the Russian invasion. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The decision to end restrictions on gay and bisexual men donating blood is a step toward inclusion, says a local LGBTQ advocate, but hurdles remain for full equality. Advertisement Advertise With Us The decision to end restrictions on gay and bisexual men donating blood is a step toward inclusion, says a local LGBTQ advocate, but hurdles remain for full equality. A new policy by Canadian Blood Services, which has been approved by Health Canada, removes a restriction where men were ineligible to give blood within three months of having sex with another man. Instead, the blood donation service will begin screening blood and plasma donors for high-risk sexual practices regardless of sexuality, such as anal sex with "new or multiple recent partners." The new rules are expected to take effect by Sept. 30, 2022. "Canadian Blood Services goal is to stop asking men if theyve had sex with another man and instead focus on high-risk sexual behaviour among all donors," reads the Canadian Blood Services policy. The ban was first enacted in 1992 after thousands of people were infected with HIV in the 1980s and 1990s after receiving donated blood. At the time, blood was not properly tested for contamination. The move has been a long time coming, said Kenneth Jackson, chairperson of Brandon Pride. "It did directly affect the LGBT community and their ability to donate blood purely based on sexuality and orientation," he said. "At least one piece of a painful chapter in LGBT history in Canada is being put aside." The change away from asking donors for their sexual orientation is a big step, he said, but its a double-edged sword for the community. "At least the rules are the same across the board, but by targeting certain sexual practices such as anal sex, its going to look to a lot of people like theres still kind of pinpointing especially gay men and theres going to be some in the community that are not OK with that." Jackson said he hopes more research is done on the spread of HIV and how blood-borne diseases transmit, but removing an outright ban on men who have sex with men from donating is a first step. Now, Jackson said he would "definitely" consider donating blood. "I keep thinking of the number of people who their lives could have been saved if there had been more blood resources out there and possibly rare types of blood resources," he said. "I think its also just about having that choice to do something good for the community and society and not banning a group of people from contributing." The policy change will also make education around sexually transmitted diseases more consistent, said Jared Star, co-executive director of the Sexuality Education Resource Centre. "When we provide education in the community to youth and to community members, we have to answer questions from them about why this policy has existed and we know it has not been based in scientific fact," he said. The previous policy was discriminatory, he said, and now applies universally to everyone. The change is a big and positive step, but Star said more could be done to destigmatize sexuality. "Now the spotlight has shifted from one thing to another and the way we talk about sex needs to be positive, the way we teach our communities about sex needs to be positive, so I think theres going to be more work to be done. dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ A policy change that was quietly introduced in Manitobas hospitals is seeing non-COVID patients being admitted to hospital units that have active outbreaks of the virus. Advertisement Advertise With Us The Emergency Department entrance of Brandon Regional Health Centre on April 30. A policy change by Shared Health in January has been seeing active infection COVID and recovered COVID patients being housed together in hospitals. (Karen McKinley/Brandon Sun photo) A policy change that was quietly introduced in Manitobas hospitals is seeing non-COVID patients being admitted to hospital units that have active outbreaks of the virus. To free up acute-care capacity and reduce the number of emergency room patients waiting for a hospital bed, administrators changed outbreak admission guidelines in January, two months before the province lifted all COVID-19 public restrictions. As of last week, Shared Health said there are two designated COVID-19 hospital units, one in Winnipeg and one in Brandon. All patients are tested upon admission. Those who test positive are grouped together or with recovered COVID-19 patients; those with suspected cases of the virus are isolated until results are confirmed. A statement from Treena Slate, Prairie Mountain Health Regional Lead of Acute Care said patients with active COVID would not be placed with patients who are not infected with the virus. "Patients who have tested positive for COVID but are no longer considered infectious (i.e. COVID-recovered) can be moved into a general unit as needed," Slate said. "This guidance allows for increased acute-care capacity at sites and is supported by advice from infection prevention and control experts." Patients who have active or suspected COVID infections are not necessarily admitted to designated units, but would be placed according to provincial guidelines, which can be found here. However, Slate said community transmission of COVID has increased over the past few weeks and there have been a number of outbreaks in PMH facilities and units in acute care facilities. These facilities would follow outbreak management guidelines to ensure safe care for patients and limit virus transmission. When an outbreak is declared in any unit, infection prevention and control processes are immediately implemented, with measures in place to monitor staffing levels and increase them if needed. "All these measures mitigate the risk of COVID infection for patients receiving care on units in outbreak," she said. PMH could not confirm where COVID patients were being housed in Brandons Regional Health Centre. On Thursday, a Shared Health spokesperson stated in comments to the Winnipeg Free Press that hospitals do not track the number of patients whove been transferred into outbreak units. The Jan. 13 guidance issued to health staff said its not always possible to avoid admitting patients who dont have COVID-19 into areas with outbreaks, particularly if those patients need care in a specialized unit. The policy recommends health professionals avoid placing unvaccinated patients, patients older than 60, or patients who are immunocompromised in outbreak units because of their increased risk of serious COVID-19 infection. Its also not ideal, the guidance stated, to place new patients in units that have un-contained or newly declared outbreaks. Shared Health also stated patients with active COVID cases are kept separate from patients whove never been infected with the virus, but may be kept distanced in the same general unit. The provincial health management organization did not address the January memo, instead referring to a more detailed protocol, updated March 29, that links to the Jan. 13 guidance. The January memo from Shared Health showed a change in practice from earlier pandemic protocols that aimed to keep non-COVID patients away from active outbreaks. "It should be expected ward and/or facility outbreaks are going to increase in frequency and are not preventable. The approach being outlined herein is to allow for a balance of staff/patient/resident safety while maximizing our acute care capacity and permitting ongoing delivery of complex co-ordinated care for patients. Acute care sites can no longer suspend admissions to a unit/site that is in outbreak," the Jan. 13 Shared Health memo states. This memo was issued the day before Premier Heather Stefanson spoke publicly about the need for Manitobans to learn to live with the virus. This policy change is not seen as balanced or good for either patients, families or staff by the nurses caring for them. In a statement to the Sun, the Manitoba Nurses union decried the policy change as another example of Manitobas health-care system failing to manage COVID infections safely and effectively. "With the continued prevalence of COVID throughout the system, Manitoba is no longer able to cohort COVID positive patients together, in units separate and apart from those that are non-COVID," the statement read. "That poses significant risk, given COVID remains, despite the wishes and proclamations of government, capable of very serious and even fatal results for the immuno-compromised and those with other health conditions." Further, the statement says highly infectious COVID variants are infecting an already dwindling number of health care staff and nurses. What remaining healthy staff that remain must change PPE more frequently when moving between COVID and non-COVID patients. This creates an unstable workload and further delays in delivering timely patient care. This policy change does not reflect what the government has been telling the public or front-line staff about their commitment to improving health care in the province, the union stated. "Despite the billboards and press releases, in the end, those many Manitobans that need proper health care are the ones paying the dearest price, and this latest change is yet another in a long line of unfortunate consequences that land squarely on the shoulders of Manitobans and those that provide care for them in this broken system." The provinces epidemiological report for April 17 to April 23 showed test positivity rates are increasing for those getting lab-confirmed PCR results. An average of 955 Manitobans per day receive PCR tests, and the test positivity rate is at 23.4 per cent, up from 19 per cent a week earlier. -With files from the Winnipeg Free Press >>kmckinley@brandonsun.com >>Twitter: @karenleighmcki1 WINNIPEG The Manitoba government is putting up $50 million to get back into the venture capital game, 17 years after a previous fund went into receivership. Advertisement Advertise With Us WINNIPEG The Manitoba government is putting up $50 million to get back into the venture capital game, 17 years after a previous fund went into receivership. "Manitobas business leaders have told us that access to capital is critical for the development and expansion of Manitoba businesses now and well into the future," Premier Heather Stefanson said Friday. The new Venture Capital Fund is to be more independent from government and overseen by a board to be appointed in the coming months. It will not invest directly in companies, but instead in existing private investment funds that provide capital to companies. To encourage investment, the province recently made permanent a venture capital tax credit, worth up to 45 per cent, which had been temporary. The aim is to have more money available for businesses that want to start up or expand their operations. "Every other province has been eating our lunch on this," said Chuck Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. "We applaud the government for taking the measure today. Because its really going to start to help the businesses that have been missing out and having to go to other jurisdictions to get that capital they need to grow." The new fund has been touted as completely different from the Crocus Investment Fund, the labour-sponsored fund, which collapsed after concerns were raised that its value had been overstated. It went into receivership in 2005 and Manitobas auditor general said the NDP government at the time missed warning signs that the fund was in trouble. The government had an active presence on Crocuss board and encouraged Manitobans to invest in Crocus even after the provincial cabinet was warned of liquidity problems. Some 34,000 Manitobans put money in. The new fund will be more separate from government, and decisions on where money is invested will be left to professional fund managers, a government official said Friday. It will also not be marketed to the average investor. "One of the problems (with Crocus) was that there was a misalignment of how risky venture capital is," said Michael Swistun, secretary for the provincial cabinets economic development board. "There was a perception of oh, this is safe for your RRSP, and it was marketed to the retail investors. The reality is venture capital is incredibly difficult. It can be very rewarding, but it really isnt for everyone." Manitoba has more than three per cent of Canadas population but accounts for less than one per cent of its venture capital, Swistun added. In Brandon, Chamber of Commerce president Barry Cooper hailed the announcement as a positive. "At first blush, it looks like a really promising program," Cooper said. "Theres enough money here to actually make a difference. Its $50 million and its $50 million thats being leveraged I think its a great idea to use that money and tie it into some other independent managed funds to try and grow that number and also those people are a little closer to the businesses that are looking for investment right now." Sandy Trudel with Economic Development Brandon said a lack of access to venture capital before this announcement disadvantaged the province compared to other jurisdictions. "We will welcome this from a very selfish Brandon lens, but even just overall, it will really help Manitoba have a leveller playing field with other provinces," Trudel said. "When we did some looking into venture capital programs and such, they are commonplace and yet there was a void here in Manitoba." The announcement was made at a brewery that raised $2 million to start up several years ago, aided by the tax credit the government is now making permanent. "Brewing is a very cost-intensive business, and having the ability to access more venture capital will allow us to also expand, hopefully, into markets outside our province," said Adam Olsen, owner of Torque Brewing. The Canadian Press, with files from The Brandon Sun Canyon Hills Worship - On And On | DREAM Label Group Los Angeles, CA Today, Seattle-based worship team Canyon Hills Worship releases their new song On And On (DREAM Worship) now available at all digital and streaming outlets everywhere. This beautiful sing-a-long five minute plus worship song is shaped around the chorus filling the listeners ears with Holy Holy Holy are you God and Worthy Worthy Worthy are you God. The song was produced by Michael Monroe, Steve Fee, Andy Soemo, Stephen Pelatzky, David Neuman and written by Michael Monroe, Koby Orr, Brandon Coker, Clay Finnesand. Canyon Hills Worship | DREAM Label Group This song came from a desire to set our hearts on the Throne Room. We were at a writing retreat and someone asked the question what should we write today. I played this simple chorus I had written: Holy, Holy, Holy are you God. Worthy, Worthy, Worthy are you God. Everyone got on the same page from there. Its so easy to get caught up in the temporary and lose focus on the eternal. My prayer for this song is that anyone who hears it will be able to take their eyes off of the temporary and place them on the eternalon the promise that we will one day stand before the Lord worshipping together in one voice. What a day that will be. - Michael Monroe, Canyon Hills Worship ABOUT CANYON HILLS WORSHIP: Canyon Hills Worship exists to glorify God and encourage his church. The group is made up of worship leaders and songwriters from Canyon Hills Community Church in Seattle Washington. Their heart is to write music that inspires worshippers in the local church and stirs peoples attention and affection towards Jesus. ABOUT DREAM WORSHIP: DREAM provides artists with a genuine approach to how real artist development should be done. By allowing for a partnership as a business model, DREAM artists empower themselves to develop and carry out a real vision for their lives as they affect other peoples lives with their music and message. Incorporating social media, press, radio and touring, DREAM is helping its artists grow together as a family. DREAM was founded in 2008 and has grown into multiple labels and a publishing company. G.L.O - Worship Is A Lifestyle | INOV8 Public Relations NASHVILLE, Tenn. On the heels of six consecutive No. 1 hits at ChristianRadioChart.com, G.L.O, which stands for Gods Love Only, releases a new single to Christian radio today. The song, titled Worship is a Lifestyle, goes for adds to Christian Hot AC and Rhythmic-formatted radio outlets. A video for the catchy, upbeat song can be viewed on YouTube. Kim Ruiz wrote the lyrics and the music production is by Alex Rene Espinoza, who also produced the song. Music has been important to G.L.O since she was young. When she received Jesus Christ as her Savior in 1998, she asked God to reveal her purpose. As she began writing songs, the songwriter noticed that none of her songs glorified God. That all changed one fateful day, G.L.O says, when God had a Word for me in Bible Study: You cant have one foot in the world and one foot out. After receiving that message, it was the breakthrough I needed. I havent looked back. With a ministry that knows no boundaries and one that reaches the young and the old, G.L.Os prayer is that her music can break down the misconception that rap is only of the world. G.L.O has appeared on local TBN networks as well as UK London International TBN. She has performed onstage at the Gospel Superfest where she shared the platform with artists such as Deitrick Haddon, Lecrae, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and others. She has enjoyed radio airplay from U.S. and international radio outlets. For more information about G.L.O, check out GloGodsLoveOnly.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can find G.L.Os music on YouTube and Spotify. Jason Crabb - Good Morning Mercy | Conduit Media NASHVILLE, Tennessee Two-time GRAMMY-Award winner Jason Crabb is known for being one of the most encouraging and inspirational voices in Christian music, sharing songs full of hope. Today, he continues encouraging the listener with the driving, hope-filled, new song, "Good Morning Mercy." Written by Crabb, Jay DeMarcus, Caleb Ward and Jordan Ward, the song reminds the listener that God is always working things out for our good - even the messes we make ourselves. "I recently conducted a study reporting that people are living with more pressure in their daily lives than ever before feeling pressure from others and from things they brought on themselves," shares Crabb."When we went in to write this song, we wanted to remind people that God's got you in all of that. He promises in his word that He will give new mercies every morning. I love the opening line, 'while I was sleeping, Lord you were working, on the mess I made like only I can do.' I mean, who hasn't been there!? WE ALL HAVE! And, we wanted the song to be fun and joyous, to encourage. It's definitely a song you can start your day singing, 'You woke me up, put me on my way. Hallelujah, it's a brand new day! Good morning mercy!' I know this song is going to bring you joy." One of the hallmarks of Jason Crabbs career has been singing songs and ministering words of hope," says Jay DeMarcus. "This song aligns perfectly with what Jason feels his call from God is. Sonically, this song is a powerhouse anthem, that perfectly showcases Jasons amazing vocal prowess." The song is available now on all digital platforms. Click here to listen to "Good Morning Mercy." ABOUT JASON CRABB One of Gospel and Christian musics most iconic voices, Kentucky-born Jason Crabb has been honored with two GRAMMY Awards and 22 GMA Dove Awards, the latter including nods for Artist, Male Vocalist and Song of the Year. He is the youngest member inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, and his hometown of Beaver Dam, Kentucky, has paid tribute with a street in his name. Since his first solo release in 2009, he has performed on many of the worlds most prestigious stages, such as Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, the Brooklyn Tabernacle and Billy Grahams final crusade. Crabbs electrifying stage presence, powerhouse vocals and magnetic personality have endeared him to millions across the world through extensive personal appearances, media coverage and social media, including over 20 million views on YouTube. CONNECT WITH JASON: https://www.facebook.com/jasoncrabbmusic https://www.instagram.com/jasoncrabbmusic https://www.twitter.com/jasoncrabbmusic https://www.youtube.com/jasoncrabbmusic ABOUT RED STREET RECORDS Jay DeMarcusmember of Rascal Flatts, GRAMMY award-winning producer and bassistlaunched Red Street Records in 2019. Along with DeMarcus, award-winning songwriter/producer Don Koch lead the Red Street Records team with a vision for the future. The desire of Red Street Records is to touch lives and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music. To that end, they seek to partner with musicians who share this aim and who strive to achieve it through their innovative and visionary craft. CONNECT WITH RED STREET RECORDS: https://www.redstreetrecords.com Red Rocks Worship - Things Of Heaven: The Other Side | Merge PR Today, Red Rocks Worship announces the release of Things Of Heaven: The Other Side, their new project that offers alternate versions of the songs from 2021's Things Of Heaven. Listen HERE to the project. Taking six songs and completely reimagining them without any pre-production, each new recording was captured in an intimate setting with the group offering their own ideas, giving them an opportunity to organically collaborate like never before. Red Rock Worship's Kory Miller shared, "From the beginning to the very end, it was very collaborative. We didn't create any demos to get the ball rolling, we just put our whole band in a room and said, 'Ok, let's start from scratch and let's see what happens. And they came up with some fire ideas. It was just so good." Red Rocks Worship made sure to include their stand-out song, Breakthrough, which has more than 33 million streams life to date, along with the raw title track, which was performed with Elyssa Smith from Upperroom. Additionally, each song is accompanied by one-take videos capturing the depth and emotions of each song. Two of the videos are below, "Things Of Heaven" featuring Smith and "Echo Holy." To share their songs, Red Rocks Worship launched their first-ever headlining tour, Things Of Heaven Tour, this week, touring Texas and Oklahoma. The group is also set to appear at this year's CMB (Christian Music Broadcasters) Orlando event in late May, along with hitting a few festivals this summer. Visit HERE for the most updated tour schedule. About Red Rocks Worship: Red Rocks Worship is the expression of a dynamic community called Red Rocks Church comprised of worshipers, creatives, songwriters, friends, and family all seeking to bring people closer to God. Based in Denver yet with campuses and reach around the globe, Red Rocks Church and Red Rocks Worship exist to make Heaven more crowded. "We are ONE church in multiple locations. We desire to be a home for the prodigal, an authentic people, humble, generous, and unified. We want everyone to know the only way, the truth, and the life found in Jesus. - Red Rocks Church Riley Clemmons and Brett Young | PFA Media / Riley Clemmons NASHVILLE, TN - Artist on the rise Riley Clemmons has teamed up with multi-platinum selling artist Brett Young for a very special duet version of Godsend. With sweeping vocals imbued with emotion the introspective song contemplates the idea that everything happens for a reason and every negative thing was an opportunity for growth. The addition of Bretts vocals weaving with Rileys provides a fresh perspective that while life may seem isolating, there are others going through similar struggles. Listen to Godsend feat. Brett Young HERE. Brett has always been one of my favorite musical storytellers, shares Riley. Its a true honor to have his voice and unique perspective be a part of telling the story of Godsend on this new version. On working with Riley, Brett says The first time I heard this song it really moved me and I was honored when I was asked to be part of it. Im a big fan of Riley and excited to see what else she does next. Godsend feat. Brett Young comes from the deluxe version of Rileys sophomore album of the same name. Since its release, Godsend, has garnered nearly 200 million worldwide streams and has produced multiple top 20 singles, solidifying Rileys position as an artist to watch. She was named one of People Magazines Emerging Artists 2021, punctuated a partnership with Vevo, and performed at MusiCares x The Amy Winehouse Foundations benefit Back To Amy in support of mental health awareness. She continued her rise in the fall with performances on the SHEIN X ROCK THE RUNWAY virtual fashion show, the TODAY Show, and FOX & Friends. This summer, Riley will make her European debut with performances in London and the Netherlands. Riley Clemmons is a 22-year-old artist from Nashville, TN who has accumulated nearly 250 million global streams and 50 million YouTube video views in her young career. After spending years honing her craft in writers rooms, Riley sky-rocketed onto the scene with her 2017 Capitol CMG debut single Broken Prayers, which has generated over 30 million global streams to date. Her 2018 self-titled album debut quickly entered the Billboard Heatseekers chart, entering at No. 13. Her sophomore album, Godsend, has solidified Rileys position as an artist the rise and has garnered over 194 million global streams since its release. An accomplished composer, performer, producer, and recording artist, Riley draws inspiration from life experiences, blending musical influences ranging from pop to classic rock to create music that is as catchy as it is relatable. Connect with Riley Clemmons: Website The Ball Brothers visit with displaced citizens in Ukraine. | Turning Point Media Relations ROMANIAAcclaimed Christian vocal group The Ball Brothers are returning today from Romania and Ukraine, where they brought much-needed food supplies to Revival Baptist Church in Vizhnitsa, Ukraine, which is currently housing more than 100 displaced citizens. Using Cluj-Napoca, Romania, as a homebase, The Ball Brothers helped purchase and pack fresh produce, canned goods, flour, beans, rice, sugar, coffee and tea before traveling to Vizhnitsa in two cargo vans. Along with delivering food items and spending time with Ukrainian families, The Ball Brothers provided special music for the churchs Orthodox Easter Sunday service. The group returned to Cluj-Napoca before departing home to the United States today. We went to Ukraine because we were invited by a local pastor who needed help housing and feeding more than 100 people, said Daniel Ball. We wanted to use the influence we have been given to help shine a light on some of the specific needs many Ukrainians have right now, as most of those who have been displaced from their homes havent left the country. After we arrived at the church, we helped hand out the supplies and had a chance to pray with many who were staying there. We then asked what else we could do for them. They began bringing us photos of their missing family members and a paper with handwritten names and numbers. I will never forget that. My first mission trip was to Romania nearly 26 years ago, said Andrew Ball. Initially we had talked of returning to Romania to help Ukrainian refugees there, but the plan changed when we were contacted by those with needs on the southwestern side of Ukraine. We felt God was leading us to go and we couldnt say no. Besides hearing testimonies of many of the refugees escapes, we shared another experience Ill always remember. When we were able to sing for the church, most of those listening could not understand us. However, through an interpreter after the service, several Ukrainians told us that they could feel every note and every single word in their heart while we sang. Andrew and Daniel Ball first traveled to Romania in 1996, helping to deliver supplies to missionaries and orphanages. Since then, the brothers have returned to Romania five times, working with local churches, missionaries and NGOs. ABOUT THE BALL BROTHERS Since their inception in 2006, The Ball Brothersconsisting of siblings Andrew and Daniel Ball, brother-in-law Chad McCloskey, and newcomer Rhett Robertshave been entertaining and ministering to audiences across the country and around the world with their unique vocal harmonies and energetic stage performances. Their videos have garnered more than 100 million views, while their single, Its About The Cross, became a #1 iTunes Christian hit. They have been featured in the Platinum-selling Gaither Homecoming video series and have shared stages with such genre leaders as Casting Crowns, Mandisa, Point of Grace, and Jason Crabb. The Ball Brothers perform regularly at churches, festivals, conferences and fairs throughout the US. For further information about The Ball Brothers' ministry in Ukraine, visit theballbrothers.com. Follow the group on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Zak Williams & 1AKORD Newest Single 'Jehovah Jireh' Lands on Multiple Billboard Gospel Radio 'Most Added' Charts Philadelphia, PA -- Jehovah Jireh is one of the most widely used names for God. Jehovah Jireh means "the Lord will provide" and through faith, believers trust God on this promise. Stellar Award-nominated choir Zak Williams and 1AKORD (Zak & 1A) have given us a simple praise chant sweeping across the country called "Jehovah Jireh". His single is a steadfast reminder of this promise. "Jehovah Jireh" is a remake of the original written by Kevin Pringle (Wilmington Chester Mass Choir, Russell Delegation, GMWA Mass Choir). Zak & 1A have taken the single to #21 on the Billboard BDS Gospel Airplay Chart this week. "Jehovah Jireh" is one of only three songs from choirs on the current BDS Top 30 Gospel Radio Chart. Gospel radio programmers share support and testimonies about Zak & 1A and "Jehovah Jireh"... "Zak Williams brings some of the most exhilarating music I have come across in a long time. His music feeds the soul with a unique sound, and he shares a passion for greatness through the melodies. We will hear from Zak Williams for many years to come!" - Autumn Cannon, KGGR-AM Radio - Dallas, TX." Just when we thought choir music was fading completely away, Zak Williams & 1AKord brings the excitement and tempo desperately needed in Gospel and Inspirational music. Jehovah Jireh is a rekindling of church choir music at its best." - Michael Gamble, Senior Radio Manager - New Media Macon, Inc. "Jehovah Jireh is a song of infinite praise, royal recognition, and endless adoration honoring our all-powerful God." - Trice "Sistah Peaches" Whitley, Station Owner - i-am-radio.com. "Jehovah Jireh is rather inspiring and a great church song!" - Jay Bryant, Program Director - WAGG Radio, Birmingham, AL Some of Gospel music's popular artists, media personalities, and pastors recently joined Zak & 1A in the proclamation of God's provision in the official "Jehovah Jireh" lyric video. The video features multiple award-winning icon John P. Kee, Stellar Award-winning artist Earl Bynum, The Gospel Industry Network President Bishop Kenneth Wells, Hasan James of Root Magazine, Gospel artists Danielle Sunny Bryant, Jason Clayborn and more. Gospel music fans and choir music enthusiasts can now also watch Zak and his dynamic choir perform the hit song at the annual Unity Day event in Philadelphia. Watch here. "Jehovah Jireh" is available on all digital music outlets and is released by Enon Music Group, Sony Music, and The Orchard. In the latest instalment of Black Incs Growing Up series, memoir, character portrait and childhood reminiscence feature prominently. The past, though, is the anthologys main character. Often the country is narrated as a place of growing up of transit, rather than of permanence. The land is never quite present; it exists largely in the rear-view. As Samantha Leung observes, Geraldton was a place where you got stuck, and I, for one, couldnt wait to leave. Promoting the book, Black Inc. has referred to the contributors wide range of backgrounds, noting that this includes First Nations and new migrants. Its not clear why these two categories should be placed together or referred to almost as a parenthetical aside, but it does speak to some of the ways the Growing Up series is framed. Its premise, which focuses on marginal identities, is based on the concept of celebrating own voices. Notwithstanding that such voices are always having to explain themselves anyway we can be confident there will never be a growing up white and middle-class in Australia it reinstates, on some level, the idea that Australia, and Australian writing, is white. According to this view, First Nations and new migrants a term which recalls the critical interventions of authors like Ania Walwicz, Sneja Gunew and many more exist mostly as a kind of ponderous side-hustle. Growing up in Country Australia. Edited by Rick Morton. Credit: As Tom Plevey writes, pace this view, The Chinese side of my family has been kicking around this wide, brown, occasionally on-fire land in some fashion for decades. Plevey is not a lone voice here; many contributors, with insight and skill, interrogate taken-for-granted ideas about race and class, unwilling to assume the neutrality or straightforwardness of ideas like country.Australia is all country, each square metre belonging to particular languages, cultures, histories. The idea of country which this anthology refers to recalls Raymond Williams seminal study, The Country and the City, in which Williams explored how England conceived of its urban areas as existing separately from the regions. Contributor Angus Thompson, adopting the sort of imagery Williams analysed, describes the country as a place of songbirds and earthy palettes far away from the urban cacophony. This view of country as demarcated and separate, if not wholly inscrutable, runs counter to that of First Nations, something Melinda Mann touches upon when she remarks, many barely acknowledge whose lands the towns are built on. Loading What does it mean, then, to live in a continent where colonial amnesia and white supremacy condition the work of nation-building? The idea of the country as a place of explicit apartheid and racism recurs frequently throughout the collection: arriving in Geraldton, Samantha Leung notes that Almost everyone in my year was white and, for the first time, I noticed. Bridie Jabour tells the anecdote of her Lebanese grandfather buying wine for a Bundjalung man banned from the main bar of Graftons Post Office Hotel, recalling the local mans memory of the camaraderie they shared. There are also those contributions, like Lech Blaines and Michael Winklers whose contribution Bob is written with great empathy which seek to explore the interventions of death, loss and bullying that can occur in remote areas. Some writers, on the other hand Plevey among them remember experiencing othering and marginalisation only after leaving the country. Art imitating life or life imitating art? In troubled actor Jodi Gordons case one could easily be excused for getting things confused. Of all her roles, arguably Gordons most-loved character remains Martha MacKenzie on Home & Away, a feisty, fun-loving glamorous tomboy who survived a helicopter crash, had an abortion and suffered a miscarriage, battled alcoholism, was diagnosed with breast cancer, became a widow after her husband was shot and pursued a career as a raunchy pole dancer. Phew! Pretty in pink ... Jodi Gordon at the 2017 Logies. Credit:Scott Barbour But in reality, scriptwriters would have a hard time dreaming up a storyline to match Gordons not-so-private life, which has been equally dramatic and every salacious episode devoured by the press. In the past week, the headlines have gone into overdrive once again, this time over accusations of Gordon hitting her now ex-boyfriend, British banker Sebastian Blackler, with a wine bottle during an alleged physical altercation between the two at a B&B on what was meant to be a romantic country escape. This incident reportedly led to both parties being hit with AVOs. When Sara Black first heard the heartbeats of her dancers, she was surprised to find the sounds were as unique as their personalities. I was so surprised at how individual they were, she said. Some incredibly regular and others surprisingly not. The pitch and speeds were also drastically different. Some had more of a single club beat sound and others more of a slow gallop. New dance work Double Beat draws inspiration from the heart beats of dancers Sophia Ndaba, Isabel Estrella and Samantha Hines. Credit:Louise Kennerley The rich variety of sounds is the inspiration for dancers Samantha Hines, Sophia Ndaba and Isabel Estrella as they perform in a studio in the Riverside Theatres during a rehearsal of Double Beat. One moment, they are a picture of serenity cradled in each others arms, before erupting in a flurry of limbs and heads tossed from side to side. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size One day in 2001 the TV current affairs producer Anita Jacoby was researching a story on organ donation when she came across a newspaper article about ratters, morgue workers who stole from corpses. The story, which was from 1996, told how staff at Glebe morgue, in Sydney, routinely rifled through the pockets of recently deceased people, pilfering cash and belongings, including jewellery and items of clothing. Three ratters had been fired following an investigation by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption. It was a disturbing story, but something about it struck Jacoby as odd. The amounts of cash were relatively small $10 or $20 inconsequential by ICACs standards. Sensing something amiss, Jacoby tracked down the three former staff members, who told her there was indeed a far larger story at the morgue, involving senior pathologists removing body parts without the consent of relatives, and conducting bizarre experiments on the corpses. According to the former staffers, senior pathologists had stabbed dead bodies to study blood splatter patterns and smashed skulls with hammers to replicate murder methods. There were also claims that plastic surgeons had practised on the faces of the deceased, and that in some cases spines had been removed and replaced with broomsticks. One of our sources told me that I needed to speak to the former morgue manager, called Frank Smalley, says Jacoby. I tracked Frank down and went to visit him at his house, where he had kept a 50-page document with data on all the corpses: names and causes of death and the dates of autopsy. Next to that was a list of the body parts that had been taken: eyes, brains, femurs, knees, lungs. Frank had given it all to the ICAC, and theyd done nothing. The subsequent story, The Body Snatchers, aired on Nines Sunday in March 2001, presented by investigative journalist Helen Dalley. (A modified version also ran on 60 Minutes.) In it, Professor John Hilton, director of the morgue, admitted on camera that hed used knives on bodies, without permission, to test the effects of stabbing, and that up to 1000 bodies were being buried every year without their brains. Its got to be stopped, said a parent of one of the deceased. Theyre scavenging from bodies. The story was a bombshell, prompting two government inquiries and a change to the NSW Human Tissues Act 1983, making it a legal requirement that next of kin give consent before any of their relatives body parts are removed. For Jacoby, The Body Snatchers had everything that makes journalism worthwhile: human interest, social justice and, most importantly, impact. Helen and I went hell for leather to make sure [the harvesting of body parts] was stopped, and it was. Twenty years on, and Jacoby is no less in love with storytelling. Widely recognised as one of the most accomplished TV current affairs producers in Australia, she has, in the course of a 40-year career, worked as a senior producer for all of Australias commercial networks, as well as the ABC, SBS and Foxtel, and was for a time managing director of the Australian arm of British giant, ITV Studios. She has produced and won multiple awards for marquee programs such as 60 Minutes, Enough Rope and The Gruen Transfer, and hustled interviews with Bill Clinton, Elton John and Alan Bond, among others. She has, from behind the scenes, wrangled contracts, massaged egos and mended fences, all the while trading on her talent alone in a churn-and-burn business populated by network silverbacks and boys-club politicking. One of the things I like about Anita is that she doesnt suffer from the ego problem, says long-time friend and ABC TV producer Helen Grasswill. She detests bragging and doesnt big note. Advertisement Jacoby with Andrew Denton, host of the TV program Enough Rope, at the AFI Awards in 2004. Credit:Angela Wylie Jacoby, who is in her early 60s, has blue eyes, a gold and red streaked pixie cut, and the compact frame of the habitually active. (For many years she played competition squash, and she still swims two kilometres a day.) Together with her accountant husband, John Cary, she lives in a large, modern home on the waterfront at Pittwater, on Sydneys northern beaches, with books and artwork and a minor museums worth of African carvings and facemasks, collected by the couple on their travels. The morning I turn up, the view is chocolate-box pretty, with ducks on the water below and a little nursery of sailboats, their rigging clinking in the breeze. I love living here, she tells me. I saw a shark this morning, just cruising around, out there. Theres all this stuff going on here that you hardly even notice most of the time. I realised that Ive travelled all over the world and told hundreds of stories, only to find probably the richest story of my life within my own family. Jacoby no longer works hands-on in TV, something she says she misses all the time. Instead, she contributes to a constellation of industry bodies, including as chair of the ABC Advisory Council, which advises the ABC board on programming, and as an associate member of the Australian Communications and Media Authority. She also does pro bono work on the board of a group called Women in Media, among others. Mentoring is a big thing for her. Anita never imposes her view, says TV presenter Hamish Macdonald. But at the same time, she wont bullshit you if she thinks an idea or decision isnt right. For the past three years, however, Jacoby has been consumed by a more personal project, a book called Secrets Beyond the Screen, to be published next week. Even in an age of genre-melding titles, Secrets is a shape-shifter, a detective thriller by way of memoir, a family history that detours into Gothic tragedy and Cold War intrigue. I had no idea when I started that itd turn out like that, Jacoby tells me. When I found all this new stuff, I realised that Ive travelled all over the world and told hundreds of stories, only to find probably the richest story of my life within my own family. Anita Jacoby grew up the elder of two children in Killara, a middle-class suburb in Sydneys north. As a teenager, she was a rebel: she wagged school, went surfing, didnt study. Her parents sent her to Presbyterian Ladies College, an expensive private school, but in year 10 she was expelled for smoking. (She finished school at Abbotsleigh, another private school nearby.) I was pushing boundaries, she says. I needed to find my own place in the world. Advertisement The principal figure in Jacobys life was her father, Phillip. Born in Germany, Phillip had escaped to Australia on the eve of World War II before starting several successful businesses. He was tall, elegant, gentlemanly; a pipe smoker with an Errol Flynn moustache, fluent in several languages, a lover of culture, ideas and a good suit. He could be warm and tender but also manipulative, given to using his commanding presence to impress or intimidate, depending on his mood. Phillip was quite a severe man, and he didnt take fools gladly, says Helen Grasswill, who knew him well. He could be brusque, and people were sometimes scared of him in the sense of saying something he might ridicule. To Jacoby, however, he was perfect. Phillip would shower her with attention, to the exclusion of his wife, Josephine, and son, Karl. (Phillip had another daughter, Linda, from a previous marriage, who grew up largely in boarding school.) Come the weekend, he would spend hours with Jacoby in his book-lined study, talking about the world and current affairs. He taught her to think critically and ask questions. There must be a reason, he would counsel her. Her mother, Josephine, was more often Jacobys adversary, policing her relationships and homework. But her father was always an ally. Jacoby as a young girl with her father, Phillip, who escaped to Australia from Germany just before World War II. Credit:Courtesy of Anita Jacoby In the 1950s, Phillip ran a business importing telephone cabling; by the 1960s, he was bringing in electrical equipment from Japan, and had secured the Australian distribution licence for Sony, then the worlds largest consumer electronics manufacturer. Growing up, the Jacobys always had the latest technology: transistor radios, reel-to-reel tape decks, Japanese television sets. As Jacoby writes, I understood the power of pictures in storytelling from a young age. By the age of 15, Jacoby had decided she wanted to be a journalist. After leaving school, she worked briefly for Paul Hamlyn, the publishing company, and The Australian Womens Weekly, under influential editor Ita Buttrose. (Many of us were going to the same hairdresser [as Ita], Jacoby writes in her book. Some were even copying her lisp.) But getting into television was her ultimate goal. After a year at the Weekly, at the age of 21, she got a researchers job at a kids current affairs show called Simon Townsends Wonder World! The conditions were appalling, with low pay and 12-hour days. Jacoby told her father, who suggested she look for work at smaller, regional TV stations. This she did, becoming a reporter at Channel 3 in Newcastle. Advertisement Jacoby with her mother Josephine and brother Karl, circa 2000. Credit:Courtesy of Anita Jacoby Jacoby was on the ascent. In 1983, she and Grasswill, whom shed met at Hamlyn, set up their own production company. In 1985, she moved to breakfast television as a producer at Network Tens Good Morning Australia before switching to Nines Today show, with George Negus and Liz Hayes. She was a potent character, recalls Hayes. Incredibly energetic, committed and hard-working. She stood out. Despite this, Jacoby was overlooked for promotion three times, with the job going to a man on each occasion. Again, her father urged her to look for other opportunities. She duly resigned, in 1989, but a couple of days later was lured back with an offer to be associate producer at 60 Minutes, then at its height. I loved it, she says. Theyd give you an American Express card, you jumped on a plane and went anywhere in the world. According to Jacoby, her father encouraged her to pursue stories that will make a difference. During her six years at 60 Minutes, she produced stories on Alzheimers, AIDS and disability. She left the program in 1995, but returned in the early 2000s to make several ground-breaking specials, including an exclusive on Rolah McCabe, a Victorian woman with terminal lung cancer who made Australian legal history when she sued Big Tobacco and won. I can still see Rolah, says Jacoby. She was thin and gaunt, and decades of smoking had affected her voice. Jacoby with 60 Minutes colleague, reporter Jennifer Byrne (at right), in 1998. Credit:Courtesy of Anita Jacoby Sixty Minutes was relatively progressive, but Jacoby learnt how hard it was being a woman in Australian television. It was incredibly blokey, she tells me. Management were all men who only employed other men because they felt challenged by smart women. There was a particular type of woman who made them feel comfortable, the woman who would dress in a flirtatious way and all the rest. But if you just wanted to be good at your job and deliver on that, it made them really uncomfortable. Jacoby looked to the senior women around her, including Kerri-Anne Kennerley, who had co-hosted Good Morning Australia with Gordon Elliott. In her book, Jacoby describes how Kennerley guilefully turned Elliotts ego to her advantage: Although he thought he was in charge, in fact, she was in charge. Like Kennerley, Jacoby would remain comfortable in her own skin and confident in her abilities. Advertisement Nothing ever got handed to these women, says friend and former 60 Minutes reporter Jeff McMullen. Those breakfast programs are just puppet shows. They barely take the women in the audience seriously, let alone the women in the studio. And women like Anita and Liz [Hayes] had to fight their way up through that. Today, he adds, there are young women performing superbly in the Ukraine and with the floods and elsewhere and no one is second guessing them about being female. That is a huge change, and Anitas generation made that possible. In Easter 1990, Jacoby took her then boyfriend, Anthony McClellan, to a cattle farm her family owned in north-western NSW. She and McClellan went for a spin around the property on a motorbike, with Jacoby riding pillion. At one point, however, Jacoby lost her balance and got her right foot trapped in the back wheel. Her leg became mangled in the spokes and had to be amputated. (She now wears a prosthesis below the knee.) For someone as active as Jacoby, the accident was a catastrophe. A young Jacoby at her familys farm near Boggabri in north-western NSW. Credit:Courtesy of Anita Jacoby Her father was devastated; she now believes the stress of it hastened his descent into dementia. He became erratic, hitting out at his wife, Josephine. He went to a home, where he was heavily sedated. He died in 1996; Jacoby still carries a photo of him in her wallet. She didnt talk publicly about the accident: hardly anyone outside 60 Minutes knew about it. Instead, she focused on her career. She developed an interview program with broadcaster John Laws on Foxtel, and worked with comedian and presenter Andrew Denton on an ABC TV program called Enough Rope. Then, in 2013, she was headhunted to run ITVs local operations. One night soon afterward, she was at a dinner party at the home of her half-sister Linda in Sydneys eastern suburbs. Jacoby announced her new job, adding that she wished her father were around to see it. A friend of Lindas, a lawyer named John Atkin, then turned to Jacoby, looked her in the eye and asked if shed known about that infamous, long-running court case involving her father in the 1950s. Advertisement Teachers say students have been more distracted, disobedient and unsettled in their friendships since last years lockdown, raising concerns that the protracted isolation has had a lingering effect on childrens development and social maturity. The most serious impact has been at the high school level, with teachers saying they face more disciplinary issues and have observed students displaying behaviour usually seen in younger years, leading experts to call on the government to study the widespread effects of having two years of disrupted learning. Members of the Secondary Principals Council, which represents public school principals, told the Herald that discipline had been a more pressing problem than usual, which they say could be both a legacy of lockdown and the result of the disruption caused by teacher and student absences in term 1. There are concerns about the impact of lockdowns on students social development and maturity. Credit:Janie Barrett One principal, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because NSW Department of Education employees are not allowed to talk to the media, said last month was the hardest they had experienced in many years. Victorias construction industry says the soaring cost and short supply of materials is sending builders broke despite near-record demand for their services. The Master Builders Association says 98 per cent of its members are having their profits squeezed or are losing money, as the price of timber, steel, concrete and other construction materials has soared, and deliveries are delayed for up to six months. Anthony Lococo has closed down his construction business, Lococo Build, because the soaring cost of materials meant he couldnt make any money. Credit:Justin McManus Timber prices were up between 50 and 100 per cent last year, steel rose by 30 to 60 per cent, and concrete by 20 to 40 per cent, while the war in Ukraine has pushed up the price of timber products from Russia by 25 per cent this year. A critical shortage of skilled trades people is also compounding the crisis. Those target seats for the Coalition include Gilmore and Parramatta in NSW, McEwen in Victoria and even Blair in Queensland, where Labor began the campaign hoping to win three or four seats. Strategists on both sides now believe its possible no seats will change hands in Queensland. Sources close to the treasurer insisted he is not taking his seat for granted but conceded Morrisons personal standing was toxic with inner urban voters and that it could come down to 500 votes, with a very real chance the man often touted as the next leader of the Liberals could lose his seat. Labors Catherine Renshaw, Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman and Independent Kylie Tink at the North Sydney debate. Credit:Richard Dobson If Frydenbergs primary vote were to fall below 46 or 47 per cent, Liberals believe, it will be difficult for the Treasurer to retain the seat on preference flows. Frydenberg said the Kooyong contest would be tight and every vote will count. I am up against a former long-standing member of the Labor Party in Monique Ryan who is asking people for their vote but is not prepared to tell them how she will vote in a hung parliament a hung parliament which will bring uncertainty and instability. Voters in Kooyong were confronted on Sunday with a bust of the prime minister made of coal perched outside the treasurers electorate office as part of a stunt by the left-wing lobby group GetUp. Those The Sunday Age and The Sun-Herald spoke to had mixed views about how they would vote. Retiree Jeanette Botham, 72, is a long-suffering Labor voter who has lived in the area for 50 years and plans to allocate her preferences to the independent in the hope that she can unseat Frydenberg. Labor has never held the seat and the party won fewer primary votes at the last election than the Greens, who had a star candidate in Julian Burnside. Its been frustrating for years being a Labor supporter, she said. I dont know whether [Ryans] going to win, but I think its good that someone is pushing him, put it that way, Botham said. She nominated climate change, cost of living and funding for public schools as the important policy issues for her: The amount of private schools around here, she said. We could do with a bit [more] for public education. Standing at Camberwell Junction, underneath competing billboards for both candidates, Botham said she thought locals were tired of Frydenberg. I dont know what he offers, I dont know what the Liberal Party offers under Morrison, to be perfectly honest, she said. This gives people a chance to maybe rethink it [voting Liberal]. Liberal voter Russell OConnell, 61, a business owner who lives in Balwyn, believes Frydenberg is being challenged by a group of independents who will back Labor if they have the balance of power. Kooyong voters would not be happy about that, he said, and should know Ryans intentions before polling day. A lot of the people that she appeals to, which are probably females that are similar to her in looks and demographic, think that shes a great lady, he said. But actually you do realise that if you vote for her, you vote for Labor. If you said that to them, they would say, Oh no, no we dont [vote that way]. OConnell said Frydenberg should be returned to parliament because he understands the community and business. Were not fooled by the fact that she [Ryan] has got billboards everywhere, he said. Fellow businessman Simon Holmes, 45, said that he had always voted Liberal but was disappointed by Australian politics as a whole. I dont think we have any strong leaders, he said. I do feel there is a strong move to the independents. Holmes said the last thing he wanted to see was a hung parliament, preferring one of the major parties to win convincingly. In North Sydney, Liberal Trent Zimmerman is considered the most at-risk of the MPs facing a challenge from the teal independents. Zimmerman has a margin of 9.3 per cent but is in a three-cornered contest with independent Kylea Tink and Labors Catherine Renshaw. Loading One senior NSW MP, who asked not to be named so they could discuss internal deliberations, said: Trent is the one we are most worried about in New South Wales [against teal candidates] but our biggest problem is Reid. One member of cabinet said its entirely possible we will win suburban seats, lose Kooyong and North Sydney and end up on 76 seats [the minimum required for majority government] . In Wentworth, which Dave Sharma won with a 1.3 per cent margin over Kerryn Phelps in 2019, the incumbent now faces high-profile businesswoman Allegra Spender. Though the margin is much tighter on paper, the Liberals are more confident of retaining the seat compared to North Sydney or Kooyong. As one MP who has campaigned in the seat said, the aggro isnt directed at the Liberal Party, its directed against Morrison. And in Goldstein, which covers some of bayside Melbourne, Tim Wilson is thought to be the safest of the quartet from the challenge presented by former ABC journalist Zoe Daniel. A Victorian MP familiar with the campaign on the ground said that Tim is under serious pressure and that the seat was home to voters in the post-material intellectual class who dont care about the economy, its all about climate. However, the MP said controversy over anti-Israel comments made by members of Daniels campaign team had ensured the Jewish community in the seat, which represents about 7 per cent of the seats population, had swung behind Wilson. Meanwhile, in Labor ranks there was fury on Saturday over campaign headquarters decision to release the Robodebt royal commission policy late on Friday night, after newspaper deadlines. Several Labor MPs said it was a missed opportunity for the opposition to set the news agenda on Saturday. I cant believe they left it so late, one Labor MP said. Loading A similar decision not to release the partys veterans policy to newspapers first a week previously a decades-old practice had also infuriated MPs and left them questioning the competence of staff in the campaign media team. This says a lot about our internal disorganisation, that its a problem, another Labor MP said, adding that it should have made a much bigger splash on the day before Anzac Day. Singapore/Jakarta: As he celebrates the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr on Monday, Eman Sulaimans family home in Bogor, West Java, will be crammed with relatives from morning until night. For Sulaiman and tens of millions of Indonesians emerging from the fasting month of Ramadan, food is central to the occasion. But amid a cooking oil crisis that has prompted Indonesia to halt all exports of palm oil, his familys Eid feast may be a little different this year. A shopkeeper packages cooking oil at Kambing market in Jakarta. Credit:Bloomberg I think we will do a simple celebration this time because prices are the problem, says Sulaiman, a father of two and domestic helper in central Jakarta. Rendang is a must ... although it is a difficult time we must try to make the best of it. I think we will adjust it by reducing the portions. Loading He didnt lose any time in reaching out to people, with an approachable, straightforward and honest manner as well as an attitude towards just getting things done, Javid says. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, the minister closest to Brandis, says he has been a hugely consequential ambassador. Brandis term has not been without controversy but he recalls one of Whitehalls most senior bureaucrats observing that to make a government policy popular in Britain, all we have to do is prefix something with the words Australia-style and everyone thinks its a good idea. Australias tough China stance has also not gone unnoticed. Jacob Rees-Mogg said to me quite recently: The most important thing Australia has done for the United Kingdom is not the FTA, its not AUKUS, its that you have awakened us to the China threat and more than any other country in the world you were the ones who did it, Brandis says. But Australia owes Britain, too. The FTA is now signed, AUKUS is done, the relationship between Australia and the UK has not been better ... This is a terrific time to turn the page, Brandis says. Credit:Liliana Zaharia When Prime Minister Scott Morrison put out the call to Australias diplomats to source Pfizer vaccines that could be loaned to Australia, just three countries responded: Singapore, Poland and Britain. Javid remembers taking the first request during a phone call in August 2021. Its a big thing to trust another country with something so precious, especially at that time, he recalls. But the British knew just how much Australians needed the mRNA vaccines. Morrison was under relentless pressure to speed up Australias sluggish rollout the only end to the lockdowns and border closures that had dominated Australias pandemic response. Europe had blocked export of AstraZeneca supplies at a time when the doses being made in Melbourne were not yet ready. While the vaccine, developed at Oxford University, later fell out of favour over blood-clotting fears, at the time it was considered the workhorse of Australias vaccine rollout. Javid and his adviser, Samuel Coates, who worked in Australia for the Liberals on the 2013 campaign, asked their vaccine taskforce how many doses Britain could manage to supply. The answer was about 4 million. It would be the largest recorded vaccine swap between countries. Thanks to George and his personal involvement, I dont think it could have gone any faster. It was a success because of his personal involvement, Javid says. Brandis believes much of his success lies with his ability to communicate with former cabinet colleagues in Australia and new friends in Westminster. But he wasnt always this sure. Early in his term, while watching a debate at the Commons, he was alarmed to hear a Labour frontbencher misrepresenting Australias position on trade. He texted Australias then trade minister Simon Birmingham and advised him to message his British counterpart Liam Fox. From his seat in the gallery, Brandis caught Foxs eye and gestured that he check his phone. Fox swiftly rebuffed his opponent and corrected the record in the House about Australias true position. Brandis sought the counsel of John Dauth, a professional diplomat. Assured by Dauth that the Commons texting intervention was exactly what he should be doing to stand up for Australias interests, Brandis confidence grew. From that moment on, I began to appreciate just how much better the outcomes I could get for Australia, of which the vaccine swap deal is probably the best example, by being unabashed about having been a senior politician, he says. There are certain things that somebody whos been a senior cabinet minister can do that a professional diplomat wouldnt dream of doing like deal with political leaders and cabinet ministers in the host country in a very direct political way. His original mission when sent to London was to secure Australia a free-trade agreement. As the British system suffered its political heart attack as it tried to execute Brexit, Brandis quietly spent the best part of 2020 making friends with cabinet rising star Liz Truss, who had just been appointed trade secretary. Britains Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Brandis discuss the Australia-UK security relationship on their flight to Sydney for AUKMIN talks. She became a regular visitor to the High Commissioners official residence, Stoke Lodge, attending working breakfasts and weekend croquet matches on the lawns, sometimes even staying on after dinner for a spontaneous karaoke session usually to ABBAs Dancing Queen or Waterloo. They say that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton, our FTA was clinched on the croquet lawns of Stoke Lodge, Brandis boasts. But their friendship did not guarantee a deal. Brandis faced enormous hostility from Tory backbenchers and the British farming union, who insisted the trade deal had sold them out. He ended up calling every single Tory backbench MP, and spent a week in Wales talking to farmers. I drew upon every lesson Id ever learned as a practising politician to run a political campaign to sell the FTA to sceptical Tories, Brandis says. George Brandis handwritten note showing the quotas agreed for Australian sheep and beef producers as agreed by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the UKs Boris Johnson at Downing Street. At times, Brandis had to go head-to-head against the British civil service and pit his own political insight against theirs. This came to a head when Brandis learned the British government was being advised to publicly hector Morrison on climate change with the goal of forcing Australia to sign up to a net-zero carbon pledge in time for the Glasgow climate summit. Brandis knew Morrison was working on the party room, and that trying to shame the government internationally would derail the backroom gains he was making. Brandis spoke to the Lords Minister for the Environment, Zac Goldsmith. I said: Who are you going to trust to interpret politics of the government party room to you? Just trust me Morrison will sort this. Morrison soon announced a net-zero target in time for COP26. At 64, Brandis is coy about whether his future holds any further public service. He ends his diplomatic career 22 years to the day after being selected by the LNP to fill a Senate casual vacancy and says he goes out on a high. The FTA is now signed, AUKUS is done, the relationship between Australia and the UK has not been better in anyones memory. This is a terrific time to turn the page, he says. My phone lights up at 10.39pm with the message I have been waiting for: This is your location pin to meet the president please be punctual. It is like something out of a Hollywood thriller, and ironically, we are on our way to meet a man whod spent most of his working life as an actor. But the days of vaudeville are long gone for Volodymyr Zelensky now the leading man for Ukraine in its hour of need. Russian President Vladimir Putin is clearly rattled by his adversary there have already been 10 foiled assassination attempts on Zelensky. A Russian missile strike at the airport in the southwestern port of Odesa - a city that has so far been relatively unscathed in the war - has damaged the runway and it can no longer be used, the Ukrainian military said on Saturday. Russia has sporadically targetted Odesa, a Black Sea port, and a week ago, Ukraine said at least eight people were killed in a strike on the city. As a result of a missile attack in the Odesa region, the runway at Odesa airport was damaged. Its further use is impossible, the Ukrainian military said. There was no immediate word on the strike from the Russian military. Kick-starting efforts of the country towards green shipping, the (CSL) here will develop and build the first indigenous hydrogen-fuelled electric vessels, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said on Saturday. Inaugurating a workshop on Green Shipping, Sonowal said the project will be carried out by the CSL in collaboration with Indian partners and unveiled the government's plan for building hydrogen-fuelled electric vessels keeping pace with the Global Maritime Green Transitions. "The CSL has partnered with KPIT Technologies Limited and Indian developers in the areas of cell, power train and Indian Register of Shipping for developing rules and regulation for such vessels," he said. The cell vessel based on Low Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Technology (LT-PEM) called Fuel Cell Electric Vessel (FCEV) is expected to cost around Rs 17.50 crore of which 75 per cent would be funded by the Government of India, Sonowal said at the function held here. He noted that the project is expected to augment the efforts of the nation in achieving the Prime Minister's ambitious target of becoming carbon neutral by 2070 and also in complying with the standards set by International Maritime Organization (IMO) that envisages a reduction in carbon intensity of international shipping by at least 40 per cent by 2030 and progressively to 70 per cent by 2050. Emphasising on the protection of earth for the survival of human species, the Minister said, "Without the preservation of our nature, our environment, our survival is not possible.. India is firmly committed towards a sustainable and clean environment and India has called for the 'One Sun One World One Grid' initiative, as a lead player in the International Solar Alliance." MoPSW Secretary Sanjeev Ranjan who spoke about the Maritime Green Transition, said the development of hydrogen-fuelled electric vessels is considered as a launchpad for the country to tap the vast opportunities lying in the Coastal and Inland vessels segment both nationally and internationally. The hydrogen-fuelled electric vessels project is part of India's transformative efforts on the innovative and new technology front on green energy and sustainable cost-effective alternate fuel front, CSL said. cells can be used in a wide range of applications, including transportation, material handling, stationary, portable, and emergency backup power applications. "Fuel cells operating on hydrogen fuel are an efficient, environmentally-friendly, zero emission, direct current (DC) power source already applied to heavy duty bus, truck, and train applications, and are now under development for marine applications," CSL said in a release. Apart from Sonowal and Ranjan, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, Dr Vibha Dhavan, Director General, TERI, Jose Matheickal, Head, Global Partnerships and Projects of International Maritime Organisation, Christian Valdes Carter, Country Director, Innovation Norway and CSL CMD Madhu S Nair took part in the inaugural session. (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 Saturday posted over two-fold rise in net profit to Rs 343 crore in the March 2022 quarter on the back of strong core operating income and lower provisioning for bad loans. The private sector lender had reported a net profit of Rs 128 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal. The total income during the January-March quarter of 2021-22 rose to Rs 5,384.88 crore from Rs 4,811.18 crore in the same period of FY21, said in a regulatory filing. "The net profit for Q4-FY22 grew by 168 per cent to Rs 343 crore from Rs 128 crore in Q4 FY21, driven by strong growth in core operating income and lower provisioning," the bank said. The net interest income (NII) during the quarter increased by 36 per cent to Rs 2,669 crore, while fee and other income jumped 40 per cent to Rs 841 crore. Provisions other than tax came down by 36 per cent to Rs 369 crore in the March 2022 quarter, the lender said, adding asset quality at a gross and net level reduced by 45 and 33 basis points to 3.40 per cent and 1.53 per cent, respectively. "Our core operating profit for Q4 22 has more than doubled (up 106 per cent) to Rs 836 crore as compared to Rs 405 crore in Q4 FY 21. This shows the power of the business model we are building. Our PAT is up 168 per cent year-on-year from Rs 128 crore to Rs 343 crore," V Vaidyanathan, Managing Director and CEO, IDFC FIRST Bank, said. However, the net profit for 2021-22 fell 68 per cent to Rs 145 crore from Rs 452 crore in 2020-21, due to higher provisioning in the first quarter of FY22 to manage the COVID-19 second wave impact on its assets, said. The total income during the year rose to Rs 20,394.72 crore from Rs 18,179.19 crore. The NII for FY22 grew by 32 per cent to Rs 9,706 crore, from Rs 7,380 crore in FY21. Fee and other income grew by 66 per cent to Rs 2,691 crore from Rs 1,622 crore. The lender said that it has not utilised the Covid provision during the quarter and carries Covid provisions of Rs 165 crore as of March 31, 2022. "The bank is broadly on track to meet the asset quality and credit cost guidance. Based on the improved portfolio performance indicators, the bank is confident to achieve its credit cost guidance for FY23 at nearly 1.5 per cent on funded assets," it said. The bank said it is seeing the impact of the second Covid wave to be diminishing gradually and this improvement is showing in the improvement in asset quality. One infrastructure loan (Mumbai Toll Road account), which became NPA during Q1 FY22, continued to pay its dues partially and the principal outstanding was reduced by Rs 25 crore during the quarter to Rs 794 crore as of March 31, 2022, the lender said. Gradually, the cash flows of this account are likely to regularise, as traffic volumes on the Mumbai road come back to normalcy. "While the account is NPA as of now, we expect to collect our dues and expect eventual losses on this account to be not material in due course," it noted. "On the overall bank level, but for this one infrastructure account, which we hope to recover in due course without any economic loss, the GNPA (gross non-performing assets) and NNPA (net NPAs) of the bank would have been 3.04 per cent and 1.02 per cent, respectively, as on March 31, 2022, and the PCR (provision coverage ratio) of the bank would have been 77 per cent, including technical write-off," the bank added. Among others, the bank's CASA (current account savings account) deposits posted a growth of 11 per cent to reach Rs 51,170 crore as of March 31, 2022, from Rs 45,896 crore in the year-ago period. Current account deposits now contribute to 18.29 per cent of total CASA as compared to 11.80 per cent by the end of March 2021, it said. Vaidyanathan said in the retail business, which is one of the key drivers of growth, NPA continues to reduce over the last four quarters. "Our retail gross NPA sharply reduced from 4.01 per cent in FY21 to 2.63 per cent in FY22, and net NPA reduced from 1.90 per cent to 1.15 per cent. Based on internal analysis, we are comfortably on our way to reduce retail GNPA and NNPA to 2 per cent and less than 1 per cent, respectively, as guided earlier," he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In his first visit abroad this year, Prime Minister will have 25 hectic engagements in his three-day travel to as many countries where he will be spending around 65 hours, government sources said on Saturday. He will hold meetings, bilateral as well as multilateral, with eight from seven countries besides having an interaction with 50 global business leaders, they said. Modi will embark on a three-day visit to Germany, Denmark and France from May 2 amid the Ukraine crisis, which has united much of Europe against Russia. He will first travel to Germany, then visit Denmark and will have a brief stop over in Paris on his return journey on May 4. Prime Minister Modi will be spending one night each in Germany and Denmark. (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 his first visit abroad this year, Prime Minister will have 25 hectic engagements in his three-day travel to as many countries where he will be spending around 65 hours, government sources said on Saturday. He will hold meetings, bilateral as well as multilateral, with eight world leaders from seven countries besides having an interaction with 50 global business leaders, they said. He will also interact with thousands of members of the Indian diaspora. Modi will embark on a three-day visit to Germany, Denmark and France from May 2 amid the Ukraine crisis, which has united much of Europe against Russia. He will first travel to Germany, then visit Denmark and will have a brief stop over in Paris on his return journey on May 4. Prime Minister Modi will be spending one night each in Germany and Denmark while two nights in flight. In Paris, Modi will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who was re-elected to the top post in a fiercely-fought presidential election. In Berlin, the prime minister will hold bilateral talks with Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of Germany, and the two leaders will co-chair the sixth edition of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC), the MEA had said in a statement. It will be Modi's first meeting with Chancellor Scholz who took charge of the top office from his predecessor Angela Merkel in December last year. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 28-year-old computer engineer involved in cheating politicians to fulfill expensive hobbies of his girlfriend was arrested from for allegedly committing a cyber fraud, posing as Chief Minister . The accused on made a WhatsApp call April 24 to Alwar's Tijara MLA Sandeep Yadav through a virtual number. With a profile picture of Gehlot's family on the WhatsApp account, he had a brief chat with the MLA, posing as the CM and asked him to send Rs 30,000 through Google pay. On suspicion, the Congress MLA contacted the chief minister's office in Jaipur and enquired about the number. When it became clear that it was a cheating attempt, the MLA informed Bhiwadi (Alwar) Police on April 26. The Bhiwadi police traced the number, given by the accused for transferring the money, to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Bhiwadi Superintendent of Police Shantanu Kumar Singh said on Saturday. Following this, a team led by Inspector Jitendra Singh airdashed to Visakhapatnam to trace the accused, he added. The police reached an address in RH Colony, Pedagantyada in Visakhapatnam on the basis of the mobile number but no one was residing there, the SP said. The team then roamed around in a three-square-km area and enquiring about the number and gathering information about the accused after talking to several local people, he added. During enquiries, the Bhiwadi police team got a new number which was being operated by a woman Sandhya Singh and reached her address. Her husband K Siva told police that his friend Sagar alias Pandiri Vishnu Murthy had sought his Google Pay number on April 24 following which Sagar's location was traced and he was nabbed. He was taken to the Gajuwaka police station in Visakhapatnam for interrogation. He confessed to have contacted the MLA by impersonating as the CM, he said. The SP said the accused has a criminal record and had planned to target several leaders including chief ministers. He had also duped Rs 1.80 crore from two ministers and three MLAs of in the name of CM Jagan Mohan Reddy in 2019. It had taken five months for the Andhra Pradesh Police to arrest him, he said. SP Singh said Pandiri, who has four cases lodged against him in Andhra Pradesh, is a B Tech degree holder in computer science and an expert in hacking computers and mobile phones. He uses a virtual private network (VPN) server of other countries so that his actual IP address remains untraceable, the SP said, adding he gets the contact lists after hacking mobile phones and then commits crime by contacting people through virtual numbers. He uses the money he gets through cheating to fulfill expensive hobbies of his girlfriend. In the past, he bought a luxury flat for his girlfriend for Rs 80 lakh in a posh colony of Visakhapatnam, SP Singh added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid fresh COVID-19 concerns, the government on Saturday instructed officials to initiate surveillance measures for those arriving from and Thailand, including RT-PCR tests for symptomatic cases at the airport testing laboratory. Screening, surveillance and tele-monitoring for certain international arrivals have been instructed as per the recommendations of the State COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). At Bengaluru International Airport and Mangaluru International Airport, the arrivals from the above-mentioned countries should undergo thermal screening upon arrival, a government circular said. Testing through RT-PCR should be done for the symptomatic persons at the airport testing laboratory and for those found positive, the samples shall be sent for genome sequencing. Further treatment and management of COVID patients is to be followed as per the state government protocol, it added. According to the circular, at the district and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) level, tele-monitoring of the international passengers (from and Thailand) should be done at their respective districts for 14 days through call centre. If the person develops symptoms during the follow-up period, testing, treatment and management of the case should be taken up as per the protocol by the district teams, and the positive samples shall be sent for genome sequencing. The circular signed by Principal Secretary to Health and Family Welfare T K Anil Kumar said the COVID-19 situation in is well under control, with a daily average of 110 cases and test positivity rate ranging between 0.9 and 1.1 per cent, and currently 2 per cent of international arrivals from designated countries are screened randomly at airports, as per guidelines of the Government of India. Noting that in view of the recent spurt of COVID-19 cases in China, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Russia and South Korea, further surveillance may be required, it said and added that of the eight countries, direct flight services to Bengaluru are available only from and . Hence, it is instructed to initiate the following surveillance measures for those arriving from Japan and . (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.) Ecuador, Peru agree to enhance cooperation in border area development Xinhua) 16:00, April 30, 2022 QUITO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadoran President Guillermo Lasso and Peruvian President Pedro Castillo agreed on Friday to strengthen cooperation to promote border area development in the post-pandemic era. The agreement was reached by the two presidents in the southern Ecuadoran border city of Loja, according to a joint declaration issued after the conclusion of the 14th Ecuador-Peru Binational Cabinet meeting. "We have completed this Binational Cabinet meeting in which we have dealt with issues of enormous importance for strengthening bilateral relations and the development of the border integration zone," Lasso said at a joint press conference. He pointed out that both sides are working to promote the wellbeing of people in the border area, given the economic and social impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. "We agree on the importance of reopening the common border with a view to fully restart the transit of people and commercial exchange and economic and productive reactivation," Lasso said, referring to the reopening of the Ecuador-Peru border in February. The two presidents decided to work together in water projects and road integration while repowering binational technical training centers on both sides of the border. Meanwhile, they also reached consensus in the joint fight against transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal migration, weapons smuggling, and illegal mining and fishing. "We still have a long way to go in order to face common problems. We have to strengthen this unity more and more to put an end to scourges such as drug trafficking, indiscriminate logging and the crime problem," Castillo told reporters. This was the first time that Lasso and Castillo had presided over a Binational Cabinet, an annual event to evaluate the progress in delivering commitments and draw new roadmaps for resolving issues of mutual interest. The Binational Cabinet is a platform for dialogue established by the two South American countries in 2007. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji) The Saturday "seized" over Rs 5,551-crore worth fund of Chinese mobile manufacturing company for violating the Indian foreign exchange law, officials said. In a press release after the ED's statement, Technology India Private Limited said its operations in the country are "firmly compliant with local laws and regulations". The company (also called India) is a trader and distributor of mobile phones in the country under the brand name MI. "Xiaomi India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the China-based Xiaomi group. This amount of Rs 5,551.27 crore lying in the bank accounts of the company has been seized by the Enforcement Directorate," the agency said in a statement. The seizure has been done under sections of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) after a probe was launched by the federal agency against the company in connection with alleged "illegal remittances" sent abroad by the Chinese firm in February, it said. Xiaomi began its operations in India in 2014 and started remitting the money the next year, the agency said. "The company has remitted foreign currency equivalent to Rs 5,551.27 crore to three foreign-based entities which include one Xiaomi group entity, in the guise of royalty," the ED said. In a statement, a Xiaomi spokesperson said "as a brand committed to India, all our operations are firmly compliant with local laws and regulations". "We have studied the order from government authorities carefully. We believe our royalty payments and statements to the bank are all legit and truthful. These royalty payments that Xiaomi India made were for the in-licensed technologies and IPs used in our Indian version products," the spokesperson said. "It is a legitimate commercial arrangement for Xiaomi India to make such royalty payments. However, we are committed to working closely with government authorities to clarify any misunderstandings," the spokesperson added. The ED alleged such huge amounts in the name of royalties were remitted on the instructions of their Chinese "parent group" entities, it alleged. "The amount remitted to two other US-based unrelated entities were also for the ultimate benefit of the Xiaomi group entities," the ED said. It said while Xiaomi India procures completely manufactured mobile sets and other products from the manufacturers in India it has not availed any service from these three foreign-based entities to whom such amounts have been transferred. "Under the cover of various unrelated documentary facade created amongst the group entities, the company remitted this amount in the guise of royalty abroad which constitute a violation of section 4 of the FEMA," it said. The said section of the civil law of FEMA talks about "holding of foreign exchange." The ED also accused the company of providing "misleading information" to the banks while remitting the money abroad. Earlier this month, the ED had also questioned the global vice president of the group, Manu Kumar Jain, at the agency's regional office in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Live news updates: Russian forces pounded Ukraine's eastern Donbas region on Saturday but failed to capture three target areas, Ukraine's military said, while Moscow said Western sanctions on and arms shipments to were impeding peace negotiations. The Russians were trying to capture the areas of Lyman in Donetsk and Sievierodonetsk and Popasna in Luhansk, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in a daily update. "Not succeeding - the fighting continues," it said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in remarks published early on Saturday, said lifting Western sanctions on was part of the peace talks, which he said were difficult but continued daily by video link. Chief Minister will be addressing a rally in the Marathwada region of the state on June 8 and its venue and other details are being worked out, his party said on Friday. Ahead of that event, CM Thackeray is scheduled to hold a rally on May 14 in Mumbai where he is expected to kick-start his party's campaign for the polls. The (BMC) is currently under an administrator as its elections, due early this year, have been postponed. Talking to reporters here, MP and party chief spokesperson said besides the Mumbai rally, the chief minister will be address a public gathering in Marathwada in central . He will also hold a rally in Marathwada. It will take place on June 8 and details are being worked out," Raut said. Though the Sena MP did not indicate anything about the possible venue, a party leader said the rally is likely to be organized in Aurangabad. Raut was speaking to reporters after attending a meeting of party spokespersons called by Uddhav Thackeray, who is also the president. The meeting was held two days ahead of Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's rally in Aurangabad on May 1. At the meeting, Chief Minister Thackeray spoke about his rally at BKC Ground scheduled for May 14. There were many points to be discussed about the event," Raut said. Asked about any plan by Shiv Sena leaders to visit Ayodhya after Raj Thackeray announced he will travel to the temple town in Uttar Pradesh in June, the Rajya Sabha member said there was no such plan as of now. Raut said, We are not guests in Ayodhya. We will plan and visit there once we decide. Sena leaders and workers have been there several times. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government on Saturday suspended mobile internet and SMS services in Patiala district, a day after clashes between two groups over an anti-Khalistan march left four people injured. The government also transferred the inspector general of (IG) Patiala Range, the Patiala senior superintendent of and the superintendent of with immediate effect. A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said Mukhwinder Singh Chinna has been appointed as the new IG-Patiala while Deepak Parik will be the new Patiala SSP. Wazir Singh has been appointed as the new superintendent of police of Patiala. Chinna replaces Rakesh Agrawal as IG (Patiala Range) while Parik takes over the post of SSP-Patiala from Nanak Singh. Police and district administration authorities claimed that the situation is under control and peaceful in the city. Heavy police security has been deployed at the site of the clashes outside the Kali Mata temple in Patiala, while various Hindu outfits have given a call for a bandh here. The order to suspend mobile internet and SMS services, except voice call, was issued by the state's home affairs and justice department. In exercise of power conferred upon me by virtue of temporary suspension of telecom services (public emergency or public safety) rules, 2017, I Anurag Verma, principal secretary, home affairs and justice, do here by order suspension of the mobile internet services (2G/3G/45/CDMA), all SMS services and all dongle services etc provided on mobile networks except voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of the district of Patiala from 9:30 AM to 6 pm on April 30, said the government order. And, where there is an imminent danger of loss of life and or damage to public/ private property, and widespread disturbances of public tranquillity and communal harmony, as a result of inflammatory material and false rumours which are being/could be transmitted/ circulated to the public through social media/ messaging services on mobile internet services, all SMS services and dongle services," it said. To thwart designs and activities of "anti- and anti-social groups or elements", maintain peace and communal harmony and to prevent loss of life or damage to public or private property, the order said, it has become necessary to take all necessary steps and measures to maintain law and order due to "unavoidable circumstances" in Patiala district in public interest. Describing the measures, it said that this being done "by stopping the spread of misinformation and rumours, through various social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter on mobile phones and SMS, it said. It was also mentioned in the order that the Patiala deputy commissioner and SSP have hinted towards a situation where data services could be grossly misused by certain unscrupulous elements. Talking to the media, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said the situation is calm and peaceful. We have deployed force here. The situation is peaceful right now and the situation is under control. We are constantly monitoring the situation, Sawhney said. On suspension of mobile internet services, the official said this step was taken to prevent any rumour mongering but appealed to people not to panic. Inspector General (Patiala Range) Rakesh Agrawal, who has now been transferred, said two FIRs have been lodged in the matter and Harish Singla, working president of a group called "Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray)" has been arrested. During the violence on Friday outside the temple here, the groups hurled stones at each other and police fired in the air to bring the situation under control. (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 Sudarshan Varadhan CHENNAI, India (Reuters) - India has boosted the output of and cancelled passenger trains to free up rail track to move it, officials said on Friday, as the government scrambles to overcome its worst in years. State-run India, which accounts for 80% of India's output, increased production by 27.2% in April, the federal coal ministry said. Federal government-run Indian Railways has cancelled 753 passenger train services, the government said. India has urged its states to step up coal imports for the next three years to build up inventories and satisfy demand, Reuters reported on Wednesday, underscoring the severity of the crisis. Coal inventories are at the lowest pre-summer levels in at least nine years and demand is seen rising at the fastest pace in nearly four decades. "The government has decided to cancel ... passenger trains in order to prioritize the movement of coal rakes (trains) across the country to deal with an unprecedented shortage of the vital input at thermal power plants," the government said. It did not say how long the train service would be cancelled for or how commuters would manage without it. Coal accounts for nearly 75% of India's and power plants account for over three-fourths of the over one billion tonnes of annual coal consumption. The Indian Railways loaded 427 trains with coal on Thursday, the government said. That is higher than its commitment of 415 trains per day on an average, but still lower than the requirement of 453 per day. India's power secretary told a court-ordained meeting on Tuesday that the railways was supplying 390 trains per day on an average, 14% lower than demand and 6% lower than the railway's own commitment. (Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Nick Macfie) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister on Saturday said there are nearly 350,000 undertrials in jail - mostly from poor or ordinary families - and appealed to all chief ministers and chief justices of high courts to prioritise their cases on bases of humanitarian sensibility and law. The Prime Minister was speaking at the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts, which was also attended by Chief Justice N. V. Ramana, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Law and Justice S.P. Singh Baghel and Supreme Court judges. The Prime Minister insisted that judicial reform is not merely a policy matter and human sensitivities are involved and they should be kept in the centre of all the deliberations. He pointed out there are about 3.5 lakh in the country who are under trial and are in jail, most of whom are from poor or ordinary families. "In every district, there is a committee headed by the District Judge, so that these cases can be reviewed and wherever possible, such may be released on bail. I would appeal to all Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts to give priority to these matters on the basis of humanitarian sensibility and law", he added. He said that 75 years of Independence have continuously clarified the roles and responsibilities of both the judiciary and the executive. The Prime Minister also talked about the complexities and obsolescence in laws. He said in 2015, the government identified 1,800 laws which had become irrelevant and 1,450 laws have already been repealed. Noting that only 75 such laws have been removed by the states, Prime Minister Modi said: "I would urge all the Chief Ministers that for the rights of the citizens of their state and for their ease of living, definitely steps should be taken in this direction." The Prime Minister said it is important to promote local languages in the courts so that people of the country feel connected with the judicial process and their faith in the same increases. He said that people's right to judicial process will strengthen by this and local languages are being promoted in technical education also. The Prime Minister emphasised that the government is working hard to reduce delay in justice delivery and efforts are being made to increase the judicial strength and improve the judicial infrastructure. The Prime Minister said "in our country, while the role of the judiciary is that of the guardian of the constitution, the legislature represents the aspirations of the citizens. I believe that this confluence and balance of these two branches of the Constitution will prepare the roadmap for an effective and time-bound judicial system in the country". He said the government considers the possibilities of technology in the judicial system as an essential part of the Digital India mission and appealed to the chief ministers and chief justices of high courts to take it forward. The Prime Minister cited the success of digital transactions in small towns and even in villages and added that out of all the digital transactions that took place in the world last year, 40 per cent of the digital transactions were in India. The Prime Minister said "In 2047, when the country will complete 100 years of its Independence, then what kind of judicial system would we like to see in the country? How do we make our judicial system so capable that it can fulfil the aspirations of India of 2047, these questions should be our priority today". --IANS ss/svn/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government on Saturday announced financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per acre to each of the sowing through the direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique. In his announcement, Chief Minister also said the can start sowing through the DSR technique from May 20. The government's big decision is that a farmer who sows through direct seeding will get Rs 1,500 per acre as financial assistance, said Mann in a video message here. Under the DSR technique, paddy seeds are drilled into the field with the help of a machine that does seeding of rice and spray of herbicide simultaneously. According to the traditional method, first young paddy plants are raised by in nurseries and then these plants are uprooted and transplanted in a muddy field. Amid a looming in Jammu and Kashmir, the administration on Friday said it was taking measures to ensure adequate electricity supply in the union territory. "The Power Development Department (PDD) was able to supply 1,575 MW and 170 LAC units of energy, which is the highest load served to Kashmir on the occasion of 'Shab-e-Qadr' from 1800 hrs of 28th April 2022 to 0600 hrs of 29th April 2022," an official spokesperson said. Compared to last year, the power supply on the occasion this year was higher by 55 megawatt and seven LAC units, he said. On Shab-e-Qadr last year, the Valley got a supply of 1,520 MW peak load and 163 LAC. Principal Secretary, PDD, Nitishwar Kumar said he was grateful to the Union Power Minister R K Singh for providing additional 207 MW to Jammu and Kashmir, which will "substantially" add to the power availability in the union territory. "We are trying to procure as much power available at the energy exchange at whatever price demanded. But due to increased nationwide demand, we can avail only limited power. However, I am confident that the situation will improve in the coming days and we will be able to give better supply," Kumar 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.) Communications Director, Kate Bedingfield has said she had tested positive for Covid-19. Bedingfield, 40, tweeted she last saw US President on Wednesday "in a socially-distanced meeting while wearing an N-95 mask". Biden is not considered a close contact as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the official. "Thanks to being fully vaccinated and boosted, I am only experiencing mild symptoms," the Communications Director wrote. "In alignment with White House Covid-19 protocols, I will work from home and plan to return to work in person at the conclusion of a five-day isolation period and a negative test," she added. The total number of Covid-19 cases in the United States has exceeded 81 million, with more than 993,000 related deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, Xinhua news agency reported. --IANS int/khz/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Digital Communications Commission (DCC), which met Friday, is sending a reference back on key recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on and pricing as part of its move to hasten the process of auctioning. Sources say the regulator is expected to respond to the queries within a week or two and a reference already being worked on by could be sent today, or by Monday. Speed is critical as the government has made it clear that it wants to begin the auction in June. Sources say Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen to dedicate the launch of 5G services on this Independence Day. Under the Act, any changes suggested by the in TRAIs recommendation have to be referred back to the regulator for its reconsideration. However, after receiving a recommendation once again, it is up to the government to take the final decision. In this case it is referred to the cabinet for clearance. The DCC, apart from recommending that the spectrum be given for 20 years instead of the earlier 30 years which they had pegged to the regulators base price, has also cleared the committee's recommendation that the spectrum between 27.5-28.5 GHz in the millimetre band be kept out of the upcoming auction and not be given for mixed use for either telcos or satellite operators as recommended by the regulator. The fate of the spectrum, sources say, should be decided when a comprehensive policy on satellite operators is put in place. The DCC has also suggested a reduction in the conditions that have to be met under the minimum roll-out obligation plan suggested by the regulator for non-metros. Operators have vehemently opposed the regulator's recommendation that there should not be any such roll-out obligation at all. The DoT committee's recommendation that the contentious E band should be auctioned and a reference be made on what should its base price be to the regulator has also been accepted by the DCC. However, telcos will continue with this backhaul spectrum required for connecting towers till a final decision is taken on it. The DCC has also earmarked spectrum bands which will be reserved for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd/MTNL for its future foray into 5G. These, say sources, include 40 Mhz between 3630 to 3670 MHZ in the key 3.5 GHZ band, another 400 MHZ in the millimetre band between 24.25 GHz to 24.65 GHz and also around 10 MHz in the 600 Mhz band. The state-owned company of course has to pay the same price as the highest bidder to get the spectrum. Telcos have been unhappy that the base price fixed by the regulator for a period of 30 years is virtually the same as what they had recommended in 2018 at Rs 492 crore for a pan-India 1Mhz spectrum. That is because of the regulator's formula that 20 years' base price, which they have recommended, be multiplied by 1.5 for a 30 year license period. However, for a 20 year license period the regulator has cut the base price of the 3.5 GHz band sharply by 36 per cent to Rs 317 crore for pan India 1MHZ of spectrum from what it had recommended earlier. On the other hand the government, as part of its telecom package had announced that it would from now on extend the licensing period to 30 years. India suffered $150 billion - $200 billion economic loss due to lockdowns in the pandemic, but the country has emerged stronger despite the economic setbacks, said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & . The world has been through one of the worst Black Swan phases in recent times. India has suffered $150 billion - $200 billion economic loss due to lockdowns in the pandemic, said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, at the Semicon India-2022 conference in Bengaluru. Given our vast country and populace, India has shown great resilience and done exceptionally well with its vaccination program, healthcare and financial support and other welfare schemes for its citizens. He said the government has been cognizant of the rapid pace of digitalization thrust upon the country by pandemic and the ability to face this calamity with resilience has been appreciated by the whole world. He said that today Indias technology ecosystem is recognized for its excellence the world over and the startup ecosystem replete with many unicorns is a testimony to this fact. The semiconductor design and manufacturing sector is a critical component of our next phase of growth and to catalyze this growth, said Chandrasekhar. We have laid down a calibrated roadmap ably supported by conducive policies and concerted effort and close collaboration with the industry. At the Semicon India-2022 conference, the industry captains in attendance lauded the governments efforts and vision in turning the country into a semiconductor hub. Among them was Sanjay Mehrotra, president and CEO, Micron Technology, who emphasised on the role of the semiconductor sector in ensuring an Atmanirbhar Bharat, made possible by the collective efforts of the industry, academia, and the government. Another top executive Randhir Thakur, president, Intel Foundry Services, reiterated the critical role the domestic semiconductor sector is playing and will continue to play in ensuring economic growth and security. Semiconductors are the new oil in the digital age. Providing impetus to the homegrown innovators and welcoming global players to set up manufacturing in the country will propel Indias tech sector growth in years to come. Jim Keller, the CEO of AI chip firm Tenstorrent, emphasised on the all-pervasive nature of semiconductors in our everyday lives. With the consumer base and data growing at a rapid pace, there is a need for the semiconductor ecosystem to keep pace, said Keller. India will play a critical role from a talent and technology perspective globally. During the conference, the government also solidified its partnerships with the industry by showcasing commitment and a keen interest to work with the stakeholders. These efforts are being made toward actualizing the milestones set and translating its vision into a reality. At the conference, it was also revealed that India has received investment proposals from five global semicon majors to set up semiconductor fabs and display fabs locally in India. The proposals are for manufacturing the chips used in a wide array of products including consumer devices, automotive and personal electronics. The proposals received so far are to the tune of $20.5 billion in the greenfield segment of display and semiconductor chip manufacturing. One of the stakeholders at the Semicon India conference was Applied Materials, a leader in material engineering solutions and the largest semiconductor display equipment manufacturer in the world. The firm made an announcement to invest Rs 1800 crore rupees in India. The firm said that the governments mission mode approach to evolving the countrys semiconductor sector, together with the Ease-of-Business initiatives and scaling up of indigenous electronics end-manufacturing, are positive and practical steps to enable Indias Semiconductor Mission. Applied Materials India recently invested $50 million to purchase land in Whitefield, Bengaluru. We plan to expand our engineering infrastructure and support the next phase of our growth, said Srinivas Satya, country president and managing director, Applied Materials India Private Limited. We expect this investment to support future product development and R&D, as well as benefit the development of the local supply chain. At the event, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed between the industry association SEMI and manufacturing supply chain and Electronic Industries Association Of India (ELCINA). A partnership was signed between C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing) and Qualcomm for partnership in semiconductors which will target semiconductor design startups in line with the objectives of the PLI scheme. Partnerships were also signed for training and skilling tech workforce for the semiconductor sector. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Railways and Communication, said the biggest asset India has is its talented workforce, that is trusted by the world. "Building India as a prominent player in chip design and manufacturing is a marathon, not a sprint," said Vaishnaw. "Our vision is supported by careful planning and calibrated efforts of all stakeholders to establish India as a major hub for electronic and globally." Aside from the favorable policies, Vaishnaw said the governmentis also working closely with academic and global institutions to design curriculum that will help create 85 thousand trained and production ready workforce for the . "We reiterate our commitment and promise to work closely with the industry in a focused manner for the long-term growth and development of the sector," said Vaishnaw. On a Thursday, at around 1 p.m., many had gathered at a community health centre (CHC) in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district. They were all waiting for their turn to undergo a procedure for permanent contraception, sterilisation or the sealing of the fallopian tubes. Thursdays, across public health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, are reserved for sterilisation surgeries and vasectomies for men, which blocks the sperm--both, methods of contraception. There were men who had accompanied women, but there were no men waiting for their own surgeries when IndiaSpend visited Jaitpur CHC in Mahoba. Why did Rajesh Kumar (38), a resident of Barkheda village, not opt for a vasectomy, and why was his wife, Gudiya, undergoing sterilisation? A few sitting behind him giggled on hearing the question. After a long pause, Rajesh said: "I feel scared." Between 2019 and 2021, nearly 38% of surveyed nationwide for the fifth National Family Health Survey had undergone sterilisation, compared to just 0.3% of men who had undergone a vasectomy. In comparison, 17% of women surveyed in Uttar Pradesh had undergone sterilisation compared to 0.1% of men. Why men fear vasectomies "We perform 30 family planning procedures in a day, and all the patients are women," said P.K. Singh, the medical superintendent at the Jaitpur CHC. "A lot of money is spent on creating family planning awareness, but men still hesitate. In the year 2020, while 545 women came to us, only three men opted for a vasectomy." In 2020, the number of men opting for family planning procedures in Jaitpur, at three, was the most of all CHCs in the district, said Singh. When Accredited Social Health Activists, or ASHAs, visit homes to encourage men and women to adopt contraception, they find that the men are reluctant. "We encourage the men too, but they very sternly tell us that it's the women who will have to undergo the procedure," said Ram Sati, an ASHA worker from Lamora village in Mahoba. "Even the women say they will opt for it as they don't want to bother the men." One of the reasons is the myths behind the procedure. "There is a general perception that men become weak after family planning procedures. We tell them that it's a simple procedure and they would not even have to get stitches, they still hesitate," said Omvati, an ASHA worker, who lives in Akona village. "Even the women feel their husbands will become weak if they would opt for it." When we spoke to men who were accompanying their wives for family planning procedures, they echoed Omvati's words. "I don't know a single man who has opted for this, which is why I feel scared. As mostly it's the women who are undergoing this procedure, I asked my wife to go for it," said 42-year-old Manoj. "I have heard that men become weak after this operation." When asked where he got that information, he said: "Everyone says so." To encourage men to opt for the family planning procedure, the government organises a nasbandi pakhwada (a vasectomy awareness programme) every year. The men are counselled at these drives, yet there is no change in the numbers. Poor facilities for women On a chilly winter night in December 2021, several women lay on thin mattresses on the floor in Mehrauni CHC in Uttar Pradesh's Lalitpur district. Some family members were carrying women on their backs after the operation, as there were not enough stretchers for all those who had come. "There is not enough space in the CHC. I don't have enough beds, so we give the patients mattresses," said M.P. Singh, the CHC's medical superintendent. "We advise them to go home after the procedure and call them from time-to-time for check-ups." Women do not get the kind of care they should be getting after undergoing family planning procedures. At the Birgha CHC in Lalitpur, women were lying down on the floor on mattresses after their operation. The CHC's medical superintendent, Chatrapal Singh, said: "We perform 30 procedures in a day. We have 10-12 beds as well as mattresses." When asked if women have to stay at CHCs for a few days after the procedure, he said: "There is a norm that they have to be kept under observation for at least one day/night, but we don't have enough beds. Besides, they themselves are not very comfortable about staying at the CHC and choose to go home." Low awareness about family planning among men India's family planning campaigns, run by both its public health systems and civil society programmes, are focussed almost entirely on women, found a study by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). Further, men are the ones who make decisions on how many children a couple should have and when, as we reported in September 2020. Up to 54% of men said that their wives could not use contraception without their permission and one-fifth believed that it is a woman's responsibility to avoid pregnancy--31% of women agreed with this--said a study on masculinity conducted by ICRW and the United Nations Population Fund in 2014. "There are two reasons behind fewer men opting for family planning procedures. First, there are not many male health workers in villages. The primary focus of ASHA workers and ANMs [Auxiliary Nurse Midwives] are women. Men often get neglected. Second, health officials/authorities are not held responsible for a smaller number of vasectomies," said Amulya Nidhi, the national co-convener of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, a network of civil society organisations working for health rights. "It's written in our Constitution that there should be no discrimination between men and women. However, no one is bothered to find solutions where such discrimination happens." The village sub-centres require 157,000 male health workers. However, only 82,857 posts had been approved of which, 59,348 were filled, and 29,421 vacant, according to a reply in the Lok Sabha on February 5, 2021. In contrast, there are more female health workers in the field than required: There were 205,000 female health workers hired, when the requirement was 157,000 and the sanctioned posts 183,936. Civil Aviation Minister held discussions with American giants on further strengthening collaboration with the industry in India. Scindia arrived here on Thursday for the first leg of his visit to North America and began his engagements with discussions with New York-based technology-powered, global air mobility platform Blade. On Thursday, he also interacted with members of the Indian diaspora during a session and reception hosted by Consul General of New York Randhir Jaiswal. Scindia's engagements on Friday began with a round table hosted by the US-India Business Council. The roundtable, attended by senior industry leaders, focussed on ways to strengthen collaboration between India and the US across the . Had a productive interaction with members of @USIBC from the aviation community. Spoke about the growing focus & opportunities in regional connectivity & urban air mobility in India, Scindia tweeted. Later, he met vice president at and defense giant Raytheon Technologies Ambassador Paul Jones and Senior Vice President at American manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Rick Duerloo. Discussed potential collaboration for enhancing the civil aviation infrastructure ecosystem in India, including setting up MROs and furthering our GAGAN project, Scindia tweeted, making a reference to the GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation, a Space Based Augmentation System (SBAS) jointly developed by Indian Space Research Organisation and Airports Authority of India to provide navigational services over Indian FIR (Flight Information Region). Scindia also had a detailed discussion with vice president at Sikorsky Hamid Salim on deepening Lockheed Martin's engagement with India, including developments in the helicopter sector and setting up offset and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facilities in India. Scindia will travel to Canada on Monday where he will visit the Bombardier and Airbus facilities, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) headquarters as well as the Air India Memorial. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australian Prime Minister on Saturday announced the ruling Coalition would spend A$150 million ($105 million) to reduce the out-of-pocket costs of medicines from 2023 if elected in the May 21 polls. Under the plan, the maximum cost of all medications subsidized by the government under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) would be reduced from A$42.50 per prescription to A$32.50, reports Xinhua news agency. Morrison said the measure would offer immediate cost of living relief to 19 million Australians. "In the Budget this year, we understood the need to take action to provide relief on cost of living pressures, and we know those pressures are real," he told reporters. "There are many things you can't control... But you can make the safety net more generous to help people who are on these medications, and you can reduce this non-concessional payment down by A$10 on every single script." According to opinion polls, the Coalition has failed to make up significant ground on the Opposition Labor Party during the campaign. Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Saturday hit the campaign trail in Western (WA) ahead of officially launching the party's campaign on Sunday. On Saturday, he promised a Labor government would establish a royal commission into the Robodebt scheme -- an automated government system for recovering debts from welfare recipients that was ruled unlawful in 2019. Morrison, who was the Minister for Social Services when Robodebt was launched, has denied any responsibility for the scheme, which pursued more than 400,000 wrongly-issued debts. Albanese described it as "a human tragedy, wrought by this government". "Against all evidence, and all the outcry, the government insisted on using algorithms instead of people to pursue debt recovery against Australians who in many cases had no debt to pay," he said. "It caused untold misery. Only an Albanese Labor government will find out the truth." (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.) plans to boost its supplies of natural gas to by 30 per cent this year, pumping 10.5 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas, the country's state oil company SOCAR said. "Getting a direct access to the European market has ensured the diversification of Azerbaijan's export capacity. This adds value to Azerbaijan's economy, at the same time cementing the country's standing as Europe's reliable gas supplier," Xinhua news agency quoted SOCAR as saying in a statement. exported 2.6 bcm of natural gas to in the first quarter of 2022. The country started commercial natural gas deliveries to via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) in late 2020. The pipeline is the final leg of the 3,500 km-long Southern Gas Corridor, which pumps gas from Azerbaijan's giant Shah Deniz II field in the Caspian Sea. (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 Saturday railed against excess, and after spending tens of billions on stocks and in March extolled the virtue of keeping lots of cash, as he hosted Inc's first in-person annual meeting since 2019. Buffett, 91, who is Berkshire's chairman and chief executive, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 98, fielded questions in a downtown arena in Omaha, Nebraska. Vice Chairmen Greg Abel, Buffett's designated successor as CEO, and Ajit Jain also joined them. The meeting came after Berkshire revealed it had scooped up more than $51 billion of stocks in the first quarter, including a much larger stake in Chevron Corp, and has for now stopped repurchasing its own stock. Berkshire also said operating profit was little changed in the first quarter, as many businesses were able to boost revenue despite supply chain disruptions caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'I THINK WE'RE SANE' Buffett had in his annual shareholder letter in February bemoaned the lack of investment opportunities. That prompted a shareholder to ask what changed in March, when Berkshire bought 14.6% of Occidental Petroleum Corp and agreed to pay $11.6 billion for insurer Alleghany Corp . Buffett said it was simple: he became interested in Occidental after reading an analyst report, and in Alleghany after its chief executive wrote to him. "Markets do crazy things, and occasionally Berkshire gets a chance to do something," he said. "It's not because we're smart.... I think we're sane." Berkshire's cash stake sank to around $106 billion from nearly $147 billion in the quarter, but Buffett said it was important to keep enough on hand. "We will always have a lot of cash," he said. "It's like oxygen, it's there all the time but if it disappears for a few minutes, it's all over." Buffett also picked on a favored target, Wall Street, saying the stock market sometimes resembled a casino or gambling partner. "That existed to an extraordinary degree in the last couple of years, encouraged by Wall Street," he said. Abel defended Berkshire's BNSF railroad, saying there was "more to be done" to improve operations and customer service, while Jain said Geico had lost ground to rival insurer Progressive Corp on telematics, which insurers use to track driver behavior and better match rates and risk. EARLY WAKE-UPS Hours before doors opened at 7 a.m. CDT (1200 GMT), thousands of people began massing outside the arena. Berkshire had projected lower attendance than in 2019, when it last held an in-person annual meeting, and about 10% to 15% of seats in the normally-full arena were empty. "I bought a chair from Walmart so I could sit down," said Tom Spain, founder of Henry Spain Investment Services in Market Harborough, England, who arrived at 3:15 a.m. CDT to attend his third meeting. "Everyone has been using it. Next year I might bring a massive container of coffee and give it out." Lauritz Fenselau, a 23-year-old owner of a software startup from Frankfurt, Germany, showed up at 4 a.m. CDT for his first meeting. "Warren and Charlie are the priests. It's like a pilgrimage," he said. "I took three flights and 16 hours to get here, so I wanted to be here early." Andres Avila from Boston, a huge fan of Buffett, arrived in Omaha just five hours before getting in line at 4:45 a.m. "I said: I'm already doing the trip for this. I just might as well get the best seat I can", said Avila, carrying an umbrella to fend off the rain. "I have a bunch of my idols here." Shareholders will vote later on whether Berkshire should replace Buffett with an independent chair--he would remain chief executive--and disclose how its dozens of businesses promote diversity and address climate risks and mitigation. Berkshire's board opposes the proposals. The meeting is being broadcast online at cnbc.com https://www.cnbc.com/brklive22. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Carolina Mandl in Omaha, Nebraska; editing by Megan Davies, Ros Russell and Diane Craft) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Biden administration's attempt to secure more than $30 billion in additional defense and economic aid for will further enrich the stockholders of major US defense contractors while having a negligible effect on the battlefield, analysts told Sputnik. On Thursday, President asked US Congress for $33 billion in emergency supplemental funding to support Ukraine, including $20 billion for military assistance. So far, the package appears to have won broad bipartisan support among US lawmakers. The request comes on top of about $4 billion in military aid the Biden administration has already committed to Ukraine, $3.4 billion of which came after Russia launched its military operation in late February. "The most immediate impact will be to further enrich shareholders in US defense industries and the politicians who represent their interests in Washington, DC," retired US Army colonel, historian, and tactician Douglas Macgregor told Sputnik. With very few exceptions, the former Trump administration Pentagon adviser added, the vast majority of the equipment and weapons on their way to will have "at most" a modest effect on the fighting in Eastern . "The Russians know where the materiel will be stored and how it will be shipped eastward," Macgregor said. "As a result, much of it will be destroyed or end up sitting in isolated warehouses hundreds of miles from the scene of the action." Historian and political commentator Dan Lazare sees the $33 billion allocation as a sign that the war is morphing from a regional to an conflict involving both NATO and the . "The more fuel Biden throws on the fire, the greater the likelihood of the war spreading beyond its original boundaries," Lazare told Sputnik. "If Moldova is somehow dragged in due to those mysterious explosions in Transnistria, then all bets are off as to what will follow." Lazare said there is also a chance the rest of the NATO alliance will plunge into the conflict. "If so, it's 1914 all over again - only this time with nukes. This is madness, needless to say," Lazare said. Lazare thinks 95 percent of the blame lies with US Democrats who have been on an anti-Russia crusade for a decade. "Words have consequences," he said. "Years of Kremlin-bashing have finally led to a real-life European war that is raging out of control." Meanwhile, Lazare added, the more Biden tries to outrun his problems at home, the more acute they grow. And now, the expert said, Biden appears to be pinning his hopes on some sort of "epic victory in Ukraine." "But that's obviously not going happen since Russia will either take all of the southern and eastern part of the country or the war will turn into a long and bloody stalemate," Lazare said. "If so, the effect will be to heighten the contradictions to the breaking point. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A large number of Chinese nationals are leaving from Karachi after 3 Chinese nationals and one Pakistani citizen were killed in a suicide attack by a Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) at Karachi University on April 26. A video is going viral on social media showing a large number of Chinese in PPE kits leaving from Karachi Airport. Asad Malik (@AsadtoAsad), a Pakistani, shared a video clip on Twitter and wrote, "As soon as the US sponsored imported regime came into power followed by a blast on the Chinese. News is that over 2000 chinese are leaving . It seems our enemies are succeeding in their mission. #MarchAgainstImportedGovt" Another Pakistani Syed Shayan (@mrscnzyt) wrote, "Thank you Lumber 1 as you didn't find any conspiracy but.. attack on Chinese people and now Chinese leaving and work on CPEC project will slowdown.. but no conspiracy and Well done America You achieve what you need". Saleem Khan (@saleembct) also shared the video clip and wrote on Twitter, "Karachi Airport Today. Around 2000 Chinese leave due to the threats. Very tragic indeed as projects would close" A large number of Chinese engineers and other workers are working in Pakistan's Sindh and Balochistan provinces as part of One Belt One Road (OBOR) project. Many Chinese teachers are even teaching Mandarin to Pakistanis in various Universities and institutes. This has irked the indigenous Baloch and Sindhi political activists are they oppose any Chinese investment in their region. The recent suicide attack that killed 3 Chinese teachers was carried outside the University of Karachi's (KU) Confucius Institute. The Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack. The Karachi suicide bombing is part of an intensifying Baloch pushback against the 54 billion USD China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It also spotlights the larger and deeper struggle for Balochistan's freedom. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the mass grave with 900 bodies had been found in different places in Kyiv Oblast. Ukraine's The Kyiv Independent earlier said that the Ukrainian President said a mass grave with 900 people was found in Kyiv Oblast. But after that, the media outlet issued a correction and said that Zelenskyy had been referring to the total number of people found in different mass graves in Kyiv Oblast. "Hundreds of civilians have been killed in the region by Russian troops," the media outlet reported. On Friday, The Kyiv Independent reported that three Russian missiles hit Kyiv Oblast. The missiles hit undisclosed infrastructure sites near the city of Fastiv in Kyiv Oblast, according to Oleksandr Pavlyuk, head of the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration, said the media outlet. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during his visit to Ukraine's Borodyanka, described the ongoing war "an absurdity" and stated that he imagines his family in one of the rooms which has now been destroyed. "I imagined my family in one of those houses that is now destroyed and black," he said. "I see my granddaughters running away in panic, part of the family eventually killed. So, the war is an absurdity in the 21st century. The war is evil," Guterres was quoted as saying by OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) . The UN Chief arrived in on Wednesday after his visit to Moscow. Taking to Twitter, UN Chief said that he will continue their work to expand the humanitarian support to and will also secure the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones. Notably, Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, which the West has termed an unwarranted war. As a result of this, the western countries have also imposed several crippling sanctions on Moscow. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia has barred entry to the country for nine individuals from Iceland, three from Greenland, three from the Faroe Islands and 16 from in a retaliatory move, the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The countermeasures were taken in response to the decisions made by Iceland, and the Danish autonomies of Greenland and the Faroe Islands to join the European Union's sanctions against Russia, the Ministry added on Friday. The reciprocal measures were taken in relation to a number of parliamentarians, government members, business, media and academic representatives as well as public figures, who have actively "promoted anti-Russian rhetoric," and have participated in the implementation of anti-Russian policies, it said. The individuals will be added to Russia's stop-list, and prohibited from entering the country, Xinhua news agency reported. --IANS int/khz/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Fund for Development will $14.3 million for the second phase of the studies in the submarine Nigeria- project. According to a statement by the Moroccan Ministry of on Friday, the agreement was signed by the Moroccan and Economy Minister, Nadia Fettah and the General Director of the Fund, Abdulhamid Alkhalifa. The Australian company WorleyParsons announced on Wednesday in a statement that it has been awarded the second phase of the studies, which is progressing in accordance with the initial project planning, Xinhua news agency reported. In January, the Islamic Development Bank has signed an agreement with to provide $15.45 million to the Nigeria- studies. This project would cover 7,000-km long through 13 west African countries, and extend to Europe, according to WorleyParsons. --IANS int/khz/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The newly-appointed Prime Minister was once again booed by the people at one of his recent public sightings in Saudi Arabia, as per a video shared by a Twitter user. Twitter user Haroon shared a video clip on the micro-blogging site, that showed Sharif arriving at a facility accompanied by heavy security. However, the people standing by the side in huge numbers can be heard raising slogans against the PM. The voices of discontent against the new PM can be ascertained to the way in which he rose to the post, after former PM Imran Khan was made to resign. Earlier, the Shehbaz-led delegation, which is in on a three-day official visit, received a "wonderful welcome" as they entered Masjid-e-Nabawi in Madina. A viral video that got viral showed hundreds of pilgrims raising "chor chor" [thieves] slogans upon seeing the Shehbaz-led delegation making their way to Masjid-e-Nabawi. In the wake of loud chanting and sloganeering against the Pakistani Prime Minister and his delegation, Saudi Arabia's authorities on Friday arrested some Pakistanis over violating the sanctity of the Masjid-e-Nabawi in Madina. Sharif is on his maiden three-day official visit to . Dozens of officials and political leaders have accompanied the Pakistan Prime Minister on his visit to the Kingdom. Sharif was sworn in as Pakistan's 23rd Prime Minister on April 11 after his predecessor Imran Khan was ousted following a no-confidence motion. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) has staved off a default on its debt by making a last-minute payment using its precious reserves sitting outside the country, officials said. The amount of the payment was not disclosed, but earlier this month Russia's ministry said it tried to make a USD 649 million payment due April 6 toward two bonds to an unnamed US bank previously reported as JPMorgan Chase. At that time, tightened sanctions imposed for Russia's invasion of Ukraine prevented the payment from being accepted, so Moscow attempted to make the debt payment in rubles. Investors and rating agencies, however, did not expect to be able to convert the rubles into dollars before a 30-day grace period expired next week, leading to speculation that Moscow was heading toward an historic default on its debt. has not defaulted on its foreign debts since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, when the collapse of the Russian Empire led to the creation of the Soviet Union. Treasury officials, who declined to be named because they weren't authorised to speak on the record, said Russia tapped into its foreign currency reserves currently sitting outside the country to make Friday's payment. Since the US sanctioned Russia's Central Bank early in the conflict, Russia had only the ability to either use fresh revenues coming from activities like oil and gas sales, or existing foreign currency reserves sitting outside the country. The US has been attempting to force Russia to use its foreign currency reserves or any revenue from oil and gas sales in order to deplete the country's financial resources. News reports said Russia used its accounts with Citigroup in London to make the payments. A Citi spokesperson declined to comment on the reports. (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 December 2006, The Economist magazine published a cover drawing of Russian president Vladimir Putin, dressed like a 1930s gangster in a dark suit and fedora hat, under the headline Dont Mess with Russia. Putin held a gasoline nozzle, gripping it like a machine gun. The target presumably was Europe, which relied heavily on Russia for oil and natural gas. The cover storys subheading asserted, Russias habitual abuse of its energy muscle is bad for its citizens, its neighbourhood and the world. Today that assertion still rings true with Russias cutoff of natural gas deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria. As an energy scholar who has lived and worked in Europe, I know that gas is a precious commodity that is critical for industries, power generation and heating buildings especially in northern Europe, where winters can be harsh and long. This explains why European nations import gas from many sources, but have grown to depend on Russian supplies to keep their homes warm and their economies humming. From oil embargoes to gas cutoffs The energy weapon can take many forms. In 1967 and 1973, Arab nations cut off oil exports to the U.S. and other Western nations that supported Israel in conflicts against its Middle East neighbors. Withholding supply was a way to inflict economic pain on opponents and win policy concessions. Today, an oil embargo might not work as well. Oil is a fungible commodity in a global market: If one source cuts off shipments, importing countries can just buy more oil from other suppliers, although they may pay higher prices on spot markets than they would have under long-term contracts. Thats possible because more than 60% of the worlds daily oil consumption is delivered by ship. At any given moment, a flotilla of seaborne vessels is carrying crude oil from one point to another around the globe. If there are disruptions, the ships can change direction and get to their destinations within a matter of weeks. As a result, its hard for one oil-producing country to prevent a consuming country from buying oil on the global market. By contrast, natural gas is moved primarily by pipeline. Only 13% of the worlds gas supply is delivered by tankers carrying liquefied natural gas. This makes gas more of a regional or continental commodity, with sellers and buyers who are physically connected to each other. It is much harder for buyers to find alternative natural gas supplies than alternative oil sources because laying new pipelines or building new liquefied natural gas import and export terminals can cost billions of dollars and take many years. Consequently, gas disruptions are felt quickly and can last a long time. The real cost of buying Russian gas European nations dependence on Russian energy, particularly natural gas, complicates their foreign policies. As many observers have pointed out since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, European consumers heavy reliance on Russian oil and gas over the decades has funded and emboldened Putins regime and made European governments hesitant in the face of bad behavior. It was no accident that Russia invaded in February, when its coldest and European demand for gas for heating buildings is highest. Because the European gas grid spans many countries, Russias shutoff of gas to Poland and Bulgaria doesnt just affect those two countries. Prices will rise as gas pressures in the pipelines that run through those countries to other nations drop. The shortage will eventually ripple through to other countries further downstream, such as France and Germany. If Europeans can reduce their gas consumption quickly as the heating season winds down and gas power plants are replaced with other sources, they can slow the onset of pain. Fuller use of liquefied natural gas imports from coastal terminals could also help. In the longer run, the European Union is working to increase energy efficiency in existing buildings, which are already efficient compared to U.S. buildings. It also aims to fill gas storage caverns to 90% capacity during the off-peak seasons when gas demand is lower, and ramp up local production of biomethane which can substitute for fossil gas derived from agricultural waste or other organic, renewable sources. Building more import terminals to bring in liquefied natural gas from the U.S., Canada or other friendly nations is also an option. However, creating new fossil fuel infrastructure would conflict with efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow climate change. Ramping up wind, solar, geothermal and nuclear power plants as quickly as possible to displace the continents natural gas power plants is a key priority for the EU. So is replacing natural gas heating systems with electric heat pumps, which can also provide air conditioning during the continents increasingly frequent and intense summer heat waves. These solutions align with the EUs climate objectives, which suggests that Russias gas cutoffs might ultimately accelerate European nations efforts to shift to renewable energy and more efficient use of electricity. All of these options are effective but take time. Unfortunately, Europe doesnt have many options before next winter. Prospects are worse for energy customers in poorer regions, such as Bangladesh and sub-Saharan Africa, which will simply go without in the face of higher energy prices. Will Russias cutoff backfire? While gas supply disruptions will undoubtedly inflict pain on European consumers, they also are hard on Russia, which badly needs the money. Currently, Putin is ordering unfriendly countries to pay for Russian energy in rubles to boost Russias currency, which has lost value under the weight of economic sanctions. Poland and Bulgaria had refused to pay in rubles. Cutting off gas supplies in February would have been expensive for Russia and surely would have inspired even more backlash in Europe. By wielding natural gas as a weapon when the weather is mild, Russia can flex its petro-muscles without being too aggressive or losing too much money. The key question now is whether Europe needs Russian gas more than Russia needs revenue from European sales. (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 head of Russias space program said Moscow will pull out of the Space Station, state media reported, a move it has blamed on sanctions imposed over the invasion of Ukraine. The decision has been taken already, were not obliged to talk about it publicly, Tass and RIA Novosti reported Roscosmos General Director Dmitry Rogozin as saying in an interview with state TV on Saturday. I can say this only -- in accordance with our obligations, well inform our partners about the end of our work on the ISS with a years notice. Rogozin earlier this month threatened to end Russias mission unless the U.S., European Union and Canada lifted sanctions against enterprises involved in the Russian space industry. The orbital research space station had until the war remained a rare area of cooperation between and the U.S. and its allies despite steadily worsening relations. But Russias unprecedented isolation since it invaded Ukraine in February has marked the demise of this symbol of joint space exploration. Three Americans and an Italian astronaut docked at the space station on Wednesday, joining three other Americans, three Russians and a German already on the ISS. NASA, which plans to operate the space station through 2030, has continued to use Russian Soyuz spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the ISS since retiring shuttles in 2011. The U.S. space agency is now relying more on private space flights. Elon Musks SpaceX launched the four astronauts for NASA and the European Space Agency on Wednesday. The doggedly sought to broker an evacuation of civilians from the increasingly hellish ruins of Mariupol on Friday, while accused Russia of showing its contempt for the world organisation by bombing Kyiv while the UN leader was visiting the capital. The mayor of Mariupol said the situation inside the steel plant that has become the southern port city's last stronghold is dire, and citizens are begging to get saved." Mayor Vadym Boichenko added: "There, it's not a matter of days. It's a matter of hours. Ukraine's forces, meanwhile, fought to hold off Russian attempts to advance in the south and east, where the Kremlin is seeking to capture the country's industrial Donbas region. Artillery fire, sirens and explosions could be heard in some cities. (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.) Sri Lanka's powerful Buddhist clergy has threatened to issue a decree against the government led by President Gotabaya and decided to stage a protest against it on Saturday for its failure to make way for an interim government to resolve the ongoing political and . Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets since April 9, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in fuel, medicines and electricity supply. In recent weeks, the Buddhist clergy, civil society and trade chambers have demanded the formation of an interim government in the predominantly Buddhist nation. Now the Buddhist clergy has decided to come out to press for the resignation of Prime Minister to make way for an interim government. Some 1,000 monks are to stage a protest march on Saturday evening demanding the government to act according to their letter addressed to President Gotabaya dated April 4. Sirisumana said at a parley to be held later on Saturday with all parties representing Parliament, they would issue a decree against the government for their failure to act. We asked for the resignation of the prime minister and the government and appoint an interim government for a period of one year. The government during that period would be directed by a special panel..." Agalakada Sirisumana, a senior monk told reporters. He said they had not received a satisfactory response from the government. The four Buddhist chapters - Malwathu, Asgiri, Amarapura and Ramanya chapters - wield a lot of power in Sri Lanka's political landscape. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has also come under pressure from a dissident group of the ruling Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) coalition to set up an interim government. However, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, has refused to resign. He stresses that any interim government should only be formed under his premiership. The Opposition maintains they would never be part of any government under the two Rajapaksas. The public agitations demanding the resignation of the entire Rajapaksa family entered its 22nd day on Saturday. is currently in the throes of unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices. needs at least USD 4 billion to tide over its mounting economic woes, and talks with institutions such as the World Bank as well as countries like China and Japan for financial assistance have been going on. (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.) Hundreds of people have been evacuated to Kharkiv from the nearby village of Ruska Lozava that had been under Russian occupation for more than a month. Almost half the village has escaped on buses, in shrapnel-ridden cars or on foot after fierce battles saw Russian troops pushed back and Ukrainian forces take full control of the village, according to the Kharkiv regional governor. A video posted by the Azov battalion shows troops raising the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag over the government building in the center of the village although fighting continues on the outskirts. Upon arrival to Kharkiv less than 12 miles (20 kilometers) away, those who fled have described to Associated Press reporters the dire conditions they faced while living in basements with little water and food and no electricity. We were hiding in the basement, it was horror. The basement was shaking from the explosions, we were screaming, we were crying and we were praying to god, said Ludmila Bocharnikova. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Russian missile strike at the airport in the southwestern port of Odesa - a city that has so far been relatively unscathed in the war - has damaged the runway and it can no longer be used, the Ukrainian military said on Saturday. Russia has sporadically targetted Odesa, a Black Sea port, and a week ago, said at least eight people were killed in a strike on the city. "As a result of a missile attack in the Odesa region, the runway at Odesa airport was damaged. Its further use is impossible," the Ukrainian military said. There was no immediate word on the strike from the Russian military. Russian forces also pounded Ukraine's eastern Donbas region on Saturday. In the town of Dobropillia in Donetsk, the shockwave from a strike blew in the windows of an apartment building and left a large crater in the yard. One resident, who gave only his first name of Andriy, said his partner was in a room facing the yard at the time of the attack and was knocked unconscious. "Thank God the four children were in the kitchen," he said, standing in the destroyed living room. Residents sifted through their belongings to see what could be salvaged. "At around 9:20 a.m. this happiness flew to our house, said Oleh, who also gave only his first name, speaking with sarcasm. "Everything is destroyed." Moscow hopes to take full control of the eastern Donbas region made up of Luhansk and Donetsk, parts of which were already controlled by Russian-backed separatists before the invasion. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in a daily update that the Russians were trying to capture the areas of Lyman in Donetsk and Sievierodonetsk and Popasna in Luhansk, adding they are "Not succeeding - the fighting continues". The war since Feb. 24 has turned cities to rubble, killed thousands and forced 5 million Ukrainians to flee abroad. Russia turned its focus to the south and east after failing to capture the capital, Kyiv. Moscow calls its actions a "special operation" to disarm and rid it of extreme anti-Russian nationalism fomented by the West. and the West say Russia launched an unprovoked war of aggression. PEACE TALKS While there have been efforts since the start of the war to hold peace talks, the two sides are far apart - which was illustrated by conflicting comments on the efforts by senior Russian and Ukrainian officials on Saturday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in remarks published on the Russian foreign ministry's website, said lifting Western sanctions on Russia was part of the talks, but senior Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak denied this was the case. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has insisted since the Russian invasion that sanctions needed to be strengthened and could not be part of negotiations. He said on Friday there was a high risk the talks would end because of what he called Russia's "playbook on murdering people". Ukraine accuses Russian troops of atrocities in areas near Kyiv that they previously occupied. Moscow denies the claims. Lavrov said that if the United States and other NATO countries were truly interested in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, they should stop sending weapons to Kyiv. In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden's proposed $33 billion aid package for Ukraine, including $20 billion for weapons, has received bipartisan support. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday she hoped Congress would pass the package as soon as possible. French President Emmanuel Macron told Zelenskiy during a call on Saturday that his country would step up military and humanitarian support for Ukraine. 'CANNOT GET THROUGH' Moscow said on Saturday its artillery units had struck 389 Ukrainian targets overnight. Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Russia's Bryansk region, said air defences had prevented a Ukrainian aircraft from entering the region, and as a result shelling had hit parts of an oil terminal, Russian news agencies reported. The governor of another Russian region, Kursk, said several shells were fired from the direction of Ukraine on Saturday at a checkpoint near its border. Roman Starovoit said in a video on his Telegram channel that there were no casualties or damage. On the Ukrainian side, Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said the Russians were shelling all over the region "but they cannot get through our defence". He said civilians would continue to be evacuated despite the difficult situation. Gaidai said two schools and 20 houses were destroyed by Russian attacks on Friday in the Luhansk towns of Rubizhne and Popasna. Mykola Khanatov, head of military administration in Popasna, said two buses sent to evacuate civilians from the town were fired on by Russian troops on Friday and there was no word from the drivers. He did not say how many people were on the buses. Russia's TASS news agency, reporting from the scene, said 25 civilians, including six children, had left the territory of the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged southern port of Mariupol on Saturday. It was unclear where they had gone, and Reuters could not independently verify the report. There were also reports of attacks on places outside the Donbas, including in the southern Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia areas and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, where the regional governor said a residential area had been shelled overnight. Reuters could not independently verify the reports on what was happening on the ground. Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange with Russia on Saturday, with seven soldiers and seven civilians coming home, deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a online post. She did not say how many Russians had been transferred. (Reporting by Hamuda Hassan and Jorge Silva in Dobropillia, Ukraine, and Natalia Zinets in Kyiv; Additional reporting by Reuters journalists; Writing by Estelle Shirbon and Frances Kerry; Editing by Catherine Evans, Hugh Lawson and Daniel Wallis) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The has voted unanimously to extend the UN political mission in for three months, with the United States and Britain accusing Russia of blocking a longer and more substantive mandate that would include promoting reconciliation of the country's rival governments now claiming power. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow insisted on a three-month extension to pressure UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urgently appoint a new special representative to head the mission, known as UNSMIL. The former UN special envoy, Jan Kubis, resigned on November 23 after 10 months on the job. Nebenzia said in the absence of a new envoy, the UN mission has been unable to provide substantial support for the political process in for more than six months. He blamed some unidentified members of the Security Council who he claimed are not ready to accept a scenario where UNSMIL is guided by an African representative, saying their opposition is non-constructive and a manifestation of neo-colonialism. Britain's UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward, who oversaw negotiations on the resolution, said after the vote that Russia has once again isolated itself by not joining consensus with the 14 other members of the council who supported a one-year substantive mandate. US deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis said a short mandate severely complicates the UN's ability to recruit a new head of for the mission and creates uncertainty for the Libyan people and their leaders over the Security Council's commitment to . DeLaurentis also criticised Russia for eliminating critical language on reconciliation and security sector reform which the council's three African members were pushing to include in the resolution adopted on Friday. The oil-rich North African nation plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. It then became divided between rival governments one in the east, backed by military commander Khalifa Hifter, and a UN-supported administration in the capital Tripoli. Each side is supported by different militias and foreign powers. In April 2019, Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. His campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the UN-supported government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries. An October 2020 cease-fire agreement led to an agreement on a transitional government in early February 2021, and elections scheduled for last December 24 which weren't held. The country's east-based House of Representatives named a new prime minister, former interior minister Fathi Bashagha, to lead a new interim government in February. The lawmakers claimed the mandate of interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who is based in the capital, Tripoli, expired when the election failed to take place. But Dbeibah insists he will remain prime minister until elections are held. Week-long talks between the rival sides in the Egyptian capital ended on April 19 without an agreement on constitutional arrangements for elections. After Kubis resigned, Guterres appointed American diplomat Stephanie Williams, a fluent Arabic speaker who served as deputy UN special representative in Libya from 2018-2020 as his special adviser and sent her to Tripoli. She oversaw the agreements on the cease-fire and transitional government and told reporters after the recent meeting of the rivals in Cairo that they agreed to reconvene in May. UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq replied that he expects Williams, whose contract is set to expire, to continue in her role until we have any further notice to give you. Gabon's UN Ambassador Michel Biang read a statement on behalf of his country, Ghana and Kenya, saying the widening divisions in Libya are unfolding at a crucial juncture that demands unified Security Council action to make progress toward a sustainable peace that the Libyan people are craving for. The three African council members called on Libya's rival parties to settle their differences politically, bearing in mind that the military option will not provide a sustainable solution to the root causes of this crisis. They denounced foreign interference in Libya, demanded the synchronized withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries, and called on the UN, the African Union and partners to support a national dialogue and reconciliation in the country. Biang stressed that since the situation in Libya mainly affects the country's African neighbours, Africans should be involved in the search for a solution and the next UN special envoy should be an African. Norway's deputy UN ambassador Trine Heimerback said the council's failure to agree on a substantive mandate not only sends an unfortunate signal to the Libyan people but also to the whole region, stressing UNSMIL's pivotal role in supporting Libya's political process and contribution to the country's stability. (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.) Hindustan Foods announced that HFL Consumer Products, (HCPPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, has made its first commercial dispatch from its newly completed food and beverages manufacturing facility near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. The HCPPL expects to ramp up this facility within the next couple of months and is also exploring the possibility of expanding the capacity further. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. 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Digital Editor The complainant in the filed against has paid Rs 1,500 cost to the Congress leader as per the directions of a court at Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district. Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) J V Paliwal had ordered the complainant, local RSS activist Rajesh Kunte, to pay the amount to Gandhi as he (Kunte) had sought adjournment in the case. Kunte had moved applications seeking adjournment in the case twice - in March and April - which the court had rejected and asked him to pay Rs 500 (for March) and Rs 1,000 (for April) to Gandhi. In 2014, Kunte had filed the case against Gandhi after watching his speech in Thane's Bhiwandi township, where the Congress leader alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was behind the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. Kunte had claimed that this statement slandered the reputation of the RSS. Talking to reporters on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi's counsel Narayan Iyer said, "A sum of Rs 1,500 sent by Kunte through money order as per the court's directions has been received at the office of in Delhi." Advocate Ganesh Dhargalkar representing the complainant confirmed that his client had sent Rs 1,500 to Gandhi's Delhi office as per the court orders. Iyer said the court has already set May 10 as the date for commencement of day-to-day hearing in the case. In 2018, a court in Thane had framed charges against Gandhi in the case, but he had pleaded not guilty to the charges. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Power Minister R K Singh on Saturday said distribution utilities in Delhi will get as much power as required by them. The Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy said this while reviewing the coal stock situation at thermal power plants, including the plants supplying power to distribution companies of Delhi. During the review meeting, the minister said distribution companies of Delhi will get as much power as requisitioned by them as per their demand, sources told PTI. During the meeting, state-owned NTPC and DVC were directed to give full availability as per the requirement of . GAIL India also assured that it will make gas available from all sources--APM, SPOT, LT-RLNG -- to gas-based power plants in Delhi. NTPC has also been advised to offer normative declared capacity to Delhi as per their allocations from gas-based power plants under respective PPAs (power purchase agreements). During the meeting, it was informed that there has been no shortage of supply to Delhi, sources said. As per data provided by Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO), in April 2022, the peak demand went up to 6096 MW (April 29)and there has been no shortage in meeting maximum(peak) demand. The entire energy requirement is also being met in Delhi which is about 123.6 MU (on April 29). Distribution companies (discoms) in Delhi viz. Tata Power, BSES Rajdhani and BSES Yamuna have been getting power from the power plants based on declared capacity. The installed generation capacity in Delhi is 3056 MW. The Delhi government has surrendered its share of power from NTPC Dadri Stage I (840 MW) and now the total allocation of power from the central generating stations is 3806 MW while allocation from unallocated power is 30 MW. Thus, a total capacity of 6892 MW is available for Delhi. The power demand of Delhi is met mainly from allocation from central sector power stations which includes allocation from thermal, hydro, nuclear and gas-based power stations. NTPC and DVC have PPAs from coal-based plants for Delhi. NTPC supplies power from Dadri (728 MW), Indira Gandhi STPP Jhajjar (693 MW), Singrauli (150 MW), Rihand (358 MW), Unchahar (100 MW) and Kahalgaon (180 MW). DVC has allocation of 400 MW for Delhi- Chandrapura TPS (300 MW) and Mejia TPS (100 MW). All these plants have sufficient coal stock reserves. The stocks are replenished on a daily basis-- both from domestic sources and coal imported for blending purposes. NTPC and DVC have been declaring 100 per cent availability from their power stations. Indraprastha Power Generation Company Ltd (IPGCL) and Pragati Power Corporation Ltd (PPCL) are the two state-owned power generation companies of Delhi. Presently, IPGCL and PPCL have three operational plants Gas Turbine Power station (GTPS), Pragati Power Station-I (PPS-I) and Pragati Power Station -III (PPS-III), Bawana with rated capacity 270 MW, 330 MW and 1371 MW respectively. These plants are running at partial capacity which need to be ramped up to meet the requirements of Delhi. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after securing bail, Gujarat MLA said here on Saturday that FIRs were filed against him in in a "blatant disregard for the rule of law". Addressing a press conference here, Mevani also said that his arrest was nothing short of a message given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP, RSS and the government to the people of the state, warning them of action for dissent. "The FIRs were filed in blatant disregard of rule of law. It is an insult meted out to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution. "If an MLA from another state could be arrested by the Police, any dissenter in the northeastern state could also be easily crushed," the Dalit leader claimed He said that he had immense respect for the judiciary, which said that "there was no reason for filing an FIR against me and it was not maintainable in the court". The government wanted to "crush my spirit and confidence but it made no difference to me. Any number of FIRs can be filed against me but I will not move an inch from my stand," Mevani asserted. The Congress-supported MLA was granted bail on Friday by a Barpeta court in a case of an alleged assault filed against him by a woman police officer. He was earlier arrested from Palanpur in Gujarat in the wake of a complaint in Kokrajhar for a purported tweet against the PM. Shortly after getting bail in the tweet-related case, Mevani was rearrested in Barpeta in connection with assault case. The legislator is set to return Gujarat, having completed all legal formalities. (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.) Bihar Chief Minister again met leader at an party on Friday evening - their third encounter at such an event in a week. Friday's meet was at the at the residence of former Chief Minister . "We have respected every leader of different political parties. Hence, I am also receiving respect from others. This is politeness for senior leaders," said while reacting to Thursday's incident when saw him off first till his car before boarding his own vehicle after an organised by the JD-U's minority wing. Last Friday, had attended the Iftar organised by the at former Chief Minister Rabri Devi's residence. Besides these three top leaders, Chirag Paswan, Mukesh Sahani, Tej Pratap Yadav, Sushil Kumar Modi, Ashok Chaudhary, Shahnawz Hussain, Tar Kishore Prasad, Sumit Kumar and other leaders were also present in the Iftar party at Manjhi's residence. Manjhi had especially invited Chirag Paswan and Sahani for the event without concern about the BJP. During the JD-U Iftar on Thursday, Paswan and Sahani were not invited. Manjhi said: "We have invited leaders of all sections without caring about party . It is a religious event where leaders of all sections are welcome." After the event, Tej Pratap Yadav, who had just two days back accused Manjhi of conspiring against him to malign his image, said: "The Iftar party ended in good spirit. I have taken the blessings of CM Nitish Kumar." Earlier, and Tej Pratap Yadav went for the Iftar party of Congress at the party headquarters Sadakat Ashram. Both Yadav brothers were warmly welcomed by Congress state President Madan Mohan Jha, CLP leader Ajit Sharma and Shakeel Ahmed. Chirag Paswan and Sahani also reached Sadakat Ashram for the Iftar party. --IANS ajk/vd (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister called on his West Bengal counterpart in the capital on Friday. The meeting took place at Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee's official residence in New . Trinamool Congress and recently engaged in a fierce electoral battle in Goa Assembly polls held early this year. drew blank but APP won two seats --- Benaulim and Velim. Banerjee is in to attend the Justice Conclave programme in the capital on Saturday where Chief Ministers of other states are scheduled to be present at the event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Saturday. (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.) Assets worth Rs 7.27 crore of Bollywood actor Fernandez have been attached under the anti- law in connection with a criminal probe against alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar and others, the said on Saturday. The federal agency has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Act (PMLA) for attaching fixed deposits worth Rs 7.12 crore and Rs 15 lakh cash of the 36-year-old actor as it called these funds as "proceeds of crime". "Sukesh Chandrashekhar had given various gifts worth Rs 5.71 crore to Fernandez from the proceeds of crime generated by criminal activities including extortion." "Chandrashekhar had put Pinky Irani, his long time associate and co-accused in this case to deliver the said gifts to her," the ED said in a statement. In addition to these gifts, it said, Chandrashekhar also gave "funds to the tune of USD 1,72,913 (about Rs 1.3 crore as per current exchange rate) and AUD 26740 (approx. Rs 14 lakh) to the close family members of Fernandez out of the proceeds of crime through co-accused Avtar Singh Kochhar, an established and well known international hawala operator." The agency said its probe found that Chandrashekhar had "delivered cash to the tune of Rs 15 lakh to a script writer on behalf of Fernandez as advance for writing a script of her webseries project.""This cash amount has also been attached," it said. Investigation with regards to tracing the remaining proceeds of crime is in progress, the ED added. Fernandez is a Sri Lankan national and she has been questioned in this case by the (ED) a number of times. She was also stopped by the ED from flying abroad and was directed to join the probe, after she was intercepted at the Mumbai airport in December last year before she could take an international flight. The actor made her debut in the Hindi film industry in 2009 and her recent release was Hindi movie 'Bachchhan Paandey'. The ED has alleged that Chandrashekhar used illegal money to purchase gifts for Fernandez which he had extorted by cheating high-profile people including former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh's wife Aditi Singh. He is alleged to have conned Aditi Singh and her sister by impersonating as the Union home secretary and also as the Law secretary over phone. ED said its investigation found that a person "was contacting people spoofing calls to dupe them as the numbers reflecting on their phone were from government officers and he claimed to be a government officer offering to help people for a price." "Adopting this modus operandi, the said person contacted Aditi Singh, wife of Shivinder Mohan Singh, by impersonating himself as Union home secretary, Union law secretary, officer from prime ministers office (PMO) and other junior officials and extorted more than Rs 200 crore from her over a period of 1 year on the pretext of contribution to party funds." "The said person was conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar who was running his illegal extortion business from central jail in Delhi (Tihar jail) in connivance with jail officials," the ED said. The actor told the ED, in her statement recorded in August and October last year, that she "received" gifts like three designer bags from Gucci, Chanel, two Gucci outfits for gym wear, a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes, two pairs of diamond earrings and a bracelet of multi-coloured stones and two Hermes bracelets from Chandrashekhar. Fernandez further said that she returned a Mini Cooper car which she had similarly received. The agency found in its probe that Chandrashekhar was in "regular contact" with Fernandez since February till he got arrested on August 7 last year (by the Delhi Police). The ED has arrested a total of 8 people in this case till now including Chandrashekhar, his wife Leena Maria Paul, Pinky Irani and others and has also filed two chargesheets before a Delhi court. (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 Saturday, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria issued a statement to the public, in which it congratulated workers and toilers on the occasion of the first of May, and stated: May 1 marks International Labor Day, the day that historically consolidates the role and importance of the struggling workers in society, as they are considered one of the main pillars and important pillars of society, and contribute through their effort, fatigue and struggle to the development of many aspects of their societies, and they represent the values of a democratic society through its construction with their hands." The statement continued, "Class and societal differences have always dominated the Syrian scene, where the workers did not get in return for their effort and fatigue what they wanted and deserved, and the imperfect rights of workers are considered among the most important reasons and motives that prompted the toiling class to go out to the squares to demand their rights, now in the midst of all this complexity and absent solutions from the Syrian scene, the right of workers to have a role worthy of their toil in the future of Syria is a fundamental and important matter. The statement added, "We receive the first of May this year amid great and rapid developments, and we are all pained by what the affairs of the working class and all classes of society are leading to, but all this does not prevent us from remembering this historic holiday, and to congratulate the workers in north and east Syria and all of Syria, We hope that goodness, peace and well-being will prevail in the coming Eid, leading to a new decentralized, democratic Syria, and that the opportunities in it will be equal on the basis of justice and equality, and guarantee the role of workers and toilers and sanctify their tireless pursuit of societys progress and development through what their benevolent hands do. Every year, all workers in the north and east of Syria and the whole of Syria and the world are good. T/S ANHA The streets of the usually bustling Chaoyang district remain muted as Beijing tightened Covid controls and added three more rounds of compulsory testing to battle the ongoing outbreak. The local government has suspended nonessential services in Chaoyang, forcing anyone who lives or works there to telecommute. Beijing reported more than 70 new local cases on Monday May 10, 2022 04:07 PM SOHR has reported that unknown gunmen have shot warrant officer in Damascuss military security forces in Al-Kashef neighbourhood in Daraa city. The warrant officer also shot at the attackers, killing one of them and taking his body to Daraa national hospital. It is worth noting that this is the fifth attack in Daraa in the last 24 hours. These attacks highlight the security chaos that pervades Daraa. Yesterday, SOHR documented the death of a young man, where unidentified gunmen shot him in the centre of Tafs city western of Daraa. In another incident, 3 civilians were injured after being directly shot by unidentified gunmen in Tafs city western of Daraa, and they were transported to the citys hospital. In another incident, three civilians were injured after being directly shot by unidentified gunmen in Tafs city western of Daraa, and they were transported to the citys hospital. " Since early 2022, the number of attacks in Daraa province has risen to 179, which left 142 people dead; and they are as follows: 72 civilians, including a woman and four children. 52 Damascus military personnel, collaborators with security services and members with settled-status working for Damascus services and backed militias. 10 former fighters who did not join any military formation, after striking reconciliation deals. An ex-ISIS gang. Six unidentified people. A Russian-backed militiaman", SOHR added. A.K ANHA The statement condemned the continuous Turkish attacks against the legitimate defense zones and the Kurdistan Democratic Party's partnership with the occupation plans. The statement was read by the member of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria, Aras Abdul Rahman. It stated: At this sensitive stage in the world that is preoccupied with Russia and Ukraine war, the Turkish occupation state is taking advantage of this and escalates its brutal attacks against the Kurdish people and the legitimate defense areas. These attacks targeting southern Kurdistan came after Masrour Barzanis visit to Ankara and his meeting with Erdogan and the head of Turkish state intelligence, Hakan Fidan, at a time when Turkey is taking advantage of the political crisis and the silence of the government in Iraq. The Turkish occupation state, with open complicity with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, is launching these attacks. We call on the Kurdish people and all the democratic revolutionary forces to clarify their positions on these genocidal attacks, and we also call on the Kurdish parties not to support the Kurdish enemy in its attacks. In addition, we call on the international community to take a tough stance towards what is being done to Kurdistan and NE Syria. A.K ANHA Photo: Ottawalks / YouTube live UPDATE 8:20 p.m. Police in Ottawa made several arrests Friday while facing off against protesters opposed to COVID-19 mandates, wearing helmets and carrying batons as big-rig trucks and campers attempted to make their way to Parliament Hill. Protesters arrived Friday afternoon as part of the "Rolling Thunder" rally, organized by Freedom Fighters Canada, a group dedicated to speaking out against COVID-19 mandates. Many of the protesters were also part of the three-week "Freedom Convoy"demonstration that gridlocked Ottawa's downtown earlier this year with big rigs, prompting the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time. That protest ended after hundreds of police officers moved in to disperse the crowds, making dozens of arrests. Before the crowd arrived Friday, Ottawa police promised that protesters would not be allowed to get a foothold for a prolonged occupation this time. They called in more than 800 reinforcements from the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and regional police services to guard every major downtown intersection and prevent protesters from bringing vehicles into the core. It started calmly enough, with familiar shouts of "Freedom!" as protesters mingled and danced on Wellington Street, the main drive in front of Parliament Hill. Protesters also marched through the ByWard Market with a police escort. But early Friday evening, police warned of a large convoy trying to make their way into the city. Soon, hundreds of protesters were crowded around large trucks and campers just outside the parliamentary precinct. As night fell, protesters yelled "Hold the line," trying to push officers away from the vehicles. Police gradually attempted to push the crowds away from the trucks and back toward Parliament Hill as protesters called them "traitors." People were drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana throughout the crowd, and there were several clashes as police with helmets and batons moved the increasingly angry and adversarial group near the police line. Ottawa city Coun. Jeff Leiper reported seeing police smash a truck window to take control of the vehicle. Police were seen making arrests and handing out tickets on the street. Some of the vehicles left on their own, as a tactical police armoured vehicle led a tow truck to the scene. Organizers appealed to the protesters to move back to Parliament Hill for a "party" after the final big-rig truck was moved out. Much of the crowd dissipated before 10 p.m. ORIGINAL 5:50 p.m. Police once again faced off against the protesters behind the "Freedom Convoy" in Canada's capital city Friday wearing helmets and shields as big-rig trucks attempted to make their way to Parliament Hill. Protesters arrived Friday afternoon as part of the "Rolling Thunder" rally, organized by Freedom Fighters Canada, a group dedicated to speaking out against COVID-19 mandates. Many of the protesters were also part of the three-week demonstration that gridlocked Ottawa's downtown with big rigs, prompting the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time, and ended after hundreds of police officers moved in to disperse the crowds, making dozens of arrests. Before protesters arrived Friday, Ottawa police vowed this protest would be different, and that protesters would not be allowed to get a foothold for a prolonged occupation this time. They called in more than 800 reinforcements from the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and regional police services to guard every major downtown intersection and prevent protesters from bringing vehicles into the core. It started calmly enough, with familiar shouts of "Freedom!" as protesters mingled and danced on Wellington Street, the main drive in front of Parliament Hill. Protesters also marched through the ByWard Market with a police escort. But early Friday evening, police warned of a large convoy trying to make their way into the city. Soon, protesters were crowded around large trucks and campers just outside the parliamentary precinct. Protesters yelled "Hold the line," trying to push police officers away from the vehicles. Police gradually pushed the crowds away from the trucks and back toward Parliament Hill as protesters called them "traitors." The "Rolling Thunder" group had not initially been clear about the cause they're rallying for, except to say they would "peacefully celebrate our freedom," and they oppose the removal of veterans from the National War Memorial during the "Freedom Convoy." However, many faces in the crowd belonged to protesters from the "Freedom Convoy" months earlier. Angela Manella from North Bay, Ont., said she was in the national capital to protest the vaccine mandates in February, and she's returned because the mandates are still in place. "My experience of the convoy protest was that there was so much love and connection and just such good energy," Manella said Friday next to the Centennial Flame. "I want to continue that energy and that momentum to continue to stand up for all of us." She said there was a sense of community among protesters at the convoy in February, and that may be part of what is drawing people together again. Others who gathered near the War Memorial said they are only in Ottawa this weekend to honour veterans who police removed from the site along with the rest of the protesters in February. "It's mostly like a parade to honour them for what they have done, they stood up for the right causes," said a protester in a black leather vest who would only identify himself as Mario. The rally Friday night is expected to be followed by a convoy of hundreds of motorcycles through downtown Saturday, with a stop at the War Memorial and another rally on Parliament Hill. Vehicles won't be allowed into a zone that includes the war monument and Parliament, police say, nor will they be allowed to stop along the route, but participants can walk through the area. It's also a chance for Ottawa's police force to win back the trust and respect of the community, after coming under heavy criticism during the February protest for allowing it to go on so long before taking action. For more than three weeks, protesters created encampments in downtown streets, which were packed with big rigs adorned with messages speaking out against vaccine mandates, COVID-19 restrictions and the prime minister. "I think we're going to have to wait and see. The Ottawa police lost a lot of trust last time. So this weekend is going to be a real test for them," said Brian Latour, one of the organizers of a counter-protest in Ottawa. Some nearby residents remember the last protest as a nightmare one they don't want to relive. "A lot of them are concerned, some are scared and some are mad," said Mary Huang, president of the Centretown Community Association, which represents the neighbourhood closest to Parliament Hill. She said neighbours are still traumatized after the protest. The loud airhorns droning on at all hours of the night meant that many couldn't sleep, and some people felt intimidated when they left their homes, she said. They're worried this weekend will be a repeat, before residents have even had a chance to recover, she said. Ottawa police have promised they won't allow another "illegal occupation" of the city, that there will be no tolerance for a long-term protest and any encampments will be dismantled. By 4 p.m. Friday, city bylaw officers said they had issued 185 tickets and towed 20 vehicles related to the rally. A statement on the "Rolling Thunder" website attributed to organizer Neil Sheard says the protesters plan to leave on Sunday, and they do not support "blockades, obstruction of police performing their duties, damage to property or hate and vitriol directed to the residents of Ottawa." The statement also encourages supporters to follow the laws, and says police will be held accountable in court for their actions during the event. "Lastly, as seen during the lawful protest in Ottawa, spread as much peace, love and patriotism to your fellow Canadians as possible," the statement says. Photo: Darren Stone / Times Colonist Victoria firefighters rescued a man off a 10th-floor balcony and quickly knocked down what could have been a disastrous fire at View Towers residential high-rise on Friday morning. The rescued man is in hospital with severe burns, the fire department said. Dan Atkinson, acting chief of the Victoria Fire Department, said firefighters responded about 11:30 a.m. The fire, which was contained to one unit, was extinguished in about 20 minutes. Most of the 19-storey building at View and Quadra streets, which contains 350 units, was evacuated as firefighters received support from Victoria police officers, Atkinson said. Video of the rescue shows a firefighter stepping onto the balcony railing to get the man, then helping him climb onto the railing and into a bucket atop a fire truck ladder. The man, covered in black soot, collapses into a waiting firefighters arms as thick black smoke pours out of the apartment. The man was taken to hospital and was listed in critical condition with severe burns and smoke inhalation. Tobias Jones, a resident of View Towers, told CHEK News he was just getting back home when the fire broke out on the 10th floor. That fire was right next door to my apartment, he said. If I lost my artwork in there, I lost my artwork. Ive collected a lot of native artwork over the last few years. Another resident said he was sleeping in his unit on the 18th floor when the fire alarm went off. I started smelling smoke, looked out my door, I could even see some smoke in the hallway, he said. Right now theres gonna be a lot of water damage and a lot of smoke damage. A May 2014 fire at View Towers quickly spread from a ninth-floor suite and caused significant fire and water damage and forced more than 100 residents out of their homes for several months. Officials are still determining how many residents could be displaced from Fridays fire as damages are being assessed. Early estimates are that up to nine apartments could be affected. Atkinson said the department was aware of the 2014 fire when battling the blaze on Friday. He said fire crews were sent up two staircases carrying hoses and were able to knock down the blaze from the inside out, pushing fire debris and water out of the building. The 2014 fire was fought from the outside, he said, whereas Fridays was fought from within. Investigators are continuing to look for the cause of Fridays fire. We got to the fire quickly and had a co-ordinated attack, Atkinson said. Ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced on Saturday a huge march towards Islamabad in the last week of May to protest against what he termed a "corrupt and imported government". In a video message, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief asked his party workers and supporters to carry out a long march and protest against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government. He emphasized that every Pakistani, whether a PTI supporter or not, to march towards Islamabad in the last week of May to stage his protest against the 'blatant insult' of his country, reported ARY News. Notably, the PTI chief has been indicating a huge rally. Notably, his party has staged three huge rallies in Karachi, Peshawar, and Lahore where he demanded fresh elections. Earlier, Imran Khan has also decided to write letters to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and President Arif Alvi to ask about the progress of investigations into a letter from the United States (US) highlighting 'conspiracy' against his government. He claimed that the local traitors received money for making people slaves to their foreign handlers, however, the public has realized what is happening and is enraged and disappointed over interference in the political affairs of the country through a foreign conspiracy. It is difficult to delay the date of a real freedom march- PTI long march towards Islamabad- as people are angered to see thieves as traitors and want immediate justice against them, Imran Khan said. However, the National Security Committee (NSC) discussed the "threatening" telegram received from the Pakistan embassy in Washington and concluded that "there has been no foreign conspiracy" to oust Imran Khan's government. Notably, PTI has staged several protests across the country against the United States for an alleged "foreign conspiracy" to oust the country's former Prime Minister Imran Khan from power who has been unseated after the no-confidence vote initiated by the Opposition was carried in the National Assembly. (ANI) Does anyone beside me ever stop and wonder what has happened to the time? It was 50 years ago that I received orders for Vietnam. I was a new father, Amy was three months old and I spent a lot of time thinking about those rice paddies thousands of miles away from Chattanooga. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I kissed my precious daughter and wife goodbye and left Lovell Field wondering what was ahead and would I ever return home alive. Before leaving my last duty station, Fort Jackson, SC, I had talks with several of my buddies who had just returned from Southeast Asia, and their stories were mixed. Young soldiers were coming home in body bags; a few of them were my friends from high school. The flight across the country took several hours and I finally arrived at Oakland, Ca. While there I got to go see the Oakland As and meet Gene Autry. Then came news I still find hard to believe. Some of us were being diverted to various other U.S. installations, and my next stop would be Germany. Ive told this story before, but to my surprise I ended up at the American Forces Network, Frankfurt West Germany. I remember it was a Tuesday and I was greeted by SSG Joe Maggard, who was from the Tri-Cities, upper East Tennessee. He didnt hear my tape or anything, just told me Id go on the air the following Monday because the person doing the morning country show was rotating back to the states. I was still in shock. I was getting a program on a network with the potential of reaching 21,000,000 people. The show Town and Country was heard all over Europe. The program was aimed at our troops and their families, but as I quickly found out, there were a lot of country music fans on the continent. I received mail from listeners in England, France, Belgium, Germany and even one from East Germany. When the Russians didnt jam the station, they heard the program over AFN Berlin. I remember sending my longtime friend, Hamilton County Executive Dalton Roberts, a tape of one of my programs. He wrote back saying how much he enjoyed the show and thanked me for playing Nat Stuckeys Dont Pay the Ransom, a song hed written. We stayed in touch until I got home. Chattanooga broadcaster Jerry Lingerfelt was also a pen pal. Hed worked at WDXB, and by this time was general manager of WDEF, then WGOW WYNQ. Jerry told me the only other broadcaster he knew that was on the American Forces Network was Dick Davis, who had done the evening shift at WDEF for several years. I still have a letter Jerry sent me. Being on the air every day at the network came with responsibility. My superiors gave me very little guidance on the music or structure of the show, but were always pointing out small ways I could improve. There was one point from Program Director Bud Miller Ill never forget, Guys always come out of the news with a fast song. Mr. Miller said, News is depressing and the music need to be something to change ones mood. Mr. Miller, who introduced my program every day, was hardworking and one of the best broadcasters Ive ever met. I learned so much from him. Another memory Ill never forget is my 30-second conversation with Glen Campbell. He and Anne Murray were in the studio for an interview with Niteside Host Chris Davala. As I rounded the corner in the hallway, I came face to face with Campbell. He spoke, first commenting on my German name. I then took the liberty to ask Campbell his favorite song to do on stage. He responded, "Its not really a song, but I like to do the narration 'Friends' from my 'Galveston' album." Campbell penned the lyrics. He said, The words say mountains. Then he said, Nice meeting you. and walked into the studio for the interview with Davala. Campbell and Murray were in Europe for several appearances. AFNE Parks Seward made a picture of the couple and gave us copies. Ive lost touch with most of the professionals I worked with at AFNE. Many of them have died, but because of Facebook Ive been able to reconnect with a few and share memories. Ill always believe it was my mother's and grandmother's prayers that landed me that military assignment. It definitely was a high point of my nearly 55 years in broadcasting. The Tennessee Valley Authority is inviting the public to comment on the draft environmental impact statement (Draft EIS) for the proposed retirement and demolition of Cumberland Fossil Plant and the construction of replacement generation. The draft EIS considers the potential impacts associated with the proposed retirement of the two coal-fired units at Cumberland, located in Stewart County, Tennessee, and the construction and operation of facilities to replace part of the retired generation. To recover the generation capacity lost from retirement of one Cumberland unit, TVA is proposing the addition of approximately 1,450 megawatts of replacement generation. Replacement generation for the second retired Cumberland unit would likely consist of some combination of gas, solar, and storage, but the planning for that generation can be deferred to allow more time to assess the specific types and locations of that generation. TVA is considering a no action alternative, where Cumberland would continue to operate the Cumberland coal units; and three action alternatives, all with retirement of the Cumberland units, in the draft EIS. The three action alternatives are (A) retirement of the fossil plant and construction and operation of a Combined Cycle Combustion Turbine Gas Plant at the same site; (B) retirement of the fossil plant and construction and operation of Simple Cycle Combustion Turbine Gas Plants at alternate locations; (C) retirement of the fossil plant and construction and operation of Solar and Storage Facilities, primarily at alternate locations. Related actions, such as the natural gas pipeline and transmission upgrades, will also be considered in this assessment. TVA will be hosting public open houses to discuss the draft EIS and provide opportunities to submit comments. A virtual open house will be available live on Thursday, May 12, starting at 6:30 p.m. CDT. Please visit www.tva.gov/nepa to register for the virtual live event. In addition, two in-person events are planned on May 17, 2022, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. CDT, at the Stewart County Visitors Center and May 18, 2022, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. CDT, at Houston County High School. A virtual meeting room with additional project information is available at www.tva.com/CUFmeeting. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will conduct a free, three-hour, family friendly kayak tour with a ranger on Saturday, May 14, at 9 am. The National Park Partners will sponsor an event where visitors will paddle the waters of Lookout Creek and the Tennessee River to learn about the rich Civil War and American Indian history associated with the area. The following reservation and paddler requirements must be met prior to tour participation. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED : The Lee women's lacrosse team saw its season come to end on Friday evening as Flagler avenged a regular season loss and took down the Lady Flames, 15-9 in the Gulf South Conference Semifinals.The difference in the contest was the play of Saints goalie, Lauren Ribadeneira who was stellar with 22 saves. Lee outshot Flagler, 37-26 and committed seven less turnovers but Ribadeneira turned away shot after shot.Flagler broke things open in the second quarter outscoring the Lady Flames, 5-1 to take an 8-3 lead into the halftime break.The Saints kept the margin at five or more the rest of the way to punch their ticket to the GSC Championship on Sunday.Dariana Blanton ended her Lady Flame career in a fitting way with the hat trick. She ends a sensational career as the all-time points, goals and assists leader in program history, Vecsey, and Sara-Kate Dixon added two goals each and Audrey Dutton and Avery Schenk added one score each. Brittney White led Lee with eight draw controls.Kaleigh Bernard started and worked the first three quarter is goal for the Lady Flames. She allowed 12 goals and had seven saves. Caleigh Smith came off the bench to work the fourth and gave up three goals while registering a pair of saves.Shayna Ryan wrapped up her fantastic career with seven ground balls and two draw controls. Ryan served as both a captain and a team chaplain for the Lady Flames. She is the fourth leading scorer in Lee Lacrosse history with 93 goals, second in assists with 37, and third in draw controls with 153."We had a hard fight on a hot day that didn't work out in our favor. Flagler's goalie had a great day, and we couldn't get many shots past her," said Lee head coach Derrel Martin. "I would say that our layoff between games probably made us a bit rusty. Free position shots were a strong point for us this year, but we just weren't able to capitalize on those opportunities. Kaleigh Bernard turned in a solid game in the goal with seven saves. Dariana Blanton came through with three goals and Sara-Kate Dixon did a great job for us coming in and picking up two goals and two draw controls."The Lady Flames had a 16-day layoff between their 22-14 win over Young Harris and tonight's game after Mars Hill cancelled a non-conference contest scheduled for last week.Kaitlyn Bush paced the Saints with five goals and Katelyn Trainor and Kate Piscopo found the back of the net three times each.The Lady Flames end the 2022 season at 8-8 on the year. Jonathan Davenport (# 49) of Blairsville, Ga. is on a roll in the dirt super late model ranks. Since last Saturday's $50,000 victory in Florida, the racer known as Superman hasn't finished worst than first but once out four races. Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway the World of Outlaw Late Models invaded the clay covered 1/2 mile, high banks for the first of two $25,000 to win features. JD won Wednesday in Indiana with the Castrol Floracing Night in America series worth $22,022 and was only second Tuesday night in Ohio.Friday JD rocketed into the lead passing Canadian Ricky Weiss in lapped traffic and then held off a hard charging NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson for the victory.Larson dove in too deep attempting to pass JD for the lead on the last lap and bounced off the concrete, damaging his mount and dropping to 8th overall. Weiss and Floridian Kyle Bronson finished up the podium. Tennessean's Scott Bloomquist was fourth and Jimmy Owens was sixth. Only 22 entrants entered the event.Ohio native Jared Horstman (# 17) won opening night at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater Friday. Round #2 for the USCS Sprint Cars is scheduled for Saturday night at 7PM EST. Boyd's Speedway host the Iron-Man Super Late Models Saturday for a $4,000 to win feature that supports autism awareness. Television star John Schneider (aka. Bo Duke from the Dukes of Hazard) will be on hand meeting fans. Racing starts at 7 p.m. Fort Payne Motor Speedway just South of Chattanooga down I-59 hosts weekly racing with Super Late Models topping the card Saturday night at 7 p.m. CST. Mountain View Raceway in Dayton/Spring City also has weekly racing Saturday night at 7 p.m. Moscow called provoking Neo-Nazi attacks directed against Russian territory unwise for conflict. The object of the message is the western countries that are accused of running the proxy war against Russia. Recently the Azov-Nazis and supremacists in Ukraine have had setbacks that concern their handlers in the west. Warning of Risk To Target Russian Territory Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova talked to TASS stating that Kiev and Western capitals should take seriously our country's Ministry of Defense's statements that further provocation of Ukraine to strike Russian sites will inevitably result in a harsh response from Russia. We do not advocate putting our patience to the test again. According to Zakharova, Western governments publicly advocate for Ukraine to strike Russian territory with the armaments they send to Kiev. Zakharova reacted to British Deputy Defense Minister James Heappey's statements regarding supporting Ukraine's strikes on Russian military targets. In other words, the West publicly invites Kiev to attack Russia, with NATO-supplied armaments, reported Farnes. Zakharova remarked that Kyiv has used this as a catapult for action, bombarding Russian border territories over the last week, culminating in casualties and destruction. Someone is allegedly controlling the Ukrainians The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's regime is not free in its actions and is fully dependent on external managers; they are western pawns. Zakharova warned that such unlawful behavior by the Ukrainian military against Russian territory must be met with retaliation. She also stressed that Moscow will not allow provoking Neo-Nazi attacks against the Russian territory cannot go unanswered. Read Also: Volodymyr Zelensky Children: Does the Ukraine President Have Kids? Zakharova stated that Kiev and Western capitals must take seriously her country's Defense Ministry's warning that future Ukrainian acts of aggression to hit Russian targets will end in a harsh response from Russia, per Alhamar News. She also stated that Kiev has not officially pulled from the negotiations with Moscow and that Russia is awaiting Ukraine's offers. Russia is dedicated to finding a peaceful solution, and they are awaiting the documents that they will be ready to offer, based on the fact that they have not, however, officially withdrawn from the negotiating process. The Kremlin Wants Peace The Russian official said when the Ukrainian president suggested holding talks, Russia agreed, it did not refuse. Ukraine has been behaving in talks very disappointing but it shows their real attitude toward the negotiation process. They don't seem to be very interested in finding solutions through negotiations. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously stated that Russian-Ukrainian negotiations had hit a deadlock owing to Kyiv's unwillingness to respond to Moscow's latest overtures, while Ukrainian officials' words indicated a lack of interest in the conversation. Nonetheless, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky confirmed that the two teams had numerous extensive discussions on April 22. Zakharova says that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet is using fake news to justify her position about war crimes in Ukraine. She stated that the UN Secretary-General should investigate the atrocities committed by the Ukrainian army and nationalists against their civilian population. Moscow has warned the west of action if provoking Neo-Nazi attacks is not stopped with terrible consequences. Related Article: Moscow Accuses Azov Nazis of Holding Civilians Disrupting Humanitarian Corridor Established in Mariupol While Ukraine Hurls Accusations @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. County Commission District 8 candidate Tucker McClendon said his election opponent, East Ridge Vice Mayor Mike Chauncey, "launched a profanity-laced tirade against a constituent in East Ridge." Mr. McClendon, who is currently the School Board chairman, said, "The exchange occurred on the East Ridge Concerned Citizens Facebook Group. A citizen, John Tilley, commented that Mr. Chauncey voted to raise property taxes by 28 percent in 2021. "At that point, Mr. Chauncey began to rant against Mr. Tilley, including calling him a (blanking) coward for simply not answering his phone at 11:30 pm. Chauncey then sent private messages to Mr. Tilley until midnight that were even more profanity-laced. "Mike Chauncey spent his campaign attacking my maturity and integrity throughout this race, yet this is the example he sets. These actions show poor decision-making and immaturity from Mr. Chauncey. It is offensive, belligerent, and, frankly, unacceptable from a sitting elected official and candidate running for higher office. "Since the start of this election cycle, my campaign has been about promoting what I can do for the citizens of District 8 on the County Commission. We will continue to do that for the next three days as we close out this election. "Still, I can not let these comments stand without denouncing them in a statement on behalf of the people of District 8. "You can see some of the exchanges, since deleted, here (WARNING EXPLICIT LANGUAGE):" https://postimg.cc/R3N66Dp9 https://postimg.cc/r04DgtLP https://postimg.cc/N2w5nfsf https://postimg.cc/Y4Z41zTF Oscar-nominee Adam Driver has been busy playing many of Hollywoods most significant roles. But one of his highly anticipated movies, the racing biopic Ferrari, has taken almost 20 years to reach the starting line. With director Michael Mann now in Italy for pre-production, the films engines are finally revving. Adam Driver has had an incredible movie career Adam Driver attends the UK Premiere Of House of Gucci at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on November 09, 2021 in London, England. | Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Universal Pictures As one of Hollywoods leading men, Adam Driver has had a busy career. His breakout role came in HBOs Girls, which led to several Emmy nominations. This gave way to parts in more independent-style features like Francis Ha and Inside Llewyn Davis. While the latter made him swear off seeing his own movies, it earned him much acclaim. And so did studio productions like Steven Spielbergs Lincoln. Driver is probably best known for his role as Kylo Ren in Star Wars. But he has spent recent years playing incredibly diverse, complex characters. His resume includes prominent roles in major films like BlacKkKlansman, Marriage Story, Annette, The Last Duel, and, most recently, House of Gucci, as Maurizio Gucci. Why Ferrari has stalled at the race A movie about Enzo Ferrari called Ferrari is coming. Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz are set to star in Michael Manns new film https://t.co/RHub6oq3TB pic.twitter.com/MwoYCm8TTH Top Gear (@BBC_TopGear) February 15, 2022 Despite legendary director Michael Mann at the helm and the films all-star cast, Ferrari has seen many obstacles on its journey. Its taken almost 20 years to start filming. According to Deadline, Ferrari has been stop-start for the best part of two decades. It cycled through many iterations to get the project greenlit. And naturally, it was put on hold again due to the pandemic. Once production resumed and filming began again the world-over, the movie came up against another hurdle due to the precarious financial position of [U.S. studio] STX. The sale of the studio should move things along the track. Adam Driver plays Enzo Ferrari amid a star-studded cast Fire up your engines. Were excited to announce FERRARI directed by the legendary Michael Mann starring Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz and Shailene Woodley. The Enzo Ferrari biopic begins principal photography in Italy this Spring. #STXfilms pic.twitter.com/5bfyjiKYWd STXfilms (@STXfilms) February 9, 2022 In the upcoming Ferrari, Adam Driver plays Enzo Ferrari, ex-racecar driver, and the auto brands namesake and creator. The film takes place in 1957, with the company at high risk of bankruptcy. It follows Drivers character, Enzo, and his wife, Laura, through their personal and business troubles. To save his family and his business, Enzo bets his livelihood on one epic race across Italy: The thousand-mile Mille Miglia. Driver stars alongside other big names. Theres Penelope Cruz as Enzos wife, Laura, and Big Little Lies Shailene Woodley as Enzos mistress, Lina Lardi. And while Driver is known for shying away from the spotlight, claiming fame seems counterintuitive to being an actor, the film will likely continue the A-listers streak of high-profile, mass-release movies. Director Michael Mann is reportedly in Italy for preproduction. Filming is scheduled to begin in mid-2022. While Ferraris release date is still unknown, it seems poised to win the race whenever the film finally comes to theaters. Perhaps it will even eventually land Driver his first Oscar. RELATED: Adam Driver: 1 Role Makes Him Uncomfortably Famous, Another Caused a Fan to Give Him a Creepy Gift Chris Hemsworths Thor went through a bit of a personality shift during his career in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This was in no small part thanks to Hemsworth, who felt that his character might have gotten a bit one-note. Because of this, Hemsworth suggested slightly tweaking Thor in a way that would revitalize his character. Chris Hemsworth almost didnt end up starring in Thor Chris Hemsworth Brook Mitchell/Getty Images Although many might find it difficult to imagine anyone else as Thor at this point, Hemsworth narrowly acquired the role. In rehearsing for Thor, the actor went up against some stiff competition. But in his own words, he failed to impress in his first audition. However, Hemsworths younger brother, Liam Hemsworth, seemed to have better luck pursuing the Marvel superhero than he did. I came into the audition with Kenneth Branagh and thought I nailed it and then never heard anything back. Months went by and then my brother, my little brother, Liam, was in Australia and sent a tape across and he got a callback, then another callback and then was down to the last kind of four or five people for it, Hemsworth told W magazine. Eventually, future Avengers director Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard helped Hemsworth get another chance at auditioning for the character. I remember sitting in Vancouver, shooting Cabin in the Woods with Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon. Both of them were looking at the trades at this sort of top five guys for Thor and saying, Why arent you in the mix here? What happened? I said, I dont know. I blew my audition I guess. None of those guys got it, he recalled. My manager then called up and said, You know, hes got an older brother. Can we bring him back in? So I did an audition in Vancouver in this hotel room with my mum reading Anthony Hopkins part. The second audition went a lot better than the first, which eventually led to Hemsworth becoming the Asgardian. Chris Hemsworth once shared he was getting bored of himself playing Thor Hemsworth felt there was more he couldve given while playing Thor as he was originally written in the earlier films. Although he enjoyed much success and acceptance portraying the character, the actor still felt it was time for a change. Fortunately, Thor: Ragnorak director Taika Waititi had similar thoughts. We all had, I think, the same sort of want and need and passion to change this up in a big way. I remember meeting up with Taika early in the process, and he said, Lets just break everything we know, and destroy it, and rebuild it, Hemsworth said in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live. This proved to be a perfect idea for the megastar, who admittedly began to find himself as Thor a bit dull. Every day was about sort of exploring the unknown, and trying something different. I got pretty bored of myself as that character, and so did he. Maybe a few people out there. So we thought, Lets do something different. And every day was improvised, he added. This eventually led to the more comedic iteration of the character that fans have come to know today. Chris Hemsworth really enjoyed Avengers Endgames Thor In Avengers Endgame, Hemsworth and Marvel introduced another version of Thor that wasnt as physically fit as hes usually depicted. Speaking to Variety, Hemsworth shared that playing this Thor was a nice change of pace. I enjoyed that version of Thor, he says. It was so different than any other way I played the character. And then it took on a life of its own. But this also led to a lot of touching behind the scenes, with many curious to see how Thors new body felt. People just kept coming up and cuddling me like a big bear or rubbing my belly like I was pregnant, Hemsworth added. Or trying to sit on my lap like I was Santa Claus. You get a lot of affection. I felt like an old man, an old grandpa, with a bunch of kids around. And then you get sick of it when people come up and grab your belly. RELATED: Thor: Love and Thunder: Did Chris Hemsworth Confirm His New Look? Not every movie Mads Mikkelsen has appeared in is good, but every movie is better for having Mikkelsen involved. The Danish actor has impressed critics and fans for over two decades, starring in global blockbusters and cult classics alike. Given the variety of his work over the years, its always interesting to hear how he prepares to portray characters in wildly different stories. As studious as Mikkelsen is about his work, he makes it clear in a recent interview that he will never go full method for any performance. Method acting gets a bad rap in most circles for valid reasons. Most examples of this practice make the actor in question look silly at best or abusive at worst, all in the name of performances that dont necessarily warrant the self-involved routines. Still, there are a few actors that have been able to use it in good faith. Mads Mikkelsen is a crossover international star Whatever your taste in movies is, theres a Mikkelsen movie for you. He first made inroads in the industry in his native Denmark, most notably in Nicolas Winding Refns Pusher trilogy, winning several national acting awards before beginning to join foreign productions in the mid-2000s. Mikkelsen is suave and charismatic, but still has enough of a mysterious aura around him that he is believable as a hero, villain, and any shade in between. In his most famous roles, Mikkelsens has been a sinister banker who cries blood (Casino Royale), a teacher going through a midlife crisis (Another Round), the serial killing half of a psychosexual romance (Hannibal), and the b*tch in Rihannas B*tch Better Have My Money video. He still regularly leads smaller, indie movies back home while appearing in the cinematic universes of Marvel, Star Wars, and Harry Potter without making any of those endeavors feel like a shameless cash grab. Hes attained universal appeal without sacrificing any originality in the roles he takes. Wherever Mikkelsen is, it makes sense that hes there. Mads Mikkelsen does not see method acting as a necessary form of preparation Mads Mikkelsen | JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images In support of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Mikkelsen took part in an interview with GQ about his life and career. When asked about his approach to new material, he quickly shoots down the notion of going method succinctly saying its bulls**t. Thats not to say that Mikkelsen hasnt gone to great lengths to get ready for a film. He learned how to ride a horse and wield a sword for King Arthur, and learned to speak French for Age of Uprising in 2013. But preparation, you can take into insanity, he says. What if its a s**t 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? The idea of taking his job so seriously brings out the comedic side of Mikkelsens personality. Im having a cigarette? This is from 2020, its not from 1870 can you live with it? he apparently said in a prissy voice. Its just pretentious. Daniel Day-Lewis is a great actor. But its got nothing to do with this. In his opinion, the urge to go method is in part due to the media around movies confusing attention-seeking stunts with legitimate skill. 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. Method acting has its merits, but many stars take it too far Method acting is a complicated subject for the film industry. Everyone wants actors to be creative and use whatever they can to inhabit their characters, but theres a point where going to such extremes for a part crosses the line just makes a person look absurd, and makes the experiences of the cast and crew around him (its usually a him) more annoying than it should be. The chief practitioner of bad method acting is Jared Leto. His antics on the set of Suicide Squad in case you forgot, this man was giving out live rats, dead pigs, and used sex toys are legendary examples of what not to do on a film set. Leto is far from the only offender. Shia Labeouf cut himself and ripped out a tooth for a mediocre war movie, but at least he didnt make anyone else deal with his wild idea. On the other hand, people like Mikkelsen and Samuel L. Jackson dont see the need to push boundaries to such an extent. It would be unfair to say that method acting has never worked. Daniel Day-Lewis seemed to only pick roles where he could go method for much of his career and hes considered one of the best actors ever. The difference with people like him is that his way of going method didnt encroach on other peoples space, as well as the fact that Day-Lewis is just way more talented than most. In some cases, these antics are just funny, like when Lady Gaga pulled out all the stops to nail the voice of Donatella Versace just to emit the same stereotypical Italian voice that everyone can do. Still, Robert Pattinsons assertion that actors only go method when actors are playing jerks tends to be correct. RELATED: How Will Poulter and Jared Leto Show the 2 Sides to Method Acting TL;DR: Author Tina Brown says Meghan Markle proved more unmanageable than Princess Diana because she joined the royal family already a strong woman. The royal biographer claims We dont want another Diana was the palaces most repeated refrain in her book, The Palace Papers. Brown says The Firm and Meghan Markle couldve done things differently. Meghan Markle | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images We dont want another Diana. The phrase allegedly was often heard at Buckingham Palace, according to royal expert Tina Brown. Then, Meghan Markle came along. And the royal family got it all over again though the situation was different in some ways, per the author. According to Brown, the Duchess of Sussex proved to be more unmanageable than Princess Diana. Author says the royal family thought they did everything to prevent another Princess Diana Brown dissects whats recently happened with the royal family in her book, The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsorthe Truth and the Turmoil. It, of course, includes Meghan Markle marrying Prince Harry and their subsequent exit from royal life. Speaking to Marie Claire about history repeating itself, Brown claimed Meghan became another Diana for the royal family. This was something Queen Elizabeth IIs advisers desperately wanted to avoid, Brown said. Ever since the death of Diana in 1997, the Queen had made it clear to all those who advised her that it could never happen againthe it being Dianas explosive celebrity, Brown wrote in The Palace Papers. The refrain most repeated at the pinnacle of the Palace was we dont want another Diana. Asked what the royal family has done to prevent another Diana, Brown told the publication, They thought they did everything. Brown continued: For 20 years, theyd been chugging along, trying to make the point that everyone was now in line. The Firm got itself in shape. We had the glory years, which I write about: the 2011 period of the Queen going to Ireland, Harry serving in the armyall of it seemed as if it were righting itself. But then things changed. The great and fascinating thing about this family saga, which is why it makes such interesting material, is fate steps in and introduces Meghan to Harry. And all of the sudden they have it all over again, she said. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation Meghan Markle proved to be more unmanageable because she was already a strong, charismatic woman when she married Prince Harry Brown said Meghan was more unmanageable than Diana because of where Meghan was at that time in her life. When Meghan married the Duke of Sussex in 2018, she was the oldest woman to marry into the royal family at the age of 36. Shes a celebrity, a woman who has a lot of her own charisma and a strong will of her own, a strong sense of independence, who is not going to be subservient to this concept of hierarchy and monarchy, according to Brown. They had it all over again, and, in a way that was almost more unmanageable because Diana was a child, really, when she married, she added. Harrys mother had been 20 when she wed Prince Charles in 1981, having celebrated her birthday four weeks earlier. Author suggests slower wouldve been better for Meghan Markle Meghan and Harry stepped back from their roles as senior royals in 2020. Now they have a new life in California, where they reside with their two kids. But could things have worked out with the royal family? I think it could have been made to work extremely well, Brown said. Her suggestion? Meghan taking things much, much slower than she did. She really did want to come out with guns blazing as the new global royal, the author added, saying Meghan needed to absorb more of the culture of the Palace and understand the minefields there. RELATED: Prince Harry Remembers 2017 Toronto Invictus Games With Meghan Markle as a Lot Oscar Isaac has recently received critical acclaim for his performance in the Marvel Studios Moon Knight. The Golden Globe Award nominee delivered an impressive portrayal of dual personalities Marc Spector and Steven Grant that was one for the books. Isaac had a significant role in the movie and production as he not only acted in it but was also an executive producer. Juggling all of these may have taken a toll on anyone, but Isaac had familial help with him. What is Moon Knight about? Moon Knight follows a Jewish-American mercenary who battles dissociative identity disorder, bringing him into contact with several alter egos, including Steven Grant. Marc Spector seemingly leads a double life, with half of his life being the avatar of the Egyptian moon god while the other half of him being a well-mannered gift shop employee. When the identities meet, there is visible tension, but they eventually warm up to each other and help each other get out of conflicts. Isaac plays the various roles of Spector/ Moon Knight and Grant. In an interview with RadioTimes, the actor admitted that he didnt expect that the role would be as demanding. When figuring out how to take on the different roles, Isaac decided to differentiate each character with different accents; thus, Grants British accent was born. The studio very much welcomed the decision to give the characters different accents despite the comics dictating otherwise. Oscar Isaacs brother played a significant role in the series Hes the one youll see coming. See Marvel Studios #MoonKnight, an Original series streaming March 30, only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/YQ31oubmpc Moon Knight (@moonknight) March 23, 2022 Portraying different identities all at once can be taxing on even the best, which is why Isaac decided to enlist his familys help to play the roles at once. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Isaac revealed that his brother Michael Hernandez had a role in the series. The production required a stand-in for the actor to act opposite when sharing scenes with himself, and as it turns out, Isaac knew the best person for the role. It was wild to have him on set and to play off of. Hes a great actor, and we share DNA, so he was very helpful. I couldnt have done this with anyone else, he gushed. Isaac admitted that playing the various characters was challenging but said he and his brother already had chemistry which they relied on to get through it effectively. We improvised sometimes together. It was so much fun, he said. Interestingly, Moon Knight isnt the first production the Hernandez brothers worked on together. The pair also appeared on screen together in 2020 for the short film The Letter Room, which received critical acclaim. Hernandez is a journalist, but he occasionally dabbles in the acting industry from time to time. Oscar Isaac has an illustrious career Oscar Isaac | Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney The actors full name is Oscar Isaac Hernandez Estrada. He was born in Guatemala in 1979 to a Guatemalan mother and a Cuban father. Isaac also has a sister Nicole Hernandez Hammer who is a climate scientist. Isaac started acting after being cast in a play. He made his debut in the 1996 crime drama Illtown. He then had a few gigs in All About the Benjamins, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and The Nativity Story, where he played the biblical character Joseph. The role garnered him some recognition and helped him earn more roles, including Balibo and Robin Hood. However, it wasnt until 2013 that he got his breakthrough, appearing in Inside Llewyn Davis. The role helped make him a household name and got him several gigs, including Star Wars, X-Men Apocalypse, The Promise, and Annihilation. RELATED: Moon Knight Stars Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke Did Mushrooms Together in Budapest: We Danced With God Tom Petty and Bob Dylan were friends and performed together on more than one occasion. Though they were in The Traveling Wilburys together, Petty said that one of the most impactful moments with Dylan came when the Heartbreakers toured as his backing band. Petty shared that Dylans music and performance style was foundational for the band. He explained how touring with Dylan made himself and his band more courageous as performers. Tom Petty and Bob Dylan | Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images Tom Petty and Bob Dylan were in The Traveling Wilburys together Petty said Elvis and The Beatles influenced him most as a teenager, but Dylans talent immediately struck him. We hadnt heard Dylan [growing up in Florida] until Like A Rolling Stone came out as a single, Petty explained, per American Songwriter. And we loved that right away. We learned that, did it in the show. We learned all his singles. We didnt have Dylan albums until Blonde on Blonde [1966]. I had heard Highway 61 Revisited [1965]. A friend of mine had that. But I actually bought Blonde on Blonde. Thats where I really got into Bob. And I started to really dig his thing. Long after Pettys high school years in Florida, he had the opportunity to play with Dylan in The Traveling Wilburys. The band also included George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne. Petty shared that he learned a lot from the other musician Petty was a big fan of Dylan, and Dylan later became a fan of Pettys work. As he geared up to go on a tour of Australia in 1986, he invited The Heartbreakers to join him. Wed all been huge Dylan fans, and we were very intrigued by the idea of playing with Bob, Petty said. So off we went. And that went on for two years. Wed do part of it and then more would get added on, and then more would get added on. We really did the world with Bob Dylan. Petty said that Dylan taught them a lot about music. I learned so much from Bob Dylan, he told The Daily Telegraph in 2012. He gave us a kind of courage that we never had, to learn something quickly and go out on stage and play it. You had to be pretty versatile because arrangements could change, keys might change, theres just no way of knowing exactly what he wants to do each night. You really learned the value of spontaneity, of how a moment that is real in a concert is worth so much more than one you plan out. He was grateful for a chance to perform and later write with such a talented musician. George (Harrison) once told me, Bob makes Shakespeare look like Billy Joel,' he said. He was joking, but Bob is so far above the rest of us. He is the wandering minstrel, the traveling troubadour, and his gift is so great. Bob Dylan spoke highly of Tom Petty after his death After Pettys death in 2017, Dylan spoke about how highly he thought of the Heartbreakers frontman. Bob Dylan and Tom Petty | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Its shocking, crushing news, he said, per Pitchfork. I thought the world of Tom. He was a great performer, full of the light, a friend, and Ill never forget him. Dylan also paid tribute to Petty by covering his song Learning to Fly in concert. RELATED: George Harrison Told Bob Dylan to Leave His Ego at the Front Door When Playing With The Traveling Wilburys In 2021, rapper Travis Scott hosted his music festival Astroworld in his hometown of Houston after a year off due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 10 people died during his performance as a result of overcrowding. In the time since then, the Highest In the Room rapper has maintained a low profile, and has yet to perform his first show for the public since the tragedy. But in late 2022, hell be making his grand return to the stage nearly one year to the day since Astroworld 2021. Travis Scott performs during 2021 Astroworld Festival | Erika Goldring/WireImage Astroworld 2021 resulted in 10 people dead In November 2021, Travis Scott took the stage to close out the first night of his Astroworld festival in Houston. But tens of thousands of people were crowded into a venue with no capacity limits. As a result, 10 people died either on-site or later at the hospital as a result of compression asphyxia. Scott shared his sympathy in an Instagram post that night, and the second day of the festival was cancelled as a result. Since then, Scott has yet to give a public performance. Do YOU wanna know? Este es el line up de #PrimaveraSoundBsAs! Lo piden, lo tienen! Estas preparado para vivir esta experiencia? pic.twitter.com/lu1h0NezR5 Primavera Sound Buenos Aires (@PS_BuenosAires) April 27, 2022 Travis Scott is performing at Primavera Sound for his first show since Astroworld Scott will give his first performance since Astroworld at the first-ever Primavera Sound festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Hell be performing on November 6, 2022 one day after the one-year anniversary of the tragedy. In addition to that show, hell also be performing the following weekend at Primavera Sound in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 12 and Santiago, Chile on November 13. Scott is currently scheduled to appear at Miamis E11even nightclub on May 7. But Scott will only be hosting the event, and will not perform. O lineup por dia do #PrimaveraSoundSaoPaulo tambem ja esta entre nos! Confira qual dia os seus artistas favoritos irao se apresentar e tambem os shows que acontecerao no #PrimaveraNaCidade Garanta seu ingresso: https://t.co/1uf8PQrtbg pic.twitter.com/ZJfdmncCK1 Primavera Sound Sao Paulo (@PsSaopaulo) April 27, 2022 RELATED: Travis Scott Partied With Drake at Dave & Busters After His Deadly Astroworld Festival He launched a safety initiative after the incident Scott, along with LiveNation and other culpable parties, are currently fighting lawsuits in court in relation to the festival. In March 2022, he shared a statement on Instagram about a safety initiative he was pioneering to ensure nothing like Astroworld 2021 ever happens again. Over the past few months Ive been taking the time and space to grieve, reflect and do my part to heal my community, he said. Most importantly, I want to use my resources and platform moving forward towards actionable change. This will be a lifelong journey for me and my family. While its easy for corporations and institutions to stay in the shadows, I feel as a leader in my community, I need to step up in times of need, he continued. My team and I created Project HEAL to take much-needed action towards supporting real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be. I will always honor the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever. Giving back and creating opportunities for the youth is something Ive always done and will continue to do as long as I have the chance, he concluded. This program will be a catalyst to real change and I cant wait to introduce the rest of the technology and ideas weve been working on. See you all so soon. Scott is slated to release his fourth album Utopia in 2022. RELATED: Travis Scott Is Launching a New Safety Initiative After His Astroworld Tragedy The FX series Under the Banner of Heaven tells the story of the murder of Brenda Lafferty in 1984. Based on Jon Krakauers book, showrunner Dustin Lance Black depicts the investigation, and flashbacks leading up to Laffertys murder. Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Lafferty and discussed what she learned about her character. Daisy Edgar-Jones | FX Networks Edgar-Jones was on a Television Critics Association panel for Under the Banner of Heaven on March 29. Heres what she saw in Lafferty and learned about her. New episodes premiere Thursdays on Hulu. Brenda Lafferty letters showed Under the Banner of Heaven actor Daisy Edgar-Jones empathy Edgar-Jones said Black gave her all of his research into Brenda Lafferty. Furthermore, Edgar-Jones got to read letters Lafferty wrote to her sister. This gave her great insight into Under the Banner of Heaven. RELATED: Under the Banner of Heaven: Andrew Garfield Felt Compelled by Jeb Pyre Crisis of Faith Something that really struck me was what an incredibly empathetic person she was, Edgar-Jones said. In the scenes that we see, particularly in that first episode, we watch her watching people quite a lot. And I think that was something I really wanted to capture. Shes someone who is always kind of more concerned with the experiences of the people around her than whats going on for herself. That empathetic quality was what I really wanted to try and emulate in my performance. Daisy Edgar-Jones also learned about the community at the heart of Under the Banner of Heaven Edgar-Jones research also illuminated the environment in which Laffertys murder occurred. Under the Banner of Heaven depicts the Latter-Day Saints community in Utah. Through kind of researching, through the process of making this, its hard to not be hyper aware of the sort of misogyny thats so laced in so much of our culture and so many religions. In Brendas case, her experience of her faith is very different because of the family she grew up in. But still there is this pressure to ultimately become a wife and sort of serve her priesthood. And I think it was interesting to learn about certain aspects of the faith, but I think its not unique to Mormonism. In most religions, the woman is often in a far more sort of passive role. So yeah, that did kind of bring some things up for me. Daisy Edgar-Jones, Television Critics Association panel, 3/29/22 Daisy Edgar-Jones returned to Brenda Laffertys kindness Edgar-Jones also tried to embody Laffertys widower, Allens description of her. Under the Banner of Heaven depicts the events leading up to Allens brothers Dan and Rays conviction for murdering Brenda and her 15-month-old baby. It was just about capturing her essence, Edgar-Jones said. Obviously the way that Allen describes her I think is true to her. She was someone who was so full of kindness and she was someone who was incredibly empathetic and did sort of light up a room. Gather yourself. FXs Under the Banner of Heaven starring Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, and @daisyedgarjones premieres April 28. Only on Hulu. From Executive Producers and Academy Award winners @dlanceblack, @realronhoward, and @briangrazer. pic.twitter.com/MfjOFOahJl FX Networks (@FXNetworks) April 4, 2022 Black also developed profound feelings about Lafferty while researching Under the Banner of Heaven. He admired her for standing up to the traditional teachings of the faith. I got to meet Brenda in the book, which was fantastic, Black said. And I really admired her, because I understood the strength having come from this world. It would take such courage for a woman in most faiths, particularly the Mormon faith, to do what Brenda did, even today. The fact that she was doing that in 1984, surrounded by the people she was surrounded by, it was so incredibly impressive. RELATED: Andrew Garfields Under the Banner of Heaven Embroiled in Controversy Days Ahead of the Premiere Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022 on Capitol Hill in Washington. Speaking Tuesday night, April 26, 2022, on PBS NewsHour, Fauci said the global pandemic isnt over but the U.S. currently is out of the pandemic phase. But it doesnt mean the coronavirus threat to Americans has ended. Masked Ukrainian security personnel in full riot gear, camouflage, and firearms smashed their way inside Viktor's messy flat in Kharkiv, Ukraine's northern metropolis. After police said were his social media posts applauding Russian President Vladimir Putin for fighting with the Nazis, asking for areas to secede and naming the national flag a sign of death, the middle-aged man came to the notice of Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU. Ukraine 's Anti-collaboration Law Leads to Detain 400 Traitors Viktor was one of roughly 400 persons jailed in the Kharkiv region alone under anti-collaboration measures drafted hastily by Ukraine's parliament and ratified by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following Russia's incursion on February 24. For working with Russian soldiers, making public denials about Russian aggression, or supporting Moscow, offenders risk up to 15 years in jail. Anyone whose activities result in the death of another person might incur the death penalty. Despite widespread support for the Zelenskyy administration, including among many Russian speakers, not all Ukrainians oppose the invasion. Some Russian-speaking citizens of the Donbas, an industrial area in the east, are more supportive of Moscow. Even before this year's invasion, an eight-year battle between Moscow-backed rebels and Ukrainian government forces had killed nearly 14,000 people, Washington Post reported. Some businesses, civic and governmental leaders, and military personnel have defected to Russia, according to Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations, which has initiated over 200 criminal investigations related to collusion. Zelenskyy has even demoted two SBU generals for treason. Read Also: China "Strongly" Opposes US Launch of Guided-Missile Destroyer in Taiwan Strait, Calls Move a Threat to Peace Ukraine Bans 11 Pro-Russian Parties According to Oleksiy Danilov, the director of Ukraine's Security Council, a register of collaborators is being established and will be made public. He wouldn't disclose how many people were targeted throughout the country. Under martial control, authorities have outlawed 11 pro-Russian political organizations, including the Opposition Platform For Life, which was formed by Viktor Medvedchuk, an imprisoned tycoon with close links to Putin, and held 25 members in the 450-member parliament. Authorities claim that pro-Russian volunteers in southern Ukraine, where conflict is raging, are working as spotters for bombardment, as per AP News. Since the new laws were passed, human rights activists have reported dozens of detentions of pro-Russian activists in Kyiv alone, but it's unclear how many have been targeted nationwide, according to Volodymyr Yavorskyy, coordinator at the Center for Civil Liberties, one of Ukraine's largest human rights organizations. Volodymyr Yavorskyy said that a person in Ukraine can be imprisoned for up to 30 days without a court order; and under martial rule, officials are prohibited from informing defense counsel about their clients' custody. The Ukrainian government is well aware of the consequences of arresting individuals for their beliefs, particularly the possibility of feeding Moscow's narrative that Kyiv is suppressing Russian speakers. Officials warn that, in times of conflict, freedom of speech is only one element of the problem. Mayor Anatoly Fedoruk of Bucha, which has become a symbol of the war's heinous violence, said some collaborators gave invading troops the names and addresses of pro-Ukrainian activists and officials in the city outside Kyiv, with hundreds of civilians shot to death or their bodies burned by Russian forces, according to Global News. Related Article: Moscow Accuses Azov Nazis of Holding Civilians Disrupting Humanitarian Corridor Established in Mariupol While Ukraine Hurls Accusations @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Divorce papers reveal Lysa TerKeurst's husband spent over $100K on extramarital affair A recent court filing has shed light on the divorce proceedings between Proverbs 31 Ministries founder Lysa TerKeurst and her husband, Art, including evidence the latter spent over $100,000 of the couples money on an illicit sexual extramarital affair with a woman he met online. Lysa TerKeurst filed for divorce in December 2021 and publicly announced her decision in January, revealing her husband of nearly three decades had engaged in chosen patterns of behavior that dishonor God and the biblical covenant of marriage. The couple has five adult children together. In 2017, TerKeurst revealed she would be pursuing a divorce from her husband due to his infidelity and struggles with addiction. At the time, she wrote he had been repeatedly unfaithful to me with a woman he met online and was abusing substances. However, the couple renewed their vows just over a year later after working to restore their marriage. In her latest divorce announcement, TerKeurst said her husband had "broken" those renewed vows. In February, Art TerKeurst filed a response to the divorce petition, requesting post-separation support, alimony, an equitable division of property, damages and the rescission of a post-nuptial agreement, Ministry Watch reported. He claimed that he signed the post-nuptial agreement under duress, at a time when he was suicidal and preparing to enter a treatment facility for alcoholism. Art TerKeurst argued that after he finished treatment for his addictions and the couple renewed their vows, he believed the post-nuptial agreement was invalidated as part of their fresh start. Though admitting hed engaged in illicit sexual behavior prior to the post-nuptial agreement, he claimed to have been a faithful and dutiful spouse ever since. Seeking post-separation support, Terkeurst said he is actually and substantially dependent upon [his] wife for his maintenance and support, adding the does not possess the financial ability or adequate resources to meet his accustomed standard of living. But in April, Lysa TerKeurst entered a motion to dismiss Arts counterclaims, a request to compel arbitration and a reply to his allegations, according to Ministry Watch. In her filing, the ministry leader said her husband freely agreed to the post nuptial agreement and voluntarily withdrew from the alcohol treatment program without completing it. She claimed his allegations of being suicidal were false, and that Art TerKeurst had exhibited narcissistic and sociopathic tendencies over the years. The Forgiving What You Cant Forget author claimed that the couple maintained completely separate financial accounts pursuant to the post-nuptial agreement even after reconciling, and said that post-separation support and alimony ought to be denied due to her husbands infidelity. The filing also includes text messages between Art TerKeurst and Mistress X. He allegedly met the woman on the website SugarDaddy.com and spent at least $118,000 of the TerKeursts money on the relationship. Expenses included paying for the mistress to move from Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina, and buying her a pre-engagement left hand ring. In her January divorce announcement, the 52-year-old said shed fought really hard to not just save my marriage but to survive the devastation of what consistent deception of one spouse does to the other. Its brutal and heart crushing to constantly fear the hurtful choices of someone you love. Ive had to learn the hard way theres a big difference between mistakes (which we all make) and chosen patterns of behavior that dishonor God and the biblical covenant of marriage. In an April Instagram post, the ministry leader shared an update with her followers, reflecting on the moment she said, No more. No more devastation. No more betrayal. No more being lied to. No more. Sometimes no more means implementing good boundaries that will help hold each person accountable to healthier relational patterns, she wrote. Sometimes no more means acknowledging a heartbreaking reality that wise counsel has helped you see is no longer sustainable. Both dynamics require that we pursue healing. We need solid truth from Gods word to help guide and direct us. We need a godly professional counselor who is specifically trained to educate, comfort, and challenge us. Coptic Christian shot dead at work, assailants set fire to his car and flee Four unidentified masked men barged into the shop of a young Coptic man in the city of Dabaa in Egypt, shot him in the head 22 times, killing him on the spot, and burned his car before fleeing the scene, according to media reports. The victim, identified as Rani Raafat, was killed instantly from the gunshot wounds, and another man, Sherif Rashad, sustained a gunshot wound during the attack in Matrouh Governorate, Middle East 24 reported, adding that the attackers also burned Raafats car and fled. The father of the deceased, Raafat Nour, was quoted as saying, I was at home in Dabaa, and a phone call came to my son to open the shop to receive goods for agricultural supplies in a project he works in the afternoon. I later received a phone call of the death of my son. When I went to the store, I found him dead and lying on the ground, overwhelmed in own his blood. The slain Christian worked in the veterinary medicine trade and had no known enemies, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog group International Christian Concern said. His father added, My son had a problem in December 2021, and was beaten with a shotgun. The accused was arrested and imprisoned. We sat with his family, and they promised us that the matter would be over, and my son was transferred from El Dabaa High School to a school in Burj Al Arab I only want to apprehend the perpetrators and hold them accountable, and to take the right of my son through the judiciary. Earlier this month, a 56-year-old Coptic Orthodox priest of Alexandria, Arsanious Wadid, from the Church of the Virgin Mary and St. Paul in Moharm Bek district, was stabbed several times in the neck and died en route to the hospital, ICC reported earlier. We have seen a second major incident in just a few weeks, ICCs president, Jeff King, said. We are watching Egypt closely to see if these are warning signs of a more challenging future for Egyptian Christians. Our prayers are with the victims family and we urge the authorities to conduct a transparent investigation which affirms due process of law. The Copts, who make up about 10% of Egypts population, are the descendants of a long line of ancient Egyptians who later converted to Christianity in the early first century, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. According to the persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA, Egypt is among the 20 worst persecutors of Christians in the world. Incidents of Christian persecution in Egypt vary from Christian women being harassed while walking in the street to Christian communities being driven out of their homes by extremist mobs, the group says on its website, adding that Christians are typically treated as second-class citizens. Egypts government speaks positively about the Egyptian Christian community, but the lack of serious law enforcement and the unwillingness of local authorities to protect Christians leave them vulnerable to all kinds of attacks, especially in Upper Egypt, it explains. Due to the dictatorial nature of the regime, neither church leaders nor other Christians are in a position to speak out against these practices. Churches and Christian nongovernmental organizations are restricted in their ability to build new churches or run social services, it adds. The difficulties come both from state restrictions, as well as from communal hostility and mob violence. Stop sexually grooming children and quit gaslighting parents Evidence continues to pour in that insidious, widespread sexualization of children is taking place. As a journalist who has tracked some of this over the years, I have heard from parents whose political and religious views span the spectrum. Many contact me and are enraged, fuming over what they see happening to their kids. Such parents feel like they are going crazy. I usually assure them that, no, they are not being paranoid. What they are watching unfold with their very own eyes is real. I have compiled a sample of what has become a disturbing cultural trend. At some point it must be asked: How much do parents have to witness before they can know that these are not isolated incidents but part of a larger pattern? Dare we call this grooming problem systemic despite how legacy media talking heads and others are posturing over the technical definition of grooming? Here are 12 examples Ive observed: To anyone breezily dismissing the mounting concerns of parents, or to those who might think that this is limited to the fringe of our politics, how many more anecdotes do you need before you see a pattern? When might you realize that these are not random one-offs? And before anyone asks, no, you will not hear me excusing grooming in conservative spaces or in religious settings. In my estimation, thats even worse because God's name and twisted theological claptrap are often used to cover it up. Yet when parents demand that their elected officials do something about this in the schools or in the wider culture, it is frustrating when they are told that they are not being "inclusive" enough or that it doesn't technically fit the precise definition of "grooming." Parse words all you want, if none of what I've listed here constitutes "grooming," nothing does. Please, let kids be kids. Stop sexualizing them. And for the love of God and all that is decent, quit gaslighting their parents. China shuts down popular Christian website amid crackdown on religious groups The latest victim of the Chinese Communist Partys ongoing crackdown against Christianity in cyberspace is a well-known Christian website which has disappeared after serving believers for about 21 years, according to a report. The people behind the popular Christian website, Jona Home, have put a notice on the Home page, which reads, Due to reasons known to everyone, from now on our site can no longer serve brothers and sisters in Christ. Thanks to all for your company and support in the past 21 years! U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said. The notice further reads, The disappearance of a website is merely a disappearance of a website, it does not carry any meaning. Except that the website link can no longer be opened, there is nothing else which stopped at that moment; Need not to be concerned, and just keep walking. A new legislation, known as Administrative Measures for Internet Religious Information Services, was enacted on March 1, Bitter Winter, a publication produced by the Center for Studies on New Religion which covers human rights issues in China, reported earlier. The law mandates an Internet Religious Information Service License for any religious group that wants to disseminate religious content on the internet. But it says only legally established organizations can do so, which practically means only groups that are part of the five authorized religions in China can use the internet to distribute religious content. Open Doors USA, which covers persecution in over 60 countries, estimates that China has more than 97 million Christians, many of whom worship in unregistered or so-called illegal underground churches. The five state-sanctioned religious groups in China are the Buddhist Association of China, the Chinese Taoist Association, the Islamic Association of China, the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. Even the organizations within the five authorized religions are subject to surveillance and limitations, Bitter Winter reported. As per the new law: [T]hey can broadcast sermons and lessons, but these would be checked by the authorities for their Sinicized content, making sure they promote socialist values and support the party, and are not intended as proselytization tools. Religious universities and colleges may disseminate content via the internet only to their students. Any attempt to spread religious content to minors or induce minors to believe in religion will lead to the termination of the license. Without the license, it will be severely prohibited to share images or comments on religious ceremonies such as worshiping Buddha, burning incense, taking ordination, chanting, worship, mass and baptisms. The law followed dictates by President Xi Jinping that prohibitions on the use of the internet to advertise religion were not enough to prevent religious propaganda. In 2018, the Chinese government banned the sale of Bibles at online bookstores across the country to comply with a white paper that dictated compliance with the core values of socialism. Australia's ABC News reported at the time that copies of the Gospels had been removed from online retailers following the release of a regime document titled Chinas Policies and Practices on Protecting Freedom of Religious Belief. The white paper declared that Chinese faith communities should adhere to the direction of localizing the religion, practice the core values of socialism, develop and expand the fine Chinese tradition and actively explore the religious thought which accords with China's national circumstances. What should you do if a pastor ever tells you to repent of your 'whiteness'? Last week I attended the biannual and final Together for the Gospel (T4G) conference. Started by Mark Dever, Al Mohler Jr., Ligon Duncan, and C.J. Mahaney in 2006, the goal of the conference over the last 16 years has been to gather pastors together for a time of encouragement through sermons, singing, and fellowship. The hope was that the conference could live up to its name, bringing Christians and pastors from around the world together for the Gospel that is, centered on a fellowship grounded in a shared understanding of the key doctrinal commitments of the true Gospel found in the Scriptures, which (ideally and normally) would transcend denominational and ecclesiological differences. Despite doctrinal disagreement and opposition that I have with some of the previous speakers, I have a personal friendship with the founder of the conference, Mark Dever, who is a man I love and respect. I dont agree with Mark on everything, of course, and we may weigh the threats facing the American church differently, but Mark led me to the faith and has served as a spiritual father and mentor to me for the last decade. While other parts of evangelicalism have also suffered conflict over compromise related to sexual ethics, the role of women in the Church, and so on, I think its fair to say that the main issue that has disrupted T4G in a variety of ways since 2016 has been the issue of race in America and how pastors, Christians, and churches should respond in the wake of national events like the deaths of Michael Brown, George Floyd, and others. Perhaps most infamously, David Platt used his sermon in 2018 to chastise the room full of pastors about the demographic makeup of their churches, despite the fact that the vast majority of them probably serve in communities that are 90% white (if not higher). With that as background, I want to share with you some of the highlights of what Kevin DeYoung, a Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) pastor of a church in North Carolina, had to say about how Christians should approach CRT on the (aptly named) panel entitled, Why We Should Be Critical of CRT. The highlight of the CRT panel The panel was pitched as a time to raise issues of CRT that have been so hot in the evangelical world and beyond. Dever asked DeYoung and Bobby Scott, pastor of Community of Faith Bible Church in California, to address how pastors can keep the Gospel central and engage with CRT. But thats not entirely what happened. The dynamic of the panel, and the conversation that ensued, broke down essentially like this: DeYoung directly addressed issues with CRT, while Scott shared his personal biography and familial history dealing with racism and the experience of being a minority in America. At the outset of the panel, Scott rightly noted that pastors dont need to be experts on every legal theory or ideology out there, but they do need to be experts in the Bible. I think hes spot on there. He also rightly exhorted those present that we have to filter everything through the Bible whatever ideology, left or right, we have to filter through the Word of God. Then Dever transitioned to DeYoung, who argued that CRT, according to its own admission and definitions, presents a revisionist view of American history where white people have only ever supported efforts to reduce racism in this country when it serves to work to their own benefits. Of course, thats not true, but thats what CRT practitioners want us to think. DeYoung effectively summed it up like this: As CRT-infected thinking has swept across our nation we have traded a hagiography of American history for a hamartiography of American history. In other words, instead of looking at our past and seeing it full of saints (thats hagiography), its full of irredeemable sinners (thats the hamartiography). Next, he rightly noted that CRT presents the presumption that disparities by definition are the result of racism. This is a really important point of contention. Are all racial disparities the result of discrimination? Or are some racial disparities due to any number of different factors? The answer, of course, is the latter. And he rightly encouraged pastors there to reject CRTs monocausal explanations for racial disparities in our nation, which are bound to be incorrect. A third point DeYoung raised, the most damaging of all, is that CRT pushes us in a direction that is not Gospel Rather than pushing us to see all the things that we most have in common with one another CRT pushes an aggressive color-consciousness. DeYoung characterized this aggressive color-consciousness as antithetical to the emphasis Gospel ministers should have. Instead, Christians should acknowledge that we all have the same sinful nature from Adam and the answer to sin, racism, partiality, what have you, is the same and singular message of Jesus Christ. That Gospel hope, which is what brought even this conference together, is what we should focus on, because as Christians that is what we have most in common and CRT purposely distracts us from that. A deeply troubling anecdote Reflecting further on the disconnect between the media presentation of race relations in America and the reality on the ground, DeYoung argued, Objectively, at no time in American history has there been less racism not no racism but racism is so stigmatized. Then he asked, Why is it in a time when there is less institutional and personal racism than ever before we see mainstream news outlets talking about it more than ever before? Good question, Kevin. As DeYoung was interrogating this sense of hopeless that Christians are beginning to feel over what to do about the picture the media and CRT paint of race, he recounted how a white couple came to his church one recent Sunday, and its just their own anecdote, maybe they are inaccurate, but they said, Our church, a white pastor, has been telling us to repent of our whiteness. This anecdote should not go unnoticed. Its one of the more jaw-dropping revelations from T4G 2022. Christians, forgiven in Christ, are being told by their pastors in presumably orthodox evangelical churches to repent of their whiteness. DeYoung went on to explain how this couple shared that they want to be faithful, to repent of any racism, of any partiality, but they are, in fact, white and they have no idea how to repent of their whiteness. They had to presume that they are just white supremacists now. Sadly, as CRT has infected many Christian churches, more and more good, ordinary, faithful people will be made to feel and bear this impossible burden and be asked to repent of the sin of simply being born white. What should you do if your pastor tells you to repent of your whiteness? This leads me to my final point, and really my one-sentence summary of the entire panel: If a pastor ever tells you to repent of your whiteness run. Its time to find a new church. Why do you need a new church if this is what you hear from a pastor? Because if any pastor is demanding that you repent of something thats not a sin being white as if it is a sin, then they clearly dont understand the Bible, the Gospel, or sin in the first place. Jesus said, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29). The Chief Shepherd doesnt tie up impossible burdens on the backs of His sheep, demanding that they repent of how they were born. No, He says to come to Him and find rest. Want to know how to spot a fake pastor real fast? Hold their teaching up to this test: Do they point you to Jesus to find rest? Or do they point you to CRT to find condemnation? If the latter, its time to pick up your Bible, stand up from those pews, gather your family, and get out of there. DeYoung said Christians should be critical of CRT. I agree. I would take it one step further, however. Christians must reject CRT because it is fundamentally at odds with biblical Christianity. There may be room on your bookshelf for some CRT to be critically read as an intellectual exercise, but there shouldnt be any room for CRT in the pulpit of Gospel-preaching churches. Gods Word, and Gods Word alone, must rule within His Church. Gods Word tells us to repent of sin and only sin and to find salvation in Christ, and Christ alone. Thats a message of hope that this burdened world desperately needs. Lets all hope and pray that pastors, across the country, can be together in that until Christ comes back. Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center. It's much easier to condemn past generations than to judge our own It is very easy for us to condemn the moral actions (or, inactions) of past generations. If only we had been there, we say to ourselves, we would never have done what they did. But are we sure? Will our actions (or, inactions) be judged harshly by future generations? It is far easier to judge others than to judge ourselves. As Paul wrote, You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things (Romans 2:1). If we had been born and raised as white Christians in the early 19th century in Alabama, are we sure that we would have recognized the evils of slavery? If we had been Christians living in Europe during the Holocaust, are we sure that we would not have looked the other way rather than risked our lives to save our Jewish neighbors? And isnt it ironic that some of the most vocal social justice warriors today are among the most militant proponents of abortion, one of the greatest moral abominations on the planet? Commenting on this mindset, Jesus said to the hypocritical religious leaders, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets. So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!" (Matthew 23:29-32) Not long after He spoke these words of rebuke, some of these very leaders were complicit in His death. Thinking back to the Holocaust, a September 2013 article in the strongly left-leaning The Nation begins with these words: "In early 1943, at the height of the Holocaust, a prominent journalist denounced President Franklin Roosevelts response to the Nazi genocide in harsh terms: 'You and I and the President and the Congress and the State Department are accessories to the crime and share Hitlers guilt,' she wrote. If we had behaved like humane and generous people instead of complacent, cowardly ones, the two million Jews lying today in the earth of Poland and Hitlers other crowded graveyards would be alive and safe. We had it in our power to rescue this doomed people and we did not lift a hand to do it or perhaps it would be fairer to say that we lifted just one cautious hand, encased in a tight-fitting glove of quotas and visas and affidavits, and a thick layer of prejudice." And who was it that penned this biting denunciation? It was none other than Freda Kirchwey, staunch New Dealer, Roosevelt supporter, and editor-in-chief of The Nation. The article continues, "The Nation spoke out early and vociferously for US action to rescue Europes Jews. After the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom, it called for admission to the United States of at least 15,000 German Jewish refugee children. (The administration declined to endorse the proposal.) The Roosevelt administrations refugee policy is one which must sicken any person of ordinarily humane instinct, Kirchwey wrote in 1940. It is as if we were to examine laboriously the curriculum vitae of flood victims clinging to a piece of floating wreckage and finally to decide that no matter what their virtues, all but a few had better be allowed to drown." Could many lives have been saved, both Jewish and Gentile, had America taken action earlier? Coming under special fire in this just-quoted article was Prof. Laurence Zuckerman, who had defended FDRs World War II actions. In response, he wrote (remember, this was in 2013), At a time when our countrys leaders and many of its citizens are agonizing over how to respond to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, we might all agree that figuring out the best way to stop mass murder overseas has never been an easy task. And so today, we find ourselves in a similar situation. Right in front of our own eyes, on our TV screens, smartphones, and tablets, we see the terrible carnage in Ukraine, often in real time. Our government even accuses the Russians of war crimes and genocide. Yet we have our reasons, we say, not to engage more fully. Should we use our planes or send our soldiers, it will result in a much greater, potentially world-impacting bloodbath. At times like this, we need to act strategically and pragmatically. And every day, the body count grows, including thousands upon thousands of Ukrainian citizens (with countless babies and children and women and elderly among them), as other nations take similar, cautious stands. Are we doing the right thing? Will history look back at us favorably? And what of our participation in the Beijing Winter Olympics after accusing China of committing egregious human rights abuses and atrocities? Was a diplomatic boycott really the best we could do? As to our policy with Ukraine, I do not claim to know with certainty what course of action is right, very much wanting to help the Ukrainians end the war quickly, but being unsure of the long-term consequences. But thats the point Im making. We all have our excuses. We all have our reasons. We all have our justifications. And yet, just as we look back with horror at Christian participation in the slave trade, future generations will look back in horror at some of the choices we have made today. Are we sure we are on the side of that which is right and just and true? May God help us to humble ourselves in His sight, to be ruthlessly honest, to be willing to receive truthful criticism, and to want our blind spots exposed. To quote Paul again (in a very different context), But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged (1 Corinthians 11:30). New technology challenges old scientific conclusions about historic Christian relic An Italian scientist and his team claim their research shows the Shroud of Turin, a fabric purported to have been Christs burial garment, may have originated during the time of Jesuss death and resurrection. Using a new X-ray technique called Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering to examine a sample of the linen, Liberato De Caro of Italys Institute of Crystallography of the National Research Council and his colleagues determined in peer-reviewed research the shroud could be around 2,000 years old. The researchers' findings were published in the international journal Heritage in April. The Shroud of Turin is preserved at the royal chapel of the cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Turin, Italy, and it depicts the image of a crucified man. Many have questioned the linens authenticity since its emergence in the 14th century. Beginning in the 1980s, the Vatican encouraged scientists to conduct further investigations into its legitimacy. The National Catholic Reporter reports that the research conducted in X-ray laboratories at the institute in collaboration with Professor G. Fanti of the University of Padua appears to contradict a 1988 carbon-dating study that suggested the fabric was only about 700 years old. The Shroud of Turin is the most important relic of Christianity. According to Christian tradition, it is the burial shroud that would have wrapped the body of Jesus after his crucifixion, De Caro wrote in an April 13 email interview with The National Catholic Reporter. The scientist believes that carbon dating, a method of age determination that analyzes radiocarbon decay, is not always reliable with fabric, explaining why the 1988 studys conclusion may be incorrect. "Fabric samples are usually subject to all kinds of contamination, which cannot always be controlled and completely removed from the dated specimen," he continued. "If the cleaning procedure of the sample is not thoroughly performed, carbon-14 dating is not reliable," he added. "This may have been the case in 1988, as confirmed by experimental evidence showing that when moving from the periphery towards the center of the sheet, along the longest side, there is a significant increase in carbon-14 (radiocarbon dating)." De Caro has been investigating the shroud for about 30 years and developing techniques to examine the scale of atoms through X-rays. Three years ago, the scientist and his team developed a new method for dating samples from linen fabrics. The new dating method, based on a technique called Wide Angle X-ray Scattering, was first tested on linen samples already dated using other techniques, on samples that had nothing to do with the shroud, and then applied to a sample taken from the Shroud of Turin, De Caro told The National Catholic Reporter. The scientist started researching the Shroud of Turin with his team in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed their work. The team eventually applied the new X-ray dating technique to the Holy Shroud, sending their findings to Heritage in March. The findings were published in April after a month of preparation and peer review from three independent experts and the journals editor. The new technique may also have found evidence that the shroud migrated from the Middle East to Europe. The seven centuries of documented history regarding the Shroud of Turin appear to show it has only ever been located in Europe, leading to further questions regarding its authenticity. But De Caro said an analysis of the shroud showed traces of pollen unique to the ancient region of Palestine trapped in its fibers. The scientist suggested that this means the shroud has spent a significant deal of time in the Middle East and not just Europe. The Shroud of Turin challenges science, and each new piece of research could clarify part of the complex puzzle this relic represents, De Caro wrote. For example, the Shrouds image has yet to find a definitive explanation from those who have studied it, an explanation shared by the entire scientific community. It is as if a photographic plate had been imprinted by radiation, he continued. By studying the traces left on the plate, one tries to trace the nature of the radiation and its properties. The same could be done for the Shrouds image. De Caro stated that this new dating technique is only in its infancy, and whether he uses it to continue studying the Holy Shroud depends on if there are new samples to analyze. The scientist also expressed a desire to use the technique to examine other relics associated with Jesus, such as the Sudarium of Oviedo and the Veil of Manoppello. The former is a cloth that allegedly was used to cover and clean Jesuss face after his crucifixion, and the latter, also called the Veil of Veronica, is a piece of fabric supposedly imprinted with the face of Christ during his walk to Golgotha. NurPhoto | Getty Images The unthinkable just a few months ago has happened: a country has stopped its vaccination program against COVID-19 due to the low rate of infections in recent weeks. This is Denmark and with the decision it becomes the first country in the world to pause its vaccination plan. Through a statement, the National Board of Health explained: Spring has arrived, vaccination coverage in the Danish population is high and the epidemic has been reversed. Therefore, the National Board of Health is now finalizing extensive vaccination efforts against COVID-19 for this season. This means, among other things, that invitations for vaccination will no longer be sent. According to official data, 89% of the population over twelve years of age already have the complete vaccination schedule and 76% of adults have already received the booster injection . Video meetings dampen brainstorming because we are so hyper-focused on the face in that box that we don't let our eyes and minds wander as much, a new study found. Staring isn't good for creativity. While it's rude to stare at someone in real life, it's expected when on a video call, researchers said. When it comes to evaluating those new ideas, though, that focus, at least in one-on-one chats, seems to make remote meetings slightly better than in-person chats, Wednesdays study in the journal Nature said. Researchers watched 745 pairs of engineers in five different countries try to come up with creative ideas for using a Frisbee or bubble wrap. Those in the same room generated on average one more idea, which is about 17% more than those in remote meetings. And those in-person ideas were judged by outside experts to be more creative, the study found. Study author Melanie Brucks, an applied psychology professor at Columbia Universitys business school, said it was the outcome she expected but not the reason she expected. At first she figured it had to be the social and physical distance maybe the two people just didn't connect as well or people didn't know who speaks when. But several different tests for social connectedness found that the remote meeting pairs were connecting with each other in the same way as people in the same room. Then the eyes gave it away. When Brucks tracked eye movement she found that people in the same room gazed away more often, looked around. But the remote meeting pairs didn't. They were too focused on specifically the task at hand and that made them narrower in their thinking," Brucks said in an interview over Zoom. This makes sense because faces draw our focus, said Georgetown University psychology professor Adam Green, who wasn't part of the research. Faces really matter to our brains and we devote a lot of attention to looking at faces, said Green, president of the Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity. When we are with someone in person, it is not considered polite to stare directly at their face for an extended period of time. Remote meetings work otherwise, Brucks said. Its not that Zooms bad, everythings worse. It seems like (the problem) is unique to the more generative, creative process, Brucks said. When it was time to evaluate those options, the remote meeting engineers picked out the better choice -- as judged by a team of outside experts -- slightly more than those in person, the study found. The experiment started before the pandemic and was done using WebEx with one company in offices in Portugal, Israel, Finland, Hungary and India. The results were about the same across the different locations. When I brainstorm now on Zoom, I turn off my camera, Brucks said. She notes that's no different than talking on the telephone, except she establishes a personal connection by starting with the camera on. ___ Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter: @borenbears ___ 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. Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced that he invited both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Group of 20 (G-20) summit that will be held in Bali this coming November. The situation comes as Widodo, who is the chair of the G-20, said on Friday that he had telephone calls with both world leaders. He urged both leaders to negotiate and end the horrific war once and for all. Indonesia's Peace Stance The official's remarks reiterated the importance of ending the battle immediately and emphasized that peaceful efforts should be prioritized. Widodo added that Indonesia denied the requests of Zelensky for arms because it wanted to contribute to peace efforts. The Indonesian leader said the Russian-Ukraine war has had a major impact on the global economy. Widodo noted that the G-20 played a crucial role in the recovery of the world's economy after it had been left in tatters because of the war. He added that, while his country refused to send requests for arms, it would be sending humanitarian aid, as per The Hill. Putin's attendance at the G-20 summit was met with pressure from the West to bar Russia from joining due to its invasion of Ukraine. However, a compromise was reached to enable the Moscow leader to participate in the discussions. Read Also: Russian Missiles Rain Down On Kyiv Following Zelensky's Meeting With UN Chief During a phone call, the Russian president confirmed that he planned to go to the event, a decision that was announced during Widodo's live-streamed address. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that, while Moscow was preparing for the G-20 summit, it has not yet decided whether or not Putin would attend personally or virtually. According to Aljazeera, since the beginning of the war roughly nine weeks ago, Indonesia has been facing pressure from Western countries, which are led by the United States, to exclude Putin from the summit. However, Indonesian President Widodo said that, as the host of the event, he must remain impartial even amid the war. United States President Joe Biden also suggested that Ukraine should be invited. Russia-Ukraine War Updates The situation comes as Ukrainian military forces continue to defend and fight back against Russia's continued offensive on various regions. Zelensky has spent much of his time in the backline requesting assistance from other countries. International governments have chosen to impose heavy sanctions against Moscow in response to the war but have stopped short of direct intervention for fear of sparking a wider conflict. Asia has become one of the worst-stricken economies in the world, suffering issues such as increased geopolitical risk and volatile energy and financial markets. Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is on a five-nation tour that is labeled as an effort to "protecting peace" amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His first stop was Indonesia where he was seen standing beside Widodo on Friday where he condemned Moscow's actions. The official said that unilateral changes to the status quo made by force were "unacceptable" and said that they were urging for a peaceful resolution to the conflict based on international law. Kishida's next destinations will be Vietnam, Thailand, Italy, and the United Kingdom, Nikkei Asia reported. Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Amal Clooney Pleads for Justice Against War Crimes as Ukraine Becomes a 'Slaughterhouse' @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian in his nightly video address to urge Russian soldiers not to fight in Ukraine, saying even their generals expected that thousands of them would die. He said Russia has been recruiting new troops with little motivation and little combat experience for the units that were gutted during the early weeks of the war so these units can be thrown back into battle. He said Russian commanders fully understand that thousands of them will die and thousands more will be wounded in the coming weeks. The Russian commanders are lying to their soldiers when they tell them they can expect to be held seriously responsible for refusing to fight and then also dont tell them, for example, that the Russian army is preparing additional refrigerator trucks for storing the bodies. They dont tell them about the new losses the generals expect, Zelenskyy said late Saturday. Every Russian soldier can still save his own life. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land, he said. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukrainian forces fight Russia's grinding advance in eastern Donbas region Wives of Mariupol defenders appeal for soldiers evacuation from final holdout Some Ukrainians go back across front line toward homes, despite dangers Ukrainian women learn how to clear land mines at course in Kosovo Angelina Jolie makes surprise Ukraine visit, meets children Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: STOCKHOLM Sweden says a Russian military plane has violated Swedish airspace. The incident happened late Friday in the Baltic Sea near the island of Bornholm. In a statement Saturday, the Swedish Armed Forces said a Russian AN-30 propeller plane flew toward Swedish airspace and briefly entered it before leaving the area. The Swedish Air Force scrambled fighter jets which photographed the Russian plane. Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told Swedish public radio that the violation was unacceptable and unprofessional. In a similar incident in early March four Russian warplanes violated Swedish airspace over the Baltic Sea. Sweden and neighboring Finland are both considering NATO membership following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has warned that such a move would have consequences, without giving specifics. ___ LONDON Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the progress of the U.N. effort to evacuate people from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol and offered the U.K.s continued economic and humanitarian support during a talk Saturday with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskky. The prime minister reiterated that he is more committed than ever to reinforcing Ukraine and ensuring (Russian President Vladimir) Putin fails, noting how hard the Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom, Johnsons Downing Street office said. He confirmed that the UK will continue to provide additional military aid to give the Ukrainians the equipment they needed to defend themselves, the statement said. The United Nations has been attempting to broker an evacuation in the port city where some 100,000 civilians remain. Up to 1,000 civilians are living beneath a Soviet-era steel plant in Mariupol, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has not said how many fighters are also in the plant, but the Russians put the number at about 2,000. ___ A Russian rocket attack destroyed an airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-largest city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said Saturday. In a Telegram post, Ukraines Operational Command South said there was no way that the Odesa runway could be used as a result of the rocket attack. Local authorities urged residents of the area to shelter in place as Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing army sources, reported that several explosions were heard in Odesa. Odesas regional governor said that the rocket was fired from Russian-occupied Crimea. Maksym Marchenko said there were no reports of any injuries. Russian forces have embarked on a major military operation to seize significant parts of southern and eastern Ukraine, the countrys industrial heartland, and capture the countrys Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukraines national grid operator says it has has restored reliable power supply in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, around the site of the 1986 nuclear reactor disaster. In the afternoon, the last necessary 330 kV power transmission line was put into operation, the state-owned Ukrenergo wrote in a Telegram post Saturday. According to the same post, Ukrenergo also restored another 330 kV line in the northern Kyiv region last night, helping stabilize the energy supply in the capital. It said the reconstruction of further transmission lines in and around Kyiv remains underway. ___ KYIV The mayor of the eastern Ukrainian town of Popasna said in a video interview that two buses headed to the town to evacuate residents had been fired upon and that contact with the drivers had been lost. Yesterday we evacuated 31 people from Popasna. Many more people were waiting; for that reason we dispatched two more buses to the evacuation point, Mayor Mykola Khanatov said in an interview posted on the Telegram channel of Serhiy Haidai, the Ukrainian governor of the eastern Luhansk region. We know that (the buses) reached the town and then came under fire from an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group, Khanatov said. There is no contact with people who were inside the vehicles and were organizing the evacuation. Russian forces have embarked on a major military operation to seize significant parts of southern and eastern Ukraine, the country's industrial heartland. ___ KYIV, Ukraine -- Another mass grave has been found in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the scene of alleged mass executions of civilians before its recapture by Ukrainian forces in early March, the head of Kyivs regional police force said Saturday. On April 29, a pit with the bodies of three men was found in the Bucha district, regional police chief Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. The victims were tortured for a lengthy period of time. Bullet wounds were found on the extremities of their bodies. In the end, each of the men was shot through the ear. This is another mass burial made by the occupiers in the Bucha district, the long-suffering district where more than a thousand civilians have been killed and tortured, Nebytov added. According to Nebytovs post, the burial site was found in the forest near the village of Myrotske, 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of the town of Bucha. Nebytov said the three bodies were being sent for a forensic examination, following a preliminary inspection by the Kyiv regional police. ___ KYIV, Ukraine -- Seven Ukrainian soldiers and seven civilians have been released in a prisoner swap Saturday with Russia, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on social media. Were bringing home 14 of our people: seven military personnel and seven civilians,Vereshchuk wrote on Facebook and Telegram. To me, this exchange is special: one of the female soldiers is five months pregnant. As of Saturday afternoon, the swap had not been confirmed by official Russian sources. ___ NEW YORK Prices for Russian credit default swaps insurance contracts that protect an investor against a default plunged sharply overnight after Moscow used its precious foreign currency reserves to make a last-minute debt payment on Friday. The cost for a five-year credit default swap on Russian debt was $5.84 million to protect $10 million in debt. That price was just about half the price on Thursday, which at roughly $11 million for $10 million in debt protection was a signal that investors were certain of a Russian default. Despite the insurance contract plunge, investors remain largely convinced that Russia will eventually default on its debts for the first time since 1917. The major ratings agencies Standard & Poors and Moodys have declared Russia is in selective default on its obligations and earlier this week, the governing body over CDS contracts declared Russia in default. ___ Ukraine evacuated more people Saturday in the eastern town of Lyman in the fiercely fought-over region of Donetsk, where at least half the residents have fled Russian shelling since the start of the war. About 20 mostly elderly people boarded a minivan amid the sounds of outgoing artillery and explosions in the distance. All the shops in the almost-empty town were closed and those who decided to remain rely on aid distributed by groups including the Ukrainian Red Cross. Those who remain say they are either too old, dont know where to go or dont want to leave their homes unattended. They seek shelter in their basements whenever the shelling starts. Meanwhile, in Dobropillya, further to the west, Russian shelling hit the town on Saturday, damaging buildings and slightly injuring seven people including three children, according to authorities. Ukraines deputy agriculture minister says Russian forces are seizing vast amounts of grain in territory they hold, while its president says the war-torn country is facing fuel shortages. Today, there are confirmed facts that several hundred thousand tons of grain in total were taken out of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, minister Taras Vysotsky told Ukrainian television on Saturday. Ukraine is one of the worlds major grain producers and the Russian invasion has curtailed exports, pushing up world grain prices and raising concerns about severe grain shortages in importing countries. Ukraine is also facing fuel shortages as Russia destroys its fuel infrastructure and blocks its ports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday night. Fuel shortages have been reported in Kyiv, Dnipro and other cities. Vehicles can be seen lining up at gas stations and drivers in most places can purchase only 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of fuel at a time. Zelenskyy promised that officials would find a fuel supply system within a week or two to prevent a deficit but called it a difficult task after the refinery at Kremenchuk was hit by a Russian missile. But, Zelenskyy said, there are no immediate solutions. ___ PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron has conveyed to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy his wish to actively work to re-establish the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine during his second mandate, in coordination with allies, the presidential Elysee Palace says. Macron assured Zelenskyy in their hourlong conversation Saturday that military material and humanitarian assistance would keep flowing to Ukraine, the Elysee said. France has so far sent 615 tons of equipment and aid, including generators for hospitals, ambulances and food. France has been coy about its contribution in defensive weapons, but Macron recently mentioned Milan anti-tank missiles and a delivery of truck-mounted Caesar cannons among consequential equipment. This support will continue to strengthen, the French president told Zelenskyy, according to the Elysee. Macron was re-elected president of France six days ago. During his first term, Macron held numerous conversations with both Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin since Russias invasion Feb. 24. ___ LVIV, Ukraine Russias foreign minister says Moscow has evacuated over 1 million people from Ukraine since the war there began. The comments Saturday by Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua come as Ukraine has accused Moscow of forcefully sending Ukrainians out of the country. Lavrov said that figure included more than 300 Chinese civilians. Lavrov offered no evidence to support his claim in the interview. Lavrov also said that negotiations continue between Russia and Ukraine almost every day. However, he cautioned that progress has not been easy. Lavrov in part blamed the bellicose rhetoric and inflammatory actions of Western supporters of the Kyiv regime for disrupting the talks. However, Russian state TV nightly has had guests who suggest that Moscow use nuclear weapons in the conflict. ___ LVIV, Ukraine The British military believes Russian forces in Ukraine are likely suffering from weakened morale. The British Defense Ministry made that assessment in a tweet Saturday as part of a daily report it provides on Russias war on Kyiv. It says Russia still faces considerable challenges in fighting. The British military believes Russian forces have been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in northeast Ukraine. It offered no information on how it arrived at this assessment. However, analysts believe Russian forces that failed to take Kyiv at the start of the war have been redeployed without the time needed to properly rearm and restaff. The British believe Russia hopes to reorganize its effort and shorten supply lines. The ministry added: A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localized improvements. ___ WASHINGTON A senior U.S. defense official said Friday the Russian offensive is going much slower than planned in part because of the strength of the Ukrainian resistance. We also assess that because of this slow and uneven progress, again, without perfect knowledge of every aspect of the Russian plan, we do believe and assess that they are behind schedule in what they were trying to accomplish in the Donbas, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the U.S. militarys assessment. He said the U.S. believes the Russians are at least several days behind where they wanted to be as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east. As the troops try to move north out of Mariupol so they can advance on Ukrainian forces from the south, their progress has been slow and uneven, and certainly not decisive, in any event, the official said. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to destroy the Donbas and all who live there. The constant brutal bombardments, the constant Russian strikes on infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to empty this territory of all people. Therefore, the defense of our land, the defense of our people, is literally a fight for life, he said late Friday in his nightly video address to the nation. He said the cities and towns of the Donbas will survive only if Ukraine remains standing. If the Russian invaders are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones. As they did with Mariupol. Zelenskyy said Mariupol, once one of the most developed cities in the region, was now a Russian concentration camp among the ruins. In Kharkiv, a major city to the north, the situation was brutal but Ukrainian troops and intelligence agents have had important tactical successes, he said without elaborating. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said about 20% of the citys residential buildings have been so badly damaged that it will be impossible to restore them. Zelenskyy said rescuers were still going through the rubble in Kyiv after Thursdays missile strikes. He expressed his condolences to the family of Vira Hyrych, who was killed in the bombardment. He said she was the 23rd journalist killed in the war. ___ DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appears to have dismissed the need for the United Nations to help secure humanitarian corridors out of Ukraines besieged cities, striking a tough line a day after the U.N. chief toured war-wracked Kyiv with that very aim. As an interviewer at Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV tried to ask Lavrov about U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians, Lavrov cut him off. There is no need. I know, I know, an irritated Lavrov said. There is no need for anybody to provide help to open humanitarian corridors. There is only one problem humanitarian corridors are being ignored by Ukrainian ultra-nationals, he said. We appreciate the interest of the secretary-general to be helpful, he added. (We have) explained what is the mechanism for them to monitor how the humanitarian corridors are announced. During the hourlong interview, Lavrov also accused the West of sabotaging Russias peace talks with Ukraine. He claimed that thorny negotiations in Istanbul last month had been progressing on issues of Russian territorial claims and security guarantees until Ukrainian diplomats backtracked at the behest of the West. We are stuck because of their desire to play games all the time, Lavrov said. Because of the instructions they get Washington, from London, from some other capitals, not to accelerate the negotiations. When asked about the risks of war spilling into neighboring Moldova after a series of explosions rattled a breakaway border region within the country, Lavrov struck an ominous tone. Moldova should worry about their own future, he said. Because theyre being pulled into NATO. About 5 million honeybees bound for Alaska last weekend got waylaid when Delta Air Lines routed them through Atlanta, where most of the bees died after being left for hours in crates on the ground during hot weather. The bees were the first of two shipments ordered by Alaska beekeeper Sarah McElrea from a distributor in California. The bees were to be used to pollinate apple orchards and nurseries in Alaska, where they are not native. But the bees were bumped from their original route to Anchorage, Alaska, and instead put on a flight to Atlanta, where they were to be transferred to an Anchorage-bound plane, according to published reports. McElrea said she worried when the 800-pound shipment didnt arrive in Atlanta in time to make the connecting flight. The next day, she said, Delta told her some bees had escaped, so airline workers put the crates holding the bees outside a Delta cargo bay. In a panic, McElrea reached a beekeeper in Atlanta, who rushed to the airport and discovered that many of the bees had died from heat and starvation, according to The New York Times. Delta called it an unfortunate situation. In an emailed statement, Delta spokeswoman Catherine Morrow told The Associated Press on Friday that that the airline was made aware of the shipment situation ... and quickly engaged the appropriate internal teams to assess the situation. We have taken immediate action to implement new measures to ensure events of this nature do not occur in the future. Morrow said Delta apologized to McElrea. The airline declined to make anyone available for an interview. The beekeeper in Atlanta, Edward Morgan, called more than a dozen people to go to the airport and try to save any bees that were still alive. Its devastating to see that many dead, Georgia beekeeper Julia Mahood told Atlanta broadcaster WABE. Just clumps of dead bees that had no chance because they were left outside with no food and basically got lost in Deltas machinery. McElrea, who runs a business called Sarahs Alaska Honey, said that she had received previous shipments of honeybees on Delta from Sacramento, California, to Anchorage via Seattle many times. The airline told her that last weekends shipment didnt fit on the plane, so they were rerouted through Atlanta. McElrea said her supplier in California will replace the shipment, which was worth about $48,000. She said she is hoping Delta provides some help, although she acknowledged that shipping live animals carries risk. Edward A. Ornelas, Staff / San Antonio Express-News San Antonio pet owners can show their furry family members some extra lovin as two local animal organizations join forces for a pet wellness clinic on Saturday, April 30. The Animal Defense League, a nonprofit organization, and the city-operated Animal Care Services are hosting a pet vaccination and microchipping event in support of community pet health in the Alamo City. The free, mobile wellness clinic will pop up at Millers Pond Park in Southwest San Antonio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. During the event, pets in need of health care will be able to be microchipped and receive rabies shots as well as vaccines specific to cats and dogs. EL ARISH, Egypt (AP) Suspected Islamic State militants blew up a natural gas pipeline Saturday in Egypts restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, causing a fire but no casualties, security officials said. The officials said the suspected militants planted explosives under a pipeline in the town of Bir al-Abd. The expulsion sent thick flames of fire shooting into the sky, and authorities stopped the flow of gas to extinguish the fire, according to eyewitnesses. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak to media and the eyewitnesses asked not to be named for fear of reprisal. No group immediately claimed the attack which caused no human casualties. The Islamic State group affiliate, which is centered in Northern Sinai, however, has claimed previous attacks targeted gas pipelines between Egypt and both Jordan and Israel. Egypt is battling an Islamic State-led insurgency in the Sinai that intensified after the military overthrew an elected but divisive Islamist president in 2013. The militants have carried out scores of attacks, mainly targeting security forces and Christians. Saturdays attack comes as the militants suffered heavy losses in recent months with Egyptian security forces, aided by armed tribesmen, who intensified their efforts to eliminate the group. NORTH CONWAY, N.H. (AP) Firefighters responded to a major fire at a landmark New Hampshire hotel Saturday afternoon. A section of Route 16 in North Conway was shut down as emergency crews battled the blaze at the Red Jacket Mountain View Resort, WMUR-TV reported. Smoke and flames could be seen coming out of rooms on the second and third floors of the hotel according to videos shared online. It was not immediately known if there were any injuries. The New Hampshire State Fire Marshals Office has been asked to assist in the investigation, New Hampshire Department of Safety spokesperson Tyler Dumont told the station. In a statement hotel officials said the fire broke out at Saturday afternoon and that the safety of their guests remains their top concern The North Conway Firefighters Association asked people to avoid the area. The resort is a family retreat in New Hampshires White Mountains and is home to Kahuna Laguna, an indoor water park. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW YORK (AP) For nearly a week in April, Mariia Pachenko took a respite from her studies in besieged Ukraine to share its plight with fellow college students in New York. Soon after, the 18-year-old faced a wrenching decision: Return to her war-torn country or wait out the conflict as hopes for a diplomatic remedy dimmed by the day. Pachenko and a handful of other Ukrainian students recounted the war's human toll and the perilous trip through Russian-occupied territories to make it to the National Model United Nations conference, relishing the opportunity to foster communication between young people across the world because its so important to share ideas, to express your thoughts on the relevant political issues and to try to find the solutions. But despite urgent calls to end the Russian invasion, diplomacy has made little progress in the real world. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Moscow and Kyiv to take whatever urgent steps to stop the fighting, but the lack of dialogue between the two governments has been disconcerting for Pachenko now in France for the foreseeable future and her peers in the widening diaspora of Ukrainians fleeing bombs, tanks and violence. They harbor little hope that diplomacy will prevail anytime soon. The United Nations as an organization needs to be reformed. It has no power no practical power in the real world, said participant Olha Tolmachova, who has returned to her town in western Ukraine, which, for now, has been spared the Russian onslaught. Guterres spent nearly two hours in a one-on-one meeting Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by a Thursday meeting with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While the Russians rebuffed his appeal to halt fighting, the U.N. said Putin did agree in principle to the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross' participation in evacuating civilians from Mariupol. Artemy Kalinovsky, a faculty member of Temple Universitys Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy, said they're rightfully skeptical. The U.N. can highlight the ravages of war and serve as a platform for serious discussions, Kalinovsky said. But in the end, he said, I dont think theres anything that the U.N. can do ... because one of the belligerents or the aggressors in this case is a member of the Security Council and can veto anything that could serve to end this conflict. As the students' conference was ongoing, the Kremlin simply withdrew altogether from the U.N. Human Rights Council after the 193-member General Assembly where there are no vetoes voted to suspend Russia. Planned many months beforehand, the war was not part of the Model U.N. conference's central agenda. And there were no Russian universities taking part because of visa problems and U.S. travel rules. But the conflict wafted through as the Ukrainian delegation used the event as an informal podium from which to plead for continued dialogue and attention. Amid all the geopolitics are the more than 5 million individual stories of those who have fled Ukraine since February. Feelings of guilt have followed Larysa Haivoronskas decision to delay her return. She recalls how the walls shook as the bombs fell in the distance back home. Russian jets streaked overhead and helicopters thwacked ominously. Now outside Chicago, Haivoronska last spoke to her mother nearly a week ago. Bombing damage has disrupted power lines. Without phone and internet services, her eastern hometown of Kupyansk-Vuzlovyy has been disconnected from the outside world. The only thing they want is for me to be safe. Thats why they told me I need to stay here, the 22-year-old said, sobbing. I dont want to be safe if theyre not safe. I told my mom that if something happens to them, I will come back and go to army or do whatever. ... Because I dont care about my life if something happened to them. With Kalinovsky's help, Haivoronska was recently admitted to a doctorate program in political science at Temple, but vows to return to Ukraine. We have to not only physically rebuild, like the roads, the houses, but we also need to rebuild our international systems and we have to rebuild the whole political system, she said. The students' adviser, Halyna Protsyk, has returned to Lviv, and worries about the toll on the young people her country desperately needs to return. They need to make sure that our country still functions in every sphere, she said during her visit to New York, and my mission is to make sure that higher education still performs high quality standards. Those who have left Ukraine continue their studies online, much as they did during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Some plan to enroll in new universities. Pachenko said it's been difficult to stay away. Bombs have destroyed the bridges outside her town southeast of Lviv, cutting it off from shipments of food and medicine. She say it's difficult to live in a constant stress so she tries not to overwhelm herself with information. But she still tracks daily updates on her phone. Friends and family alert her to the latest air sirens. She worries her mother will ignore the warnings to take cover. If she were home, she could force her mother to run to the shelters. And its been hard to leave a place where so many memories still reside, Pachenko said. Im young, and I understand that my life and my safety are much more important than some memories, she said. And I want to make more memories in my life. And thats why I want to stay safe. Acknowledging that some did hold out hope for a peaceful solution, she nonetheless thinks it was a mistake for anyone to believe that diplomacy could stop Putin after eight years of fighting since Moscow's annexation of Crimea from further encroachment. The hope now lies in a quick end to the war, the students' adviser said. The biggest challenge for us, Protsyk said, will be to bring back our youth to Ukraine after we got our victory. That outcome though, the Ukrainians acknowledged, remains uncertain. ___ Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer contributed from the United Nations. SAN DIEGO (AP) San Diego County lawyers are seeking to wipe out an $85 million jury award to the family of man who died after being restrained by sheriffs deputies in 2015, or get a new trial in the lawsuit that generated the case. County lawyers contend the verdict stemming from the negligence and wrongful death lawsuit was incurably infected with error and that the trial was riddled with rulings that hurt the countys case. The request is detailed in motions filed in U.S. District Court in San Diego earlier this month by county lawyers. They are the first moves in what will likely be a protracted fight to reduce or completely overturn the verdict returned March 15 in favor of the family of Lucky Phounsy. One motion asks U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Huff to set aside the verdict, contending the evidence was not sufficient to support the jurys conclusion, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. A second seeks a new trial, or a reduction in the award, arguing there were a series of trial errors and that the amount awarded was excessive. Phounsy, 32, died after being hogtied, shocked him with a stun gun and restrained by San Diego Sheriffs Department deputies at the Santee home of a relative on April 13, 2015. Phounsys heart stopped on the way to the hospital. He was resuscitated, but died several days later. The county medical examiner concluded his death was accidental and the result of the long struggle with deputies, combined with the effects of the drug ecstasy he had taken several days before. But lawyers for the family disputed that conclusion and argued that the conduct of the deputies caused him to suffocate to death. They pointed to deputies binding Phounsys hands and ankles in restraints, failing to monitor his vital signs and continuing to restrain him when one deputy forcibly held his head down while he was in an ambulance. The case was tried twice in federal court. In September a jury deadlocked and could not reach a verdict. At a second trial held in March, after only a day of deliberation, the jury found the county liable and awarded Phounsys family $85 million. Lawyers for the family must still file their arguments opposing the county motions. In a statement, attorneys Mark Fleming and Timothy Scott said the county is still evading responsibility for Phounsys death. The rehashed arguments raised by the County have already been rejected" by courts several times, said Scott. Fleming said that the bid to cut the money award disrespects both the value of Luckys life and the enormity of his loss to his family, as well as the hard work and careful consideration of the jury. In homes where there is child abuse, there is oftentimes animal cruelty. Thats why the Department of Children and Families partners with the states Department of Agriculture and the Office of the Attorney General to cross-report incidents of child abuse and animal cruelty. April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month. State officials met Friday to discuss the correlation between animal cruelty, child maltreatment and other forms of interpersonal violence. They highlighted how prevalent maltreatment is across Connecticut, and how agencies are coordinating to protect children and animals. DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes said these instances of maltreatment require state agencies collective efforts for protection, which can only be accomplished by collaboration, information sharing and process improvement across all state agencies. The state legislature passed a bill in 2011 requiring the cross-reporting of animal abuse and child cruelty cases. In 2021, DCF received 134 written reports from the Department of Agriculture. Of those reports, 27 were open cases, 36 had histories with DCF and eight reports met the standard for an abuse or neglect investigation, according to data from DCF. Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt said the connection between animal cruelty and child abuse has been well-documented. The efforts of both social workers and animal control officers are critical in protecting animals and children from further harm and removing them from dangerous situations, Hurlburt said. Attorney General William Tong stated that animal cruelty is a heinous crime and is often a serious warning sign of additional abuse. One study showed that some 71 percent of pet owners entering domestic violence shelters reported that their abuser threatened, injured or killed family pets, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. These harmful acts can also have a reverberating effect. Children exposed to domestic violence were also found to be three times more likely to be cruel to animals than children in nonviolent households, according to the American Humane. Members of the public can make a reports of animal cruelty directly to the local Animal Control Department in the town where the concerns have been noted or by calling 860-713-2506 or emailing AGR.AnimalControl@ct.gov. Those wishing to make a report can remain anonymous. A reasonable suspicion of child maltreatment can be made to the Child Abuse and Neglect Care line by dialing 1-800-842-2288. The Care line is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Callers to the Care line can remain anonymous. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A tornado that barreled through parts of Kansas destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and buildings, injured several people and left more than 15,000 people without power, officials said Saturday. In addition to wreckage from the tornado itself, three University of Oklahoma meteorology students traveling back from storm chasing in Kansas were also killed in a crash Friday evening, according to officials. Nicholas Nair, 20, of Denton, Texas; Gavin Short, 19, of Grayslake, Illinois; and Drake Brooks, 22, of Evansville, Indiana, died in the crash shortly before 11:30 p.m. Friday, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report. The three were in a vehicle being driven by Nair southbound on Interstate 35 when the vehicle hydroplaned and was struck by a tractor-trailer rig in Tonkawa, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City, the report said. A statement released by OU said: The university is devastated to learn of the tragic passing of three students. Each were valued and loved members of our community." More than 1,000 buildings were affected when a strong twister swept through Andover on Friday evening, according to authorities. In the daylight Saturday, emergency crews found a more widespread path of destruction than was earlier estimated. "We now know that our damage path extended approximately 3 1/2 to 4 miles (5.6 to 6.4 kilometers) to the north of where we believed it to have ended last night, Andover Deputy Fire Chief Mike Roosevelt said at a briefing. There were no reported fatalities or critical injuries from the tornado itself, despite the widespread destruction. Officials said only a few injuries had been reported. In Sedgwick County, three people were injured, including one woman who sustained serious injuries. Search and rescue operations continued Saturday with more than 200 emergency responders from 30 agencies. Officials kept volunteers away from the damage until a secondary search of debris is done. Andover Fire Chief Chad Russell said earlier that some neighborhood homes were completely blown away. There are homes knocked completely off their foundations and entire neighborhoods wiped out, Russell said. City Hall, the Andover YMCA and Prairie Creek Elementary School were among buildings heavily damaged. Field crews from the National Weather Service worked Saturday to determine the extent and strength of the twister, said meteorologist Kevin Darmofal at the Wichita office. Flor and Aldo Delgado said they prayed in the basement of their Andover home as a tornado passed right above them, destroying their home and cars. The couple looked out of the window Friday night and saw the tornado beginning to form, so they headed to the basement. The lights started flickering and eventually went out, and within a minute from that the whole house started shaking and it was so loud. We started feeling water hitting our faces, and there was just dust everywhere. It lasted for what felt like a minute that it was right above us, Aldo Delgado said. Flor Delgado said she could hear their home being torn apart as they prayed for their safety, the Wichita Eagle reported. In the moment I realized there is absolutely nothing we could do. I knew my husband felt it too because he was calm and comforting me, but at one point he just starts losing it and crying. I could hear his voice cracking as hes praying, she said. Once the tornado passed, the couple made it out of the debris with only the clothes on their backs. Their home, cars and personal items are gone. We didnt even have our wedding rings on at the time, Flor Delgado added. Gov. Laura Kelly declared a State of Disaster Emergency for the hardest-hit areas. The declaration makes state resources available to help local jurisdictions with response and recovery efforts in areas impacted statewide. Evergy said about 15,000 customers lost power during the tornado and that work continued to restore electricity. Any broken gas and water lines were shut off and by noon there were no known active leaks. In addition to the tornadoes, large hail was reported in several towns across the Plains. Hail the size of softballs was spotted near Holbrook, Nebraska, and Enterprise, Kansas, according to the National Weather Service and storm spotters. For a lot of people, music plays a significant role in their lives. It's never really been that way for me. A lot of people have special songs that remind them of certain moments first dances, first kisses, etc. But I've just never connected to music that way. That's not to say I don't like music. I like it a lot. I was in band in high school, and I spent four years failing to master the trumpet. I've been to plenty of concerts, and while I've had a great time at many of them (not Vince Gill though, that was terrible), there aren't many that have really stuck with me. Maybe part of it is the concert experience itself. The best concerts I've been to have been when I've gone to see bands that are less popular. There was a local band from Bay City called Lucid Jones that a friend of mine and I followed as they toured around the state. That was cool because the crowds to see them were small, and you could actually get close to the stage and afterward meet the band members. And tickets weren't ridiculous. There was this little-known rock band several years ago by the name Simple Plan, that I first saw as an opening act for Sugar Ray at Saginaw Valley State University. They stole the show, and you could tell they were going to be stars eventually. I got a chance to see them again do a free show at SVSU, and one more time at a concert series in Midland. Shortly after that their music was playing on the radio and their music videos were on MTV, you know, when MTV used to show music videos. I followed a band from Finland called HIM, and got to see them live twice. They were best known here in the U.S. because Bam Margera of Jackass fame used their logo on his products, but the two shows I attended only had a few thousand people and were in small theaters. It was really cool to be able to get so close to them as they performed. I've gone to plenty of big shows too I've seen Aerosmith and Garth Brooks, Kid Rock and others. But those shows just don't feel the same. You spend $100 for a ticket and sit on the opposite side of a massive arena. It just doesn't do it for me. I'm also a fan of the band Paramore, and a few years ago I was watching YouTube videos of their performances. Somehow I ended up searching for covers of their songs, and stumbled across a small band from Erie, Pennsylvania called First to Eleven. All they do is covers they release a new one ever week on their YouTube channel. And they are rock covers of all sorts of different songs. I liked the production quality of their videos, their choice of songs to cover and their ability, so I started following them. Each week I would watch whatever new cover they performed. Most I enjoyed quite a bit. About a month ago they announced they were going on their first tour, which consisted of three stops. The first just so happened to be in Detroit. I hesitated whether to go or not. I'm 40 years old and this is a band from YouTube, was I going to look like a creepy old man at this show? My wife said it sounded like fun, and the show was advertised as all-ages, so we decided to take our almost 10-year-old boys as well so they could see their first real concert. I was expecting the venue, the Underground in Detroit, to be small, so I figured it'd be a pretty intimate setting for a show. But I wasn't prepared for just how small it was. The venue was probably about a quarter the size of a gymnasium. There were probably 100, maybe 150 people there. And it was excellent. There is nothing better than seeing a band you enjoy perform in such a small setting. The show was terrific, I didn't feel out of place there at all, and the boys had a good time as well. Other than not being able to hear for two days after the show, it was amazing. We even got to meet all of the band members after the show, as well as the two opening acts who were also great. Going to see a major artist in concert can be a lot of fun, but I highly encourage you to support the smaller acts as well. The shows are so much more fun, they're usually a lot cheaper, and who knows, maybe you'll see someone before they become a major star one day. The Ukraine crisis has dragged on for over two months with no immediate solution in sight. Though the situation unfolding is worrisome, endeavors to end conflicts and restore peace have never stopped. Since the start of the crisis, China has been making unremitting efforts to defuse tensions and working actively to promote dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, voicing its support for peace and doing its best for talks. China's stance, widely recognized by Russia and Ukraine, among others, is in line with the fundamental and long-term interests of the world, and its concrete actions have injected much-needed confidence and new impetus into the maintenance of global peace and stability. On the Ukraine issue, China has always adopted an objective and impartial attitude and stood for peace and justice. There is a complex historical context surrounding the ongoing crisis, the root of which is a Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation. China maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter must be fully observed, and the legitimate security concerns of all countries need to be taken seriously. Since the early days of the crisis, China has committed itself to promoting peace negotiations and making vigorous de-escalation efforts including proposing to hold peace talks, which have received a positive response from the Russian side. Chinese President Xi Jinping has since held dialogues via phone with leaders of many countries, reiterating the need for political courage "to create space for peace and leave room for political settlement" and encouraging the two sides to "overcome difficulties, keep the talks going and bring about peaceful outcomes." The "four musts" put forward by Xi clearly explain China's position on the Ukraine issue, over which Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has also held in-depth exchanges of views with his counterparts of various countries. The country has also put forward a five-point position and a six-point initiative on easing the humanitarian crisis, contributing China's wisdom to resolving the crisis and easing tensions. At present, China supports Russia and Ukraine in overcoming difficulties and continuing peace talks, as well as the positive results achieved so far and the efforts made by relevant parties to prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis. The Ukraine crisis has become yet another information battlefield where certain U.S. politicians and media outlets have discredited and smeared China. They have fabricated lies, maliciously misinterpreted China-Russia relations and threatened to sanction China, seeking to pressure Beijing to abandon its independent foreign policy of peace and take sides. Such unwarranted and toxic remarks have poisoned international relations and are extremely dangerous. In fact, it was the United States that has made waves with the Russia-Ukraine conflict. From driving five rounds of NATO eastward expansion to plotting "color revolutions" in Russia's periphery, Washington has repeatedly trodden on Moscow's red line and sought to dominate European affairs by fomenting turbulence. The crisis has laid bare Washington's unspoken calculations. Following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine military conflict, Washington, with little interest in brokering a political solution, went on to fan the flames, magnify regional conflict, and fish in troubled waters. The Ukraine crisis is indeed heartbreaking. Both Russia and Ukraine are friendly partners of China. Over the past 30 years, China-Russia relations have yielded significant progress featuring non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party. China-Ukraine relations, since their formation 30 years ago, have enjoyed a sound and steady momentum of development. The Ukraine crisis broke out in Europe, but its spillovers are corroding world peace, stability and economic recovery. In the long run, all parties should draw lessons from the Ukraine crisis, stay committed to taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously, uphold the principle of indivisible security and build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture through dialogue and negotiation, as laid out in China's newly proposed Global Security Initiative. China sincerely hopes that Russia and Ukraine can cease hostilities and negotiate for peace at an early date. As a champion for peace and justice, China views an issue from a long-term perspective and judges based on its merits. China chooses dialogue over unilateral sanctions, de-escalation over escalation, and will make unremitting efforts for peace talks. Meanwhile, China is ready to join hands with all peace-loving and development-oriented countries and people to implement the Global Security Initiative, blaze a path toward lasting peace and universal security, and forge a strong synergy to build a community with a shared future for humanity. Emails indicate that President Joe Biden communicated to his son Hunter and others close to him under the alias 'Peter Henderson,' a fictional Soviet Union-era spy who infiltrated the US government in multiple Tom Clancy novels. The mails on Hunter's abandoned laptop appear to show that, in October 2016, the then-VP began using the fake mole's identity while sharing a YouTube video to his son Hunter, brother Jim, daughter-in-law Hallie, and sister and veteran political adviser Valerie Biden Owens. Joe Biden's Pseudonym in Hunter's Emails According to internet fan pages, the name associated with Biden's '67stingray' account at the time was 'Peter Henderson,' which matches the name of the KGB agent in Tom Clancy's famed Jack Ryan series. In November 2016, Biden appeared to be using the unknown identity again while sending a Forbes item about how demographic trends mean danger for China and Russia, but prosperity for the United States. On Jan. 3, 2017, the user wrote a short but heartfelt letter to Hunter Biden, just weeks before he left the White House after eight years as Barack Obama's vice president. "Keep in touch," the message sent from an iPhone read. "Love Dad." The White House did not reply to a question regarding the Peter Henderson pseudonym from The Washington Post on Friday. The National Pulse was the first to notice the link in October of 2020, according to the New York Post. Eric Schwerin, Hunter Biden's longstanding business partner, visited the White House at least eight times in 2016, increasing his total number of trips to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to 27 during the Obama-Biden administration. The further trips were originally revealed by Fox News on Tuesday, with Schwerin meeting with then-Vice President Joe Biden's chief of staff Steve Ricchetti, who is now a prominent adviser in the Biden White House. According to Fox, Schwerin also met with Anne Marie Person, a Biden office assistant who had worked at the investment business Schwerin and Hunter Biden ran. On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was questioned on a report in the New York Post outlining Schwerin's 19 trips to the White House under Biden's vice presidency, nine of which involved meetings with Biden, members of his staff, and members of Jill Biden's staff. Psaki has been questioned about Hunter Biden's laptop, international business transactions, and a tax inquiry in Delaware on many occasions but has either referred reporters to the Department of Justice or stated that he does not work for the White House, as per Daily Mail. Read Also: China, Xi Jinping Reveal Plan To Save Crashing Economy Amid COVID-19 Lockdowns White House Rejects Claims That President Is Involved in Hunter Biden's Foreign Deals Psaki was challenged on the subject by Jacqui Heinrich, who said she had brought it up on Tuesday but had not received a comprehensive response. Heinrich did not allude to any specific information; but in 2020, former Hunter Biden employee Tony Bobulinski claimed to have dealt directly with Biden, according to the New York Post. The publication reported on Tuesday that House Republicans want to talk with Eric Schwerin, a Hunter Biden associate. He may have paperwork proving the president was involved in Hunter Biden's financial dealings, according to reports. Heinrich questioned Psaki Tuesday whether Biden would maintain that he never communicated with his son about his business transactions in an apparent allusion to the story. Psaki stated that Biden's view on his son remained unchanged, and the conversation ended there, Mediaite reported. Related Article: BBC Europe Correspondent says Europe Might Call an Oil Embargo Not Natural Gas After French Elections @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In this weeks roundup, airlines and corporate travel managers report that a long-awaited revival of business customers is finally starting to happen; Southwest, JetBlue and Alaska will reduce their schedules as they struggle to add pilots and other employees for the summer travel boom and to pacify restive labor groups; United, Delta and Air France bring back some international routes; French Bee starts flying to Los Angeles; United and Singapore expand their code-sharing arrangement; United plans to install Polaris seating in the one remaining widebody aircraft type that doesnt yet have it; Elon Musk gets into the in-flight Wi-Fi business; Chicago OHares people-mover finally returns to full service; CLEARs expedited security lanes come to an eighth California airport; and Long Beach opens a new ticketing and check-in facility. Leisure air travel has been rebounding strongly in recent months as COVID concerns wane and pent-up demand for vacations takes hold, but what the airlines really want to see is a revival of business travel, since it accounts for the bulk of their passenger revenues. And it looks like that is finally starting to happen. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), a trade group of corporate travel managers, summed up the results its April membership survey like this: Business travel is surging forward, international travel is returning and despite new challenges, industry recovery is entrenched. In addition, corporate travel policies are undergoing a revamp and employees are broadly willing to travel for business. Business travel still isnt back to pre-pandemic levels, GBTA said, but the momentum toward a recovery is strong. According to its April survey, of those companies that had suspended or canceled most trips during the pandemic, 75% say they will resume domestic travel and 52% will revive international trips in the next one to three months. The proportion of companies that allow non-essential domestic business trips is now 86%, up from 73% in February, GBTA said, while 74% now permit international travel vs. just 48% two months earlier. Most respondents (88%) said their air travel bookings increased in the past month, vs. just 45% who said so in February. In reporting their quarterly results this week, executives at the largest U.S. airlines have made similar observations. According to Business Travel News, United Executive VP Andrew Nocella said large corporations are now returning to travel at a faster rate than small businesses ... Now with business traffic rapidly recovering, I expect United to have a tailwind versus more leisure-focused carriers. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said corporate bookings are currently at the highest theyve been since the onset of the pandemic, and we expect that to continue as more companies reopen their offices ... We anticipate overall business revenue to be 90% recovered in the second quarter. And a report this month from the consulting firm Deloitte, based on discussions with 150 company travel managers, was also optimistic, especially as more COVID-related restrictions on travel fall away. Over the rest of this year, Deloitte said, Team meetings that have been postponed multiple times will finally take place. More conferences will shift back from online to in-person, and those that already have will likely see attendance improve. Even international trips should grow significantly, although some regions will recover faster than others. The latest U.S. carrier to resort to major schedule cuts as the summer season approaches is Southwest, which will reportedly slash more than 119,000 flights from its June schedule a reduction of 6.9%. The biggest shrinkage will be at Denver International, which will lose 814 June flights or almost 10% of its Southwest service that month. Southwest recently announced schedule increases on some California routes, including San Jose, and those will remain in effect. Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said this week the airlines priority now is getting properly staffed and returning to historic operational reliability, noting that the company added 3,300 employees in the first quarter. JetBlue this week confirmed earlier reports that its summer schedule is being cut by more than 10% from its previous plan. That means its operations will be anywhere from 0% to 5% above 2019 levels, although the company had been planning to increase its capacity by 11% to 15% over that pre-pandemic year. Last month, JetBlue dropped more than two dozen pandemic-era routes from its network, and now according to Simpleflying.com it is eliminating several more, including summer service from New York JFK to Boise, Idaho and Kalispell, Montana. And Alaska Airlines is planning to trim its capacity by 2% through the end of June to match our current pilot capacity, the company said. Airlines are having trouble maintaining their summer schedules largely due to staffing problems, especially a shortage of pilots. Southwests pilots and flight attendants complained to management this month that they are overworked and exhausted, and they asked the company not to schedule more flights until it can properly staff them. JetBlue said this week it is working through a backlog of pilot training and re-certification flights after delays from Omicron. Volatile pilot attrition is also creating a need for additional recruiting and training capacity. The airline increased its pilot training team and simulator capacity to meet the demand. JetBlues relations with its pilots are currently strained at best. The pilots union at JetBlue has complained to management about the companys executive in charge of airports and system operations, essentially blaming him for months of disruptions in the airlines flight operations and for customer and pilot frustration at the operational turmoil. And at Alaska Airlines, members of the pilots union are weighing a strike authorization vote to give their leaders extra leverage in contract negotiations; union members have been conducting informational picketing at airports in recent weeks. United Airlines is continuing its international service resumptions and expansion on more routes. This week United started flying once a day from its Newark hub to Nice, France. Last month, United revived San Francisco-Tel Aviv service, and on May 4, the carrier is due to increase frequencies on that route from three flights a week to seven. May 5 is the launch date for Uniteds new route from its Washington Dulles hub to Amman, Jordan, where it will operate three flights a week. And on May 6, United begins daily flights from Chicago OHare to Milan, Italy. Delta and its partners are also ramping up their transatlantic schedules. On May 1, Delta will start flying five times a week from New York JFK to Edinburgh and resume daily service from Boston to Rome. On the same date, Delta will return to the Atlanta-Milan route, which it last flew in 2019, and will resume non-stop service from Atlanta to Athens. On May 3, Delta is due to resume service from Portland to Amsterdam. Deltas SkyTeam partner Air France has set May 3 for the resumption of its Denver-Paris CDG route, with three weekly 777-200 flights. In other news, the South African government has given Delta a green light to start flying to Cape Town as an extension of its existing Atlanta-Johannesburg service; Delta is expected to start flying the triangular route sometime later this year. Meanwhile, Paris-based French Bee which flies between Tahiti and Paris via San Francisco -- kicks off new service on April 30 between Los Angeles International and Paris Orly. It will use an Airbus A350-900 to operate three flights a week, building up to six a week by July, with one-way fares starting as low as $321 in basic economy. American Airlines, which recently resumed service from its Charlotte hub to Frankfurt, has now decided to suspend those flights from June 3 through Sept. 6. Across the Pacific, United Airlines has expanded its code-sharing relationship with Star Alliance partner Singapore Airlines just as that nation ends its pre-departure testing requirement. Effective this week, fully vaccinated visitors to Singapore are no longer required to take a COVID test before leaving home; the country had already eliminated its requirement for testing after arrivals. The expanded code-sharing puts Uniteds code on Singapore Airlines flights beyond Singapore to Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia; Denpasar (Bali), Jakarta, and Surabaya, Indonesia; Perth, Australia; and Male in the Maldive Islands. United said the deal will mean seamless connections on those routes via Singapore. United resumed its non-stop San Francisco-Singapore service earlier this year. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines code goes onto United flights from Los Angeles to 10 more U.S. destinations including Austin, Baltimore, Boise, Cleveland, Denver, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Reno and Sacramento. Singapore already code-shares on United flights from Houston to eight U.S. destinations. Although United introduced its Polaris international business class product six years ago, theres still one twin-aisle aircraft type in its fleet that hasnt yet received a makeover with the posh front-cabin seating: its 16 Boeing 767-400s, which it took on during its 2010 merger with Continental. But according to The Points Guy, that is about to change. A United official told the website the first of those planes should be refitted with Polaris this summer; it was not immediately clear whether premium economy seating would also be added to the aircraft. Uniteds 767-400s had been grounded during the pandemic, but it decided to bring them back after international traffic started to pick up. Elon Musks deal to buy Twitter was big news this week, but another Musk company just inked a deal with an airline. Hawaiian Airlines said it will use Musks Starlink satellite internet network, part of his SpaceX operation, to provide in-flight Wi-Fi for its transpacific fleet a service the airline doesnt currently offer. But it wont be available right away; installations on Hawaiians A330s, A321neos and new 787-9s wont begin until 2023. The Starlink Wi-Fi will be fast, simple and free for passengers, Hawaiian said. Guests will be able to stream content, play games live with friends on the ground, work and collaborate in real-time, plan their Hawaii vacation, or share their special island moments on social media, the airline said. Connecting to the internet will be seamless when guests walk on board, without registration pages or payment portals. The California-based regional carrier JSX said on Twitter last week that it will also provide Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi to its customers starting later this year, and it will also be free. Meanwhile, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a Wall Street Journal interview that his company has conducted some exploratory tests of Starlinks Wi-Fi capabilities but declined to offer details. Last fall, Chicago OHare Airports people-mover line called the Airport Transit System (ATS) resumed limited operations after being shut down for many months in order to expand and modernize the operation. Now, airport officials said, the ATS has finally come back to full, around-the-clock service, so OHare is no longer using the buses that had replaced it. The ATS carries passengers around the airport, linking Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5 with OHares Multi-Modal Facility (MMF), which houses rental car companies, an economy parking lot, and links to local and regional bus and rail services. The ATS reduces road congestion and emissions, as fewer cars and buses are needed to travel between terminals, parking lots and ground transportation facilities, the airport said. Each three-car train can carry 147 passengers, with service operating every three minutes. The three-mile trip between Terminal 1 and the MMF takes only 10 minutes, with five total stops. CLEAR, the company that uses biometric technology to give its members expedited access to TSA security screening, is now available in Terminal 2 at San Diego International, its eighth airport in California. Members submit to an eye scan for identity verification and then are escorted by a CLEAR rep right to TSA screening. Membership costs $15 a month, billed annually, but is also available at a discount to loyalty program members of Delta, American and American Express. With San Diego, CLEAR is now in place at 43 U.S. airports; other California locations include San Francisco International, Mineta San Jose, Oakland International, Sacramento, LAX, Ontario, and Palm Springs. Elsewhere in southern California, Long Beach Airport has set a May 4 opening for a new ticketing lobby, part of its $110 million Phase II Terminal Area improvement program. The 16,700-square-foot facility will replace ticketing and check-in facilities located in the airports historic terminal building, which is due to undergo renovations and will eventually be used for car rental services. The new building has common-use ticket counters and check-in kiosks that can be used by all airlines, and a new behind-the-scenes TSA baggage screening facility. Later this year, the airport will open a new consolidated baggage claim facility. WFO NEW YORK CITY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 30, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service New York NY 410 AM EDT Sat Apr 30 2022 ...ELEVATED RISK OF FIRE SPREAD TODAY... An elevated risk of fire growth and spread continues this morning through early this evening. Northwest winds sustained at 10 to 15 mph with gusts 20 to 25 mph are expected, along with minimum relative humidities of 15 to 25 percent. For New York residents, the annual statewide burn ban remains in effect until May 14. No burn permits are issued. Listen to NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio or visit our web site at https://weather.gov/nyc for further details or updates. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 30, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Williamson County in south central Texas... * Until 530 PM CDT. * At 436 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Hutto, or near Pflugerville, moving east at 15 mph. HAZARD...Quarter size hail. SOURCE...Trained weather spotters. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. * Locations impacted include... Round Rock, Taylor, Hutto, Coupland, Rices Crossing, Noack and Beyarsville. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. _____ 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 Members of the Animikii Wiikwedong-Deweigan drum group, from left, Thunder Bay Police Const. Sharlene Bourdeau, Celina Reitberger, Sheila De Corte and Ella Kruschel join Freddy Brizzi, manager of Lot 88 at the restaurant as they drop off red dress sugar cookies that he will distribute to his customers on May 5. Red dress pins that will be distributed at Intercity Shopping Centre today are assorted on the table. During his nine years as chief digital and technology officer for JetBlue Airways, Eash Sundaram often spoke of ways to future-proof the airline business, which is notoriously prone to perilously thin profit margins and frequent bankruptcies. For JetBlue, future-proofing meant diversifying beyond passenger flights by investing in travel and hospitality tech startups. So, when JetBlue Technology Ventures launched in 2016, Sundaram took on a dual role as founder and chairman of the investment committee. JetBlue Ventures has now had 3 successful exits in a five-year-old fund, which is a very good outcome, says Sundaram, referring to portfolio companies that were sold or issued IPOs. He retired from the airline last year to concentrate on venture investing and serve as an operating executive at Tailwind Capital, a mid-market private equity firm. He serves on the boards of several other companies as well, from startups to a $17B Fortune 200 global supply chain provider. His longtime affinity with the VC world, as it turned out, was future-proofing his own career strategy. Its so rewarding and inspirational to work with these early-stage startup founders. You feel so lucky to be part of their dream, Sundaram says of this next chapter in his working life, which includes starting his own investment fund Utpata Ventures, named for the Sanskrit word for defying gravity and flying high. I caught up recently with this CIO Hall of Famer-turned-VC tech investor to talk about working with VCs and early-stage companies, serving on public boards, and launching his own investment fund. Maryfran Johnson: Beyond serving as beta customers for new tech products, what benefits can CIOs bring to the world of VCs and tech investors? Eash Sundaram: Most of the entrepreneurs Ive met in startups arent as experienced in business as much as theyre young and energetic. They know how to bring a big idea to a certain point, but they cant translate that into execution. Once youre inside as an investor, you bring expertise on how to scale up a product. You also bring a larger-company integration mindset, and as a technologist, youve been hands-on in delivering the kind of IT success that fuels business growth. There are so many roles a CIO can play as an investor and a startup accelerator. JetBlue Technology Ventures has thrived since 2016, funding 40 startups and working with dozens of founders and entrepreneurs. What were the biggest lessons you learned during your five years as chairman of the board? My No. 1 lesson learned was that youve got to believe in the founder and the vision. You dont change that vision, which is something many investors will try to do. People with money arent always smart! Entrepreneurs think out-of-the box, and your job is to mentor them so they can grow and scale the business. We learned that in the early days where we tried to change the scope of a product, and we shouldnt have. No. 2 lesson: Your job as an investor in a venture fund is to find opportunities to help and to scale the company by leveraging your connections. Not every investor has the right connections to help a company grow. VC types often have more narrow networks. The unique opportunity you have as a CIO or CEO investor is to leverage your broader connections. For example, we had a partnership ecosystem at JB Ventures. We could bring in other airlines and hospitality brands to look at our investments and make introductions to help portfolio companies scale up. No. 3: Know when youre ready to be a consumer of your product or your investment. These young companies mature differently. In some cases, the products we invested in may not be enterprise-ready for a long time. You may think you want to be first, but you dont have to use everything you invest in. You also serve as a director on two public company boards, one of them being SolarWinds, the network software provider so catastrophically hacked last year. What was that experience like? I am chairman of the cyber and technology board committee, so I led the committee that assisted with the investigation. It was certainly a very painful six months. We had an outstanding team of Solarians and third-party experts who guided the board through the course of the investigation. Under the leadership of our new CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna, we have made significant progress in strengthening our internal landscape, embracing secure by design product principles, and driving significant improvements in customer satisfaction. We did that by being transparent, providing them with the necessary tools to mitigate any risks, and confidence in our ability to secure their infrastructure. The CEO (and his team) rebuilt the whole platform in less than a year. SolarWinds customer retention remains very high, which speaks so well of the way the company handled the crisis. What lessons did you take away from the SolarWinds hack? People think most cyber incidents are internally focused, but in a connected world like ours, technology goes so deeply into many parts of the organization, the magnitude and breadth of a supply chain attack is much larger than you would imagine. One of the best outcomes from such incidents is how it drives simplicity into your infrastructure. You have to stay current on software upgrades and minimize touch points. If you have five systems doing one thing, you keep only the one. And you move to the cloud, which provides a higher level of sophistication and security beyond what you can manage yourself. What technologies are you investing in with your own venture fund? I invested in 7 startups last year, in cybersecurity, conversational AI, B2B logistics, and new generation cloud development. Most of them are Series A level companies now. You play a different role when youre thinking about starting a venture fund. Its big money, so the decisions you make are high impact. Angel investment is a most risky proposition, but I like investing in great peopleand I like to be first! This article first appeared in CIOs Career Strategist newsletter. Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are now officially legalized in the Central African Republic (CAR) as legal tender. This makes CAR the second country to do so, following El Salvador's cryptocurrency adaptation last year. Members of parliament in the CAR voted unanimously to pass a bill legalizing bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin will be recognized as legal tender in the same way that the regional Central African CFA franc will be recognized as a currency. The president of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera, stated that the action would "improve the conditions of Central African citizens" and differentiate the country as one of the world's boldest and most visionary nations. CAR's Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Adaptation The Central African Republic is one of the world's poorest countries, although rich in natural resources such as diamonds, gold, and uranium. It has been devastated by turmoil for decades and is a close Russian partner, with soldiers from the Wagner Group assisting in the fight against insurgent forces in the country. Although lawmakers unanimously opted to recognize Bitcoin as legal tender, only 11% of the population have access to the internet. As reported by BBC "The internet is needed to use any cryptocurrency but in 2019, just 4% of people in CAR had access to the web, according to the WorldData website." The CFA franc, which France backs, is the currency in use in the country, as is the case with most other former French colonies in Africa. Critics believe that the adoption of Bitcoin is an attempt to destabilize the CFA as part of a competition between Russia and France for control over the resource-rich country. Read Also: New Ransomware Gang 'Black Basta' Emerges - Here's How To Fight Them Instability of the Cryptocurrency Adaptation The cryptocurrency adaptation comes with its plethora of advantages and disadvantages. Numerous experts, market analysts, and public officials question the legalization based on the country's capabilities. The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country rich in natural resources such as gold and uranium, but it remains one of the world's poorest countries. According to The Verge, as a result of the civil strife that has engulfed the country since 2012, only 11 percent of the 4.8 million of their population has access to the internet. It is one of just six African countries that uses the Central African CFA franc as its official currency. It has been speculated that the Central African Republic's adoption of Bitcoin is an attempt to weaken the CFA franc and send a message to the country's former colonial power, France. In the crypto community, the decision to deem bitcoin legal tender was hailed as a significant step forward in the movement toward widespread adoption of cryptocurrencies in the real world. However, CRA's adaptation has potential risks. According to CNBC, during 2020, the World Bank estimates that 71% of the CAR's 5.4 million residents is living below the international poverty line. Furthermore, aside from CAR, El Salvador was the first country to legalize Bitcoin as their legal tender and adopt cryptocurrency. However, El Salvador also received the same criticism. Many economists, including the International Monetary Fund, have expressed concern about the country's decision to accept Bitcoin as an official currency in September 2021. The IMF has stated that the measure increases the danger of financial instability. Due to Bitcoin's reputation as a highly volatile asset, there are concerns regarding its suitability as a regular mode of payment. Related Article: Top 5 Most Expensive NFT Art Sold - Pak, Beeple, CryptoPunk, Who Got the Top Spot? 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. Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access APSCF- Anunt cu privire la selectarea unui prestator de servicii ce va derula campania de informare si constientizare pentru promovarea comunicarii etice in raport cu refugiati ucraineni in Republica Moldova Google has announced that its workspace apps, which include Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings will now show a warning banner when you open potentially malicious files from the web. According to The Verge, the warning banner already appears when potentially dangerous files are accessed from within the Drive. It also appears if suspicious links are opened within separate Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings files. While according to ZD Net, the expansion of warning banners to workspace apps follows the introduction of the same banners to Google Drive files in January. With the intent to help protect users and their organizations from malware, phishing and ransomware, Google rolled out the banner alerts to all Drive users globally. Warning Banner Is an Attempt To Combat Scams The warning banners appear to be the tech giant's attempt to combat scams that use Google's office productivity software to create a layer of authenticity around dodgy links and phishing attempts, according to The Verge. In 2020, Wired reported that scammers are luring people into Google Drive documents in an attempt to get them to visit potentially malicious websites. When you click a link in one of the documents, it will send you to a site filled with dodgy ads, or a typical phishing site asking you to enter bank or other account details. The new warning banner is rolling out over the next couple of weeks to all accounts, business and personal alike, according to Google. Read Also: Cybersecurity Expert Warns Google Android Exposes Users 'Private Information, More: How to Protect Yourself Google Ensures Users' Safe Browsing Experience In Google Drive, after a user has clicked on a link, a yellow banner might appear at the top of the page. But this is before the file is downloaded. The warning will state that the file looks suspicious and "might be used to steal your personal information." This warning banner ensures that users will have a safe browsing experience, protected from dodgy links and phishing attempts. In October 2021, Google announced during the Google Cloud Next 2021 conference that the warning banner functionality for Docs was already available, and would be rolling out soon for Sheets and Slides, according to ZD Net. Then in January, Google said the banners were already available in Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings. "Previously, we announced warning banners for potentially malicious or dangerous files in Google Drive. We're extending these warnings at the file-level, going forward, if you open a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file on the web, you'll see these warnings," Google announced this week in a Workspace Updates blogpost. The warning banners will be a gradual rollout starting April 27, 2022 for business customers. The feature will available to all Google workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, according to the Google blog post. Google is an American multinational technology company that focuses on artificial intelligence, search engine, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, and consumer electronics. Google has been called the "most powerful company in the world" and is considered one of the Big Five American information technology companies, alongside Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft. Related Article: Is Google Assistant Secretly Spying on Conversations? Safety and Security Features Revealed The Milky Way galaxy is our celestial country within the universe, while the solar system is our neighborhood within it. We can't always see the Milky Way most of the time, but if you go to where the only things you see are the stars, you could get a glimpse of the galaxy we call home. The European Southern Observatory (ESO) recently released a picture featuring two telescopes of the La Silla Observatory getting front row access to a view of the Milky Way galaxy. The observatories are located within Chile's Atacama desert. La Silla Milky Way Photograph Details According to a report from Space.com, the telescope to the right of the Milky Way, which lies in the background, is the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) program best known for locating exoplanets. Underneath the telescope's location lies the Coude Auxillary Telescope, which has been decommissioned since 1998. The ESO's page for the telescope says that it is now connected to the observatory's 3.6-meter telescope through an optical fiber. Read More: Latest Firmware Update for Apple AirTag Tunes Undesirable Monitoring Sound To the left of the Milky Way lies the dome of the Swedish-ESO Submillimeter Telescope, which the ESO decommissioned in 2003 after decades of observing celestial objects in radio waves. The 3.58-meter New Technology Telescope is also located to the left of the Milky Way but is not visible in the picture. The Milky Way isn't as clearly viewed as those in low-light environments due to the light pollution from nearby cities. However, the view is clear enough to see the galaxy's zodiacal light, a form of emission that happens when the sun scatters dust particles in our solar system's plane, where the planet and most of our neighborhood moons orbit. Places To View The Milky Way Galaxy Aside from the ESO's La Silla Observatory, you can also view the Milky Way from several places in the US. According to Outdoorsy.com's article on the matter, the best places to clearly see the Milky Way are Utah's Capital Reef National Park and Naural Bridges National Monument, Nevada's Death Valley National Park, New Mexico's Bosque Del Apache Wildlife Preserve and Clayton Lake State Park, as well as the Grand Canyon National Park. You can also go to Hawaii's Mauna Kea to get the unique experience of viewing the Milky Way atop a volcano. However, If you wish to go abroad and see it in other countries, Capture The Atlas recommends Canada's Banff National Park, the Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma of the Spanish Canary Islands, Namibia and the Sahara Desert in Africa, and the Tasman Glacier in New Zealand. Capture The Atlas aso recommends going to the Dolomite mountain range in Italy to see the Milky Way, with the villages of Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Cinque Torri, and Monte Pelmo being the best places to see the Milky Way within the mountain range. Related Article: ESO's New Technology Telescope, TESS Helps Discover Earth-Like Planet in the Habitable Zone of a Dead Star Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. The Netflix logo is seen on their office in Hollywood, Los Angeles, in this July 16, 2018, file photo. Netflix announced a multi-film deal with Japan's Studio Colorido, Tuesday, as the streaming giant ramps up its anime offering and looks to Asia for growth. Reuters-Yonhap Netflix announced a multi-film deal with Japan's Studio Colorido, Tuesday, as the streaming giant ramps up its anime offering and looks to Asia for growth. The company is co-producing three feature films with Studio Colorido including "Drifting Home," which premieres in September, as it invests more deeply in original anime. The film will also premiere in cinemas domestically. Anime has proven a draw for Netflix in both Japan, where almost 90% of its users watch it, and globally, where half of users tuned in last year, with rivals including Amazon and Disney also racing to offer such content. "In order to ... win globally, we must win locally first," Kaata Sakamoto, vice president of content for Japan, told Reuters in an interview. The Asia-Pacific region was the lone bright spot in Netflix's first-quarter earnings, in which the world's dominant streaming service reported it lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade. The company said it was seeing "nice growth" in the region, including in Japan, where it reported 5 million users in September 2020. Netflix offers access to a broader audience than the hardcore anime fans traditionally targeted by the industry, Studio Colorido President Koji Yamamoto told Reuters. The studio favors stories in which characters are pulled from their ordinary lives by a fantastical turn of events such as "Penguin Highway" from 2018, in which an elementary schoolboy investigates the sudden appearance of penguins in his town. Such family-friendly fare fits with Netflix's strategy of expanding its content offerings in Japan, including launching some 40 original anime titles, scripted dramas such as "First Love," and unscripted series like "Last One Standing." "We are ramping up our investment in Japan content, not just in volume but in a variety of genre and formats," Sakamoto said. Netflix has also struck deals with domestic broadcasters, which have been slow to embrace streaming, for content such as the long-running variety show "Old Enough!" from Nippon TV. The show, which depicts very young children running errands for the first time while being filmed by production staff in disguise, has generated buzz online. (Reuters) First-time homebuyers made up 34% of all buyers in 2021, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Given that over a third of all home sales are attributed to first-time buyers, it makes sense that there are plenty of assistance programs and loans available to help new homebuyers finance their first homes. If youre a newbie when it comes to mortgages and homebuying, you might be able to get assistance with your down payment, closing costs and more. If youre lucky (like one of our reviewers from Alabama), youll work with a mortgage lender and loan officer who can walk you step-by-step through the process. This isnt always how it goes, though, so its important to have some knowledge of your options as a first-time buyer. Benefits of being a first-time buyer First-time homebuyers can take advantage of multiple programs and benefits catered to their needs. For instance, you might be concerned about your down payment, which is generally 6% to 7% of the homes sale price for first-time buyers. However, there are programs to help cover your down payment as well as the closing costs (which average 2% to 5% of the sale price). If the First-Time Homebuyer Act of 2021 passes, eligible homebuyers will receive a refundable tax credit of up to $15,000 dollars. There are also loans that require small down payments, like Federal Housing Administration (FHA) 203(b) loans, and loans that dont require down payments at all, like U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Single Family Housing loans. At times, the federal government has further incentivized homeownership by offering tax credits to first-time homebuyers. Unfortunately, the tax credit for first-time homebuyers from the 2008 Housing and Economic Recovery Act expired in 2010. However, at the time of publishing, theres a bill with Congress (the First-Time Homebuyer Act of 2021) that, if passed, would offer first-time buyers who qualify a refundable tax credit equal to 10% of their homes purchase price. How the credit would work: If your tax bill for the year were $5,000 and you received a refundable tax credit of $15,000, you would get a $10,000 check from the federal government for that year. Just be aware that if the bill passes in its current form, this tax credit is capped at a maximum of $15,000. First-time homebuyer programs Some initiatives for first-time buyers offer down payment and closing cost assistance; others reduce the sale price of a home. Federal and state government agencies typically offer these programs, but nonprofit organizations and individual lenders may also offer their own incentives. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments (HUD) Good Neighbor Next Door program and Fannie Maes HomePath Ready Buyer program are two popular options. Outside of these two programs, there are also state and local grant programs available, so check with your local housing authority or housing finance agency to learn more about those programs. Good Neighbor Next Door HUDs Good Neighbor Next Door program earmarks certain homes in revitalization areas to be sold to eligible candidates for a 50% discount off the list price. Eligible buyers may include teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Qualified buyers must also commit to living on the property as their primary residence for at least 36 months. HomePath Ready Buyer Fannie Maes HomePath Ready Buyer program can help cover some of the closing costs for individuals who complete a homeownership education course and purchase a HomePath-designated property. How to qualify for a first-time homebuyer loan Most first-time buyers (61%, according to NAR) choose to finance their homes with conventional loans. However, there are government-backed alternatives, including FHA, VA and USDA loans, that could be better for new buyers. FHA loans make up about 23% of loans taken out by first-time buyers; VA loans account for 6%. All these mortgage options have varying credit score, down payment and debt-to-income (DTI) ratio requirements. Consider the following to find the right loan for you. FHA loans FHA loans are offered by Federal Housing Administration-approved lenders and backed by the federal government. According to the National Association of Realtors, FHA loans account for about 23% of first-time buyers mortgages. While the FHA offers a number of loan programs, its 203(b) loans are popular among first-time homebuyers because they tend to have lower down payment and credit score requirements than conventional loans. Weve provided requirements for that program below, but other FHA loan programs may have different policies. FHA loan requirements Credit score: 500 500 Down payment: 10% for borrowers with credit scores between 500 and 579; 3.5% with a score of 580 or higher 10% for borrowers with credit scores between 500 and 579; 3.5% with a score of 580 or higher DTI: Varies by lender; most require a DTI ratio of 43% or lower VA loans VA loans are available to active-duty military members, veterans and their surviving spouses. As with USDA and FHA loans, you can apply for a VA loan through an approved lender. To apply, youll need to show a VA Certificate of Eligibility, though. VA-backed purchase loans are guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, making them more appealing to lenders. This, in turn, means that lender requirements for these loans are often very low. Weve broken down what it takes to get a VA-backed purchase loan below. VA loan requirements Credit score: No credit score requirement No credit score requirement Down payment: No down payment required (as long as the homes sales price does not exceed its appraised value) No down payment required (as long as the homes sales price does not exceed its appraised value) DTI: No maximum DTI ratio; however, lenders must provide justification if your DTI is over 41% USDA loans USDA loans are available thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and theyre used for purchasing or refinancing properties in rural areas. As with FHA and VA loans, you can get USDA loans from approved lenders. The USDA has multiple loan programs, but its Section 502 Guaranteed Loan Program is its most popular option for single-family homes. This program was created to encourage homeownership for low- to moderate-income earners in rural areas. Weve included eligibility criteria for these loans below. USDA requirements Credit score: No minimum credit score requirement; lenders who offer USDA loans may require a score of at least 640, though No minimum credit score requirement; lenders who offer USDA loans may require a score of at least 640, though Down payment: No down payment required No down payment required DTI: 41% or lower; borrowers with higher credit scores and the ability to prove stable employment may have some flexibility Conventional loans Conventional mortgages are offered by private lenders (like banks and credit unions) without government backing, which means they tend to have stricter requirements. However, these criteria vary by lender. Conventional loan requirements Credit score: Varies by lender and loan amount; most require a credit score of at least 620 Varies by lender and loan amount; most require a credit score of at least 620 Down payment: Can be as low as 3%; 20% needed to avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI) Can be as low as 3%; 20% needed to avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI) DTI: 36% or lower in most cases; if your DTI ratio is higher (generally up to 50%), you may still qualify if you have a higher credit score or cash reserves How to qualify for a first-time homebuyer grant First-time homebuyer grants generally cover part of your down payment or your closing costs. Grants may be preferable to loans because they usually dont require repayment. However, each grant program has varying requirements. Some require you to keep the home as your primary residence for a specified period of time (usually a few years). Some have income caps for qualifying recipients. At the time of publishing, the Downpayment Toward Equity Act of 2021 has not made it through Congress, but if passed, it would require you to be a first-generation homebuyer using a government-backed mortgage. It may take some legwork, but youll need to check out the eligibility criteria for each first-time homebuyer grant youre interested in to see if you qualify. Down payment assistance programs Down payment assistance programs can help first-time homebuyers with the initial costs of buying a home. This type of assistance is generally offered as either a grant or a loan. The qualifications for assistance vary, but youll probably need a credit score of 620 or higher to qualify. You can also expect income restrictions, depending on your location. Take a Mortgage Quiz. Get matched with an Authorized Partner. Zip code Find My Match Take a quiz, get matched with an Authorized Partner! Bottom line If youre a first-time homebuyer, there are a lot of incentives you can take advantage of to make the process easier. You may want to look into loan and grant programs that can make your initial costs easier to afford. Some options, like HUDs Good Neighbor Next Door program, can reduce the purchase price of a home, but you may have to buy a property in a specific area to take advantage of this kind of assistance. Government-backed loans, like FHA and USDA loans, tend to cater to first-time buyers since they usually have less stringent requirements than conventional loans. When comparing loan options, just make sure to evaluate the overall cost of the loan (including interest, closing costs, etc.) to find the best option for you. Actors Jang Hyun-sung and Yoo In-na host the opening ceremony of the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival at Jeonju Dome in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Kwak Yeon-soo By Kwak Yeon-soo JEONJU, North Jeolla Province The 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF), an annual celebration of indie films, kicked off on Thursday night as moviegoers flocked to Jeonju Dome for the sold-out premiere of "Pachinko" director Kogonada's new sci-fi film, "After Yang." The festival will run through May 7. Under the slogan "Film Goes On," the festival is being held offline for the first time in three years, screening 217 films from 52 countries. The 21st edition took place entirely online, while last year's event was held in a much scaled-down, hybrid format. This year, 112 out of the 217 films will be made available for online streaming via ONFIFN as well. The opening ceremony was hosted by actors Jang Hyun-sung and Yoo In-na. "For the past eight years of serving as the chairman of the festival, I always kept in mind that the essence of cinema lies in expressing free speech. Films have the power to protect the universal values of humankind. We will continue to support experimental and alternative films that raise fundamental questions about humanity," Jeonju Mayor Kim Seung-su, who also serves as the chairman of the JIFF's organizing committee, said during the opening event. "We are thrilled to physically welcome back filmgoers and filmmakers. If more than 50 percent of screenings are sold out, that would be considered a success. For the opening ceremony, the entire 400 seats were sold out just three minutes after online ticketing started," festival director Lee Joon-dong said. Some judges of this year's festival, including actors Park Ha-seon and Gong Seung-yeon, director Chang and Chung-Ang University Film Department Professor Joo Jin-sook, as well as foreign filmmakers including Clarisa Navas and Andrei Tanasescu, attended the opening ceremony. Special sections include "Lee Chang-dong: The Truth of the Invisible," Taehung Pictures retrospective and "J Special: Programmer of the Year" movie talk hosted by director Yeon Sang-ho, known for his hit films "Train to Busan" and "Peninsula." A scene from the film "After Yang" / Courtesy of JIFF The signboards of Rush & Cash, a private money lending brand, which belongs to OK Financial Group, and the group's second-tier banking brand, OK Savings Bank, are seen on a building in Seoul in this file photo taken in June 2021. Korea Times file By Yi Whan-woo OK Financial Group has grown into a conglomerate that is large enough to be listed on the Fair Trade Commission's (FTC) corporate watch list, which sources say will help improve the group's negative image an image that is heavily associated with the private money lending business. Yet, at the same time, being on the list is expected in some ways to put the brakes on the group's vision to accelerate growth and expand into every possible financial sector. The company's vision is based on the premise that fewer regulatory barriers would prompt the firm to expand. However, now that is on the watch list, it will be subject to tougher filing regulations concerning anti-trust practices, and accordingly, will have to act more responsibly. The group was added to the watch list, which was updated by the FTC, April 27, after the company initially started as a private money lender over 20 years ago. The FTC list is comprised of large business groups with assets of 5 trillion won ($3.9 billion), including global brands such as Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor Group and LG. The assets of OK Financial Group amounted to 5.22 trillion won as of 2021. In addition, the number of subsidiaries reached 15 after its chairman, Choi Yoon, started in the private money lending business and then expanded to other services, including second-tier banking business. The majority of OK Financial Group's 15 subsidiaries are largely still involved in the private money lending business. "On the occasion of FTC's designation of the company onto the watch list, we will pursue a form of management that is more transparent and ethical," OK Financial Group said. "We will also be faithful in our social responsibility as a financial services firm dedicated to regular citizens." Concerning its private money lending arms, the group said it has been contemplating on "clearing them up," noting that such a move will be a part of the measures necessary to "transform into a comprehensive financial services provider." Against this backdrop, a source said that being on the FTC list may be helpful in "shaking off the tag of being the country's leading private money lender." The source went on to say that joining the list "is not something that should be welcomed in every instance," arguing that, for years, the FTC list has been seen as associated with "outdated regulations that dent the competence of the targeted companies." "Being on the list means being burdened with more regulations, and this will be the reality faced by OK Financial Group from now on," the source added. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT When confronted with the large amount of explosive material found in his Stratford garage, police said a New Canaan police officer told them he didnt need any licensing because he had a badge. On Friday, the officer, David Rivera, 34, was arraigned in state Superior Court in Bridgeport on charges of illegal possession of explosives, illegal storage of explosives, illegal possession of an assault rifle, illegal storage of a firearm and three counts of improper transfer of a firearm. As Rivera stood beside his lawyer, John R. Gulash, Senior Assistant States Attorney Tiffany Lockshier urged Judge Ndidi Moses to set a high bond. An enormous amount of explosives were found in his home, enough to blow up his house and perhaps the area around it, Lockshier said. She said the investigation is continuing and more charges could be forthcoming. But Gulash argued that the danger with the amount of explosives found was being exaggerated. He said his client, who trains dogs for law enforcement, will claim that the explosive material was being used to train explosive-sniffing dogs and the assault rifle found actually belonged to someone else. There is nothing about this case that indicates my client would flee the jurisdiction, Gulash said. But Judge Moses said based on the seriousness of the charges and the amount of explosives found, she was ordering Rivera held in lieu of $250,000 bond. She continued the case to May 10. According to the arrest warrant affidavit of Stratford Detective John Therina, Rivera, who has been out of work from the police department on workers compensation, has been running Black Rock Canines, a dog training facility on Hunters Mountain Road in Naugatuck. Earlier this month, the affidavit states that two employees of the dog training company complained to state police about their concerns of a large amount of explosive material, including TNT, Rivera was storing at both the training center and a factory building in Naugatuck. The affidavit states the employees were concerned that Rivera did not have a license to have the explosives and that the explosives were being kept in unsafe containers. The witnesses told police Rivera claimed he was using the explosives to train dogs in detecting them. The witnesses told police that after they confronted Rivera about the explosives, he moved them to his home in Stratford, the affidavit states. On Tuesday, Stratford police, members of the state police bomb squad and agents of the FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms served a search warrant on Riveras home. In the garage, they found numerous items they determined to be high explosives as well as items they considered to be low explosives, the affidavit states. The affidavit stated that some of the explosives had begun to degrade and crystallize, indicating they were extremely unstable. All the explosive material that was found in the garage was found to be unlocked and accessible to anyone who was in the garage, the affidavit states. The affidavit states that when police searched the basement of the home they found three weapons, including an AR-15 assault weapon in an unlocked wooded box. The affidavit states that Rivera did not have the proper paperwork to obtain the guns. Rivera, a police officer for nine years, has been placed on leave pending the resolution of the case and an internal affairs investigation, New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said Friday. The chief said the investigation was related to Riveras off-duty conduct outside of New Canaan. Subsequently, Mr. Rivera was placed on leave, and he is presently prohibited from serving as an active-duty New Canaan police officer, Krolikowski said. Mr. Rivera will remain on leave, pending adjudication of any criminal case and the completion of an internal investigation. Rivera, a K-9 officer, has been a member of the New Canaan Police Department since 2014. Rivera has received commendations and awards from the department in recent years after helping to save the life of a man who was overdosing and successfully capturing a man with a gun who was refusing to drop the weapon. Prior to joining New Canaan, Rivera was a member of the Bridgeport Police Department. Last July, Rivera filed a lawsuit against New Canaan, claiming discrimination based on skin color and race after he was not chosen for the departments Special Response Team. That case is going to trial, court records show. He also lost a grievance complaint he had filed earlier this year, seeking wages related to his time out with an injury. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LOS ANGELES (AP) A Los Angeles funeral home owner illegally left the remains of 11 people, including infants, in stages of decay and mummification and faces more than a decade in jail, prosecutors said Friday. City Attorney Mike Feuer, whose office can only file misdemeanor offenses, announced the charges Friday, calling it an incredibly sad and shocking situation" and said that officials could smell the odor from outside the San Fernando Valley facility. Eleven people died, including very young children, and the funeral director hired to compassionately prepare the bodies for burial allegedly just let them rot, with neither the decency nor the dignity that all our loved ones deserve, Feuer said in a statement. "Their deaths are one tragedy, and this alleged monstrous mistreatment is a second tragedy. Funeral homes that mistreat human remains have made headlines for years. Funeral home regulations vary across the U.S., with some states requiring annual inspections and several requiring no inspections at all. In one of the most extreme cases, more than 330 decaying corpses were found in 2002 in the Tri-State Crematory near the tiny community of Noble, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta. The former operator pleaded guilty to nearly 800 criminal charges related to fraud and corpse abuse after the bodies were found. In Los Angeles, authorities opened an investigation into the Mark B. Allen Mortuary and Cremations Services Inc., after receiving complaints from families. The mortuary, owned by Mark B. Allen, is now closed and phone numbers listed for the business were disconnected. It was not immediately clear whether Allen has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. He faces 22 misdemeanor charges two for each person from the states Health and Safety Code, where one statute makes it illegal for anyone to dispose of human remains anywhere that is not a cemetery. The second statute that Allen faces is disposing of remains illegally through his role as a funeral director. The maximum penalty is $110,000 and 11 years in jail. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JACKSON, Miss. (AP) After Truitt Pace admitted to law enforcement that he beat and shot his wife, her family expected a swift conviction. The 34-year-old mother of threes tiny frame was so bruised and traumatized that the funeral home suggested a closed casket. But as months went by, state prosecutors told Marsha Harbours family they were waiting on a key piece of evidence: the medical examiners autopsy report. National standards recommend most autopsy reports be completed within 60 days. Prosecutors in Harbours case waited for a year. Across Mississippi, many families wait even longer. An Associated Press analysis based on state data and documents, as well as dozens of interviews with officials and residents, found that Mississippis system has long operated in violation of national standards for death investigations, accruing a severe backlog of autopsies and reports. Autopsies that should take days take weeks. Autopsy reports that should take months take a year or longer, as in Harbours case. Too few pathologists are doing too many autopsies. Some cases are transferred hundreds of miles to neighboring states for reports without their familys knowledge. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office was waiting for about 1,300 reports from as far back as 2011, records sent to AP in early April show. Around 800 of those involve homicides meaning criminal cases are incomplete. District attorneys have resigned themselves to long waits: Were at a point now where were happy if its only a year, said Luke Williamson, who's been a prosecutor for 14 years in northern Mississippi. The National Association of Medical Examiners, the office that accredits U.S. death investigations offices, dictates that 90% of autopsy reports should be returned within 60 to 90 days. Mississippis office has never been accredited. The majority of U.S. medical examiner agencies, which are chronically underfunded and face a shortage of forensic pathologists, are unaccredited. States such as Georgia have raised the alarm about autopsy report delays of up to six months. But nowhere is the issue more severe than in Mississippi. Mississippis delays are an emergency-level concern, said Dr. James Gill, the associations 2021 president and a leader in the College of American Pathologists. Thats a disaster situation where you need to do something drastic. Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell is a former Mississippi Court of Appeals judge who stepped into his role overseeing the state medical examiners office, the highway patrol and other agencies in May 2020. He called the backlog unacceptable and said he's made eliminating it the top priority of his administration. He said working as a judge, he saw how trials were delayed while prosecutors awaited reports. I knew it was bad, he told the AP. I didnt know it was this bad. Families deserve better. I'm sorry that they've had to experience delays in laying to rest loved ones, to getting closure in these cases, but were going to fix the problem. Tindell said hes instituted a policy that all reports must be back within 90 days. Using contractor pathologists in other states, the office began working to whittle down the backlog. Tindell said around 500 cases have been completed since summer. But Tindell who has hired two new pathologists, started university recruiting efforts and streamlined staff duties said its been a challenge trying to fix old problems while facing new ones: the pandemic and an unprecedented increase in violent crime. Mississippi saw 597 homicides in 2021 and 578 in 2020 record numbers for the state of 3 million. Thats compared with 434 in 2019 and 382 in 2018. Arkansas, with a similar population, had 347 homicides in 2021 and 386 in 2020. From 2020 to April 2022, Arkansas has employed five to seven pathologists performing autopsies. Mississippi has employed two to three, as people left jobs. Tindell said both the forensics laboratory and medical examiner's office haven't been a state priority for funding or staffing in over a decade. The forensic laboratory's budget has essentially remained unchanged since 2008. But during Mississippi's 2022 legislative session, lawmakers approved $4 million that must be used to address backlogged cases. Like most states, Mississippi does not perform an autopsy a post-mortem surgical procedure by a forensic pathologist to determine cause of death for all people. Autopsies are reserved for homicides, suicides, deaths of children and those in correctional facilities, and other unexpected cases. Forensic pathologists are responsible for performing autopsies at Mississippis two medical examiner offices one in the Jackson metro area, one on the coast. After the autopsy, pathologists complete a report explaining their findings and results, including an official cause of death. Reports can help determine whether a death was an accident, a suicide or a homicide. They shed light on child deaths, or show whether a person accused of murder acted in self-defense. In 2017, 93-year-old World War II veteran Durley Bratton died after two employees of a Mississippi veterans home dropped him and put him back in bed without telling anyone. Police began an investigation after a tip from the hospital where Bratton was taken. Arrests didn't come until 15 months later, after the autopsy report was returned, concluding the veteran died of blunt-force trauma. In the Harbour case, the autopsy report was the critical piece of evidence after Pace claimed self-defense for shooting his wife. At the December 2021 trial where Pace was sentenced to life in prison, a medical examiner said Harbour suffered from blunt force trauma wounds consistent with being beaten before she was shot. Harbour, who helped deliver babies as a surgical technician at a local hospital, had endured months of abuse. She once went to a domestic violence shelter. But she worried for her children's safety and never went to the police. Because Pace had no criminal record, he was released on bond days after his arrest. Harbours stepmother, Denise Spears, said she and her family felt dejected as they went to the mailbox month after month to find notices that the trial was being pushed back. Once the report came in, the trial was delayed further because of the pandemic. Pace didn't stand trial until more than three years after killing his wife. One of the worst parts was explaining to her grandchildren why the man who killed their mother was able to live free for years, Spears said. More than once, they came to her, afraid theyd run into him. They couldnt understand it, Spears said. It was hard for me to explain to them, because I couldnt understand it either. Ben Creekmore, a district attorney in northern Mississippi, said conversations with families about delays are always difficult. He worries about the impact the postponements have on trust in the criminal justice system. Those things dramatically impact our relationship with people who have suffered loss, he said. It undermines your credibility on everything else. Beyond effects on criminal cases, the lack of an autopsy report and official death certificate can prevent families from collecting benefits. Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said hes been contacted by families who cant get insurance payouts without a certificate. One that contacted us was a mom and two children whose husband died unexpectedly, he said during a fall budget hearing. They couldnt get their life insurance benefits, and thats the only money they had. More than money, families can also find closure. Rebecca Brown lost her brother unexpectedly in 2018. It wasnt until last June three years after his death that his report was completed. Her brother, in his early 40s, had a history of drug addiction but was in recovery. He lived with his mother, who worried hed started using again and had died of an overdose. When they finally learned the cause of death was a heart attack, Brown said she felt no relief just anger that it had taken so long. When she showed her mother a photo of the death certificate, she cried. "In my mind, what they did is they called for my mother to grieve harder for three years than she could have, Brown said. Tindell said the problems won't be fixed until the state is able to hire more pathologists. The National Medical Examiners Association standards recommend that pathologists perform no more than 250 autopsies a year. If pathologists perform more than 325 a year, the office risks losing accreditation. In 2021, two Mississippi pathologists performed 461 and 421 autopsies. Arkansass six pathologists completed an average of approximately 282 each. During most of the 1990s and 2000s, Mississippi had no state medical examiner, instead contracting with a private physician, Dr. Steven Hayne, who performed 80% of autopsies in the state. He completed as many as 1,700 autopsies a year. Haynes work was repeatedly attacked in court as sloppy and scientifically unsound. Verdicts in multiple murder cases in which Hayne testified were overturned by the Mississippi Supreme Court. In 2011, the state hired Pathologist Dr. Mark LeVaughn as its first chief medical examiner since 1995. During his tenure, LeVaughn spoke publicly repeatedly about a lack of resources, calling his office a critically understaffed public health risk. Tindell said a substantial number of autopsy reports that are pending are LeVaughn's. Because of the departments staff turnover rate, LeVaughn was the only forensic pathologist handling all the autopsies in the state at times and fell behind on paperwork. He was put in the impossible situation of trying to do all the autopsies for the entire state, and just unfortunately, he was not able to get it all done, Tindell said. LeVaughn resigned as chief medical examiner in January 2021. He has since been rehired as a pathologist finishing outstanding reports and testifying on them in trials. Tindell said the office expects an additional pathologist to start late next month, and that he's recruiting to hire another as soon as possible. In the meantime, to meet demand, the Mississippi Medical Examiners Office has been forced to send bodies to neighboring states such as Arkansas. In 2021, 284 autopsies were completed by contractor pathologists. The National Medical Examiners Association recommends autopsies be completed within 72 hours. The turnaround time in Mississippi has exceeded three weeks in some cases. The problem is especially severe in north Mississippi, where there is no medical examiners office. One family in Tupelo waited 24 days. After he was shot and killed in May of last year, Lorenzin Browns body was first brought almost 200 miles (322 kilometers) away for an autopsy at the Mississippi State Crime Lab in Pearl, the closest state facility that could do it. Brown lay for two weeks in the morgue before pathologists determined they couldn't get to his case fast enough. They decided he should be transferred to Little Rock more than 260 miles (418 kilometers) away for an autopsy by a contractor. His family wasnt notified that he was being transferred or told when hed be returned. Without updates, they struggled to make funeral arrangements. His father wondered if hed be able to see him before he was buried. To get a call saying that hes been murdered, it was already a tragic enough situation, said Browns uncle, Tim Butler, a pastor who organized the funeral. The grieving process is always bad. Under these circumstances, its made everything that much worse. His mother, Geisha, said she couldnt work while she waited for his body to be returned and to hold his service. It wasnt until a month and a day after he died that they were able to bury her son. Clayton Cobler coroner in Lauderdale County, where Harbour was killed said families try calling the medical examiners office for answers about the status of autopsies and reports, and they often dont hear back. Each of Mississippi's 82 counties has an elected coroner who's responsible for collecting and transporting bodies to the medical examiner's office. They end up acting as liaisons with families and answering desperate calls month after month, Cobler said. Ive got a grandmother that her grandson died in 2017, and she wants to know why," he said. "It just breaks my heart every time she calls, because I cant tell her. Cobler, who has worked in death investigations for decades, said he recently made the difficult decision not to run for reelection. More and more coroners or long-term coroners are saying, Im done. Im not going to run again, because its just too frustrating, and its too heartbreaking,' he said. Rocky Kennedy, the Lafayette County coroner, said many people who work with families feel the same fatigue. Its a waiting game, and I think everybodys patience ran out a long time ago," he said. "Words without results mean nothing." ___ Leah Willingham is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Danburys federal prison was thrust into the spotlight this week when a Russian pilot, convicted of conspiring to smuggle drugs into the United States, was released from the facility as part of a high-profile prisoner swap that will free U.S. Marine Trevor Reed. Little is known about who exactly is housed in the federal prison on Route 37. But one of its inmates, 53-year-old Konstantin Yaroshenko, had been the subject of intense diplomatic negotiations for years between two countrie, even recently as they are at odds over the recent invasion of Ukraine. U.S. Attorney's Office Dimitar Dilkoff /AFP / TNS Left: Former Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko at the Republic of Liberia National Security Agency (RLNSA) headquarters on May 30, 2010, in Monrovia, Liberia. (U.S. Attorney's Office) Right: Former Marine Trevor Reed adjusts his face mask while standing inside a defendants' cage during his verdict hearing at Moscow's Golovinsky district court on July 30, 2020.(Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/TNS) Typically not among the federal penitentiaries to receive much attention, Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury is classified by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons as a low-security facility that houses just about 1,000 inmates. But on Wednesday, the Washington Post reported that Yaroshenko, serving a 20-year sentence, had been freed from the facility and will return to Russia. Federal court records also confirmed that Yaroshenko had been housed at the Danbury prison. Danbury officials, including police, were not notified of the release, said John Kleinhans, spokesperson for Mayor Dean Esposito. Federal officials in the U.S. Attorneys office in the Southern District of New York who prosecuted Yarsoshenko, did not respond to a request for comment. Federal officials in Connecticut declined to comment. Yaroshenko was convicted in 2011 after a three-week trial, federal court records show. He was accused of transporting thousand-kilogram quantities of cocaine by air throughout South America, Africa and Europe, federal prosecutors said. Before he was taken into custody, authorities said Yaroshenko was working to expand his operation into the United States, which led to the charges in this country. How Yaroshenko came to be housed in FCI Danbury and why Russia officials keyed in on Yaroshenko is unclear. According to the U.S. Bureau of Prison, it is the agencys sole discretion where inmates are placed after sentencing. Typically, the agency attempts to place inmates within 500 miles of where they will be released, it says. It is not clear where Yaroshenko, who had an anticipated release date of 2027, would have been sent after his sentence was over. The Bureau of Prisons says that it weighs certain other factors including security, program and population concerns when determining where to place inmates. While little has been reported about Yaroshenko ahead of his release in the prisoner swap with Russia, his incarceration was a focus of top authorities in his native country. Russias High Commissioner for Human Rights Tatiana Moskalkova had asked then-President Donald Trump in 2017 to pardon the ailing Yaroshenko. In my letter, considering the humanitarian side of the issue, I asked the president to release Konstantin Yaroshenko from further serving his sentence, pointing to the length of his imprisonment and the progressive deterioration of his health, a statement from Moskalkova read. However, it appears the pardon was never granted. ABC News reported in 2019 that an attorney for Yaroshenko had heard rumors at the time of a prisoner swap involving Yaroshenko, but had heard similar rumors in the years since his arrest in 2010. Yaroshenkos release this week follows repeated efforts by the Russian pilot to garner release from the Danbury facility and sent home to Russia. He had sought a compassionate release from FCI Danbury in April 2020 based on medical conditions that he claimed would make him vulnerable to COVID-19, court records show. His ailments included arthritis, hypertension and post-traumatic stress, his lawyers wrote in court filings. He had sought instead to be sent home to Russia. The warden of the Danbury prison denied his release, court documents said. In September 2021, a federal judge also denied his request for compassionate release while noting the Danbury prison appears to have effectively contained the virus, a federal court ruling states. The judge also pointed out in the ruling that during sentencing the court referred to his illegal activities as a crime of this colossal size. He had served more than half of his sentence when the Biden administration began negotiating with Russian authorities for a prisoner exchange that would free Reed, reports said. Negotiations continued, despite high tensions between Russia and the United States over the Ukraine invasion, officials said. People look at "Inwangjesaekdo (Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang)," an iconic Joseon-era landscape painting by Jeong Seon (1676-1759), during a press release, April 27. Yonhap Two national museums will open a joint exhibition of artworks donated by late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee on Thursday in commemoration of the first anniversary of the donation. Co-hosted by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), the exhibit, titled "A Collector's Invitation," will run till Aug. 28 at the special gallery of the National Museum of Korea (NMK), the museum said. A year ago, Lee's family donated around 23,000 art pieces, including masterpieces by Korean and Western artists, such as Kim Whan-ki, Claude Monet and Salvador Dali, to the NMK, MMCA and five public galleries around the country. Lee died in October 2020. The artworks had been collected by the late entrepreneur who said he considered collecting and preserving cultural heritage a duty of the times in his speech to the opening ceremony of the Leeum Museum of Art, one of the top private museums in Korea, in 2004. The two national museums, which own most of the items from the Lee collection, opened exhibitions in July to showcase the cream of the collection, at the Seoul gallery of MMCA and the NMK in Yongsan, central Seoul. The MMCA exhibition is still under way as the institution extended the popular event, which has reportedly drawn about 100,000 visitors, two times to June 6. Unlike the special exhibitions held last year, however, the upcoming exhibit at NMK will allow people to easily see the cream of the Lee collection in a single visit. On display will be 355 items of metal, clayware, wood furniture, sculptures, calligraphy and oil paintings from the prehistoric times to the 21st century, a number far more than 135 showcased during the two previous exhibitions. They include Korean and Western masterpieces, such as "Inwangjesaekdo (Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang)," an iconic Joseon-era landscape painting by Jeong Seon (1676-1759), Claude Monet (1840-1926)'s "Water Lily Pond," Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki (1913-1974)'s "Work" and Korean painter Lee In-sung (1912-1950)'s "A Woman in Yellow." Also among the 355 items are 13 national treasures, including Jeong Seon's "Inwangjesaekdo" and "Ilgwangsamjonsang," a gilt-bronze standing Buddha triad thought to be from the sixth century during the Three Kingdoms period. Some of the major paintings will go on display for only one or two months out of fear that they may be damaged from long exposure to lighting. For instance, visitors can see "Inwangjesaekdo" from April 28 to May 31 and "Chuseongbudo (Sound of Autumn)" by famous Joseon-era painter Kim Hong-do (1745-1806), from June 1 to June 30. "This special exhibition was designed to reflect on the meaning of collection and donation and to highlight the diversity of the art pieces donated by the late chairman," the NMK said in a press release. Tickets can be reserved at the e-commerce website Interpark and be purchased on-site. Reservations began a month ago, and all tickets for this and next month have sold out. Tickets for June can be booked from 2 p.m. on Monday. (Yonhap) NEW LONDON One home is completely destroyed and another is badly damaged after a fire began behind a home on Fuller Street Saturday morning, according to Fire Chief Thomas Curcio. Curcio said during a phone call Saturday that the fire spread to a home at 61 Fuller St. and spread to the house next door, most likely due to the wind. A gas valve was also involved, Curcio said, so there was free-flowing natural gas at the scene. I'm pretty sure that was from the fire that had either set off a relief valve or something, Curcio said. We had to wait for Eversource to come and secure the gas to the building. Power lines were down when the fire department arrived, according to Curcio, so there were also live wires at the scene. They immediately called second alarm at first and then it went to a general alarm because we needed that much help, Curcio said. Then fire also spread into the nearby woods from hot embers. The nearby town took care of that for us. Three firefighters were treated for first and second-degree burns on their faces and necks and were released, the chief said. Curcio said he believed a pet died in the first home as well. There were no other injuries and everyone was out of the homes when the fire department arrived. They did try to make an aggressive interior attack, but they had to withdraw because the roofs on both of the homes were coming down, so we had to use caution while we were going inside, Curcio said. One home was completely destroyed and while Curcio did not go into the second home, he said the fire burned off most of the roof and he assumes the home would have a lot of water damage. All fires have been extinguished and the fire marshal was on the scene Saturday evening investigating the cause of the blaze. In a Facebook post earlier, police asked residents to avoid the area near Fuller and Colman streets Saturday morning. All affected roads in the area have been reopened. State Rep. Anthony Nolan, D-New London, said on Facebook that no one had been reported injured, thanking firefighters for their efforts. Please keep our neighbors in prayers, along with our firefighters who did tremendous job fighting this fire, Nolan said. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KILLINGWORTH The third bid could be the charm for conservationists who want to prevent Deer Lake Scout Reservation from being sold to a developer. Less than one day before a May 1 deadline, Pathfinders submitted its third offer Saturday to buy Deer Lake Scout Reservation from the Boy Scouts Connecticut Yankee Council. The Council was asking for $5 million for the parcel, which included a $400,000 kill fee; they had agreed earlier to sell to a developer for $4.6 million. The fee is to break that contract. Pathfinders president Ted Langevin would not say how much the offer was. I can say we made the offer thats all Im going to say, he said. On the Save Deer Lake Facebook page, Langevin said in his announcement, Pathfinders has raised enough money in contributions, pledges, and loan offers to present a competitive offer to the Scouts. The Pathfinders made a solid offer, its in the hands of the Yankee Council to accept that in keeping with the spirit of conservationism and move forward, Killingworth First Selectman Nancy Gorski said. I am hoping that the Yankee Council stops putting hurdles in the way of Pathfinders acquiring this property, Gorski said. I hope they will accept the offer. According to Gorski, who has worked closely with the nonprofit Pathfinders and other interested parties, the group had submitted its second offer on Friday, but it was rejected. I do know another offer was made yesterday and was rejected, she said. They adjusted their offer to meet the demands of Yankee Council and I am at my wits end with Yankee Council right now, Gorski said. The Yankee Council is putting up stipulations around how the offer will be put together, so I am hoping they accept it, she said. Gorski said she does not know the final number Pathfinders offered. To keep Deer Lake as open space for recreation, volunteers have worked for weeks seeking donations from conservation groups, residents and former Scouts. They have received funds from donors in 25 states, Canada and Denmark. Conservation groups, state and local officials and Sen. Richard Blumenthal D-Conn. have been working with Pathfinders as well. This latest bid is actually the fourth made on the property since January by those who want to keep it as open space. The Trust for Public Land was the first to make an offer on the property in February for $2.4 million, which was rejected. This land deal has taken many twists and turns since the parcel was put up for sale last fall. Separate from sale of the camp, a Madison man filed a lawsuit last week against the Boy Scouts, saying the sale to a developer would harm the natural resources and wildlife and noted it was a protected bird sanctuary. The Richard English Bird Sanctuary is located on the site and is considered a charitable trust, according to the attorney who filed the lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court. The Boy Scouts Connecticut Yankee Council agreed to postpone its earlier deadline to May 1 to accept another offer, after it accepted the $4.6 million bid made by private developer Margaret Streicker, who is a member of the board. The Council had said it would consider a superior offer. This time around, Pathfinders had to not only beat the $4.6 million on the table but pay an additional $400,000 fee for the developer to null their contract or letter of intent. The Council rejected Pathfinders first bid, which was made hours before a March 31 deadline, when the state Attorney Generals office stepped in. Attorney General William Tong is reviewing legal questions raised regarding the sale of the camp. The attorney general is looking into whether its possible to sell the land to a private developer and possible conflict of interest. Tong said in a written statement about the scale of the investigation, Our review includes the Councils compliance with the nonstock corporation act, which includes prohibitions against, and safe harbors for, directors conflicting interest transactions. ... We also enforce the Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act, at the behest of the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, and the fiduciary obligations of trustees over charitable trusts. Pathfinders, former campers, conservationists, state and local officials have worked to help keep the campground as open space for recreation and preservation for several months since the Council announced its sale last fall. The Boy Scouts decided to sell Deer Lake because of declining enrollment, Scout officials have said. The Boy Scouts of America declared bankruptcy in 2021, and in March offered $2.7 billion to settle a claim with tens of thousands of sex abuse survivors, according to Reuters. The Connecticut Yankee Council paid a portion with a combination of land and cash from its endowment to fulfill its share of the national organizations settlement, according to Scouting officials. Eds: This story was supplied by The Conversation for AP customers. The Associated Press does not guarantee the content. Tazeen M. Ali, Washington University in St Louis (THE CONVERSATION) As Ramadan draws to a close, Muslims around the world prepare to celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of a month of fasting from dusk till dawn and additional acts of worship. On Eid, as in Ramadan, community is an integral component of Islamic observance, and many Muslims gather in their local mosque in communal prayer. But not all Muslims belong to a religious community, and sacred dates in the Islamic calendar can prove profoundly isolating for those Muslims who are unmosqued that is, not affiliated with a particular mosque community. This may especially be the case for Muslims who are female, nonbinary, queer or converts. After all, most mosques in the U.S. and around the world are patriarchal spaces where men occupy the main prayer area and dominate leadership roles. In many mosques, women are given inferior prayer spaces that are typically cramped and poorly ventilated. While in recent years American Muslim women are increasingly taking on leadership roles on mosque boards, they are still underrepresented and continue to have limited access to religious learning. However, a growing number of Muslim spaces provide an alternative culture. One Ive been studying is the Womens Mosque of America, a multiracial women-only mosque in Los Angeles. It exists alongside a small number of other alternative mosques including women-led, mixed-gender and queer-affirming mosques in places ranging from Berkeley, California, and Chicago to London, Copenhagen and Berlin. What is the Womens Mosque of America? The Womens Mosque of America was founded in 2015 by two South Asian American Muslim women comedy writer M. Hasna Maznavi and attorney Sana Muttalib. It was conceived as a space to empower Muslim women to take on active roles in their individual community mosques and influence changes in a mosque culture that is often unwelcoming to women. The mosque hosts monthly Friday prayers where women exclusively run the services. One woman calls the adhan, or call to prayer, while another delivers the sermon and leads the all-female congregation in prayer. Yet, as I explore in my forthcoming book, the mosques contribution to creating a different kind of Muslim community is not simply its placement of women in leadership roles, but rather the way it elevates particular issues as worthy of concern in religious communities. For example, with women at the helm of this mosque, the sermons focus on connecting Islamic scriptures to womens lived experiences in both their personal and professional lives. Topics have ranged from sexual violence, divorce and motherhood to social justice activism and support for the Black Lives Matter movement. As I learned in my interviews with community members, congregants are eager to hear these types of sermons, which they see as missing in their traditional mosque communities. Women in religious leadership roles The mosque promotes the idea that religious authority can be held by lay American Muslim women, as opposed to only male religious scholars with traditional credentials. Most of the women who deliver sermons and lead prayer at this mosque do not have formal religious training or Arabic expertise. They are a racially and ethnically diverse group who bring their various professional and community activist experiences to their roles as religious authority figures. The mosque is committed to building community by flattening the hierarchy of religious leadership. For example, after the prayer is complete, congregants sit together in a circle with the prayer leader, asking her questions and engaging in a general religious dialogue with one another. Moreover, the mosque is invested in using scriptural teachings to work toward social justice causes in the U.S. particularly with respect to anti-Black racism and Islamophobia. The Womens Mosque of America appeals to women who are dissatisfied with mainstream American mosques and eager to take on more central roles in their religious development. Its alternative culture also appeals to Muslim women who may have otherwise turned away from their faith. And in providing opportunities for women to preach and lead prayer, I contend that the Womens Mosque of America pushes American Muslims to collectively reimagine the very notion of religious community by raising important questions about what a mosque is and whom it should be for. [Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.] The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content. SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) Krystle Smith and Bethany Brooks bonded at work over their love of true crime and the supernatural. Now their successful podcast, The Bayou Chronicles, takes a closer look at the goings on of their hometowns. The 2020 pandemic brought out a need in a lot of people to do something, anything and during that time a lot of creativity was being brought out of people. True crime podcasts are a dime a dozen these days with every adult who was obsessed with Unsolved Mysteries and Snapped as a kid wanting to voice their opinions and theories on popular cases like JonBenet Ramsey and Jeffrey Dahmer. Finding a niche is the best way to get noticed, so Smith and Brooks decided they would focus on local stories that havent gotten a lot of attention and deep dive into the myths and scary stories lurking throughout Louisiana and Floridas histories. Our goal is to give people variety without having to listen to four different podcasts, explained Smith. We speak about true crime, missing people, folklore, conspiracy theories and real-life mysteries to give you the ability to pick your poison. Smith is from Louisiana and Brooks is from Florida so it made sense that their first episode centered around Danny Rolling and his reign of terror on Gainesville, Florida. He also confessed to committing a triple homicide in his home city of Shreveport. From there, theyve covered everything from the Baton Rouge serial killer Derrick Todd Lee to discussing the possible haunting of the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium. The publics obsession with crime, horror and conspiracies has been going on for decades, but it seems that now there are more and more people who have an interest. Maybe its just that now its easier to connect with others with similar interests via the internet. While most episodes youll find them gasping and giggling over the things theyre talking about, where their hearts lie is telling the stories about the victims and shifting the focus off the killers. Wanting to focus on the victims and giving them the time, attention and justice they deserve instead of the killers who are immortalized in media like Ted Bundy. We dont want the silliness of some of our episodes to overshadow the fact that we have very serious ones as well, said Smith. Having a balance is important to us and some of the topics are heavy and listening to heavy topic after heavy topic can be bad for your mental health after a while. Thats also why we try to end every episode with positive affirmations. You can listen to Bayou Chronicles every Sunday on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also check out their YouTube channel and Twitch streams for additional content. You can also keep up to date by following the podcast, Krystle and Bethany on Instagram. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Even as a young adult, Shannen Dee Williams who grew up Black and Catholic in Memphis, Tennessee knew of only one Black nun, and a fake one at that: Sister Mary Clarence, as played by Whoopi Goldberg in the comic film Sister Act. After 14 years of tenacious research, Williams a history professor at the University of Dayton -- arguably now knows more about Americas Black nuns than anyone in the world. Her comprehensive and compelling history of them, Subversive Habits, will be published May 17. Williams found that many Black nuns were modest about their achievements and reticent about sharing details of bad experiences, such as encountering racism and discrimination. Some acknowledged wrenching events only after Williams confronted them with details gleaned from other sources. For me, it was about recognizing the ways in which trauma silences people in ways they may not even be aware of, she said. The story is told chronologically, yet always in the context of a theme Williams forcefully outlines in her preface: that the nearly 200-year history of these nuns in the U.S. has been overlooked or suppressed by those who resented or disrespected them. For far too long, scholars of the American, Catholic, and Black pasts have unconsciously or consciously declared -- by virtue of misrepresentation, marginalization, and outright erasure -- that the history of Black Catholic nuns does not matter, Williams writes, depicting her book as proof that their history has always mattered. The book arrives as numerous American institutions, including religious groups, grapple with their racist pasts and shine a spotlight on their communities overlooked Black pioneers. Williams begins her narrative in the pre-Civil War era when some Black women even in slave-holding states found their way into Catholic sisterhood. Some entered previously whites-only orders, often in subservient roles, while a few trailblazing women succeeded in forming orders for Black nuns in Baltimore and New Orleans. Even as the number of American nuns of all races shrinks relentlessly, that Baltimore order founded in 1829 remains intact, continuing its mission to educate Black youths. Some current members of the Oblate Sisters of Providence help run Saint Frances Academy, a high school serving low-income Black neighborhoods. Some of the most detailed passages in Subversive Habits recount the Jim Crow era, extending from the 1870s through the 1950s, when Black nuns were not spared from the segregation and discrimination endured by many other African Americans. In the 1960s, Williams writes, Black nuns were often discouraged or blocked by their white superiors from engaging in the civil rights struggle. Yet one of them, Sister Mary Antona Ebo, was on the front lines of marchers who gathered in Selma, Alabama, in 1965 in support of Black voting rights and in protest of the violence of Bloody Sunday when white state troopers brutally dispersed peaceful Black demonstrators. An Associated Press photo of Ebo and other nuns in the march on March 10 three days after Bloody Sunday ran on the front pages of many newspapers. During two decades before Selma, Ebo faced repeated struggles to break down racial barriers. At one point she was denied admittance to Catholic nursing schools because of her race, and later endured segregation policies at the white-led order of sisters she joined in St. Louis in 1946, according to Williams. The idea for Subversive Habits took shape in 2007, when Williams then a graduate student at Rutgers University was desperately seeking a compelling topic for a paper due in a seminar on African American history. At the library, she searched through microfilm editions of Black-owned newspapers and came across a 1968 article in the Pittsburgh Courier about a group of Catholic nuns forming the National Black Sisters' Conference. The accompanying photo, of four smiling Black nuns, literally stopped me in my tracks, she said. I was raised Catholic How did I not know that Black nuns existed? Mesmerized by her discovery, she began devouring everything I could that had been published about Black Catholic history, while setting out to interview the founding members of the National Black Sisters' Conference. Among the women Williams interviewed extensively was Patricia Grey, who was a nun in the Sisters of Mercy and a founder of the NBSC before leaving religious life in 1974. Grey shared with The Associated Press some painful memories from 1960, when as an aspiring nurse she was rejected for membership in a Catholic order because she was Black. I was so hurt and disappointed, I couldnt believe it, she said about reading that rejection letter. I remember crumbling it up and I didnt even want to look at it again or think about it again. Grey initially was reluctant to assist with Subversive Habits, but eventually shared her own story and her personal archives after urging Williams to write about the mostly unsung and under-researched history of Americas Black nuns. If you can, try to tell all of our stories, Grey told her. Williams set out to do just that scouring overlooked archives, previously sealed church records and out-of-print books, while conducting more than 100 interviews. I bore witness to a profoundly unfamiliar history that disrupts and revises much of what has been said and written about the U.S. Catholic Church and the place of Black people within it, Williams writes. Because it is impossible to narrate Black sisters journey in the United States -- accurately and honestly -- without confronting the Churchs largely unacknowledged and unreconciled histories of colonialism, slavery, and segregation. Historians have been unable to identify the nations first Black Catholic nun, but Williams recounts some of the earliest moves to bring Black women into Catholic religious orders in some cases on the expectation they would function as servants. One of the oldest Black sisterhoods, the Sisters of the Holy Family, formed in New Orleans in 1842 because white sisterhoods in Louisiana, including the slave-holding Ursuline order, refused to accept African Americans. The principal founder of that New Orleans order Henriette Delille and Oblate Sisters of Providence founder Mary Lange are among three Black nuns from the U.S. designated by Catholic officials as worthy of consideration for sainthood. The other is Sister Thea Bowman, a beloved educator, evangelist and singer who died in Mississippi in 1990 and is buried in Williamss hometown of Memphis. Researching less prominent nuns, Williams faced many challenges for example tracking down Catholic sisters who were known to their contemporaries by their religious names but were listed in archives by their secular names. Among the many pioneers is Sister Cora Marie Billings, who as a 17-year-old in 1956 became the first Black person admitted into the Sisters of Mercy in Philadelphia. Later, she was the first Black nun to teach in a Catholic high school in Philadelphia and was a co-founder of the National Black Sisters Conference. In 1990, Billings became the first Black woman in the U.S. to manage a Catholic parish when she was named pastoral coordinator for St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia. Ive gone through many situations of racism and oppression throughout my life, Billings told The Associated Press. But somehow or other, Ive just dealt with it and then kept on going. According to recent figures from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, there are about 400 African American religious sisters, out of a total of roughly 40,000 nuns. That overall figure is only one-fourth of the 160,000 nuns in 1970, according to statistics compiled by Catholic researchers at Georgetown University. Whatever their races, many of the remaining nuns are elderly, and the influx of youthful novices is sparse. The Baltimore-based Oblate Sisters of Providence used to have more than 300 members, according to its superior general, Sister Rita Michelle Proctor, and now has less than 50 most of them living at the motherhouse in Baltimores outskirts. Though were small, we are still about serving God and Gods people. Proctor said. Most of us are elderly, but we still want to do so for as long as God is calling us to. Even with diminished ranks, the Oblate Sisters continue to operate Saint Frances Academy founded in Baltimore by Mary Lange in 1828. The coed school is the countrys oldest continually operating Black Catholic educational facility, with a mission prioritizing help for the poor and the neglected. Williams, in an interview with the AP, said she was considering leaving the Catholic church due partly to its handling of racial issues at the time she started researching Black nuns. Hearing their histories, in their own voices, revitalized her faith, she said. As these women were telling me their stories, they were also preaching to me in a such a beautiful way, Williams said. It wasnt done in a way that reflected any anger -- they had already made their peace with it, despite the unholy discrimination they had faced. What keeps her in the church now, Williams said, is a commitment to these women who chose to share their stories. It took a lot for them to get it out, she said. I remain in awe of these women, of their faithfulness. AP video journalist Jessie Wardarski contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. BRIDGEPORT A person was shot overnight, seemingly near Boston and Seaview avenues, according to police. Scott Appleby, city emergency management director, said in an email that at approximately 12:30 a.m. Saturday, a 20-year-old Bridgeport man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg was dropped off at Bridgeport Hospital by a private vehicle. The males injuries were deemed non-life-threatening, Appleby said. Detectives responded to the hospital and also searched the crime scene, according to the email. The victim claims to have been walking in the area of Boston Avenue and Seaview Avenue when he heard a loud bang, felt pain in his leg and fell to the ground, Appleby said. The male was then transported to the hospital by friends, according to Appleby. Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to contact the case officer, Detective Anthony Caiazzo, at 203-581-5231 or call the Bridgeport Police Department tips line at 203-576-TIPS. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT When referring to categories of workers who were on the oft-referred-to front lines of the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the illness was still very much a mystery and there were no vaccines, educators are high on that list. But when Mayor Joe Ganims administration and the school board earlier this month issued $5.3 million in one-time bonuses to a majority of municipal and district employees for their service during the ongoing pandemics first year, retired teachers were excluded. I think its a slight, said Sheena Graham, who taught music in Bridgeport for 37 years and was Connecticuts teacher of the year in 2019. She retired in January, age 61. The retirees were most at risk of anybody because of their ages and, at the time, the lack of vaccines, said Chris Taylor, 76, who taught high school English in Bridgeport for 19 years until last summer. We were the age group that was most vulnerable, agreed Graham. The bonuses dubbed premium or hero pay were funded out of Bridgeports share of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan federal lawmakers approved in early 2021. Local unions last year called on city leaders to take advantage of a provision within the ARP to recognize their members contributions to keeping Connecticuts largest municipality functioning after the global health crisis struck Connecticut in mid-March, 2020. Ultimately, most workers received the bonuses, but it took several months for City Hall, school officials and union leaders to determine who got the bonuses, the individual amounts to be distributed $1,500, and the time frame of March 16, 2020 until March 15, 2021 during which qualified recipients had to have been employed. Part of those negotiations also involved what the school district was willing to contribute from its own pot of ARP dollars. Education officials ended up authorized spending $2.5 million of their federal coronavirus aid with the Ganim administration contributing $3.2 million. Out of that latter amount, City Hall also agreed to cover the $1.3 million tab for school workers whose unions bargain with the city basically all school employees except teachers and administrators. And while the Ganim administration chose to issue pro-rated bonuses to municipal personnel who retired or were hired during that March 16, 2020 to March 15, 2021 period, the school district did not. They had to still be presently employed, Superintendent Michael Testani confirmed recently. They called it, on the city side, premium pay. But it was more, for the Board of Education, kind of like, You stuck through this, youre still with us kind of thing. And the Bridgeport Education Association agreed to it in a memorandum of understanding, Testani emphasized. Ana Batista, president of that union, used the term pandemic retention bonus. To be honest with you, there were limited funds that the (school) board agreed to, Batista said. So thats how we saw it and thats what we kept it at. So anyone that stayed received it. I wish everyone could have received it, but that wasnt up to me. Should everyone have received it? I would have loved that, she added. Testani argued having to issue bonuses to departed staffers would have been an accounting nightmare. Anyone who quit, who retired prior to this school year, unfortunately we didnt get into all that accounting, he said. Hearst Connecticut Media this week asked the district for the total number of teachers who retired so far during the pandemic and was advised to submit a request through the state Freedom of Information Act. That data had not been provided as of Wednesday and Batista said she did not know the figure. Taylor called Testanis comments about accounting ridiculous but added, Im not going to go crazy about it. If there were 20 retirees at most, its not an accounting nightmare, she said. I just dont get his logic of, Oh, they left... School Board Member Joseph Sokolovic noted how the district faces fiscal constraints for example, the board asked Ganim for an $8 million budget increase and got $2 million instead and needs to use its federal aid for other expenses. So, he said, The pool of employees receiving bonuses had to (be) limited to those still serving. I wish we couldve compensated all our hard working employees who sacrificed during the pandemic, Sokolovic said. But Board Chairman John Weldon said he had not considered the nuance of what to do about retirees. The general idea was ... if you left the district and, say, went (to teach in) Fairfield, you would not be eligible for the payment, he said. On principle, I think if you worked during the pandemic, it was your final year and you retired, I think you should get it. Testani in late January had said, Everyone that put their lives on the line for our students and our families should receive a benefit as a token of our appreciation. Unlike City Hall, which other than fire and police personnel limited the bonuses to those earning less than six-figures, disqualifying top officials like Ganim, his aides, department heads and other supervisors, the schools also gave bonuses to still-employed building-based administrators like principals. People that were in the building every day, dealing with students, parents, families, interacting on a large scale, Testani explained. We did not provide it, say, for the director of human resources or payroll and benefits. Testani also said he did not receive the $1,500 and would not have accepted it, but added, I never worked a day from home to be honest with you. I went into the office every day. The Board of Education hiked his base salary last July 12 percent, from $245,000 to $275,000. Graham said while she is concerned retirees were neglected she also wondered whether school officials would have agreed to participate with the city in issuing bonuses if they were included. I would hate to have had the union fight to get us all included at the risk of those who are still working not getting it, she said. I know the teachers that are there have earned it. I am a witness to what they were doing and going through. I was right there with them. Its well-deserved. Jan Blevins, 70, retired last June from Bridgeport after teaching English for almost 31 years. I was totally unaware that there was even a bonus being given, Blevins said. Of course, like any individual, I would be very happy to get some more money. But in all honestly, I think the teachers there now and still working in conditions that are very difficult for them ... deserve the bonus more than me. Im sure there will be people who dont agree with me, she added. But thats the way I feel. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT Tyisha Toms, a respected municipal attorney whom City Council members hoped would soon be promoted to helm the law department, is instead leaving for a job in Norwalk. To lose someone like that, its really bothersome and extremely disappointing, City Council President Aidee Nieves said. I think that its a shame, said Councilman Ernie Newton. Here we had a woman who was destined to maybe become the new (lead) city attorney. ... We have lost a good person. Its just terrible. Toms, who did not return a request for comment, is an associate city attorney and one of that offices few Black and female staffers. She was hired in 2016 by City Attorney R. Christopher Meyer. Prior to that time she had a private practice and in 2015 ran unsuccessfully for the council. Meyer this week confirmed he had received her resignation. According to Norwalk Mayor Harry Rillings office, Toms was offered and accepted a $150,582 position there as assistant corporation counsel the term for that citys municipal lawyer and starts at the end of May. The news has upset Nieves, Newton and other council members who consider it a significant blow to Bridgeport for multiple reasons. First, with Meyer planning to retire next month, their hope was Mayor Joe Ganim would promote Toms as Meyers successor. The law department, besides defending Bridgeport from lawsuits and negotiating contracts, provides legal advice and representation to the mayor, city department heads and staff, and to the council. Meyer, who had previously worked in the law department, left, then in 2016 returned to run it after helping elect Ganim the year prior. Council members over the years have butted heads with Meyer and some of his subordinates, questioning their independence from the mayor when advising the council, but this week heaped praise on Toms. It is disappointing because of the caliber of attorney that she is, Nieves said. And ideally she would have been a candidate to become the city attorney once that position opened up because of the level of professionalism (and) the relationships she has fostered with the council members and administrative staff. Her insight and input is a valued resource to many people. City Councilman Marcus Brown said he had spoken with Toms and she had expressed interest in that top role, but Norwalk ultimately offered a better salary and benefits. Theres a hidden talent most people lack in city government and thats the ability to be able to communicate with the council. She had it, said Brown. She was able to take our ideas and tell us what worked and didnt. And as a young Black woman Toms stood out in an office that some on the council criticize as dominated by older white men. Meyer confirmed that of the 10 attorneys in the law department, just two including Toms are Black. He noted he also has an Hispanic paralegal. Were losing 50 percent of the Black employees and women in that office and thats not good, said Brown. And shes on the younger side of the age range. Councilwoman Jeanette Herron agreed the law department is not diverse enough, And having her gone, its totally not. Im very disturbed Tyishas gone. Very disturbed, Herron said. Council members also lamented the fact that Toms is a Bridgeport resident. Well bring everybody from outside this city, and youve got competent people who live here, that are professionals, Newton said. Newton said Meyer should have done more to keep Toms. I encouraged Tyisha to stay, Meyer said in response. I had lunch with her yesterday (Wednesday) and told her we wanted her to stay, we hoped shed stay. ... Shes not only a great lawyer but a great friend. I think very highly of her. Of taking over the law department for him, Meyer said, She can do whatever she puts her mind to. I have no doubt shes great at everything. With an eye on leaving his position May 31, Meyer is looking to replace Toms and fill a second vacancy created when a new hire from Waterbury left earlier this year after only a few months. Asked about the lack of diversity in the law department, Meyer said, We consider everybody and try to select the best lawyers we can to represent the city and do our best to make sure our workforce reflects the great diversity of Bridgeport. He noted another Black attorney on his staff transferred within municipal government to the labor relations department. I wish her the best of luck, Nieves said of Toms. It just speaks to her skill set that Norwalk has offered her that position. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) An Ohio prosecutor is promising to retry a former vice squad officer charged in the death of a woman he shot while working undercover almost four years ago. Earlier this month, a Franklin County judge declared a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict on murder and voluntary manslaughter charges against former Columbus officer Andrew Mitchell. FAIRFIELD MaryAnn Croce owns an auto shop in Norwalk and has operated the business since 1999. While the business is successful, she said she wished she had experienced just how much work goes into running a business before she owned one. The one lesson that I wish I knew beforehand was that youre going to have challenges. Youre not going to have it all figured out, no matter what stage of business youre in. The only constant is change, Croce said. Croce didnt have anyone to show her the ropes but shes now one of a number of business owners who have agreed to mentor a new generation of business students at Sacred Heart University. The college recently unveiled its new Entrepreneurial Mentorship Program, where students are paired one on one with business owners who will help them start their own businesses. As part of the program, Sacred Heart will partner with SCORE, a nationwide business mentorship program formerly known as the Service Corps of Retired Executives. The group has a branch in Fairfield. While the program just started, SCORE Education Committee Chair Tim Ryan said hes noticed over the past year more and more people are willing to start up their own business. More people have resigned from their jobs over the past two years in what is now being known as the Great Resignation, he said. In 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau said 5.4 million businesses were started in the U.S., Ryan said. Thats up 55 percent from 2019, which was the pre-COVID period. So a part of it, evidently is based on need. I mean, with restaurants closing and hospitality closing, people needed to start their own business as a way of having income coming in. One of the students, Gabriella DArienzo, a business management major, said she wanted to open her own dance studio, having worked with other studios in the past. She attended the program announcement and said shes interested in becoming involved. Even though DArienzo is a business major, she doesnt have much in the way of resources or knowledge to help fund her idea, she said. I always wondered how do you start a business from nothing, she said. I do understand it, how to set up a business. I do understand that. But I just dont understand how you come from nothing into an actual business. DArienzos challenges arent unique. Jeanine Andreassi is a professor and chair of the universitys department of management. Many businesses fail because the owners didnt seriously consider if their business serves a need in their communities. Many students she said, are also first generation college students, who dont come from well-off backgrounds where social networks lessen the barriers to entry. But SCORE gives students specific tools to further focus their ideas, Andreassi said. They consider all the different factors that they need to in terms of, what is the market? Is the market big enough for the product or service theyre looking to launch? What are the costs versus the defaults of projecting costs, determining what price we would need to set? she said. All those types of things are very important starting a new business and can certainly mean the difference between success or failure. Andreassi said the mentorship program will help students with all kinds of business ideas, from mom and pop shops to apps and other products and services. One of her former students, for example, now operates a cannabis business in Boston, she said. While the mentorship program just started, Andreassi said about a dozen students have expressed interest in participating. Ryan stressed that SCORE while SCORE is there to mentor students, it is not a consulting group. Mentoring, of course, is different from actually doing the work, he said. Were not a consultant that actually does the work. Were not able to actually fill out paperwork and so forth for people. But we have a lot of resources and knowledge available to us. Croce said the program will help students who already know business fundamentals and are seeking real world experience to learn from others who have already done it. Theres so much value to actually going in and doing things that weve learned formally through education, but then also, the things that we learned from doing right, like COVID, she said. Who could have prepared anybody, for COVID? But now that everyone has experienced the pandemic, there are lessons to learn, she said. Whether it was modifying your messaging or how you were going to pivot a little bit and change your model, Croce said. Passengers wait in line to check in before departure at Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport, April 19. Newsis By Lee Hae-rin The pre-entry COVID-19 test requirement for arriving travelers will remain in place despite a low incidence of inbound cases and growing calls to replace PCR testing with Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) due to the economic burden of the former. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters announced during a briefing, Thursday that the government will maintain its requirement on international arrivals to present negative PCR test results to monitor new variants or possible recombination of the coronavirus in the country. Under current regulations, all inbound passengers need to present a negative PCR test result conducted or issued within 48 hours before departure and then must undergo a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival before finally conducting a RAT within 6 to 7 days. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) spokesperson said pre-entry PCR tests are effective in preventing an influx of COVID-19 cases from other countries, as they pose no pressure on domestic diagnostic capacity and have higher accuracy compared to the RAT. The health authorities could replace the pre-entry testing requirement from PCR to RAT-type tests or accept both test results for international arrivals when the pandemic settles down in Korea and abroad and international arrivals increase in the future, he said. However, there have been growing calls from the public and tourism industry to replace the PCR test requirement with RAT due to the former's high price as well the fact that the percentage of overseas infections contributing to Korea's total cases is very low. The average price of a PCR test and issuance of the result document in English costs around 100,000 to 180,000 won ($78 to $140), which is at a similar level to the prices in other countries. According to the KDCA, only 21 out of 57,464 new infections here from Thursday were from overseas. About 0.18 percent of the country's total caseload, 31,989 out of over 17 million, are from traveler inflow. Meanwhile, the government will maintain its current regulation on the manual monitoring policy for fully vaccinated passengers returning from overseas. Those who received second doses 14 to 180 days prior to arrival or who had booster shots are exempt from the isolation requirement. Those who have been infected with the virus within 10 to 40 days before leaving the country need to present a medical document with the date of diagnosis to be exempt from the pre-arrival PCR testing requirement. HARTFORD The state Senate late Friday approved an expansion of reproductive rights that could make Connecticut a refuge for women from around the nation seeking abortions at a time when conservative state governments are curtailing rights in the culture wars. The 25-9 vote belied the tension in the Capitol during a three-hour debate in which Black Democratic senators including Marilyn Moore of Bridgeport and Patricia Billie Miller of Stamford joined conservative Republicans in opposing the bill. If signed into law by the governor, it would protect medical personnel who perform abortions in Connecticut from legal action from states where abortion has been restricted or banned. It would also limit the governors extradition authority in cases where other states, such as Texas, try to punish Connecticut medical professionals from across state lines. Part of it is in response to the U.S. Supreme Courts expected overturning or modification this summer of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in 1973. It would also allow nurse-midwives, advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants certified in the procedures, to perform abortions. Connecticut has been a state that has thought about the issue of abortion in such a way that in 1990 we codified Roe, offering protections to people in this state, said Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who led the debate along with Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, a physician who is co-chairman of the Public Health Committee. But as we are here in 2022, there is the thought that the Supreme Court may act in a way that some of the protections that we see afforded to people here in the state of Connecticut, will not be afforded to people in other places, Winfield said. This means that we have to think about what we will do when that time comes. And we have to think about what were going to do right now, given whats happened in other states. We have to stand up. We cannot take anything for granted, Anwar said, stressing that five years ago he would not have believed the extent to which some states are preventing reproductive rights in 2022. Forty nine years ago this was settled. Its unfortunate that at this time those rights are under threat. Shortly after the debate started at 8:45 p.m., state Sen. Heather Somers of Groton, a top Republican on the Public Health Committee, stood up and said she would support the bill, signaling the potential for bipartisan support that would send the legislation to Gov. Ned Lamonts desk. I do not see this bill as an abortion bill, Somers said. I see this as a bill that does two things. It, number one, protects our clinicians in the state of Connecticut who are performing a legal procedure here in the state, from being sued by another state in which that procedure may not be legal. I think we have a duty to protect our Connecticut clinicians. The bill was approved in the House of Representatives on April 19 in a mixed 87-60 vote, with 14 Democrats opposed and seven Republicans voting in favor. Opposition was led by conservatives and Black Democrats including Sen. Douglas McCrory, D-Hartford. This goes back to Africa for me, said Miller, D-Stamford, who emotionally recalled a history of racism and under-educated woman using abortion for birth control. This is a deep, deep issue for me. I am so torn, my heart is racing, said Moore, D-Bridgeport, recalling that Planned Parenthood gave her medical care for 40 years and employed her for eight years. I feel a heaviness about this issue. But she said that racism is rampant in health care because of medical apartheid for generations. That carries over into all of this, Moore said. Until you acknowledge what you have done, we cant move forward. We shouldnt really play politics with womens health, said Sen. Dennis Bradley, D-Bridgeport, who remains in office while awaiting a federal criminal trial for alleged election-campaign violations. This is not a game, Winfield added. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Lawmakers attend a plenary session of the National Assembly in Seoul, April 30. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea passed a controversial "reform" bill Saturday to deprive prosecutors of all investigative powers, less than two weeks before incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol takes office. Yonhap The ruling party-dominated National Assembly passed one of two controversial bills on prosecution reform Saturday amid strong protests from the main opposition party, heralding a bipartisan standoff down the road. The revision of the Prosecutors' Office Act was passed in a 172-3 vote, with two abstentions, during a parliamentary plenary session. Although members of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) attended the session, they boycotted the voting to protest the passage of the bill. The revision limits the prosecution's investigative powers to only two types of crime corruption and economic from the current six, before removing them completely. In recent weeks, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) vowed to pass the two bills on prosecution reform before the May 10 inauguration of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol. Early this week, the DPK railroaded the legislation through the National Assembly Judiciary Committee and said it would pass the bills at a plenary session "without fail." The DPK holds 171 out of 300 seats, compared with the PPP's 110. The two parties reached a compromise on the bills, achieving a breakthrough between the rival parties that had sparred fiercely for weeks over the DPK's headlong push for legislation. But the PPP later backtracked on the deal after it drew unexpectedly strong criticism from the public that lawmakers were colluding to shield themselves from prosecution investigations, as the agreement calls for excluding crimes related to elections and public officials from prosecutorial probes. The DPK claimed that the PPP broke its promise when it demanded a review of the compromise deal. Yoon earlier voiced concerns about the bills, calling for the entire political community to reflect deeply on what was right in order to defend the Constitution and protect the people. The prosecution has also lambasted the reform bills and said it was reviewing an option to file a constitutional suit and seek a court injunction to suspend them if they were passed. Following Saturday's passage of the revision of the Prosecutors' Office Act, the DPK also presented the revision of the Criminal Procedure Act, the remaining half of its prosecution reform push, for a plenary vote. The PPP countered the move with a filibuster, which is expected to last until the automatic deadline of midnight. Before the plenary session, PPP lawmakers gathered in front of the office of Parliamentary Speaker Park Byeong-seug, holding placards and shouting chants blasting the DPK's legislative push. Physical clashes between PPP members and Park's staff broke out as the speaker tried to leave his office and enter the chamber at around 4 p.m. According to the PPP, several of the party's female lawmakers were injured during the process and were taken to hospital. Park later apologized and said he plans to look into the circumstances surrounding the confrontation in front of his office. In a statement, the Supreme Prosecutors Office said it expresses "deep regret" over the passage of the revision and asked for President Moon Jae-in and the parliamentary speaker to make a "rational decision" on the DPK's legislative drive. (Yonhap) ACCRA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- As the economic cooperation between China and Ghana continues to grow, more and more Ghanaian students are poised for a future with the learning of the Chinese language. For most of the time, Ghanaian students at the Confucius Institute of the University of Cape Coast, west of Ghana, immersed themselves in the learning of the Chinese language and traditional Chinese culture, from lion dance to crosstalk in class. Charles Delali Adegah, an indigene in his mid-thirties, who has studied Chinese language and culture to master's degree level and teaches at the Confucius Institute, told Xinhua that he found joy and prospects in learning the language. "Because I studied Chinese, I got the chance to study in China totally for free. When I finished my first degree, I spent a year abroad, and when I returned, I was hired as a translator by a variety of companies. Currently, after completing my Master's degree, I had this offer to come and teach at the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Coast, " he said. The Confucius Institute teacher recounted how he struggled through his elementary and secondary education because of financial challenges and urged Ghanaian students in tertiary institutions to take the opportunity to study the Chinese language because of its prospects. "We all know that many companies in Ghana are Chinese-oriented and, with a background in Chinese, it is easy to enter these companies. So, I will say, if you get the chance to study Chinese, you have to seize the opportunity and learn it well, "Adegah added. "When I first started learning the language, it was difficult, but as I progressed, I realized that there are a number of companies here in Ghana that would like to employ Ghanaians who speak Chinese. Now I have the prospect of traveling to China and furthering my studies there, " said Belinda Koomson, a student at the University of Cape Coast in her early twenties, who has also been studying Chinese and culture for the past three years to the intermediate level. The final year university student further emphasized that the bridge between China and Ghana has been laid, hence making it necessary for Ghanaians to learn the Chinese language. "The Chinese have come to learn our language, so it's also best for us to learn their language in order to communicate with them so that we can work in harmony," said Belinda. Tang Hong, President of the Ghana Association of Chinese Societies and the Ghana-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, urged Ghanaian students to study Chinese because of the many doors that it opens to people. "The Chinese language is very deep and beautiful. If you know the Chinese language, you can talk to a huge population in the world," said Tang. According to Ou Yamei, Chinese director of the dean, the institute has rolled out a variety of courses, including Chinese martial arts, handicrafts, calligraphy, songs, and dances. The Institute, established in February 2016, has seen many locals who made a difference in their lives after the study of the Chinese language, Ou said. "We will strive to improve our teaching and provide high-quality lessons to our students to cater to their increasing needs," said Ou. Produced by Xinhua Global Service The Korean government called Thursday on North Korea to refrain from escalating tensions in the region, responding to a threat by its leader Kim Jong-un to strengthen the regime's nuclear capabilities. "Our government and the international community have maintained the stance that North Korea should stop all acts that heighten tensions, including the advancement of its nuclear capabilities, and to return to the negotiating table," a unification ministry official said. South Korea will continue efforts to achieve denuclearization and bring peace to the Korean Peninsula in close coordination with Washington while keeping a close eye on the North, the official added. On Monday, North Korea showcased a massive intercontinental ballistic missile and other strategic weapons at a military parade, during which Kim vowed to beef up the country's nuclear capabilities at the "fastest possible speed." (Yonhap) Every day, since I started taking HRT five years ago, I follow the same simple routine. In the morning, I apply two pumps of oestrogen gel to my thigh followed by a pump in the evening. I get through a couple of bottles of gel a month and Ive always managed to get hold of it easily from my local pharmacy. I also take a daily progesterone tablet to protect my uterus. To discover that the medication I rely on to keep me fit and well is now in severely short supply has come as a shock, and it appalls me that there are women already struggling to get hold of their prescriptions. Thankfully, Ive got enough Oestrogel which also helps protect me against a dangerous bone condition to see me through for another month. Im hoping by the time I need more, the supply issues will have been resolved. If theres any hint that its going to take longer than that, then Ill soon start doing what my friend, who lives in Lancashire, said shes resorted to doing, and begin rationing my doses. Sharron Davies, above, says that if theres any hint that its going to take longer than a month to resolve the HRT supply shortage, then shell soon start doing what her friend said shes resorted to doing, and begin rationing her doses Oestrogel, which is used by around 30,000 women in the UK, has been in short supply lately, leading to a HRT 'gold rush' as women race to pharmacies to get their hands on dwindling stock The Mail's manifesto to fix the HRT crisis 1. Allow pharmacists to dispense substitutes if the prescribed HRT is out of stock Currently, if an HRT product is unavailable, a pharmacist cannot substitute another product without consulting the prescribing GP, forcing patients to go back and forth between doctor and pharmacy. This could be avoided if pharmacists are allowed to alter prescriptions themselves. They should also be able to move stock between different pharmacies. 2. End the postcode lottery Local areas all have different formularies or lists of approved HRT products, meaning women face a postcode lottery of treatments. A national list of all approved HRT products would ensure women have equal access, and that alternative treatments are available faster. 3. Immediately introduce the once-a-year payment for HRT medication An annual prescription payment for HRT, which could save women up to 200 a year, is planned for April 2023. This must be implemented urgently, especially during the cost-of-living squeeze, so all women can afford treatment. 4. Bring forward mandatory requirement for medical students to be taught about the menopause A curriculum change needs to be introduced sooner than January 2023, when it is planned. This will ensure all doctors have the training to recognise menopause symptoms, which will help reduce the rate of misdiagnoses. 5. Provide menopause information to women at their NHS health check Everyone who doesnt have a pre-existing medical condition is invited for a free check-up every five years between the ages of 40 and 74. Women should be given information at these health checks to raise awareness of the menopause and treatment options. Advertisement Taking less will tide me over, but I know I wont feel myself. On the days I forget to apply the gel, I really feel it. My brain starts to feel foggy and I get tired and generally unsettled. The night sweats return, which means I dont sleep. Other women who suffer more than I do will go through hell if they have to eke out their medication or go without which is why I give my whole-hearted backing to the Mails campaign to put this right as soon as possible. In this day and age, for any women to be in a situation where they are having to ration something so crucial to good health is simply outrageous. The fact that were even in this mess that it didnt occur to anyone until its now too late, and demand has started outstripping supply is yet another example of how womens health simply isnt enough of a priority. We all have someone in our lives a mother, partner, sister, friend or colleague who is affected by menopause, so this is not a crisis society can afford to ignore. On social media, I see people post about the stress of ringing round chemists trying to find one that has had a delivery, and sharing their relief when they get their prescription even part fulfilled. Being able to collect the medicine your doctor has agreed you need should not feel like winning the lottery. There will be those who argue that previous generations got through the menopause without medical intervention, so why cant we? But those women suffered. How can anyone want a return to those dark days? We now have the medical knowledge to help women sail through midlife without debilitating symptoms; this is progress that is well worth fighting for. When I started taking HRT it was, for me, a revelation. I only fully appreciated just how much falling oestrogen levels had been impacting my daily life once they started being topped up again. Within weeks I had more energy; my brain felt sharper; I was sleeping better and the wretched night sweats keeping me awake had stopped. My skin and hair were no longer dry and dull, meaning I even looked better. It wasnt that I felt different. It was more that I felt like my old self again the woman I had been years earlier. There were about 512,000 NHS prescriptions written for 'female sex hormones and their modulators' in England in February, the latest official data shows, compared to 265,000 in March 2017. Many of these will be HRT medications but some may include other female hormone drugs such as contraceptives (left to right) Dr Louise Newson, Mariella Frostrup, MP Carolyn Harris, Penny Lancaster and Davina McCall with protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in London demonstrating against ongoing prescription charges for HRT I was 55 at the time, and only discovered I needed HRT when I returned home from a horse-riding holiday in Arizona with my son, Finlay, now 15, with three broken vertebrae. I hadnt fallen off my horse or had any kind of accident. It was simply the act of twisting and turning as I pulled this horse around various obstacles that had damaged my spine. I came home in pain. An X-ray showed the fractures and after a further scan, I was diagnosed with osteopenia, meaning my bone density was low. The condition is a precursor to the more serious bone thinning condition osteoporosis. I was offered medication you can take the same medicine prescribed for osteoporosis but this comes with side-effects such as digestive problems and joint pain. The other option was HRT, which helps increase bone density. As I was suffering with night sweats it made sense to choose this option. Lets just hope the current shortages are fixed soon. Otherwise, women will feel horribly let down as though, once again, our needs come as an afterthought at a time in our lives when we deserve easy access to a treatment that helps us enjoy life to the full. Itll impact our professional lives; we wont be able to be there in the same way for our families. Everyone suffers. News comes of a heartbreakingly cruel survey in which 200 people were deprived for nine days of the output of the BBC. To ensure they complied, their homes were plastered with NO BBC stickers and they were required to confess any lapses. During the experiment, they were given envelopes containing the small amounts of money they would have saved if they had not been paying for their TV licences. Many of the subjects had originally boasted that they would happily manage without the Corporations output. At the end of this traumatic period, most of them whimpered that, actually, they had been mistaken and would happily hand over the money. As the report says: Over two-thirds of the households that had initially said they would pay nothing or would only pay less than the full licence fee changed their minds and became willing to pay the full licence fee or more in order to keep BBC content and services. Many of the subjects had originally boasted that they would happily manage without the Corporations output. At the end of this traumatic period, most of them whimpered that, actually, they had been mistaken and would happily hand over the money The terrible thing is that this may well be a true reflection of reality. I once had some neighbours, a pleasant Christian couple of great integrity, hard-working and conservative, who to their dying day cheerfully watched BBC TV programmes despite the increasing levels of swearing, semi-porn and political indoctrination they contained. Somehow they couldnt accept that an institution they had trusted all their lives was pumping electronic slurry into their living room every night. It was as if the grocers they had trusted all their lives had begun slipping packages of cocaine and marijuana into their weekly shop. It was absurd, so it couldnt be happening. Yet it was. I wonder how much they would have put up with before they eventually realised what was happening, if ever. I am lucky enough to be able to afford the BBC poll tax and have for years paid it by direct debit. I support the idea in principle. When I lived in the USA, I missed the BBC a lot, especially Radio 4, and readily gave cash to local public service radio stations. When I lived in the USA, I missed the BBC a lot, especially Radio 4, and readily gave cash to local public service radio stations, writes Peter Hitchens During my time in Moscow, I depended hugely on the BBC World Service short-wave broadcasts, often heard through a storm of static. I used to be almost the last conservative who actually supported the idea of a national broadcaster on the BBC model. But in the past ten years, and more so in the last two, I have found it almost impossible to listen to or watch anything the BBC transmits, not just because of the predictably Leftist politics but because it isnt any good. I watch University Challenge only to make notes on its ridiculous mile-long questions about astrophysics, women painters or the higher maths. The TV news is unbearable, apparently designed for simpletons. Radio these days is little better. I cannot remember a recent BBC drama which has not been poisoned by political messages, let alone one which was good. Recently I was able to see a bootleg version of a superb BBC TV series from 1970, a dramatisation of Jean-Paul Sartres Roads To Freedom. It made me sad to recall how good they used to be at this sort of thing. Yet the series is unavailable on any BBC platform. Im pretty sure this is because of the way it deals with such topics as abortion, drugs and homosexuality. Back in 1970 it would have been seen as enlightened. But 50 years of Cultural Revolution have made the BBC far more narrow-minded than the most bigoted prude of the 1950s. Thats why the day will soon come when I shall stop listening to it or watching it, at all. Shabby way to portray a heroic fight The Nixon era was one of the most thrilling periods of modern history. Daniel Ellsberg, the Julian Assange of his day, leaked the Pentagon Papers which showed that the US government had lied its head off about the Vietnam War and also knew it couldnt win it. Compare and contrast: major newspapers published his leaks and a proper judge threw out the case against Ellsberg, so that he became a national hero. Whereas, in modern Britain, Assange is in grave danger (unless you protest) of being sent off to rot in some concrete dungeon in the USA, and most journalists (to their shame) dont care a hoot. So how disappointed I am in Gaslit, a new, much hyped TV melodrama about this era. Maybe the characters involved really were that mad and that foul-mouthed but the sense of a great contest between good and evil, repression and liberty, is completely absent. I cancelled my subscription after one episode. So how disappointed I am in Gaslit, a new, much hyped TV melodrama about this era I tried, but e-scooter menace is here to stay E-scooters will soon be a major curse. Because they appeal to human selfishness and laziness, they will be a huge commercial success once they become fully legal, as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps plainly means them to be. I tried quite hard to warn against this and was sneered at on social media for doing so. I was told it was not important. I wonder how many will think this when there are hundreds of thousands of them, often in the hands of drunken or drugged people, careering along pavements, unrestrained by absent police, smashing into children and old people, terrifying the blind, and providing perfect getaway vehicles. I was sure that Mr Shappss so-called trials were just a way of getting us used to them. There was never any serious intention to listen to the public or to examine their grave dangers. I can pretty much prove this. On March 3, I received a letter from Huw Merriman MP, chairman of Parliaments Transport Committee, in which he assured me that the trials were set to continue until November 30 this year. Yet Mr Shapps has announced that legislation to permit these death traps will be in the next Queens Speech on May 10, long before that date. Well, I tried. I hope those who attacked me have the grace to apologise when the reality becomes obvious. During more than 40 years of active journalism, including a stint as a defence reporter, I have never once been prevented from writing anything by a so-called D Notice (nowadays they are officially DSMA Notices, if you care), until now. I used to scoff when people told me that such things were common, or that I was constrained in reporting by them. Now I cannot. It is time to ask some very simple questions about the Ukraine crisis, which each day threatens to spread, very dangerously indeed. I never really believed there was a nuclear danger in the Cold War, which I lived through. Now I think there is one. Though this country is not actually at war with Russia, and has no defence treaty with Ukraine, politicians and other supporters of this conflict often refer to we when discussing it. Who is this we? What British national interest is served by deeper involvement in what is at root a Russo-American war? Must we yet again be the fifth wheel in Americas cart? How much are you prepared to pay in taxes for the munitions we send? If, as is horribly possible, British soldiers are drawn in, what British interest will they be dying or being injured for? Why is our Defence Ministry mounting a running commentary on the conflict? It is as if the Italian defence ministry had been holding press conferences on the Falklands War back in 1982. Is it because they wish to draw attention away from our very small Army and our shrunken, malfunctioning Navy? Yet our military experts speak from a position of assumed superiority. If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens click here Within hours of our report about Angela Rayner being published, the Lefts Twitter warriors were in battle mode on social media. Even though Ms Rayner was herself the original architect of the Basic Instinct references, The Mail on Sunday was accused of sexism simply for reporting what she had told Tory MPs. In an incendiary Twitter thread, Labours Deputy Leader sent her supporters on social media into paroxysms of indignation by declaring that Boris Johnsons cheerleaders have resorted to spreading desperate, perverted smears in their doomed attempts to save his skin. Ms Rayner who used a crude colloquialism when joking with MPs about Sharon Stone moments in the Commons thanked her supporters for making a stand in the name of decency against those who would further coarsen, cheapen and debase our politics. Our Political Editor recounts his week of vile abuse at the hands of the Lefts Twitter warriors ... over a light-hearted piece of Commons banter that sparked a storm over misogyny and freedom of speech. Angela Rayner pictured in the Commons opposite Boris Johnson By late morning, I was trending. A byline picture taken nearly two decades ago became the focus of the cyber-Colosseum; one charmer likened the dimple on my chin to a cats a***hole, while Labour MP Diane Abbott said it was interesting that I felt entitled to judge female MPs by their looks something I hadnt done. Other messages were more serious. One post detected a strong rapist energy coming from me, while another went to the opposite extreme by suggesting that I was an incel an involuntary celibate. I also apparently had one of those Tory faces that you wouldnt ever get tired of dropping an anvil on. Even fellow journalists usually in favour of free expression waded in. Former Evening Standard journalist Marie Le Conte said on a private Twitter account that was shared with me, that she would be willing to risk my career to call Glen Owen a c*** to his face. One of her Twitter followers responded by saying people who encountered me should spit at the pig. Tanya Gold, whom I briefly worked with in the late 1990s, falsely reported a misogynistic remark I was supposed to have made at the time. Broadcaster James OBrien said I had kissed the ring of the Prime Minister. By now, with outrage piling on outrage, Boris Johnson had been advised by No 10 aides to issue a statement in which he condemned the misogyny directed at Ms Rayner although unlike many of his colleagues, he was careful not to conflate the reported remarks with any suggestion that the MoS was itself sexist for publishing them. Opportunistic MPs scented a chance for virtue-signalling. Leading the charge was Tory MP Caroline Nokes who, despite appearing in the same days MoS over the shortage of HRT drugs for women, next to an article by me highlighting the need for action, wrote to Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle calling for him to remove my parliamentary pass effectively ending my career as a political reporter. The BBC leapt on the story with glee, while ignoring the growing evidence emerging that Ms Rayner and her leader Sir Keir Starmer had lied over their Beergate breaches of lockdown rules in Durham. The Corporation was predictably joined by The Guardian. Both put the MoS at the centre of the story. More level-headed sections of the media started to push back against the hysteria. The Daily Telegraph wrote in a leader comment that it was extraordinary that the story had been elevated into a cause celebre at the time of the Ukrainian war, which is the biggest geo-political crisis in Europe since 1945. It added: The anger of parliamentarians is also being directed at the messenger rather than the tawdry source of the claim are newspapers now expected to tailor their reportage to the whims of what MPs consider appropriate? Privately, I was bombarded with messages echoing that stance from across the political spectrum a senior Labour source even approached me discreetly in Westminster and whispered: Solidarity. By mentioning the standout achievement of Ms Rayners career that she has managed to break into the inner circle of Westminsters power elite despite leaving school at 16 without qualifications after becoming pregnant I was apparently deterring other women from following in her footsteps. They talk about my background because I had a child when I was young as if to say Im promiscuous, that was the insinuation. It was quite offensive for people of my background, she told Lorraine Kelly on ITV. Unlike her previous appearance on the programme, when she wore a dress, she appeared in a trouser suit. I wanted to be defiant because I dont think women should be told how to dress but I didnt want to distract from the fact that its not about my legs. I didnt want people at home thinking, Lets have a look at what her legs are like or how short her skirt is. OUTRAGE: The Lefts keyboard warriors respond furiously to the Mail on Sunday article. Above: Angela Rayner listens to Boris Johnson during Prime Ministers Question In response to the uproar, Sir Lindsay invited me to meet him at the Commons with The Mail on Sundays Editor, David Dillon. The fact that shortly after extending the invitation Sir Lindsay had described the article as misogynistic and offensive suggested to Mr Dillon that Sir Lindsay had already passed judgment on the story: the invitation was rejected. Mr Dillon wrote to Sir Lindsay: The Mail on Sunday deplores sexism and misogyny in all its forms. However, journalists must be free to report what they are told by MPs about conversations which take place in the House of Commons, however unpalatable some may find them. He added that the freedom of the Press would not last if journalists have to take instruction from officials of the House of Commons, however august they may be, on what they can report and not report. When the article was being produced, I told Labour that the Tory MPs had described how Ms Rayner had relayed the story on the terrace, but a spokeswoman said it was categorically untrue and made up, so those details were removed from the article. The frenzy started to abate as awareness began to grow at Westminster about the true circumstances surrounding the story. The Daily Mail unearthed a podcast from January in which Ms Rayner laughed about the Basic Instinct comparisons. Speaking to Matt Fordes The Political Party podcast, she volunteered the fact that her appearance at Prime Ministers Questions that month had drawn comparisons with Miss Stone, joking that it had sparked an internet meme of her crossing and uncrossing her legs. The interview came 18 days after the Mails Amanda Platell had likened Ms Rayner to Miss Stone in her column without receiving a complaint. An investigation by Tory Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris last week found that three further Tory MPs, in addition to the one quoted anonymously in the MoS article, had heard Ms Rayner raise the Basic Instinct comparison on the Commons terrace. So Ms Rayner was professing herself outraged by something she had laughed about before and had herself helped to propagate. But dont expect the trolls to acknowledge that. The truth about the story Angela Rayner branded a desperate, perverted smear... SHE was the one who told it By Dan Hodges It's time for people to know the truth. On a chilly evening just after the turn of the year, in between the evening votes, about a dozen MPs gathered in the House of Commons for a cigarette break. Standing among them positioned by the balustrade that sits opposite the large double doors leading out to Parliaments long Thameside terrace was Angela Rayner. Labours Deputy Leader was engaging in the usual light-hearted banter that MPs of all parties indulge in when they feel the political spotlight is off them. Then she began to share a joke about how she tries to distract Boris Johnson when they sit opposite one another at Prime Ministers Questions. According to one MP who was part of the group, she said, I like to do my Sharon Stone trick. I cross and uncross my legs and give him a flash of my ginger g****** [a vulgar and offensive colloquialism]. A second MP, who was with the gaggle, also recalled hearing her use the phrase. As Rayner was making the joke, another MP joined the group. She told me: I didnt hear the whole thing, but I remember hearing her say those words. A fourth MP said: Angela was telling us how she distracts Boris. They too confirmed the use of the vulgar colloquialism. So four MPs all heard Rayner use exactly the same words. MoS report last week triggered a storm at Westminster after Labour Deputy Leader claimed that the PM's 'cheerleaders' were spreading 'perverted smears' In response to what everyone recognised was a racy but light-hearted aside, Rayners colleagues laughed, and carried on smoking. Then they all went their separate ways. Last weekend, The Mail on Sunday recounted the incident, as told by one of the MPs who was present. At which point, the world went insane. A spokesman for Rayner insisted the report was categorically untrue. Rayner posted a tweet in which she raged: Boris Johnsons cheerleaders have resorted to spreading desperate, perverted smears. Johnson described the story as appalling sexist, misogynist tripe. The Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, condemned the article as misogynistic and offensive. He then announced he was summoning the Editor of The Mail on Sunday to the Commons. BUT then something that is relatively unusual in our era of social-media-fuelled culture crusades occurred. The truth began to emerge. A recording of a podcast Rayner made earlier in the year with comedian Matt Forde revealed the terrace banter wasnt the only time she had joked about doing a Sharon Stone at PMQs. Several MPs a number of whom had been scared off by threats from their own Prime Minister to unleash the terrors of the Earth on the storys original source came forward to myself and other journalists to confirm she had made the comments. The Mail on Sunday politely rejected the Speakers summons, and Sir Lindsay backed off. But the whole furore has revealed a number of important things about how our current political discourse is framed. Rayners attempt to cover up her comments on the terrace was on one level understandable. Im told she was genuinely embarrassed at the thought of them being made public. One colleague told me: She was honestly worried about the fact that her kids would get to see this. But that instinctive, and human, reaction does not grant a licence for deception. Had Rayner responded to the story by deploying the same frankness and self-awareness she had displayed in her podcast, the whole uproar would have been avoided. Instead, she tried to leverage the moment by painting herself as a victim of Tory sexism and classism. And that represented a false deflection. In reality, Angela Rayner is one of the more popular Labour MPs in the eyes of her opponents. They like her directness and down-to-earth style. They enjoy the fact shes prepared to share a drink and a joke with them. Which is why many Conservatives were so surprised and angered when she made her notorious Tory scum comment. Speaking on ITVs Lorraine, she claimed: They talk about my background because I had a child when I was young as if to say Im promiscuous It was quite offensive for people of my background. But in her Forde podcast, she gave an honest, and more perceptive, assessment of how senior Tories engage with her. Responding to Fordes observation that the PM treats her with respect, she said Johnson recognises that if I start attacking her, Ill look really crap as a posh guy from a posh school so Ill just try and compliment her in a sort of backhand way, adding: I think thats how they try and sort of deal with me. Because they dont really know how to deal with me. As Rayners denials began to unravel, her defenders tried to change tack. The saga needed to be looked at in the wider context of the fight against Westminsters misogynistic culture, they said. A battle that needs to be fought. Last Sunday it was reported that three Cabinet Ministers and two Shadow Cabinet Ministers are among 56 MPs who have been referred to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme over claims of sexual misconduct. And last night, MP Neil Parish resigned after admitting watching porn in the Commons chamber. So there is no need to confect outrage. The issues confronted by women MPs and staff of Parliament are all too real. And if people want to throw Rayners comments into the midst of the wider conversation about Westminster culture, fine. But someone must then explain what the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party joking about distracting the Prime Minister by crossing and uncrossing her legs at him contributes to that debate. Because this is the key question. Do the facts and the truth still matter, even when they tell the wrong story? The tale Rayner and her allies want told is a simple one. A neanderthal Tory MP, motivated by class and gender hatred, concocted a comparison with 90s sex siren Sharon Stone, then used it to smear a working-class Labour MP. And it provides a compelling narrative. The single mother from a Stockport housing estate being targeted by and fighting back against the Etonian bully boys. But the problem with the truth is it can be fickle. It doesnt always come down on the side of the righteous. Or the self-righteous. And this is the truth of the whole saga. The story Angela Rayner branded a desperate, perverted smear was actually a story told by Angela Rayner herself, about herself. The language the PM condemned as appalling, sexist, misogynist tripe was Angela Rayners language. The claim the Speaker condemned as misogynistic and offensive was her own. Two weeks ago, as Tory whips desperately attempted to corral their MPs into blocking an inquiry by the Privileges Committee into whether the PM lied to the Commons over Partygate, Rayner tweeted: You want the truth? They cant handle the truth. But after the events of the past seven days, a separate question must now be posed. Can she? It's taken a bitter fight but I believe there has never been a better time to be a woman in politics By Linda McDougall, author of Westminster Women Way back in 1977, I became a Westminster wife when my husband won Grimsby for the Labour Party. He joined 649 other MPs, of whom just 23 were women. Youd never know it by the fit of the vapours consuming the House of Commons last week, but theres never been a better time to be a woman in politics. Its taken a long and bitter struggle. The big breakthrough came in 1997. Remember the photo of 101 female MPs surrounding a new Prime Minister? It showed a beaming Tony Blair at the centre of the female intake of his New Labour government. Inevitably, they were dubbed Blairs Babes never a phrase that these fiercely intelligent and highly driven women liked. Indeed, Blairs wife Cherie described the nickname as disparaging, saying it implied they were there to be looked at, not to do. It's taken a bitter fight but I believe there has never been a better time to be a woman in politics, says Linda McDougall, pictured In truth, these 101 Labour stalwarts whod fought so hard for power and recognition werent going to let any nicknames or nonsense get in the way of their work. Today, 25 years on, Labours Deputy Leader Angela Rayner would do well to summon up their collective spirit. She has found herself at the heart of a sexism row triggered by comments she was reported to have made to colleagues on Parliaments terrace about the way she had tried to disarm Boris Johnson at Prime Ministers Questions. She was outraged by the report of her alleged comments in The Mail on Sunday, saying it was offensive and demeaning, adding: I stand accused of a ploy to distract the helpless PM, by being a woman, having legs and wearing clothes. All week, Westminster and radio and TV phone-ins have been full of howls about sexism. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle joined the chorus of virtue-signalling, saying the story was misogynistic and offensive. Cue calls from Ms Rayners Labour colleague Harriet Harman, the longest-serving female MP. She said, seemingly grudgingly, that while certain aspects of life for women have certainly improved since the early 1980s, there is still a very long way to go. Before the Speaker considers asking the editor of Vogue magazine to advise women MPs not to wear blouses that are too revealing, let me remind you that not only have we had two women Prime Ministers, but the current holders of the offices of Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Leader of the House of Lords and Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are all women. Next week, women, including me, will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Blairs Election victory one that saw the ratio of women in Parliament double overnight from nine to 18 per cent 120 were elected largely because of Labours all-women shortlists campaign. Today, the good news is that women MPs are much more widespread among all parties in the Commons. Women account for 35 per cent of all MPs and the numbers continue to rise steadily. Labour has more female members (104) than male (98). Indeed, Angela Rayner is the first woman MP for Ashton-under-Lyne since the Lancashire constituency was created in 1832. Women in politics have improved their position considerably in the past quarter of a century, and that improvement has slowly begun to spread through every field of life. There are more female managers, teachers, doctors, lawyers and businesswomen than ever before and there are more hard-working, sensible women in Parliament battling for their constituents. When I first started working with politicians at Westminster as a TV documentary-maker, the small number of female MPs bore huge pressures. Male members thought it was perfectly acceptable to interrupt their female colleagues mid-sentence. Parliaments door-keepers assumed most women were typists or visitors until otherwise explained, and Margaret Thatcher was the oft-quoted honourable exception to it all. Im a big fan of Angela Rayner. When I wrote her biography for a book titled The Honourable Ladies (the first complete record of all female MPs), I felt she was one to watch. I dont mind at all if Angela and other women MPs on all sides of the House use any female tactics to get their way and improve their lot and that of women generally in Parliament. After all, we have put up with just a few hundred years of men using every trick in the book to keep us subservient. Why shouldnt we do whatever we can to improve equality and hammer out a fairer deal? Just one word of caution. Now that finer weather is on its way, some women MPs may dare to go bare-legged in the chamber. But its not wise to discuss with male colleagues the tactics you may use to grab attention. Way back in 1977, I became a Westminster wife when my husband won Grimsby for the Labour Party. He joined 649 other MPs, of whom just 23 were women. Youd never know it by the fit of the vapours consuming the House of Commons last week, but theres never been a better time to be a woman in politics. Its taken a long and bitter struggle. The big breakthrough came in 1997. Remember the photo of 101 female MPs surrounding a new Prime Minister? It showed a beaming Tony Blair at the centre of the female intake of his New Labour government. Inevitably, they were dubbed Blairs Babes never a phrase that these fiercely intelligent and highly driven women liked. Indeed, Blairs wife Cherie described the nickname as disparaging, saying it implied they were there to be looked at, not to do. A sexism row has been ongoing about Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner (pictured), after there were alleged comments about her crossing and uncrossing her legs to distract the Prime Minister Linda McDougall believes there has never been a better time to be a woman in politics, she believes a turning point came in 1997 when Tony Blair was pictured with 101 female MPs (pictured) In truth, these 101 Labour stalwarts whod fought so hard for power and recognition werent going to let any nicknames or nonsense get in the way of their work. Today, 25 years on, Labours Deputy Leader Angela Rayner would do well to summon up their collective spirit. She has found herself at the heart of a sexism row triggered by comments she was reported to have made to colleagues on Parliaments terrace about the way she had tried to disarm Boris Johnson at Prime Ministers Questions. She was outraged by the report of her alleged comments in The Mail on Sunday, saying it was offensive and demeaning, adding: I stand accused of a ploy to distract the helpless PM, by being a woman, having legs and wearing clothes. All week, Westminster and radio and TV phone-ins have been full of howls about sexism. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle joined the chorus of virtue-signalling, saying the story was misogynistic and offensive. Cue calls from Ms Rayners Labour colleague Harriet Harman, the longest-serving female MP. She said, seemingly grudgingly, that while certain aspects of life for women have certainly improved since the early 1980s, there is still a very long way to go. Harriet Harman MP (pictured) is the Mother of the House, having been an MP since 1982 Before the Speaker considers asking the editor of Vogue magazine to advise women MPs not to wear blouses that are too revealing, let me remind you that not only have we had two women Prime Ministers, but the current holders of the offices of Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Leader of the House of Lords and Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are all women. Next week, women, including me, will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Blairs Election victory one that saw the ratio of women in Parliament double overnight from nine to 18 per cent 120 were elected largely because of Labours all-women shortlists campaign. Today, the good news is that women MPs are much more widespread among all parties in the Commons. Women account for 35 per cent of all MPs and the numbers continue to rise steadily. Labour has more female members (104) than male (98). Indeed, Angela Rayner is the first woman MP for Ashton-under-Lyne since the Lancashire constituency was created in 1832. Women in politics have improved their position considerably in the past quarter of a century, and that improvement has slowly begun to spread through every field of life. There are more female managers, teachers, doctors, lawyers and businesswomen than ever before and there are more hard-working, sensible women in Parliament battling for their constituents. When I first started working with politicians at Westminster as a TV documentary-maker, the small number of female MPs bore huge pressures. Male members thought it was perfectly acceptable to interrupt their female colleagues mid-sentence. Parliaments door-keepers assumed most women were typists or visitors until otherwise explained, and Margaret Thatcher was the oft-quoted honourable exception to it all. Im a big fan of Angela Rayner. When I wrote her biography for a book titled The Honourable Ladies (the first complete record of all female MPs), I felt she was one to watch. I dont mind at all if Angela and other women MPs on all sides of the House use any female tactics to get their way and improve their lot and that of women generally in Parliament. After all, we have put up with just a few hundred years of men using every trick in the book to keep us subservient. Why shouldnt we do whatever we can to improve equality and hammer out a fairer deal? Just one word of caution. Now that finer weather is on its way, some women MPs may dare to go bare-legged in the chamber. But its not wise to discuss with male colleagues the tactics you may use to grab attention. A military parade is held at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, April 25, 2022, celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's army, with the North's leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, in this photo released the following day by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again called for the bolstering of his country's military strength to "annihilate the enemy," as he held a photo session with participants in a military parade held earlier this week, state media reported Friday. During the session held Wednesday, Kim praised the soldiers for "fully demonstrating" the "modernity, heroism and radical development" of the North's military forces and their "matchless military and technological superiority" during the event held Monday night, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "He underlined the need for all the service personnel of the entire army to fully cherish the soul and spirit of the DPRK and bolster up their strength in every way to annihilate the enemy and thus more firmly guarantee the accomplishment of the revolutionary cause of Juche with arms," the KCNA said in an English-language report, using the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Juche means self-reliance. Other participants included the North's top military official, Pak Jong-chon, as well as Ri Pyong-chol, a member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau, who returned to public view at the parade after a 10-month disappearance. The North held the nighttime parade Monday to celebrate the 90th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army, during which it displayed key weapons, including the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile. At the parade, Kim also declared his resolve to further strengthen the regime's nuclear capabilities and warned that any forces seeking to violate the "fundamental interests" of the North would be met with its nuclear forces. (Yonhap) My first hope when I heard that Neil Parish, 65, the MP for Tiverton and Honiton, had been accused of watching pornography in the Chamber of the House of Commons was that it would turn out to be an unfortunate accident. I occasionally get sent obscene images by ill-wishers (its a common tactic with the more tenacious variety of troll), and its not always immediately clear whats in the messages. Perfectly plausible, then, that he might have accidentally clicked on some malicious content. Sadly, it doesnt appear as though this were the case. He stands accused by female colleagues of doing it at least twice in the chamber, and possibly also during a committee hearing. Once might be understandable; anything more is suspect. He has now admitted to being a f***ing idiot and told reporters, My first hope when I heard that Neil Parish, 65, the MP for Tiverton and Honiton, had been accused of watching pornography in the Chamber of the House of Commons was that it would turn out to be an unfortunate accident I have to apologise to my wife more than anybody for putting her through all of this. Yesterday, facing mounting pressure, he resigned as an MP. I dont care what people get up to in the privacy of their own sex lives provided all parties are consenting adults. But the idea that anyone, male or female, should think it acceptable to sit in a place of work let alone the House of Commons and watch porn is beyond the pale. Its not just the obvious fact that it demonstrates the utmost disrespect for colleagues. Its what it says about the status of porn in our society. More specifically, about how years of hardcore, explicit content available free and uncensored online has not only shaped popular culture and corrupted an entire generation, but also infected those charged with upholding standards in public life. MPs are only human. Although we expect them, rightly, to behave to a higher standard, they are not immune to lapses of judgment. But to see such a flagrant disregard towards the norms of acceptable behaviour to think that viewing explicit images in the Commons would in any way be acceptable that marks a new low. It also shows us something else. That online porn, together with the culture of misogynist abuse, violence and general depravity that surrounds it, is now considered by many to be a normal part of daily life. On the bus, on the Tube, in the playground, at parties: more and more people are reporting porn being viewed openly. Wherever theres an internet connection and a suitable device (basically everywhere) anyone can have free and direct access to scenes that, were they broadcast after the 9 oclock watershed on the BBC, would cause national outrage. What is the point of having any sort of censorship at all either in films or TV if its all just there at the touch of a button? If the very people who should be setting an example think its a normal way to while away the hours during, say, a tedious Commons debate? It is perhaps worth noting that Parish has been a staunch campaigner for better rural broadband. Given everything, one now cant help wondering what his true motivation might have been. But for me it was the reaction of his wife of 40 years, Sue, who works as his secretary, which really brings home how accepted porn has become. If you were mad with every man who looked at pornography, you would not have many wives in the world, she said. Perfectly plausible, then, that he might have accidentally clicked on some malicious content. Sadly, it doesnt appear as though this were the case. He stands accused by female colleagues of doing it at least twice in the chamber, and possibly also during a committee hearing In other words, whats all the fuss about? Everyone does it. And shes correct of course. But that doesnt make it right. Advocates of porn like to warble on about female empowerment and sexual liberation. But if youve ever watched any of this stuff, as I unfortunately have, you will know this is nonsense. In 2015, I spent an afternoon in the company of a very nice man called Peter Johnson, the then chief executive of the Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD). Now defunct, ATVOD was set up by Ofcom in 2010 to monitor the editorial content of services available on-demand on the internet, from BBC iPlayer to Netflix. Its job was also to monitor popular porn websites such as PornHub. Having never viewed porn, I was totally unprepared for the level of depravity that Johnson showed me. Angry men, pumped up on steroids, thrusting, slapping; girls choking and vomiting in shock and pain, tears running down their cheeks, their eyes bulging, their skin red and raw. In one video I witnessed just under an hour of total subjugation of a woman by five men. By the end of it, she was barely conscious and had to have her head held up by her hair for the parting shot. This video alone had clocked up half a million viewers, 86 per cent of whom had clicked like. Those images are forever seared on my brain. Back then, the NSPCC estimated that, as a direct influence of online porn, two in five girls aged between 13 and 17 had suffered sexual coercion of some sort. In an analysis of data from a single month back in December 2013, 44,000 primary school children in Britain, aged between six and 11, were found to have visited an adult website. In the six to 15 age group, the figure was 200,000; among 16 to 17-year-olds, 473,000. And that was almost 10 years ago. Since then, the situation has become much worse. Latest figures estimate that, by the age of 11, a child who has not viewed online porn is the exception rather than the norm. For many, hardcore porn is their first and likely formative experience of sex. Years and years of streaming this stuff into our devices has desensitised us to the reality of porn, changed our attitudes towards sex itself and even the way we see our own bodies and as we see time and again in cases of violence against women legitimised the darker aspects of the human psyche. Men such as Wayne Couzens, who murdered Sarah Everard, are openly influenced by hardcore porn, and by the way women are portrayed as willing participants in depraved male fantasies of violence and abuse. All of this would be bad enough on its own; but what makes it a true tragedy for humanity is that we, as a society, have so far done nothing absolutely nothing to shield our children and the vulnerable. No barriers, no censorship, nothing. Given a smartphone and an internet connection, it is as easy for a child to watch some poor girl being gang raped as it is to watch Tom Hardy reading a bedtime story on CBeebies. That, Im afraid, is the truth. And to my mind it is absolutely shameful. That successive Parliaments have kicked this issue repeatedly into the long grass claiming that its impossible to police the internet, that there is no international jurisdiction and coming up with every lily-livered excuse under the sun is, quite honestly, pathetic. The best they seem to be able to muster is requiring porn sites to carry out age-verification checks. But we all know how easy it is to get around those sorts of things (practically every 14-year-old I know has a fake ID). The only sure-fire way of stopping the rot is to make it illegal to view or disseminate the stuff in public, and also to block it by default so that the only way you can access porn is by paying for it. In other words, put porn behind a paywall. I know some people will say this is censorship. Others still will say that the damage is already done. I disagree. I dont see why the rights of adults to indulge their sexual fantasies should trump the rights of young people to a childhood. And while we may have lost a generation (or two) to porn, theres no reason we shouldnt try to protect the next. Where theres a will, there is always a way. Its just that theres been no will. And now, with an MP openly watching it on the green benches, we finally see why. A few weeks ago, a Tory strategist helping to co-ordinate the partys local election campaign noticed something strange. Over a period of several days, a series of conflicting messages had been coming back from candidates and activists. There was this weird pattern starting to develop, she told me. Our people in the North East were saying, Labour are pushing hard up here, but the Lib Dems are nowhere. But then in the South West, I was getting these reports, the Lib Dems are really pressing, but Labour have completely vanished. Perplexed, she started to do some number crunching. And her efforts revealed some startling figures. In the North East of England, the Conservatives and Labour are fielding candidates in almost all the contested seats, as they did when the elections were last fought in 2018. But the number of seats the Lib Dems are contesting has slumped from 78 per cent in 2018, to 55 per cent in this Thursdays vote. In the South West, the picture is dramatically reversed. Again, the Conservatives are contesting almost all the seats up for grabs, while the Lib Dems are fighting almost 90 per cent. But the number of Labour candidates has collapsed, down from 97 per cent in 2018, to 60 per cent this year. There is also a strange pattern in the South East. Once more, the Conservatives are fighting almost all of the available seats. But the number of Labour candidates has fallen by 12 per cent, and the number of Lib Dem candidates has fallen by a similar 10 per cent. 'Whatever agreement Starmer and Davey have reached has clearly been contrived behind closed doors, well away from the inconvenient gaze of the voters and the Press' It is pretty obvious what is going on, the official said. Labour and the Lib Dems have done some sort of deal. Its finally happening. The Great Progressive Realignment whispered about longingly over dinner tables from Islington to Penzance is becoming a reality. All be it, secretly. Last year, after Labour soft-peddled to deliver the Lib Dems victory in the Chesham and Amersham by-election, Keir Starmer hinted he might be amenable to what some people were calling the Rainbow Alliance. Weve got to do a lot more work, you know, obviously going into the next General Election. There will be a question of what we do, he told Robert Peston. Theres a majority broadly against the Tories in the country and obviously well have to see how we go into the next General Election. But the official line was clear only a Labour Government could eject the despised Tories. There was no pact. Then last month, the rumours resurfaced. Reports emerged that the two parties had agreed not to compete actively in each others top 30 target seats at the next General Election. But again, the official denials were swift. It was far too early to be discussing pacts, a Lib Dem source insisted. 'Last year, after Labour soft-peddled to deliver the Lib Dems victory in the Chesham and Amersham by-election, Keir Starmer (pictured) hinted he might be amenable to what some people were calling the "Rainbow Alliance"' A Labour spokesman was even more forthright. Were not in the business of pacts. Only Keir Starmers Labour offers the security, prosperity and respect that the British people want and deserve, they said. But now the cat is out of the bag. Or rather, the ballot box. On the ground, the picture is crystal clear. Across Labours former heartlands, Ed Daveys troops are being stood down. In Bury, the Lib Dems are fighting only 15 of the 51 seats being contested. In Hartlepool, two of 13. In Blackburn, four of 15. Meanwhile, across swathes of the South and South West, the favour is being returned. In Somerset, Labour is contesting only 45 of the 110 available seats. In St Albans, 25 of 56. In Cheltenham, eight of 21. And for many progressives, this represents the dream scenario both ideologically and politically. For all the upbeat talk of Labours widening poll lead, very few of the partys MPs or advisers I speak to actually believe Keir Starmer can unilaterally secure a working majority in 2023 or 2024. Equally, there are a number of Labour MPs and activists who believe an alliance with the Lib Dems will finally free them to be the party they long to be. No more pandering on immigration or welfare. No more backsliding on issues such as trans rights or academic safe spaces. And of course, the Holy Grail: a concerted drive to return Britain to the EU. 'Liberal Democrats leader Ed Daveys troops are being stood down across Labours former heartlands' Many Lib Dems also see an upside. Despite the post-traumatic stress disorder many still suffer from their time in coalition, they recognise they will remain politically irrelevant unless they can again manoeuvre themselves into a position where they hold the balance of power. But before Britains hard-pressed liberals start popping the prosecco, they should pause. For one thing, the Tories spot an opening. This morning, Tory party chairman Oliver Dowden has written to both Keir Starmer and Ed Davey, asking them to explain the terms of their Faustian pact. A Tory source said: This kind of backroom dealing by Starmer and Davey is typical. They shamelessly tried for years to overturn the Brexit referendum vote, and now theyre sticking two fingers up to the voters again. They must explain why they have designed this stitch-up, for sake of transparency. And behind the punchy language, they have a point. There have been political deals before. The Lib/Lab pact. The Cameron/Clegg coalition. Theresa Mays ill-fated confidence and supply deal with the DUP. But they were public. Conducted with the full knowledge if not necessarily the consent of the people. Whatever agreement Starmer and Davey have reached has clearly been contrived behind closed doors, well away from the inconvenient gaze of the voters and the Press. So what has been proffered and what has been gained? If Labour and the Lib Dems dont come clean, the Conservative Party again intends to fill in the gaps. This week Tory researchers have been meticulously combing their way through the details of Daveys policy pronouncements 30billion to be spent on the introduction of a new Universal Basic Income; the abolition of mandatory prison sentences for possession of acid and knives. And most significantly, a pledge set out at the time of the Lib Dem 2021 Spring Conference, to work to create the conditions through which the UK is able to join the EU once again. 'Tory party chairman Oliver Dowden has written to both Keir Starmer and Ed Davey, asking them to explain the terms of their Faustian pact' Whether warning that a vote for Daveys Brexit Jonahs will effectively represent a vote for Captain Hindsight and vice versa will impact the polls on Thursday, is doubtful. Shadow Ministers I spoke to over the past few days were struggling to maintain their message discipline. I know Im supposed to be talking down our chances and managing expectations, one told me, but to be honest, it hasnt felt this good for us on the doorsteps for at least a decade. But the Tories, like their opponents, are playing a longer game. Within Labour and Lib Dem HQs, the 2022 local election arrangement is viewed as a dry run for the non-aggression pact they will form the instant Boris Johnson or his successor steps into his or her car and embarks for the Palace to call a General Election. Which suits Conservative strategists just fine. Its perfect for us, one Minister told me, because we wont just be able to say a vote for Starmer is a vote for Davey. Well be able to point to Sturgeon as well. Shes going to want to be part of the deal. And shes only going to demand one thing. The break-up of the Union. The Rainbow Coalition has been talked about for years, if not decades. This Thursday, it will finally become a reality. But those progressives stampeding towards the pot of gold at the end of it should be wary of what they eventually find. A simple yoga pose has become a viral TikTok trend, with advocates claiming it can improve their sleep, immunity, and digestion. The 'legs up the wall' position (with its own hashtag that's garnered more than 15 million views) involves lying on the floor (perhaps using a block to prop up your hips) and stretching your legs up against a wall. It is a restorative pose, meaning it's a passive, meditative position, aimed at relaxing you physically and mentally. And according to fans of the move, which is officially called Viparita Karani, it provides a whole host of benefits. And one of the biggest, according to some fans, is that it makes them feel relaxed, which yoga instructor Ema Rice says could be due to the position of the body when in the pose. She explained that the name Viparita Karani translates as 'inverted doing', which reflects the inverted position of the body in this position, with the legs up, and the head on the ground. An unlikely yoga pose has gone viral on TikTok. Legs up the wall, which involves lying down and putting your legs up, has garnered millions of views and lots of enthusiastic fans Ema said: 'Any asana that brings your head to the ground should help you feel grounded, and that brings a sense of calm. 'It seems like most people's bodies are in high stress all day with getting from A to B and meeting deadlines, having demanding jobs etc. 'Which means that while in this asana, it's the perfect opportunity to relax from the day, both physically, and mentally.' Jen Harvey, co-owner of Oceanflow Yoga Studio in Newquay, is also a fan of the pose's benefits when it comes to relaxation, and added that setting some time aside in the evening to put your legs up against a wall can be a really effective way to improve sleep. She said: 'It is especially important to be in this state as we approach bedtime as it allows our brain to shift from being beta wave dominant to a more relaxed alpha wave state. 'This allows us to transition more easily into deep sleep and also helps to settle the monkey mind and release tension headaches...It is amazing how a bit of stillness in our lives can have such a positive impact on our health.' The pose is widely understood to improve circulation, with some pointing out that it allows the circulation of fluids that are stored in the legs. According to yoga instructor Ema: 'By having our legs above our head, it allows the blood to flow away from our legs and feet which we using all day so we relieve tension and swelling there.' One of the claims made about Viparita Karani is that it can be beneficial for immunity, with Jen saying that the pose 'encourages movement of the lymph through the body', which can help support the immune system. This is a 'restorative pose' that helps move all the fluids in your body to refresh your circulation, relax your nervous system and get rid of swelling She added: 'The lymphatic system is important for the optimal functioning of our general and specific immune responses.' Yoga generally can reduce stress, which can weaken the immune system, and so some research suggests that reducing stress by practising yoga may help support your immunity. When it comes to digestion, there is some debate as how helpful the pose is, with some practitioners saying there is no direct evidence of this. However, as it seems to aid in circulation, this can indirectly have a positive effect on digestion, with Ema pointing out that the digestive and circulatory systems work together closely to distribute absorbed nutrients through the body. Jen adds that as the posture encourages blood flow to the gut, this too could aid digestion. Another claim about the position is that it can aid thyroid function. According to Ema: 'The pose also increases blood flow to the thyroid gland and regulates thyroid function. The neck exerts pressure on the gland and so it receives the largest supply of blood. 'The improvement of blood circulation into the neck helps to nourish the thyroid and so better its function.' There is some research supporting the role certain yoga poses can play in improving thyroid function, though medics point out that people with a thyroid imbalance should use yoga as a complementary therapy, rather than replacing any medical treatment they are receiving. TikTok users took to the social media platform to discuss how much they enjoy doing the pose, and the benefits they feel they get from it Over on social media, TikTokker @lexnicoleta, 26, from California, tried doing the pose for 15-30 minutes a day, every day, for a week, saying she had benefited in multiple ways. Summing up her thoughts, she said: 'The biggest thing I noticed was that the pose alleviated my anxiety. It allowed me to breathe better and made me feel like I was getting better sleep.' Her video garnered numerous comments from fans of the pose, with one commenter saying: 'I did this yesterday for 20 mins and I slept a full 9 hours last night.' Another added: 'I'm totally laying in that position as I came across this TikTok. So good for leg swelling from sitting at a desk for 8 hours and much more!' A third said: 'My grandma used to this all the time!!! And if you complained about any ache she would say put your feet up.' A busker has sparked a heated debate after revealing a passerby stopped her to complain about the 'painful' volume of her singing. Posting under the handle @ccharlimason on TikTok, Charli shared footage of a man stopping her from performing on the streets of London to argue that the volume was unsuitable for those who are sensitive to noise. The 21-year-old appeared calm throughout the interaction as she told the 'angry' man that the council had already visited the area and didn't ask her to turn down the volume. Many responses to the clip praised Charli's reaction to the man and encouraged her to continue busking, however others claimed he was right to complain as street performers are often 'too loud'. Charli Mason, 21, (pictured) has gone viral on TikTok after sharing her interaction with a man complaining about her busking on the streets of London Charli, who boasts over 11,000 followers on TikTok, said the 'angry' man stood shaking his head before approaching her. 'Are you aware of the maximum volume for buskers? Shouldn't be able to hear you after 100ft,' he said, while knocking the tripod holding her camera. 'I've gone to the council. I could hear you right up the High Street. Some people have hearing problems, it's really painful and far too loud.' Charli said: 'Ok no problem.' 'It is a problem,' the man responded. Charlie continued: 'The council have already been down today and they haven't said anything.' Charli (pictured) was shocked as the man claimed people have had to cover their ears because of the 'painful' sound of her busking He replied: 'They may not do but I'm just telling you that there are people. I've got some friends as well who do have a hearing problem. 'They've had to cover their ears because it was so painful. Have you ever heard of hyperacusis? Look it up. You're causing some real pain.' Charli said: 'Is that you politely asking me to turn down?' The clip sparked division with some viewers praising Charli for remaining calm throughout the exchange, while others admitted they were in favour of the man. One person wrote: 'I will never understand people who moan at buskers you can literally walk away! They act like you're inside their living room.' Another said: 'You handled that so well hon... The older generation just can't cope with the energy of young people... keep going lovely.' A third added: 'You handled this so well, I'd of told him to do one and go further away.' A stream of commenters praised Charli's reaction and admitted they would've been annoyed if someone stopped them while performing Disagreeing, one person commented: 'TBH he's not really angry, he was just addressing what was wrong and his worry for those people. He wasn't shouting or anything.' 'Aw I feel sad for him, hyperacusis is very painful and he's just trying to go about his day. He was respectful,' another wrote. A third said: 'Hyperacusis is becoming more common and when people do have it it does cause severe pain, so if that man has it I can see his point' A fourth added: 'Sorry but all these buskers using mics and amplifiers - not everyone wants to hear you when they are out shopping.' Other responses to the post argued the man was right to complain because many people suffer from noise sensitivity Charli made a follow-up video in response to the backlash after spotting a comment from one person saying 'I'm sorry but buskers can be very loud. There's no need to be an extreme volume. It takes a lot of courage to ask, you shouldn't have to ask.' Charli said: 'The majority of the comments have been so supportive and I'm grateful for that, thank you I wasn't expecting that at all. 'But a few have been a little bit like this, saying that I'm being dismissive or disrespectful of people's disabilities. I just wanted to make sure that it's very clear that that was not at all my intention. 'If I have made you feel that way or made you feel that you're feelings about buskers and noise are invalid, then I apologise. It wasn't at all my intention. 'The intention of that video was just that the gentleman could've approached it a little bit better. Charli (pictured) said the man had been stood shaking his head for a few songs before he revealed that he had called the council to complain about her 'Bit of background, he had been stood for a couple of songs prior to me asking what the issue was just with his arms crossed, shaking his head. 'Where he was stood was blocking my busking bag from other people coming down the High Street. A couple people had approached me before I asked him if he was ok to say 'are you ok' because he was just standing his ground and being a bit standoffish. 'It just could've been approached a bit better, that was all. There's obviously no issue ever if you are out and there's a busker disturbing you or being a little bit too loud. 'It's disturbing your work or just your day and you want to ask them to turn down a bit then by all means, you have every right to do that. 'We are in the public domain. You have every right to ask us to be a little bit quieter, but it's just that it could've been approached better. 'I don't know I'm bothering you if you don't ask me, it's just how to approach it.' After six series and a hugely successful spin-off film, Downton Abbeys downstairs staff finally get a proper taste of the glamour enjoyed by the upstairs characters in the highly anticipated second movie Downton Abbey: A New Era. And no one deserves it more than Britains favourite married servants Mr and Mrs Carson (nee Hughes), the loyal butler and head housekeeper to the Crawley family although they get it in very different ways. The first movie, released in 2019, four years after the TV series ended, was a box-office smash, raking in more than 150 million. But it left us with a cliffhanger ending the Dowager Countess, played by Dame Maggie Smith, was told she may not have long to live, raising fears her pithy putdowns wouldnt grace this sequel. But fans will be pleased to know shes back along with the other Downton stalwarts including Hugh Bonneville as Lord Grantham, Elizabeth McGovern as his wife Cora, Michelle Dockery as their daughter Lady Mary, Sophie McShera as assistant cook Daisy and Lesley Nicol as head cook Mrs Patmore. Downton Abbey's second movie A New Era is getting a taste of glamour. Set in 1928 the new film involves a trip to the South of France and a wedding The film, set in 1928, nine months after the first movie, involves a trip to the South of France and a surprise wedding, and sees a Hollywood film crew take over the abbey. Indeed its the Dowager Countess who instigates the jaunt to the Med when she casually reveals shes inherited a villa from an old suitor. Theyd better be warned, the British are coming, teases Carson, one of only three staff permitted to pack their bags for a stay at the Villa of the Doves on the French Riviera for the grandest escape of the year. The villa is luxurious enough to give the abbey a run for its money, and the Crawley family spend the trip zooming along the coastline in speedboats, schmoozing new lovers on the sands and attending extravagant bashes. But how does stickler Carson cope with the upheaval? Carson cant cope with electricity or a fridge, never mind the French, says Jim Carter, whos played the grumpy butler since the TV series began in 2010. The new film features Lady Mary, Lady Violet, and Lord and Lady Grantham (both pictured) So going to France, which is full of French people with dubious eating habits, is tricky for him. Hes appalled at what they eat because hes old-fashioned in that way. 'Theres a bedroom scene with Mrs Hughes [the character decided to retain her original surname while still working] before he goes, where shes starting to fall asleep and Im reading in horror a travel guide to France. Thats about as sexy as we get. You hear Carson talking about how he cant believe what he has to go through, having to teach these French servants how to behave. While hes there he insists things will happen in the English manner, so he refuses to acknowledge the heat and ends up sweating profusely in his starchy clothes. You might wonder why Carson has been dispatched to France, given that usually its only the maids and valets who travel with the Crawleys when they depart for holidays in Scotland. A CHERISHED MOMENT WITH LADY MARY Butler Carson has been described by Julian Fellowes as the father of Downton, and its true that he loves Lady Mary like a daughter, although he has confronted her on many occasions. And fans will be pleased to know this special relationship continues in A New Era. Carson is Lady Marys downstairs father she can say things to him that she cant say to her real father, says Jim Carter. In the new film theres a typical Carson and Lady Mary moment of tenderness. 'Its my favourite scene in the film and one that I cherish. Butler Carson has been described by Julian Fellowes as the father of Downton, and its true that he loves Lady Mary (pictured) Advertisement The plan of getting Carson to go to France is rather spurious, says Jim, 73. They want him away from the house where theres upheaval that they know he wont cope with. 'It was an odd experience because I only did a couple of days filming in England with Phyllis [Logan, who plays Mrs Hughes] and I hardly saw any of our downstairs gang while I was in France being sweaty. Back home Mrs Hughes experiences her own taste of the high life when shes left holding the fort while a Hollywood film crew descends on the abbey. We need to persuade the servants to take Carson with them so hes out of the way, laughs Phyllis. But Mrs Hughes needs to be there the last thing in the world she would want is to leave the house unattended. She doesnt look like a woman of the world, but for that time shes a bit more forward thinking than others of her age. So shes quietly entertained by the whole spectacle of the film crew and cast, and certainly more tolerant than Carson would have been of the invasion. Leading that invasion are Dominic West as Guy Dexter, the dashing star of the movie one of the first talkies after the silentmovie era and Hugh Dancy as the films director Jack Barber. Even though Lady Violet refuses to be swept up by the glamour of the film set (I should have thought the best thing about films is that you cant hear them; even better if you couldnt see them either, she says at one point), the other characters feel differently. Daisy is thrilled that these famous people who she sees in the magazines are in our house, and its lovely for Mrs Hughes to see the delight of the downstairs staff, says Phyllis, 66. Its a bit out of their comfort zone but they get to be so involved. Jack Barber has his work cut out keeping his actors in check in particular Myrna Dalgleish (Laura Haddock), whos prone to throwing tantrums. But Daisy ends up having rather a nice relationship with her says Phyllis. They come to an understanding because Myrna starts off being a bit up herself and dismissive of the staff, even though she comes from scum, the same as the rest of us. But what of the Carsons, who had possibly the slowest-moving romance ever seen on screen? Their feelings for each other first became apparent in series three in 2012 after Mrs Hughess cancer scare having been told that the lump shed found was benign, shed heard Carson singing happily for her good health. Carson finally proposed to Mrs Hughes in the 2014 Christmas special. Phyllis and Jim as the Carsons at their wedding. Their feelings for each other first became apparent in series three in 2012 after Mrs Hughess cancer scare Writer and creator Julian Fellowes hadnt initially intended for the couple to tie the knot, but Phyllis, whos married to actor Kevin McNally, says fans had been aware of her romance with Carson before she was. Jim kept saying to me that people in the street would say to him, When are you and Mrs Hughes going to get together? I didnt think it would work but when I read Julians scripts about the lead-up to it, I thought, Its beautiful, so yes this has to happen. Jim, whos now working on a new film about the young Willy Wonka, agrees. Carson and Mrs Hughes would enjoy a sherry together at the end of the day, and we both relished those moments. Carson cant cope with electricity or a fridge, never mind the French, so going there is tricky for him.- Jim Carter 'Phyllis and I work well together and were fond of each other. So that helped inform the chemistry of the longest-burning romance in TV history. His real-life wife Imelda Staunton appeared in the first Downton Abbey movie, as Lady Maud Bagshaw. Imelda had heard me wittering on about Downton for years so for her to be part of it was good. 'She said to me one day, Ive got this script and Im playing an aristocrat. And I said, Oh yes, lovely. 'Then she said, In Downton Abbey! As she was upstairs I knew our relationship would be limited in the film but it was nice to travel into work together, even if Carson refused to refill Mauds wine glass.' So are Mr and Mrs Carson still living happily ever after in A New Era? Were very happy we got together, but now theres a bit more carping and sniping between the characters, which is a classic marriage, laughs Phyllis. Mrs Hughes loves Carson because he has great attributes, but she also has to accept hes a bit of an old curmudgeon. Both actors say theyre a world away from their characters. Carson is a slave to routine and lives his life by dressing for dinner but that would drive me insane. 'I hate routine, says Jim, while Phyllis says she very much disassociates herself from Mrs Hughes. Im not often recognised like Jim as hes tall with big eyebrows, but I do get recognised by my Scottish voice even when Im ordering a coffee with a mask on, laughs Phyllis, whos now working on a plane crash thriller called No Way Up with Kelsey Grammer. But I just love being Mrs Hughes the character has been such a gift so I dont mind if it ends up being my defining role. A duo has created an at-home hair kit that bridges the gap between boxed hair dyes and expensive salon treatments. Maia Dodds, 46, and Craig Ford, 54, launched the subscription service 'The Shade' in 2019 offering a high-quality home hair dye solution the only costs $25.95. The idea sparked after Maia started experiencing forehead rashes as a result from using boxed hair dye but didn't want to overpay for a salon treatment. The service is said to be an 'Australian first' and today the brand turns over $70,000 a month. Maia Dodds, 46, (right) and Craig Ford, 54, (left) launched the subscription service The Shade in 2019 offering a high-quality hair dye solution the only costs $25.95 Customers can choose from 30 hair colours ranging from black to blonde and are provided with all the tools and dyes within the kit 'It was definitely a lightbulb moment; I noticed Maia begrudgingly giving up four hours of her Saturday to get her hair dyed and she wasn't satisfied with box hair dye,' Craig told Daily Mail Australia. 'We thought there had to be a better way.' As the duo had no o expertise in the haircare industry, they worked with manufactures to create the product that's now made in Italy. Craig said he and Maia were previously medical experts and were excited for the new business venture. 'We have innovated with salon quality hair dye kits delivered to your home at a fraction of the price, backed up with a consultation with a professional hair colourists,' Craig said. 'We estimate women colour their hair every six weeks - that's 28 to 32 hours stuck in a salon chair and spending $2400 each year, money that could be better spent elsewhere and time spent with their family and friends.' Customers can choose from 30 hair colours ranging from black to blonde and are provided with all the tools and dyes within the kit The all-in-one kit comes complete with shampoo, conditioner, hair clips, brushes and 'everything you need' to dye your hair at home The all-in-one kit comes complete with shampoo, conditioner, hair clips, brushes and 'everything you need' to dye your hair at home. Customers can choose from 30 hair colours ranging from black to blonde and are provided with all the tools and dyes within the kit. Customers can also choose the frequency of the subscription between two to eight weeks, and Craig said the most popular time is six weeks between sets. 'We find a lot of customers use the product to touch up their regrowth,' he said. Those wanting to simple try the product once can also do so. The hair dye is also made with botanicals and aloe vera which softens and conditions the hair for a long-lasting shine. The hair dye is also made with botanicals and aloe vera which softens and conditions the hair for a long-lasting shine 'We knew it would take time to grow the brand because women needed to have faith in our product,' Craig said. On average the brand has sold more than 70,000 kits since launching and the brand is now looking to expand the brand overseas. To help take their business to the next level, Maia and Craig will raise capital through Birchal equity crowdfunding, so its most loyal fans can share in their success. The Shade's equity crowdfunding raise will support The Shade's marketing, website improvements, the rollout of one-on-one video consultations, and developing new colour shades. The company's mission is to become the Australia's premier low cost, premium home hair colour brand giving women and men a real alternative to expensive salons and cheap supermarket boxes with their outdated and harsh ingredients. Whats not to like about Jessica Gagens hair? It is goddess hair silky, swishy and cascades halfway down her back. Most women would kill for it. The colour is a thing of wonder, too. So many different shades are present in the strands, and depending on how the light hits it, the effect can be copper, auburn, strawberry blonde. What colour does she call it? Red. Or ginger. I dont mind ginger, although some people do. Some people with hair like this make a point of saying auburn. But its red. Im owning it. Whatever, its the sort of hair that LOreal pays teams of scientists to study, with the impossible goal of working out how to replicate it from a bottle. And its entirely natural. Its always been about the hair, Jess admits. When I signed with a model agency, it was the hair they wanted. Ironic, really. Indeed. Jess is now 26, and a striking young woman in every way. From Skelmersdale, Lancashire, she is currently at Liverpool University studying for an integrated masters degree in aerospace engineering, one of only a handful of women on her course. She sleeps with a miniature aeroplane, starting to soar, on her beside table, and dreams of a career as an astronaut. For many its a pipe dream, but for her its entirely achievable. She is on track. She gives talks to younger girls to encourage them into engineering too, passionate about breaking down those sexist barriers. As role models go, she is quite something. Jessica Gagen, 26 (pictured), from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, is currently at Liverpool University studying for an integrated masters degree in aerospace engineering, but is also a beauty queen and model in her free time Why are we talking about her hair, then? Last week, it was revealed that Jess has other, more immediate, ambitions. When she is not studying or doing paid modelling, she is also a beauty queen. This years goal is to represent England in the Miss World competition. If she achieves this, she will be the first redhead in history to do so. Some may well regard this as a more trivial first than the space ambitions, but when you hear her story, you understand the motivation behind it. This one is deeply personal. For at secondary school, Jesss hair was not something to be celebrated or marvelled at. Being a redhead made her a target for abuse. Her hair was a beacon all right but for the bullies. There might have been other reasons, too. I didnt have any friends at the start of school so I had no one to eat my lunch with. For four years I had a brace one of those big block ones, followed by tracks. I went through a baby fat stage, like most people do. But mostly it was about my hair, really. It would go frizzy after PE. I remember once, in the girls toilets, trying to get to the mirrors to smooth it down, and one girl just looking at me going, Eugh! Everyone laughed. I just ran. I ran out to the toilets at the other side of the school. I locked myself in a cubicle and just sobbed. There was a lot of that, and worse. We will get onto the spitting, shoving, name calling, even burning, but its the way she says, A lot of redheads will understand that is particularly sad. I think its one of the last acceptable forms of bullying, Jess says. I dont get overtly picked on any more but I still get teased about my hair and I dont like it, even if people think they are just being funny. I have pulled people up on it. Im on a course with mostly guys, and one of them was having a joke about my hair colour and I said, Please dont. This is not just banter. Have a go at me for anything else, but not my hair. People still feel they can say things about your red hair, when they wouldnt comment about someones size or religion. Its not on, and if me being in a beauty contest can challenge that, then good. Perhaps its a blessing that Jesss family did celebrate everything about her, hair included. Her dad Paul, 56, works for Airbus (He used to buy me Scalextric sets even though it was a boys toy ), and her mum Lesley, 52, works for the Post Office. She was the only one in the family with red hair; her sister is blonde. But Mum and Dad would always tell me how special I was, because my hair was so rare. I think mine is the rarest genetic combination red hair and blue eyes. I never felt, even all through primary school, that it was something to be ashamed of. Then she went to secondary school, and all bets were off. There is a pecking order, and blondes are at the top, then brunettes. Gingers are at the bottom. One of my most vivid memories is of being on the school bus and one girl shook out her coat and sort of held it up across the aisle in front of me, saying, Only pretty girls at the front of the bus. Everyone laughed. Im sure she wasnt being malicious. People rarely are. Its just done to get a laugh from the others. It did. Youve never forgotten it, though? She smiles a rather dazzling beauty-queen smile. Never. Ive never forgotten a single thing that was said to me, or done to me. It sounds as if the first two years of secondary school were miserable. One girl invited her over after school and offered to curl her hair, but kept burning her with the tongs. The next day another girl told her, She was burning you on purpose because you have ginger hair. I remember crying my eyes out in the toilets about that, too, she says. Did she tell her parents? Not straight away. You never want to rock the boat. You are afraid that if you challenge the bullies, it will be worse for you, they will think even less of you. I never wanted to make a fuss. Her parents did discover it, though. When I was about to do my GCSEs there was an incident with a boy in class. Again, I dont think he was being malicious. But he spat gum at me and drew in my books. He flicked his spittle all over me. She recoils just describing this. After class he came up behind me and shoved me. I went flying to the floor. I was bruised all up the back of my hands. My dad saw that. He went mad. He wanted to go in and talk to the lad, but I wouldnt let him. I think by then Id just resolved to get through school and get my exams and concentrate on that. Even then I had this feeling: This is happening for a reason. I just have to keep my head down. I dont need people to like me. I just need to be at school to get my exams. That was my mentality. But she says she never wanted to hack her hair off because it was my identity too. I wondered if Id be more popular if I didnt have red hair. But if I dyed it, and they still hated me, maybe it would have been worse, because it was my personality they hated. At secondary school, Jesss hair was not something to be celebrated or marvelled at. Being a redhead made her a target for abuse. Her hair was a beacon all right but for the bullies (pictured age 11) Further up the school, Jess did start to make friends. Some of them called her Ginge. Maybe she bristled at first, but its complicated. It was nice to have a nickname, because it meant you were accepted. I came to quite like it. I felt that if I had a nickname I belonged, although I still preferred Jess. She excelled academically, with ten As and A*s in exams. She was made assistant head girl, and won a prize for best sportswoman. By the time she was doing her A-levels, she had blossomed physically. The brace was gone. She was 5ft 9in tall, with endless legs, and this amazing hair. She was also becoming acutely aware that there was something rather special about her looks, even if some schoolmates had yet to realise this. She would swipe through Instagram and see women who looked, come to think of it, quite like her. I remember watching Americas Next Top Model and seeing all these women who were striking, rather than conventionally pretty. It was their differences that made them stand out. Secretly, she visited a model agency. She was immediately signed up. Were your classmates green with envy? I didnt tell most of them. I told a few close friends, but most people didnt know. Some found out when they saw me on the Boohoo website. How delicious. She played it cool. Her modelling jobs to date have included Adidas, Marks & Spencer, LOfficiel and Regatta. This is extraordinary the ultimate revenge of the redhead, surely? She isnt crowing about it, but is quietly satisfied. It was just confusing for a while. The thing is that in the modelling world, my hair is the thing that has made me money. Its the thing everyone wants. She reckons that, if anything, her childhood bullying toughened her up for the industry, so maybe she has the bullies to thank, ultimately. It can be quite brutal, but nothing anyone can say about my looks can ever be worse than what I heard at school. Its water off a ducks back now. I dont take it personally. The beauty pageant world is a more recent departure. She was scouted for the Miss England contest last year, and was runner-up, missing out to Rehema Muthamia. She didnt mention her childhood bullying to the organisers, she says, because I dont like to dwell on the negatives, and Id moved on. This year, going through the heats stage for the contest, she is perhaps savvier about the platform she has, and has chosen to speak out. It was actually my parents who encouraged me to go down the beauty contest route. They knew it offered all the things I wanted a chance to travel and promote women in engineering. That is my great passion. If she does make it through to Miss World, the whole world will indeed be watching. I ask if she knows what the bullies who made her life hell are doing now. Do they even know what has become of the girl they spat at and relegated to the back of the bus? Some of them do. They watch my Instagram stories on social media. I dont follow them. They can be interested in what Im doing if they like. Im not interested in what they are doing. When she was 21, she did run into one of the perpetrators and he apologised. He said he hadnt been very nice to me at school, and he was sorry. He hadnt meant it. He was just being a lad. I said, Its fine. It was a long time ago. But I was still thinking, Dont think you are going to be friends with me now. The Duchess of Cornwall has joined Dame Mary Berry to announce the winning recipe of a competition to design a Platinum Pudding dedicated to the Queen, in celebration of her Jubilee this Summer. Launched with London grocer Fortnum & Mason and The Big Jubilee Lunch, the nationwide baking competition was aimed at finding a dessert to dedicate to the monarch's reign. Camilla, 74, and Dame Mary, 87, were filmed announcing the winning recipe for a BBC One programme, The Jubilee Pudding: 70 Years in the Baking, which will air on May 12 at 8pm. The hour-long episode documents Fortnum & Mason's competition to find 'an original and celebratory cake, tart or pudding fit for the Queen'. As per the competition rules, the pudding has to be delicious, as well as being 'makeable in a home kitchen, telling a story, and having the potential to stand the test of time and become Queen Elizabeth IIs Platinum Pudding'. The Duchess of Cornwall, 74, (pictured, left) joined Dame Mary Berry, 87, (pictured, right) to film a segment announcing the winner of the Platinum pudding contest. The result will be announced on May 12th Her Majesty, 96, (pictured at a reception in Sandringham House in February to celebrate the start of her Platinum Jubilee) celebrates seven decades on the throne this year More than 5,000 people from across the UK submitted entries. Following a blind judging based solely on the recipe by Fortnum & Masons executive chef, Roger Pizey, and chef director, Sydney Aldridge and team, this was whittled down to a short list of 50. Roger Pizey and Sydney Aldridge were then joined by Buckingham Palaces head chef, Mark Flanagan, and the trio selected their final five top entries. These five entries will be revealed on the BBC programme, prepared by the bakers, then presented to a judging panel comprising Dame Mary and a host of other award-winning home bakers, professional chefs, authors, historians and patissiers. Among them are MasterChef: The Professionals judge Monica Galetti, food writer Jane Dunn, baker and pastry chef Matt Adlard, and Belgian author and culinary historian, Regula Ysewijn. Camilla will be introduced to the programme as a special guest by Dame Mary, and the pair will announce the competition winner. While nothing is known yet about the top pudding, while speaking about the competition earlier this year, food writer and judge Jane Dunn gave a hint as to what the panel will be looking for in a winning bake. The Queen, pictured at Windsor Castle earlier this week, is believed to enjoy 'simple and unfussy' foods, which may be reflected in the winning pudding recipe Appearing on This Morning ahead of the competition's February deadline, she said: 'We're looking for something as big as the Victoria sponge or coronation chicken but a new and exciting flavour,' said Jane. 'Were looking for something for everyone to make at home, something everyone will love and for the whole nation to enjoy.' Also appearing on the programme, Prince Philip biographer Gyles Brandreth added that the Queen likes 'simple' and 'unfussy' foods, but is not a fussy eater. After the winner is announced, the recipe will be made available for communities to share at an estimated 200,000 Big Jubilee Lunch street parties taking place over the four-day celebratory weekend in June. It will be shared online via the BBCs Good Food website, Fortnum & Masons and the Big Jubilee Lunch. The Jubilee Pudding: 70 Years in the Baking airs on BBC One at 8pm on May 12. The Swedish royal family have gathered on the balcony at Stockholm's Royal Palace today to mark the king's 76th birthday, for the first time since 2019, after the pandemic put the annual tradition on hold for two years. King Carl XVI Gustaf's wife, Queen Silvia, 78, along with his children and grandchildren, took to the famous balcony to watch the courtyard parade. Also among the royals was Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, 44, the heir apparent. She was seen smiling and looking regal in a blue coat, with her hair styled into a low, sleek ponytail, as she watched the celebration and waved to crowds. The Swedish Royal family gather on the balcony at Stockholm's Royal Palace to celebrate the king's birthday. Crown Princess Victoria (pictured, far right) is joined by (pictured L-R) her sist-er-in-law Princess Sofia, 37, with son Prince Gabriel, her husband Prince Daniel, 48 and their daughter Princess Estelle, 10, Queen Silvia, 78, and her son Prince Oscar, six. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, who celebrates his 76th birthday today, is pictured during the traditional courtyard parade During the event, the first to be held since 2019 due to the Covid pandemic, the monarch was seen receiving bouquets of flowers from members of the public Her son, Prince Oscar, six, looked dapper, matching the blue in her outfit with his own royal blue tie and a navy blazer, while her daughter Princess Estelle, 10, looked smart in a pale grey coat, and her tortoiseshell glasses. Victoria's husband, Prince Daniel, 48, a former personal trainer, also sported a navy blue suit and royal blue tie, as he gazed out at the assembled crowds. Queen Silvia completed the blue theme, opting for a lighter azure coat, and a cream scarf. She finished her smart look with soft make-up, showing off a pink lip, and gently waved locks. Meanwhile, down in the courtyard, King Gustav donned his traditional uniform, alongside his youngest child, son Prince Carl Philip, 42, who also wore military regalia to take part in his father's birthday celebrations. Prince Carl Philip, 42, the younger brother of Crown Princess Victoria, looked dapper as he donned a uniform to join his father in the palace courtyard for birthday celebrations During the courtyard celebrations, the king (right) number of parades, including a performance by the royal marching band (left) King Gustav (pictured, left) was accompanied by his youngest child, his son Prince Carl Philip (pictured, right) during the public appearance During the celebrations, children were seen queuing up to wish the king a happy birthday and give him flowers Long queues of well wishers were spotted, perhaps keen to embrace the returning tradition, after its two-year hiatus due to Covid Prince Carl Philip's wife Princess Sofia, 37, and one of their three children, Prince Gabriel, four, watched him from the balcony. After watching the Royal Marching Band, the monarch was seen meeting the public, accepting bouquets of flowers from children who lined up to wish him a happy birthday. The event marked the first time King Gustav has taken part in the traditional celebration since 2019, after plans were scaled back in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Last year, he enjoyed a small reception, but no parade in the outdoor courtyard was held. In 2020, he spent his birthday in isolation, with the Palace releasing new images to mark his 74th. During the birthday celebrations, King Gustav was seen on the royal balcony alongside his family, as well as in the palace courtyard After the family left the balcony, Prince Gabriel of Sweden (left) and Prince Oscar of Sweden (right) were seen fooling around and pulling faces The younger royals appeared to be having a whale of a time as they as they waved at the crowds who'd gathered for the traditional event The royal, who is the second-longest reigning monarch in Swedish history, took to the throne in 1973, when he succeeded his late father, Gustaf VI Adolf. He married the German-born Silvia Sommerlath, now 75, in 1976 after meeting her when she was a hostess at the 1972 Olympics. In 1980, a law was passed which abolished male preference in the line of succession. That means Crown Princess Victoria, rather than her eldest brother Carl Philip, is the heir apparent to the throne. She is expected to become Sweden's first female monarch since the 18th century. Advertisement Princess Charlene looked pensive today during the first public appearance she's made with husband Prince Albert since November. The couple were also accompanied by their seven-year-old twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, as the family attended the Monaco E-Prix. They have rarely been seen together since Zimbabwean-born Charlene, 44, spent some 10 months in South Africa last year, after contracting a serious sinus infection during a solo charity trip. The illness left her hospitalised and delayed her return to Monaco. After returning to Monaco last November, Charlene almost immediately left and went to Switzerland to receive treatment for 'exhaustion'. Charlene (pictured, right) has been snapped in public with husband Prince Albert (left) and their seven-year-old twins Prince Jacques (far left) and Princess Gabriella (right) at today's Monaco E-Prix The royal, 44, who has suffered from a number of unspecified illnesses in the last year, was pictured looking pensive at the event Today's photos mark the first time the Monaco royals have been seen in public together as a family since Charlene returned to the principality following her treatment. Charlene was pictured wearing an all-grey ensemble, pairing her trouser suit with a matching top. Her blonde crop was neatly coiffed, and she wore elegant make-up, including liquid eye liner and natural glossy lips. She has faced a variety of health problems, including what the palace has previously referred to as a 'state of profound general fatigue' over the last year, which have kept her largely out of the public eye. The Monaco palace has consistently denied media reports of a rift between Charlene and the principality's ruler Prince Albert, who were wed in 2011. Rumours the pair were incompatible were sparked from the outset, with Charlene attracting a barrage of attention over an apparent bad dose of pre-wedding jitters which, reportedly, saw her seeking refuge in her country's embassy and gaining the moniker 'the Runaway Bride'. Charlene first had a 10-month absence in her native South Africa, where she contracted and was hospitalised for a serious sinus infection that delayed her return to Monaco. She underwent surgery in October for an ear, nose and throat infection after checking in under a pseudonym in a Durban hospital, a palace source said at the time. After her return to the principality in November, Charlene left almost immediately to receive treatment for 'exhaustion' at a Swiss clinic. Friends previously told Page Six that the mother-of-two 'almost died' while she was in her home country, while her husband spoke out to say she is suffering from 'exhaustion, both emotional and physical'. 'She was clearly exhausted, physically and emotionally. She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties, life in general or even family life,' Albert told People magazine in November. The family was pictured taking to the stage at the motoring event, in their first public appearance since last November The royal appeared to look glum as she comforted her seven-year-old twins, who appeared to be struggling with the noise at the event Charlene, 44, (pictured with her seven-year-old daughter Gabriella at today's Monaco E-Prix) has been suffering from exhaustion, both emotional and physical' in recent times, her husband told People magazine A palace statement released on December 23 revealed Albert and the couple's children were planning to visit Charlene during the Christmas holidays, as well as asking for the family's privacy to be respected. It added that the princess 'is recuperating in a satisfactory and reassuring manner, although it may take a few more months before her health has reached a full recovery.' But distinguished royal journalist Stephane Bern has long speculated that Charlene's litany of supposed health problems could simply be a cover-up to excuse her from participating in royal activities alongside her husband. Bern said in January of last year, Charlene was expected to make a trip to visit French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, but suddenly came down with an illness. 'The princess had contracted a sudden gastroenteritis,' he said. 'The Palace has had to invoke a suffering princess so often that the Monegasques today find it hard to believe. By crying wolf, the mother of Jacques and Gabriella has discredited and isolated herself.' Earlier this month, the family shared an official portrait to mark Easter. According to a body language expert, Prince Albert appeared 'tense' as he tried to signal his position as 'family protector' Body language expert Judi James said the images showed the close bond Charlene shares with her children Gabriella and Jacques The couple released an official family portrait earlier this month to mark Easter. A body language expert noted that Albert looked 'tense' in the image, while highlighting the close bond shared by Charlene and her children. Body language expert Judi James told FEMAIL that Albert, 64, likely wanted to signal 'resilience and strength' with his 'family protector' pose in the image - but instead stood 'awkwardly' in the background. Judi added that while Albert was not fully touching his wife, he placed his hand on son Jacques's shoulder as a 'gesture of parental reassurance'. Meanwhile Charlene, 44, demonstrated her 'loving bond' with daughter Gabriella, signalling how her relationship with her children has remained strong despite her spending months apart from her family. The royal couple, pictured on their wedding day 2011 in Monaco. The couple has been plagued with rumours of marital discord since their wedding over 10 years ago Since Charlene (pictured here with her husband in 2015, attending the 55th Monte Carlo TV festival) has been ill, Albert has continued to undertake royal duties alone Charlene and Albert's marriage has made numerous headlines over the years, with a third paternity suit emerging in December 2020. Soon afterwards Charlene famously shaved half her head in the style of a punk rocker. Months later she left for South Africa. The allegations in December 2020 claimed that Albert had fathered a love-child (which would be his third, if proven) with an unnamed Brazilian woman during the time when he and Charlene were already in a relationship. The woman said she met the prince in a nightclub in Rio de Janeiro in 2004 when Charlene and Albert were supposedly dating. Her daughter, a 15-year-old Brazilian schoolgirl, sent a handwritten note in Portuguese to Prince Albert at the Royal Palace last September. Albert's legal team call the allegations 'a hoax' and the legal team of the woman concerned declined to comment. It was due to come to court in Milan in February but never commenced. Some believe the matter has been settled. But the Prince has also fathered two other children outside of wedlock. Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, who is now 29 and the result of Albert's affair with an American estate agent, and Alexandre Coste, 18, whose mother is a former Togolese air hostess. Both children were struck off Monaco's line of succession in return for vast financial settlements. Charlene has directly attempted to address the talk about a third possible love child. She told Point de Vue magazine last January: 'When my husband has problems, he tells me about it. I often tell him, 'No matter what, I'm a thousand percent behind you. I'll stand by you whatever you do, in good times or in bad.' Charlene drew gasps when she had her elegant bob cut into an extraordinary punkish half-hawk just before Christmas, something that came as a complete surprise to her husband, apparently Illegitimate love children aside, it's fair to say royal life in Monaco must have come as a complete culture shock to the former Charlene Wittstock. The daughter of a swimming instructor and photocopier salesman, she grew up in crime-ridden Benoni, near Johannesburg. As a child, she developed a passion for swimming and, in 1996, won her first South African Championship at the age of 18. Four years later, she qualified for the 2000 Olympic Games as a member of the South Africa 4 x 100m medley relay team - which was placed fifth. Charlene met Prince Albert at the Mare Nostrum swimming competition in Monte Carlo in 2000 when she was 22. The pair took their relationship public in 2006 at the Winter Olympic Games and announced their engagement in 2010. Yet in the run up to the wedding, rumours began to circulate about Charlene's unhappiness and homesickness. There were claims that Charlene had tried to flee back to Africa three times before the marriage, and at one stage 'took refuge' in her country's embassy, leading to the 'Runaway Bride' headlines. Charlene denied all of the stories as 'utter fabrications' but wept throughout their wedding. She explained later: 'Everything was just so overwhelming and there were all the mixed emotions because of the rumours, and obviously all this tension built up and I burst into tears. 'And then I burst into tears some more because I was thinking, ''Oh no, now the whole world has seen me cry.'' The question remains whether she will be content to shrink her horizons to the 0.8 square miles of Monaco, particularly as the twins get older and are expected to be sent to boarding school. The North Portal, also known as Tunnel No. 2, of North Korea's only known nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, is blown up, May 24, 2018, in this press pool file photo. Yonhap North Korea appears to be continuing its work to restore the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, which it ostensibly demolished in 2018 ahead of a historic summit with the United States, according to a North Korea information provider citing satellite photos. Commercial satellite imagery taken April 26 of the site in Kilju, North Hamgyong Province, indicates ongoing work to restore access to the site's Tunnel No. 3 complex, with the construction of a new portal, or entrance, and support structures, 38 North noted. Few parents will fail to have been concerned by reports of hundreds of children being hospitalised with the liver condition hepatitis. While many have recovered, 11 have required an urgent liver transplant. The majority of cases have been in the UK, but children in the US, Japan and Israel are now being affected. One child has died, according to the World Health Organisation it did not reveal in which country while US health officials are investigating the death of another youngster with suspected hepatitis. Hepatitis is the term used to describe inflammation in the liver, an organ that helps filter toxins out of the body. Often it causes only mild flu-like symptoms, but it can also lead to more serious issues such as jaundice, swelling of the legs, ankles and feet, and blood in stools and vomit. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), all 145 cases identified in the latest hepatitis outbreak in the UK so far have been in under-16s, with under-fives making up the vast majority. (File image) At its most extreme, hepatitis can cause the liver to stop working and patients may require a transplant to survive. The five viruses that cause it are known as hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. They're transmitted in various ways, depending on the virus, including via infected blood, faeces or undercooked meat. Hepatitis can also be caused by toxins, such as those found in industrial chemicals, medication and most commonly alcohol. While it is unclear what is causing these hepatitis cases in children, and theories swirl around blaming everything from lockdowns to hidden viruses, we asked scientists the pertinent questions about this mysterious outbreak. What do we know so far about the children affected? The emerging do not match the typical patient profile. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), all 145 cases identified in the latest outbreak in the UK so far have been in under-16s, with under-fives making up the vast majority. Experts say this is surprising, as young children are usually not severely affected by the common causes of hepatitis. 'The hepatitis viruses usually wash over children without causing too much damage,' says Professor Will Irving, a virologist at the University of Nottingham. 'Adults are far more likely to get seriously ill. 'And, of course, we can discount alcohol out as a factor.' Investigations carried out by the UKHSA also found no toxins in the blood or urine of the children, disqualifying theories about food contamination. Scientists say that, every year, hospitals do see a small number of children suffering from severe hepatitis with no obvious cause. But these figures pale in comparison to this recent spike. Are there theories on the cause of all this? Scientists have uncovered one shared characteristic more than three-quarters of cases tested positive for a pathogen called adenovirus 41F. Adenoviruses are a group of about 80 viruses that usually infect the upper respiratory tract, leading to a cough, runny nose, or pneumonia. Sometimes they can infect the gut and lead to severe stomach aches, but adenoviruses that reach the liver are almost unheard of. It does not appear as though there is any clear link between the cases. With the exception of two children in Wales, none of the patients, who are scattered across the UK, appear to have come into contact with each other or have any personal connection. Scientists say this shows that if an adenovirus is the cause, it is not spreading from person to person. But they also say that, given how many of the patients appear to be carrying the pathogen, it is highly likely that adenovirus 41F is in some way connected to the outbreak. 'An adenovirus infection is really the only striking consistency across these cases we can find so far,' says Professor Alasdair Munro, an expert in paediatric infectious diseases at University Hospital Southampton. Could there be a link to prior Covid infections? Experts believe it is possible that Covid is also connected to the phenomenon, but the exact nature of that connection is still unclear. According to the UKHSA, 16 per cent of the children admitted to hospital with severe hepatitis were positive for Covid. But scientists say this is to be expected and is not necessarily related to liver inflammation. 'If you take 100 children, then you'll inevitably see a level of Covid infection similar to this,' says Professor Simon Taylor-Robinson, a liver expert at Imperial College London. 'That doesn't mean it's the cause of the hepatitis.' However, experts believe it is possible that a prior infection with Covid combined with an adenovirus infection could be triggering the liver inflammation. Hepatitis can also be sparked by an autoimmune response when the body's immune system attacks healthy cells. This can often happen following a viral infection. While the UKHSA is still assessing how many of the children have been previously infected with Covid, scientists say it is highly likely that almost all will have had the virus at some point already. Experts argue that a previous Covid infection could be causing the children's immune systems to react differently to an adenovirus infection. 'It's possible there's some viral interplay with the Covid and adenovirus, which is causing the immune system to respond in unexpected ways,' says Prof Munro. Is this a knock-on effect of lockdown isolation? It's true that social contact was severely limited during the Covid lockdowns and, as a result, fewer viruses were transmitted. According to the UKHSA, reported cases of colds, flu and other common viruses fell to almost zero during the first year of the pandemic. As a result, many children are only now contracting viruses they would normally have got as newborns. But experts are divided over whether this is the cause here. Professor Alastair Sutcliffe, a paediatrician at University College London says: 'A lack of immunity to adenoviruses could mean these infections are leading to severe responses we've never seen before.' Others point out that UKHSA figures show that, while transmission of many diseases were disrupted by lockdown, adenovirus levels remained relatively stable throughout. 'Theories that this is lockdown-related are purely speculative and very poorly defined thinking,' says Professor Adam Finn, a paediatric expert at the University of Bristol. Could Covid vaccinations have triggered this? Experts say that one thing is for certain the hepatitis cases are unconnected to the Covid vaccines, because none of the children hospitalised had been vaccinated. This is due to the fact that the majority are under five, so not eligible for a Covid jab. What's more, of the Covid vaccines used in the UK, only the Oxford-AstraZeneca one uses an adenovirus, and multiple studies confirm that the pathogen in the vaccine is inactive, meaning it cannot infect the body. Scientists say a more intriguing theory is that the cases could be caused by a virus they have been unable to identify. 'There's been a long-held belief that there's a sixth hepatitis virus out there that causes these occasional unexplained severe cases in children,' says Prof Irving. 'It's possible that, along with all the other diseases that have spiked since we left lockdown, this mystery hepatitis has spiked too. 'Luckily, we now have the genetic testing technology to identify these sorts of diseases, which we didn't a few years ago, so if this is the cause, investigations in the next few weeks and months will find it.' So just how worried should we be about it? Doctors say the chances of a child falling ill with the condition are vanishingly small. Currently the UK is averaging between one and two new cases a day, and there is no sign that this figure is increasing. Of the more than 100 children admitted to hospital in England with the condition, over 50 have made a full recovery, while just under 40 are under observation in hospital. At the time of writing, 11 children in the UK have required a liver transplant and none has died. 'While it must be horrific experience for any parent to see their child need a transplant, thankfully this is happening in only a very small number of patients,' says Prof Irving. The ground-breaking technology behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine could be used to combat cervical cancer, potentially wiping out early signs of the disease before it has time to progress. A trial is under way at several NHS hospitals giving more than 50 women who test positive for pre-cancerous tissue on their cervix a specially designed HPV jab. After a year, researchers will examine whether the pre-cancerous tissue is still on the cervix, along with any traces of HPV (human papillomavirus), an infection which is almost always present when women develop this cancer. The trial, called Apollo, involves a vaccine called VTP-200, which targets HPV but is different from the HPV jab given to teenagers as it uses an inactivated chimpanzee adenovirus the same technology as in the AstraZeneca Covid jab. The ground-breaking technology behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine could be used to combat cervical cancer, potentially wiping out early signs of the disease before it has time to progress A trial is under way at several NHS hospitals giving more than 50 women who test positive for pre-cancerous tissue on their cervix a specially designed HPV jab. Above, an illustration of HPV (human papillomavirus) - an infection which is almost always present when women develop this cancer It has been created by Vaccitech, a company co-founded by Dame Sarah Gilbert, one of the lead creators of the Covid vaccine. It is hoped that if it is successful at eliminating both of these warning signs, the treatment could replace invasive surgery to remove the worrying tissue which thousands of women face each year. 'If we could treat the early signs of cervical cancer without surgery, that would make a massive difference to the wellbeing of so many women,' says Professor Pierre Martin-Hirsch, a gynaecologist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust who is involved in the trial. 'We believe this vaccine could be the solution.' Cervical cancer, which affects about 3,200 women every year, is one of the best controlled cancers in the UK. This is due mainly to the success of the large-scale screening programme, in which women undergo smear tests. This has reduced the number of cases by nearly 60 per cent since it was introduced in 1988. The screening looks for signs of HPV, a common virus is the cause of most cervical cancers. When HPV is present, doctors then look to see if any pre-cancerous cell changes have occurred on the cervix. If they have and doctors believe these changes are likely to become cancerous then a procedure to burn away cells or remove part of the cervix may be needed. While almost always safe and effective, the surgery carries risks to the woman's reproductive system, increasing the risk of later miscarriage and infertility. Ten Percent Amazon Prime, Thursday Rating: Searching For Michael Jackson's Zoo With Ross Kemp ITV, Wednesday Rating: Ten Percent is a British remake of the French comedy-drama series Call My Agent, which I somehow missed. I dont know where I was when it became a lockdown hit (via Netflix). Probably, I was up to my neck in Schitts Creek. I therefore cant, in all fairness, say it isnt as good as the original that I havent seen. I can only say what its like to come at it fresh, and while it somehow feels as if it plays things safe did the original that I havent seen feel as if it was playing it safe? it has charm, likes its characters and treats them with affection, which is rather lovely. Set in talent agency Nightingale Hart, which is headed by Richard Nightingale (Jim Broadbent), this remake feels like it's playing it safe And there are enough celebrity cameos Helena Bonham Carter, Phoebe Dynevor, David Harewood, Kelly Macdonald, Dominic West to fill your boots, as well as someone elses. The action has been relocated from Paris to London and a Soho that has never looked more handsome. Its set in a talent agency, Nightingale Hart, headed by Richard Nightingale (Jim Broadbent), while the other agents are his son Jonathan (Jack Davenport), forceful Rebecca (Lydia Leonard), bumbling Dan (Prasanna Puwanarajah) and wise Stella (the great Maggie Steed), who is always accompanied by her little dog (a great little dog). They row, they fall out, they back-stab but, ultimately, they are family. Notable secondary characters include Jonathans lovelorn secretary, Julia (Rebecca Humphries), and Simon (Tim McInnerny), a washed-up, alcoholic actor who youd expect to be bitter but isnt. Hes sad but also warm and generous, and its all wonderfully tender, even if he keeps messing up and missed the Casualty audition because he went to the wrong hospital. (I try not to have favourites but, for the record, Simon is my favourite.) The series has long-form plotting across the eight episodes. Will Rebecca desist from one-night stands and finally commit? Will the true identity of Rebeccas new assistant be revealed? Each individual episode involves the agents heading off some disaster or other concerning one of their clients. Who will tell Kelly Macdonald shes too old for Birdwoman? Will they manage to woo Phoebe Dynevor from another agency? However, even though this was developed by John Morton, who created W1A and Twenty Twelve, its gentle and super-polite rather than biting satire. No one is asked to send themselves up mercilessly, which feels like a pity and an opportunity missed. Theres no Les Dennis (from Extras) moment, for example. Dominic West, who is about to open in the West End as a selfie-taking Hamlet, gets the best joke when Stella visits him at the theatre. Thought Id just pop in and visit my favourite client, she says. Why, he retorts, did Jude Law die? And I did laugh when theres a funeral and its decided to invite everyone on the agencys books back to the office for drinks apart from Piers Morgan, obviously. The characters arcs are never especially surprising, and some subplots are thrown away, but while it isnt compelling (I didnt have to watch the next episode. Right. Now), I was sufficiently engaged to care about what would happen to the major characters, whether Kelly Macdonald would get Botox, and who would snaffle the gifts sent in for Kate Winslet or Keira Knightley from their fans. It is charming enough to be awarded four stars. Although I still cant say whether its as good as the original I havent seen. Searching For Michael Jacksons Zoo With Ross Kemp had the former EastEnder a man whose biceps are now bigger than his head on a mission to find out what happened to the animals Jackson kept at his Neverland home/theme park. Former EastEnder Ross Kemp's (above, left, with animal trainer Mark Biancaniello) new programme felt like it was taking the mickey Not just Bubbles the chimp, but also elephants, tigers, giraffes. Now I dont want to get the programmes researchers in trouble but they were taking the mickey. Getting people who worked at the ranch to talk to me will be tricky, said Kemp, even if most of them had written books or had websites with a big contact button on them. (I Googled his interviewees as we went along. Out of spite, probably.) It was a distressing hour. We saw elephants tortured with bull-hooks and heard of giraffes that froze to death. I couldnt fathom what the point of it was. Was it so that Rob Swinson, the fella who helped design the amusement park, could break down in tears and sob It was a very magical placeMichael made it that way, while Kemp just looked on? (Swinsons book, Maker Of Dreams, is available from Amazon.) And it included some extremely dodgy stats. We were told, for instance, that 200 million wild animals are kept as pets in America, which would work out as virtually one per household, wouldnt it? Kemp is probably better than this, and if I were his agent I would say: Ross, darling, shall we just stick to gangs? NETFLIX, APPLE TV+, SKY/NOW, BRITBOX, AMAZON & ACORN TV Clark For horror fans, Bill Skarsgard will always be Pennywise in the most recent, blockbusting adaptations of Stephen Kings epic novel It. Bill Skarsgard (above) is on impressive form in this six-part drama based on the autobiography of the infamous gangster Clark Olofsson But hes on equally impressive form in this six-part drama made in his native Sweden and based on the autobiography of gangster Clark Olofsson. Skarsgard plays Olofsson, who began his criminal career in the 1960s, eventually serving time for a string of offences including assault, robbery, drug trafficking and attempted murder. However, hes most famous for originating the phrase Stockholm syndrome following his involvement with a bank robbery hostage situation in 1973, an event that is depicted in great detail here. Netflix, from Thursday Tehran Tamar (Niv Sultan) is an Iranian-born Mossad agent who travels undercover to Tehran on a mission to destroy the countrys nuclear programme. When things go wrong, she has to go to ground in Iran, effectively trapped in a new life. Tamar (Niv Sultan, above, with Glenn Close) is an Iranian-born Mossad agent travelling undercover in the second series of this award-winning drama Series one picked up the Best Drama Series award at the International Emmys in 2021. The second season sees Glenn Close joining the cast and Tamar putting herself further at risk. Apple TV+, from Friday Call My Agent! If youre enjoying Ten Percent (Amazon), try the brilliant French original, about a fictional talent agency in Paris. French stars Monica Bellucci, Isabelle Huppert and Juliette Binoche appear as versions of themselves. Netflix, available now Parallel Mothers Spanish director Pedro Almodovars latest acclaimed drama features an Oscar-nominated performance from his muse, Penelope Cruz. Spanish director Pedro Almodovars latest acclaimed drama features an Oscar-nominated performance from his muse, Penelope Cruz (above) The story follows two women who form a close bond while preparing to give birth on a labour ward while one is middle-aged and ready for motherhood, the other is a terrified teenager. Sky Store, from Monday Soho Theatre Live Cameras set up shop at the London venue for a third run of stand-up performances. This time around, Alfie Brown, Felicity Ward, Luisa Omielan, Mark Watson, Natalie Palamides, Olga Koch, Spencer Jones and Suzi Ruffell take centre stage. Amazon, from Friday The Pentaverate The Pentaverate was first mentioned in Mike Myerss 1993 comedy So I Married An Axe Murderer as a secret society comprising the Queen, the Vatican, the Gettys, the Rothschilds and Colonel Sanders of KFC fame. Mike Myers (above) has made a six-part comedy about shadowy cabal The Pentaverate, first mentioned in his 1993 comedy So I Married An Axe Murderer Now he has made a six-part comedy about it. This time the Pentaverate, a shadowy cabal that has been influencing world events for centuries, faces exposure. Myers plays multiple roles, with Jeremy Irons and Jennifer Saunders. Netflix, from Thursday The Dry Fresh from his Oscar-nominated role in Kenneth Branaghs Belfast, Ciaran Hinds stars in this promising eight-part comedy drama. He plays Tom Sheridan, father of Shiv (Roisin Gallagher), who is returning home to Dublin after years of partying hard in London. Shes determined to remain sober but finds that being back with her family makes her want to drink more than ever, forcing them all to take a long, hard look at themselves. BritBox, from Thursday Signora Volpe Emilia Fox plays Sylvia Fox, an MI6 desk chief fed up with her job because a Foreign Office deal with a nasty regime is making life difficult. Emilia Fox plays Sylvia Fox, an MI6 desk chief who finds herself wound up investigating a series of mysterious deaths in rural Italy. Mehdi Meskar (above, with Fox) co-stars A spell in rural Italy for her nieces wedding should help take her mind off things but then the groom does a runner, the bodies start piling up and the trip is suddenly less a relaxing break than a test of her investigative abilities. Tara Fitzgerald plays Sylvias sister Isabel. Acorn TV, from Monday Bosch: Legacy If you thought youd seen the last of Titus Wellivers crime-cracking alter ego, you were wrong. Hes back in this free- to-air spin-off, which sees Bosch working on private cases for his former arch enemy Honey (Mimi Rogers), having left the LAPD. Madison Lintz also reprises her role as his daughter Maddie. Amazon Freevee, from Friday Outlander Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) have been having a torrid time up on Frasers Ridge. Not only is there division within the local community, culminating in a murder, but revolution is brewing. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan, above with Balfe) have been having a torrid time up on Frasers Ridge in the latest run of Outlander This eight-episode run has been an unusually short season but the shows fanatical followers still fuming over Balfe missing out on an Oscar nomination for Belfast can take comfort in the fact that there is at least one more series planned. StarzPlay, from Sunday The Wilds A group of troubled teenage girls is sent to a female-focused retreat, but theres a Lost-style incident on the flight there and the youngsters end up on a mysterious island in a life-or-death survival situation. A group of troubled teenage girls is sent to a female-focused retreat before suffering a Lost-style incident - and they may not be the only group affected. Alex Fitzalan (above) stars Needless to say, they arent there by accident, and at the end of the first season we found out that our gang might not be the only group of stranded teens. Stars Alex Fitzalan. Amazon, from Friday The Fortunes & Misfortunes Of Moll Flanders This 1996 classic is a bawdy romp in which Daniel Defoes 18th Century heroine, a much married, highly resourceful woman, is surviving on her wits. Sometimes Moll (Alex Kingston) has to turn to crime but, as she often says to camera, what would you do? Daniel Craig, Diana Rigg and Nicola Walker also star. BritBox, from Thursday The Candy House Jennifer Egan Corsair 20 Bix invents a way of uploading peoples memories. Chris catalogues movie tropes. Alfred begins a project of public screaming to provoke authentic responses. This sibling novel to A Visit From The Goon Squad is set in the same world, with many of its characters. Egan is one of the few names that, when linked with the expression novel of ideas, makes the heart sing rather than sink. Neil Armstrong A Tidy Ending Joanna Cannon The Borough Press 16.99 Lonely Linda Hammett has settled into a humdrum life on a housing estate with her boring husband Terry. She longs for excitement and it soon arrives in all the wrong ways: theres a serial killer in the neighbourhood, Terrys behaving oddly and her new friend Rebecca has a raft of secrets. Cannons shrewd characterisation, sparky observations and subtly menacing plot makes this a darkly funny and delightfully sinister read. Eithne Farry People Person Candice Carty-Willliams Trapeze 12.99 Carty-Williams follows her debut Queenie, about a black journalist, with a narrative that broadens her range to roam between the viewpoints of five half-siblings fathered by a Jamaican bus driver. The action kicks off when they rally round in adulthood to help one of their number, Dimple, handle the aftermath of a toxic boyfriend. Fast-paced and told in broad strokes, its a bittersweet comedy mixing pratfalls with caustic insights into sex, family life and social media. Anthony Cummins Van Gogh: Self Portraits Courtauld Gallery, London Until May 8 Rating: Of all the artists in history, Vincent Van Gogh is the one we think we know best. Why? In part because of the myth of him as a troubled genius that has built up since his suicide in 1890, aged 37, and in part because of the candid self-portraits he painted, which offer a window into his soul. Van Gogh painted roughly 35 self-portraits, just under half of which have been brought together for a remarkable exhibition at Londons Courtauld Gallery. Van Gogh (above) painted roughly 35 self-portraits, just under half of which have been brought together for a remarkable exhibition at Londons Courtauld Gallery By remarkable, I dont just mean the quality of the works, but the fact that so many of them are being seen together at all. Museums and private collectors worldwide dont tend to like parting with these masterpieces. Van Gogh painted all his self-portraits in a three-and-a-half-year burst towards the end of his life. In his earliest attempts such as Self-Portrait with Felt Hat (1886-87) he looks a bit guarded and stiff, not to mention bourgeois. In the works that followed, however, he started injecting copious colour and radically loosening his brushwork. He suddenly looks more vulnerable too. In Self-Portrait (1889), on loan from the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, Van Gogh captures himself at work, dressed in an artists smock. The vivid orange of his beard heightens the gauntness and pallor of his face. And what a haunted face it is. We all know the end of Van Goghs story. A view of these pictures offers a tragically gripping look at him in the months leading up to it. With a new series of the mega-hit Sex and the City sequel And Just Like That already in the pipeline, Joanne Hegarty meets the stylist behind the showstopping clothes From left: Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) in And Just Like That Costume designer Molly Rogers is talking to me wearing a jumper thats inside out. The stylist who dressed Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte in the hit Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That has managed to find the time to put on some lipstick. But she says her own wardrobe is like the cobblers children who have no shoes. Thats me when it comes to clothes. All my energy goes on dressing other people. I should make more of an effort, I know! This years most talked about TV wardrobe is set to make a return after the series ranked in HBOs top ten across its movie and series debuts and was recommissioned last month. Whats more, Molly promises therell be more standout style moments to come in the next season. In the meantime, she gives an exclusive insight into what it was like to dress Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and the rest of the cast of the show, and opens up about the real-life dramas behind the scenes. The style spoilers One thing the wardrobe department never had to contend with on the original series of Sex and the City was the glare of social media, which Molly says presented quite a challenge. As soon as the cameras started rolling on And Just Like That..., hordes of fans began following the cast around New York, posting photos and videos for the world to scrutinise on dedicated Instagram accounts. We felt like we were getting hyper-judged from the first day of production, says Molly. It was crazy. The minute the cast came out of their camper vans, they were filmed and the discourse was all about what they were wearing. On Sex and the City, nobody had seen the clothes, sets or scripts. This time we didnt have that luxury unless it was filmed indoors. The lovers and haters Some in the fashion community loved the costumes, others did not. Initially, I tried not to read the reviews, explains Molly, because I knew it wouldnt be healthy. But I had a friend who sent me every single negative comment. It was a running joke between us. He said he did it to keep me grounded! Molly managed to keep her composure thanks to a thick skin developed while working as Patricia Fields collaborator on the original Sex and the City, and also because she soon realised a lot of the comments were incorrect. The one report that did get to me because it was one of the early ones and I felt like it was tainting us and not giving us a fighting chance was a headline about fast fashion. Fans were aghast that Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parkers character) was wearing a dress by Forever 21, an LA-based fast-fashion retailer, and the costume department was accused of not caring enough about the environment. That was unfair, says Molly. There was no label on that dress, so we didnt know what it was, yet everyone was up in arms about where it was from. That happened straight out of the gate, and I realised people were after blood. But there were positive headlines, too, such as when Vogue did an article on what they hailed as Sarah Jessica Parkers new Carrie dress (below), a 185 powder-blue creation by Norma Kamali. Sarah in the new Carrie dress The hardest goodbye Just after filming began, the news broke that Willie Garson, who played Carries best friend Stanford, had died. His fun-loving character was integral to the show and his death from pancreatic cancer at 57 came as a blow. Willie had called me before we started, says Molly. He told me he was sick, but said his treatment was going well. He had a surgical port on his arm that he wanted me to know about so his sleeves werent too short. When he died we had just started episode three [of ten] and everyone felt crushed, but it was especially hard on Sarah. The big problem Chris Noth, who played Carries husband Mr Big, faced a storm of controversy while the spinoff aired, as sexual assault allegations from multiple women emerged. The actor denied these, but, as a result, Noth soon disappeared from the public eye. The shows creative team also took the decision to erase his final scenes, where Bigs ghost was expected to appear to Carrie when she scattered his ashes in Paris. Molly is outspoken on the subject. There are lots of problems today with erasing peoples lives it doesnt sit well with me, she says. I dont think things should be resolved in the court of public opinion. That is frightening; that is like a witch-hunt to me. Have your day in court. The thrift-store shoes Molly worked very closely with Sarah and the other two leading actresses Cynthia Nixon (Miranda) and Kristin Davis (Charlotte) when it came to picking outfits. All the girls were collaborative and we built a beautiful fitting room it was just great to be in there. Molly, her costume designer partner Danny Santiago and Sarah shared a passion for sourcing vintage gems and one odd item of footwear struck a chord with real-life shoe addict SJP, as Sarah is known. Molly says: There was one pair that Danny bought from a thrift store that cost next to nothing. They were old and dirty but SJP and Danny fell in love with them. The white and black saddle shoe laced up the front and open at the back caused much debate. Molly hated them but SJP was determined to get them on screen. I didnt want them on anyones feet, let alone appearing in the show, but SJP had a name for them Phyllis. She would say things like: This outfit would look perfect with Phyllis! Phyllis eventually made it on screen when Carrie was in her physiotherapy session. The shows stylist Molly Rogers The vintage treasures Not surprisingly, Sarah, Cynthia and Kristin all went through their clothing racks with a fine-tooth comb. We used to call it the kiss and kill process, says Molly. We didnt edit before they came in, we let them do that with us because these ladies are very knowledgeable when it comes to fashion. Once each outfit had been signed off and the right alterations came back, the wardrobe department took a photo of the outfit as part of a fun on-set ritual. We had a hotel bell that we rang after each outfit was approved, says Molly. Sarahs love of vintage was apparent throughout the show, and the platter hat she wore at Mr Bigs funeral was the result of one of many vintage sourcing trips Molly and Danny made to Florida. We did a lot of shopping in Palm Beach because many New Yorkers live there now so the shops are full of evening gowns and all kinds of things they dont wear in Florida. Their story and everything about them is so interesting You cant find that on a rack in a modern store. The male accessories The costume department had a running joke with the male cast members that they were just accessories: Its fun to treat men like accessories, as women often get treated like that on other shows. For me their fittings are just as important but we would tease them and say, Nobody is looking at what youre wearing. Youre just arm candy. According to Molly, Willie Garsons fittings got the most attention. His wardrobe would be packed full of everything because he was such a flamboyant character. The next chapter Molly is delighted that the characters will return for a second series: I love that they can age and keep telling their stories. At the end of the first series, Carrie kisses someone new in an elevator life goes on and life changes. The show is about growth. And it was certainly the most fun I ever had at work. Tom discovers a gem of a Chinese serving home-style Sichuan cooking in Birmingham Crispy fried chicken with chilli oil tastes of love and experience I wish I could say this was all down to me. You know, the all-knowing, ever-questing critic, his nose twitching, ear held close to the ground, ready to unearth the most choice and juicy of restaurant finds. And that I could spin a picaresque tale of just stumbling across a rather magnificent regional Chinese restaurant, run by an English couple who, while in Beijing, were so inspired by their local Sichuan place that they decided to come home and set up shop in Birminghams Stirchley. And cook food that could hold its head up high in Chengdu. In a room barely large enough to swing a cleaver. But I cant. Because I was told about Yikouchi at Chancers Cafe by that fine Brummie blogger Meat & One Veg (meatandoneveg.blog), better known as Simon Carlo. Hes my first call on all things Birmingham, yet today was the first time weve actually met. One slurp of a crisp, clean martini at the Grand Hotel Birmingham, which, in the words of Lawrence Durrell, flows through the system like ice through the rigging, and I know well be good friends. One more, just for luck, and into an Uber to Stirchley. And into that tiny space with James Kirk-Gould in the open kitchen, and his wife Cassie, not just running front of house, but making some serious fudge. Dont miss Sweetmeat Inc, which you can buy after lunch. Anyway, the menu is short and sweet. Theres a cold tiger cucumber salad, a symphony of clean crunch, cucumbers with lots of coriander and sesame oil that flits through the mouth like a cool northern breeze. Then chunks of fried chicken, crisp and hot, slathered in the sort of complex, lusciously scented chilli oil that tastes of love, experience and a whole load of Sichuan pepper. Enough to numb even the most lurid nuggets of our incessant industry gossip. Simon disappears off, only to return with a cocktail (in a pouch) from the nearby bar, Couch, which we swig, joyously, between mouthfuls of fish-fragrant aubergine that sings of smoke and spice, and rich but gentle allure. And pork with long Turkish peppers, and still more chilli and the breath of the wok. Kirk-Gould makes no claim to authenticity, yet this is seriously good cooking. Stuff to make the heart sing and belly roar. Oh, and one of the best, and best-value lunches Ive had in months. About 15 a head. Yikouchi at Chancers Cafe, 1418 Pershore Road, Birmingham; @_yikouchi DRINKS: Ollys Sauvignon Blanc stars Sauvignon Blanc Day arrives on 6 May. While some groan that Sauvignon fatigue is swamping the wine world, I adore this jewel of classy French Sancerre and Pouilly Fume, whose tropical exuberance also entertains us with New Zealands Marlborough style. Bottles from Chile and South Africa deliver a balance between exotic zing and elegant refreshment and prices are friendlier than you might expect. WINE OF THE WEEK Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2020 (12.5%), 10, Co-Op. Bright as passionfruit lightning with downright delicious tropical notes. South Point Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (12.5%), 6.50, Tesco. All the magical flair of a chalky wand conjuring a lime grove superb value for money. Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (13%), 11.99, Waitrose. Pure and charming heaven with a broad bean, feta and mint salad. E Block Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2020 (13%), 12, M&S. With full-throttle tropical zing, this is lush, brilliant and a total crowd-pleaser. The Russians are coming. They might not be knocking down our doors, but cyber hackers are already invading our computers. And I can vouch for the disruption they are causing. My personal computer has been crippled by 'attacks from Russia,' as they have tried to hijack my email account. It has been a harrowing experience because my computer is like an extra limb and essential for my work. As a victim of the Kremlin's red army of online fraudsters, I can no longer send or receive emails. Worse still, I am worried the Russians could be watching my every move with KGB-style online eavesdropping. Advice: Expert Colin Tankard helps Toby Walne tighten up the security on his computer system following the attack Quite why I have been targeted I cannot say. Journalist I may be, but my emails are full of tips on bleeding radiators to keep heating bills down not the codes to Britain's nuclear arsenal. It has left me feeling not only violated, but also paranoid. At any moment, they could plunder my computer files and demand money in a blackmail 'ransomware' attack or by stealing enough data, even empty my bank account. The trigger for the attacks on my machine remains unknown, but may have been a result of me downloading 'Bad Rabbit' software malware when I pressed a button thinking I was updating software. Such malware ransacks your computer of information and appears to originate from Russia. Then again, perhaps the Kremlin found my details on the dark web where it appears my personal information and passwords had been leaked, following hacks into services I have used in the past. Or maybe I had been targeted following a warning article written in The Mail on Sunday in March about 'Putin's hackers'. Frightening though the experience has been, at least I am now aware what is going on and can take action. And according to cyber experts, I am not alone. The Russians are targeting thousands maybe millions of people's computers in order to disrupt Western economies following the invasion of Ukraine. This is not just revenge for sanctions creating disruption and panic for computer users but to swindle us out of our money. My encounter with Russian cyber hackers began last month when the email account I use on my personal computer kept crashing. I rang my internet service provider Easyspace. It said it had noted 'numerous' attempts to hack into my email account from a Russian internet protocol (IP) address. This resulted in it freezing my account. After I contacted Easyspace, it lifted its 'suspension order' on my account only for the account to crash again a couple of days later. Again, Easyspace confirmed the 'Russian state' was responsible for trying to get into my account. The Easyspace service costs 30 a year and did its job well. It said: 'Using a proactive email hosting company with your domain enables swift action to be taken on your behalf if there are security issues, including attempts to log in to your account in attacks from Russia.' But my Apple 'Mail' account which enables me to read my emails no longer opened on my computer. Also, my ageing 12-year-old Mac was not downloading the latest security updates required to combat a surge in attacks. Cyber security expert Colin Tankard understood what I was going through. He said I should be grateful that Easyspace was up to the task and halted the Russian cyber hackers. He said that for Easyspace to suspend my account, there must have been at least a dozen attempts to get into my emails with various passwords used. He recommended that I visit website 'Have I Been Pwned' to see if there had been any online database breaches, leaks or hacks on accounts I used. After tapping in my email address, I found 15 instances where my personal information may have ended up on the dark web, stolen from websites such as LinkedIn, LiveAuctioneers and MySpace. Tankard, managing director of data security firm Digital Pathways, told me to take immediate action. He said: 'Change the Easyspace password straightaway because the attempts to log into your account show that criminals may be close to cracking the code.' He added: 'The new password does not have to be complex try a visually memorable, but strange phrase. An example might be something like BeesPlayBanjos56.' Crooks can pay 10 for someone's 'fullz' cyber slang for a person's full identity details Russian hackers do not need to be super sleuths to crack into an email account or steal identity information as the keys to unlock these are easily found on the dark web. This is where websites not listed on mainstream search engines are illegally run and used by criminals to trade in stolen information. Crooks can pay 10 for someone's 'fullz' cyber slang for a person's full identity details. It includes not just a person's name, address and date of birth, but log-in details for services plus passwords. Tankard warned that now the Russians may have my personal details, I am more likely to be reeled into a scam designed to steal my money known as phishing. Tankard advised: 'You need to be far more careful. Do not open unsolicited email attachments. Visit the website virustotal.com. It can tell you if any viruses have been detected on files that have been sent to you.' The security expert then shook his head in disbelief when I showed him my external hard drive a box used for storing data in case something goes wrong with my computer. This 45 device was as much use as a chocolate teapot as it stopped working a couple of years ago. Only now do I see the folly of not getting it replaced. After a stern telling-off, I promised to buy a new one. The Russians may be coming, but I am fighting back. Administrators appointed to look into the demise of failed funeral plans provider Safe Hands Plans have put customers on alert that they are unlikely to get back much of their money. It means there is now a strong likelihood that the 47,000 customers of the Wakefield-based company will be left with near worthless plans that cost them on average around 3,000. Customers were told the plans would cover the cost of their funeral when they died. But documents seen by The Mail on Sunday show the administrators FRP have managed to take control of less than 4million so far, leaving more than 60million of customers' money outstanding. There are now major question marks over whether this remaining money can be retrieved. On alert: There is now a strong likelihood that the 47,000 customers of Safe Hands will be left with near worthless plans This is the stark prospect facing plan-holders this weekend as administrators at FRP Advisory assess the parlous state of Safe Hands' finances. FRP was appointed in late March after Safe Hands suddenly withdrew its application to become an authorised seller of funeral plans under a new regulatory regime overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority. It was forced to stop selling plans, triggering its fall into administration. The main focus of the work being undertaken by FRP centres on the Safe Hands Plans Trust where customers' payments were paid into and then invested. Such a fund is meant to safeguard customers' money with independent trustees ensuring assets are not misappropriated and are ring-fenced from the business assets of the funeral plan provider. Prior to FRP's appointment as administrators, the trust was overseen by Sterling Trust Corporation, based in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. In the latest customer update, a document seen by the MoS, FRP confirms as we have previously reported that there is a shortfall between the value of assets held in the trust and the future cost of paying for all the funerals people have purchased. In other words, there is not enough in the pot to meet the promises made to customers. Our money has already gone up in smoke But far more worryingly, FRP indicates that the vast majority of the trust's assets are overvalued. Even worse, it raises concerns that some of them may not be owned by the trust, but by other parties. If proven, this would constitute fraudulent use of trust assets. FRP has so far managed to take control of just 3.8million of assets which were held in liquid investments such as blue-chip UK shares. But the bulk of trust assets more than 60million are in 'illiquid, high-risk investments', many based in offshore jurisdictions. These assets were managed by two companies. The first was TJM Partnership, which also traded for a while under the name of Neovision Global Capital. It was put into liquidation earlier this year. The other fund manager, FRP says, is based in Mauritius, more than 6,300 miles from the UK. The administrators warn that the amount they will get from disposing of these assets will be 'materially lower' than 60million. On the issue of ownership of trust assets, it says it is looking at who is entitled to them, adding that it has the right to issue legal claims if they have been misused. In other words, it is unsure whether all the assets attributed to the trust belong to it. Concerns about the trust fund were highlighted in an independent report undertaken by Bury-based Zenith Actuarial earlier this year. Its report, obtained last month by the MoS, raises numerous red flags over the investment funds held their 'potential lack of liquidity, specialist focus, high charges and potential issues relating to disinvesting'. It also noted that the funds were mostly based in the Cayman Islands. Customers of Safe Hands are alarmed about FRP's latest missive on the state of the trust. Among them is John Salisbury, a retired engineer from Stockport, Greater Manchester. He bought two plans one for him and one for his wife Dale in late 2019 after seeing a local solicitor. In total, he paid 7,000. 'We thought we were doing the right thing,' says John, aged 67. 'Dale had just decided to retire after being made redundant from a national retailer. So we felt it was a good time to sort out our finances. We got our wills in good order and took out Safe Hands funeral plans.' He adds: 'It seemed like a good idea. The literature told us our money would go into a secure ringfenced trust that would be operated independently from the business. But now, it looks like we could lose all the money we handed over. The latest report from FRP makes for depressing reading.' Like many customers, he contacted his local MP to complain about what has happened, but the response was disappointing. John says: 'All the MP wrote about was the future regulation of the funeral plans market. That's no good for me and Dale. Our money has already gone up in smoke.' The MoS has led the way on exposing poor practice at Safe Hands. Last month, we reported on the company taking annual surpluses from the trust to pay dividends to directors. We also revealed trust fund money being borrowed to fund the purchase of commercial property. Last week, we sought the views of those involved with Safe Hands before it went into administration. Kylie Simmonds-Cox, chief executive of Sterling Trust Corporation, was asked (by both phone and email) to comment on its oversight of Safe Hands Plans Trust. She did not respond. Sterling is a member of The Association of Corporate Trustees, which said it was not investigating the company. On Friday Scott Robinson, chief executive of Zenith Actuarial, told The Mail on Sunday: 'We understand how distressing this situation must be for customers of Safe Hands Plans. However, the report we did, in which we highlighted a number of serious issues, is confidential.' We attempted to contact TJM and Neovision Global Capital. No comment was provided. Eight days ago, Richard Wells, owner of Safe Hands at the time of administration, told us: 'It is with sincere regret that Safe Hands Plans is in this position. The company was acquired in good faith to provide funeral plans in what was an expanding sector.' No comment was offered on the health of the trust. By Kang Seung-woo Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is not likely to be present at President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's May 10 inauguration ceremony, according to a Japanese media outlet, Friday. According to the Sankei Shimbun, the Japanese government concluded that it is premature for Kishida to travel to Korea as pending bilateral issues such as wartime forced labor and sex slavery still remain a sticking point to improving the soured ties between the two countries. The report cited multiple government officials. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida / AFP-Yonhap It added that the Japanese government was instead considering sending its Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. The report comes as the incoming Korean president has been working to improve bilateral relations, which some believe have sunk to their lowest level in decades, due to the historical issues. Earlier this week, Yoon sent a policy consultation delegation to Tokyo, which met with Kishida and agreed to seek better ties. During their meeting, the delegates asked if the Japanese premier will attend the inauguration ceremony, according to Park Joo-sun, the chief of the inauguration preparatory committee. Following the meeting, National Assembly Vice Speaker Rep. Chung Jin-suk, who headed the seven-member delegation, said that whether Kishida will attend is up to the Japanese government, adding that the government will warmly welcome and host him if he decides to attend the event. Citing a Japanese government official, the report also said that if Kishida attends and then the Korean side changes its attitude, this would undoubtedly increase domestic criticism of the prime minister. Following Seoul's Supreme Court ruling ordering Japanese companies to compensate surviving Korean victims of wartime forced labor, the Japanese government has been imposing tighter export curbs on three materials exported to Korea, which are used to make smartphone chips and displays, since July 2019. On Monday, the delegation met with Japan's Trade Minister Koichi Hagiuda and discussed the issue. Grant Shapps declared he wants to 'banish the boy racer' from our roads with a new initiative to tackle excessive vehicle engine and exhaust noise in the worst affected areas. The Transport Secretary today unveiled plans to deploy noise cameras to catch 'rowdy drivers' who are 'ruining peace and quiet' for locals 'by revving engines and causing excessive noise with illegal exhausts'. Motorists found to be breaching legal noise levels by the cameras could be issued with fines of around 100. His department has invited MPs to enter a competition to find the noisiest streets in England and Wales amid concerns about the impact on residents. Banish the boy racer: Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has today launched a new initiative to tackle excessive vehicle engine and exhaust noise in the worst affected areas Four areas will be chosen to take part in a 300,000 trial of innovative noise cameras. Police have the power to fine drivers who flout noise rules, but struggle to gather evidence. The cameras can automatically detect when vehicles are breaking legal noise requirements. They will be able to provide real-time reports to police, which could result in more targeted enforcement. Fines of between 100 and 400 have been proposed for exceeding legal noise limits, though offenders caught during the trial will likely face financial penalties at the lower end of this spectrum. Preliminary testing showed the technology can identify individual vehicles in certain circumstances and assign noise levels to them. Similar technology has already been deployed in worst-hit parts of the capital. Cameras installed in the affluent Royal Borough of Knightsbridge and Chelsea have caught almost 300 motorists driving illegally noisy cars in a year 'Sound cameras' - which can identify the numberplate of any offending vehicle and issue a fine automatically - are also being trialled in Paris They have been installed in the affluent Royal Borough of Knightsbridge and Chelsea, which is often overrun with high-power - and high-noise - supercars, usually driven by super-rich overseas visitors to Central London who pay to have their performance vehicles shipped over. The cameras, which has been installed since February 2021, have been triggered almost 10,000 times by vehicles in 12 months, though only a fraction were deemed illegally loud and owners punished. They caught 289 motorists driving their cars at over 100 decibels who have been issued 100 fines. For cars registered since 2016, the legal noise limit is 74dB. Sound cameras - which can identify the numberplate of any offending vehicle and issue a fine automatically - are also being trialled in Paris to tackle the same issue. Commenting on the new competition to have cameras installed in noise-polluted areas, Mr Shapps said: 'We want those in Britain's noisiest streets, who are kept up at night by unbearable revving engines and noisy exhausts, to come forward with the help of volunteer areas to test and perfect the latest innovative technology. 'For too long, rowdy drivers have been able to get away with disturbing our communities with illegal noisy vehicles. 'It's time we clamp down on this nuisance, banish the boy racer and restore peace and quiet to local streets.' The trial will be led by a collaboration between professional services firms Atkins and Jacobs. Andrew Pearce, practice director of Atkins-Jacobs Joint Venture, said: 'This scheme is a critical development for people living in areas affected by anti-social driving. 'It demonstrates how we can use technology to take a highly targeted approach to solving these problems. 'Testing different noise measurement technologies with a range of vehicles in this controlled environment means we can ensure tickets are only sent to drivers with illegal and anti-social cars or bikes. 'Highway authorities will be able to automate noise enforcement and get on top of the problem without using up valuable police resources.' The Department for Transport has launched a competition to find the noisiest streets in England and Wales where the new devices could be positioned Exhausts and silencers are required to be properly maintained, and not altered to increase noise. Non-compliance can lead to a 50 on-the-spot fine. The DfT said research has linked long-term noise pollution to physical and mental health problems such as heart attacks, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and stress. People living in deprived areas are up to three times more likely to complain about noise than those in less disadvantaged locations, according to the Government's recent Levelling Up White Paper. AA president Edmund King said: 'Excessive noise from modified cars used by 'street racers' or 'pimp my ride' racers are normally associated with defined areas where these individuals meet. 'Whilst this new noise technology can be targeted at known hotspots, it remains to be seen whether this just encourages the racers to find a street with no cameras. 'There is no doubt that anti-social excessive noise can cause health problems so targeting the culprits will be welcomed by local residents.' John Stewart, who chairs campaign group UK Noise Association, said: 'For many years we have had complaints from residents about excessively noisy vehicles. 'They will all be hoping to prove that their street is one of the noisiest so they can get the first batch of cameras.' The DfT said it is not proposing to reduce speed limits to cut background noise for communities near major roads. Here's a juicy financial question for you to cogitate over as you look forward to a weekend extended by tomorrow's Bank Holiday. 'Are we better off as consumers of financial products with or without regulation?' Provocative, yes, but I throw the question out there because I'm not sure what the answer is. As regular readers of this column are all too aware, I am not a fan of the current Financial Conduct Authority. Not a fan: The FCA has missed too many mega financial calamities and then procrastinated over how to sort them out Why? Because it has missed too many mega financial calamities and then procrastinated over how to sort them out. Tortoises and slugs come to mind. Just think about the suspension of multi-billion pound fund Woodford Equity Income nearly three years ago. An event that should never ever have been allowed to happen the FCA should have clamped down on Woodford's obsession with illiquid stocks long before they triggered the fund's pulling up of the proverbial drawbridge as the manager couldn't find sufficient cash to meet heavy redemption requests from investors. It ultimately led to hundreds of thousands of investors suffering financial loss. Scandalously, it's a debacle the FCA is still mulling over, wondering what action it should take (if any) against those companies involved in the fund's demise (of course, it should also be looking at itself in the mirror, but it won't). And then there's the mini-bond disaster that was London Capital & Finance where the FCA was fiercely criticised for regulatory failure as the company collapsed, leaving more than 11,000 investors holding near worthless investments. The FCA was forced to apologise after a scathing independent review into its atrocious handling of the scandal. The FCA should have clamped down on Woodford's obsession with illiquid stocks much earlier So, that's the case against the FCA. I could present more evidence, but it's a strong case. Yet, as recent events at funeral plan provider Safe Hands Plans and trust fund manager Philips Trust Corporation have shown, no regulation or self-regulation is no better. Indeed, it could be argued that it's far worse than a bloated, ineffective FCA. Both funeral plan providers and corporate trustees currently operate in unregulated markets. Although most companies serve the best interests of customers, a minority don't. In the case of Safe Hands, directors have helped themselves to customers' money from a trust fund set up specifically to pay for their future funerals. And as we report on the next page, there are now fears over the quality (and ownership) of the assets held within the trust and the inflated valuation put on them. Matters at Philips Trust Corporation aren't much better. This is an organisation that purported to manage trusts set up for people looking to ensure their financial affairs would be in good order when they died. Yet, reading through a frank witness statement published by the owner of the company in conjunction with the appointment of administrators nine days ago, it seems business ineptness has been the order of the day. For a start, trust assets were incorrectly recorded as company assets in the accounts, thereby misrepresenting the financial health of the business. Trusts were invested in assets that were not appropriate for the age of client for example, fixed-rate savings bonds were purchased for people in their late 80s when their life expectancy was not that long. And there was poor record keeping of how individual clients' money was invested. Worst of all, the company's client bank accounts were raided to pay people who wanted to withdraw their assets. This is because the company couldn't sell the assets assigned to clients because they were illiquid, so cash held in client accounts was used instead to pay them. 'I felt I had no choice,' says the owner in the statement. Scandalous. Over the past five years, the owner says demands for trust withdrawals totalling 10million were made by clients. It admits it was unable to fulfil all of these requests because of money being tied up in illiquid assets. My consumer champion colleague Tony Hetherington says he has not seen a document like it before. Barber to the stars: Mark Maciver is better known as SliderCuts Celebrity barber Mark Maciver was once paid 5,000 to give a client a haircut which took him less than an hour. Maciver, who is better known as SliderCuts, is one of the country's most famous barbers and cuts hair for Stormzy, Anthony Joshua, Janet Jackson, author Reggie Yates and rapper Tinie Tempah. The 37-year-old is married to artist Lakwena Maciver and lives in Stoke Newington, North London, with his two young children. His book, Shaping Up Culture, has just been published. What did your parents teach you about money? My dad wasn't around to teach me anything about money. But my mum, who had been born and raised in Nigeria, taught me and my three siblings that we needed to work hard to earn a living. When I was young, she owned a newsagent's. When I was four, she was robbed and everything was taken. She didn't have insurance. I don't think she even understood things like that. She ended up having to close the shop. Then we got kicked out of the flat we were living in above the shop and became homeless. We had gone from being comfortable to living in a homeless shelter, virtually overnight. Eventually, we were given accommodation by the council. But we had to move constantly because the accommodation was only temporary. Every time I made friends at a new school, we had to move again. My education was disrupted and no one realised how behind I was with my reading. By the time we got a council house, I was ten and had been to five different schools. We lived on benefits and free school meals. Money was tight, but we survived. Did you always have enough to eat? No. I remember once, just before we were made homeless, all we had to eat was two slices of bread between five of us. My mum said, 'Split each piece in half, and each of you four children take one. But my older brothers refused. They said that me and my younger brother should have a slice each instead. It's not the hunger I remember. It's that moment in the kitchen with my brothers. I'll never forget that. Have you ever struggled to make ends meet? Yes, five years ago I bought a three-bedroom flat in Stoke Newington to live in with my family and needed to fix it up to make it liveable. It was a stretch to buy it in the first place. Then I lost money on various builders. I was also investing in my business at the time, buying the lease for my hair and beauty studio. I maxed out my credit cards, took out payday loans, borrowed money from friends and friends of friends and secured loans against two rental properties I owned to make ends meet. I had lots of interest to pay and in total I ended up 350,000 in debt. Have you ever been paid silly money? Yes. I once gave one of my high profile clients a haircut a skin fade which took 45 minutes. He told me to invoice him 5,000 for it. I won't say his name as he might not want people to know. What was the best year of your financial life? Last year. I've earned more money over the past year than ever before in my life: a six-figure sum. As well as making money from my business, I also give talks to companies off the back of my book, Shaping Up Culture, and do brand collaborations. What is the most expensive thing you bought for fun? It was a black, second-hand Mercedes C Class car for 14,000, 11 years ago. I only owned it for two years. I sold it when my older brother passed away to pay for his funeral and other expenses. He'd lived in Germany, so it cost 5,000 just to bring his body back to England. What is your biggest money mistake? I tried to create a booking app for barbers in 2017. I invested 30,000 in the project and then discovered that to get it to launch would cost another 30,000. I realised what a mistake it was because the market was competitive and I was in over my head. I pulled the plug. Celebrity status: Maciver cuts hair for Stormzy, Anthony Joshua, Janet Jackson (pictured), Reggie Yates and Tinie Tempah The best money decision you have made? Buying a flat in Dalston, London, for 160,000 in 2012 and then selling it for 310,000 in 2019. Lots of people told me not to buy, but it's thanks to that property that I was able to buy my other properties. Selling it helped pay off some of my 350,000 debt. I am still in debt to the tune of over 100,000. But it's more manageable now because my business has taken off. It's easy by comparison. Do you save into a pension or invest in the stock market? Yes. I started saving into a pension when I was 21 and have been saving regularly ever since. I also invested 2,000 in Amazon shares at the beginning of lockdown which are now worth more than 4,000. A customer advised me to buy the shares and it has proved a good investment. Do you own any property? Yes, the three-bedroom flat in Stoke Newington, my family home. I bought it for 405,000 in 2017 and it's now worth 520,000. I also own a three-bed flat in nearby Tottenham Hale which is rented out. It cost 270,000 in 2015 and is now worth more than 400,000. What is the one luxury you treat yourself to? I like a bottle of cherry cola. It costs 1.70 and I like the taste so much I have it every day. I think I need to take a detox. If you were Chancellor, what is the first thing you would do? I would increase funding for schools in deprived areas. I think working class children deserve just as good an education as children in richer households. I would also increase Universal Credit to what it was during the pandemic. Do you donate money to charity? Yes. I donate monthly to a dozen charities, including Red Cross and my church. I also sponsor a child in Africa. What is your number one financial priority? My family. I want to make sure I have enough money not only to educate my two children, but to allow them to do activities such as learning a musical instrument, gymnastics and swimming lessons. The embattled boss of one of Britain's biggest technology firms has drawn up an audacious plan to grow capacity so it can handle a mammoth 14billion of orders a year, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Matt Moulding, founder and chief executive of THG, formerly known as The Hut Group, has told City investors he is pumping another 200million this year into the strategy, which includes a huge new warehouse in Manchester to handle an expected boom in e-commerce orders. The automated warehouse, which is already partially operational, can process up to 500,000 items a day. It houses an army of 256 robots scuttling around the clock to pick and pack orders for the group's online beauty websites, including Lookfantastic and Cult Beauty. Rich pickings: The automated distribution centre in Manchester that Matt Moulding, left, with wife Jodie, expects to see an orders surge THG wants to open similar warehouses in New Jersey and Dubai as part of Moulding's global strategy. It already has sites in Melbourne and Poland. Moulding and his new chairman, former ITV boss Lord Allen once known as one of the City's most prolific dealmakers unveiled the plan to analysts and investors in recent weeks. It follows a torrid time for THG, which has seen its share price plunge by nearly 80 per cent since its 5.4billion stock market flotation in 2020. Moulding, who netted 830million following the listing, has been criticised for the group's poor corporate governance, including a controversial 'golden share' that protects THG from takeover. Last month, THG revealed it had rejected 'numerous' takeover approaches but declined to say from whom. As recently as November, Moulding, who has a 22 per cent stake in THG, appeared to suggest he might take the business private, saying he had 'options' as a big shareholder who owns more than half the business when combined with 'a few people that I'm close with'. He also said he wished he had not listed the firm in London, and that the experience 'just sucked from start to finish'. The Manchester warehouse forms part of a vast hub of box-shaped sheds, offices and studios close to the city's airport. The site covers a million square feet, and is the epicentre of Moulding's sprawling business empire. Last week, THG workers queued patiently outside the complex for company buses to take them home. By contrast, a few miles down the road, but half a world away, is the Hale Country Club and Spa. Nestled in leafy Cheshire countryside, the members-only club offers 'an exclusive world of wellness' for those 'looking for sanctuary from everyday life' if you can afford the premium subscription of 2,760 a year plus 350 joining fee. One-hour spa treatments, including a 'mellow mamma maternity massage' and a men's 'personalised facial' are an extra 105 or 140 for non-members. The club, along with several Moulding-owned luxury venues in central Manchester, including King Street Townhouse and Great John Street Hotel, are also used to promote THG brands such as ESPA and MyProtein. But the distribution centre, the club and hotels have one thing in common. Moulding Capital Ltd, which is owned by the THG founder, is landlord to all of them. Under the terms of a controversial sale and leaseback deal in the run-up to THG's flotation, Moulding Capital receives 20million a year in rent on these and a total of 30 commercial properties. The Manchester warehouse forms part of a vast hub of box-shaped sheds, offices and studios close to the city's airport Analysts are sceptical about Moulding's plan to increase order capacity to 14billion a year. It was not included in the announcement of THG's recent results. The report released to the stock market said the business would grow at about 22 to 25 per cent this year, on current sales of just over 2billion. In a recent conference call, Simon Bowler, an analyst at investment bank Numis, asked: 'Is it the case that you are literally sitting there bearing the cost of 12billion of empty, unutilised warehouse space or are there further investments that are needed to be made to unlock that 14billion number?' When pressed on the number, chief financial officer John Gallemore dismissed doubts and said the capacity target included a strategy to handle billions of pounds of orders for other retailers and brands long-term. He said there was a misunderstanding about 'the scale of the pipeline of clients'. One senior City source said the figure seemed like 'smoke and mirrors', adding: 'That number is not relatable to anything it can realistically achieve. Every day would have to be Black Friday. 'It's a very confusing and PR-led piece of disclosure.' THG has run into trouble before over its communications with the City. Its shares fell sharply last year after a capital markets day presentation failed to reassure investors about prospects for Ingenuity, a small but growing division that builds and runs websites for other retailers. It currently operates 200 live websites and hopes to double that number by the end of the year. However, competition is increasing. Marketing services giant WPP last week announced plans to set up a new online division called Everymile that will handle orders for brands direct from customers' screens to delivery on their doorstep a direct challenge to THG. THG declined to comment. Warning: Martha Lane Fox says the UK is missing out Tech entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox said Britain is missing a 'mammoth opportunity' to create more large technology businesses as she prepares to pick up 1.4million from the sale of Twitter. She is in line for a payday from Elon Musk's $44billion (35billion) takeover of the social media site. Lane Fox has a shareholding in the company after joining as a director in 2016. The world's richest man last week agreed a deal to take control of the social network, which has more than 200million users. Lane Fox co-founded Lastminute. com in 1997, leading its expansion before the dotcom bubble burst. The tech champion has since held roles at Channel 4 and Marks & Spencer and took a seat in the House of Lords in 2013. She declined to comment on the Twitter deal, but issued a rallying cry to UK tech businesses. Lane Fox told the MoS that Britain's start-up scene is 'unrecognisable' from 20 years ago with 'more energy, credibility and businesses'. She added: 'I think we are still missing a mammoth opportunity to create more successful businesses by unlocking more diversity regionally, in gender, in wider socio-economic groups there's so much upside.' Lane Fox is a board director of fashion brand Chanel and data business WeTransfer. She also co-founded karaoke business Lucky Voice, which she said is 'flying'. Probe: The FCA has requested that Terry Smith's fund business, Fundsmith, complete a review under Section 166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act Terry Smith's fund business has been asked by the financial watchdog to undertake a review of its operations, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. The Financial Conduct Authority has requested that Fundsmith complete a review, conducted by independent consultants, under Section 166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act. Section 166 reviews are requested by the FCA in order to provide 'an independent view of aspects of a firm's activities that cause us concern or if we need further analysis', according to the regulator's annual report. Smith, 68, is one of Britain's most renowned stock-pickers, setting up his own shop in 2010. His company manages more than 28billion of savers' cash and his largest fund, Fundsmith Equity, has produced returns of more than 500 per cent since launch. Section 166 reviews can be requested over governance, controls and risk management assessments concerns. They also include reviews of how funds handle customers' money, conduct, anti-financial crime controls and information management. However, the FCA does not publicly disclose any details of its Section 166 requests. Firms under review are restricted from discussing the matter. Fundsmith and the FCA declined to comment. Section 166 requests are not investigations but reviews of a firm by a third party. They are often carried out by one of the 'big four' consultants PwC, Deloitte, KPMG and EY or leading law firms. The FCA issued 11 of these orders between January and March. In 2020, it was reported that a string of US banking giants were issued orders by the regulator over the quality of their financial reporting. Smith, who is based in Mauritius, garnered attention recently after he slammed consumer giant Unilever for being 'obsessed' with its sustainability credentials. He said in his annual letter to shareholders: 'A company which feels it has to define the purpose of Hellmann's mayonnaise has in our view clearly lost the plot.' Fundsmith made record profits in the year to March 2021, of 57.7million. Fundsmith Equity's top ten holdings include Microsoft, L'Oreal, Estee Lauder, Philip Morris and LVMH. On its website, Fundsmith sums up its investment strategy as holding 'a small number of high quality, resilient, global growth companies that are good value and which we intend to hold for a long time'. HSBC is preparing to resist demands from a Chinese state-backed investor to split itself in two. Insiders are understood to believe dividing the bank into separate Asian and Western businesses would be a costly nightmare. The London-listed lender, which touted itself as the world's local bank, was told by its largest shareholder last week to split up its Eastern and Western operations. Under pressure: Insiders are understood to believe dividing the bank into separate Asian and Western businesses would be a costly nightmare The pressure from Ping An, an insurance behemoth backed by the Chinese Government, would lead to the biggest shake-up in British banking since the global financial crisis. But the proposal could be politically explosive at a time when geopolitical tensions are at their highest in years. An attempt by the East to dismantle HSBC seen as the UK's global banking champion also runs counter to the Government's push for a post-Brexit global Britian. Analysts said a split could ease the political burden on HSBC, which has been straddling tensions between Beijing and Washington for some time. John Cronin of investment bank Goodbody said: 'I understand the rationale from a political standpoint.' The demand raises questions over the British operations of 157-yearold HSBC, including its former Midland high street banking arm. Chairman Mark Tucker and chief executive Noel Quinn have in recent years shifted more resources to Asia. Last year, the bank moved three of its top executives from London to Hong Kong a sign that it was focusing on the East. HSBC has its roots in Asia. It was founded as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in 1865 by Scotsman Sir Thomas Sutherland. The bank made its first foray into Britain when it snapped up Midland Bank in 1992. Years of global expansion ensued, making HSBC the sprawling global entity it is today, with 40million customers across more than 60 countries. Analysts reckon a break-up of the group, with a market value of 99billion, could pave the way for a separation of the UK business. One former HSBC banker pointed out 'ring-fencing' the UK retail bank had made it easier to sell off. Large British banks were required to ring-fence their high street operations in 2019 to protect them from risky investment banking following the financial crisis. Analyst Gary Greenwood, at Shore Capital, agreed. He said: 'It's feasible [the UK bank could be spun off] because it is ring-fenced. 'If it's spun off, it would probably be through a separate listing. If they go down the route of an initial public offering, as a shareholder, you could get one share in Asia HSBC and one share in UK HSBC.' However, disentangling HSBC could take years due to its complicated structure. There are also questions over timing. Supporters of the bank say Ping An's demand comes as the strategy laid out by Quinn is bearing fruit. Shares have risen 30 per cent to 513p since he accelerated the 'pivot to Asia' strategy in February 2021. Splitting HSBC would also remove its role as a bridge between the East and the West, potentially making it tougher for UK businesses to sell goods to China. Any drop in revenue and profits could reduce the UK's tax take. Some 77 per cent of HSBC's commercial revenue stems from its international network. A spokesman for HSBC said it 'is one of the better performing bank stocks globally over the last year', adding: 'We outperformed the Hang Seng Index over the last year by circa 60 per cent.' Women who retire at the same time as their male partner or spouse could lose out on 225,000 in typical pension savings. According to official data analysed by PensionBee, men tend to be the older partner in a relationship, typically by two to five years. So, if a woman leaves the workforce at the same time, it can have a detrimental impact on both her pension pot and a couple's overall retirement savings. Savings gulf: Women who retire at the same time as their male partner or spouse could lose out on up to 225,000 in their pension pot, PensionBee analysis suggests Romi Savova, chief executive of PensionBee, said: 'While coordinating retirement is a common goal for many, the persistent gender pension gap in the UK presents a significant barrier to achieving this, which is only exacerbated for couples of different ages.' According to PensionBee's analysis of Office for National Statistics data and its own modeling system, which takes into account current pay gaps, men have typically accumulated nearly 440,000 in pension savings by the time they are 64. This is nearly 140,000 more than women of the same age, who on average have pots totalling just over 300,000, representing a gap of 32 per cent, says the firm However, if a couple with a two year age gap, namely a 62 year old woman and a 64 year old man, were to leave the workforce at the same time, the woman could end up with nearly 177,000 less in retirement. This would leave her with a pot size of just over 260,000, according to the analysis. Meanwhile, a couple with a five year age gap, a 59 year old female and 64 year old male, could potentially be around 225,000 worse off, ;eaving her with a pension pot size of just over 214,000 in retirement. That represents a difference of 51 per cent compared to her older male partner, the figures suggest. PensionBee's pension pot size calculations stem from ONS data from the latest 'Gender differences in commute time and pay' report, and its own modelling system. It said: 'We used the median gross weekly earnings, and median hourly pay to work out median annual hours of paid work and annual pay by gender. We assumed annual pension contributions of 8 per cent, growth of 7 per cent, and fees of 0.5 per cent, for consumers saving from age 25 to 64 and taking no withdrawals between those ages.' With this in mind, it is important to highlight that the figures will not apply to every individual's circumstances. There are always many variables when it comes to pension pots. Gender pension gap based on men and women retiring at different ages, according to PensionBee's analysis of data Gap Both retire at 64 Women retire at 62, and men at 64 Women retire at 59, and men at 64 % 32% 40% 51% 139,451 176,815 225,296 Savova said: 'This huge disparity in pension pot sizes for savers within a five year age range highlights the urgent need for policy interventions and bold action from employers so women can enjoy the same level of wealth in retirement as men. 'It also proves once again that timing is everything with pensions, and ultimately the time at which an individual or couple choose to leave the workforce, and start withdrawing their pension, has a significant impact on their overall retirement income.' Typical pension pot by age, according to PensionBee's analysis of data Column Age 64 Age 62 Age 59 Male 439,581 383,906 311,984 Female 300,130 262,766 214,285 Why does the gender pension gap arise? There is no official measure of the gender pension gap, but it is typically understood to refer to the differences in retirement outcomes for men and women This is a complicated area and there can be a myriad of reasons why a mans pension pot can end up being significantly higher than that of a female spouse or partner who plans to retire at the same age. One parent, and often the woman, may opt to take time out from working to bring up and look after children or care for an older relative. In some cases, one parent may be forced to take time out of employment because childcare costs can, in some instances, be more than a work salary could bring in. Alternatively, a woman may simply choose to work less than her male partner or spouse, and this in turn would often lead to her ending up with a lower pension pot when they retire. Another reason a womans pension may be lower is because women tend to form a larger proportion of the total number of people working in lower earning jobs. The Low Pay Commission estimated that around 6.2 per cent of female employees aged 25 or over were paid at the applicable minimum wage rate in April 2021, against just under 4.5 per cent of male employees in the same age group. Separately, in June last year, research from the Resolution Foundation claimed that 57 per cent of low-paid employees in 2020 were women. LEBC said in its 'Gender Pension Gap: A Practical Guide' report: 'For many women, its the gaps they have in earning, while caring for other family members, and the impact of taking up part time, lower paid jobs to balance a career with family responsibilities which widens the gender pension gap. 'If gaps in working are also accompanied by gaps in retirement saving and membership of the state pension scheme, then the gender pension gap is not just a reflection of the gender pay gap, but the gap becomes a chasm which gets harder to fill as retirement approaches.' PensionBee said: 'Our research suggests that women face lots of barriers limiting their ability to build long-term savings, chief among them societal expectations around caregiving and pressure to take on unpaid labour. 'The difference in paid working hours first presents itself in a womans late 20s to early 30s, the time when mothers typically tend to have their first child. 'This difference peaks again in later life, as women aged 50 and over are twice as likely to provide unpaid care for others than their male counterparts. 'As a result, mens pension pots grow by an average of 90,000 more than womens between the ages of 50 to 64. This is particularly worrying as women tend to live longer and often bear their own care costs.' Can you rely on a higher earning spouse's bigger pension? Some partners married to a higher earner with a bigger pension pot may have considered relying on their partner's work pension for their own retirement. However, this has become increasingly difficult to do due to the fact defined contribution, rather than defined benefit pensions, have become the norm. DC pensions are typically less generous and less reliable than their DB counterparts. In a DC pension, the amount you get when you take your pension pot depends on how much was paid in and how well the investments have done over time. Meanwhile, in a DB, or 'final salary' pensions, how much you get depends on your pension schemes rules, and not on investments or how much youve paid in. Can you rely on your spouses National Insurance record for your state pension? Anyone reaching state pension age from April 2016 onwards gets payments based on their own National Insurance record, and not that of a partner or spouse. Prior to this change, people could rely on their partners NI record to claim a state pension. There are limited exceptions to the new rules, which are explained here, such as inheriting second state pension from a late spouse in some circumstances. People's NI records could have taken a hit over the years, for instance because it was difficult to work for reasons such as holding low-paid jobs or voluntary roles. To check how your future state pension forecast is looking, the Government has an online tool available, which is free to use. Watch out for crooks online trying to get you to pay to use this service. What practical steps can be taken to close the gender pension gap? If you are worried about your pension pot projections there are a number of practical steps that can be taken. These tips are mainly aimed at women, but can be equally helpful for men and other family members. There's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to pension pots, but these ten tips, derived from findings by PensionBee and LEBC's 'Gender Pension Gap: A Practical Guide', could help you on your way to securing a more comfortable retirement financially. 1. Contribute to a pension if you take a career break It is possible to continue saving in a pension plan, even while youre not working. This can include keeping up contributions to a former workplace scheme, providing its a portable group personal pension, where each employee has their own individual plan, according to LEBC. Before taking breaks, maximise your pension savings and mop up annual allowances from earlier years. 2. Ask about pensions when starting a new job When joining a new employer, always ask them about the pension scheme available. While a new salary may be your main focus, a good package of health, childcare and retirement savings can be worth thousands of pounds, LEBC says. Should you merge your pension pots? Managing only one might be easier... but you can lose valuable perks. Read more here. 3. Dont abandon old employers' pensions and consider consolidation Many people build up a number of different workplace pension pots as they move jobs over time, but it is important not to ignore old pensions, even if you think they may only be worth a paltry sum. The value of pension pots can, if all goes well, build up significantly over time. It is always worth reviewing any old pensions you no longer pay into. Plus, it is possible to benefit by consolidating all pensions into one plan, but it may be prudent to get financial advice about this beforehand. 4. Stay enrolled in a pension during maternity leave Becoming a mother is a common reason why women tend to fall behind in their retirement planning compared to men, LEBC says. If possible, stay enrolled in a workplace pension scheme if you go on maternity leave. LEBC suggests this is important because quitting it costs more in lost employer contributions and tax relief than can be saved in the short-term. 5. Claim free credits towards the state pension You can claim free credits towards the state pension by signing up for child benefit, even if your family earns too much to get the payments. You can tick a box to do this, without having the hassle of filling in a tax return. Parents, mostly women, can lose huge sums in state pension by not claiming child benefit because if you sign up late your credits are only backdated by three months. Make sure the non-earning partner claims child benefit under their name, as the free credits are not needed by someone employed and building up a National Insurance record already. It is possible to swap credits between partners if you make this common mistake. Find out more about child benefit and the state pension here. 6. Claim Marriage Allowance and the childcare subsidy You should also consider claiming the Marriage Allowance and the childcare subsidy of up to 20 per cent of childcare costs, because this free money will help to make retirement saving affordable. Households where one spouse or civil partner has income of less than 12,500 and the other less than 50,000 can claim Marriage Allowance. This is worth 250 a year and if backdated for three years over 900, LEBC says. HMRC estimates that over 700,000 eligible couples have not claimed this yet. 7. Shop around if you go for an annuity If you buy an annuity at retirement, LEBC suggests you shop around because annual pensions can be up to 8.34 per cent more if you are healthy, 17.17 per cent more if you are a smoker, and up to 50 per cent more if you are in poor health. 8. Consider asking your partner or spouse to make contributions As some women miss out on crucial earning years to take on caring responsibilities, it may be beneficial for their working partner to supplement their pension contributions so they remain on track for their retirement, according to PensionBee. PensionBee says: 'This is particularly important as statutory maternity pay is low, and making pension contributions on this budget can be challenging. 'It may be worth considering this over the long-term if one partner earns considerably more than the other.' Things to consider: It may be beneficial for a higher earning working partner to supplement their lower earning partner's pension contributions If you are married it's often best to build up both partners' pensions in tandem and ensure they are both fully funded. That way you enjoy the maximum benefit in retirement if you stay married, and are more likely to avoid a costly battle if you divorce. If you do get divorced and both partners' pensions are already a similar size, much of the difficulty - and hostility - involved in dividing them can be avoided. That said, this course of action will not be suitable for every couple, and it is worth considering getting financial advice before ploughing ahead with an idea like this. 9. Defer receipt of the state pension According to PensionBee, some people nearing retirement may wish to hold off claiming the state pension. 'Delaying by even just by a few weeks can result in a higher weekly state pension amount, or even a lump sum payment', it says. As a general but not failsafe rule, women will tend to benefit more than men by deferring receipt of the state pension because, on average, they live longer. But a decision to defer receiving the state pension will not be beneficial for everyone. Health, life expectancy, income and lifestyle factors should all be taken into account when weighing up the pros and cons of such a move. 10. Leave your pension invested For a woman, according to PensionBee, it may be useful to keep your workplace pension invested for longer, especially if your male partner is already withdrawing from theirs. PensionBee says: 'Leaving a pension invested for just a few years longer can dramatically increase a retirement income. 'While everyone can legally access their personal and workplace pensions from the age of 55 (57 from 2028), it doesnt mean they always should, particularly if they have other means of income available.' Covid restrictions are coming to an end for Australia's two biggest states signalling that the pandemic crisis is now over, but virus experts warn life after coronavirus may never be the same again and that we can't 'drop our guard'. The marker for New South Wales and Victoria to scrap isolation requirements for household contacts, starting Friday at 6pm, was the end of the Omicron BA.2 peak that caused major staff shortages across the country. Victoria's top doctor Dr Brett Sutton said although the worst is now behind us, new strains and subvariants will continue to plague Australia and the rest of the world. Covid restrictions are coming to an end for Australia's two biggest states signalling that the pandemic crisis is now over, but virus experts warn life after coronavirus may never be the same again and that we can't 'drop our guard'. Pictured: A Sydneysider takes a stroll during lockdown in August 2021 'Other strains beyond Omicron BA.2 may still pose a threat in the months and years to come,' he admitted. 'There's no question that as XEs and the BA.4 and 5s [subvariants] continue to emerge, they will drive cases up to a degree. 'These strains are less likely to challenge our hospital system as we get more and more people vaccinated, but we shouldn't drop our guard on all of those protections.' But infectious diseases physician Professor Peter Collignon told Daily Mail Australia the days of lockdowns and harsh restrictions are over. 'We don't know what the effect of these new strains will be but if you look at the strains we have already had - Alpha, Delta and the like - all have been controlled by vaccines which have greatly decreased the level of deaths and serious disease,' he said. 'It's possible that case numbers may shoot up as new strains come in, but I think we will be in a better position than we are now and certainly than we were one year ago. The marker for New South Wales and Victoria to scrap isolation requirements for household contacts, starting Friday at 6pm, was the end of the Omicron BA.2 peak. Pictured: Sydneysiders out and about once again Victoria's top doctor Dr Brett Sutton (pictured) said although the worst is now behind us, new strains and subvariants will continue to plague Australia and the rest of the world 'I also think a return to any of the harsh lockdown restrictions is very unlikely. Unless of course we get a new strain that goes back to the mortality rate of the original strain. But I don't think that will ever happen.' He said vaccines and breakthroughs in anti-viral drugs along with a range of other new therapies indicate life can mostly return to a pre-pandemic normal. But the virus expert dismisses Scott Morrison's declaration on Tuesday: 'The pandemic has passed.' 'That's not particularly accurate as the virus is still circulating,' Prof Collignon said. 'To put it in perspective, look at the Spanish flu of 1918. It continued to circulate every winter for 50 years until the 1970s, continuing to cause more deaths - but nothing like the first two years. Since the widespread use of the Covid vaccines, case fatality rates have dropped from four per cent in 2020 to 0.09 per cent with more than 95 per cent of the population vaccinated and almost two thirds receiving a booster. Pictured: Sydneysiders take a walk during lockdown in September 2021 'This virus will be similar. I think this virus is going to stay. It will circulate more in winter than in summer. 'We will see different strains but the death rate and hospitalisation rate will be markedly lower than it was for the first two years.' Since the widespread use of the Covid vaccines, case fatality rates have dropped from four per cent in 2020 to 0.09 per cent with more than 95 per cent of the population vaccinated and almost two thirds receiving a booster. NSW and Victoria's decision to ease isolation requirements for household contacts came amid calls from businesses leaders that workforces nationwide were under immense pressure. Pictured: Dr Paul Griffin The often unnecessary shortfall of workers was also creating a major drag on the broader economy. 'Absolutely the timing was certainly right,' infectious disease expert Dr Paul Griffin told Daily Mail Australia. 'It's a real positive now that someone who is well and has tested negative can go to work.' 'But we are still going to have to live with the virus for some time, it's not going to go away and we can't just let it rip or get complacent,' he said. But with the mandatory seven-day quarantine requirement now dropped, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said it may lead to an increase in cases. 'It is important to acknowledge that we are expecting the levels of transmission in the community to still be maintained at high levels,' she said. Embattled ABC host Fauziah Ibrahim spends three days mentally punishing herself if she butchers an interview and can't help but second guess herself following years of 'sexism and racism' in the industry. The under-siege ABC News Breakfast presenter also suffered depression upon returning to Australia in October 2016 following years of working as a news reporter in Asia. Ms Ibrahim spoke at length about her mental health struggles and process for dealing with 'bad interviews' on the And We're Rolling podcast in 2021. In the interview, she credits 'the adrenaline of breaking news' for keeping her in the industry but notes her work is extremely taxing and she doesn't always get it right. She is currently 'taking a break' from her role pending an investigation into offensive comments made on her Twitter account earlier this month. Ms Ibrahim grouped a handful of Twitter followers into two lists on her personal account - 'lobotomised sh**heads' and 'Labor trolls/thugs' - which were left open for the public to see. It came after months of criticism for an interview she conducted with Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. The under-siege ABC News Breakfast presenter also suffered depression upon returning to Australia in October 2016 following years of working as a news reporter in Asia 'I'm not afraid to say, ''yep, I was wrong. I'm sorry, how can I make this better'',' Ms Ibrahim said in the August 2021 podcast, months before her interview with Mr Albanese. She admitted she struggles with confidence, particularly when an interview doesn't run smoothly. 'There are times I've done an interview and thought it was really bad and that I haven't handled myself well. I kick myself for three days after just because I've said something wrong or didn't ask the right questions,' she said. But Ms Ibrahim said she always learns from her mistakes and takes the feedback of her colleagues on board. And even after decades in the industry, Ms Ibrahim hasn't lost her passion for news. If anything, it's greater than ever. Ms Ibrahim had travelled through much of Asia interviewing everyone from the Dalai Lama to terrorists and dictators since landing her first role as a news presenter for a Singaporean radio station in 1999 Embattled ABC host Fauziah Ibrahim spends three days mentally punishing herself if she butchers an interview and can't help but second guess herself following years of 'sexism and racism' in the industry 'It's the adrenaline of breaking news that keeps me in the industry,' she said. 'I became addicted to it. I loved the adrenaline spike.' Ms Ibrahim noted it was an adjustment transitioning from her on-the-ground reporting role with Al Jazeera in Asia to her behind-the-desk role with the ABC. She suffered 'FOMO' (fear of missing out) when returning to Australia primarily due to the fact she was no longer in the thick of international breaking news. Years later, she recognises she was actually suffering from depression at the time. 'It's because I was addicted to the adrenaline and there just wasn't that much in Australia. I missed that... I recognise now that it was depression.' Ms Ibrahim had travelled through much of Asia interviewing everyone from the Dalai Lama to terrorists and dictators since landing her first role as a news presenter for a Singaporean radio station in 1999. While she's proud of all her success, Ms Ibrahim noted she'd faced plenty of racism and sexism over the years, adding it's hard to have confidence as a woman in media. Ms Ibrahim noted it was an adjustment transitioning from her on-the-ground reporting role with Al Jazeera in Asia to her behind-the-desk role with the ABC 'We are constantly being questioned, second guessed, whether we're able to carry something. That glass ceiling is still there,' she said. 'I've faced racism and sexism. That's what this industry is [but] this is a time when the industry is changing and there are efforts being made to right those wrongs.' In spite of the adjustment moving from reporting to hosting, Ms Ibrahim said she's never been happier in a job than she is now at the ABC. 'It's very taxing, but I wouldn't change it. This is the first time in my life I can say I'm really happy about where my career is, the job I have, the intellectual challenges and the physical challenges,' she said. Each Saturday and Sunday, Ms Ibrahim is awake at 3am and in the studio by 4am for a 7am air time. She spends 4 hours on air continuously - there are no ad breaks on the ABC - and is off the air at 11am. By 11.01am, Ms Ibrahim says she's usually a different person from the one on screens in households across the nation. Each Saturday and Sunday, Ms Ibrahim is awake at 3am and in the studio by 4am for a 7am air time. She spends 4 hours on air continuously - there are no ad breaks on the ABC - and is off the air at 11am 'I am a hangry, horrible person to deal with,' she said. 'My executive producer knows that and comes to everybody's rescue by giving me a piece of chocolate.' After a short break, Ms Ibrahim heads directly into an editorial meeting but, by about 11.30am she is 'grunty' and 'loses the power of English'. After a few hours working in quiet solitude and preparing for her interviews the next morning, Ms Ibrahim returns home to her husband and family. 'They're very kind to me... And then I announce I'm going for a nap which means they can't make any noise at all.' Ms Ibrahim has since vanished from her usual role on the show and deleted any reference to the ABC from her Twitter bio. When Ms Ibrahim came under fire over a live TV interview with Mr Albanese back in January, ABC executives strongly backed her 'impartiality'. At the time, Ms Ibrahim was accused of showing 'arrogance and extreme bias' against the Labor Party and speaking over Mr Albanese. But the ABC offered her unwavering support. Ms Ibrahim's interview with Mr Albanese centered on Covid rapid tests and vaccination figures and the presenter was accused on social media of rarely giving him an opportunity to complete a sentence. At one stage, he tried six times to answer a statement she made about Labor 'getting on board' with the Coalition's plan to boost vaccination rates. 'If you'll just wait a minute,' Mr Albanese said as Ms Ibrahim spoke over the top of him. The interview attracted criticism and upset several viewers enough they lodged complaints with the public broadcaster. In the wake of the interview, Ms Ibrahim was the subject of intense and persistent trolling and online bullying. 'Ms Ibrahim's ''interview'' was an absolute disgrace and should cost her her job,' one viewer said after the segment aired. Another said he'd 'previously been an admirer of Ms Ibrahim', but she 'lost him' after the way she conducted herself during the interview. Fauziah Ibrahim was told she would be 'more suited to Sky News' than the ABC after a disastrous interview with Anthony Albanese months before she was ousted for describing her critics as 'lobotomised sh**heads and Labor trolls' In response to complaints made about the interview, the ABC's Head of Audience and Consumer Affairs determined Ms Ibrahim 'conducted [herself] with due impartiality and complied with the ABC's editorial standards'. 'Ms Ibrahim employed the adversarial or 'devil's advocate' approach to interviewing. We are satisfied the interview with Mr Albanese was suitably rigorous and informative, the questions posed by Ms Ibrahim were relevant and based strictly on news value,' the statement read. 'Mr Albanese was afforded ample opportunity to respond to the questions in detail and at length. While rigorous, Ms Ibrahim demonstrated a consistently civil and objective approach.' Just three months later, two controversial lists on her personal Twitter account were unearthed labelling her critics 'Labor Trolls/Thugs' and 'Lobotomised sh**heads'. Social media users who found themselves grouped in the two lists - which were made public on Ms Ibrahim's account - accused her of displaying anti-Labor bias. In the wake of the controversy, Ms Ibrahim was pulled off air. An ABC spokesman insisted she has not been sacked - but is 'taking a break' from TV screens. 'The ABC is reviewing recent social media activity by presenter Fauziah Ibrahim,' the spokesman said. Ms Ibrahim has locked down her social media accounts in the wake of the controversy amid trolling from critics who have labelled her 'trash' and 'disgusting' Military personnel carry out military drills in the border area between the two Koreas in Paju, northern Gyeonggi Province, March 8. Newsis By Lee Hae-rin An Army captain and a virtual assets service CEO have been arrested and charged with leaking military secrets to a suspected North Korean hacker. According to the military, police and prosecution authorities, the cryptocurrency service owner identified by the surname of Lee received a total of 700 million won ($555,000) worth of cryptocurrency on two separate occasions from February to April of last year, in return for winning over personnel from the country's military. Lee and the captain were introduced to the North Korean spy through their acquaintances and communicated through Telegram, an instant messaging app. Lee then bought a digital watch with a hidden camera and sent it to the officer in January via the mail, which he smuggled into the military, the investigation team said. Lee also bought a Poison Tap a USB hacking tool that exploits data from locked computers and used it in an attempt to program military computers remotely with the lieutenant's help. The investigation revealed that the military officer provided the Korean Joint Command and Control System (KJCCS) login information to the North Korean spy but the hack was not successful. The military's digital network was not hacked as it blocked any external access in advance, according to the police. "If the KJCCS had been hacked, a large number of military secrets would have been leaked and led to a serious threat to national security," a military official said. However, the captain was able to share some military secrets such as filmed computer screens showing security regulations and sent them multiple times to the North Korean hacker via Telegram. This is the first time that a military person was won over by a North Korean spy remotely via social media and revealed the country's secret information. In return for the secret information, Lee and the lieutenant each received 700 million won and 48 million won of cryptocurrency, the police and military said. An Idaho former state representative was convicted on Friday of raping an intern when she was 19, concluding an emotional three-day trial that saw the accuser flee the stand in distress in the midst of her testimony, saying: 'I can't do this'. Aaron von Ehlinger, now 39, was accused of one count of rape and one count of forcible penetration with a foreign object. He was convicted on the rape charge, but not the second one. Von Ehlinger showed no emotion as the verdict was read out, but as he was placed in handcuffs and led out of the courtroom, KTVB reported that sweat trickled down his neck. He was accused of attacking the then teenage intern in March 2021, after dinner at a Boise restaurant. He insisted the sex was consensual, but the 12-person jury found him guilty after 11 hours of deliberations. Von Ehlinger could face anywhere from one year to life in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender. His sentencing is scheduled for July 28. Von Ehlinger is pictured being led from court in handcuffs on Friday after being convicted of raping a 19 year-old girl. He will be sentenced on July 28 Aaron von Ehlinger is seen on Thursday, testifying in his rape trial. He insisted the sex with the then 19-year-old intern was consensual Jane Doe said that von Ehlinger placed the handgun he always carried on a dresser near the bed while he raped her Several people embraced in the gallery on hearing the verdict, the channel reported, and one woman began to cry. Jan Bennetts, Ada County prosecutor, said after the verdict was handed down that she hopes the conviction helps encourage other victims to come forward. 'It is incredibly important to show victims that you can come forward and that you will be believed,' she said, adding that the accuser, named only as Jane Doe, showed 'remarkable' courage. Von Ehlinger is pictured in his October booking photo 'I am really proud of her,' she added. The intern had previously suggested that she would find testifying in court difficult. In April last year, speaking to the ethics committee, she testified that von Ehlinger repeatedly approached her when she worked at the Statehouse, once inviting her into his office and visiting her office roughly 10 times. She said she hoped the March 2021 dinner would be an opportunity to network as well as a chance to eat at a fancy restaurant - something that she would never normally be able to afford, as someone who earns $8 an hour. The intern told the jury that appearing in the ethics committee hearing, and all the proceedings leading up to it, had been difficult. 'How do I explain that - vomiting on myself in the bathroom, calling my mom because I'm terrified - how do I explain that to the committee, what you've done to me?' she said about being required to testify. 'I came here fighting and earning your respect. But I don't blame you. I forgive you. You're doing your job, and I am too.' Von Ehlinger is pictured in court on Wednesday - the second day of testimony in his rape trial. His accuser was testifying, but told the judge: 'I can't do this' and fled the court Von Ehlinger is pictured in a photo on his Facebook page, where he shows off his NRA membership Some of von Ehlinger's Republican colleagues named his accuser publicly during the ethics committee hearings, and tried to discredit her. One, Priscilla Giddings, a Republican lawmaker representing White Bird, revealed the teenager's name and other personal details in a newsletter to her constituents, claiming the allegations were a 'liberal smear job'. Giddings, who was also in the committee room, scoffed and laughed at times during the hearing, including when the intern's attorneys suggested that the bullying the intern had experienced would make other women less willing to report sexual assault. In November, the Idaho state legislature formally censured Giddings and voted to remove her from one of her three assigned committees over conduct unbecoming of a legislator. During the hearings, other women said that von Ehlinger had persistently asked them out, with one woman replying that she was married, and a second asking his caucus leader to intervene and warn him that he was being too persistent. Von Ehlinger, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, and who is believed to be single and without children, resigned from the Idaho House of Representatives after the ethics committee recommended he be banned from the Statehouse. In May 2021 he left the U.S. for Central America, and when he returned in September he was arrested. He took the stand in his own defense Thursday, testifying that the sexual encounter had been consensual and that the 19-year-old was a willing participant. 'She never told me no,' von Ehlinger said. District Judge Michael Reardon speaks to attorneys on Wednesday in the Boise courtroom Deputy prosecuting attorney, Katelyn Farley, confers with a colleague during a break in testimony on Wednesday During testimony on Wednesday afternoon, Ada County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Katelyn Farley asked Doe to describe an article of clothing worn by von Ehlinger that day, presumably to identify him to the jury. 'Blazer,' Doe said, taking long looks around the room. When Farley asked her to describe the color of von Ehlinger's tie, Doe answered: 'I can't.' Most of Doe's answers were often one or two words long, and she frequently looked toward the jury or the exit door in the back of the courtroom. At other times her gaze landed on the defense table where von Ehlinger sat with his defense attorney, Jon Cox. Behind the attorneys, the gallery of the courtroom was full. Journalists, representatives from victim services and other onlookers sat side-by-side. One of the benches was reserved for a woman with a service dog - the animals are sometimes used to provide a supportive presence for witnesses who are asked to give difficult testimony. Doe's voice was quiet, and Cox repeatedly interrupted her answers to say that he couldn't hear her. That prompted the judge to repeatedly ask Doe to scoot closer to the microphone, and lean in. 'I need you to look at me,' Farley told Doe, again. 'I can't,' she responded, looking again toward the rear exit door. In response to Farley's questions, Doe said she ate at a restaurant with von Ehlinger and that afterward he drove her to his apartment in his car. Inside, she sat down and had cookies. 'Oreos,' she said. Then, she said, von Ehlinger picked her up and carried her into his bedroom. 'He laid me down ... he removed his clothes ... he climbed on top of me ... in just his boxers. White T-shirt,' Doe said. 'He tried to put his fingers between my legs and I closed my knees.' At that, she stood up. 'I can't do this anymore,' she said, fleeing the courtroom. The judge gave the prosecuting attorneys 10 minutes to find her and see if she would return. When she did not, Judge Reardon told the jurors they had to 'strike (Doe's testimony) from your minds as if it never happened,' because the defense could not cross-examine her. Defense attorney Jon Cox makes arguments during the second day of testimony Von Ehlinger looks on from the defense table during Wednesday's dramatic day in the Boise courtroom Earlier on Wednesday, Jane Doe's mother testified for the prosecution, describing a phone call from her daughter on March 11, 2021, KTVB reported. She said her daughter sounded afraid, and had been crying. The mother told her daughter to report her attack, and Jane Doe went to the assistant sergeant-of-arms for the Idaho House, Kim Blackburn. Blackburn said on the stand that Jane Doe - who she had met as a high school House page the previous year - recounted what had happened and named von Ehlinger as her assailant. Blackburn took the report directly to Speaker of the House Scott Bedke, she testified. Jane Doe underwent a sexual assault exam at FACES of Hope and spoke to Boise Police detectives the same day. Von Ehlinger is pictured on the campaign trial. He resigned in April 2021, following an ethics committee report On Tuesday, jurors heard from police detectives and the nurse who completed a rape examination on Doe roughly 48 hours after she said the assault occurred. The nurse testified that Doe told her that she tried to stop von Ehlinger's sexual advances by saying she hadn't shaved, that she wasn't on birth control and that she was menstruating. Doe also told her that von Ehlinger had placed the handgun he always carried on a dresser near the bed, and that he pinned Doe during the assault by climbing on top of her and kneeling on her upper arms. The detectives and nurse also told jurors that Doe reported she told von Ehlinger 'no' during the assault and said he was hurting her. The nurse said Doe reported arm pain during the exam, and that she had a swollen 'goose egg' on the back of her head that she said happened when she tried to jerk her head away from von Ehlinger's crotch, hitting the wall or a headboard. Jurors also heard from forensic scientists who said that DNA from bodily fluids collected during Doe's rape exam matched von Ehlinger. During any normal course of events, the investigative antennas of officers at Durham Constabulary would surely have been twitching wildly. Angela Rayner originally claimed not to have attended Sir Keir Starmer's notorious 'beer and pizza' bash at a constituency office last April. Months later she is forced to admit she was there after all. So why would she deny it? The only plausible explanation is that Labour's deputy leader knew full well the gathering breached lockdown rules. Yet with risible hauteur, Durham police say it won't be looking into the matter. Even the Prime Minister's most virulent critics must agree its decision smacks of appalling double standards and a shameful dereliction of duty. Angela Rayner originally claimed not to have attended Sir Keir Starmer's notorious 'beer and pizza' bash at a constituency office last April. Months later she is forced to admit she was there after all When Mr Johnson and his staff were found to have had a few drinks after work, fines were issued and several careers subsequently destroyed. But when Sir Keir and his cronies are snapped doing exactly the same thing, it's a case of 'move on, nothing to see here'. Labour's leader maintains he was simply taking a short break at a work event. But are we really to believe that at 10.04pm, after alcohol had been consumed, Starmer and his colleagues packed away their pizza boxes and continued with their work? The idea stretches credulity. As for Durham police, their decision to look the other way is hardly surprising. Their original investigation into the alleged wrongdoing was a joke. A video was cursorily studied. No one was interviewed. Meanwhile, the local Labour police and crime commissioner has (surprise, surprise) declined to get involved. She was even pictured in a cosy set-up with Sir Keir. When Boris Johnson and his staff were found to have had a few drinks after work, fines were issued and several careers subsequently destroyed. But when Sir Keir and his cronies are snapped doing exactly the same thing, it's a case of 'move on, nothing to see here' It is hard not to feel that this whole sorry saga is being orchestrated by officials who are supposed to be politically neutral. As we report today, a barrister advising Sue Gray's Partygate report is a card carrying member of the Labour Party who has publicly attacked Boris Johnson. So much for impartiality! Sir Keir has spent months moralising over the Prime Minister's lockdown indiscretions. And he has done so while cynically exploiting the grief of those who lost loved ones during the pandemic. At the same time, he has wasted hours of parliamentary time when MPs have had far more pressing matters to deal with. If he had an ounce of integrity, Sir Keir would now announce a full and independent inquiry into his own rule breaking. Otherwise, accept the charge of being a sanctimonious, chateau-bottled hypocrite. Time to fix HRT crisis For millions of women HRT has been nothing short of a Godsend. Since it was introduced in the 1960s, the drug has transformed the lives of those suffering from the menopause who would otherwise have had to endure misery and discomfort through middle age. Unprecedented demand however has led to supply issues. So desperate do some women become to avoid crippling menopausal symptoms that they resort to the black market to secure supplies. The scandalous HRT postcode lottery, which sees some drugs available only in certain parts of the country, must cease immediately. (File image) That's why today we are joining the Mail on Sunday's 'Fix the HRT Crisis' campaign and call on the Government to make four key changes that will end the menopause misery for good. One of our demands is to scrap the absurd practice which prevents pharmacists dispensing alternative substitutes if the prescribed HRT is out of stock. The scandalous HRT postcode lottery, which sees some drugs available only in certain parts of the country, must also cease immediately. We urge Health Secretary Sajid Javid to heed our campaign and end this HRT hell. Britain's women deserve nothing less. A 28-year-old mother of a 14-month-old boy has been charged with his murder and locked up in a secure psychiatric unit over fears for her mental state. Sara Jade McCullock is accused of killing her son Jason inside their Balclutha Crescent home at Madora Bay, south of Perth, sometime between Tuesday and Wednesday. McCullock, dressed in a sweatshirt and tracksuit pants, appeared in silence at Perth Magistrates Court where it was revealed she had undergone a psychiatric assessment at Rockingham Hospital, reported The West Australian. She appeared emotionless in court when magistrate Michelle Pontifex told her she had been charged with murder and asked if she understood. Her lawyer Joanne Oliver told the court her concerns for her client's mental health had been confirmed by the assessment at Rockingham Hospital. McCullock was ordered into custody at Perth's only secure mental health facility at the Frankland Centre for a week until she is due back in court. A 28-year-old woman charged over the murder of a 14-month-old boy has been identified as his mother (pictured, Sara Jade McCullock) Sara Jade McCullock is accused of killing her child Jason inside their Balclutha Crescent home at Madora Bay, south of Perth between Tuesday and Wednesday Neighbours said they called police after they heard shouting and doors banging. Officers found the boy unresponsive and gave him emergency first aid but failed to revive him. Midwife Shan Preston told the local newspaper the death 'just makes me feel sick. 'It genuinely hurts me to think about. He was just so little,' she added. 'Its just horrible.' McCullock had made a series of Facebook posts gushing over her son including one celebrating his first birthday in February. Officers found the boy unresponsive and gave him emergency first aid but failed to revive him 'Happiest 1st Birthday to my little man Jace. Love you,' she wrote. The post included a photo of her son smiling with birthday cake smeared all over his face and hands. Another post showed Jason wearing a Billabong rashie and bucket hat while he sat on a picnic blanket and played with a stick. 'Cuteness overload,' the caption read. Her profile page was filled with photos of luxury cars and collectible vehicles. She took to Facebook to post a cryptic quote to her page on April 23. 'Do you ever wonder how much you exist in other people's lives?' the quote read. 'I'm always curious if people think of me when a certain song comes on, or when they pass through a certain town.' Jason is understood to have been living at the home with his mother and grandmother. Neighbours described McCullock as quiet and said she 'kept to herself'. 'We didn't even know someone was living there until Monday night, when we heard music playing in the front room,' one said. Shattered next door neighbour Stan Grostate was one of the last people to see the toddler alive. Neighbours described McCullock as quiet and said she 'kept to herself' 'We didn't even know someone was living there until Monday night, when we heard music playing in the front room,' a neighbour said of McCullock and her family He held the little boy on Tuesday night so his mother could have a cigarette. 'It's devastating. He was such a cute little boy,' Mr Grostate said. 'He smiled a lot, and used to play with my cat whenever they came over. 'He had just started walking.' Rodney, who lives nearby, said news of the death had left him shocked. 'When I was told a baby died my gut hit the floor,' he said. 'I went inside and had a cry.' Forensic police at the Madora Bay home in Perth where a 14-month-old boy was found dead on Wednesday The sonorous Tory MP and handsomely paid barrister Sir Geoffrey Cox has worked hard representing the government of the British Virgin Islands, which is beset with allegations of cronyism and misuse of public money. But yesterday that lucrative job, which cemented Coxs position as Britains highest-earning MP and saw him escape lockeddown Britain for a luxury villa in the tropical sun became a little more interesting. For the premier of the BVI, Andrew Fahie, sensationally faces multi-million dollar drug smuggling and money laundering charges in the US. Mr Fahie, 51, who has spent months angrily rejecting allegations of corruption in the notorious tax haven, was arrested at Miami airport on Thursday after a sting operation by Americas Drug Enforcement Administration. The sonorous Tory MP and handsomely paid barrister Sir Geoffrey Cox (pictured) has worked hard representing the government of the British Virgin Islands, which is beset with allegations of cronyism and misuse of public money He was charged with conspiracy to import at least 5kg of a cocaine mixture and conspiracy to launder money. The director of the BVIs ports, Oleanvine Maynard, and her son Kadeem, were also arrested and charged. Mr Fahies arrest came just a day before a British inquiry into corruption allegations published its own damning findings, recommending a two-year suspension of the BVI constitution and direct rule by the UK-appointed governor. The people of the BVI have been badly served in recent years. Very badly indeed, it said. But the end of his rule looks like the least of Mr Fahies problems. The 19-page prosecution statement released in Florida reads like a script for a Hollywood thriller, with speedboats, shell companies, Lebanese Hezbollah operatives and an undercover agent posing as a Mexican cartel member. And at the centre is Mr Fahie, a controversial and polarising politician who, prosecutors say, demanded an upfront payment of $500,000 in cash for helping to smuggle cocaine to Miami and New York, while also complaining to an undercover agent that Britain didnt pay him much. The BVIs governor, John Rankin, said I realise this will be shocking news for people in the territory, stressing the US allegations were unconnected with UK commissions investigation. However, behind the official horror at the alleged activities of a man elected to govern some 30,000 British citizens, theres likely to be grim satisfaction in Whitehall at the plight of a Caribbean politician who has been accused of stoking anti-British feeling for political advantage. When in January 2021, outgoing BVI governor Augustus Jaspert appointed a senior British High Court judge, Sir Gary Hickinbottom, to investigate allegations against the BVI government, Mr Fahie accused the UK official of damaging and reckless behaviour. Mr Jaspert said hed discovered evidence suggesting corruption that stretched to the top of the BVI government and even possible involvement with drug traffickers. US prosecutors maintain that Mr Fahie was brought into the criminal conspiracy after an undercover DEA agent met a group of self-proclaimed members of Lebanons terror group Hezbollah on the BVI island of Tortola in late 2021. The agent, posing as a member of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, claimed he needed help moving thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia through Tortola, then laundering the proceeds. Hezbollah members suggested he meet both Mr Fahie and Mrs Maynard. The agent met the latter first, and it is alleged that after he outlined his plan, she told him she was confident Mr Fahie would come on board. You see with my premier, hes a little crook sometimes hes not always straight, Mrs Maynard allegedly told the agent in a recording. She and her son Kadeem later said theyd spoken to Mr Fahie, who said he would handle the ports and airports but demanded a $500,000 initial payment. He later asked for an extra $38,000 in cash to repay a debt to a mystery Senegalese man who had fixed political issues for him. Mrs Maynard also said Mr Fahie, who was skittish because of the UK inquiry, had given her code words to use when discussing the plan when they met in Tortola earlier this month, Mr Fahie allegedly told the undercover agent he was worried about being caught, saying: It took me 20 years to get here and I dont want to leave in 20 minutes. They drove together to a meeting at a large, very nice, stone house, with Mr Fahie complaining during the journey that the British didnt pay him much. The agent told Mr Fahie his cartel wanted to use Tortola ports to transport 3,000kg of cocaine per shipment. The drugs would be hidden inside 5kg buckets of water-proofing paint, court papers say. Mr Fahie and Mrs Maynard were allegedly offered 12 per cent of the value of the cocaine sold in America, whereupon the premier pulled out a calculator and worked out that the total would come to $78million, making their cut worth more than $9million. The agent said he was told that secretive BVI shell companies of which there are more than 370,000 could be used to conceal criminal proceeds. British Virgin Island Premier Andrew Alturo Fahie who was arrested on drug smuggling charges in a sting set up by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration According to prosecutors, the undercover agent also offered to help fund Mr Fahies reelection campaign and asked him to allow him to have a hand in choosing Mr Fahies successor to ensure the continuity of their drug operations. He also unveiled a plan to allow BVI police to start occasionally seizing low-quality brown cocaine and money to make it look like Mr Fahie was fighting drug-trafficking. According to the court papers, Mr Fahie laughed and told him he had thought of everything. However, the premier was still suspicious and needed reassurance the other man wasnt an undercover agent. Mr Fahie said the British had been trying for years to get him out of office,' court papers say. According to the agent, it was agreed that Kadeem would ferry the first shipment in from the neighbouring island of St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands in his speedboat. His mother explained how they used a corrupt private jet company to bring in drug money. On Wednesday, the conspiracy allegedly moved to Miami, where the parties met in a hotel and ironed out final details and money arrangements. Mr Fahie, who said he had a friend involved in moving guns and cocaine, also disclosed that he believed in magic and witches, and how to read lies in people, prosecutors say. The following day, it is alleged, the informant took Mr Fahie to the airport and ushered him on to a supposedly BVI-bound private jet containing $700,000 for him and Mrs Maynard that had been put into designer shopping bags. As they left the plane, Mr Fahie was arrested, reportedly asking: Why am I getting arrested, I dont have any money or drugs? As Mr Fahie cools his heels in a US jail cell, his lawyer, Tory politician Sir Geoffrey, moved swiftly yesterday to distance himself from Mr Fahie and to stress that he was not advising him in the US. The MP for Torridge and West Devon, who was paid more than 1million last year to work as a lawyer for clients including the BVI government, caused outrage after it emerged that, as the rest of the UK lived under Covid lockdown, he flew to the Caribbean and was put up at a 3.1million villa overlooking a secluded bay. Although Cox was referred to the Commons anti-sleaze watchdog, he denied breaking the rules and it was decided last December that he would not be investigated. The former Attorney Generals role in advising a controversial administration as it tried to defend itself against allegations from his own Tory Government did him no favours. Yesterday, he released a statement insisting that Mr Fahie is not and has never been my client. Instead, he said he was instructed by solicitors Withers to advise various BVI government ministries including the office of the premier in connection with a public inquiry that at the time involved no criminal charges of any kind. And he reiterated that while a barristers job was to give objective legal advice and representation, it implies neither approval nor disapproval of his clients conduct. The drugs charges will come as little surprise to islands where locals say cocaine-smuggling is rampant and often carried out by those who should be fighting it. In late 2020, BVI police raided the Tortola home of a fellow officer and found more than 180million worth of cocaine 2.3 tons, reportedly the largest land-based cocaine seizure in British history. Corrupt islands cannot be left to rule themselves by Tom Witherow for the Daily Mail A bombshell report has recommended direct rule by a UK-appointed governor after uncovering widespread corruption in the British Virgin Islands. An inquiry, led by senior British judge Sir Gary Hickinbottom, heard allegations of systemic cronyism and misuse of millions of pounds of public cash in the tiny territory, whose residents include Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson. The findings were rushed out yesterday after the islands premier Andrew Fahie was arrested in a Miami Vice-style sting operation in the United States. Sir Gary found that officials had spent millions in state cash without checks, and there was widespread abuse of official appointments and serious dishonesty at the top level of government. He said: With limited exceptions, the people of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) have been served badly in recent years. Very badly indeed. Premier Andrew Fahie with his wife Sheila The findings drew comment from Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Cox, who has worked for hundreds of hours to defend the BVIs government against allegations of corruption. Yesterday the former attorney general sought to distance himself from Mr Fahie, despite the disgraced premier singling Sir Geoffrey out for praise. In a 946-page report, Sir Gary made 45 recommendations including a series of criminal investigations, a corruption probe into the countrys customs officials and the suspension of the constitution. If the move is backed by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, the BVIs elected officials could be suspended for up to two years. Governor John Rankin, effectively the Queens representative in the BVI, would then become responsible for running the territory, which has a population of 30,000. Miss Truss has dispatched a minister and is expected to make a decision within weeks. She said Mr Fahies arrest was extremely concerning and underlines the need for urgent action. Describing the move as a last resort, Sir Gary said suspending the constitution is the only way the relevant issues can be addressed. He added: It is only with the most anxious consideration that I have been driven to the conclusion that such a suspension is not only warranted but essential if the abuses which I have identified are to be tackled and brought to an end. The report was not linked to Mr Fahies arrest, and the British Virgin Islands Commission of Inquiry did not hear evidence on the islands role in the illegal drug trade. Commissioner Sir Garys report said: The principles of good governance are ignored. Decisions are made by elected officials, usually ministers, on the basis of no criteria, or patently inadequate or unpublished criteria, or criteria which are as often as not ignored. It added that there was a chronic lack of governance and pillars of governance have been treated with disdain. The Commissioner found issues with seven sample projects, totalling over 17.5million, three of which involved the premier, Mr Fahie, who was elected in 2019. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officers display part of the 1280 kg (2822 pounds) of cocaine, which is worth an estimated $37 million, seized in a routine patrol during a media presentation in San Juan a few years ago In these cases he recommended two criminal investigations in addition to two existing probes. At least 224 people were illegally granted residency status, offering pathways to full British citizenship, he found. Crown Land was sold off on the cheap in deals that were seriously dishonest, the report said. There were issues with the allocation of 12.7million of Covid support by Mr Fahies office and a potentially criminal attempt to prevent pay-outs being audited. He did not make a finding on personal bribes, but said it would be frankly surprising if there were no such corruption. The Commission also heard claims that 29million of cash for families struggling in the pandemic was handed out to political allies. It had also been claimed that 5.1million was given to an airline for direct flights to the US which never flew, and 730,000 was spent on a wall at a high school in a corrupt contract. The contract was split between 70 contractors to keep it under disclosure limits, and 40 of the companies had no constructors licence. The Commission was ordered by the countrys former governor, Augustus Jaspert, to investigate the corruption, abuse of office, and other serious dishonesty. It began hearing evidence in April last year. Vladimir Putin is set to declare 'all-out war' on Ukraine 'within days' to enable Russia to launch a general mobilisation of the population, according to Russian sources and Western officials. Russian troops entered Ukraine at the end of February in what Putin called a 'special military operation' to demilitarise and 'denazify' Ukraine and barred the use of the word 'war', thinking it would be over in a few weeks. However, army chiefs - frustrated that the invasion has now stretched into the third week - have called on the Russian president to declare war which would enable a mass mobilisation of Russian troops and an escalation in the conflict. Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that the Russian president might use Russia's victory day parade on May 9 to announce the mass mobilisation of his reserves for a final push in Ukraine. It comes as ex-Nato chief Richard Sherriff warned the West must 'gear itself up' for a 'worst case scenario' war with Russia in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is set to declare 'all-out war' on Ukraine 'within days' to enable Russia to launch a general mobilisation of the population Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that the Russian president might use Russia's victory day parade on May 9 to announce the mass mobilisation of his reserves for a final push in Ukraine. Pictured: Russian military vehicles take part in a rehearsal of Victory Day military parade marking the 77th anniversary of the end to World War 2, at Red Square in Moscow, Russia on April 28, 2022 Local resident and social worker Oksana Khvostenko, 47, stands near her house, which was heavily damaged during bombing in the southern port city of Mariupol A Russian military source told the Telegraph: 'The military are outraged that the blitz on Kyiv has failed. 'People in the army are seeking payback for failures of the past and they want to go further in Ukraine.' Earlier this week, the Russian military was said to be furious that Putin had downsized the invasion of Ukraine and called for a new escalation of the conflict. Speaking on Friday, Mr Wallace said Putin may declare a new war against the world's 'Nazis' at the victory day parade which sees Moscow mark the end of Russia's involvement in the Second World War. With Putin's military having failed in their first wave of military objectives, Moscow has re-focused its efforts on seizing both the east and southern coast of Ukraine. However, as in the first months of the invasion, Russian forces are being met with heavy Ukrainian resistance from Kyiv's determined armies. Some analysts had predicted that Putin wanted to be in a position where he could declare some form of victory on May 9. But with Russia's victory day parade now less than two weeks away, that is looking less likely. Instead, Mr Wallace told LBC Radio that Putin could use the occasion to declare a new war on who he would call the world's Nazis to galvanise his populace in another push against the Ukrainian defenders. 'I would not be surprised... that he is probably going to declare on May Day that "we are now at war with the world's Nazis and we need to mass mobilise the Russian people",' Mr Wallace said on Friday morning. While several countries, including the UK, mark VE Day - the anniversary of the allied victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War - on May 8, Russia marks the data on May 9 due to the time difference. The end of all combat actions came at 23:01 Central European Time on Tuesday May 8, 1945 - which was already May 9 in Soviet Bloc countries, including in Russia. Mr Sherriff today said Russia was likely to double down on its approach to Ukraine, insisting to its people that it is the right approach. He told BBC Radio 4: 'The worst case is war with Russia. By gearing itself up for the worst case, it is most likely to deter Putin because ultimately Putin respects strength.' Russian serviceman carries a flag before a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia April 28, 2022 Mass graves and bodies of civilians mowed down in the streets have been uncovered in areas like Bucha (pictured) after the Russians were forced to retreat. Ukraine's allies have massively stepped up support for Kyiv as fierce fighting rages in the east, with Kyiv's generals today saying that Russia is suffering 'colossal' casualties in the pivotal battle for Donbas. Oleksiy Arestovych, a Ukrainian secret service veteran-turned presidential adviser, acknowledged his military is suffering 'serious losses' on battlefields in the east but insisted that Russia's casualties are 'much, much worse'. Russia is pouring troops into the battle in Donbass in an effort to force a bloody victory having been defeated in its initial aim to storm in Kyiv, topple the government, and install a puppet regime loyal to Moscow. After it became apparent they did not have sufficient force to take the capital, Russia's generals yanked their units out, patched them up as best they could, and then threw them back into the fight in Donbas. They also adapted their tactics - abandoning precision missile strikes and rapid advances which saw them mauled around Kyiv in favour of slow advances behind walls of blanket artillery in similar tactics to WW1 trench warfare. The move has been met with mixed success. Ukraine has acknowledged losing control of some towns and villages, but has made gains elsewhere in counter-attacks. Earlier this week, Putin vowed to use nuclear weapons against any country that dares to 'interfere' with Russia's war in Ukraine. Mr Wallace said that the UK doesn't feel 'rattled' by Putin's threats, and instead hailed the NATO alliance of 30 nations 'who outgun him'. Ukrainian servicemen rest on an armoured personnel carrier as they make their way along a highway on the outskirts of Kryvyi Rih Ukrainian servicemen at their position, close to Luhanske village of Donetsk area Ukrainian servicemen Nazar and Oleksii are seen in a trench, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues in a village in Donetsk region Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that the war in Ukraine could drag on for another five to ten years. Many Ukrainians see the war as having already lasted eight, after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and backed separatists in the eastern Donbas region, where fighting has raged since. The UK government said on Friday that it was deploying about 8,000 troops for exercises across eastern Europe in a show of strength after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The months-long drills in countries stretching from Finland to North Macedonia also involve allies including France and the United States, defence officials said in a statement. Britain is deploying 72 Challenger 2 tanks and 120 armoured fighting vehicles along with artillery guns, helicopters and drones for the exercises, some of which are already underway. Britain has been supplying missiles to Ukraine to fight back against Russia, and says it is ready to help with tanks and planes via partners such as Poland. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Wednesday that 'the whole of Ukraine' must be liberated, including Crimea, after the peninsula was seized by Russia in 2014. Elon Musk accused Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of flirting with him after she raged that his purchase of Twitter had stoked hate crimes. 'Stop hitting on me, Im really shy,' he wrote, adding a blushing emoji to go along with it. Musk was replying directly to a tweet sent by the Democrat Representative earlier on Friday, which suggested he'd only bought the platform at the behest of Fox News host Tucker Carlson and his PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. 'Tired of having to collectively stress about what explosion of hate crimes is happening bc some billionaire with an ego problem unilaterally controls a massive communication platform and skews it because Tucker Carlson or Peter Thiel took him to dinner and made him feel special,' she tweeted. AOC later replied to Musk's dig by claiming she was actually referring to Facebook and Instagram owner Mark Zuckerberg. She wrote: 'I was talking about Zuckerberg, but ok,' then deleted the tweet a minute later. It is unclear why she removed the message, with the Bronx and Queens representative yet to comment further. Elon Musk clapped back at Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after he accused him of potentially inciting hate crimes with his purchase of Twitter 'Stop hitting on me, Im really shy,' he wrote, adding a pink-faced emoji to go along with it AOC later responded to Musk's tweet claiming she was referring to Mark Zuckerberg, but deleted the message around a minute later Analysis from earlier this week showed how right-wing figures had seen their followers rocket after news of Musk's takeover, with the opposite happening to famous liberal tweeters Earlier in the day, Ocasio-Cortez took exception to Musk's claim that the 'far left' had taken over the Democratic Party in recent years after he posted a graphic showing what he saw as the straying of the party left since 2008. 'The extreme left is taking over WHERE,' she wrote. 'In Texas, Republicans passed a law allowing rapists to sue their victims for getting an abortion. Can anyone name a far left policy that extreme implemented anywhere? We cant even get our party to import cheaper RXs from Canada. foh.' Musk's purchase of Twitter - which was confirmed on Monday - has sparked howls of outrage from many progressives online, while conservatives have welcomed it. The entrepreneur has said he disagrees with censorship and bans Twitter currently levies on users who post what it deems 'harmful content' or misinformation. Musk says he favors 'time outs' for rule-breakers, rather than outright bans. He also tweeted his disapproval of Twitter's $17m-a-year lawyer Vijaya Gadde and blasted her for censoring the New York Post's October 2020 exclusive about Hunter Biden's laptop. Initially dismissed as 'misinformation' - with some liberals even querying whether it was a concerted campaign by Russia - the contents of the computer have since been authenticated. Musk shared this image earlier this week suggesting he'd gone from being left of center to right of center because of how extreme many progressives' views have become His behavior has sparked howls of outrage from many of Twitter's current staff-workers, who tend to skew liberal. They've vowed to quit the platform when Musk takes over in around six months - although the tycoon is likely planning widespread staff cuts to boost profitability anyway. He is said to have discussed firing current CEO Parag Agrawal, who earned around $30 million in 2022, and will likely bring in his own board. Musk also shared a meme earlier this week suggesting that his personal politics have moved from center left to conservative, because many liberals have grown so extreme in their woke views. The tweet Elon Musk replied to is pictured, top, with the tycoon's scathing attack on Vijaya Gadde's behavior right underneath And days after his purchase, prominent conservative tweeters noticed their numbers begin to soar, while famous liberals saw sharp drops in their follower numbers. Among the biggest beneficiaries was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has gained around 400,000 new followers since Tuesday. Meanwhile, AOC has seen her followers slump by more than 15,000 in the last four days. Conservatives have long suggested Twitter 'shadow-bans' them, and makes it harder for people to see their tweets. They've suggested the algorithm used to punish them has been changed before Musk joins to avoid angering him. Twitter insists the rises and falls in follower numbers are organic - and claims many right-wingers have flocked to join the platform after Musk's purchase, while liberals infuriated with the deal have made good on promises to leave it. Musk sold off a total of $8.5 billion in Tesla shares in recent days, new regulatory filings on Friday showed. The filings double the previously reported amount of the fire-sale, which Musk is presumably conducting in order to fund his $21 billion cash commitment in a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Though Musk is the richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of $246 billion, most of his fortune is tied up in stock, and it had seemed clear he would have to sell off some assets to fund the Twitter takeover. About half of Musk's selloff of Tesla shares was made on Tuesday. Musk sold another $4.4 billion in the stock on Thursday, the new filings show. On Thursday night, after the first round of share sales became public, Musk tweeted: 'No further TSLA sales planned after today'. Tesla stock, which dropped 12 percent as he made his initial stock dump earlier this week, popped 6 percent in morning trading on Friday following Musk's vow not to sell the remainder of his stake. To complete the Twitter takeover, which is due to close by October, Musk has committed $21 billion in cash, $13 billion from Morgan Stanley in traditional bank loans and another $12.5 billion from the bank and others in margin loans. Elon Musk sold off a total of more than $8.4 billion in Tesla shares in recent days, new regulatory filings on Friday showed Even after the sale, Musk still owns about 16 percent of Tesla, a stake worth $143 billion Tesla stock, which dropped 12 percent as he made his initial stock dump earlier this week, rose on Friday following Musk's vow not to sell the remainder of his stake It's unclear why Musk decided to liquidate part of his 17 percent stake in Tesla so far in advance of the deal's expected closing date. In total, sold about 9.6 million shares this week, according to the filings on Thursday and Friday, equating to 5.6 percent of his stake in the company. Musk still owns about 16 percent of Tesla, a stake worth $143 billion. After taxes, Musk will make about $6.5 billion from his latest stock sale, and made about $3 billion in profit from another big sell-off late last year. That leaves roughly $10 billion in cash he will still need to meet his equity requirement for the Twitter deal. It is not clear how he will cover the remaining equity financing. Musk holds a 44 percent stake in unlisted rocket company SpaceX that is reportedly valued at $100 billion. A journalist has died after a Russian missile destroyed her flat during the UN chief's visit to Kyiv. The body of producer Vira Hyrych, who worked for US-funded Radio Liberty, was recovered from the rubble yesterday. Ukrainian officials said the mother of one, 54, was getting ready for bed when the ballistic missile hit the building on Thursday, shortly after UN secretary general Antonio Guterres labelled Russia's invasion 'evil and absurd' in a nearby press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky. A journalist has died after a Russian missile destroyed her flat during the UN chief's visit to Kyiv. The body of producer Vira Hyrych (above), who worked for US-funded Radio Liberty, was recovered from the rubble yesterday Ukrainian officials said the mother of one, 54, was getting ready for bed when the ballistic missile hit the building on Thursday, shortly after UN secretary general Antonio Guterres labelled Russia's invasion 'evil and absurd' in a nearby press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky (both pictured) At least two Russian missiles hit Kyiv during Mr Guterres's visit, leaving at least ten people injured. Radio Liberty president Jamie Fly said Hyrych's death was 'senseless'. Salim Mehajer will sell his luxury home featuring a $1million staircase with the disgraced property developer owing $24million to creditors. Mehajer has handed over the keys to the six-bedroom, five-bathroom and four-storey home on 14 Frances St at Lidcombe, in Sydney's west. It is one of two properties he has been forced to offload after he declared bankruptcy in 2018. Mehajer had attempted to block the sale of the two homes by the National Australia Bank before his application was rejected by the Federal Court in December. The luxury home was made famous after its million-dollar staircase was featured in a rap video made by US artist Bow Wow. Salim Mehajer will sell his luxury home featuring a $1million staircase as the disgraced property developer prepares to pay back creditors $24million The luxury home was made famous after its million dollar staircase was featured in a rap video made by US artist Bow Wow Mehajer had attempted to block the sale of the two homes by the National Australia Bank before his application was rejected by the Federal Court in December (pictured, ex-girlfriend Melissa 'Missy' Tysoe) A Swarovski crystal chandelier, jacuzzi, private sauna, 13-car basement and home theatre are also included in the luxury mansion. The property was bought for $565,000 in March 2007. A $25,000 pool and spa was then added in 2009. The property was valued at $3million in 2017 and is expected to fetch around $3.5million. The potential value could make it the most expensive property in the suburb beating the previous record of a house that sold for $2.851million in November. Mehajer boasted about the design of the house in an Instagram post made in 2017. 'Did you know I designed, built and hand picked every single item in the house, from the screws that are (in) the hinges to the light bulb luminosity,' he wrote. The house was put up for sale in May and November 2012. A Swarovski crystal chandelier, jacuzzi, private sauna, 13-car basement and home theatre are also included in the luxury mansion The property was bought for $565,000 in March 2007 before a $25,000 pool and spa was added in 2009 The potential value could make it the most expensive property in the suburb beating the previous record of a house that sold for $2.851million in November 'A masterpiece luxurious house!!' the listing read. 'Be surprised by the exceptional lifestyle this masterpiece has to offer. 'Undoubtedly it is one of the most impressive homes built in Lidcombe. Set over 4 levels this architectural achievement is styled to showcase opulent interiors and stunning finishes. 'Open the doors to a grand entrance where you are greeted by a marble sweeping staircase with curved glass and a custom made Swarovski crystal chandelier.' NAB said the bank was in possession of the house and that agents have been appointed to look after it, realestate.com.au reported. Mehajer is currently residing at Cooma Correctional Centre. He was found by a magistrate to have lied under oath to further his business interests and was handed a two year and three month sentence in 2021. Russian forces are advancing at a snails pace in Ukraine as commanders maps are half a century old and their weapons are misfiring, Western officials said yesterday. Clutching charts printed in the 1970s, frustrated Russian top brass are taking territory at a rate of just half a mile a day. Their intended targets do not appear on these maps as many structures were erected more recently. Moscows soldiers are reduced to guessing where to fire rockets, so missiles are missing their targets and endangering more civilians. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced yesterday Britain will send war crimes experts to help the Ukrainian government with investigations into Russian atrocities. The team will support the government in Kyiv in gathering evidence and prosecuting war crimes and will include experts in conflict-related sexual violence. Clutching charts printed in the 1970s, frustrated Russian top brass will be fearful of Putin (above) for taking territory at a rate of just half a mile a day Russian forces are advancing at a snails pace in Ukraine as commanders maps are half a century old and their weapons are misfiring, Western officials said yesterday. Above: A Ukrainian soldier stands on a destroyed Russian tank Mass graves and bodies of civilians mowed down in the streets have been uncovered in areas like Bucha (pictured) after the Russians were forced to retreat. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced yesterday Britain will send war crimes experts to help the Ukrainian government with investigations into Russian atrocities They will arrive in neighbouring Poland early next month to examine how they can assist. Last night a Western official said of Moscows ground offensive: Russian forces are using antiquated mapping, some of it from the 1970s. 'So the maps do not represent the target sets they are attempting to strike. 'Weapons are proving less accurate than they hoped, putting towns and villages at risk. In some villages not a single building remains intact. Yet Russian losses remain greater than Ukrainian losses and these losses are affecting the will of Russian soldiers to fight. The nature of Russias tactics have been crass, compounding problems caused by political inference. 'So there are some introspective moments when they wonder how and why everything has gone wrong. Russian troops outnumber Ukrainians roughly three to one in eastern Ukraine, where decisive battles are expected to be fought in the coming weeks. But Russia has made slow progress in its bid to capture the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, with a major breakthrough proving elusive, according to intelligence reports. Logistical issues are continuing to plague Moscows troops despite their operations now being confined to Ukraines east. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea /Yonhap The National Fire Agency (NFA) and the National Police Agency (NPA) have refused to accept a recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) to remove the age limit for career counseling positions, the rights watchdog said Friday. In November, the commission recommended the NFA and NPA revise regulations that allow only those aged 40 and below to apply for experienced counselor positions. However, the two agencies rejected the recommendation, saying the age restriction is needed because the job position requires up to two years of fieldwork following employment and applicants may be given jobs other than counseling after three to five years of mandatory service as counselors. The commission said the age limit is considered a type of employment discrimination, calling upon the agencies to put in more efforts to make a change. It is not rational to set an age limit believing people aged 40 cannot do fieldwork and because of the possibility of job transfers after mandatory service as the applicants are assessed on their health and physical ability in the hiring process, the NHRCK said. (Yonhap) Roman Abramovichs superyacht fleet faces being mothballed imminently as Bermudan authorities prepare to withdraw the flag they sail under, an insider has revealed. The 533ft Eclipse and 456ft Solaris, along with at least two support vessels, are among 1billion worth of assets that would be unable to sail. Eclipse and Solaris are anchored in Turkey at present to avoid being impounded under international sanctions elsewhere. Meanwhile 220ft Garcon and 180ft Halo are in Antigua, where their ownership is under investigation. None will be able to depart for other destinations or even neighbouring ports if they lose their Bermudan registration. The 533ft Eclipse (above) and 456ft Solaris, along with at least two support vessels, are among 1billion worth of assets that would be unable to sail And in a growing sign of how sanctions are hitting the Russian billionaire, contractors are refusing to carry out routine maintenance while blocks by banks mean the ships are unable to refuel and frustrated staff are going unpaid. The whole fleet is under the Bermuda flag and they are in the process of being de-registered, a source told the Daily Mail. We dont know when it will happen. All we know is that its imminent. Without a flag, youre not allowed to sail. The captain would be arrested. Theres also a fuel shortage. When you pay millions of pounds to refuel boats, it goes through banking channels and it gets rejected. Heads of department have been told to refrain from big purchases and to keep crew supplies to a minimum, although the food is still really good, the source said. The withdrawal of contracting services means megayachts are unable to get shore-side help for routine maintenance. Morale among the fleets 200 crew members has hit rock bottom as most have not been paid since February, the source added. Roman Abramovichs superyacht fleet faces being mothballed imminently as Bermudan authorities prepare to withdraw the flag they sail under, an insider has revealed First they were told two to three days. Then five to ten days. Then after that, there was just silence, the insider said. People have been made redundant with promises of redundancy packages but then received not a cent. On Solaris, 30 people have left with redundancy packages. So, of 50 crew on board and 20 on leave at any time, thats almost half who have gone. And its the same throughout the fleet. Superyacht crews are not in breach of sanctions, but seafarers union Nautilus International warned increased compliance checks by banks had become a major issue for staff salaries. Head of yacht section Derek Byrne said: A number of crew aboard Roman Abramovichs yachts have approached us due to non-payment of wages. The whole fleet is under the Bermuda flag and they are in the process of being de-registered, a source told the Daily Mail. Solaris is pictured above He added: External service provisions have been impacted and even the supply of fuel and equipment has reduced or ceased. Some yachts have lost their class and are required to secure this, along with new insurance and potentially transfer of flag registration, which is seemingly not a straightforward process. The loss of the flag means vessels are almost certainly illegal to sail and stuck in ports, he said. Bermuda is a British overseas territory, allowing craft registered there to fly its version of the Red Ensign. The flag of convenience allows yacht owners to fly a national flag without being a resident or citizen of Bermuda while avoiding higher taxes and tougher regulations elsewhere. It also gives vessels benefits such as protection of the Royal Navy and consular assistance. Ian Hodge, of the Merchant Navy Association charity, recently described use of the Red Ensign on oligarchs vessels as an embarrassment. Abramovichs fleet has been on the run since the threat of sanctions first surfaced after Russias invasion of Ukraine. Solaris, rumoured to have a missile detection system, was being repaired in Barcelona in early March when staff reportedly tore down scaffolding to escape authorities. Both yachts are now anchored off Turkeys south-west coast. Solaris is near the town of Yalikavak, while Eclipse, which has two helipads, is off the town of Dalaman. Bermuda has been criticised for failing to take action against superyachts controlled by proscribed Russian oligarchs. The Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority failed to respond to requests for a comment. Last month a spokesman said it had ten registered vessels associated with high-profile Russian nationals. Abramovich was briefly in Istanbul last month, according to flight tracking data, but it is not known if he boarded his yachts. His representatives were repeatedly contacted for a comment. The Duke of Sussex's autobiography is due to be released in autumn - leaving friends speculating whether it will mention his stepmother Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Prince Harry's autobiography - which is due to be published in October - promises to be 'a first-hand account of my life thats accurate and wholly truthful'. It is widely anticipated to showcase his memories of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, and the breakdown of his parents' marriage. According to one friend, Prince Harry 'needs a new target and [Camilla] will do'. 'I'm sure he will say some unkind things about her, or try to make her a "baddy", but that doesn't mean it's real,' the friend told The Telegraph. Regarding claims that the Prince has vowed to shun his father's coronation, the friend added: 'If the strategy is to create drama, this creates drama.' Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following a Trooping the Colour Ceremony The relationship between Prince Harry and his stepmother is just one of the subjects touched in Royal biographer Tina Brown's recent book Palace Papers, which claimed he felt resentment towards her. The book went further in stating that the Duke was 'very angry' following this year's announcement that Camilla would become Queen when her husband ascends the throne. Brown added that Prince Charles' estranged son, who lives in California with wife Meghan Markle, 40 and their children, Archie and Lilibet, is likely to voice his frustration in his upcoming memoirs. Brown 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.' Friends are speculating that Prince Harry may reveal further criticisms of his family in his autobiography, out in October Prince Harry's relationship with his stepmother is said to have deteriorated after his public criticism of his father. But sources have suggested the pair's relationship was not always strained in the past, with one saying his typical attitude towards her was 'acceptance, occasional pangs of guilt and ambivalence'. After Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, first moved to Britain, her husband's stepmother was said to be the first to invite her to lunch. One royal source told media that it would be a 'surprise' to read the Duke of Sussex pointing criticism at the Duchess of Cornwall. But friends are speculating that having openly complained about his father and brother, she is the next 'easy target'. 'It's another story that has not been shut down that allows the saga to continue,' one said. The Sussexes' own 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. The Sussexes' biographer insisted Prince Harry only wants to speak positively about the Queen in his memoir 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.' 'Of course, his story is so much more than just the few years of his life as the Duke of Sussex. 'I think for people expecting that warts and all moment, it's not going to happen. That said, it's still going to be fascinating.' The Royal Family has been left deeply concerned by Harry's decision to secretly collaborate with Pulitzer-winning ghostwriter JR Moehringer on what his publishers described as 'the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped shape him'. The Sussexes team have been approached for comment. A female corrections officer and a capital murder suspect vanished after she picked him up for what she claimed was a mental health evaluation - only for her co-workers to learn no such appointment had been scheduled. Vicky White, assistant director of corrections for the Lauderdale Sheriff's Department, picked up Casey Cole White, 38, from a detention center on Friday morning at 9:30am, armed with a 9mm handgun. The corrections officer said she was due to take Casey White - who is not related to her - to a mental health evaluation. But on Friday afternoon, Sheriff Rick Singleton of Lauderdale County said that there was no scheduled mental health evaluation. Vicky White's car was found abandoned at a shopping center at 3:30pm, and the pair have not been seen since. 'I am extremely, extremely concerned that he is not in custody,' said Chris Connolly, Lauderdale County district attorney - adding that the FBI is assisting with the search, in addition to state and local authorities. 'This is a very dangerous situation.' It is unclear if White is in any danger, with investigators yet to say whether they think she colluded with White to bust him out of jail, or whether she has fallen victim to an abduction. Casey White was facing the death penalty for the October 2015 murder of Connie Ridgeway, 58, in her home in Rogersville, Alabama. Vicky White, assistant director of corrections for the sheriff's department, was missing on Friday evening, having collected Casey Cole White (no relation) from prison Connie Ridgeway is pictured with her sons Austin and Cameron. She was murdered in October 2015 in what her killer said was a contract hit. No motive has ever been given Ridgeway was found stabbed to death in a killing that shocked the town of 1,500 people, 50 miles west of Huntsville. It remains unclear why she was killed. People said she was known for her friendliness and willingness to help others, and the community for many years held a vigil every October in her memory. Casey White was arrested in December 2015, then aged 32, following a crime spree across Tennessee and Alabama. In one night, he staged a home invasion, two carjackings and multiple shootings that left a dog dead and a woman injured. The crimes were followed by a chase, where speeds reached more than 100 miles per hour, WHNT reported. It ended with a stolen car stuck in a field south of Huntsville, and officers - who were evidently well known to him - pleading with him to put down his gun and give himself up. White got out of the vehicle with a gun and threatened to shoot officers and himself unless he could speak with Limestone Sheriff Mike Blakely. Body-cam footage shows deputies attempting to get White to surrender by offering him smokeless tobacco and Sun Drop citrus soda while they waited for Blakely to arrive. Police are pictured in December 2015 taking Casey White into custody after a wild rampage across Tennessee and Alabama that ended in a 100mph car chase, and his stolen car stuck in a field White is seen during the hearing in the case of Ridgeway's murder in 2020 Casey White was found guilty of a total of nine charges, including trying to kill his ex-girlfriend and kidnapping her two roommates. Other charges included first degree robbery, first degree burglary, third degree burglary, breaking and entering a vehicle, animal cruelty for shooting a dog and attempting to elude. He was sentenced in April 2019 to 75 years in prison. In June 2020, he wrote to Lauderdale County requesting a meeting with the sheriffs office, and confessed to killing Ridgeway - providing a detailed description of the crime scene. He said he was paid to kill her, although no motive for hiring a hitman has ever been disclosed. In October 2020, Casey White, aged 37, appeared in court for an arraignment hearing, and requested to stay at the Lauderdale County Jail instead of going back to prison, WAFF reported. His request was denied, after authorities said they believed that he was plotting to escape the Lauderdale County Jail. They had found a makeshift knife, stashed in the showers, and suspected White was intending on using it to force someone to let him out. 'We got information yesterday that he had made a shank and he intended to escape today and take a hostage,' said Connolly, Lauderdale County district attorney, during the hearing. 'Our deputies did a great job. 'Found the shank and eliminated that threat this morning so we obviously aren't equipped to house somebody like that for that long term in our jail, so we are happy that the judge ordered him to go back to the department of corrections.' White, having confessed, then pleaded not guilty, on grounds of insanity. Cole Goldberg, 23, has been arrested and charged with first-degree attempted murder 90 Day Fiance Caroline Schwitzky's boyfriend has been charged with attempted murder over claims he tried to drown her after they argued on a boat. Cole Goldberg, 23, who had been dating 32-year-old Schwitzky for about a year, was arrested earlier this week in West Palm Beach by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in West Palm Beach. He faces first-degree attempted murder charge and battery and was released on $60,000 bail. Schwitzy herself was arrested by cops following the drowning incident on an outstanding warrant. Witnesses detailed in a police report seen by the New York Post how they observed Goldberg and Schwitzky arguing while out on a boat. Schwitzky attempted to get off the vessel but Cole 'was grabbing her very aggressively' to keep her on the boat. Cole Goldberg, 23, had been dating 32-year-old Schwitzky for about a year Schwitzky, 32, jumped off a boat in West Palm Beach, Florida as witnesses say she attempted to escape from Goldberg following an argument and struggle that lasted some 20 minutes Schwitzky, a mother-of-three and CEO of Miami talent agency Urge was also arrested and booked for an outstanding warrant in another county. She was released within hours on a $1,000 bond Schwitzky punched Goldberg on his arms in an attempt to escape during a struggle which lasted 20 minutes. She then jumped into the water and swam to a nearby boat, according to witnesses. But Goldberg allegedly did not want to let her get away and jumped into the water after her whereupon he is alleged to have tried to drown her. She was only saved after a bystander by the name of Matt Paris jumped into the water and intervened. A police report detailed how Schwitzky was left with bruises on her arm. Goldberg, who was released on bond is next expected to appear in court on May 25. Schwitzky, a mother-of-three and CEO of Miami talent agency Urge was also arrested and booked for an outstanding warrant in another county. She was released within hours on a $1,000 bond. July 1: Gabby Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie left Blue Point, New York for a cross-country road trip August 12: Police in Moab, Utah respond to a domestic incident involving the couple Aug. 17: Laundrie allegedly flies back to Florida to 'clear out a storage unit' Aug. 21: Petito's father, Joseph Petito, has his last FaceTime video call with his daughter who was in Salt Lake City, Utah Aug. 23: Laundrie flies back to Utah to 'rejoin Gabby' on their trip Aug. 24: Petito is last seen at a hotel in Salt Lake City with Laundrie Aug. 25: Petito makes final call to her mother, Nichole Schmidt, saying she was in Grand Teton National Park Aug. 25 or 26: The couple chats with the owner of a shop called 'Rustic Row' in Victor, Utah for about 20 minutes Aug. 27: Video of Petito's van was taken by blogger Jenn Bethune around 6.30 pm at the Spread Creek Campground; Witnesses say they saw a 'commotion' with the couple at Merry Piglets Tex-mex restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming Aug. 29: The day that Wisconsin TikToker Miranda Baker claimed that she and her boyfriend were approached by Laundrie at Grand Teton National Park and asked them for a ride at 5.30pm Aug. 30: Schmidt receives the last text from Petito's phone: 'No service in Yosemite' Sept. 1: Laundrie returns to his parents' home in North Port, Florida in a van without Petito Sept. 6-7: Laundrie and his parents visit Fort De Soto campsite in Florida Sept. 11: Schmidt reports Petito missing to authorities in New York; Petito and Laundrie's van was impounded by police in Florida that same day Sept. 12: Grand Teton National Park rangers search for Petito Sept. 13: Laundrie's lawyer says on October 5 that his parents now 'believe' this was the day they last saw him heading for a hike Sept. 14: Laundrie issues a statement about Petito's disappearance through his lawyer; Laundrie's parents claim on September 17 that Laundrie left his parents' home for a hike this day and they hadn't seen from him since Sept. 15: Laundrie is officially named a person of interest in Petito's case Sept. 17: Laundrie family attorney confirms his whereabouts are unknown Sept. 18: North Port police and the FBI start searching the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County for missing Brian Laundrie Sept. 19: Bethune realizes she has video of Petito's van around 12am and submits the FBI with the footage 10 minutes later; Officials announce a body was found near Grand Teton National Park that matched Petitos description in the afternoon Sept. 21: Coroner confirms remains found in Grand Tetons belong to Petito. Her death is ruled a homicide but her cause of death is still under invesetigation Sept. 20 - 22: FBI and North Port police continue search for Laundrie in Carton Reserve Sept. 22: Neighbors say they saw the Laudrie family pack up their detached camper on the day Gabby was reported missing. DailyMail.com photos show the camper was back in the driveway two days later, on September 13 Sept. 23: FBI issues an arrest warrant for Laundrie for 'use of unauthorized access device' for fraudulently using a Capitol One Bank debit card that was not his between August 30 and September 1 to spend $1,000; A probe is launched into the police handling of the Utah police incident on Aug. 12; Laundrie's parents visit their attorney in Orlando Sept. 25: Dog the Bounty Hunter joins the search for Laundrie Sept. 26: A funeral is held for Petito in Holbrook, New York, and her family launch a charity to help parents find missing children Sept. 27: Manhunt for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve is scaled back after 10 day search doesn't find him. Dog the Bounty Hunter says Laundrie and his parents stayed at Fort De Soto Park from September 1-3 and September 6-8 - and that on the latter visit only the parents left Sept. 28: Laundrie's mom is accused of using a burner phone to contact her son Sept. 29: Documents reveal Laundrie's mom canceled a reservation for the Fort De Soto Park campsite for two from September 1 to 3 and booked for three from September 6 to 8; FBI seizes surveillance footage from site; FBI investigates lead Laundrie bought a burner phone on September 14; Sept. 30: Bodycam footage from a second officer at the August 12 incident is released showing a distressed Petito admitting Laundrie hit her; FBI agents collect more evidence from the Laundrie home Oct. 1: It emerges Laundrie's sister had contact with him after she said she did Oct. 2: A hiker along the Appalachian Trail claims to have seen Laundrie near the border of Tennessee and North Carolina Oct. 3: Investigators searched the area on the Appalachian trail for any signs that Laundrie had been there Oct. 4: Laundrie's sister told protestors outside her home that her family has been ignoring her after they rebuked her story and that she does not know where her brother is Oct 5: Laundrie's sister appeared on Good Morning America to say she would turn her brother in if she knew where he is; Oct. 7: Laundrie's father Christopher joins FBI agents on the search for his son at the Carlton Reserve but the search brings up no clues Oct. 12: Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue announces autopsy findings which show Petito died by strangulation; No specific date of death was given - only that she was dead 3-4 weeks before her body was found Oct. 16: Petito's parents are seen collecting her ashes from the Valley Mortuary in Jackson, Wyoming October 20: Human remains found in Carlton Reserve October 21: FBI confirm the body found belongs to Brian Laundrie. A notebook, backpack and dry bag are also found near the body Advertisement A massive tornado crashed down in Andover, Kansas on Saturday, tearing through homes, power lines and community centers as it destroyed at least 100 structures. The storm brought extensive damage to the city of Andover, where it leveled houses on Andover Road and damaged the Capital Federal Amphitheater and the local YMCA, which saw part of its roof collapse, KWCH reported. There have not yet been reports of any injuries. Local residents and storm chasers in the area captured pictures and video of the storm and aftermath, with one man filming the moment the tornado hit power lines, lighting up the sky in violent flashes of light. Moments later, the storm chaser reaches the area the tornado passed through, revealing rows of homes devastated by the twister. Brandon Whipple, mayor of the neighboring Wichita which is providing aid to Andover, said that about 50-100 buildings have been damaged in Andover by the storm. Scroll down for video: A huge tornado was snapped looming menacingly over homes in Andover, Kansas on Friday evening. At least 100 structures were destroyed by the twister, although there have not yet been reports of any injuries A massive tornado crashed down in Andover, Kansas on Saturday evening as counties throughout the state issued warnings Three vehicles were tossed in front of the Andover YMCA building, which was left devastated by the tornado Homes throughout the city were devastated as the tornado passed through. Pictured, a cul de sac ransacked by the storm Homes in the tornado's path were heavily damaged, with others completely leveled by the twister A man is seen coming out of his house and assessing the damage that took down an entire wall and part of the roof The Andover YMCA also sustained heavy damages as part of its ceiling collapsed as the storm passed through Destructive tornado tearing through Andover KS minutes ago pic.twitter.com/O5KL1Zdcrk Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) April 30, 2022 The Greater Wichita YMCA said that the Andover branch would be closed due to the damages but that none of the employees were hurt in the storm. 'The Andover YMCA suffered significant damage as a result of the storm that hit the Andover area this evening. We are thankful that all of the staff and members that took shelter at the branch at the time of the storm, were not injured.' A Snapchat user with the handle Aaryn also captured video of the aftermath in his neighborhood as neighbors came out to check up on each other. The video shows the houses on the block heavily damaged, with some completely leveled as Aaryn can only say, 'Oh my god. This whole cul de sac is gone.' Counties across the state issued tornado warnings on Saturday, with twisters appearing and dissipating throughout Kansas, including Wichita, Sedgwick and Butler. Andover, which is located in Wichita County, appeared to be the hardest hit area. Neighboring cities have dispatched emergency workers to assist Andover. Many residents and storm chasers captured multiple angles of the tornado as it came crashing down A snapchat user filming the aftermath in his neighbor lamented that his cul de sac was practically gone Tornadoes were spotted throughout Kansas with the Andover storm traveling through Wichita, Sedgwick and Butler Saturday's storm comes days after the 31st anniversary of the deadly F5 tornado outbreak that struck Oklahoma and Kansas in 1991. The deadly storms lasted two days and killed a total of 21 people, 17 of which were in Andover alone. Wichita Interim Police Chief Lem Moore said authorities are working to assess the damage caused by Saturday's tornado and urged travelers to stay away from the city. 'Emergency services want to focus on the families in Andover and not have to manage people wanting to drive by to see the damages,' Moore said in a statement. One Nation will preference the Liberal Party in every seat in Queensland in a massive blow for Labor in the upcoming election. The move means the Opposition will have a more difficult time winning crucial seats in the Sunshine State and being able to form a majority government. The party was predicted to have chances of winning the marginal Longman and Leichhardt electorates but their odds have now narrowed. One Nation will preference the Liberal Party in every seat in Queensland in a massive blow for Labor in the upcoming election The LNP will also put One Nation as its second preference in the Senate vote Pauline Hanson said part of the driving force for the decision was the Opposition party's 'Mediscare' campaign, Courier Mail reported. 'Anthony Albanese can't simply fly into Queensland and scare the hell out of pensioners with Labor's lies that the current government will place them on the cashless welfare card,' she said. 'Nor can he get away with allowing his backbenchers in the Senate to tell coal miners that One Nation has taken away their right to permanent jobs in the industry.' The LNP will also put One Nation as its second preference in the Senate vote. Senator Hanson will still preference Labor over the Liberals in key electorates outside of Queensland. The decision comes as she accused the Coalition of doing a 'dirty deal with the devil' by telling voters to preference the Jacquie Lambie Network in the Tasmanian Senate race. Senator Hanson will still preference Labor over the Liberals in key electorates outside of Queensland Senator Hanson said she would also look to punish Liberals in marginal seats, particularly in Victoria. 'Unfortunately, left-leaning Liberals aren't giving conservative Australian voters much reason to hope their party will act differently to Labor,' she said. One Nation will preference Labor over Liberals in inner-city electorates where coalition candidates are facing challenges from independents, such as Goldstein and North Sydney. But One Nation says it still plans to support Liberal conservatives and Nationals over ALP candidates. While One Nation has indicated where its preferences would go to in key seats, it is still only a suggestion to voters ahead of the election. The decision to preference Labor in key seats outside of Queensland comes as Senator Hanson accused the Coalition of doing a 'dirty deal with the devil' by telling voters to preference the Jacquie Lambie Network in the Tasmanian Senate race A study of how-to-vote card use in 2016 and 2019 showed less than five per cent of One Nation voters followed the party's card. Prime Minister Scott Morrison appeared less concerned about Senator Hanson's decision, rebuffing suggestions coalition MPs could be disadvantaged at the election. 'There's further information to come on that, particularly in relation to Queensland, there's different arrangements in different states and territories,' Mr Morrison said on Thursday. 'That's just all politics, what matters is the choice Australians have to make.' A kindhearted baggage handler who was filmed comforting a puppy before it was loaded onto a plane has been gifted two business class tickets by Virgin's CEO. The Perth crew member named Chad was praised around the world after footage of him speaking to one-year-old dachshund Cooper before he flew to Melbourne went viral. Channel Seven reporter Jacqui Felgate recorded the special moment when Chad sat next to the dog and then followed it on the conveyor belt right up until being loaded onto the plane. CEO of Virgin Australia Jayne Hrdlicka decided to make a trip to Perth to thank Chad for his kindness to the pooch, gifting him with two round-trip business flights. Perth baggage handler Chad (pictured with his dog Murphy) was praised around the world after footage of him speaking to one-year-old dachshund Cooper before he flew to Melbourne went viral 'That obviously gives you the ability to bring along a friend ... I know you've been getting lots of offers from amazing women around the world,' Ms Hrdlicka said to a very chuffed Chad. Ms Felgate later spoke to the baggage handler asking the 'dog whisperer' what he told little Cooper. 'I was just reassuring him and asking him if he was ready to board, just like the passengers get asked up at the gate,' Chad said. CEO of Virgin Australia Jayne Hrdlicka decided to make a trip to Perth to thank Chad for his kindness to the pooch, gifting him with two round-trip business flights Baggage handler Chad is seen spending the time comforting Cooper as he is boarded on the plane at Perth Airport 'I said ''Coopy mate, you'll be fine, hope you have a safe flight, we'll see you on the other side''.' Chad thanked everyone for the support on his Instagram page, adding he ensures every animal going on a trip gets the 'royal treatment'. 'It is a scary environment for them. I try my absolute best to calm them, water them and give them some pampering before they are placed inside the aircraft,' he said. Cooper is seen inside his travel cage before being loaded onto the plane at Perth Airport The video of Chad escorting Cooper onto the plane, which was posted on TikTok and Instagram, has received more than three million views. The owner of the puppy, Cheyenne, commented praising the actions of the worker and for making their whole trip a lot easier. 'Thanks for calming him, he's not the biggest fan of flying, so seeing you take time to sit with him was really heart-warming.' Chad responded: 'I spent some time with him in the staging area for freight, prior to delivery to bay. 'In the staging area, I like to check on all pets, give out all the scratches willingly taken and try to befriend them.' 'That way a familiar face greets them out on the busy tarmac later when we load them.' The beloved baggage handler also revealed he was single. A high school photo of Lacey Ellen Fletcher, 36. The coroner told the DailyMail.com the horrific scene of the disabled woman covered in urine, feces, and insect bites A colleague of a Louisiana man accused of abandoning his 36-year-old disabled daughter to die on the living room couch has said he is 'shocked' by the horrific allegations. Lacey Fletcher was found dead in January. She suffered from Locked-in Syndrome, leaving her unable to move her muscles, and her parents were her primary caregivers. She was found dead, fused to a living room couch, and covered in insects and her own bodily fluids. Her father Clay Fletcher, 65, and his wife Sheila, 64, are now facing second-degree murder charges. John Potts, program director of the Baton Rouge Civil War Roundtable - where Clay Fletcher worked - said he was stunned by the news. Asked by KTAL News for his reaction, Potts replied: 'Shock. Because it doesn't match with my experience of him. 'He's completely different than what you would expect of someone like that to be.' Potts said: 'The details are horrific, there is no doubt about that, and I can't conceive of how something like that can even happen.' John Potts, who worked with Clay Fletcher on the Baton Rouge Civil War Roundtable, said he was stunned by the horrific news An undated photo of Clay, 65 and Sheila, 64, Fletcher standing in front of their Christmas tree Lacey Fletcher was found partially naked, sitting upright and submerged in a hole in a couch covered from head to toe in urine, liquid feces and insect bites. There were live bugs and rodent excrement nearby - but the home in Slaughter, Louisiana, was otherwise tidy, said Dr Ewell Dewitt Bickham III, East Feliciana parish coroner. 'The scene was sickening,' he told DailyMail.com. 'I've seen some horrible things in my life but nothing like this.' Bickham, a medical worker since the 1970s, said that she had bed sores that went all the way down to her bone. Neighbors and friends said they never knew the couple had a daughter. 'He mentioned that she passed in January, and that's all I know of that,' said Potts. Lacey suffered from Locked-in Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder characterized by complete paralysis of voluntary muscles, except for those that control the eyes. Police arrived at the ranch-style home in the suburb north of Baton Rouge on January 3 after the parents called 911 because Lacey wasn't breathing, prosecutors said. The parents were supposed to be the girl's care providers, but Bickham said she had not been to a physician in 20 years. 'It's unconscionable, something you make horror movies about,' he said. WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE A photo of the 2-story home located on Tom Drive where Lacey lived with her parents Shelia and Clay Fletcher, pictured, will face a grand jury on Monday after their 36-year-old daughter Lacey Ellen was found dead at their home in January. Medics will be on standby at the hearing because of the graphic nature of the details and photographs that will be presented to them When he arrived at the home, he described the stench being so bad that, 'it would almost run you out of the house.' He told DailyMail.com that he knew it was a 'potential crime scene,' and immediately called his detective. 'The parents were in the kitchen. They did not have an explanation,' he said. He ruled her death a homicide and cause of death as medical neglect. He recorded the official time of death as 3:07 am on January 3, 2022 but said he believes she was deceased at least 24-48 hours prior. Sheila Fletcher has worked as a police and court clerk in Baker and more recently as an assistant to the city prosecutor in Zachary, report said. According to her LinkedIn page, Sheila was a Slaughter official who resigned her post on the town's Board of Aldermen on January 24, three weeks after her daughter's death. She served for four years, most recently as mayor pro team. State business filings show Clay Fletcher is an officer of the nonprofit Baton Rouge Civil War Roundtable, which has a mission 'to educate and foster an appreciation for the sacrifices made by all during the Civil War.' Sheila Fletcher resigned from her position on the town board three weeks after daughter's death Clay Fletcher, shown with Sheila in undated photo, is an officer of the nonprofit Baton Rouge Civil War Roundtable, which has a mission 'to educate and foster an appreciation for the sacrifices made by all during the Civil War' A photo showing a close-up of the leather couch Lacey was fused to. The coroner estimates that Lacey was sitting in that hole in the couch for the last 12 years The couple's lawyer, Steven Moore, was unavailable for comment on Thursday when DailyMail.com contacted him. However, on Wednesday, Moore issued a statement on his client's behalf, BPProud reported. 'They don't want to relive the pain of losing a child through the media. 'They have been through a lot of heartache over the years. Anyone who had lost a child knows what it's like,' Moore said. On Monday, Bickham will present the case to a grand jury, in the hopes of charging the parents in the death of their daughter. 'I probably won't even have to open my mouth - the pictures will show it,' Bickham said. He added: 'The jurors are storekeepers, farmers many have never been exposed to this stuff so I asked that a medical team be outside the courtroom.' District Attorney Sam D'Aquilla told the DailyMail.com that the parents were never taken into custody because they're not considered flight risks. A 12-person jury will be in a closed session at the court house in Clinton, where they will decide on charges of manslaughter, negligent homicide or second-degree murder, he said. 'Negligent homicide is zero to five years; manslaughter is zero to 40 years and second-degree is life in prison. I will ask for second-degree because they didn't do what they were supposed to do,' he said. D'Aquilla confirmed to DailyMail.com that Lacey's parents were her primary caretakers, and that she did not have an aide. 'We don't treat animals or neglect our animals in that way. If you have an animal in that condition you take them to the vet,' he said. D'Aquilla told the DailyMail.com that Lacey had some issues that she went to see a psychiatrist for back in 1999 or early 2000s and that she had been anti-social. He said that in 2011-2012, her parents claimed that she did not want to leave the house and had not been to a doctor. He said that Lacey's parents claimed that she was able to communicate with them and that she apparently never complained. 'If you are not capable of providing the care than get help,' he said. 'We want people to know that if you are a caregiver of someone you need to pay attention is it important for neighbors and the community to look out for each other. We hope this never happens again.' According to a 2020 U.S. census, 882 people live in Slaughter, a town in East Feliciana Parish. Many of the homes are spread out over acres, so when news of Lacey's death broke many in the community were stunned with some having no idea that Clay and Shelia Fletcher even had a daughter. 'They are appalled,' said the coroner who spoke to some of the neighbors. 'Some of these people were churchgoing friends who had no idea that there was another person in that house. Haunting images show a California woman heading on an OKCupid date she never returned from, with her family frantic with worry two weeks on. Leslie Ben-lesau, who turned 42 the Saturday after she vanished, was said to have been picked up on the morning of April 15 but then she disappeared without trace. On Friday, grabs from security footage were shared showing Leslie later the same day, outside Orchid Thai Restaurant & Bar in Sacramento. She was then seen walking up 16th Street towards the University of Beer bar. The person Leslie was supposedly meeting up with from the online dating site went by the name, Bea. New photos have been released of Leslie Ben-lesau who had arranged to meet a date at the Capitol in Sacramento on April 15 but then vanished without trace Leslie was seen by surveillance cameras at the Orchid Thai Restaurant & Bar in Sacramento She was then seen walking up 16th Street towards the University of Beer bar Leslie Ben-lesau (pictured) has been missing for nearly two weeks after texting her sister to say she was going on an OkCupid date Sister Caroline said Leslie's phone has been off ever since and she has not read any of her family's concerned messages On the morning of her date, Leslie had texted her sister to tell her of her plans. Sister, Caroline, said Leslie's phone has been off ever since and she has not read any of her family's concerned messages or birthday texts. Leslie had apparently arranged to meet her date near the Capitol building in Sacramento. The family are desperate for any information that might help find her. Caroline told Fox40: 'She told me there was somebody on the way to come pick her up. 'And she would keep me informed. She would keep in touch and let me know. And that's the last I heard from her. 'I text her back, and I could see that message wasn't going through, which is not like my sister. 'She would've at least turned her phone on. Even if she didn't always reply right away. She would have her phone on.' Leslie's other sister Khandaria Alexander added: 'Every day it feels like there's another moment that something could be happening to her. 'Our family is just breaking down. We can't eat. Every second I feel like who knows where she could be. It's just so scary. Leslie, who turned 42 the Saturday after she vanished, said she was being picked up by her date on the morning of April 15 but then disappeared 'If anybody uses this site, OkCupid, I would like them to reach out if they have any information on a person that goes by the name of Bea.' Police said there is no evidence yet of foul play and they believe Leslie left her home on the morning of April 15. Her phone company said 8.45am that day was the last time she connected to the network. Leslie, who was described as 'loving and trusting', has suffered mental health issues before but her disappearance is still very uncharacteristic, her family said. Anyone with information is urged to call Sacramento police. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Won In-choul speaks at a luncheon meeting of the country's military leaders hosted by President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae, April 29. Yonhap Outgoing President Moon Jae-in called for the military to maintain a watertight defense posture Friday, expressing concerns that North Korea's continued testing of weapons may put the Korean Peninsula back into a crisis as incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol takes office. Moon, who is set to leave office May 9, made the remarks at a luncheon meeting with high-ranking military officials, Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement. "Given various signs shown by North Korea, including the recent launch of an ICBM, the crisis on the Korean Peninsula could become severe again," Moon told the military officials. Moon said North Korea may revive its old pattern of brinkmanship, as shown in 2017 when it launched ICBMs and conducted a nuclear weapons test, at a time of power transition in South Korea. Guy Sebastian will testify against his former agent next week over allegations he embezzled more than $1million from the pop star. Sebastian is set to be cross-examined when the trial with ex-agent Titus Day kicks off on Monday at Sydney's Downing Centre Court. Day has pleaded not guilty to the charges which include obtaining financial advantage by deception. The hearing is expected to last for four weeks and comes two years after Day's arrest when it was alleged he stole from Sebastian between 2013 and 2020. Guy Sebastian will testify against his former agent Titus Day (pictured together) next week over allegations he embezzled more than $1million from the pop star Sebastian is currently on tour for his recent T.R.U.T.H. album and is appearing on Seven's The Voice. The former Australian Idol winner will reportedly appear in court for two weeks. Police claimed that Guy had entrusted Day to manage his income while they worked together. Sebastian parted ways with his longtime manager during an 'emotional meeting' in November 2017. The successful duo had worked together since 2005, two years after Guy triumphed as winner of Australian Idol. Sebastian (pictured with wife, Jules) is set to be cross-examined when the trial with ex-agent Titus Day kicks off Monday at Sydney's Downing Centre Court Speaking about the ordeal in a sit-down interview with SBS program The Feed in October, Guy reflected on why his rift with Titus was particularly painful. 'Management relationship, it's very unique. You have to bare all of your weaknesses and warts and all for them to effectively manage you,' he explained. 'And so you become very close, but in particular in this instance, our kids were best friends.' Day's lawyer has previously said the father-of-three's arrest had ruined his reputation. It's the sanger mantrap which has butchered careers at home and abroad - and Labor leader Anthony Albanese diced with political death on Saturday when he awkwardly tackled a sausage sandwich on camera. On the campaign trail in Perth, the image of the Opposition Leader tucking into the snag roll sparked flashbacks to his predecessor, Bill Shorten. On the day of the 2016 federal election, Mr Shorten horrified a nation when he launched into a roll and sausage from the side, instead of the traditional end first approach. The image, from Strathfield North Public School in Sydney's inner-west, quickly went viral on social media, with many saying it helped Labor lose that election. But Mr Shorten wasn't the first politician to have their eating style critiqued. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese aggressively tucks into a sausage sandwich when on the campaign trail in Perth on Saturday Former Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's unusual approach to eating a sausage sandwich back in 2016 saw him the subject of ridicule on social media In the UK, then Labour leader Ed Miliband was photographed in 2014 devouring a bacon sandwich when out buying flowers for his wife. The image became legendary after it appeared on the front page of a national UK newspaper, destroying his credibility among the British public. Miliband later resigned as Britain's Labour Party leader after being defeated by Tory Prime Minister David Cameron in the general election. London Evening Standard photographer Jeremy Selwyn snapped the now infamous images, and knew he had struck gold. Former UK Labour leader Ed Miliband was photographed in 2014 devouring a bacon sandwich at a flower market - it proved to be a defining moment in his career - for all the wrong reasons Ex Greens leader Richard Di Natale was also photographed in 2019 'attacking' a democracy sausage 'As soon as anybody famous starts to eat in front of you, as a photographer you start switching on immediately,' he told the Huff Post. 'It's obvious that it's not your glamour shot.' In 2019, the then-Greens leader Richard Di Natale was photographed 'attacking' a sausage with gusto - complete with toppings including mustard, onions and tomato sauce. The image, from federal election day in Melbourne at St Kilda, became a hit online due to Di Natale's clear enthusiasm for the snag - but he still lost his leadership role the following year. Albanese will be hoping he doesn't suffer a similar fate to the previous political sandwich-lovers of the past at the Australian federal election on May 21. Advertisement Russian state TV has brazenly simulated how Vladimir Putin would launch a nuclear strike on three capital cities in Europe, declaring there would be 'no survivors', in response to comments made by the UK's Armed Forces Minister supporting Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure. Hosts on Channel One's 60 Minutes programme announced the cities of London, Paris and Berlin could be hit within 200 seconds of nuclear missiles being launched, as tensions ramp up amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. It comes as ex-Nato chief Richard Sherriff warned the West must 'gear itself up' for a 'worst case scenario' war with Russia in Ukraine, amid reports the Russian president could use the country's victory day parade on May 9 to declare 'all-out war' on its neighbour. On Thursday's show the chairman of the nationalist Rodina party, Aleksey Zhuravlyov, pondered what would happen if Russia launched nuclear weapons against the UK, saying: 'one Sarmat missile and the British Isles will be no more.' When pulled up on the comment by one of the hosts, he insisted he was 'saying this seriously', while another host added that the UK has nuclear weapons too and that 'no one will survive in this war'. Producers on the show then showed viewers a map seeming to suggest missiles could be launched from Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave between Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic Sea. It suggested these could reach Berlin in 106 seconds, Paris in 200 seconds and London in 202 seconds. It comes as the UK and other western nations continue in their support for Ukraine, with allies providing equipment, military vehicles and weapons to the beleaguered country. In response to the western support of Ukraine, war-mongering Putin ordered the military to test-fire its Sarmat missiles, which are also known as Satan II. Last week Putin bragged that his country's hypersonic missiles could 'break through all modern defences' and could be ready to strike the UK 'by autumn'. Producers on the show put up a map appearing to show how long it would take for Russian missiles to hit the UK, France and Germany if launched from Kaliningrad Aleksey Zhuravlyov, chairman of the nationalist Rodina party, angrily declared that the UK was 'accusing us (Russia) of state terrorism' on Channel One's 60 Minutes show Co-host of the show Evgeny Popov urged caution, saying 'no one will survive in this war' if nuclear weapons are used between Russia and the UK Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured here at a meeting in Moscow on April 20, has ordered the army deploys its nuclear-capable 'Satan II' missile this autumn The alarming remarks were made on the show, which is one of Russia's most watched TV programmes, while hosts and guests discussed comments made by James Heappey, the Armed Forces Minister, in which he said strikes by Ukraine on Russian soil would be 'legitimate' if they disrupted supply lines. The show has been hosted by wife and husband Olga Skabeyeva and Evgeny Popov, who are married with each other, since September 2016, and is one of Russia's most watched programmes. On the show a furious Zhuravlyov said: 'One Sarmat [missile] and that's it - the British Isles are no more.' When Skabeyeva, who has been nicknamed the 'Iron Doll of Putin TV' for her criticism of opposition parties cautioned 'but we are serious people', the politician hit back 'and I am saying that seriously'. 'They're accusing us of state terrorism', he fumed, prompting Popov to say 'the UK also has nuclear weapons'. Popov added: 'No one will survive in this war when you propose the strike with a Sarmat. Do you understand that no one will survive? No one on the planet.' Zhuravlyov doubled down, declaring 'we'll start with a blank slate', before saying the missiles 'can't be intercepted'. 'Their abilities are limited. They say they can shoot it down, we'll see about that,' he added. A map showing the how quickly the missiles could hit the capital cities of the UK, France and Germany was then put on the screen by the producers, indicating the missiles could be launched from Kaliningrad. Skabeyeva urged caution, saying: 'Sarmats are not in Kalinigrad yet. From Kaliningrad to Berlin is 106 seconds, from Kaliningrad to Paris is 200 second. You're interested in London, 202 seconds to London.' The furious debate was made during a discussion about remarks made by James Heappey (pictured right), the UK Armed Forces Mininster, in which he said it was 'legitimate' for Ukraine to carry out attacks on Russian soil to disrupt supply chains It comes as western nations continue to send supplies to Ukraine, such as these 155mm shells being loaded onto a C-17 aircraft at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware Wrecked vehicles seen in Mariupol, which has been besieged by Russian troops and pro-Russian separatists for more than a month An incandescent Zhuravlyov continued: 'They need to be shown this picture. "Guys look at this picture - count the seconds, can you make it? Hello, it's already here".' As Popov struggles to contain his laughter, Zhuravlyov says: 'That's the way. Let them think about it. Get a stopwatch, count (to) 220 seconds. That's how you talk to them, they don't understand anything else.' The tirade came after Mr Heappey told Times Radio it is 'completely legitimate' for Ukraine to launch attacks on Russian soil. He said: 'It is completely legitimate for Ukraine to be targeting in Russia's depth in order to disrupt the logistics that if they weren't disrupted would directly contribute to death and carnage on Ukrainian soil. 'There are lots of countries around the world that operate kit that they have imported from other countries; when those bits of kit are used we tend not to blame the country that manufactured it, you blame the country that fired it.' The UK is supplying arms including the Starstreak missile system and Stormer vehicles to carry it, to Ukraine It is not the first time Zhuravlyov has come to public attention for his comments on the show - in December last year he called for United States Congressman Ruben Gallego to be kidnapped and jailed for his support of arming and training the Ukrainian military. A month later he claimed Russia should put nuclear weapons in Cuba and Venezuala as a response to military aid from Nato given to Ukraine and Georgia. He is chairman of the Rodina political party, a far right nationalist party, which supports Vladimir Putin in the State Duma. In a tweet sharing the video with a western audience, Julia Davies, creator of Russian Media Monitor, said: 'Russian TV keeps threatening nuclear strikes against Western nations, desperately trying to deter them from continuing to help Ukraine. 'On a side note, this is the first state TV host who doesn't seem to be eager to die for the Motherland, arguing with a trigger-happy lawmaker.' It has been reported Putin is set to declare 'all-out war' on Ukraine 'within days' to enable the country to launch a general mobilisation of the population, according to Russian sources and Western officials. Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that the Russian president might use Russia's victory day parade on May 9 to announce the mass mobilisation of his reserves for a final push in Ukraine. Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that the Russian president might use Russia's victory day parade on May 9 to announce the mass mobilisation of his reserves for a final push in Ukraine. Pictured: Russian military vehicles take part in a rehearsal of Victory Day military parade marking the 77th anniversary of the end to World War 2, at Red Square in Moscow, Russia on April 28, 2022 It comes as ex-Nato chief Richard Sherriff warned the West must 'gear itself up' for a 'worst case scenario' war with Russia in Ukraine. A Russian military source told the Telegraph: 'The military are outraged that the blitz on Kyiv has failed. 'People in the army are seeking payback for failures of the past and they want to go further in Ukraine.' Earlier this week, the Russian military was said to be furious that Putin had downsized the invasion of Ukraine and called for a new escalation of the conflict. Speaking on Friday, Mr Wallace said Putin may declare a new war against the world's 'Nazis' at the victory day parade which sees Moscow mark the end of Russia's involvement in the Second World War. With Putin's military having failed in their first wave of military objectives, Moscow has re-focused its efforts on seizing both the east and southern coast of Ukraine. However, as in the first months of the invasion, Russian forces are being met with heavy Ukrainian resistance from Kyiv's determined armies. Russian serviceman carries a flag before a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia April 28, 2022 Some analysts had predicted that Putin wanted to be in a position where he could declare some form of victory on May 9. But with Russia's victory day parade now less than two weeks away, that is looking less likely. Instead, Mr Wallace told LBC Radio that Putin could use the occasion to declare a new war on who he would call the world's Nazis to galvanise his populace in another push against the Ukrainian defenders. 'I would not be surprised... that he is probably going to declare on May Day that "we are now at war with the world's Nazis and we need to mass mobilise the Russian people",' Mr Wallace said on Friday morning. While several countries, including the UK, mark VE Day - the anniversary of the allied victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War - on May 8, Russia marks the data on May 9 due to the time difference. Mass graves and bodies of civilians mowed down in the streets have been uncovered in areas like Bucha (pictured) after the Russians were forced to retreat. Ukrainian servicemen Nazar and Oleksii are seen in a trench, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues in a village in Donetsk region The end of all combat actions came at 23:01 Central European Time on Tuesday May 8, 1945 - which was already May 9 in Soviet Bloc countries, including in Russia. Mr Sherriff today said Russia was likely to double down on its approach to Ukraine, insisting to its people that it is the right approach. He told BBC Radio 4: 'The worst case is war with Russia. By gearing itself up for the worst case, it is most likely to deter Putin because ultimately Putin respects strength.' It comes a week after Putin announced his regime's latest nuclear-capable missile will be deployed as early as this autumn, saying it will 'force those who try to threaten Russia to think twice'. The Sarmat missile, or 'Satan II', is said to be the world's longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of striking a target 11,200 miles away - meaning it could easily strike targets in the US and Europe. A handout still image taken from handout video made available by the Russian Defence ministry press-service shows launch of the Russian new intercontinental ballistic missile 'Sarmat' on Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk region, (800 km north of Moscow), Russia, 20 April 2022 The 'Sarmat' missile has unique characteristics that allow it to reliably overcome any existing and future anti-missile defense systems Putin hailed the development of the missile, which was successfully test-fired earlier this week, 'a big, significant event' for Russia's defense industry, saying the Sarmat will 'ensure Russia's security from external threats and make those who try to threaten our country with aggressive rhetoric think twice.' 'The missile can break through all modern anti-missile defences,' he declared. 'There is nothing like this anywhere in the world, and won't be for a long time.' Western military experts said the Sarmat is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys - easily enough to wipe out territories the size of Britain or France in a single strike. However, analysts believe the autumn target revealed by Putin and Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Roscosmos space agency, is an ambitious one because Moscow reported its first test-launch only on Wednesday and more tests will be needed before the missile can be deployed. Russia is deploying its Sarmat missile with a unit in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, about 1,860 miles east of Moscow Russia has claimed its most potent nuclear missile, the 16,000mph hypersonic 'Satan-2', can destroy the UK The test, after years of delays due to funding and technical issues, marks a show of strength by Russia at a time when the war in Ukraine has sent tensions with the US and its allies soaring to their highest levels since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Rogozin said in an interview with Russian state TV that the missiles would be deployed with a unit in Uzhur, in the Krasnoyarsk region, about 3,000 km (1,860 miles) east of Moscow. He said they would be placed at the same sites and in the same silos as the Soviet-era Voyevoda missiles they are replacing, something that would save 'colossal resources and time'. The launch of the 'super-weapon' was an historic event that would guarantee the security of Russia's children and grandchildren for the next 30-40 years, Rogozin added. Millions of households across the country are waiting to receive their 150 council tax rebate, that was due to be distributed from this month. In February, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the support payment for eligible households in council tax bands A to D. This is around 20 million households. It is being distributed to help with the cost of living crisis but some families could be left waiting until September for their cash to come through. In February, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the support payment for 20 million eligible households in council tax bands A to D. Pictured last month at the Conservative Party Spring Conference In South Derbyshire, 39,000 people were told that they wouldn't receive the money until at least June due to software problems, in a letter seen by MoneySavingExpert.com. A spokesperson for the district council said that it is working with payment firm Capita on the issue. 'The earliest that they [Capita] can provide the software that will allow us to distribute the 150 rebate is late April,' the spokesperson said. 'This software will require thorough testing before it can be used. If all goes well with the testing, residents can expect to receive their 150 rebate in late May or early June.' Each council in England is responsible for choosing how it runs its claims processes, including which software supplier it uses. This means the timing of payments will vary across the country. Those likely to receive their payments first will have a direct debit already set up, because their bank details are on the council's system. Those who do not pay by direct debit could wait longer for their money as councils will need to contact them separately to arrange a different way to pay. Councils have been told not to give out the money until households have paid their council tax this month so they can verify their bank details. And in Scotland, some councils may choose to take 150 off council tax bills, instead of giving the payment out. In Manchester, the city council was due to make payments from April 18, it told the money-saving website. Bassetlaw District Council in Nottinghamshire said payments may not arrive until September. Earlier this month, Chris Ward, director of finance and resources at Portsmouth City Council, said they were working hard to get the system up and running but added: 'The software for the rebates isn't provided by the government so each council has to decide how to administer the scheme and what software to use. 'A software upgrade has been developed by our provider and we're testing it.' The rebate is part of a 9.1 billion government support package announced in February. Councils have been told by the government that payments should be made by September 30 but many families had hoped it would come earlier Councils that have not started processing the 150 payment Colchester Borough Council Derby City Council Northumberland County Council Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Oadby and Wigston Borough Council Havering London Borough Council Test Valley Borough Council Charnwood Borough Council Rushcliffe Borough Council Sevenoaks District Council Reading Borough Council Luton Borough Council Tamworth Borough Council Dacorum Borough Council North Northamptonshire Council Source: The Mirror Advertisement Councils have been told by the government that payments should be made by September 30 but many families had hoped it would come earlier. At least 15 local authorities have not processed the cash payments yet, The Mirror reported. Martyn James, from consumer rights website Resolver, told eligible households to check their council website if in doubt - and not to worry if the site has yet to be updated. 'You can contact your council for help and support with financial difficulties if you are worried about paying the tax,' he told The Express. Households are being warned against a cold-calling scam where people are being asked for their bank details on the phone. Councillor Mohan Iyengar, vice-chair of the LGAs Safer and Stronger Communities Board said that many of the scams look legitimate on first impression. 'Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to take advantage of the financial worries people are facing,' he said. 'Anyone can fall victim to a scam, and we urge people of all ages to brush up on the tell-tale signs, and the support available to those who need it.' People can report any energy rebate scams by forwarding the message to 7726, and flagging it with Action Fraud. At the start of April, the energy price cap rose by 54 per cent, with the average bills now nearly 2,000. Advertisement Two Conservative politicians responsible for women's safeguarding and equalities have called for 'appropriate action' to be taken after an investigation into allegations Neil Parish MP watched pornography in the Commons. Asked if it was appropriate for him to carry on, Rachel Maclean, minister for safeguarding, told Times Radio: 'I genuinely think that's a matter for him, but of course there are robust processes to support constituents, any member of the public who wants to see their MP, and all of those matters are very much at the forefront of the investigation system that we have. Mr Parish has vowed to continue with his duties as the MP for Tiverton and Honiton, in Devon, and as chairman of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. The 65-year-old farmer said he will resign if found guilty by standards commissioner Kathryn Stone, who is yet to say whether she will open an investigation. But senior Tory Karen Bradley urged him to stay away from Parliament and Harriet Harman, the longest-standing female MP, called for his immediate resignation. Senior Conservative MP Caroline Nokes said it will be 'difficult' for Mr Parish to spend the required time in Parliament as a select committee chair. She also accused the Tory whips of 'dither and delay' in not suspending the MP from the parliamentary party until Friday, despite colleagues airing the claims in a meeting three days earlier. Ms Maclean, the minister responsible for safeguarding women, said 'clearly what he's done is unacceptable' and that he should resign if found to have watched the material deliberately. Rachel Maclean (pictured) has rejected calls for Neil Parish to stand down immediately while the MP is under investigation for allegedly watching pornography in the Commons Asked on Times Radio if it was appropriate for him to carry on while under investigation, she said: 'I genuinely think that's a matter for him.' But she added: 'I want to be clear, he is not continuing his business as normal, he's under investigation, and I'm confident that the appropriate measures will be put in place to safeguard any of his constituents, particularly women and girls.' She told Sky News: 'Clearly if this is substantiated and those allegations turn out to be true, of course I stand by what I said, but at the same time there is now an investigation so it wouldn't be helpful for me to speculate on the specific outcomes. 'This type of behaviour has no place in any workplace let alone Parliament, but I think everybody would accept that when there's an allegation that's made... it isn't really for us, as colleagues, to sit on judgment on another colleague, it is for that process to take. 'I've absolutely every confidence in the Chief Whip, he's acting incredibly quickly, I don't see why the investigation can't be concluded very quickly and I'm certain that appropriate action will then follow from that.' Tory MP Caroline Nokes also did not call for her Conservative colleague to immediately stand down, and said the investigation should take place before further steps are taken Conservative Party is 'institutionally sexist' Senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes has claimed that that the Conservative party is 'institutionally sexist' and believes there is a culture of 'male entitlement' among the group. The chair of the Women and Equalities Committee told The Times, after being briefed not to speak out over the porn watching allegation, that 'misogynistic nicknames and smears' could be used to belittle colleagues less 'robust' than her. 'There's a sense of women in parliament being tolerated rather than valued,' she said. 'There are women in the party who have amazing attributes which get ignored. It still very much feels like it's run by an old boys club.' Yesterday, a Cabinet minister yesterday revealed she was once 'pinned up against the wall' by a male MP. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the vast majority of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians'. But she said a few behaved badly when they had 'too much drink', insisting people should act 'as if their daughter was in the room'. Ms Trevelyan spoke about one extraordinary incident when she was 'pinned up against a wall' by a man who is now no longer an MP. Advertisement Ms Nokes, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, agreed 'it's right those investigations are carried out before any further action is taken'. However, she suggested it will be a challenge for Mr Parish, who has been an MP since 2010, to continue leading his committee examining environmental matters. 'It's a senior and responsible position and as a select committee chair myself I know how seriously I take that job,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'That's a matter for Neil to discuss with the party whips and to take a position on, but I think whilst he's under investigation it's going to make it very difficult for him to be in the Commons as much as he needs to be.' She added: 'I think it's right those investigations are carried out before any further action is taken.' Ms Nokes also raised concerns about how quickly Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris acted despite two MPs raising their concerns on Tuesday evening. 'I felt by leaving it until Friday before we knew that action had been taken by the whips that it felt like unnecessary dither and delay,' she told the radio station. Ms Maclean added: 'I agree with pretty much everything that she [Ms Nokes] said. I think it is right that action has been taken, that the Chief Whip has taken the action he has taken. There clearly needed to be some time to establish the veracity, the facts of the case.' Ms Nokes has also claimed that that the Conservative Party is 'institutionally sexist' and believes there is a culture of 'male entitlement' among the group. She told The Times, after being briefed not to speak out over the porn watching allegation, that 'misogynistic nicknames and smears' could be used to belittle colleagues less 'robust' than her. 'There's a sense of women in parliament being tolerated rather than valued,' she said. 'There are women in the party who have amazing attributes which get ignored. It still very much feels like it's run by an old boys club.' The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), which looks into claims of bullying and sexual harassment, is understood to have begun examining the events after at least one witness made a referral. This separate to any investigation. There have also been suggestions that a Tory minister also witnessed him watching porn on a second occasion, in a committee meeting. Karen Bradley, who chairs the Procedure Committee, said she 'would urge him not to come into Parliament' while under investigation and was clear Mr Parish must quit if found guilty. 'I'm struggling to find an excuse, I'm struggling to find a reason that might mean it was acceptable, but let's let the investigation take its course,' she told Channel 4 News. Labour's Ms Harman called on Mr Parish to stand down amid a 'new low for the House of Commons'. She told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: 'If this is what he has done, he should stand down from Parliament right away. It is not right for him to go through the investigation processes if that is what he has done. 'Clearly he is not fit to be in Parliament. He should accept that and not drag the processes out.' Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to order Mr Parish to 'resign immediately'. Under-fire Tory MP Neil Parish with his wife of 40 years Susan, who has described the allegations against him as 'very embarrassing' Susan Parish, pictured with her husband Neil Parish - the Tory MP who stands accused of watching porn in the House of Commons chamber while female colleagues sat closely by Yesterday, the wife of porn probe MP Neil Parish has told an interviewer that the allegations against her husband are 'very embarrassing' while he refuses to quit the House of Commons after having the whip withdrawn, claiming he viewed the 'x-rated site by mistake'. Mr Parish said in a statement on his website he 'will be co-operating fully with any investigation, and whilst it is ongoing I will continue to perform my duties'. Mr Parish's wife of 40 years Susan said she was completely unaware of her husband having done such things in the past. Meanwhile, Mr Parish was asked whether he opened a file 'in error', to which he replied: 'I did, but let the inquiry look at that.' He said he would quit if he was found guilty following an investigation and apologised for the incident, adding that he had only told his wife that afternoon. Mrs Parish said: 'It was all very embarrassing. My breath was taken away, frankly. 'People shouldn't be looking at pornography. He would never just sit there with people looking. He would never just do that knowing [people were looking]. 'These ladies were quite right to be as [upset] as they were. I've just no idea what happens in these circumstances. I don't know whether it's ever happened before,' she told The Times. Mrs Parish described her husband as a good person and MP, and insisted the drama was 'so stupid'. Yesterday afternoon, a visibly upset Mr Parish spoke to reporters outside his home and said he'd been unable to speak to his wife immediately after referring himself to the standards watchdog. He said: 'Id just been to a surgery in Honiton and this is Gods own truth, the mobile phone was completely flat I had to come back on the M5 otherwise I would have spoken to her sooner. When asked if he understood why people were upset, Mr Parish said: 'Of course I do and I apologise for that. But I will still await the findings of the inquiry.' The Tiverton and Honiton MP told GB News this week that Westminster could be 'intense' and 'you are going to get people that step over the line' when asked about the latest sleaze scandal to rock Westminster. Mr Parish gave a statement to press outside his home yesterday in which he explained that he had the Conservative whip suspended as the allegations are investigated The 65-year-old had the party whip suspended yesterday afternoon after finally being identified as the man allegedly spotted browsing smut by Tory women, following days of fevered speculation. Mr Parish, who has been an MP since 2010 and is chair of the cross-party Environment Committee, has referred himself to the standards watchdog over allegations that he had been seen watching adult material in the House by two female colleagues. Appearing on GB News earlier this week, Mr Parish himself said the claims had to be dealt with 'seriously' and backed Tory whips to conduct a 'thorough investigation'. He then added: 'If you've got sort of 650 members of parliament in what is a very intense area, you are going to get people that step over the line... 'I don't think there's necessarily a huge culture (of misogyny) here but I think it does have to be dealt with and dealt with seriously. That's what the whips will do.' Yesterday evening he was facing renewed calls to quit from opposition parties. But in a statement last night he vowed to continue working as an MP. Writing on his website, he said: 'I will be cooperating fully with any investigation, and whilst it is ongoing I will continue to perform my duties as MP for Tiverton and Honiton.' MP Neil Parish, pictured at his home yesterday, has had the Conservative whip suspended while he is being investigated for allegedly watching pornography in the Commons Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris (left) has now suspended the whip from the MP pending an investigation. Backbencher Nickie Aiken (right) said the Tory MP responsible for watching pornography in the Houses of Parliament should quit Who is Neil Parish? Somerset farmer turned politician who left school at 16 and became a 'Rottweiler' on rural issues Neil Parish - who was yesterday named as the MP accused of watching porn in the Commons - is a former Somerset farmer who has spend more than two decades as a politician in Westminster and Brussels. Born in Bridgewater, a historic market town on the edge of the Somerset Levels, he became MP for Tiverton and Honiton, a picturesque constituency in the heart of south-west England, in 2010 after a decade as a Tory MEP. Before that he served as a local councillor. The 65-year-old has been a member of the Environment and rural affairs committee since 2010 and was once branded a 'Rottweiler' by former farming minister David Miliband. Mr Parish left school at 16 without qualifications and began working on the family farm, where he still lives. He is married to Susan, a teacher, and they have two children and two grandchildren A biography on Politico described him as a 'devoted family man', with him and his wife considered something of a 'double act'. It continued: 'Shorter than average and slightly rotund, Parish makes up in personality what he lacks in height. He is a whirlwind of activity, giving the impression he never stays still for very long. 'One of his political opposites in the Parliament describes Parish as ''personable'' it is difficult to find anyone who dislikes him but says he suspects him of being ''shallow'', accusing him of a tendency to jump on other people's bandwagons for the sake of publicity. The same person adds with a sigh: ''He's a pretty nice guy actually''.' Mr Parish is known to indulge in stunts, and while an MEP drove a hybrid car from Brussels to Alongside rural issues, he is also interested in animal welfare, and launched a select committee inquiry into the treatment of domestic pets, including cats, dogs and horses. Mr Parish's other interests include African politics, according to an online biography. During the 2000 Presidential elections in Zimbabwe, he acted as an election monitor and criticised the conduct of Robert Mugabe's regime. Following this, Robert Mugabe banned Neil from re-entering the country, a ban that remains in place to this day. He was recently among more than 280 MPs to be sanctioned by Vladimir Putin's regime for comments he had made in Parliament in support of Ukraine. He described this as a 'badge of honour'. His most recent work in Parliament was launching an inquiry into marine mammals, which will look into their welfare in UK waters and worldwide. Yesterday he was suspended by the Conservatives pending an investigation. An investigation by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) was launched after the allegations surfaced during a meeting of Tory MPs on Tuesday. Advertisement Shadow Commons Leader Thangam Debbonaire said: 'The Conservatives knew for days about the disgusting behaviour of one of their MPs and tried to cover it up... 'This is a government rotting from the head down. Britain deserves better.' Though the allegations are still be to investigated, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said Boris Johnson must order his MP to quit. 'If Boris Johnson had any shred of decency left, he would tell Neil Parish to resign immediately,' she said. 'In any other workplace this would count as gross misconduct and the person responsible would lose their job. Parliament should be no different. 'We don't need to insult the women MPs who witnessed this with a lengthy investigation. All his bosses need to do is ask for his devices and look at his viewing history, this isn't rocket science.' Tory MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, said she had been 'disappointed' that the whip was not suspended immediately but was now 'very relieved'. She told ITV News: 'I've been calling for the Chief Whip to remove the whip from when we first heard about this incident... 'I'm pleased that action has been taken and I hope that the two women who complained are being supported through the system as well.' The PM has previously condemned the alleged watching of porn in the Commons, while other Conservatives said the MP involved should take a 'long, hard look' at themselves and resign. A spokeswoman for Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris yesterday afternoon blew the lid on Mr Parish's identity, saying: 'Having spoken to the Chief Whip this afternoon, Neil Parish MP is reporting himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. 'Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative Whip pending the outcome of that investigation.' It is understood a process has now been launched through Parliament's independent complaints and grievance scheme (ICGS). Meanwhile, there have been complaints that Mr Heaton-Harris had kicked the scandal 'into the long grass' by referring it to the Parliamentary grievance process rather than taking action. It appears the IGCS inquiry has now been triggered with at least one of the witnesses making a complaint. But a second investigation could be launched after Mr Parish's commitment to refer himself to the Standards Committee. It is unclear what potential breach of the MPs' code of conduct he would report himself for. But it is thought one option for Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone could be whether Mr Parish caused 'significant damage to the reputation and integrity' of the Commons. MPs have reacted with revulsion to the claims that a Tory had been caught by two of his female colleagues watching porn in the House of Commons. On a visit to Burnley yesterday, the PM told broadcasters: 'I think it's obviously unacceptable for anybody to be doing that kind of thing in the workplace. 'It would be the same for any kind of job up and down the country, let's be absolutely clear about that. 'What needs to happen now is that the proper procedures need to be gone through, the independent complaints and grievances procedure needs to be activated and we need to get to understand the facts but, yeah, that kind of behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable.' Attorney General Suella Braverman said if the MP was found to have been watching adult material it should result in them 'no longer holding their privileged position as a Member of Parliament'. She said there was a 'very small minority of men - and it is men - who fall short and there are some bad apples who are out of order - who behave like animals, and are bringing Parliament into disrepute to be honest'. Tory MP Neil Parish is pictured arriving back to his home in Somerset following news that he is being investigated over claims that he watched porn in the House of Commons Mr Parish was met by journalists as he arrived back at his Somerset home following the revelation that he is the MP alleged to have watched porn in the Commons Tory MP Nickie Aiken said earlier that the alleged porn-watching MP 'has to resign' from the Commons as she warned that he was causing 'pain, suffering and embarrassment' to both the party and Parliament. He should 'take a very very long, hard look' at himself and ask 'should I still be here?', she told Times Radio. Yesterday, Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the vast majority of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians'. But she said a few behaved badly when they had 'too much drink', insisting people should act 'as if their daughter was in the room'. Ms Trevelyan spoke about one extraordinary incident when she was 'pinned up against a wall' by a man who is now no longer an MP. Ms Trevelyan told Sky News of male MPs: 'There are a few for whom too much drink, or indeed a sort of, a view that somehow being elected makes them you know, God's gift to women, that they can suddenly please themselves, that is never OK, that kind of behaviour, disrespect for women.' She added: 'Fundamentally, if you're a bloke, keep your hands in your pockets and behave as you would if you had your daughter in the room.' Ms Trevelyan told LBC Radio: 'I've witnessed and been at the sharp end of misogyny from some colleagues many times over'. 'We might describe it as wandering hands, if you like, we might describe it as, you know, a number of years ago being pinned up against a wall by a male MP who is now no longer in the House, I'm pleased to say, declaring that I must want him because he was a powerful man'. 'These sorts of things, these power abuses that a very small minority, thank goodness, of male colleagues show is completely unacceptable.' She advised women subjected to that kind of behaviour to 'make public humiliation one of your tools'. However, while Ms Trevelyan described watching porn in the Commons chamber as 'completely unacceptable', she declined to say whether the MP involved should be sacked. Mr Parish pictured with Mr Johnson before the latest controversy erupted Boris Johnson (pictured on a visit to Burnley earlier this week) said it would be 'unacceptable' to watch porn in the Commons Cabinet minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan reveals she was 'pinned up against a wall' by male MP as she reads riot act to sleazy politicians A Cabinet minister yesterday revealed she was once 'pinned up against the wall' by a male MP. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the vast majority of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians'. But she said a few behaved badly when they had 'too much drink', insisting people should act 'as if their daughter was in the room'. Ms Trevelyan spoke about one extraordinary incident when she was 'pinned up against a wall' by a man who is now no longer an MP. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the vast majority of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians' Ms Trevelyan told Sky News of male MPs: 'There are a few for whom too much drink, or indeed a sort of, a view that somehow being elected makes them you know, God's gift to women, that they can suddenly please themselves, that is never OK, that kind of behaviour, disrespect for women.' She added: 'Fundamentally, if you're a bloke, keep your hands in your pockets and behave as you would if you had your daughter in the room.' Ms Trevelyan told LBC Radio: 'I've witnessed and been at the sharp end of misogyny from some colleagues many times over'. 'We might describe it as wandering hands, if you like, we might describe it as, you know, a number of years ago being pinned up against a wall by a male MP who is now no longer in the House, I'm pleased to say, declaring that I must want him because he was a powerful man'. 'These sorts of things, these power abuses that a very small minority, thank goodness, of male colleagues show is completely unacceptable.' She advised women subjected to that kind of behaviour to 'make public humiliation one of your tools'. However, while Ms Trevelyan described watching porn in the Commons chamber as 'completely unacceptable', she declined to say whether the MP involved should be sacked. Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek has delivered an astonishing snub to Western Australia as she insisted it wasn't worth her time to go to the party's launch in Perth. Ms Plibersek was left off Friday's flight west for the party's key event on Sunday, sparking speculation she had been benched by Labor's campaign team. But the former deputy leader delivered a cold reply as she snapped back bluntly: 'It's not a productive use of time to have everyone fly there and back. 'It's quite a small number of people going to the launch in Perth.' Among those expected to be at the landmark launch are former PM Kevin Rudd, with ex-PM Paul Keating also tipped to be in attendance. The popular Ms Plibersek has been a key omission from Labor's election campaign so far, even when leader Anthony Albanese was in isolation with Covid last week. Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek has delivered an astonishing snub to Western Australia as she insisted it 'wasn't worth her time' to go to the party's launch in Perth on Sunday Ms Plibersek has also dismissed claims of a rift with Labor leader Mr Albanese (pictured, with his partner Jodie Haydon) She has even taken a back seat to the relatively minor shadow minister Jason Clare, who wowed the media pack during press conferences in Mr Albanese's absence. Insiders claim her role as deputy leader under Bill Shorten caused her and Mr Albanese to drift apart, while others believed the Labor leader felt she was too popular. But Ms Plibersek hit back at the rumour-mongers on Saturday and said she will be busy in her own Sydney inner city constituency around Surry Hills and Kings Cross. She will also be representing Labor at Sydney's May Day rally on Sunday, she said. Ms Plibersek dismissed claims of a rift with Mr Albanese, and allegations that there was a 'woman problem' in Labor, as 'nonsense'. She said the no-show at the launch was simply down to a diary clash and said: ' 'I'm representing Albanese at the May Day rally and I have my own campaign launch which has been planned for several weeks.' She said Labor's policies on gender equality and paid domestic violence leave proved their commitment to women's issues. And she added: 'We've got an incredible set of women leaders in the Australian Labor Party, extraordinary people like Penny Wong and Katy Gallagher.' On the other side of the country, Mr Albanese paid tribute to Ms Plibersek, saying she was an 'outstanding member' and an extraordinary asset'. He claimed Labor had been expecting the election to be called for May 14 and had planned a campaign schedule around that date which then had to be tweaked when the polling day was pushed back to May 21 by the government. Labor had expected an international Quad summit of regional leaders on May 24 would have meant the election would be called on May 14. Under the original timeline, the party launch had been due to be held last week, which would have allowed Ms Plibersek to attend. Deputy leader Richard Marles will also miss the launch event as he is now also in isolation and recovering from Covid. Shadow Treasury minister Jim Chalmers added: 'The launch on Sunday in WA, we'll have some of us there but not all of us there, and that's appropriate.' Prince William has 'held a crisis meeting with aides' as he plans a Palace revolution to modernise the monarchy. The future of the monarchy and the Commonwealth came under scrutiny after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour of the Caribbean. Their intense eight-day long tour around Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas saw the couple face backlash after encountering tensions in the Caribbean nations. It has been reported that the Duke of Cambridge had 'abrupt' talks with aides about the 'haphazard planning' of the tour. Royal sources revealed to The Mirror that he is 'determined' to update the institution after struggling to 'move on' from the bad press and will complete a root-and-branch review. Prince William and Catherine visit the London headquarters of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to learn about the ongoing support for people affected by the conflict in Ukraine in London The newspaper also claimed both William and Kate personally interviewed two 'star' people to lead a 'new-look communications team'. The candidates, described as a man and a woman, in their 30s and both former civil servants, have since been rejected due to 'not being anywhere close to up to it'. One source said: 'It is pretty clear that the Cambridge's need a drastic rethink. They are asking themselves whether there is enough diversity in their team and they already know the answers.' Another added: 'You cant think outside the box if everyone is sitting comfortably in the same one. 'In dealing with sensitive issues, such as the ones they met on the tour, if they arent in tune with what is going on in the world they will be left fighting for their futures.' Buckingham Palace has yet to comment. The future of the monarchy and the Commonwealth came under scrutiny after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour of the Caribbean (pictured in in Kingston, Jamaica, on day six of the tour) It comes as a political activist warned royal tours to the Caribbean should be scrapped unless the royal family uses them to address 'truth, reconciliation and justice'. Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu branded the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's trip to the Queen's island realms as an 'embarrassment to the British monarchy'. The overseas visits were met with controversy as campaigners demanded apologies from the royal family and reparation over slavery, while numerous nations set out their intentions to become republics. Lawyer Dr Mos-Shogbamimu said: 'If the purpose of the trip is what we've seen which is basically a continuation of representing the legacy of the British Empire, then absolutely yes these tours should just end. William and Kate were accused of harking back to colonial days in Jamaica in March after the pair shook hands with crowds behind a wire mesh fence 'Quite frankly these royal tours that we've seen to date are an embarrassment to the British monarchy. 'However if the royal tour was one that speaks to what many of these Afro-Caribbean nations are seeking to address, which is truth, reconciliation and justice, then you need to get on board those tours and make them work.' William and Kate were accused of harking back to colonial days in Jamaica in March after the pair shook hands with crowds behind a wire mesh fence and rode in the back of a Land Rover, just like the Queen did 60 years ago. Demonstrators accused them of benefiting from the 'blood, tears and sweat' of slaves, while in the Bahamas they were urged to acknowledge the British economy was 'built on the backs' of past Bahamians and to pay reparations. The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness presents the Duke of Cambridge with a bottle of Appleton Estate Ruby during a meeting at his office in Kingston, where the PM almost immediately raised his wish to make Jamaica a republic Jamaica's prime minister Andrew Holness suggested to William and Kate that his country may be the next to become a republic, while a minister from Belize said afterwards that perhaps it was time to 'take the next step in truly owning our independence'. William acknowledged after the trip that the monarchy's days in the Caribbean may be numbered as he stated the future 'is for the people to decide upon'. He stressed that he and Kate were 'committed to service' and saw their role as supporting people, 'not telling them what to do'. The duke had expressed 'profound sorrow' in a speech during his visit at the forced transportation of millions of people from Africa to the Caribbean and North America. Lobsters are being deformed by wind farm cables and being left unable to swim, a new study has claimed. Electric magnetic fields created by the cables which transport energy from offshore wind farms make lobster larvae three times more like to grow deformed - with bent tail sections most common, according to Heriot-Watt University scientists. These deformities can also include disrupted eye development and the paper says that this resulted in the creatures being three times more likely to fail a swimming test - showing their ability to get to the surface to find food is impaired. Bent tail sections were the most common deformity, according to Heriot-Watt University scientists Researchers St Abbs Marine Station off the east coast of Scotland exposed over 4,000 lobster and crab eggs to electromagnetic fields in controlled conditions. Dr Alastair Lyndon, a marine biologist at Heriot-Watt University, told the Telegraph: 'Lobsters were more affected than crabs by the electromagnetic field, at least in the short term. 'Both crab and lobster larvae exposed to the electromagnetic field were smaller, which could have an impact on their survival. Underwater, bigger means better able to avoid predators. 'The electromagnetic field had a much bigger impact on the lobsters. 'We put them through a vertical swimming test to check they could get to the surface to find food. The exposed lobsters were almost three times more likely to fail the test, by not reaching the top of the chamber, than the unexposed ones. 'Lobster isn't an endangered species but it is under sustained pressure because of its commercial value. These deformities found in the lobsters can also include disrupted eye development 'We should be aware of the need to shield them from electromagnetic fields, particularly during early development, as well as monitoring their long-term behaviour and development, which also goes for crabs. 'One potential solution is to bury the cables in the seafloor. This is already done for many marine renewable developments but can be expensive and difficult to maintain. It will be important to ensure its continued inclusion in the consenting process for future projects. 'We must decarbonise our energy supply, but we must also ensure there are as few unintended consequences as possible.' Petra Harsanyi, from St Abbs Marine Station, said: 'Exposure to the electromagnetic field made the crab larvae smaller. While that hasn't had an immediate effect, it does show that there's an interference with their development. 'It would be interesting to monitor this over time to see whether these crabs have long-term impairments or increased mortality.' The claims come as a massive expansion of offshore wind has been planned to help the UK meet its Net-Zero carbon emissions pledge by 2050. Researchers have advised that underwater cables be under the seabed to avoid impact on small fisheries. The claims come as a massive expansion of offshore wind has been planned to help the UK meet its Net-Zero carbon emissions pledge by 2050 Plans focus mainly on wind farms in the sea, the plans are expected to include measures to increase production on land. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng suggested capacity could double to 30GW by 2030. But the PM faces strong opposition to the plan from shire Tories, which could instead see the majority of turbines built in more remote areas like the Scottish Highlands. No 10 distanced itself from a massive expansion in onshore wind, saying any expansion would require 'community consent'. Michael Gove has been working more closely with the Home Office, as Priti Patel faces a power struggle with civil servants over plans to reduce home working. The Communities Secretary and MP has been in meetings with Priti Patel and her team, as tensions rise over the work from home culture that developed during the pandemic. Despite calls from ministers for mandarins to return to the office, the Home Office permanent secretary, Matthew Rycroft, has given staff the right to work at home three days a week, The Telegraph reported. Michael Gove has been working more closely with the Home Office, as Priti Patel faces a power struggle with civil servants over plans to reduce home working And the department's job adverts describe a 'hybrid' work environment, where staff need only be in the office for 40 per cent of their time. 'Gove has been sitting next to Priti in meetings and the civil servants dont like it, because he has a forensic grasp of the details and he wont take any nonsense,' a Whitehall source told the paper. Key issues are proving tense among colleagues, with Mr Gove being described as 'a bit shouty' by one source in the paper. Another source, close to Mr Gove, said that 'difficult conversations' have been happening in some of the meetings. Unofficial waiting times for adult passport renewals in the past two years, shown in a graph from passportwaitingtime.co.uk People queue outside the customer entrance of the Passport Office headquarters in London's Victoria on Wednesday On Thursday, Mr Rycroft publicly supported the director-general of the Passport Office, Abi Tierney. She has been partially working from home as the office faces a backlog of applications. The Home Office also published a 'fact sheet' stating that working from home has 'no impact' on the capacity to process passport applications. It comes as Jacob Rees-Mogg, minister for efficiency, has been leaving notes on civil servants' desks when they are out of office. It reads: 'Sorry you were out when I visited, I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon.' Jacob Rees-Mogg he left this note on the desks of civil servants working from home Another Whitehall source has claimed in the Telegraph that the prime minister wants to see reports on the number of staff returning to the office each week, from different departments. This has been met with 'institutional fightback', they said. The Department for Education has agreed four days of office work per week. The the Cabinet Office asks for three, and the Department for Work and Pensions, and Ministry of Justice ask for two. A spokesperson for the Government said: 'Ministers and the Cabinet Secretary have been clear that they want government offices returning to full occupancy and all government departments are working hard to achieve this. Ms Patel is facing challenge from civil servants on three areas the approach to working from home, the Homes for Ukraine scheme and the Rwanda migrant plan 'Departments should maximise the use of office space and their progress is being closely monitored.' Ms Patel is facing challenge from civil servants on three areas the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the Rwanda migrant plan, and the approach to working from home. But she is being supported by Mr Gove. Sources close to Ms Patel believe civil servants 'hate' the Rwanda policy, and are trying to delay the new approach. Mystery continues to shroud the alleged suicides of six Russian oligarchs and leading businessmen since the onset of the war in Ukraine. Four billionaires and two executives at state-owned gas and oil giant Gazprom have died since Russian troops began preparing to invade their neighbour in late January. They include Mikhail Watford, a Ukraine-born gas and property tycoon who told friends he feared Putin's hit list 'for years'. The 66-year-old was found hanged at his 18million mansion in Surrey last month in what authorities said was an 'unexplained' death without evidence of foul play. Mr Watford told friends and neighbours he was 'on Putin's hit list' for two years, with fears for his life rising in the months before he died. Ukraine-born tycoon Mikhail Watford was found dead in his 18million Surrey home last month Wealthy Gazprom bureaucrat Leo Shulman (left) was found hanged in his home. Right: dead Gazprom deputy director Alexander Tyulakov lived in the same housing complex A neighbour also said 'Misha' was friends with fellow Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who was found hanged at his home in Ascot, Berkshire, in 2013. Mr Watford was convinced Berezovsky was killed by an intelligence agency, she said. The neighbour added: 'I find it hard to believe that Misha would have taken his own life. It doesn't add up.' Surrey Police will hold a coroner's hearing on July 29, CNN reported. The suspicious spate of killings began on January 30 when Gazprom bureaucrat Leo Shulman was found hanged at his home near St Petersburg. Mr Shulman was head of transport at the oil giant's finance arm Gazprom Invest. Gazprombank vice-president Vladislav Avayev (left) was found dead with his wife and daughter in their Moscow apartment. Right: medical supplies tycoon Vasily Melnikov was killed in the alleged murder-suicide of his wife and children Tyulakov and Shulman died in the same luxury housing development outside St Petersburg Three days beforehand, Joe Biden told Volodymyr Zelensky to 'prepare for impact'. Less than a month after Shulman's death, Gazprom deputy director Alexander Tyulakov was found hanged at the same St Petersburg housing complex. Three days later Mikhail Watford was found dead - and three weeks after that, medical supplies tycoon Vasily Melnikov was killed in the alleged murder-suicide of his wife and children. The billionaire owner of MedCom, 43, is thought to have murdered his wife, 41, and two children aged ten and four before taking his own life. Local investigators said there were 'no signs of unauthorized entry into the apartment'. 'We are considering several versions of what happened', police in western city Nizhny Novgorod added. On April 18, Gazprombank vice-president Vladislav Avayev was found dead with his wife and daughter in their Moscow apartment. Russian reports said the gas executive shot and killed his family before turning the gun on himself. He was reported to have tortured his wife for hours. But Avayev's ex-colleague Igor Volobuev said the suicide is 'hard to believe' and alleged it was staged. Avayev's ex-colleague Igor Volobuev (pictured in 2010) denied his friend had left Gazprom Mr Volobuev denied that Avayev - who may have had FSB links and was found with an FSB gun after his death - had left his role as the senior vice-president at Gazprombank, as had been widely reported. Mr Avayev was still at the bank and would have had access to the accounts of its most elite clients, including Putin's circle and possibly the president himself, his co-worker added. Mr Volobuev told CNN: 'Did he kill himself? I don't think so. I think he knew something and that he posed some sort of risk.' The next day, billionaire gas executive Sergey Protosenya was found dead in his Spanish holiday home, with his wife and daughter 'hacked to death with an axe'. Sergey Protosenya poses with wife Natalya, who he is alleged to have killed with an axe Spanish authorities suggested that Mr Protosenya, 55, executed the pair before killing himself in an uncharacteristic fit of rage while the family enjoyed an Easter break on the Costa Brava last week. But Protosenya's son Fedor, 22, said his father 'could never harm' his family in that way. He told MailOnline: 'He loved my mother and especially Maria my sister. She was his princess. 'He could never do anything to harm them. I don't know what happened that night but I know that my dad did not hurt them.' The Spanish holiday home of Sergey and Natalya Protosenya in Lloret de Mar, Costa Brava Fedor, a 22-year-old student, was not at the villa as he spent Easter in their Bordeaux house Mr Protosenya did not leave a suicide note and no fingerprints were found on the weapons an axe and a knife - used to kill. There were no bloodstains on his body. Fedor, a 22-year-old student, said the police had told him not to discuss the case. Protosenya's friend Anatoly Timoshenko also told MailOnline: 'Sergey did not do it. Sergey did not kill his family. It is impossible. I do not want to discuss what may have happened at the house that night but I know that Sergey is not a killer.' Another friend, Roman Yuravich, added: 'Sergey did not kill his family. I have known him for ten years. He was a happy man. 'He loved his family. He did not kill his wife and child. I am sure.' If you have been affected by anything in this article and need support call the Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. Park Ji-hyun, left, the co-chairperson of the current ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), speaks during an emergency committee meeting of the party at the National Assembly on Seoul's Yeouido, Friday. Rep. Yun Ho-jung, the co-chairperson of the party, is on the right. Joint Press Corps By Jung Da-min Activists and politicians from the liberal and progressive blocs are calling for the passage of an anti-discrimination law, saying it should happen before the Yoon Suk-yeol administration takes office on May 10. Those calling for the establishment of an anti-discrimination law are desperately trying to make their voices heard by holding press conferences in front of the National Assembly and even participating in a hunger strike. They have said that it will likely be even more difficult to establish the law once the next administration, which represents the country's conservative bloc, is inaugurated. Park Ji-hyun, the co-chairperson of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), has put her support behind the anti-discrimination law, calling for the DPK leadership to keep its promise to establish the law. "I am concerned about whether some might say why I have to bring out this issue of the anti-discrimination law, while the DPK is going through a filibuster war (with the main opposition party, the People Power Party). But this law is about people's lives and the survival of those being discriminated against: women, people with disabilities and children who suffer from discrimination and hatred," Park said during an emergency committee meeting of the DPK at the National Assembly, Friday. Park was referring to the recently escalating tension between the country's two major parties over thorny political issues such as prosecutorial reform or the hearings of ministerial nominees. Park requested Rep. Yun Ho-jung, the other co-chairperson of the DPK, to keep the promise he made to her when proposing to take on the party leadership in March, saying that they would be establishing the law together. Park, a 26 year-old activist-turned politician, played an important role in gaining votes from young female voters for Lee Jae-myung, the DPK's presidential candidate who lost against Yoon by a razor-thin margin in the March 9 presidential election. "It was the DPK who first made the promise to establish the anti-discrimination law and it is the DPK who has neglected that promise for 15 years," Park said, referring to the law that has been waiting to be established for 15 years but has yet to be passed in the National Assembly. Participants pose during a press conference calling for the establishment of an anti-discrimination law that comprehensively bans all kinds of discrimination and promotes equality, held at an auditorium of the National Assembly Library on Seoul's Yeouido, Thursday. Joint Press Corps So far, there have been eight attempts by the government or political parties to submit a bill to the National Assembly to establish a law that comprehensively bans all kinds of discrimination based on gender, disability, age, language, country of origin, religion, sexual orientation, physical condition, academic background and any other reason. But all these attempts have been blocked by ultra conservative religious groups or political parties on the grounds that they are against homosexuality. As the current main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is to become the next ruling party upon Yoon's inauguration in May, activists said that now is the last chance for the current ruling DPK and the Moon Jae-in government to establish the anti-discrimination law. Lee Jong-gul, a spokesperson for LGBTQ activist group Chingusai, and Miryu, a human rights activist with the civic organization Sarangbang, began a hunger strike in front of the National Assembly on April 11. In an April 25 interview with local newspaper Hankyoreh, Lee said he was concerned that hatred against social minorities would grow under the upcoming administration, seeing the recent controversies over PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok openly criticizing subway protests by people with disabilities who have been calling on the government to guarantee universal rights for them, in particular, their mobility rights to be able to move around equitably. "This is why we say we need to establish the law now," Lee said. He called for the DPK not to put off the discussion anymore, saying that they have been doing so for over five years now since President Moon was sworn in. The long face of the greyhound makes them harder to rehome as their elongated snouts make them appear sad and scared, according to scientists. Edinburgh University researchers presented nearly 2,500 individuals with photos of nine different dogs, including two long-nosed, two short-headed and two in between. They then asked the participants to describe what emotions they associated with each photo. Labradors, beagles, Jack Russells and Staffordshire bull terriers, were said to be the happiest and most compassionate and affectionate. Meanwhile, greyhounds, border collies and whippets, all with long faces, recorded the highest for spite and fear. Long-faced dogs were also the joint saddest alongside flat-faced canines such as pugs. Bonnie Brincat, lead author of the study and an animal behaviour expert, said the results could be used to rehome strays and improve dog welfare. Greyhounds, border collies and whippets (above), all with long faces, recorded the highest for spite and fear 'Dogs were the first species to be domesticated by us more than 20,000 years ago and extreme facial forms only really emerged in the last few centuries,' Dr Lance Workman, a psychologist at the University of South Wales, told The Telegraph. 'This long-standing relationship with medium-faced dogs could explain why we view them so positively.' Chris Laurence, former veterinary director of the Dogs Trust, added: 'This long-standing relationship with medium-faced dogs could explain why we view them so positively.' It comes as new life expectancy predictions revealed the UK dog breeds that are likely to live the longest. Long-faced dogs were also the joint saddest alongside flat-faced canines such as pugs Vets from the Royal Veterinary College assessed 30,563 dogs from 18 breeds to see how life expectancy varies between pooches. Their results showed that while the average life expectancy for dogs in the UK is 11.2 years, this varies massively between breeds. Jack Russell Terriers top the list with an average life expectancy of 12.7 years, while French Bulldogs were identified as the breed with the shortest life expectancy of just 4.5 years. The life tables revealed that the overall average life expectancy at age 0 for the dogs was 11.2 years. However, the life expectancy varied hugely between breeds. French Bulldogs (pictured) were only expected to live 4.5 years from age 0, followed by English Bulldogs at 7.4 years, Pugs at 7.7 years and American Bulldogs 7.8 years Jack Russell Terriers had the greatest life expectancy from age 0 at 12.7 years, followed by Border Collies (12.1 years) and Springer Spaniels (11.92 years). At the other end of the scale, four flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds were found to have the shortest life expediencies. French Bulldogs were only expected to live 4.5 years from age 0, followed by English Bulldogs at 7.4 years, Pugs at 7.7 years and American Bulldogs 7.8 years. Flat-faced breeds are known to suffer from a range of health issues. Their broad head shape did not evolve naturally and is instead the result of selective breeding. As a result, these breeds often suffer from breathing problems, spinal disease and dystocia slow or difficult labour. Breeds with shortest life expectancy French Bulldog - 4.53 English Bulldog - 7.39 Pug - 7.65 American Bulldog - 7.79 Chihuahua - 7.91 Husky - 9.53 Beagle - 9.85 Boxer - 10.04 German Shepherd - 10.16 Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - 10.45 Advertisement Russia has been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from failed advances in northeast Ukraine, a British military update said on Saturday. 'Shortcomings in Russian tactical coordination remain. A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localised improvements,' the military tweeted. 'Russia hopes to rectify issues that have previously constrained its invasion by geographically concentrating combat power, shortening supply lines and simplifying command and control,' it said. A picture taken during a visit to Mariupol organized by the Russian military shows Russian servicemen guard the territory of the cargo sea port in Mariupol. Russia has been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from failed advances in northeast Ukraine An aerial view of damaged area after Russian attacks in Moshchun Village, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine on April 29 A fuel depot in Russian-controlled Donetsk burst into flames today in what is widely thought to be another Ukrainian counter-attack to cut supply lines The news comes as Russia is reported to have sustained colossal losses in the war in the east, although Ukraine too has admitted to suffering many casualties. Ukraine continues to carry out attacks behind Russian lines to cut off vital supply routes, with a fuel dump in the Donetsk region catching fire today. Kyiv has not acknowledged carrying out any of the attacks - which have also hit railway bridges and ammo dumps - but is widely thought to be orchestrating them. Russia is pouring troops into the battle in Donbass in an effort to force a bloody victory having been defeated in its initial aim to storm in Kyiv, topple the government, and install a puppet regime loyal to Moscow. After it became apparent they did not have sufficient force to take the capital, Russia's generals yanked their units out, patched them up as best they could, and then threw them back into the fight in Donbas. Poland has sent more than 200 Soviet-era T-72 battle tanks (file image) to Ukraine as part of a $1.6bn military aid package as fighting intensifies Fighters of the Chechen special forces unit, led by Russia's State Duma member Adam Delimkhanov, walk near the administration building of Azovstal Iron and Steel Works. Russia has not yet taken the military base due to the heavy casualties involved in the fighting They also adapted their tactics - abandoning precision missile strikes and rapid advances which saw them mauled around Kyiv in favour of slow advances behind walls of blanket artillery in similar tactics to WW1 trench warfare. The move has met with mixed success. Ukraine has acknowledged losing control of some towns and villages, but has made gains elsewhere in counter-attacks. Supplies of heavier weapons including tanks, artillery cannons, precision munitions and anti-aircraft weapons are designed to help with those attacks while ensuring the Ukrainians can destroy as much Russian equipment as possible in the process. Oleksiy Arestovych, a Ukrainian secret service veteran-turned presidential adviser, acknowledged his military is suffering 'serious losses' on battlefields in the east but insisted that Russia's casualties are 'much, much worse'. Advertisement The wife of Tory MP Neil Parish, who admitted he was at the centre of Westminster's latest sleaze probe said there are 'very few' men who have not looked at pornography. Mr Parish, who is the MP for Tiverton and Honiton, is being investigated over allegations he watched pornographic material on his mobile handset during a parliamentary debate. Susan Parish, his wife of more than 40 years said their marriage would survive the scandal, claiming it is 'all very embarrassing'. After hearing about the allegation, Mrs Parish said: 'My breath was taken away, frankly,' although she defended her husband. 'No. Hes quite a normal guy, really. Hes a lovely person. Its just so stupid.' Neil Parish MP, pictured at home in Somerset today, who has been stripped of the Tory whip over allegations that he watched pornography on his phone during a House of Commons debate, told his wife, Sue, that 'she married a f****** idiot Susan Parish, pictured with her husband Neil Parish, said very few men can claim to have never watched pornography, although she admitted it should not be viewed in the House of Commons Mr Parish, pictured, has said if Parliamentary investigations into his behavior find him guilty of misconduct, he will resign She said: 'People shouldnt be looking at pornography. He would never just sit there with people looking. He would never just do that knowing [people were looking]. These ladies were quite right to be as cross as they were because I was cross, too.' Following the allegations, Mr Parish had the Tory whip removed and is now sitting as an Independent in the House of Commons. He said he has no intention of resigning, unless the current parliamentary probes into his actions find him guilty of misconduct. Safeguarding minister Rachel Maclean said 'appropriate measures will be put in place' while the investigations continued. However, he has faced calls to step down, with opposition parties seeking his resignation. He said he may have opened the pornography accidentally, as he referred himself to Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone for investigation. But senior Tory Karen Bradley urged him to stay away from Parliament and Harriet Harman, the longest-standing female MP, called for his immediate resignation. Ms Maclean, the minister responsible for safeguarding women, said 'clearly what he's done is unacceptable' and that he should resign if found to have watched the material deliberately. Asked on Times Radio if it was appropriate for him to carry on while under investigation, she said: 'I genuinely think that's a matter for him.' But she added: 'I want to be clear, he is not continuing his business as normal, he's under investigation, and I'm confident that the appropriate measures will be put in place to safeguard any of his constituents, particularly women and girls.' As the scandal broke yesterday, Mr Parish told his wife: 'I'm sorry you married a f****** idiot.' His said: 'If you were mad with every man who looked at pornography, you would not have many wives in the world.' Under-fire Tory MP Neil Parish with his wife of 40 years Susan, who has described the allegations against him as 'very embarrassing' Mr Parish gave a statement to press outside his home in which he explained that he had the Conservative whip suspended as the allegations are investigated Addressing reporters yesterday, Mr Parish said: 'I have to apologise to my wife more than anybody for putting her through all of this.' Adding that he understood the upset he had caused more widely, he nevertheless stressed that he would 'carry on doing my duties as MP for Tiverton and Honiton' with the 'full support of my wonderful wife'. Mrs Parish admitted the incident was 'all very embarrassing' but said it would be 'a bit stupid' to let it come between them. 'I don't understand [the attraction of] it. I'm a woman... it's degrading. It's demeaning. But on the other hand it takes two to tango. There must be women posing for all this,' she told The Times. Of whether she was aware of her husband having watched porn before, she said: 'No. He's quite a normal guy, really. He's a lovely person. It's just so stupid. 'I'm fairly tough. You've got to carry on, haven't you? Where that leaves [his career]... what's going to happen, I've got no idea.' A close friend who visited the couple yesterday said: 'As you can imagine, the atmosphere in there was somewhat tense. But they are a very close couple, and after ten years in Parliament an incident like this is not going to derail their marriage.' Yesterday's developments followed days of speculation about the identity of the Tory seen viewing explicit content in the Commons. Of why he had not come forward sooner or quit Mr Parish, who gave a TV interview earlier this week calling for the man in question to be 'dealt with seriously', said: 'I wasn't going to until such time as I had referred myself to the authorities. I will not remain if I am found guilty [by the Committee on Standards].' In addition to referring himself to that panel, Mr Parish has also been referred to Parliament's Independent Complaints and Grievances Scheme. It follows the claim from two female MPs that they had seen a colleague watching porn in the Commons chamber. One reported having also seen him looking at indecent images during a committee hearing. MP Neil Parish, pictured at his home yesterday, has had the Conservative whip suspended while he is being investigated for allegedly watching pornography in the Commons Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris (left) has now suspended the whip from the MP pending an investiation. Backbencher Nickie Aiken (right) said the Tory MP responsible for watching pornography in the Houses of Parliament should quit Who is Neil Parish? Somerset farmer turned politician who left school at 16 and became a 'Rottweiler' on rural issues Neil Parish - who was today named as the MP accused of watching porn in the Commons - is a former Somerset farmer who has spend more than two decades as a politician in Westminster and Brussels. Born in Bridgewater, a historic market town on the edge of the Somerset Levels, he became MP for Tiverton and Honiton, a picturesque constituency in the heart of south-west England, in 2010 after a decade as a Tory MEP. Before that he served as a local councillor. The 65-year-old has been a member of the Environment and rural affairs committee since 2010 and was once branded a 'Rottweiler' by former farming minister David Miliband. Mr Parish left school at 16 without qualifications and began working on the family farm, where he still lives. He is married to Susan, a teacher, and they have two children and two grandchildren A biography on Politico described him as a 'devoted family man', with him and his wife considered something of a 'double act'. It continued: 'Shorter than average and slightly rotund, Parish makes up in personality what he lacks in height. He is a whirlwind of activity, giving the impression he never stays still for very long. 'One of his political opposites in the Parliament describes Parish as ''personable'' it is difficult to find anyone who dislikes him but says he suspects him of being ''shallow'', accusing him of a tendency to jump on other people's bandwagons for the sake of publicity. The same person adds with a sigh: ''He's a pretty nice guy actually''.' Mr Parish is known to indulge in stunts, and while an MEP drove a hybrid car from Brussels to Alongside rural issues, he is also interested in animal welfare, and launched a select committee inquiry into the treatment of domestic pets, including cats, dogs and horses. Mr Parish's other interests include African politics, according to an online biography. During the 2000 Presidential elections in Zimbabwe, he acted as an election monitor and criticised the conduct of Robert Mugabe's regime. Following this, Robert Mugabe banned Neil from re-entering the country, a ban that remains in place to this day. He was recently among more than 280 MPs to be sanctioned by Vladimir Putin's regime for comments he had made in Parliament in support of Ukraine. He described this as a 'badge of honour'. His most recent work in Parliament was launching an inquiry into marine mammals, which will look into their welfare in UK waters and worldwide. Today he was suspended by the Conservatives pending an investigation. An investigation by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) was launched after the allegations surfaced during a meeting of Tory MPs on Tuesday. Advertisement Appearing on GB News earlier this week, Mr Parish himself said he backed Tory whips to conduct a 'thorough investigation'. He then added: 'If you've got sort of 650 members of parliament in what is a very intense area, you are going to get people that step over the line... 'I don't think there's necessarily a huge culture (of misogyny) here but I think it does have to be dealt with and dealt with seriously. That's what the whips will do.' Yesterday it emerged that Mr Parish the chairman of the Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee, and a member of the powerful liaison committee had spoken to Tory chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris about the claims. A spokesman for Mr Heaton-Harris confirmed that Mr Parish had been suspended by his party while the allegations are investigated. On Thursday, the Prime Minister had said of the claims: 'We need to get to understand the facts... but that kind of behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable.' Before becoming an MP in 2010, Mr Parish had served as an MEP for south-west England for a decade. At the last election he amassed 61 per cent of the vote, sealing a majority of almost 25,000. Educated at Brymore, an agricultural state boarding school in Somerset, he left at 16 to manage the family farm he still calls home. He and Sue have two children, Jonathan and Harriet, and two grandchildren. Until yesterday, the most publicity the MP received outside Westminster was when he risked being shot by police protecting Jeremy Hunt after he joined the then foreign secretary's motorcade without authorisation in 2019. As well as calls for faster rural broadband, he has campaigned on issues such as flooding, air quality and animal welfare. He also has a keen interest in African politics but was banned from Zimbabwe in 2008 for his criticism of Robert Mugabe's dictatorship. News of his standards investigation came as a female Cabinet minister revealed that she had once been 'pinned up against a wall' by a male MP. International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan urged colleagues to 'keep your hands in your pockets' as she complained about sexism in Parliament, telling LBC Radio: 'I've witnessed and been at the sharp end of misogyny from some colleagues many times over. 'We might describe it as wandering hands, if you like, we might describe it as, you know, a number of years ago being pinned up against a wall by a male MP who is now no longer in the House, I'm pleased to say declaring that I must want him because he was a powerful man. These sorts of things, these power abuses, that a very small minority, thank goodness, of male colleagues show is completely unacceptable.' She said most of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians', but added: 'There are a few for whom too much drink, or indeed a sort of a view that somehow being elected makes them, you know, God's gift to women, that they can suddenly please themselves. That is never OK, that kind of behaviour, disrespect for women.' Her Cabinet colleague Ben Wallace said earlier in the week that 'there's no place for pornography in any workplace'. Highlighting the need for change at Westminster, the Defence Secretary told Sky News: 'This is a problem, I think, about the overall culture of the House of Commons. It is late sitting, long nights with bars, and that very often leads, and it has done for decades, to behavioural challenges.' Tory MP Pauline Latham had said the then-unnamed man who had watched porn should resign, telling GB News: 'They should go... their ministerial career is absolutely shot and their parliamentary career probably. It's just not excusable in any way. It's totally shocking.' Shadow Commons Leader Thangam Debbonaire said: 'The Conservatives knew for days about the disgusting behaviour of one of their MPs and tried to cover it up... 'This is a government rotting from the head down. Britain deserves better.' Tory MP Neil Parish is pictured arriving back to his home in Somerset following news that he is being investigated over claims that he watched porn in the House of Commons Mr Parish was met by journalists as he arrived back at his Somerset home following the revelation that he is the MP alleged to have watched porn in the Commons Though the allegations are still be to investigated, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said Boris Johnson must order his MP to quit. 'If Boris Johnson had any shred of decency left, he would tell Neil Parish to resign immediately,' she said. 'In any other workplace this would count as gross misconduct and the person responsible would lose their job. Parliament should be no different. 'We don't need to insult the women MPs who witnessed this with a lengthy investigation. All his bosses need to do is ask for his devices and look at his viewing history, this isn't rocket science.' Tory MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, said she had been 'disappointed' that the whip was not suspended immediately but was now 'very relieved'. She told ITV News: 'I've been calling for the Chief Whip to remove the whip from when we first heard about this incident... 'I'm pleased that action has been taken and I hope that the two women who complained are being supported through the system as well.' It is understood a process has now been launched through Parliament's independent complaints and grievance scheme (ICGS). Mr Parish pictured with Mr Johnson before the latest controversy erupted Boris Johnson (pictured on a visit to Burnley yesterday) said it would be 'unacceptable' to watch porn in the Commons Meanwhile, there have been complaints that Mr Heaton-Harris had kicked the scandal 'into the long grass' by referring it to the Parliamentary grievance process rather than taking action. It appears the IGCS inquiry has now been triggered with at least one of the witnesses making a complaint. But a second investigation could be launched after Mr Parish's commitment to refer himself to the Standards Committee. It is unclear what potential breach of the MPs' code of conduct he would report himself for. But it is thought one option for Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone could be whether Mr Parish caused 'significant damage to the reputation and integrity' of the Commons. MPs have reacted with revulsion to the claims that a Tory had been caught by two of his female colleagues watching porn in the House of Commons. On a visit to Burnley on Thursday, the PM told broadcasters: 'I think it's obviously unacceptable for anybody to be doing that kind of thing in the workplace. 'It would be the same for any kind of job up and down the country, let's be absolutely clear about that. 'What needs to happen now is that the proper procedures need to be gone through, the independent complaints and grievances procedure needs to be activated and we need to get to understand the facts but, yeah, that kind of behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable.' Attorney General Suella Braverman said if the MP was found to have been watching adult material it should result in them 'no longer holding their privileged position as a Member of Parliament'. She said there was a 'very small minority of men - and it is men - who fall short and there are some bad apples who are out of order - who behave like animals, and are bringing Parliament into disrepute to be honest'. Tory MP Nickie Aiken said earlier that the alleged porn-watching MP 'has to resign' from the Commons as she warned that he was causing 'pain, suffering and embarrassment' to both the party and Parliament. He should 'take a very very long, hard look' at himself and ask 'should I still be here?', she told Times Radio. Cabinet minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan reveals she was 'pinned up against a wall' by male MP as she reads riot act to sleazy politicians A Cabinet minister yesterday revealed she was once 'pinned up against the wall' by a male MP. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the vast majority of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians'. But she said a few behaved badly when they had 'too much drink', insisting people should act 'as if their daughter was in the room'. Ms Trevelyan spoke about one extraordinary incident when she was 'pinned up against a wall' by a man who is now no longer an MP. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the vast majority of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians' Ms Trevelyan told Sky News of male MPs: 'There are a few for whom too much drink, or indeed a sort of, a view that somehow being elected makes them you know, God's gift to women, that they can suddenly please themselves, that is never OK, that kind of behaviour, disrespect for women.' She added: 'Fundamentally, if you're a bloke, keep your hands in your pockets and behave as you would if you had your daughter in the room.' Ms Trevelyan told LBC Radio: 'I've witnessed and been at the sharp end of misogyny from some colleagues many times over'. 'We might describe it as wandering hands, if you like, we might describe it as, you know, a number of years ago being pinned up against a wall by a male MP who is now no longer in the House, I'm pleased to say, declaring that I must want him because he was a powerful man'. 'These sorts of things, these power abuses that a very small minority, thank goodness, of male colleagues show is completely unacceptable.' She advised women subjected to that kind of behaviour to 'make public humiliation one of your tools'. However, while Ms Trevelyan described watching porn in the Commons chamber as 'completely unacceptable', she declined to say whether the MP involved should be sacked. These are the squalid scenes inside the home of a mother jailed for causing the death of her 11-month baby. Eleven-month-old Nafahat Diini died of a chest infection after weeks of neglect at the hands of 25-year-old Fartun Jamal at her flat in Kingfisher Way, Brent Park, Neasden, north west London. Shocked police who were called to the scene on March 13, 2019, found little food in the flat and noticed the stench of urine as soon as they passed through the door. Inside Nafahat's bedroom, there was human excrement on the walls and window and her cot - which was too small for her - was soaked in urine. Rotting takeaway food was found throughout the property, though officers did not find a single toy or a photograph of the little girl. On the day she died, local social services were due to make an unannounced visit to the flat after concerns were raised about the young girl's welfare. Police also noted, Jamal only had to cross the car park outside her flat to reach the local GP surgery. Fartun Jamal was found guilty of causing the death of her daughter Nafahat. Her 11-month-old child was forced to sleep in a urine-soaked travel cot which was too small for her Police discovered this urine-soaked travel cot inside the flat in Brent Park, Neasden, north west London where Nafahat slept Human excrement was found on the walls and windows of Nafahat's room A congealed container of cooked pasta was being used as an ashtray Harrow Crown Court heard Jamal made a series of web searches including 'I can't cope with my child anymore' and 'I want to give up my child', while living with the baby in early 2019, jurors were told during a trial at Harrow Crown Court. She knew Nafahat was unwell with a 'very high temperature' and poor appetite but failed to take her to a doctor, the court heard. Visitors in the weeks leading up to the baby's death recalled her cot was broken and the flat was overrun with takeaway boxes, dirty plates and nappies. On February 22, social services attended the property after concerns were raised by a babysitter. However, they warned Jamal ahead of their visit and, when they arrived, they found the flat was clean and the situation had improved. A second social services visit, without warning, was planned for March 13 the day Nafahat died. When paramedics were called to the property by a neighbour at 12.24pm, Jamal told them she had found her daughter's body after having a dream the baby had 'stopped breathing'. Police found human excrement and mouse droppings in Jamal's bedroom Officers found very little food in the flat, which was filled with dirty nappies, and rotting takeaway boxes Jamal was charged with one count of causing Nafahat's death by neglect, two counts of child cruelty in relation to Nafahat, and a third count of child cruelty in relation to another child. A jury found her guilty on of all four counts on March 4 after deliberating for nearly nine hours. The 25-year-old, who was released on bail ahead of sentencing, was jailed for five years and six months at Harrow Crown Court on Friday. Detective Chief Inspector Madeline Ryder, the senior investigating officer, said: 'This is an absolutely tragic case that resulted in the needless death of an innocent baby. 'No child should ever have to suffer in this manner. Baby Nafahat was only 11 months old when she died in squalid conditions, surrounded by walls covered in faeces. 'She died of an illness that was very treatable if Jamal had bothered to seek medical attention. 'What is even more harrowing is that her GP's surgery was less than 70 metres away from where she died and could be seen from Nafahat's bedroom window, so help was within very easy reach. One photograph taken by Scotland Yard showed the short distance Jamal had to travel to the nearest GP surgery to seek help 'For the vast majority of parents, to care for, protect and nurture their children is their main priority. 'However, Jamal was out partying just days before Nafahat's death and had clearly placed her social life above that of the basic needs of her baby. 'There is no sentence long enough to justify the taking of a baby's life, however I am pleased with the outcome of today's sentencing.' Police were called to the scene of the house on March 13, 2019 by London Ambulance Service who had received a 999 alert from Jamal that her daughter was not breathing. Despite the best efforts of first responders, they were unable to revive the little girl, whose cause of death was given as a respiratory tract infection. The examination revealed Nafahat had 'bronchitis complicated with pneumonia'. According to the Metropolitan Police, responding officers noted the 'strong smell of urine coming from inside' the flat. A search of the property found human excrement smeared on the walls and windows of Hafahat's bedroom. The young girl's cot had collapsed and its bedding was soaked in urine. Officers noted she was in a travel cot which was unsuitable for a girl of her age. In her mother's bedroom, there was evidence of mouse droppings and more human excrement on the walls. Throughout the property there were carrier bags of dirty nappies and rotting food and barely any food in the flat. A bowl of congealed pasta was being used as an ashtray and there was no milk formula. Also officers found a melted block of ice cream in a broken freezer. Despite an extensive search, officers could not find any toys or even a single photograph of the little girl. A former student claims that a Memphis Christian college banned her from campus for allegedly having premarital sex after she reported that she was raped by a fellow classmate. On Wednesday, 22-year-old Mara Louk filed a federal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against Visible Music College, claiming that when she told the school that a fellow classmate had choked and raped her last November, the school did nothing. According to the complaint, on November 2, 2021 an unnamed male classmate came over to Louk's apartment to play board games and ended up sexually assaulting her. On Wednesday, Mara Louk, 22, (pictured) filed a federal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against Visible Music College Louk's complaint is asking the DOE to look into whether Visible violated the Clery Act- a federal campus safety law requiring colleges to support victims of campus crimes. School president, Ken Steorts, who said he has not yet seen the complaint, says the college will cooperate with any investigations The following day she told a school administrator about the alleged assault, telling them that she shared a class with the student and wanted to make sure he could not harass her on campus, the complaint says. 'I didn't expect them to actually expel him, but I did trust them enough to get a plan in motion to keep him away from me and other students,' Louk told NBC News. The day after that she filed a sexual assault report with Memphis police but a week later she was informed by police there was not enough evidence to make an arrest, she said. Then on November 15 school administrators told her because the police did not charge the classmate, he would continue to attend classes. In that same meeting Louk claims school administrators accused her of breaking school rules against premarital sex with another student, despite her denying having sex with him. She says the accused classmate told school officials she had sex with her ex-boyfriend that semester and that the ex confirmed it. Louk says the school then threatened to have her expelled unless she signed a confession. Even then she was banned from campus and had to finish the school year remotely. 'I just felt like, why did I even speak up?' Louk said. 'That's truly how I felt for a long time because everything seemed to keep getting worse' Louk says what Visible Music College did was illegal as well as against their supposed morals as a Christian school School officials also advised Louk they would not be conducting a Title IX investigation because the alleged assault did not take place on campus, (pictured) the complaint said School officials also advised Louk they would not be conducting a Title IX investigation because the alleged assault did not take place on campus, according to the complaint. Louk claims the school administrators also tried to stop her from telling anyone else at the school about her alleged rape. 'I just felt like, why did I even speak up?' Louk told NBC News. 'That's truly how I felt for a long time because everything seemed to keep getting worse.' The complaint is asking the DOE to look into whether the school violated the Clery Act- a federal campus safety law requiring colleges to support victims of campus crimes- and whether the school discriminated against Louk under the gender equity law Title IX. 'Visible has retaliated against Mara in numerous ways,' her complaint says. 'Instead of investigating the rape and providing support to Mara, Visible punished Mara for coming forward.' Ultimately Louk refused to sign the pastoral care contract and ended up wrapping up the fall semester online and then withdrew from the college just nine credits away from obtaining her bachelor's degree, NBC News reported. The school has not addressed any of the allegations but school president, Ken Steorts, who said he has not yet seen the complaint told NBC News the college will cooperate with any investigations. 'Visible will cooperate with any investigation of the allegations made in the complaint,' he said. But last November they issued a statement to Louk saying they would not be doing an investigation into the alleged assault because they had no jurisdiction over an incident that took place off campus in accordance with Title IX regulations. But Louk called out the school's hypocrisy because she says they were willing to punish her for alleged premarital sex that took place off campus. 'They weren't going to help me basically because it was off campus,' Louk said, 'but with a separate situation that was also off campus, they were going to handle that and punish me for it.' Louk says what the school did was illegal as well as against their supposed morals as a Christian school. 'Along with what the school did to me being completely illegal,' she said, 'it was completely immoral especially with a school that claims to demonstrate Christian morals and values. It's the complete opposite of what Jesus would do.' Buyers gave up the chance to live a gangster-chic lifestyle in the designer home of one of Australia's most-wanted criminals when it was passed in at auction. The six bedroom house in Sydney's west was seized by the NSW Crime Commission after the second-in-command of the notorious Alameddine clan, Masood Zakaria, disappeared last year. The crime boss is wanted by police for his alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate a Hamzy gang rival and he is believed to have fled the country. Police seized Zakaria's Greystanes home and charged his wife Azza Zakaria for faking documents to secure their home loan for the property back in 2019. Masood Zakaria (pictured) allegedly directed his wife Azza to present fake documents about her annual income and employment in order to obtain the home loan Azza was granted a $1.125 million loan for the home (pictured) in early 2020 however unbeknownst to the broker the documents were almost all fraudulent Police found Mrs Zakaria fraudulently declared an income of $240,000 on loan documents to buy the house in 2019. The annual proceeds of Mrs Zakaria's 'self-employed' role in childcare alerted suspicions as she holds no recognised childcare qualifications and is married to the notorious organised crime boss. NSW Crime Commission put the flashy pad up for auction on Saturday with an expected price tag of $2million, and a guide price of over $1.75million. As well as the six bedrooms, the flashy pad boasts two 'premium bathrooms' and three toilets in the unassuming Greystanes cul-de-sac. But it was the unique black marbled kitchen which was the star attraction, dubbed 'a funky designer gas kitchen' by estate agents and featuring a double drawer dishwasher and an island breakfast bar. The humungous kitchen (pictured) was expected to help push bids over the $2million dollar mark at auction on Saturday It also boasted external cooking and entertaining areas with an underground guest bedroom and two-car garage maximising space on the massive 1,359 square metre residential block. A small group of high-rollers - said to have arrived in European luxury cars, looking ready to buy - attended the auction on Saturday but no-one bid above $1.75 million. Although the auction ended without a wining bid, a buyer was seen approaching the agent to negotiate after bidding closed. However any proceeds from a sale will be held by NSW Crime Commission until all legal proceedings are concluded, when they could be forfeited to the state. Any new owner will be able to shower in style in one of the home's premium black bathrooms The massive living room (pictured) is furnished with designer pieces including Coco Chanel pillows and throws Masood Zakaria allegedly directed his wife Azza to fake a series of documents about her annual income and employment history to obtain a loan to buy the home back in 2019. The couple purchased the luxurious Greystanes property for $1.5million in 2019 after applying for funds that would cover three quarters of the asking price. Azza recently pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly obtaining advantage by deception at Parramatta Local Court. Police on the same day had arrived at the Greystanes home in Sydney's west to arrest Masood over the alleged attempted murder of rival Ibrahem Hamze. The six-bedroom home with an 'absolutely enormous' master bedroom (pictured) and ensuite bathroom but failed to reach an expected $2million bid and was passed in The couple purchased their luxurious Greystanes home (pictured) for $1.5million in 2019 after applying for funds to cover three quarters of the asking price Police believe rivals had been planning to carry out an attack on Ibrahem Hamze when a stolen Mercedes was spotted on Walker Street on August 14. The driver allegedly refused to stop the vehicle for officers before speeding off and running through a red light. NSW Police criminal groups squad commander Detective Superintendent Grant Taylor said the two men were allegedly in the area 'for the sole purpose of shooting dead a man who they believe is a rival in territorial disputes in south-west Sydney'. Masood couldn't be found when police knocked on his door on December 15 last year and is now believed to have fled to Turkey. Parramatta Local Court heard the high-ranking member guided his wife through the process of creating a series of fraudulent financial documents later used to secure a home loan. In the loan application Azza claimed an annual income of $240,000 from her role as an external consultant to childcare centres. She stated she had previously been a centre director and had been self-employed in the childcare industry for five years before that. The 26-year-old supplied references from 'employers' and said her role included training staff, organising extra-curricular activities and drafting education plans. Police on the same day had arrived at the couple's home in Sydney's west to arrest Masood over the alleged attempted murder of rival Ibrahem Hamze Azza was granted a $1.125 million loan for the home in early 2020 however unbeknownst to the broker the documents were almost all fraudulent. Police checks later found she had enrolled in a childcare training course but had later withdrew and had no certifications to her name. The court heard Masood had masterminded the purchasing of the property which would leave a mark on his wife's otherwise clean criminal record. He allegedly directed Azza to make him the beneficial owner to ensure the house couldn't be seized by law enforcements, which it later was. Pictured from left to right is Tareek Hamzy, Ibrahem Hamze and Haissam Hamzy. Police arrived at the home of Masood Zakaria on December 15 to arrest him over the alleged attempted murder of Ibrahem Masood allegedly then arranged for $310,000 to settle the property be transferred into his wife's bank account through an associate. Azza was then instructed to transfer those funds to a nominated account which she had to do at a physical branch. 'It is alleged Zakaria is the beneficial owner of the property and the mortgage fraud was perpetuated in Azza's name to intentionally conceal his connection to the property,' documents tendered to the Parramatta Local Court read. Azza was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order for her part in the scheme due to be complete in April 2023. Advertisement Neil Parish, the MP alleged to have watched pornography in the House of Commons is 'likely to resign by this afternoon' according to reports. The MP for Tiverton and Honiton referred himself to the standards commissioner after claims were made by two female colleagues that he had viewed the x-rated content on his mobile phone while in Westminster. A Conservative source told PA news agency that the MP is likely to resign this afternoon, despite Mr Parish vowing yesterday to continue in his duties as MP and chairman of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Yesterday, the 65-year-old farmer said he will resign if found guilty by standards commissioner Kathryn Stone, who is yet to say whether she will open an investigation. Labour's Ms Harman called on Mr Parish to stand down amid a 'new low for the House of Commons'. She told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: 'If this is what he has done, he should stand down from Parliament right away. It is not right for him to go through the investigation processes if that is what he has done. 'Clearly he is not fit to be in Parliament. He should accept that and not drag the processes out.' Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to order Mr Parish to 'resign immediately'. Neil Parish, the MP alleged to have watched pornography in the House of Commons is 'likely to resign by this afternoon' according to reports. Above, Mr Parish at his Somerset home today A Conservative source told PA news agency that the MP is likely to resign this afternoon, despite Mr Parish vowing yesterday to continue in his duties as MP and chairman of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Above, Mr Parish at his Somerset home today Earlier today, two Conservative politicians responsible for women's safeguarding and equalities called for 'appropriate action' to be taken after an investigation into allegations Neil Parish MP watched pornography in the Commons. Asked if it was appropriate for him to carry on, Rachel Maclean, minister for safeguarding, told Times Radio: 'I genuinely think that's a matter for him, but of course there are robust processes to support constituents, any member of the public who wants to see their MP, and all of those matters are very much at the forefront of the investigation system that we have. Senior Tory Karen Bradley urged him to stay away from Parliament and Harriet Harman, the longest-standing female MP, called for his immediate resignation. Senior Conservative MP Caroline Nokes said it will be 'difficult' for Mr Parish to spend the required time in Parliament as a select committee chair. She also accused the Tory whips of 'dither and delay' in not suspending the MP from the parliamentary party until Friday, despite colleagues airing the claims in a meeting three days earlier. Ms Maclean, the minister responsible for safeguarding women, said 'clearly what he's done is unacceptable' and that he should resign if found to have watched the material deliberately. Rachel Maclean (pictured) has rejected calls for Neil Parish to stand down immediately while the MP is under investigation for allegedly watching pornography in the Commons Asked on Times Radio if it was appropriate for him to carry on while under investigation, she said: 'I genuinely think that's a matter for him.' But she added: 'I want to be clear, he is not continuing his business as normal, he's under investigation, and I'm confident that the appropriate measures will be put in place to safeguard any of his constituents, particularly women and girls.' She told Sky News: 'Clearly if this is substantiated and those allegations turn out to be true, of course I stand by what I said, but at the same time there is now an investigation so it wouldn't be helpful for me to speculate on the specific outcomes. 'This type of behaviour has no place in any workplace let alone Parliament, but I think everybody would accept that when there's an allegation that's made... it isn't really for us, as colleagues, to sit on judgment on another colleague, it is for that process to take. 'I've absolutely every confidence in the Chief Whip, he's acting incredibly quickly, I don't see why the investigation can't be concluded very quickly and I'm certain that appropriate action will then follow from that.' Tory MP Caroline Nokes also did not call for her Conservative colleague to immediately stand down, and said the investigation should take place before further steps are taken Conservative Party is 'institutionally sexist' Senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes has claimed that that the Conservative party is 'institutionally sexist' and believes there is a culture of 'male entitlement' among the group. The chair of the Women and Equalities Committee told The Times, after being briefed not to speak out over the porn watching allegation, that 'misogynistic nicknames and smears' could be used to belittle colleagues less 'robust' than her. 'There's a sense of women in parliament being tolerated rather than valued,' she said. 'There are women in the party who have amazing attributes which get ignored. It still very much feels like it's run by an old boys club.' Yesterday, a Cabinet minister yesterday revealed she was once 'pinned up against the wall' by a male MP. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the vast majority of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians'. But she said a few behaved badly when they had 'too much drink', insisting people should act 'as if their daughter was in the room'. Ms Trevelyan spoke about one extraordinary incident when she was 'pinned up against a wall' by a man who is now no longer an MP. Advertisement Ms Nokes, who chairs the Women and Equalities Committee, agreed 'it's right those investigations are carried out before any further action is taken'. However, she suggested it will be a challenge for Mr Parish, who has been an MP since 2010, to continue leading his committee examining environmental matters. 'It's a senior and responsible position and as a select committee chair myself I know how seriously I take that job,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'That's a matter for Neil to discuss with the party whips and to take a position on, but I think whilst he's under investigation it's going to make it very difficult for him to be in the Commons as much as he needs to be.' She added: 'I think it's right those investigations are carried out before any further action is taken.' Ms Nokes also raised concerns about how quickly Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris acted despite two MPs raising their concerns on Tuesday evening. 'I felt by leaving it until Friday before we knew that action had been taken by the whips that it felt like unnecessary dither and delay,' she told the radio station. Ms Maclean added: 'I agree with pretty much everything that she [Ms Nokes] said. I think it is right that action has been taken, that the Chief Whip has taken the action he has taken. There clearly needed to be some time to establish the veracity, the facts of the case.' Ms Nokes has also claimed that that the Conservative Party is 'institutionally sexist' and believes there is a culture of 'male entitlement' among the group. She told The Times, after being briefed not to speak out over the porn watching allegation, that 'misogynistic nicknames and smears' could be used to belittle colleagues less 'robust' than her. 'There's a sense of women in parliament being tolerated rather than valued,' she said. 'There are women in the party who have amazing attributes which get ignored. It still very much feels like it's run by an old boys club.' The Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), which looks into claims of bullying and sexual harassment, is understood to have begun examining the events after at least one witness made a referral. This separate to any investigation. There have also been suggestions that a Tory minister also witnessed him watching porn on a second occasion, in a committee meeting. Karen Bradley, who chairs the Procedure Committee, said she 'would urge him not to come into Parliament' while under investigation and was clear Mr Parish must quit if found guilty. 'I'm struggling to find an excuse, I'm struggling to find a reason that might mean it was acceptable, but let's let the investigation take its course,' she told Channel 4 News. Under-fire Tory MP Neil Parish with his wife of 40 years Susan, who has described the allegations against him as 'very embarrassing' Susan Parish, pictured with her husband Neil Parish - the Tory MP who stands accused of watching porn in the House of Commons chamber while female colleagues sat closely by Yesterday, the wife of porn probe MP Neil Parish has told an interviewer that the allegations against her husband are 'very embarrassing' while he refuses to quit the House of Commons after having the whip withdrawn, claiming he viewed the 'x-rated site by mistake'. Mr Parish said in a statement on his website he 'will be co-operating fully with any investigation, and whilst it is ongoing I will continue to perform my duties'. Mr Parish's wife of 40 years Susan said she was completely unaware of her husband having done such things in the past. Meanwhile, Mr Parish was asked whether he opened a file 'in error', to which he replied: 'I did, but let the inquiry look at that.' He said he would quit if he was found guilty following an investigation and apologised for the incident, adding that he had only told his wife that afternoon. Mrs Parish said: 'It was all very embarrassing. My breath was taken away, frankly. 'People shouldn't be looking at pornography. He would never just sit there with people looking. He would never just do that knowing [people were looking]. 'These ladies were quite right to be as [upset] as they were. I've just no idea what happens in these circumstances. I don't know whether it's ever happened before,' she told The Times. Mrs Parish described her husband as a good person and MP, and insisted the drama was 'so stupid'. Yesterday afternoon, a visibly upset Mr Parish spoke to reporters outside his home and said he'd been unable to speak to his wife immediately after referring himself to the standards watchdog. He said: 'Id just been to a surgery in Honiton and this is Gods own truth, the mobile phone was completely flat I had to come back on the M5 otherwise I would have spoken to her sooner. When asked if he understood why people were upset, Mr Parish said: 'Of course I do and I apologise for that. But I will still await the findings of the inquiry.' The Tiverton and Honiton MP told GB News this week that Westminster could be 'intense' and 'you are going to get people that step over the line' when asked about the latest sleaze scandal to rock Westminster. Mr Parish gave a statement to press outside his home yesterday in which he explained that he had the Conservative whip suspended as the allegations are investigated The 65-year-old had the party whip suspended yesterday afternoon after finally being identified as the man allegedly spotted browsing smut by Tory women, following days of fevered speculation. Mr Parish, who has been an MP since 2010 and is chair of the cross-party Environment Committee, has referred himself to the standards watchdog over allegations that he had been seen watching adult material in the House by two female colleagues. Appearing on GB News earlier this week, Mr Parish himself said the claims had to be dealt with 'seriously' and backed Tory whips to conduct a 'thorough investigation'. He then added: 'If you've got sort of 650 members of parliament in what is a very intense area, you are going to get people that step over the line... 'I don't think there's necessarily a huge culture (of misogyny) here but I think it does have to be dealt with and dealt with seriously. That's what the whips will do.' Yesterday evening he was facing renewed calls to quit from opposition parties. But in a statement last night he vowed to continue working as an MP. Writing on his website, he said: 'I will be cooperating fully with any investigation, and whilst it is ongoing I will continue to perform my duties as MP for Tiverton and Honiton.' MP Neil Parish, pictured at his home yesterday, has had the Conservative whip suspended while he is being investigated for allegedly watching pornography in the Commons Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris (left) has now suspended the whip from the MP pending an investigation. Backbencher Nickie Aiken (right) said the Tory MP responsible for watching pornography in the Houses of Parliament should quit Who is Neil Parish? Somerset farmer turned politician who left school at 16 and became a 'Rottweiler' on rural issues Neil Parish - who was yesterday named as the MP accused of watching porn in the Commons - is a former Somerset farmer who has spend more than two decades as a politician in Westminster and Brussels. Born in Bridgewater, a historic market town on the edge of the Somerset Levels, he became MP for Tiverton and Honiton, a picturesque constituency in the heart of south-west England, in 2010 after a decade as a Tory MEP. Before that he served as a local councillor. The 65-year-old has been a member of the Environment and rural affairs committee since 2010 and was once branded a 'Rottweiler' by former farming minister David Miliband. Mr Parish left school at 16 without qualifications and began working on the family farm, where he still lives. He is married to Susan, a teacher, and they have two children and two grandchildren A biography on Politico described him as a 'devoted family man', with him and his wife considered something of a 'double act'. It continued: 'Shorter than average and slightly rotund, Parish makes up in personality what he lacks in height. He is a whirlwind of activity, giving the impression he never stays still for very long. 'One of his political opposites in the Parliament describes Parish as ''personable'' it is difficult to find anyone who dislikes him but says he suspects him of being ''shallow'', accusing him of a tendency to jump on other people's bandwagons for the sake of publicity. The same person adds with a sigh: ''He's a pretty nice guy actually''.' Mr Parish is known to indulge in stunts, and while an MEP drove a hybrid car from Brussels to Alongside rural issues, he is also interested in animal welfare, and launched a select committee inquiry into the treatment of domestic pets, including cats, dogs and horses. Mr Parish's other interests include African politics, according to an online biography. During the 2000 Presidential elections in Zimbabwe, he acted as an election monitor and criticised the conduct of Robert Mugabe's regime. Following this, Robert Mugabe banned Neil from re-entering the country, a ban that remains in place to this day. He was recently among more than 280 MPs to be sanctioned by Vladimir Putin's regime for comments he had made in Parliament in support of Ukraine. He described this as a 'badge of honour'. His most recent work in Parliament was launching an inquiry into marine mammals, which will look into their welfare in UK waters and worldwide. Yesterday he was suspended by the Conservatives pending an investigation. An investigation by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) was launched after the allegations surfaced during a meeting of Tory MPs on Tuesday. Advertisement Shadow Commons Leader Thangam Debbonaire said: 'The Conservatives knew for days about the disgusting behaviour of one of their MPs and tried to cover it up... 'This is a government rotting from the head down. Britain deserves better.' Though the allegations are still be to investigated, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said Boris Johnson must order his MP to quit. 'If Boris Johnson had any shred of decency left, he would tell Neil Parish to resign immediately,' she said. 'In any other workplace this would count as gross misconduct and the person responsible would lose their job. Parliament should be no different. 'We don't need to insult the women MPs who witnessed this with a lengthy investigation. All his bosses need to do is ask for his devices and look at his viewing history, this isn't rocket science.' Tory MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, said she had been 'disappointed' that the whip was not suspended immediately but was now 'very relieved'. She told ITV News: 'I've been calling for the Chief Whip to remove the whip from when we first heard about this incident... 'I'm pleased that action has been taken and I hope that the two women who complained are being supported through the system as well.' The PM has previously condemned the alleged watching of porn in the Commons, while other Conservatives said the MP involved should take a 'long, hard look' at themselves and resign. A spokeswoman for Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris yesterday afternoon blew the lid on Mr Parish's identity, saying: 'Having spoken to the Chief Whip this afternoon, Neil Parish MP is reporting himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. 'Mr Parish has been suspended from the Conservative Whip pending the outcome of that investigation.' It is understood a process has now been launched through Parliament's independent complaints and grievance scheme (ICGS). Meanwhile, there have been complaints that Mr Heaton-Harris had kicked the scandal 'into the long grass' by referring it to the Parliamentary grievance process rather than taking action. It appears the IGCS inquiry has now been triggered with at least one of the witnesses making a complaint. But a second investigation could be launched after Mr Parish's commitment to refer himself to the Standards Committee. It is unclear what potential breach of the MPs' code of conduct he would report himself for. But it is thought one option for Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone could be whether Mr Parish caused 'significant damage to the reputation and integrity' of the Commons. MPs have reacted with revulsion to the claims that a Tory had been caught by two of his female colleagues watching porn in the House of Commons. On a visit to Burnley yesterday, the PM told broadcasters: 'I think it's obviously unacceptable for anybody to be doing that kind of thing in the workplace. 'It would be the same for any kind of job up and down the country, let's be absolutely clear about that. 'What needs to happen now is that the proper procedures need to be gone through, the independent complaints and grievances procedure needs to be activated and we need to get to understand the facts but, yeah, that kind of behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable.' Attorney General Suella Braverman said if the MP was found to have been watching adult material it should result in them 'no longer holding their privileged position as a Member of Parliament'. She said there was a 'very small minority of men - and it is men - who fall short and there are some bad apples who are out of order - who behave like animals, and are bringing Parliament into disrepute to be honest'. Tory MP Neil Parish is pictured arriving back to his home in Somerset following news that he is being investigated over claims that he watched porn in the House of Commons Mr Parish was met by journalists as he arrived back at his Somerset home following the revelation that he is the MP alleged to have watched porn in the Commons Tory MP Nickie Aiken said earlier that the alleged porn-watching MP 'has to resign' from the Commons as she warned that he was causing 'pain, suffering and embarrassment' to both the party and Parliament. He should 'take a very very long, hard look' at himself and ask 'should I still be here?', she told Times Radio. Yesterday, Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the vast majority of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians'. But she said a few behaved badly when they had 'too much drink', insisting people should act 'as if their daughter was in the room'. Ms Trevelyan spoke about one extraordinary incident when she was 'pinned up against a wall' by a man who is now no longer an MP. Ms Trevelyan told Sky News of male MPs: 'There are a few for whom too much drink, or indeed a sort of, a view that somehow being elected makes them you know, God's gift to women, that they can suddenly please themselves, that is never OK, that kind of behaviour, disrespect for women.' She added: 'Fundamentally, if you're a bloke, keep your hands in your pockets and behave as you would if you had your daughter in the room.' Ms Trevelyan told LBC Radio: 'I've witnessed and been at the sharp end of misogyny from some colleagues many times over'. 'We might describe it as wandering hands, if you like, we might describe it as, you know, a number of years ago being pinned up against a wall by a male MP who is now no longer in the House, I'm pleased to say, declaring that I must want him because he was a powerful man'. 'These sorts of things, these power abuses that a very small minority, thank goodness, of male colleagues show is completely unacceptable.' She advised women subjected to that kind of behaviour to 'make public humiliation one of your tools'. However, while Ms Trevelyan described watching porn in the Commons chamber as 'completely unacceptable', she declined to say whether the MP involved should be sacked. Mr Parish pictured with Mr Johnson before the latest controversy erupted Boris Johnson (pictured on a visit to Burnley earlier this week) said it would be 'unacceptable' to watch porn in the Commons Cabinet minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan reveals she was 'pinned up against a wall' by male MP as she reads riot act to sleazy politicians A Cabinet minister yesterday revealed she was once 'pinned up against the wall' by a male MP. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the vast majority of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians'. But she said a few behaved badly when they had 'too much drink', insisting people should act 'as if their daughter was in the room'. Ms Trevelyan spoke about one extraordinary incident when she was 'pinned up against a wall' by a man who is now no longer an MP. Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the vast majority of her male colleagues are 'delightful' and 'committed parliamentarians' Ms Trevelyan told Sky News of male MPs: 'There are a few for whom too much drink, or indeed a sort of, a view that somehow being elected makes them you know, God's gift to women, that they can suddenly please themselves, that is never OK, that kind of behaviour, disrespect for women.' She added: 'Fundamentally, if you're a bloke, keep your hands in your pockets and behave as you would if you had your daughter in the room.' Ms Trevelyan told LBC Radio: 'I've witnessed and been at the sharp end of misogyny from some colleagues many times over'. 'We might describe it as wandering hands, if you like, we might describe it as, you know, a number of years ago being pinned up against a wall by a male MP who is now no longer in the House, I'm pleased to say, declaring that I must want him because he was a powerful man'. 'These sorts of things, these power abuses that a very small minority, thank goodness, of male colleagues show is completely unacceptable.' She advised women subjected to that kind of behaviour to 'make public humiliation one of your tools'. However, while Ms Trevelyan described watching porn in the Commons chamber as 'completely unacceptable', she declined to say whether the MP involved should be sacked. A mother is lucky to be alive after she was bitten by a deadly brown snake while hiking in a remote gorge, sparking a tricky seven hour rescue mission. Megan Brouwer, 36, was with her husband and young son when the highly venomous serpent lunged at her in the Karijini National Park. The outback wilderness is 1300km north-east of Perth, and 300km away from the family's home in the nearest town of Port Hedland on the state's north-west coast. 'I turned around and saw it slithering off and thought 'gee, that was a close call' and my husband said 'no it was actually on your feet and it was striking at you',' Ms Brouwer told 9 News. Port Hedland resident Megan Brouwer was hiking with her husband and five-year-old son on April 24 when a highly venomous brown snake lunged at her in the Karijini National Park By a stroke of luck, an off-duty doctor was in the vicinity, who quickly applied a pressure bandage to Ms Brouwer's wound (pictured, the start of the rescue effort) 'I had a puncture wound and some fresh blood and had a bit of a panic then of what to do.' By a stroke of luck, an off-duty doctor was nearby who quickly applied a pressure bandage to Ms Brouwer's wound. The doctor, who was also armed with a first aid kid and satellite phone, then raised the alarm with emergency crews. A mammoth seven-hour rescue from the bottom of one of WA's steepest gorges followed, with the mother 'eternally grateful' to the doctor and the rescue team. The emergency crew worked for seven hours to get Ms Brouwer to safety from a remote gorge in WA after she was bitten by a brown snake Brown snakes (pictured) have the second most toxic of all snake venoms in the world It was no easy task, with Ms Brouwer floated across three pools of water on a stretcher before she was then lifted up to a narrow path lined with dozens of loose rocks. 'I couldn't really fathom how they were going to get me up there in a stretcher, but they did,' said Ms Brouwer. Ms Brouwer also stressed the importance of having a first aid kit on hikes, as it 'can make all the difference.' In an emergency meeting on Friday, Twitter employees lashed out over Elon Musk's deal to acquire the company for $44 billion, accusing the world's richest man of bigotry and fretting over potential job cuts once the deal closes. Staffers at the 'impromptu' all-hands meeting fired angry questions at executives including CEO Parag Agrawal, who was described as looking tired and at times annoyed, according to Insider. Reached by DailyMail.com on Saturday morning, a Twitter spokeswoman declined to comment. One employee at the meeting described Musk as anti-gay and anti-transgender, expressing fear that his ownership would hurt efforts to recruit new employees. 'What should we tell the LGTBQ community at recruiting conferences we're lined up to attend when they ask us why they should come work at Twitter when we just sold ourselves to an open homophobe and transphobe?' the staffer asked Dalana Brand, Twitter's chief people and diversity officer. Brand diplomatically avoided agreeing with that assessment of Musk, responding: 'I cannot speak to Elon's personal feelings on these things. I can't speak to what he's done in his other companies, in terms of people's experiences.' 'Perhaps in the future we'll be able to have a conversation. That may be telling,' she added. At an all-hands meeting on Friday, Twitter staff fired angry questions at CEO Parag Agrawal (left) and Dalana Brand, Twitter's chief people and diversity officer (right) Elon Musk, seen with filmmaker Bryn Mooser last month, will not make any decisions about job cuts until he assumes ownership, one source says The criticism of Musk may have been referring to his prior mockery of the inclusion of pronouns in Twitter bios. Recent reports also suggest that the billionaire was prompted to buy Twitter after the service suspended a satirical account that praised a transgender Biden administration official as 'Man of the Year'. Twitter staffers also voiced fears about coming layoffs. Musk has reportedly vowed to slash executive pay after taking over, but one source said he will not make any decisions about job cuts until he assumes ownership. One employee, described as 'angry and disappointed,' raised the issue with Agrawal in a question read aloud during the meeting. 'I'm tired of hearing about shareholder value and fiduciary duty. What are your honest thoughts about the very high likelihood that many employees will not have jobs after the deal closes?' the employee asked. Agrawal answered that Twitter has always cared about its employees and would continue to do so, but did not deny the possibility of layoffs. 'Different organizations have different cultures, but they've excelled,' he said. 'It will be different here than what it is today, but for the people who are here, it will be worth it to be here.' 'I believe the future Twitter organization will continue to care about its impact on the world and its customers,' he said. Twitter headquarters is seen in San Francisco. Twitter staffers voiced fears about coming layoffs in a staff meeting on Friday afternoon Executives said during the meeting that the employee attrition rate has not changed compared to the levels before the news of Musk's interest in buying the company. In recent days, Musk has tweeted criticism of Twitter's top lawyer, Vijaya Gadde, who is widely respected across Silicon Valley. Gadde was a key player in controversial moves to ban Donald Trump from Twitter and censor reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop. Musk's attack triggered a barrage of online harassment targeting Gadde, and led to speculation that he could fire her after assuming control. At Friday's meeting, Gadde addressed questions about the contract Musk struck with Twitter defining the terms for his buyout. Asked about the $1 billion termination fee that either party could be forced to pay if they walk away from the deal, Gadde said that it could be seen as 'an incentive in some ways to perform the contract.' 'But the contract itself has very strong requirements to perform,' Gadde continued, according to Insider. 'What I mean by that is there's a provision in the contract that says Twitter can sue to have the contract enforced. So, as we say, it's not just about the termination fee. It's all the provisions and how they play together to create deal certainty.' At Friday's meeting, top Twitter lawyer Vijaya Gadde addressed questions about the contract Musk struck with Twitter defining the terms for his buyout Elon Musk's attempted hostile takeover of Twitter timeline: January 31: Musk starts buying Twitter shares 'almost daily' Musk starts buying Twitter shares 'almost daily' April 4: The billionaire reveals he has a nine per cent stake in the tech giant The billionaire reveals he has a nine per cent stake in the tech giant April 5: Twitter offers him a seat on the board of directors - as long as he does not own more than 14.9 per cent. He initially accepts the offer Twitter offers him a seat on the board of directors - as long as he does not own more than 14.9 per cent. He initially accepts the offer April 8: Vanguard Group reveals it has a larger, 10.3 per cent, stake in Twitter, meaning Musk is no longer largest shareholder Vanguard Group reveals it has a larger, 10.3 per cent, stake in Twitter, meaning Musk is no longer largest shareholder April 9: Musk rejects seat on Twitter's board on the day he is meant to join Musk rejects seat on Twitter's board on the day he is meant to join April 10: CEO Agrawal announces Musk declined to join the board in a statement CEO Agrawal announces Musk declined to join the board in a statement April 12: Investor Marc Bain Rasella files lawsuit against Musk in NYC over 'failing to report his Twitter share purchases to the SEC' in time Investor Marc Bain Rasella files lawsuit against Musk in NYC over 'failing to report his Twitter share purchases to the SEC' in time April 14: The Tesla founder offers to buy Twitter for $43 billion The Tesla founder offers to buy Twitter for $43 billion April 14: Twitter stocks plummet after hostile takeover bid Twitter stocks plummet after hostile takeover bid April 15: Twitter board mounts a 'poison pill' strategy against Musk Twitter board mounts a 'poison pill' strategy against Musk April 16: Musk tweets 'Love Me Tender' as he again teased at the possibility of a hostile takeover of Twitter April 17: Musk agreed with a tweet saying the 'game is rigged' if he can't buy Twitter Musk agreed with a tweet saying the 'game is rigged' if he can't buy Twitter April 18: Jack Dorsey has slammed the board of Twitter for 'plots and coups' that were 'consistently the dysfunction of the company' Jack Dorsey has slammed the board of Twitter for 'plots and coups' that were 'consistently the dysfunction of the company' April 18: The social media giant files its 'poison pill' defense with the Securities and Exchange Commission The social media giant files its 'poison pill' defense with the Securities and Exchange Commission April 21: Musk files SEC document unveiling how he will fund takeover bid Musk files SEC document unveiling how he will fund takeover bid April 24: Must tweets 'moving on' in reference to poking fun at Bill Gates Must tweets 'moving on' in reference to poking fun at Bill Gates April 24: Twitter announces it is re-examining Musk's $43 billion bid to buy the company Twitter announces it is re-examining Musk's $43 billion bid to buy the company April 25: Twitter signs an agreement to be acquired by Musk for $44 billion Advertisement At the all-hands meeting, employees also told executives they feared Musk's erratic behavior could destabilize Twitter's business, and hurt it financially as the company prepares to address the advertising world in a presentation next week in New York City. 'Do we have a strategy in the near-term on how to handle advertisers pulling investment,' one employee asked. Sarah Personette, Twitter's chief customer officer, said the company was working to communicate frequently with advertisers and reassure them 'the way that we service our customers is not changing.' After the meeting, a Twitter employee told Reuters there was little trust in what executives had to say. 'The PR speak is not landing. They told us don't leak and do a job you are proud of, but there is no clear incentive for employees to do this,' the employee told Reuters, noting that compensation for non-executive staffers is now capped because of the deal. Agrawal is estimated to receive $42 million if he were terminated within 12 months of a change in control at the social media company, according to research firm Equilar. Gadde, who earned $17 million last year, would walk away with a severance package worth $12.5 million, including accelerated vesting of her incentive shares. During the meeting, Agrawal urged staff to expect change in the future under new leadership, and acknowledged that the company could have performed better over the years. 'Yes, we could have done things differently and better. I could have done things differently. I think about that a lot,' he said. Elon Musk increases his selloff of Tesla shares to $8.5 BILLION 'to help fund his $44B Twitter takeover' Elon Musk sold off a total of $8.5 billion in Tesla shares in recent days, new regulatory filings on Friday showed. The filings double the previously reported amount of the fire-sale, which Musk is presumably conducting in order to fund his $21 billion cash commitment in a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Though Musk is the richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of $246 billion, most of his fortune is tied up in stock, and it had seemed clear he would have to sell off some assets to fund the Twitter takeover. About half of Musk's selloff of Tesla shares was made on Tuesday. Musk sold another $4.4 billion in the stock on Thursday, the new filings show. On Thursday night, after the first round of share sales became public, Musk tweeted: 'No further TSLA sales planned after today'. Elon Musk sold off a total of more than $8.4 billion in Tesla shares in recent days, new regulatory filings on Friday showed Tesla stock, which dropped 12 percent as he made his initial stock dump earlier this week, popped 6 percent in morning trading on Friday following Musk's vow not to sell the remainder of his stake. To complete the Twitter takeover, which is due to close by October, Musk has committed $21 billion in cash, $13 billion from Morgan Stanley in traditional bank loans and another $12.5 billion from the bank and others in margin loans. It's unclear why Musk decided to liquidate part of his 17 percent stake in Tesla so far in advance of the deal's expected closing date. In total, sold about 9.6 million shares this week, according to the filings on Thursday and Friday, equating to 5.6 percent of his stake in the company. Musk still owns about 16 percent of Tesla, a stake worth $143 billion. After taxes, Musk will make about $6.5 billion from his latest stock sale, and made about $3 billion in profit from another big sell-off late last year. That leaves roughly $10 billion in cash he will still need to meet his equity requirement for the Twitter deal. It is not clear how he will cover the remaining equity financing. Musk holds a 44 percent stake in unlisted rocket company SpaceX that is reportedly valued at $100 billion. Musk has been looking for partners to reduce his cash requirement for the Twitter deal, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, adding that it is far from certain such a partner will emerge. This week's activity marks Musk's first Tesla stock sale since he offloaded $16.4 billion worth of shares in November and December, after polling Twitter users about selling 10 percent of his stake in the electric car maker. Musk owed about $11 billion in taxes in 2021 due to his exercise of stock options set to expire this year, in addition to taxes on profits he realized in the stock sale. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned again that the North could preemptively use its nuclear weapons if threatened, as he praised his top army officials for a massive military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, this week. Kim expressed 'firm will' to continue developing his nuclear-armed military so that it could 'preemptively and thoroughly contain and frustrate all dangerous attempts and threatening moves, including ever-escalating nuclear threats from hostile forces, if necessary,' the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Saturday. KCNA said Kim called his military officials to praise their work during Monday's parade, where the North showcased the biggest weapons in its nuclear arsenal, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the US homeland. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un takes part in a parade ceremony to mark the 90th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army. Kim Jong Un warned again that the North could preemptively use its nuclear weapons if threatened The leader expressed 'firm will' to continue developing his nuclear-armed military so that it could 'preemptively and thoroughly contain and frustrate all dangerous attempts and threatening moves, including ever-escalating nuclear threats from hostile forces, if necessary KCNA said Kim called his military officials to praise their work during Monday's parade, where the North showcased the biggest weapons in its nuclear arsenal The North also rolled out a variety of shorter-range solid-fuel missiles designed to be fired from land vehicles or submarines, which pose a growing threat to South Korea and Japan. KCNA didn't say when Kim's meeting with military brass took place. The parade marking the 90th anniversary of North Korea's army came as Kim revives nuclear brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of his country as a nuclear power and remove crippling economic sanctions. Speaking to thousands of troops and spectators mobilized for the parade, Kim vowed to develop his nuclear forces at the 'fastest possible speed' and threatened to use them if provoked. He said his nuclear weapons would 'never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent' in situations where the North faces external threats to its 'fundamental interests.' Speaking to thousands of troops and spectators mobilized for the parade, Kim vowed to develop his nuclear forces at the 'fastest possible speed' Kim said his nuclear weapons would 'never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent' in situations where the North faces external threats to its 'fundamental interests' The North also rolled out a variety of shorter-range solid-fuel missiles designed to be fired from land vehicles or submarines, which pose a growing threat to South Korea and Japan Troops in armoured vehicles participate in a military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army Kim's comments suggested he would continue a provocative run in weapons testing to dial up the pressure on Washington and Seoul. South Korea will inaugurate a new conservative government in May that could take a harder line on Pyongyang following the engagement polices of outgoing liberal President Moon Jae-in that produced few results. Kim's threat to use his nuclear forces to protect his country's ambiguously defined 'fundamental interests' possibly portends an escalatory nuclear doctrine that could pose greater concern for South Korea, Japan and the United States, experts say. North Korea has conducted 13 rounds of weapons launches so far this year, including its first full-range test of an ICBM since 2017, while Kim exploits a favorable environment to push forward its weapons program as the UN Security Council remains divided and effectively paralyzed over Russia's war in Ukraine. There are also signs that North Korea is rebuilding tunnels at a nuclear testing ground that was last active in 2017. Some experts say the North may try to conduct a new test sometime between the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol on May 10 and his planned summit with US President Joe Biden on May 21 to maximize its political effect. US State Department deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter said the United States was aware of reports that North Korea could be preparing to conduct a nuclear test, which she said would be deeply destabilizing for the region and undermine the global non-proliferation regime. 'We urge the DPRK to refrain from further destabilizing activity and instead engage in serious and sustained dialogue,' she said, referring to North Korea by its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim's recent remarks followed a fiery statement released by his powerful sister earlier this month in which she blasted South Korea's defense minister for touting preemptive strike capabilities against the North. She said her country's nuclear forces would annihilate the South's conventional forces if provoked. Kim Jong Un's sister recently said her country's nuclear forces would annihilate the South's conventional forces if provoked. US State Department deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter said the US was aware of reports that North Korea could be preparing to conduct a nuclear test People participate in a nighttime parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army Yoon, during his campaign, also talked about enhancing the South's preemptive strike capabilities and missile defenses. He also vowed to strengthen South Korea's defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States. While Kim's collection of ICBMs has grabbed much international attention, North Korea since 2019 has also been expanding its arsenal of short-range solid-fuel missiles threatening South Korea. The North describes some of those missiles as 'tactical' weapons, which experts say communicates a threat to arm them with smaller battlefield nuclear bombs and proactively use them during conventional warfare to blunt the stronger conventional forces of South Korea and the United States. About 28,500 US troops are stationed in the South. North Korea may use its next nuclear test to claim that it has acquired the ability to build a small nuclear warhead to fit on those missiles or other weapons it recently tested, including a purported hypersonic missile and a long-range cruise missile, analysts say. Smaller warheads would also be necessary for the North's pursuit of a multi-warhead ICBM. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks during a visit to the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery on Mount Daesong People offer flowers to the statues of former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il 'Solid-fueled missiles are easier to hide, move and launch quickly, making them less vulnerable to a preemptive strike,' said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seoul's Ewha Womans University. 'Taken together with ambitions for tactical nuclear warheads, submarine-based launch capabilities, and more sophisticated ICBMs, Pyongyang is not simply looking to deter an attack. 'Its goals extend to outrunning South Korea in an arms race and coercing the United States to reduce sanctions enforcement and security cooperation with Seoul,' Easley added. Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled since 2019 because of disagreements over a potential easing of US-led sanctions in exchange for North Korean disarmament steps. Kim has stuck to his goals of simultaneously developing nuclear weapons and the country's dismal economy in the face of international pressure and has shown no willingness to fully surrender a nuclear arsenal he sees as his biggest guarantee of survival. South Korea's military plans to scrap pandemic-driven curbs on troops' leave, starting this weekend in line with the country's move to lift most COVID-19 restrictions earlier this month, sources said Friday. Starting Saturday, it will allow service members to make overnight and weekend off-base trips, according to the sources. Although curbs on service members' leave and weekday off-base travel had previously been eased, the military has effectively banned other off-base movements since early 2020 as part of anti-virus measures. South Korea last week scrapped most of its COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, including gathering limits and business hour curfews, as part of efforts to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. The military also plans to introduce a two-step social distancing system starting next month to gradually ease other virus restrictions. It could implement the first step as early as next Monday, which would pave the way for families to attend enlistment ceremonies for fresh recruits at military bases. Under the second step, only troops infected with the virus will be isolated and the isolation period will also be reduced gradually from one week to three days. But this social distancing plan is subject to adjustments based on the future COVID-19 situation and other conditions, a military official said. (Yonhap) Biden's pick to combat disinformation online has spread her fair share of false information in tweets about masks and former President Donald Trump - and has even expressed her support for the former British spy behind the Russian dossier. On Wednesday, officials announced that Nina Jankowicz, 33, will head the Department of Homeland Security's Disinformation Governance Board as executive director. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas did not disclose any powers that would be granted to the dystopian-sounding board while addressing lawmakers on Wednesday. He explained that the board would work to tackle disinformation ahead of the November midterms, particularly in Hispanic communities. But Mayorkas did say that the new board would come under the Biden-era Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), meaning it would have no powers to crack down on disinformation and will instead try to combat it by throwing money at what it sees as problems. Since then, though, observant conservatives have discovered that Jankowicz, a Wilson Center global fellow, previously published information that was later found to be false or misleading. In one of her old tweets, Nina Jankowicz said she hopes the advertising technology industry would stop placing ads for masks - which at the time America's top health experts were saying were not necessary Jankowicz also tweeted in 2016 that she thought a Donald Trump presidency would embolden ISIS, as she expressed her support for then-candidate Hillary Clinton And in August 2020, she praised Chris Steele, whose Russian dossier was later discredited Jankowicz has been appointed by the Biden administration to head the Department of Homeland Security's Disinformation Governance Board as executive director In one instance, back when the global pandemic was just beginning, Jankowicz quote tweeted a post from Rob Leathern, who worked on integrity products at Facebook and announced that the company was giving the World Health Organization and other health groups as many free ads as needed to tackle the worldwide COVID-19 response. 'This is good,' she wrote in March 2020. 'Now [I] hope the rest of the adtech industry stops placing ads for masks and worse (straight up disinfo!) on articles and information about coronavirus.' Jankowicz also wrote at the time that 'our country might be too... um, free spirited? to comply with social distancing recommendations unless they're forced upon us. 'So force away! Lock us down. People are not taking this seriously,' she wrote after apparently being within six feet of a high school-aged couple. At the time, Dr. Anthony Fauci and other United States health leaders had advised Americans not to wear masks. They later changed that advice, with Fauci admitting that he was concerned there would not be enough Personal Protective Equipment for frontline health care workers, and others admitting they did not know at the time how contagious the virus was or how it spread. But as America's top doctors discovered more information about the virus, social distancing guidelines were reduced. Jankowicz also claimed online ahead of the 2016 presidential election that a Donald Trump presidency would 'embolden ISIS,' when in reality, the Islamic State collapsed under the Trump administration, which also carried out the successful operation to kill head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In March 2020, she suggested that the country is too 'free-spirited to comply with social distancing recommendations' as she advocated for lockdowns after apparently being near two high schoolers on a date She doubled down on the idea of Trump's close ties to Russia in a February tweet, suggesting that the country's invasion of Ukraine would have been worse under the former president She has also said in February that Russia's invasion of Ukraine 'would have been so much worse under the former president,' apparently reiterating his alleged ties to the country. And in an August 2020 tweet, Jankowicz apparently hyped up former British spy Chris Steele as he spoke about disinformation. She wrote at the time that she listened to a podcast featuring Steele, saying he 'provides some great historical context about the evolution of disinfo. 'Worth a listen,' she tweeted. But Steele's infamous dossier about Trump allegedly colluding with Russia prior to the 2016 presidential election has since been discredited, with his alleged main source, Igor Danchenko charged with five counts of 'making false statements to the FBI.' Still, Jankowicz has not yet apologized for any of these tweets, and they remain available for anyone to see on her Twitter page. Videos posted online show Jankowicz asking Santa to make her rich and famous Another video features her, at left, singing about starting a new career advocating for human rights as she compares herself to Elizabeth Warren The head of the Biden administration's new 'Disinformation Governance Board' Nina Jankowicz sings about 'misinformation' to the tune of Mary Poppins song 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' Jankowicz has also found herself under fire for some of her controversial videos, including one from December 2015 in which she says: 'I don't want to work, struggle or compromise.' In the video, she asks Santa, 'if you're listening please tell me what to do. Who do I f*** to be famous,' adding: 'I've done everything I could and now the rest is up to you.' Another YouTube video from January 2018 features her singing about how she has started a new job advocating for human rights. 'When people tried to silence me, I stood my ground and I persisted,' Jankowicz sang with her group, the Moaning Myrtles, a nod to the ghost from the Harry Potter series. 'Because we need equality and nevertheless, I persisted,' she sang, an apparent reference to then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell trying to prevent Sen. Elizabeth Warren from continuing her speech against naming Jeff Sessions to US Attorney General. 'Wha-oh, wha-oh, I've got a reputation, wha-oh, wha-oh yeah it's cause for celebration,' Jankowicz sings. 'So I'm standing up for the next generation,' she continues, before singing: 'You can call me Myrtle Elizabeth Warren.' Other videos from the group she co-founded in 2005 included Harry Potter erotica songs, in which she sang about killing the titular character so they can have sex as ghosts, as well as other Harry Potter-inspired songs about life at Hogwarts. More recently, she posted a TikTok video in March 2020, claiming people are not taking COVID restrictions seriously, as she suggested that lock downs are necessary. 'Lock us down. People are not taking this (COVID) seriously,' she said in the video. 'Information laundering is really quite ferocious. Its when a huckster takes some lies and makes them sound precocious,' she sings in the video to the tune of 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.' 'By saying them in Congress or a mainstream outlet, so disinformations origins are slightly less atrocious. 'Its how you hide a little, hide a little, little, little lie, its how you hide a little, little lie, its how you hide a little, little, little lie. 'When Rudy Giuliani shared bad intel from Ukraine. Or when TikTok influencers say Covid cant cause pain. Theyre laundering disinfo and we really should take note. And not support their lies with our wallet, voice or vote oh!' When she was younger, Jankowicz, left, co-created a Harry Potter-themed band named The Moaning Myrtles She has also seemingly defended her tweets casting doubts on stories about Hunter Biden's laptop, which have since been confirmed by outlets like the Washington Post. In October 2020, Jankowicz called the laptop stories a 'Trump campaign product' in an interview with the New York Daily News. Woke Nina Jankowicz is now head of Biden's dystopian 'disinformation board' Nina Jankowicz had already made a name for herself before being appointed head of Biden's Russian disinformation unit. Jankowicz, 33, is a successful author who is currently eight months pregnant with her first child. She grew up in New Jersey and is dating Michael Stein. The couple are happily shacked up in a $1 million, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom property they own in Arlington, Virginia. Jankowicz, attended Bryn Mawr College and Georgetown University, before embarking on a glittering career in foreign relations. She managed programs to Russia and Belarus at the National Democratic Institute. Jankowicz also advised the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on disinformation and strategic communications She serves on the Board of Trustees for the Eurasia Foundation and is a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center But the author is best known as a prominent woke voice online. The Biden appointee's latest book, How To Be A Woman Online has just been released, and deals with the topics of internet bullying and trolling. She has complained about hordes of men tracking down her private Facebook and Instagram accounts after she appears on TV to try to follow her and find out more about her life. Jankowicz says she prefers strangers to follow her Twitter account, and speculates that many of those who criticize her online are jealous of her 'verified' blue check mark and media career. She has identified five different types of trolls who target her most, including 'reply guy' types who insist on trying to meddle in all aspects of her life, including in how brown she toasts her bread. Despite claiming to be a free speech campaigner online, Jankowicz has spoken out against the First Amendment. Aligning herself with many online progressives who've begun to call for an end to unqualified free speech, Jankowicz recently tweeted: 'I shudder to think about if free speech absolutists were taking over more platforms, what that would look like for the marginalized communitieswhich are already shoulderingdisproportionate amounts of this abuse.' She also said the prospect of Elon Musk taking over Twitter made her 'shudder.' But Jankowicz - who has a pet dog and a cat - has not joined thousands of other liberals who've vowed to quit the platform as a result of Musk's purchase. Advertisement She also tweeted at the time that news outlets were 'back on the "laptop from hell," apparently 'Biden notes 50 former natsec officials and 5 former CIA heads that believe the laptop is a Russian influence op,' she wrote, adding: Trump says "Russia, Russia, Russia."' Jankowicz now claims that the tweet was part of her 'live tweeting' a debate between Trump and Biden just one month before the presidential general election, as Republicans use it to claim she is hyperpartisan. 'For those who believe this tweet is a key to all my views, it is simply a direct quote from both candidates during the final presidential debate,' Jankowicz defended in a repost of the original tweet. 'If you look at my timeline, you will see I was livetweeting that evening,' she added in the Wednesday night tweet. But Jankowicz has also suggested that she opposes free speech because she thinks it is bad for 'marginalized communities,' as she called Elon Musk a 'free speech absolutist' because he wants to make Twitter more open to all voices. Musk, who is now the owner of the platform, has said that his aim is to make it a more open 'digital town square.' 'Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,' Musk wrote in a statement upon the purchase approval. In an interview with NPR prior to her appointment as disinformation czar, Jankowicz expressed her concerns about that, saying: 'I shudder to think about if free speech absolutists were taking over more platforms, what that would look like for the marginalized communities.' She said these groups are 'already shoulderingdisproportionate amounts of this abuse' and said free speech and lack of censoring on social media would make it worse. Musk has now called the creation of Biden's new 'disinformation' board 'discomforting.' He was responding to a tweet from conservative political commentator, comedian and media personality Steven Crowder. 'The government is creating a misinformation governance board,' Crowder tweeted on Thursday. 'Who else did something like that?' he continued. 'Oh I remember, the Nazi's. And there's some data showing some interesting things going on post- @elonmusk's Twitter takeover!' Several other conservatives have also spoken out against the new disinformation board, with Republican Senator Josh Hawley demanding that the White House 'dissolve' it, claiming that it would only 'monitor Americans' free speech'. 'I write with deep concern about the Department of Homeland Security's decision to create a new Disinformation Governance Board,' he penned in a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 'I confess I at first thought this announcement was satire,' he continued. 'Surely no American Administration would ever use the power of Government to sit in judgment on the First Amendment speech of its own citizens.' 'Sadly, I was mistaken.' He then demanded that DHS provide more information on this new board, including how it will function and be monitored. Hawley also questioned why the announcement was made just following billionaire Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter. Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson also put out a statement against the formation of the board, writing: 'The Biden Administration has not proven itself to be a credible arbiter of 'disinformation.' Instead, it has taken steps to silence information that is unflattering to this Administration under the guise of 'disinformation. 'For example, unnamed intelligence officials, the media, and social media platforms engaged in a coordinated effort to censor stories about Hunter Biden's laptop and his questionable financial dealings under the false label of 'disinformation.' 'I am concerned DHS's Disinformation Board will only serve to silence or censor those voices critical of your disastrous policies and serve a political cover for your failure to secure the border,' the senator concluded. And on Friday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also joined in the chorus of those criticizing the Biden administration's new Disinformation Governance Board on Friday. 'You cannot have a Ministry of Truth in this country. Were not going to let Biden get away with this one. So we will be fighting back,' the Republican said at a news conference, in a reference to the agency from '1984.' 'When youre not doing well, you have two options: You can try to do better. Or you can try to silence your critics. [The Biden Administration] is doing the latter,' he added. Senator Josh Hawley pointed out that Jankowicz told NPR last week that she 'shudders to think about' more free speech on social media platforms after Elon Musk made a bid for Twitter Trump-ally and GOP Senator Josh Hawley is demanding that the 'monstrosity' of a board be 'dissolved' before it even gets started He said that he thought the board was 'satire' because there was no way an 'American Administration would ever use the power of Government to sit in judgement on the First Amendment speech of its own citizens' He questioned the timing of the announcement of the board coming just after billionaire Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter Still, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has defended Jankowicz's appointment, noting she is 'an expert on online disinformation.' 'Any hiring decisions are up to the Department of Homeland Security, but this is a person with extensive qualifications,' she noted. Jankowicz, who has researched Russian misinformation tactics and online harassment, is author of the book 'How To Lose the Information War: Russia, Fake News, and the Future of Conflict.' She has also advised the Ukrainian government on strategic communications, according to the Wilson Center think-tank, where she served as a global fellow. Psaki also pointed out repeatedly in her press briefing that the board was created in the Trump administration. 'This is a continuation of work that began at the Department of Homeland Security in 2020 under former President Trump,' she said. 'So for anyone who is critical of it, I didn't hear them being critical of the work under the former president, which is just interesting to note contextually,' she added. She said of the work the board will do includes understanding how misinformation spread by human smugglers helps prey on vulnerable populations trying to enter the United States. 'This is also work that is helping to address unauthorized terrorism, other threats and see how disinformation and misinformation is being pushed to lead to increase those,' she said. Actress Angelina Jolie surprised Ukrainians after turning up to a cafe in Lviv on Saturday. Jolie, 46, drew attention as she appeared wearing nondescript clothing at the cafe, with Maya Pidhorodetska posting a video of the famous actress and filmmaker on Facebook. 'Nothing special. Just Lviv. I just went to have coffee. Just Angelina Jolie,' she wrote in Ukrainian after filming the actress, who waved to her from the counter. 'Ukraine is simply supported by the whole world.' Fans spotted her in the Ukrainian city, greeting Jolie as Russian forces gathered in the east of the country for a renewed assault. Footage shows her singing autographs for her fans in Ukraine. Actress Angelina Jolie surprised Ukrainians after turning up to a cafe in Lviv. One boy on his phone didn't notice the world-famous actress when she dropped into the cafe behind him The actress drew attention as she appeared wearing nondescript clothing at the cafe Fans greeted Jolie as Russian forces gathered in the east of the country for a renewed assault Jolie is not the first American celebrity to land in Ukraine during the conflict. American actor Sean Penn was met with the country's president and attending government press briefings as part of a VICE documentary he is filming. When Kyiv was under assault, Penn and his team walked miles to the Polish border. The actor, 61, said both he and his film crew decided to abandon their car and pursue on foot after seeing the thousands of Ukrainian residents fleeing for safety, with queues stretching for miles. Penn described how cars were filled with women and children, with their only possession of value being the vehicle they were travelling in. The documentary is a VICE Studios production, 'in association with VICE World News and Endeavor Content,' according to a spokesman for the media group. In a translated Facebook post, the Ukrainian government said it was grateful for Sean being there and he was lauded as being more courageous than Western leaders. An aerial view of damaged area after Russian attacks in Moshchun Village, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine on April 29, 2022. Moschun village became one of the places where clashes took place in the first days of the attacks between Russia and Ukraine Due to its location on the road to Hostomel and Irpin. Moshchun, which faces the deepest traces of the war that continued for more than two months, came to the brink of a humanitarian crisis Although the majority of the fighting has shifted to the east of the country, Ukrainian cities in the West such as Lviv are still under bombardment from Russian missile attacks. On Saturday, Ukrainian officials said the bodies of more than 1,000 civilians have been retrieved from areas around Kyiv, and they are working with French investigators to document alleged war crimes. Forensic tests carried out on civilian corpses dumped in mass graves show women were raped before being brutally killed, it was revealed on Monday. Dozens of autopsies have been carried out on mutilated corpses from Bucha, Irpin and Borodianka, with many showing signs of torture and multiple bullet holes in the back. One coroner north of Kyiv said it is difficult to find signs of rape and sexual abuse because the bodies 'are in such bad shape'. A United Nations mission to Bucha documented 'the unlawful killing, including by summary execution, of some 50 civilians there', the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said. In the same town, 25 women aged 14 to 25 were kept in a basement and systematically raped, with nine of the women becoming pregnant in a case now recorded by human rights commissioner Lyudmila Denisova. A fearless activist provoked a furious reaction at a Sydney shopping centre after carrying a crude sign which read 'F*** Xi Jinping' through a busy Asian market. Drew Pavlou, 20, enraged some local residents with the critical message to the Chinese leader at Eastwood in Sydney's north-west. As he and a friend were circled by a gang of locals screaming abuse at them, the stunt threatened to spiral out of control, and Mr Pavlou had to be protected by police. At one stage one of the locals grappled with Mr Pavlou's sidekick, who was filming the tense showdown, with the stand-off caught on camera by another bystander. A political activist caused a huge stir at a Sydney shopping centre on Saturday after carrying a sign which read 'F*** Xi Jinping' (pictured, stunned locals in Eastwood vent their anger towards Drew Pavlou) Eastwood has one of the highest Chinese populations in Sydney, and Mr Pavlou's action caused an incendiary reaction. It only took seconds for many stunned shoppers and stallholders to vent their fury at him over the sign. Mr Pavlou posted footage of the clash on Facebook showing him surrounded by angry stallholders at the Asian market, yelling abuse at him. 'F*** you, motherf***er,' one screamed at him repeatedly. 'It's free speech!' Another punches the sign and tells him: 'America has genocide, not Xi Jinping.' And several women call the man a coward and tell him to 'f*** off' as he stands in the street with his hands behind his back in the face of the abuse. He tells the crowd he's not a coward and has not threatened anyone, and invites them to hit him while his hands are behind his back. Police eventually restored calm after they intervened to keep the sides apart. Drew Pavlou later defended his conduct on Facebook, stating 'Australia is a democracy and we should be free to insult any leader no matter how coarsely' 'My point is a simple one - I should be able to insult a dictator like Xi Jinping in my own country without being physically assaulted and attacked,' Mr Pavlou posted on Facebook. 'Australia is a democracy and we should be free to insult any leader no matter how coarsely - this is a simple principle of free speech. 'No way would I have been surrounded by 50 people and physically assaulted if I held up a sign saying 'F*** Scott Morrison' in Sydney. 'Why should Chinese ultra-nationalists get a free pass to assault people in Australia if someone insults Xi Jinping?' Mr Pavlou was widely lauded by his followers on social media, who acknowledged his public conduct was dangerous, but felt it sent a strong message. 'Stay safe, Drew! This is typical barbaric behaviour by Chinese Communist Party supporters. Hope they all get deported so they can enjoy their 'freedom' under Xi's rule,' one said. Another stated 'that's why people can't and don't like CCP supporters. How can we allow dictatorship to spread their voice in our country? 'I bet those Chinese people won't dare to do the same thing abusing their politicians in Beijing. Double standard of some Chinese people.' As his stunt threatened to spiral out of control, Pavlou had to be protected by NSW Police at the scene (pictured) Pavlou (pictured with his sign slurring the Chinese President) was widely lauded by his followers on social media Brisbane-based Mr Pavlou was in Sydney to support Kyinzom Dhongdue, the Tibetan-heritage Democratic Alliance candidate for the seat of Bennelong. In July 2019, at the height of the Hong Kong protests, Mr Pavlou organised a protest at the University of Queensland in support of the Hong Kong democracy movement. He was later suspended by the university who accused him of 11 cases of misconduct - but was able to return and continue his politics degree this year. In December 2021, he launched the Drew Pavlou Democratic Alliance (DPDA) federal political party, pledging to fight corruption, protect human rights, tackle poverty and homelessness and build a green economy. Advertisement Following a devastating tornado that crashed down in Andover, Kansas, 40 million Americans remain under severe storm threat as two separate weather systems move through over a dozen states. On Friday a devastating tornado ripped through Kansas leaving the city of Andover with extensive damage as it leveled multiple homes and damaged the Capital Federal Amphitheater and the local YMCA, which saw part of its roof collapse, KWCH reported. At a Saturday morning press conference Andover Fire Chief Chad Russell said that so far there were no reported fatalities and only four people suffered minor injuries. 'We are still really concerned about those areas in the fire district that we have notsearched yet. That's our primary objective and that's where the crews are right now,' Russell said. According to the chief, nearly 1,000 buildings were in the tornadoes path but there is still no figure on how many were hit, but that certain homes in the path of the powerful twister have been 'wiped completely off the foundations.' Andover mayor Brandon Whipple confirmed that somewhere around 50 to 100 structures were damaged in the city. According to poweroutage.us hours after the tornado left over 23,000 Kansas residents without power, by noon on Saturday the number dropped to 2,153 residents, as crews worked overtime to restore power. On Saturday the storm system that passed through the Central Plains will continue moving east and will bring severe weather, including strong winds, hail, and tornadoes, to over a dozen states, CNN reported. Multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms and heavy rain will hit parts of the Plains, Midwest and South well into the week, the Weather Channel reported. As the storms continue to move into the Midwest on Saturday, it could bring tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds and localized flash flooding. 'Severe thunderstorms associated with a threat for wind damage and isolated large hail are possible on Saturday from the mid-Mississippi Valley northward into the western Great Lakes,' the Storm Prediction Center said. On Sunday, severe storms will move further west, threatening parts of West Texas with large hail and wind damage and possible tornadoes. Storms are expected to develop in eastern New Mexico and Colorado, before moving eastward into Texas and Oklahoma, the Weather Channel reported. Scroll down for video: Wichita firefighters search through debris in Andover, Kansas hours after a devastating tornado ripped through the town A Wichita firefighter searches a home in Andover which had a car land on top of it following the powerful tornado that , Kan., ripped through the area on Friday evening 'We are still really concerned about those areas in the fire district that we have notsearched yet,' Andover Fire Chief Chad Russell said on Saturday as firefighters were pictured searching through the remains of a home in Andover A massive tornado crashed down in Andover, Kansas on Friday evening as counties throughout the state issued warnings Three vehicles were tossed in front of the Andover YMCA building, which was left devastated by the tornado Homes throughout the city were devastated as the tornado passed through. Pictured, a cul de sac ransacked by the storm Homes in the tornado's path were heavily damaged, with others completely leveled by the twister A man is seen coming out of his house and assessing the damage that took down an entire wall and part of the roof The Andover YMCA also sustained heavy damages as part of its ceiling collapsed as the storm passed through Destructive tornado tearing through Andover KS minutes ago pic.twitter.com/O5KL1Zdcrk Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) April 30, 2022 Storm chaser Reed Timmer captured shocking footage of the tornado from his car as it moved quickly through a residential area in Andover, pulling in an intense amount of debris with it it. As it intensifies, he panics and yells to someone to 'go to the apartment complex!' Other storm chasers and local residents have also captured pictures and video of the storm and aftermath, with one man filming the moment the tornado hit power lines, lighting up the sky in violent flashes of light. Moments later, the storm chaser reaches the area the tornado passed through, revealing rows of homes devastated by the twister. Brandon Whipple, mayor of the neighboring Wichita which is providing aid to Andover, said that about 50-100 buildings have been damaged in Andover by the storm. The Greater Wichita YMCA said that the Andover branch would be closed due to the damages but that none of the employees were hurt in the storm. 'The Andover YMCA suffered significant damage as a result of the storm that hit the Andover area this evening. We are thankful that all of the staff and members that took shelter at the branch at the time of the storm, were not injured.' A Snapchat user with the handle Aaryn also captured video of the aftermath in his neighborhood as neighbors came out to check up on each other. The video shows the houses on the block heavily damaged, with some completely leveled as Aaryn can only say, 'Oh my god. This whole cul de sac is gone.' Counties across the state issued tornado warnings on Saturday, with twisters appearing and dissipating throughout Kansas, including Wichita, Sedgwick and Butler. Andover, which is located in Wichita County, appeared to be the hardest hit area. Neighboring cities have dispatched emergency workers to assist Andover. A huge tornado was snapped looming menacingly over homes in Andover, Kansas on Friday evening. At least 100 structures were destroyed by the twister, although there have not yet been reports of any injuries A snapchat user filming the aftermath in his neighbor lamented that his cul de sac was practically gone Tornadoes were spotted throughout Kansas with the Andover storm traveling through Wichita, Sedgwick and Butler Friday's storm comes days after the 31st anniversary of the deadly F5 tornado outbreak that struck Oklahoma and Kansas in 1991. The deadly storms lasted two days and killed a total of 21 people, 17 of which were in Andover alone. Vladimir Putin may be forced to give up control of the war in Ukraine for days as he is set for cancer surgery, a 'Kremlin insider' has claimed. The Russian dictator will reportedly nominate hardline Security Council head and ex-FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev to take control of the invasion while he is under the knife. Shadowy Patrushev, 70, is seen as a key architect of the war strategy so far - and the man who convinced Putin that Kyiv is awash with neo-Nazis. The extraordinary claims appeared on popular Telegram channel General SVR, which says its source is a well-placed figure in the Kremlin. Putin, pictured last week, reportedly has Parkinson's, cancer and schizophrenic symptoms General SVR reported that Putin has abdominal cancer and Parkinson's 18 months ago. Hardliner Nikolai Patrushev will reportedly take control of the war in Ukraine while Putin is under the knife to treat abdominal cancer He has reportedly delayed surgery, which will now not take place before the Victory Day commemoration of Russia's World War Two victory in Red Square on May 9. The news comes amid speculation Putin will launch an all-out war across Ukraine and order mass mobilisation of military-age men, a considerable political risk. The surgery had been scheduled for the second half of April but was delayed, SVR claimed. 'Putin was recommended to undergo surgery, the date of which is being discussed and agreed,' the outlet stated. 'There seems to be no particular urgency, but it cannot be delayed either.' Ex-FSB chief Patrushev (left) is a fearsome Kremlin official and war advocate (2015 image) It went on: 'The Russian President Vladimir Putin has oncology, and the latest problems identified during [his latest] examination are associated with this disease.' He also suffers from 'Parkinson's disease and schizoaffective disorder', which carries symptoms of schizophrenia including hallucinations and mania. The Kremlin has always strongly denied Putin has medical problems and portrays he is in robust health, even as he has been mysteriously absent in recent years. In a video detailing the General SVR claims, the outlet's source - supposedly an anonymous former high-ranking Kremlin military figure - said: 'Putin has discussed that he will be undergoing medical procedures. Patrushev and Putin are both ex-FSB and have known each other for many years (2008 image) 'Doctors insist that he needs an operation, but the date has not yet been determined.' The source went on: 'I don't know for exactly how long [he will be incapacitated after the surgery] 'I think it'll be for a short time.' Putin was 'unlikely to agree to transfer power' but was ready to put in place a 'charge d'affaires' to control Russia and the war effort. They continued: 'So, while Putin has the operation and comes to his senseslikely two or three daysthe actual control of the country passes only to [Nikolai] Patrushev.' Such a move would be surprising since under the constitution, power should pass solely to the prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin. Bloated Putin was seen gripping a table while slouching in his chair during a televised meeting with his defence minister Sergei Shoigu. He has been unable to shake cancer rumours The 56-year-old is a low-profile technocrat without known military or secret service links. The outlet said the choice of spymaster Patrushev - which came after a two-hour 'heart to heart' with Putin - was the 'worst option'. 'What if, all of a sudden, Putin manifests particularly severe health problems? 'It was possible to contain it for some time, but now the course of the disease is progressing. 'I do not want to voice any forecasts now, so as not to reassure you once again, because in this situation you should not be very hopeful.' In another post, the outlet said: 'We know that Putin made it clear to Patrushev that he considers him almost the only truly trusted person and friend in the system of power. 'Further, the president promised that in case of a sharp deterioration of his (Putin's) health, the actual management of the country would be transferred, temporarily, to Patrushev.' The latest post on the suspected medical problems said: 'Putin's doctors insist on the need for him to undergo surgery in the near future. 'And although Putin did not give his consent in principle and the date of the operation was not agreed, he hurried to explain himself and get Patrushev's reaction and agreement.' Earlier it claimed Putin had been 'prescribed new drugs' from the West and given heavier doses. 'According to our information, one of the new medicines recommended by doctors after oral administration caused side effects in Putin in the form of severe dizziness and weakness,' said a post earlier this month. 'The doctor who recommended this medicine has been removed from the treatment process and is being tested. 'The drug itself, which was imported from one unfriendly state, is also being tested.' Recent investigative reports by exiled Russian journalists have suggested Putin has thyroid cancer, and indicated he is constantly surrounded by a team of top doctors. Attention has focused recently on his behaviour to control a seeming involuntary shake in his hand - renewing speculation of Parkinson's first highlighted in 2020 by General SVR. At a meeting with Defence minister Sergei Shoigu, he was seen firmly gripping a desk. The channel said: 'Many drew attention to the sickly appearance of the president, his puffy, swollen face and hands tightly clasped around the table top. 'There is nothing surprising here. 'Putin's health has recently deteriorated, we have already written about this, and the president's unhealthy appearance only confirms this. 'For more than a month, the attending physicians have not been able to convince Putin to change the drugs that suppress the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, since the old ones no longer give the desired effect, and the president is simply afraid to experiment with new ones. 'Clinging to the table with his hands is a way to hide a small but quite noticeable tremor.' The channel has been linked to Professor Valery Solovey, 61, who in February, was held for a seven hour interrogation apparently possibly linked to the regular claims about Putin's supposed medical and mental condition . Solovoy was a professor at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) - attended by future top diplomats and spies. One of Elon Musk's top lieutenants has reportedly promised an infamous right-wing provocateur that his Twitter ban will be lifted 'soon'. Jared Birchall, who runs Musk's personal investment office and has been a top advisor in his $44 billion Twitter takeover, made the promise in a text message to activist Charles C. Johnson, the Wall Street Journal reported. Johnson is a self-described investigative journalist who became famous for his internet pranks and campaigns targeting left-wing activists, politicians and reporters. Critics call him a 'digital Darth Vader' and the 'troll king'. He was banned from Twitter in 2015 for sending a fundraising appeal to support 'taking out' Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson, who called the remark a 'serious threat' and asked for Johnson to be banned from the platform. Johnson insisted that he was using the term 'taking out' to refer to his plans to dig up dirt on McKesson, but Twitter sided with the BLM activist, banning Johnson under its policy against targeted harassment. Jared Birchall, who runs Musk's personal investment office and has been a top advisor in his $44 billion Twitter takeover, made the promise in a text message to 'troll king' Charles C. Johnson Johnson was banned from Twitter in 2015 for sending a fundraising appeal to support 'taking out' Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson, seen above being detained at a 2016 protest The case became an early example of the social media site's policies cracking down on controversial content, which critics argue are biased against conservatives. According to the Journal, when Johnson saw Musk's recent offer to buy Twitter, he texted Birchall asking: 'When do I get my Twitter account back?' 'Hopefully soon,' Birchall reportedly responded. Johnson told the newspaper that while he does want to regain his account, he doesn't plan to return to regular tweeting, saying: 'I'm over Twitter.' Birchall did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Saturday morning. The money manager, a 47 year-old married father of five, has worked for Musk since 2016, helping to manage a fortune estimated at some $240 billion. Birchall runs what is known as Musk's 'family office' - a private wealth management advisory firm that serves ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Critics call Johnson a 'digital Darth Vader' and the internet's right-wing 'troll king' Birchall is also the chief executive of Musk's brain chip firm Neuralink, a director at Musk's tunneling firm the Boring Company and a board member at the billionaire's philanthropic private foundation. The Journal's new report also reveals details of Musk's close relationship with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, and suggests that the iconoclast billionaire wants to reinstate Donald Trump's Twitter account. Musk remains dismayed that Trump remains barred from the platform after Twitter accused him of inspiring violence in the immediate aftermath of the US Capitol riot, people who have spoken with Musk recently told the Journal. Trump, who recently launched his own social media service Truth Social, has claimed that he would not return to Twitter even if his ban were lifted. Dorsey, who was then CEO of Twitter, is said to have initially opposed banning Trump in early 2021, but acquiesced in the face of insistence from other executives. Musk remains dismayed that Trump remains barred from Twitter, people close to him say Former Twitter executives told the Journals that they became aware of Dorsey's budding friendship with Musk in 2020. One former Twitter executive said Dorsey would sometimes appear to space out in meetings because he was messaging Musk during the workday. 'Elon is the singular solution I trust,' Dorsey tweeted on April 25, the day Twitter accepted Mr. Musk's bid. 'I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness.' If Musk makes good on his takeover bid, Dorsey stands to walk away with nearly $1 billion for his Twitter stake. Meanwhile, in an emergency meeting on Friday, Twitter employees lashed out over Elon Musk 's deal to acquire the company for $44 billion, accusing the world's richest man of bigotry and fretting over potential job cuts once the deal closes. Staffers at the 'impromptu' all-hands meeting fired angry questions at executives including CEO Parag Agrawal, who was described as looking tired and at times annoyed, according to Insider . Reached by DailyMail.com on Saturday morning, a Twitter spokeswoman declined to comment on the meeting. One former Twitter executive said Jack Dorsey (above) would sometimes appear to space out in meetings because he was messaging Musk during the workday Twitter headquarters is seen in San Francisco. Twitter staffers voiced fears about coming layoffs in a staff meeting on Friday afternoon One employee at the meeting described Musk as anti-gay and anti-transgender, expressing fear that his ownership would hurt efforts to recruit new employees. 'What should we tell the LGTBQ community at recruiting conferences we're lined up to attend when they ask us why they should come work at Twitter when we just sold ourselves to an open homophobe and transphobe?' the staffer asked Dalana Brand, Twitter's chief people and diversity officer. Brand diplomatically avoided agreeing with that assessment of Musk, responding: 'I cannot speak to Elon's personal feelings on these things. I can't speak to what he's done in his other companies, in terms of people's experiences.' 'Perhaps in the future we'll be able to have a conversation. That may be telling,' she added. Twitter staffers also voiced fears about coming layoffs. Musk has reportedly vowed to slash executive pay after taking over, but one source said he will not make any decisions about job cuts until he assumes ownership. One employee, described as 'angry and disappointed,' raised the issue with Agrawal in a question read aloud during the meeting. 'I'm tired of hearing about shareholder value and fiduciary duty. What are your honest thoughts about the very high likelihood that many employees will not have jobs after the deal closes?' the employee asked. Agrawal answered that Twitter has always cared about its employees and would continue to do so, but did not deny the possibility of layoffs. 'Different organizations have different cultures, but they've excelled,' he said. 'It will be different here than what it is today, but for the people who are here, it will be worth it to be here.' 'I believe the future Twitter organization will continue to care about its impact on the world and its customers,' he said. Ukrainian forces hit one of Putin's army checkpoints inside Russian territory for the second day in a row. Mortar shells struck the Krupets border post in Kursk, south-western Russia around 3.30pm local time today (1.30pm GMT), the region's governor said. In a clip posted to Telegram, Putin ally Roman Starovoit said several artillery shells hit the border checkpoint. He added no one was killed or injured in the attack and that the Ukrainian firing post was neutralised by Russian return fire. The Krupets border checkpoint in Kursk, Russia was targeted by two strikes in two days Mr Starovoit added: 'Thank God no one was killed. I wish you all a good evening.' The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence did not make any comment on the alleged attack, which has not been verified by outside sources. It would be the second strike on the Krupets checkpoint in two days, after Kyiv forces hit the border post around 8am yesterday. An FSB secret service bureau in Bryansk was also struck by Ukrainian artillery on Friday, the region's governor said. AV Bogomaz wrote that no one was killed or injured by water and electricity grids were hit. 'A tree fell under shelling at the cemetery', Mr Bogomaz added. Russia has numerous key strategic air bases in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine The rumoured attacks follow bombings by Ukrainian forces in Russia region Belgorod over the past few days. Ukraine said 'sooner or later the debts will have to be repaid' after a suspected ammunition dump on army warehouses at 3.30am on Wednesday. Kyiv did not otherwise admit responsibility for the damage. Air defences were also active over Kursk and Voronezh regions as Russia said it shot down Ukrainian drones that entered its territory. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak commented less than obliquely: 'If you decide to massively attack another country, massively kill everyone there, massively crush peaceful people with tanks, and use warehouses in your regions to enable the killings, then sooner or later the debts will have to be repaid. 'The disarmament of the Belgorod and Voronezh killers' warehouses is an absolutely natural process. Karma is a cruel thing.' The Belgorod military warehouse attacks (left and right) took place at 3.30am on Wednesday Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on targets inside Russia with the apparent blessing of Western allies including Britain. Armed forces minister James Heappey said two weeks ago: 'It is completely legitimate for Ukraine to be targeting in Russia's depth in order to disrupt the logistics that, if they weren't disrupted, would directly contribute to death and carnage on Ukrainian soil. 'There are lots of countries around the world that operate kit that they have imported from other countries. 'When those bits of kit are used we tend not to blame the country that manufactured it, you blame the country that fired it.' CCTV footage showed the artillery shells approach and strike the Belgorod army warehouses The UK is supplying arms to Ukraine including the Starstreak missile system and Stormer vehicles needed to carry it. Belgorod has been the most heavily targeted, with missile strikes and a helicopter raid targeting fuel and ammunition dumps. A railway bridge was also targeted in the same region in what is widely suspected to have been a sabotage attack by Ukrainian special forces. Belgorod is a key staging point for Russian forces heading to join the fight in Ukraine's Donbas region, where a major offensive to seize the eastern part of Ukraine is underway. The frequency of the attacks has caused fury within Russia, with the Kremlin threatening to step up attacks on 'decision-making centres' in Kyiv in retaliation - a thinly-veiled threat to target government and military headquarters. Russia is set to pull out of the International Space Station and will no longer work with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), according to the head of its space programme. General Director of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin told Russian state TV earlier today that Moscow will no longer co-operate with its international partners aboard the ISS, confirming that the decision to withdraw has already been taken. He said Roscosmos is not required to give an exact date of its withdrawal, but affirmed the Russian space programme will adhere to the stipulated year-long notice period. 'The decision has been taken already, and we are not obliged to discuss it publicly, Rogozin told Rossiya 24 - though on Friday he said Russia would continue to work on the ISS 'according to the time frame set out by our government, until at least 2024.' It comes after Rogozin posted a storm of since-deleted tweets earlier this month in which he slammed Western sanctions imposed on Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine. 'I believe 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,' the space chief tweeted. Russia is set to pull out of the International Space Station and will no longer work with NASA and ESA (pictured: a view of the International Space Station taken on March 30, 2022 by crew of Russian Soyuz MS-19 space ship after undocking from the Station) General Director of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin told Russian state TV earlier today that Moscow will no longer co-operate with its international partners aboard the ISS and announced its intention to pull out of the ISS The U.S. and Russia were conducting negotiations for a resumption of shared flights in February, but the invasion of Ukraine put paid to the plans and triggered a wave of unprecedented sanctions on Russian state-linked entities (Russia's Soyuz 2.1a rocket booster carrying the Progress MS-19 spacecraft lifts off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Feb 15, 2022) Space is one of the last remaining areas of cooperation between Moscow and Western nations, and Russia has for decades carried American astronauts to and from the ISS on board its Soyuz rockets, but ceased to do so in 2020. The U.S. and Russia were conducting negotiations for a resumption of shared flights in February, but the invasion of Ukraine put paid to the plans and triggered a wave of unprecedented sanctions on Russian state-linked entities. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei shared a Russian ride back to Earth in late March after a U.S. record 355 days at the ISS alongside two Russian cosmonauts, and suggested the relations between the crew aboard the ISS had remained unaffected by the war in Ukraine. 'About my relationship with my Russian crewmates, they were, are and will continue to be very dear friends of mine,' the American Vande Hei said during a press conference earlier this month. 'We supported each other throughout everything,' he said. 'And I never had any concerns about my ability to continue working with them.' But doubts remain over whether NASA, ESA and other space agencies will be able to maintain operations aboard the ISS without support from Russia. Nathan Eismont, a leading researcher at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that the operation of the ISS would become almost impossible if Russia withdrew from the project. The researcher's statement echoed that of former cosmonaut and Roscosmos director Sergei Krikalev, who told Russian news site Izvestia that cooperation between Russian and American specialists in space is 'necessary for productive work' on the ISS. The ISS is jointly managed by Moscow and Washington, and a complete Russian pull-out would pose major challenges for the operation. US astronaut Mark Vande Hei is seen in a NASA handout picture after the landing of the Soyuz MS-19 space capsule from the International Sapce Station in a remote area of Kazakhstan, on March 30, 2022 Russia's Soyuz MS-21 space ship, right, approaches the International Space Station, ISS, during docking to the station, Friday, March 18, 2022. The ISS is jointly managed by Moscow and Washington, and a complete Russian pull-out would pose major challenges for the operation From left: Astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, Jessica Watkins and Samantha Cristoforetti walk out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building en route to launch aboard a SpaceX rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 27, 2022 Rogozin warned Washington earlier this month on Russian state TV that Moscow's exit from the ISS would pose significant issues, because Russian rockets deliver much of the cargo needed to maintain the space station. '[Western partners] cannot manage without Russia, because no one but us can deliver fuel to the station,' he said. 'Only the engines of our cargo craft are able to correct the ISSs orbit, keeping it safe from space debris.' However, in recent years NASA has worked with private commercial entities, most notably Elon Musk's SpaceX, to deliver cargo and conduct manned flights into space, which could help to reduce their reliance on Russia's space programme to maintain the ISS. SpaceX earlier this week launched four astronauts to the ISS for NASA, less than two days after completing a flight chartered by millionaires. The latest flight carried a NASA crew comprised equally of men and women, including the first black woman making a long-term spaceflight, Jessica Watkins. SpaceX has now launched five crews for NASA and two private trips in just under two years. A week after the new crew arrives, three American astronauts and one German will return to Earth from the ISS, also aboard a SpaceX capsule. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has finally responded to to Elon Musk after he joked in a tweet that she was 'hitting on him' when she was actually slamming him for 'an explosion of hate crimes' following his purchase of Twitter. 'Like I said, ego problems,' the congresswoman tweeted Saturday morning about 20 hours after Musk's initial tweets. She used a shrugging emoji and quote tweeted the exchange between herself and social media platform's new owner. On Friday Musk accused AOC flirting with him after she raged that his purchase of Twitter had stoked hate crimes. 'Stop hitting on me, Im really shy,' he wrote, adding a blushing emoji to go along with it. Musk was replying directly to a tweet sent by the Democrat Representative earlier on Friday, which suggested he'd only bought the platform at the behest of Fox News host Tucker Carlson and his PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 32, responded to Elon Musk nearly a day after he accused the congresswoman of hitting on him on Twitter. She replied: 'Like I said, ego problems' 'Like I said, ego problems,' the congresswoman tweeted about 20 hours after Musk's initial tweets. She used a shrugging emoji and quote tweeted the exchange between herself and social media platform's new owner The response came after Musk joked on Twitter that AOC was hitting on him. 'Stop hitting on me, Im really shy,' he wrote, adding a pink-faced emoji to go along with it 'Tired of having to collectively stress about what explosion of hate crimes is happening bc some billionaire with an ego problem unilaterally controls a massive communication platform and skews it because Tucker Carlson or Peter Thiel took him to dinner and made him feel special,' she tweeted. AOC later replied to Musk's dig by claiming she was actually referring to Facebook and Instagram owner Mark Zuckerberg. She wrote: 'I was talking about Zuckerberg, but ok,' then deleted the tweet a minute later. It is unclear why she removed the message. AOC later responded to Musk's tweet claiming she was referring to Mark Zuckerberg, but deleted the message around a minute later Earlier in the day on Friday, Ocasio-Cortez took exception to Musk's claim that the 'far left' had taken over the Democratic Party in recent years after he posted a graphic showing what he saw as the straying of the party left since 2008. 'The extreme left is taking over WHERE,' she wrote. 'In Texas, Republicans passed a law allowing rapists to sue their victims for getting an abortion. Can anyone name a far left policy that extreme implemented anywhere? We cant even get our party to import cheaper RXs from Canada. foh.' AOC was questioned on Twitter after she deleted the tweet Memes began emerging after the exchange including this one tweeted by Donald Trump Jr. Another meme tweeted by Donald Trump Jr. pokes fun at AOC A meme posted to Twitter Friday night shows a rejected AOC and burning Tesla with the joke that AOC had been rejected Another meme posted to Twitter that jokes about Elon musk rejected AOC Ryan Fournier tweeted a meme of AOC's famous Met Gala look but changed the words to say 'I LOVE ELON' Musk's purchase of Twitter - which was confirmed on Monday - has sparked howls of outrage from many progressives online, while conservatives have welcomed it. The entrepreneur has said he disagrees with censorship and bans Twitter currently levies on users who post what it deems 'harmful content' or misinformation. Musk says he favors 'time outs' for rule-breakers, rather than outright bans. He also tweeted his disapproval of Twitter's $17m-a-year lawyer Vijaya Gadde and blasted her for censoring the New York Post's October 2020 exclusive about Hunter Biden's laptop. Initially dismissed as 'misinformation' - with some liberals even querying whether it was a concerted campaign by Russia - the contents of the computer have since been authenticated. Musk shared this image earlier this week suggesting he'd gone from being left of center to right of center because of how extreme many progressives' views have become His behavior has sparked howls of outrage from many of Twitter's current staff-workers, who tend to skew liberal. They've vowed to quit the platform when Musk takes over in around six months - although the tycoon is likely planning widespread staff cuts to boost profitability anyway. He is said to have discussed firing current CEO Parag Agrawal, who earned around $30 million in 2022, and will likely bring in his own board. Musk also shared a meme earlier this week suggesting that his personal politics have moved from center left to conservative, because many liberals have grown so extreme in their woke views. The tweet Elon Musk replied to is pictured, top, with the tycoon's scathing attack on Vijaya Gadde's behavior right underneath Analysis from earlier this week showed how right-wing figures had seen their followers rocket after news of Musk's takeover, with the opposite happening to famous liberal tweeters And days after his purchase, prominent conservative tweeters noticed their numbers begin to soar, while famous liberals saw sharp drops in their follower numbers. Among the biggest beneficiaries was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has gained around 400,000 new followers since Tuesday. Meanwhile, AOC has seen her followers slump by more than 15,000 in the last four days. Conservatives have long suggested Twitter 'shadow-bans' them, and makes it harder for people to see their tweets. They've suggested the algorithm used to punish them has been changed before Musk joins to avoid angering him. Twitter insists the rises and falls in follower numbers are organic - and claims many right-wingers have flocked to join the platform after Musk's purchase, while liberals infuriated with the deal have made good on promises to leave it. Musk sold off a total of $8.5 billion in Tesla shares in recent days, new regulatory filings on Friday showed. The filings double the previously reported amount of the fire-sale, which Musk is presumably conducting in order to fund his $21 billion cash commitment in a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Though Musk is the richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of $246 billion, most of his fortune is tied up in stock, and it had seemed clear he would have to sell off some assets to fund the Twitter takeover. About half of Musk's selloff of Tesla shares was made on Tuesday. Musk sold another $4.4 billion in the stock on Thursday, the new filings show. On Thursday night, after the first round of share sales became public, Musk tweeted: 'No further TSLA sales planned after today'. Tesla stock, which dropped 12 percent as he made his initial stock dump earlier this week, popped 6 percent in morning trading on Friday following Musk's vow not to sell the remainder of his stake. To complete the Twitter takeover, which is due to close by October, Musk has committed $21 billion in cash, $13 billion from Morgan Stanley in traditional bank loans and another $12.5 billion from the bank and others in margin loans. Elon Musk sold off a total of more than $8.4 billion in Tesla shares in recent days, new regulatory filings on Friday showed Even after the sale, Musk still owns about 16 percent of Tesla, a stake worth $143 billion Tesla stock, which dropped 12 percent as he made his initial stock dump earlier this week, rose on Friday following Musk's vow not to sell the remainder of his stake It's unclear why Musk decided to liquidate part of his 17 percent stake in Tesla so far in advance of the deal's expected closing date. In total, sold about 9.6 million shares this week, according to the filings on Thursday and Friday, equating to 5.6 percent of his stake in the company. Musk still owns about 16 percent of Tesla, a stake worth $143 billion. After taxes, Musk will make about $6.5 billion from his latest stock sale, and made about $3 billion in profit from another big sell-off late last year. That leaves roughly $10 billion in cash he will still need to meet his equity requirement for the Twitter deal. It is not clear how he will cover the remaining equity financing. Musk holds a 44 percent stake in unlisted rocket company SpaceX that is reportedly valued at $100 billion. The long-suffering sister of murdered school boy Rikki Neave has said she wants to confront his killer in jail after he was finally convicted 28 years after murdering him. James Watson, now 41, was last week convicted of killing six-year-old Rikki in 1994 when he was 13 years old and sister Rochelle Neave wants to ask him: 'Why did you kill my brother?' Rochelle, 30, was only 2 years old when depraved sexual fantasist Watson murdered Rikki but she remembers her 'cheeky, loving' brother. She says she needs to face Watson in order to find out why he did it and get 'closure'. 'What on earth was he thinking, at 13 years old, to murder my brother? 'I want to speak to him and ask him to give me answers,' she told The Mirror. 'But I don't think I'm ever going to get them.' Rochelle Neave wants to face her brother's killer in jail to find out why he did it. She said she wants to get 'closure' but she but she does not think she'll ever get it James Watson, now 41, was last week convicted of killing six-year-old Rikki in 1994 when he was 13 years old and sister Rochelle Neave wants to ask him: 'Why did you kill my brother?' Rikki (pictured) was found in woodland in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, on November 29, 1994. James Watson was convicted of his murder 26 years later last week Rikki's body was found posed naked in a star shape by Watson after he had lured him into some woods in Peterborough, Cambridge and strangled him with his anorak in November 1994. The horrific murder sparked national outrage at the time, less than two years after the abduction, torture and brutal killing of two-year-old James Bulger in Merseyside. Despite being seen with Watson by neighbours on the morning of his murder, it was Rikki's mother, Ruth Neaves, 53, who was the initial suspect. Ms Neave was cleared of her son's murder by a jury at Northampton Crown Court following a high-profile 16-day trial but later admitted child cruelty in relation to a number of incidents throughout Rikki's short life, including grabbing Rikki around the throat, pushing him against a wall and lifting him up. Rikki's mother, Ruth Neave (above), was cleared by a jury at Northampton Crown Court of her son's murder in 1996 but admitted child cruelty and was sentenced to seven years in jail Rikki's murder became a story of huge national interest, coming just years after the tragic James Bulger case. Rikki had been heading to his school, Welland Primary School, that morning, alone, having had a bowl of Weetabix earlier this morning She was jailed for seven years for child cruelty in October 1996. Watson was interviewed by police as a witness at the time but his lies were not uncovered. It was his web of lies and constantly changing alibis which helped him evade justice for 28 years but he was finally arrested in 2016 after serving eight months for indecently assaulting a sleeping young man. Rikki Neave's sister says verdict is a 'victory' for her 'cheeky, loving and caring brother' Rikki's sister Rochelle Neave, 30, was three years old when her big brother was murdered, and she said they had both lived in an abusive home. She and her younger sister Sheradyn Neave, 27, both from the Midlands, were later adopted. Sheradyn (left) and Rochelle Neave, the sisters of murdered schoolboy Rikki Neave Rochelle remembered Rikki as 'so loving, so caring' and said he 'would sort us food out when parents wouldn't do it'. 'He was cheeky,' she said. 'He was so loving, so caring towards us. He would do anything. If there was no food in he would go to the shop, nick it, come back and feed us. 'He would make sure we were clean. He would run a bath. He was so clean, he loved being clean.' She said it was a 'victory' that Watson had been found guilty of murder 'because he thought he'd got away with it for that many years and thought we were just going to go away and roll under the table'. 'We weren't,' she added. She said that when prosecutors felt there was insufficient evidence, she was part of a victim's right to review to get the decision reversed. 'We wrote a statement saying how we feel this cold case needs to be solved,' said Rochelle. She said she had felt 'angry' when Watson had fled to Portugal, while on police bail, and shared photographs of himself in the sunshine. 'I thought 'if you're not guilty of murder, why would you run away',' she said. She said of her biological mother Ruth Neave, who was cleared of Rikki's murder in 1996 but jailed for seven years after admitting child cruelty: 'I can't stand her. 'I can't even look at her. The things that she's put us through and our poor brother, how he's been treated, how he was murdered.' Her younger sister Sheradyn, who was a baby when Rikki was murdered, said: 'I think what's so tragic as well is the fact that he was just so small and so vulnerable and he came from such a bad home and it's just unlucky that he's come across (Watson).' She said: 'I don't let my kids out of my sight.' Advertisement Watson's DNA had been found on adhesive tapings on Rikki's clothes. But in 2018 prosecutors decided to drop the case because of 'insufficient evidence'. Watson likely would have finally gotten away with Rikki's murder had it not been for Rochelle successfully challenging the decision. Rochelle saw Watson put on trial at the Old Bailey and found guilty of Rikki's murder last week. She sat in the courtroom for every day of the 11 day trials and called it 'very hard' to listen to the evidence. 'He was smug. He was cocky. It was just like 'The James Watson Show'. According to Rochelle, Watson would roll his eyes and laugh at her family through the dock window. 'The thing that really got me is that he tried to cry in the box when he was giving his testimony, and it was the most pathetic attempt to cry I've ever seen in my life. 'He wiped his eye one time, wiped his nose, and then carried on.' It took the jury 36 hours and 31 minutes of deliberation to convict James Watson by a 10-2 verdict. Jury members heard how Watson's DNA was found on adhesive tapings on Rikki's clothes, and that Watson's posing of the six-year-old's naked body was an act carried out for his own sexual gratification. Jury members at the Old Bailey heard how Watson was arrested after sophisticated technology found a 'definitive match' between his DNA profile and samples taken from Rikki's clothing after a new investigation was opened into the case. Watson fled the country on a ferry at Dover in June 2016, before eventually consenting to his extradition from Portugal two months later. Jury members in the three-month-long trial at the Old Bailey in London heard how Watson wrapped the collar of Rikki's blue anorak around the younger boy's throat from behind him, pulling tightly for at least 30 seconds, in order to kill him. They were also told how Watson - a convicted arsonist with 'morbid fantasies' and a 'sexual interest' in small children - had molested a five-year-old child a year before the murder and throttled a girlfriend during sex. Reacting to the verdict, his mother Ruth Neave, 53, said she 'hated' Watson but admitted she regretted being on drugs when Rikki was killed. 'Because I was never allowed to go out when I was a kid, I was stuck inside, so I give him [Rikki] extra [freedom]. But what I do regret, is being on drugs as well. I was only on it for a year. One year everybody, one year.' Rochelle said she still holds her mother - who beat and neglected Rikki - accountable for his death. She said: 'Even though she didn't strangle him, she still let a six-year-old on the streets alone and she neglected him. All she was interested in was drugs and men and drink. 'I can't stand her. I can't even look at her. The things that she's put us through and our poor brother, how he's been treated, how he was murdered.' But Rochelle proclaimed the verdict a 'victory' for justice and for her murdered brother, who she described as 'loving, caring and cheeky'. Speaking after today's long-awaited verdict, she said: 'He was so loving, so caring towards us. He would do anything,' 'If there was no food in he would go to the shop, nick it, come back and feed us. 'He would make sure we were clean. He would run a bath. He was so clean, he loved being clean.' Rochelle said it was a 'victory' that Watson had been found guilty of murder 'because he thought he'd got away with it for that many years and thought we were just going to go away and roll under the table'. We weren't,' she added. South Korea will reopen its embassy in Kyiv shortly amid stabilizing conditions in the Ukrainian capital, the foreign ministry said Friday. South Korean embassy officials were evacuated from Kyiv in mid-February and operated temporary offices in the Ukrainian cities of Lviv and Chernivtsi as well as Romania. The Lviv mission was closed on March 18. The ministry said embassy officials will return to Kyiv for smoother cooperation with the Ukrainian government and the protection of South Korean nationals, as security conditions are stabilizing. The chief of the mission will determine the timing of the return while giving top priority to staff safety, it added. Seoul, meanwhile, plans to donate an additional $50 million to the war-ravaged country through a trust fund of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and is currently making related consultations, it added. The fund will be used to provide non-lethal military supplies, including fuel, medical goods and protective gear. It will help raise South Korea's total support since Russia's invasion to around $100 million, including the defense ministry's direct shipment of non-lethal aid in March. (Yonhap) An eco influencer who lectures others on how to save the planet has sparked fury after filming herself for an Instagram post - trampling all over bluebells. Alice Aedy, 29, a full time eco film maker and campaigner, ignored signs to walk all over the woodland flowers while being filmed for a social media post about the environment. Ms Aedy who proclaims herself as a climate and social justice campaigner, shows off her Choose Earth T-shirt and is recorded saying: We are here in the most beautiful [woods] just outside London, to celebrate Earth Day. She is then filmed going off the designated path in the private woodland in Chalfont St Giles Buckinghamshire where she and a friend then walk right across swathes of bluebells. The pair were attending an al fresco dinner event in the woods to celebrate Earth Day last Saturday. Eco activist Alice Aedy (left), 29, filmed herself along with a friend walking over bluebells in a Buckinghamshire forest while promoting an Earth Day celebration The group of environmental influencers were gathered to promote Choose Earth's new campaign to help Brazilian indigenous leaders Ms Aedy (left) has since apologised for walking across the swathes of bluebells The film maker trampled over the protected flower, despite signs asking people to stick to the path The function was catered by a firm called Nomadic, a business which stages outdoor dinners. A source told MailOnline that when Ms Aedy was seen walking on the flowers she was reprimanded by others at the event. No one could believe she was walking across the bluebells. She was immediately told off by others present and she said sorry and it seemed to be the end of the matter, the source said. Despite this Ms Aedy went on to post the footage on her Instagram - and reproduced versions of the video caused widespread indignation when shared on Facebook prompting Ms Aedy to later issue an apology. Ms Aedy, whose motto is Choose Earth wrote: I recently visited Woodland full of bluebells, one of the most beautiful things Ive seen in a long time. At the time I had no clue they were an endangered species. I walked through the woodland, taking photos, not knowing the plants will take years to recover after walking through them. Lots of campaigners are working tirelessly to raise awareness about these precious plants and improve the signs to let people know not to travel on them. I want to thank them, and apologise. Now I know Ill never walk over them or take them for granted. Since posting this Ive learnt that bluebells are an endangered species and at all costs should not be stepped on. Campaigners are working tirelessly to bring attention to this precious species and improve signage. Ms Aedy ended her apology with a heart emoji. A volunteer who helps maintain the paths so that people do not walk on the bluebells said it was 'disgraceful' A group of environmentalists were attending an al fresco dinner event in the Buckinghamshire woods (pictured) to celebrate Earth Day Ms Aedy said she now knows to never walk over bluebells or to take them for granted Bluebells, which generally spring to full bloom around late March and into April are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. The law forbids their destruction including the digging up plants or bulbs in the countryside and landowners are prohibited from removing bluebells from their land to sell. Ms Edy, 28, a documentary and film maker later apologised twice on Instagram after receiving a barrage of complaints, but removed the facility where people can comment or complain. Many of the complaints on Facebook were from locals around Wanstead Park who wrongly believed the footage had been filmed there. One wrote Is this really worth damaging our environment for? All this Instagram b***** is so boring and narcissistic Another said: Utterly pathetic poser. Conservation volunteer Alan James, 75, who helps build pathways so people can walk around bluebells without damaging them, said: It is disgraceful that anybody would walk across these to make a video. They just kill the flowers and leave a trodden path through them. They will never grow back. The vast majority of people come to enjoy them and their beauty. But there are people who selfishly walk across them and destroy them. Volunteers work very hard to remove bramble from them in the winter so that they can bloom again in the spring. We lay the paths and put timber along them to keep people off the Bluebells. We have to go on protecting these from destruction. On her website Ms Aedy is described as the co-founder of Earthrise, a media platform communicating the climate crisis, leading innovative partnerships with Choose Love, Stella McCartney and Penguin Classics. She didnt respond to approaches from MailOnline for a comment. A group of Apple employees have accused the big-tech giant of only benefiting privileged staff with its push for corporate workers to return to the office, saying that the shift back to an in-person model will make the company 'younger, whiter, [and] more male-dominated.' The employees, organized under the newly-formed group Apple Together, petitioned the company on Friday in an open letter after CEO Tim Cook told staffers that they would need to work from the office one day a week starting on April 11, two days per week after three weeks, and three days per week after May 23. They wrote that the decision to bring employees back to the office was not motivated by a 'need to commune in person,' as Cook wrote in his letter to staff, but rather was driven by the company's 'fear of the future of work, fear of worker autonomy [and] fear of losing control.' Although Apple will 'likely always find people willing to work here,' the group wrote, the shift back to working in the office will 'change the makeup of [the company's workforce].' 'It will lead to privileges deciding who can work for Apple, not whod be the best fit,' the group wrote. 'Privileges like being born in the the right place so you dont have to relocate, or being young enough to start a new life in a new city/country or having a stay-at-home spouse who will move with you."' 'And privileges like being born into a gender that society doesnt expect the majority of care-work from, so its easy to disappear into an office all day, without doing your fair share of unpaid work in society. Or being rich enough to pay others to do your care-work for you.' Rather than 'throwing money at the problem and just increasing referral bonuses to replace those of our colleagues who left over the executive team's inflexibility,' the group advocates for continuing a remote work model so that 'everyone who wants to work at Apple is able to do so.' There has been a marked uptick in diversity at Apple amid the pandemic, although it is unclear whether this was driven by the company's shift to remote work. In 2014, the company's workforce was made up of 70 percent men and 30 percent women, but those percentages have shifted - according to Apple's 2022 Inclusion and Diversity Report, 65.2 percent of the workforce is now male and 34.8 percent are female. Apple's leadership saw an 87 percent increase in female employees worldwide, the company boasted, and its total female workforce grew by 89 percent. The company hired more minorities than ever before in 2021 - that wasy, 25 percent of Apple's leadership roles and 41 percent of its retail positions were filled by Black and Hispanic workers. Pictured it Apple's HQ in Cupertino, California. CEO Tim Cook announced that employees would be returning to the office one day a week starting on April 11, then gradually increasing to three days per week starting May 23 Although Apple will 'likely always find people willing to work here,' the group wrote, the shift back to working in the office will 'change the makeup of [the company's workforce].' People are pictured walking past an Apple retail store in New York City Apple Together's qualms extended past diversity, however - the group laid out five additional reasons for their displeasure with the company's return to in-person work. They bemoaned that the company would force employees to make unnecessary commutes to work, and called out a disconnect between the company's marketing to customers using its products to work remotely from around the world and its treatment of staffers. 'How can we understand what problems of remote work need solving in our products if we don't live it?' reads the letter. They also mocked Cook's description of 'the serendipity that comes from bumping into colleagues,' arguing that this fanciful vision was impossible between the company's 37 US offices even before the company went remote during the pandemic. 'We are not all in one place. We dont have just one office, we have many. And often, our functional organizations have their own office buildings, in which employees from other orgs cannot work,' they wrote. 'This siloed structure is part of our culture.' In September, while tensions over the company's return to in-person work were still brewing before Apple's plans to bring workers back were thwarted by the onset of COVID-19's Delta variant, Apple engineer Cher Scarlett spoke out to Vox about this expectation of in-person collaboration. 'Theres this idea that people skateboarding around tech campuses are bumping into each other and coming up with great new inventions,' said Scarlett, who joined the company during the pandemic and became a leader in organizing her colleagues on pushing for more remote work. 'Thats just not true.' Scarlett, one of two founding members of Apple Together when it was first formed in August under the name 'Apple Too,' left the company in November and has pending complaints with the labor board. She and Janneke Parrish, who was also fired and has also filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board, encouraged staffers to come forward with stories of racism, sexism or discrimination in their workplace. A spokesperson for Apple Together told CNN Business, an employee who works on hardware engineering in the Bay Area and asked to remain anonymous, told the outlet that there are about 200 workers within the group - in total, Apple has more than 100,000 employees in the United States. Apple CEO Tim Cook (pictured) said in an email to staffers that employees would need to begin returning to the office - but Apple Together, a newly-formed group of employees, said that this would 'lead to privileges deciding who can work for Apple' 'There is such a huge disconnect between executive leadership and the individuals,' the employee said, 'The further you go up in the chain, the more that empathy erodes.' Apple Together said in its letter that it was much easier to collaborate with coworkers from their home offices, rather than Apple's newer offices with open floor plans. They also hit out at the company's recent decision to keep employees in different departments and locations of the company in separate Slack workplaces, making it 'impossible to create shared community spaces where serendipity could have happened.' 'We are not asking for everyone to be forced to work from home,' the letter read. 'we are asking to decide for ourselves, together with our teams and direct manager, what kind of work arrangement works best for each one of us, be that in an office, work from home, or a hybrid approach. Apple's correspondence to employees comes after other Big Tech giants, like Twitter and Facebook, have told its employees that they can work from home indefinitely. A man has been found guilty of illegally selling gold jewellery containing hair from African elephants, Scotland Yard said. Maharaj Sivasundram, 40, was found guilty on Friday at Harrow Crown Court of seven counts of offering the sale of products containing specimens derived from endangered species, according to the Metropolitan Police. The Met said Sivasundram, of Malden Fields, Bushey, was fined 8,400. Police said it was in 2017 that detectives discovered a shop in Wembley advertising gold jewellery, including rings and bangles, containing elephant hair, for sale. Products containing elephant hair are considered a good luck charm in some parts of the world. A gold bangle advertised at the shop in Wembley was found to contain elephant hair Inquiries were carried out to ascertain whether the establishment had ever legally imported elephant hair jewellery, but police said no permits had ever been issued. The Met said officers carried out a search warrant at the premises on May 15 2018 and a large quantity of gold jewellery containing black fibres was seized. Sivasundram was not arrested at this time, but was later interviewed under caution. Police said forensic tests conducted by the Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) laboratory on samples of the jewellery detected DNA from African elephants. Baby bangles offered for sale at the venue were labelled as 'elephant hair', the Met said. Two gold bracelets were also found to contain the prohibited elephant hair Detective Constable Sarah Bailey, from the Met's Wildlife Crime Unit, said: 'There are legal requirements surrounding the sale of specimens derived from protected or endangered species, requirements which had not been met in this case. 'African elephants continue to be poached, activity which partners globally are trying to prevent, so it is incredibly worrying that illegal derivatives from elephants have appeared for sale in London. 'We will continue to identify and prosecute those profiting in London from the illegal trade of endangered species from around the world.' An informal group of libertarian-leaning activists and businessmen prodded Elon Musk into launching his $44 billion Twitter buyout, according to a new report. Perhaps most significantly, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has for some time been 'whispering' in Musk's ear that the company should be privately held and run, sources told the Wall Street Journal. Dorsey, who abruptly stepped down as Twitter CEO in November but remained on the company's board, grew so close to Musk that he would sometimes appear to be 'spaced out' in meetings because the two men were messaging during the workday, a former Twitter executive told the outlet. Meanwhile, a close-knit group of Musk's closest friends and confidants were said to be urging the world's wealthiest man to use his fortune to assert control over Twitter, one of the most significant platforms for public discourse. An informal group of libertarian-leaning activists and businessmen prodded Elon Musk into launching his $44 billion Twitter buyout, according to a new report Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has for some time been 'whispering' in Musk's ear that the company should be privately held, while Kimbal Musk (right) also urged his brother to buy the company, according to a new report Concerned by Twitter's increasingly draconian crackdowns and bans, which often seemed politically tilted to punish conservatives, this group reportedly used their influence with Musk to convince him to take dramatic action. The informal 'brain trust' is said to include investor Peter Thiel and entrepreneur David Sacks -- members of the so-called PayPal mafia who helped found the payments startup with Musk in the late 1990s. Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson, an early Tesla investor who once served on that company's board, was also part of the cadre, people familiar with the matter said. The sources also named Musk's brother, Kimbal, who is a Tesla board member. Musk's top lieutenant Jared Birchall is also believed to have been a key advisor on the takeover deal. The new report reveals just how distressed Musk was when Twitter banned former President Donald Trump in the wake of the US Capitol riot. The informal 'brain trust' is said to include investor Peter Thiel (above) Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson, an early Tesla investor who once served on that company's board, was also part of the cadre, people familiar with the matter said Musk's top lieutenant Jared Birchall is also believed to have been a key advisor on the takeover Birchall in a text message to an associate described his boss's view as: 'He vehemently disagrees with censoring. Especially for a sitting president. Insane.' Musk has not publicly revealed whether he would allow Trump to return to Twitter once he assumes control, but has said he is opposed to most permanent bans from the platform. Trump himself claims that he wouldn't return even if invited. Musk appears to have been spurred into action after Twitter temporarily suspended the account of the Babylon Bee, a conservative satire site, in March. The Bee had in a tweet mockingly congratulated a transgender woman in the Biden administration as 'Man of the Year.' Musk placed a call to Seth Dillon, the CEO of the Babylon Bee, and asked him if that tweet was the reason for the suspension. When Dillon affirmed it was, Musk reportedly mused that he 'might need to buy Twitter.' On April 13, the day before his hostile takeover was first made public, Musk reportedly had dinner in Vancouver with a small group, including Jurvetson and TED leader Chris Anderson. Though his 9.6 percent stake in Twitter was already well known at that point, Musk seemed uninterested in discussing his plans for the company, and instead asked dinner guests to share their theories about the meaning of life, one attendee told the Journal. A person walks past the Twitter headquarters on April 26, 2022 in downtown San Francisco Former Twitter executives told the Journals that they became aware of Dorsey's budding friendship with Musk in 2020. Dorsey appears to have grown frustrated with Twitter's increasingly stringent moderation policies, and is said to have promoted the idea that the company should be privately held in conversations with Musk. Though it's unclear to what extent, if any, Dorsey communicated with Musk as his takeover bid unfolded, the Twitter co-founder made it publicly clear that he endorsed the move after an agreement was signed. 'Elon is the singular solution I trust,' Dorsey tweeted on April 25, the day Twitter accepted Musk's bid. 'I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness.' If Musk makes good on his takeover bid, Dorsey stands to walk away with nearly $1 billion for his Twitter stake. Meanwhile, in an emergency meeting on Friday, Twitter employees lashed out over Musk 's deal to acquire the company for $44 billion, accusing the world's richest man of bigotry and fretting over potential job cuts once the deal closes. Staffers at the 'impromptu' all-hands meeting fired angry questions at executives including CEO Parag Agrawal, who was described as looking tired and at times annoyed, according to Insider. Reached by DailyMail.com on Saturday morning, a Twitter spokeswoman declined to comment on the meeting. Stargazers were enjoying a cosmic treat this weekend as two of the solar systems brightest planets appear close to colliding in the night sky. Venus and Jupiter are about 430 million miles apart, but viewed from Earth they appear to be almost touching in a rare celestial spectacle known as a planetary conjunction. The phenomenon happens every year as the planets orbit the sun, but this weekend the heavenly bodies appear much closer than usual. The same spectacle will not be repeated until 2039. If there is a clear sky, the naked eye or binoculars will be enough to see the planets just above the horizon in the east. Venus, the brightest of the duo, will appear just 0.2 degrees less than the diameter of a full moon south of Jupiter. The planets are most visible just before dawn in the coming weeks as they start to drift slowly apart. HEAVENLY sight: Jupiter and Venus loom large in the sky over Rocca Calascio castle in central Italy before sunrise yesterday A conjunction is when two planets appear close together, or even touching, in the night sky. Venus and Jupiter have been slowly appearing to close on each other in recent days before meeting in their own conjunction. The best time to witness this was at 5am this morning, just before sunrise. The planets are now so bright that, if the skies are clear, they are plainly visible to the naked eye. Enthusiasts with telescopes can make out features of Jupiter or some of its largest moons. It is also possible to get a rare glimpse of Mars and Saturn in the same patch of sky, appearing to form a line of four planets. Jupiter, named after the king of the Roman gods, is the third brightest object in the night sky after the moon and Venus. It has been marvelled at since prehistoric times. Venus, which will remain visible before dawn until September, is the second planet from the Sun and is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Jupiter (left) and Venus (right) are about 430 million miles apart, but viewed from Earth they appear to be almost touching in a rare celestial spectacle known as a planetary conjunction With the planets appearing low in the sky, stargazers who have yet to witness the spectacle are advised to find a high spot or an unrestricted view on a clear night to glimpse the dazzling duo. Its very exciting for astronomers and its a really great opportunity for people to get out and have a look, Professor Lucie Green, chief stargazer at the Society for Popular Astronomy, told the BBC. The planets will differ in their brightness. Venus is brighter than Jupiter so it will look dazzlingly bright when you see it. Jupiter will be slightly fainter, about one-sixth of the brightness of Venus, she said. Their majestic boughs have shaped the story of the nation. Now 70 of the countrys most significant and spectacular trees are to be given a special status as part of the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations. They include the Lincolnshire apple tree reputed to have helped Sir Isaac Newton develop the theory of gravity when he saw a fruit drop from its branches, and a churchyard yew in the Cotswolds whose vast trunk is said to have inspired J. R. R. Tolkiens Lord Of The Rings writings. The Prince of Wales today launches the campaign to honour the trees, one for every year of his mothers reign, with a video message recorded in front of a 423-year-old sycamore at Dumfries House in Ayrshire. He says: Planted in 1599, during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James VI, it is remarkable that this ancient tree is as old as Shakespeares Hamlet and Caravaggios David And Goliath Trees and woodlands have a profound significance for us all their steadfast and reassuring presence a reminder of our long-serving Sovereign and her enduring dedication. The Prince of Wales today launches the campaign to honour the trees, one for every year of his mothers reign, with a video message recorded in front of a 423-year-old sycamore at Dumfries House in Ayrshire 17th century tangle of Yew, a huge yew in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, which is so vast that a bench has been constructed within its trunk Britain's most significant trees, their majestic boughs have shaped the story of the nation Ancient Sycamore as old as Shakespeare's Hamlet. Prince Charles said: Planted in 1599, during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James VI, it is remarkable that this ancient tree is as old as Shakespeares Hamlet and Caravaggios David And Goliath' The Royal Oak at Boscobel House, Shropshire, is a descendant of the tree in which the future Charles II hid to escape Parliamentarian forces The 150ft National Champion silver fir in Argyll, known as The Monster and believed to be the largest in the UK Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. The project will also recognise 70 ancient woodlands and forms part of the Queens Green Canopy project to plant and preserve trees. In her seven decades on the throne, Her Majesty has planted more than 1,500 trees around the world The project will also recognise 70 ancient woodlands and forms part of the Queens Green Canopy project to plant and preserve trees. In her seven decades on the throne, Her Majesty has planted more than 1,500 trees around the world. The tree is a running motif of the jubilee celebrations, with more than a million people having planted a tree for the jubilee this year. And a giant tree-like structure will be installed outside Buckingham Palace over the summer. It will be made up of 350 young trees in pots, which will be planted across the UK once the installation is dismantled. Other trees chosen for the special conservation status include the impressive National Champion silver fir in Argyll, known as The Monster and believed to be the largest in the UK; the Royal Oak at Boscobel House, Shropshire, which is a descendant of the tree in which the future Charles II hid to escape Parliamentarian forces; and a huge yew in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, which is so vast that a bench has been constructed within its trunk. Darren Moorcroft, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said: Ancient woods and trees are jewels in the UKs landscape. The Woodland Trust is delighted the Queens Green Canopy is highlighting the need to protect these treasures in our natural heritage. Dramatic footage has emerged of the moment a pair of Russian tanks suffered a direct hit from bombs stealthily dropped from a Ukrainian drone. Expertly flown by an operator believed to be from Ukraine's 503rd Naval Infantry Battalion, the drone swooped above two Russian infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) at an estimated height of around 400ft, before letting loose its payload. Five seconds later, the anti-armour grenades detonated and engulfed the IFVs in a pair of huge fireballs. Ukraine's armed forces have used drones to great effect amid the Russian invasion, expertly conducting small-scale airstrikes and using drone-mounted cameras to analyse Russian troop movements to prepare ambushes. It is unclear where the drone strike took place, though Radio Liberty reported in February that the 503rd Naval Infantry Battalion was deployed in the Donbas region of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, where fighting has intensified amid a major Russian offensive. It comes as the Land Forces of Ukraine today reported an estimated 23,000 Russian soldiers have been killed thus far in just nine weeks of war. A Russian armoured vehicle is seen centre seconds before suffering a direct hit from a grenade dropped from a Ukrainian drone (tip of the grenade is pictured bottom) The vehicle erupts into flames upon impact after being hit by the grenade, expertly dropped by a drone operator flying his device around 120 metres above the ground Ukraine's armed forces have used drones to great effect amid the Russian invasion, expertly conducting small-scale airstrikes and using drone-mounted cameras to analyse Russian troop movements to prepare ambushes (the burnt out shell of a Russian tank is pictured northeast of Kyiv) It comes as the Land Forces of Ukraine today reported an estimated 23,000 Russian soldiers have been killed thus far in just nine weeks of war (Valentyna Sherba, 68, stands next to a Russian tank in the backyard of her father's home, both destroyed, in the aftermath of a battle between Russian and Ukrainian troops on the outskirts of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, Saturday, April 23, 2022) Pictured: explosives believed to be Ukrainian RKG-1600 grenades. These explosives are based on Sviet-era anti-tank grenades, and have been adapted by the Ukrainian military to be dropped from drones - though it is unclear whether these are the explosives used to destroy the two Russian vehicles Russia is believed to have sustained heavy casualties in the eastern Donbas region, as Ukraine's armed forces continue their bitter defence of the Donetsk and Luhansk territories which have been partially occupied by Moscow-backed separatists since 2014. Russia's military leaders are pouring troops and equipment into the east of Ukraine in an attempt to force a bloody victory after they abandoned plans to blitz through Ukraine's north and seize Kyiv earlier in the war. Britain's ministry of defence today said Putin's troops in the east are still struggling to make ground despite the renewed support, citing poor tactics and the deployment of low-skilled troops as reasons for the slow progress. 'Shortcomings in Russian tactical coordination remain. A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localised improvements,' the MoD tweeted. 'Russia hopes to rectify issues that have previously constrained its invasion by geographically concentrating combat power, shortening supply lines and simplifying command and control,' it said. Meanwhile, Ukraine's military continues to carry out attacks behind Russian lines to cut off vital supply routes, with a fuel dump in the Donetsk region catching fire today. Kyiv has not acknowledged carrying out any of the attacks - which have also hit railway bridges and ammo dumps - but is widely thought to be orchestrating them. Besides the 23,000 troops lost in battle, Russia has reportedly lost 986 tanks, 2418 armoured vehicles, 189 planes, 155 helicopters and 73 anti-aircraft missile units. However, Russia has continued its brutal bombardment of the southern port city of Mariupol, where a small battalion of Ukrainian fighters are attempting to evacuate desperate civilians from the Azovstal steel plant. Britain's ministry of defence today said Putin's troops in the east are still struggling to make ground despite the renewed support, citing poor tactics and the deployment of low-skilled troops as reasons for the slow progress. Russian servicemen guard the territory of the cargo sea port in Mariupol. Russia has continued its brutal bombardment of the southern port city, where a small battalion of Ukrainian fighters are attempting to evacuate desperate civilians from the Azovstal steel plant Of the 450,000 people who lived in Mariupol prior to Russia's invasion of February 24, only around 100,000 remain in the bombed out ruins of the city. But Russia's attacks are now concentrated on the Soviet-era steel plant located close to the harbour - the only part of the city not under occupation - where a small contingent of between 1,000-2000 Ukrainian soldiers are staging a desperate holdout alongside roughly 1,000 civilians. Ukrainian soldiers hiding in the network of tunnels and rooms underneath the plant have repeatedly called for international aid and a safe passage for evacuation, saying the plant's residents are barely surviving on extremely limited food and water and that there are many injured soldiers and civilians suffering without proper medical attention. U.N. humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu said the world organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv to organise a ceasefire. 'There is, right now, ongoing, high-level engagements with all the governments, Russia and Ukraine, to make sure that you can save civilians and support the evacuation of civilians from the plant,' Abreu said today, but he could not provide details of the ongoing evacuation effort 'because of the complexity and fluidity of the operation.' Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling. Russia has continued its brutal bombardment of the southern port city of Mariupol (pictured), where a small battalion of Ukrainian fighters are attempting to evacuate desperate civilians from the Azovstal steel plant People take part in a rally demanding international leaders to organise a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of Ukrainian military and civilians from Mariupol, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in central Kyiv, Ukraine April 30, 2022 Russia's attacks are now concentrated on the Soviet-era steel plant (pictured) located close to the harbour - the only part of the city not under occupation - where a small contingent of between 1,000-2000 Ukrainian soldiers are staging a desperate holdout alongside roughly 1,000 civilians Smoke rises from the grounds of the Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol on April 29, 2022, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine The ferocity of the fighting, and the plight of the civilians hiding in the Azovstal factory, has stunned the world, bringing Pentagon press secretary John Kirby to the verge of tears on Friday. 'It's hard to look at what [Putin] is doing in Ukraine, what his forces are doing in Ukraine, and think that any ethical, moral individual could justify that,' Kirby, a retired rear admiral, told reporters. 'It's difficult to look at some of the images and imagine that any well-thinking, serious, mature leader would do that. So, I can't talk to his psychology. But I think we can all speak to his depravity.' A vast underground network of tunnels and bunkers has provided civilians and fighters hiding in the steel plant with relative safety from airstrikes. But the situation has grown more dire in recent days after the Russians dropped 'bunker busters' and other bombs on the plant, the city's mayor Vadym Boychenko said Friday. Women whose husbands are trapped in the plant with the Azov Regiment said they feared soldiers will be tortured and killed if they are left behind and captured. Actor Bill Murray has broken his silence about his 'inappropriate behavior' on the set of his latest movie 'Being Mortal' that led to it being shut down last week. Murray told CNBC that he had a 'difference of opinion' with a woman he was working with on the film, but did not name the woman or give any details about what happened. The film, which was written and being directed by comedian Aziz Anzari, was set to star Seth Rogan and Keke Palmer, as well as Murray. 'I did something I thought was funny and it wasn't taken that way,' he told CNBC during a special interview at Berkshire Hathaway's earnings event on Saturday. 'As of now we are talking and we are trying to make peace with each other,' Murray said. 'We are both professionals, we like each others' work, we like each other I think and if we can't really get along and trust each other there's no point in going further working together or making the movie as well. It's been quite an education for me.' Searchlight Pictures suspended production on the film after Murray was accused of inappropriate behavior, Variety reported. A letter was sent to the cast and crew informing them of the situation. Filming on Being Mortal was halways completed before production was shut down and it was slated for release in 2023, but for now it is unclear if Murray will continue on with the project or if he will be recast. Actor Bill Murray has spoken out about allegations of inappropriate behavior on the set of his latest movie 'Being Mortal' that led to it being shut down last week Murray told CNBC that he had a 'difference of opinion' with a woman he was working with on the film, but did not name the woman or give any details about what happened Being Mortal, which was written and being directed by comedian Aziz Anzari, was set to star Seth Rogan and Keke Palmer (pictured), as well as Murray 'Being Mortal,' based on Atul Gawande's nonfiction book 'Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End,' starred Murray, as well as Aziz Ansari and Seth Rogan Searchlight tells cast and crew filming of Being Mortal will be PAUSED amid the Murray claims A letter to the cast and crew, seen by Deadline, said: 'We know you are all concerned about the recent delays in production and want to give you an update. 'Late last week, we were made aware of a complaint, and we immediately looked into it. 'After reviewing the circumstances, it has been decided that production cannot continue at this time.' The statement added: 'We are truly grateful to all of you for everything you've put into this project. 'Our hope is to resume production and are working with Aziz and Youree to figure out that timing.' Advertisement 'Being Mortal,' based on Atul Gawande's nonfiction book 'Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End,' starred Murray, as well as Aziz Ansari and Seth Rogan. Murray told CNBC that he was optimistic that 'we are going to make peace' and that production will restart, but added that he'll only do so if the woman is comfortable doing so. 'I think it's a sad dog that can't learn anymore,' Murray said. 'That's a really sad puppy that can't learn anymore. I don't want to be that sad dog and I have no intention of it.' 'What would make me the happiest would be to put my boots on and for both of us to go back into work and be able to trust each other and work at the work that we've both spent a lot of time developing the skill of,' he added. This is not the first incident Murray has encountered on a film set. On the set of the 2000 action-comedy 'Charlie's Angels,' actress Lucy Liu reportedly confronted Murray for 'hurling insults' at her following a rewrite of a scene without his knowledge, Variety reported. Liu addressed the incident for the first time last year. She called Murray's behavior 'inexcusable and unacceptable.' Lui claimed on a 2021 Asian Enough podcast episode that the team had to rework a scene so Murry could attend a family gathering. On the 2000 action-comedy 'Charlie's Angels,' actress Lucy Liu (right) reportedly confronted Murray for 'hurling insults' at her following a rewrite of a scene without his knowledge Liu addressed the incident for the first time last year. She called Murray's behavior 'inexcusable and unacceptable' 'As were doing the scene, Bill starts to sort of hurl insults, and I wont get into the specifics, but it kept going on and on. I was, like: "Wow, he seems like hes looking straight at me." 'Some of the language was inexcusable and unacceptable, and I was not going to just sit there and take it. So, yes, I stood up for myself, and I dont regret it. Because no matter how low on the totem pole you may be or wherever you came from, theres no need to condescend or to put other people down. And I would not stand down, and nor should I have.' Murray defended his actions in The Times of London in 2009, stating: 'Look, I will dismiss you completely if you are unprofessional and working with me.' The star also reportedly headbutted Charlie's Angel's director Joseph McGinty Nichol - known professionally as McG, 'square on the head.' 'An inch later and my nose would have been obliterated,' he told the Guardian in 2009. Murray denied the claim, telling the Times: 'Thats bulls**t! Thats complete crap! I dont know why he made that story up. He has a very active imagination.' The Ghostbusters star also famously got into an altercation on the SNL set in 1978 with Chevy Chase. The fight reportedly broke out have the pair started to throw insults at each other. Murray importantly told Chase to go have sex with his then-wife Jacqueline Carlin. Chase retorted Murray's face look 'like something Neil Armstrong landed on,' according to the book Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. Murray (left) also allegedly got into a physical altercation with SNL costar Chevy Chase (right) after they started insulting each other and Chase told him his face looked 'like something Neil Armstrong landed on' Murray alsoo once threw an ashtray at Richard Dreyfuss' head after a 'meltdown' on set of What About Bob. Dreyfuss' son Ben, 35, revealed on Twitter on Thursday that Murray allegedly threw an ashtray at his father's head and threatened to 'throw' a female producer across a parking lot and 'ripped off her glasses' during the meltdown after being denied an extra day off on the What About Bob set in 1991. Ben also revealed bodyguards had to be on set once filming resumed to separate the Murray and Dreyfuss, 74. 'Everyone walked off the production and flew back to LA and it only resumed after Disney hired some bodyguards to physically separate my dad and Bill Murray in between takes,' he said in a tweet. Ben also revealed that he was 'like five' when the altercation happened, but still said it was some of his 'fondest and earliest memories' and praised the movie as being 'good.' The rumor of the ashtray incident, among others, have apparently been circling Hollywood for decades and Dreyfuss even addressed it in 2009. 'He put his face next to me, nose-to-nose, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, Everyone hates you! You are tolerated!' the actor said at the time. 'There was no time to react because he leaned back and he took a modern glass-blown ashtray. He threw it at my face from [only a couple feet away]. And it weighed about three-quarters of a pound. And he missed me. He tried to hit me. I got up and left.' Dreyfuss had complained about Murray's behavior toward 'petite' producer Laura Ziskin, who denied Murray the day off. In 2013, she revealed to the Los Angeles Times: 'Bill threatened to throw me across the parking lot and then broke my sunglasses and threw them across the parking lot.' Ziskin has since died from breast cancer and the pair never worked together again. Bill Murray, 71, (right) allegedly threw an ashtray at What About Bob costar Richard Dreyfuss, 74, (left) after he complained about the former's behavior, his son Ben, 35, revealed. He allegedly complained about Murray threatened to throw producer Laura Ziskin across the parking lot and broke her glasses His son also revealed that everyone 'walked off set' and Disney had to hire 'bodyguards to physically separate my dad and Bill Murray in-between takes' It eventually turned physical in front of several costars, including Laraine Newman, who described it as a 'very sad and painful and awful' on What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2021. This isn't Murray's first fight on set, he reportedly got physical with director Harold Ramis on Groundhog Day. The director allegedly threw the actor against the wall during the dispute. Ramis' daughter claimed Murray didn't talk to the director for 20 years after the fight and that Ramis' was 'heartbroken.' Murray also reportedly hurt The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou costar Anjelica Huston's feelings after he didn't invite her out to a dinner party during filming. 'The first week I was there [filming in Italy], we were all in this little hotel, and he invited the entire cast to go and have dinner, except me,' she said in 2019. The 71-year-old actor had the complaint filed against him last week before Aziz Ansari and Seth Rogan's Being Mortal was temporarily shelved, it was claimed. The details of the allegations were not immediately clear but Searchlight Pictures said an investigation has been launched. Searchlight temporarily stopped production on Monday after the allegations against Murray emerged - but today said it would halt indefinitely pending investigation. A letter to the cast and crew, seen by Deadline, said: 'We know you are all concerned about the recent delays in production and want to give you an update. 'Late last week, we were made aware of a complaint, and we immediately looked into it. 'After reviewing the circumstances, it has been decided that production cannot continue at this time.' The statement added: 'We are truly grateful to all of you for everything you've put into this project. 'Our hope is to resume production and are working with Aziz and Youree to figure out that timing.' Being Mortal is an adaptation of the 2014 book by surgeon Atul Gawande, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. The movie, written by Aziz Ansari, was scheduled for release in 2023 but it is unclear how the suspension will impact this. A terrified Maryland woman filmed the moment she came home from vacation to find $49,100 in property stolen and two squatters laying in her bed - who showed her how they broke in and suggested she get locks for her windows before leaving. The Greenbelt, Maryland woman returned to her home on Edmonston Rd April 5 to find her front door damaged and her apartment devoid of possessions and furniture - except her bed, where a black man and a white woman were laying. All that remained were trash bags and trash on the walls - even the doors to her kitchen cabinets had been removed. When she left for vacation on March 28, her apartment was fully furnished, according to the Greenbelt City Police Department. Although she captured the incident on video, the squatters still haven't been caught, the department said, and police distributed their photos hoping that a member of the public might recognize them. The man and woman who broke into the apartment on Edmonton Avenue in Greenbelt and stole $49,100 in possessions still haven't been located by police An unknown woman sits on the end of the unsuspecting homeowner's bed - the only item of furniture left in her home when she returned from vacation on April 5 after the squatters had totally ransacked the apartment The male squatter told the homeowner that this was a 'learning experience,' and showed her how he and his companion broke into her apartment as they gathered their effects Pictured is the unknown woman the Greenbelt homeowner found in her bed after returning from vacation on April 5. The two squatters have not yet been caught, and police are looking to the public for information that could lead to their capture The male squatter told the shocked homeowner that there were three ways her apartment could be broken into, and suggested that she get a lock for her window before leaving Pictured is the exterior of the Maryland woman's apartment in Greenbelt, Maryland The two squatters were surprised that the homeowner was home, with one exclaiming 'I thought you was gone' at the onset of the video. The panicked resident asked the two strangers how they got into her apartment. 'Please show me how you got inside because I don't feel safe,' she asked as the two squatters milled around her bedroom, gathering their possessions in reusable grocery bags. The man replied that there were 'three ways you can get into your apartment.' 'Got everything babe? Excuse me,' the man said as he nonchalantly pushed past the homeowner to gather his effects from her bathroom. 'Yes, please get all of your things, I want you to leave nothing behind,' the homeowner said, continuing to film. As he calmly gathered up his things, the man told the shocked woman that this was a 'learning experience,' and was gracious enough to show her 'how nobody can ever come here without the key.' 'It's three ways you can get in here,' the man said. 'Your window here, need to put a lock on here.' Police said that the squatters told the woman that they 'took all of her property' and then 'became aggressive with the victims before fleeing on foot in an unknown direction,' although this wasn't captured on camera. Before she began filming, the woman told Fox 5, the man attacked her as she tried to flee. 'He tackles me, and Im like "sir this is my home you not gone let me leave?" Hes like, "no Im just saying you not gone call the police. Im going to give you your apartment you just not gone call the police."' 'Not only were they in my home, but everything in my home was gone except for my bed because he [said] he loved my bed so much,' she told the local outlet. Police said that the squatters told the woman that they 'took all of her property' and then 'became aggressive with the victims before fleeing on foot in an unknown direction,' although this wasn't captured on camera 'And I'm like who are you? And he says my name. He's like you didn't pay your rent. I'm like what are you talking about? I paid my rent.' 'I just couldnt believe this was happening to me, I see this on TV,' she said. 'They really took over my apartment, and I was just trying to remain calm. But at the same time, I just couldnt believe this was happening to me. I come home and literally, two people are in my bed relaxing.' Before the squatters left, she said, the man told her that he intended to do the same thing at another apartment. In light of her horrific ordeal, she said, her apartment complex is allowing her to break her lease. Maryland does not have a 'Stand Your Ground' law - in 20 states, residents can use firearms or other lethal force against home intruders if they 'reasonably believe' they face an imminent threat of death or serious injury under their state's jurisdiction After an armed homeowner thwarted a home intruder in Florida last week, frightening him into the clutches of waiting deputies, Santa Rose County Sheriff Bob Johnson said that residents would not be in trouble for using firearms to defend their homes. 'If someone is breaking into your house, you're more than welcome to shoot them in Santa Rosa County. We prefer that you do, actually,' Johnson said. Universities could be landed with massive financial penalties if they refuse to return to face to face teaching, the Universities Minister has warned. Throwing down the gauntlet to the stubborn minority of vice-chancellors and lecturers who are still working remotely, Michelle Donelan signalled her intention to put boots on the ground by sending teams of inspectors to investigate staff attendance rates on campuses across Britain. In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, she said: Were all enjoying the freedoms that the vaccine has enabled us to have. 'Students and lecturers will be going to the pub, going out for meals, theyll be going to parties, going to weddings, probably concerts, so it doesnt actually make sense that they cant then be in a lecture theatre.' Throwing down the gauntlet to the stubborn minority of vice-chancellors and lecturers who are still working remotely, Universities Minister Michelle Donelan (above) signalled her intention to put boots on the ground by sending teams of inspectors to investigate staff attendance rates on campuses across Britain Ms Donelan said institutions that have failed to return to pre-pandemic levels of face to face teaching could potentially be fined or could even lose the ability to access money from the student loan system Ive not heard a reasonable rationale for why we would want students to be on a second track to the rest of the population. In fact, I think it is really wrong. Ms Donelan said institutions that have failed to return to pre-pandemic levels of face to face teaching could potentially be fined or could even lose the ability to access money from the student loan system. She added: That would be the most serious ramification, but in the first instance there would be fines and we would expect their teaching methods to change. Colleges axe exams in a bid to 'decolonise' courses By Julie Henry Traditional exams are being axed in a drive to decolonise university courses and increase the number of ethnic minority students gaining top degrees. The Mail on Sunday has learned that a number of institutions are introducing open book papers where students can consult written notes or textbooks. Vice-chancellors are under pressure to close the gap between degrees awarded to white middle-class students and others. Some 85.9 per cent of white students gained either first-class honours or a 2:1 last year compared with 77 per cent of those from ethnic minorities. Officials are pressing universities to eliminate the gap entirely by 2030-31. Assessment is under scrutiny at Leicester University where a recent report suggested it could be part of colonial systems which contribute to the marginalisation wand privilege of different students. But Glenn Fulcher, Emeritus Professor of Education and Language Assessment at Leicester, said: If universities are changing assessment methods to decolonise, then thats a serious cause for concern. Advertisement The first member of her family to go to university, Ms Donelan praised Britains higher education system, adding: Weve got some of the most iconic universities in the world. But she also spoke of her hope that the Governments world-first Lifelong Learning Entitlement plan which will give individuals a loan entitlement to the equivalent of four years of post-18 education to use over their lifetime will reshape the higher education system by allowing students to study for a degree in modulised chunks at different stages of their lives. At 18, you might think about what you want to do and think, Actually I dont need a three-year degree to do the job I want. I really want to get into industry quite quickly, so you go and do three modules for one year, she said. You get a job and later on you upskill and you reskill and you go back, so it creates this culture of lifelong learning which our current student finance system doesnt allow. Well be the first country in the world to deliver this at scale. She also raised concerns over the National Union of Students after comments by its president Shaima Dallali in which she flippantly referred to a massacre of Jews. Insisting the Government is prepared to sever ties with the NUS, she said: The allegations that have been made against the NUS are deplorable and, when we look at this, this pattern of behaviour goes right the way back to 2005. That to me is a big sign that the NUS themselves havent managed to get their house into order. I think its appalling that Jewish students are having to contact me and say they are concerned about attending NUS events or concerned about behaviour on university campuses and weve got to stop this. I will be coming forward with a substantial package imminently on the Governments approach to the NUS in regards and in response to this. DENVER, United States, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Due to megadrought gripping the western United States, the water levels of Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir serving 40 million Americans, have dropped to a historic low. An original intake valve of the reservoir that began supplying Nevada customers in 1971 was exposed for the first time. "It's official -- the top of Intake No. 1 is now visible and the low lake level pumping station is now operational," Southern Nevada Water Authority tweeted early this week. The low lake level pumping station is a back-up system completed by the water authority in 2020 that draws water from deep lake areas to feed thirsty customers downstream. As of Friday, the water level of Lake Mead is 1,055.19 feet (321.62 meters) above sea level, which is 173.81 feet (52.98 meters) below full pool of 1,229 feet (374.60 meters) above sea level. "When the lake hit 1060 (feet above sea level), that's when you could start to see the top of the intake number one," Bronson Mack from the Southern Nevada Water Authority told CNN. Hoover Dam, finished in 1936 during the American Great Depression, created Lake Mead by damming the Colorado River. The lake is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world, on the Arizona-Nevada border, 25 miles east of Las Vegas, according to Atlas.com. The dam generates electricity for parts of Arizona, California and Nevada, producing on average about 2,074 megawatts, which is enough electricity for about 8 million people, according to the Western Area Power Administration. Ukraine's leader accused Russia of trying to humiliate the United Nations by raining missiles on Kyiv during a visit by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, an attack that shattered the capital's tentative return to normality as the focus of the war moved east. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine's forces were holding off Russia's attempted advance in the south and east, as efforts continued to secure safe passage for residents trapped in Mariupol, which has been largely reduced to rubble in a two-month-long siege. An official in the president's office did not rule out an evacuation as soon as Friday. Russia pounded targets all over Ukraine on Thursday, including the attack on Kyiv that struck a residential high-rise and another building. U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said its journalist Vira Hyrych, who lives in one of the buildings hit, died. Her body was found in the rubble on Friday. Ten people were wounded in the attack, including at least one who lost a leg, according to Ukraine's emergency services. In an apparent reference to the same strike, Russia's defense ministry said Friday that it had destroyed "production buildings" at the Artem defense factory in Kyiv. The attack on Kyiv came barely an hour after Zelenskyy held a press conference with Guterres, who toured some of the destruction in and around Kyiv and condemned attacks on civilians during his visit. "This says a lot about Russia's true attitude towards global institutions, about attempts of Russian authorities to humiliate the U.N. and everything that the organization represents," Zelenskyy said in an overnight video address to the nation. "Therefore, it requires corresponding powerful reaction." (AP) Wildlife officials have euthanized the coyote believed to have attacked a young child on a California beach after it was found hiding under a nearby trailer home. Authorities have been searching for the coyote that attacked the toddler and bit her face at Huntington Beach on Thursday. The unidentified girl, thought to be aged two or three, was taken to hospital by ambulance to deal with her serious but non-life-threatening injuries. During their search for the animal that carried out the attack, authorities shot two coyotes on the beach which both ran off. A youngster was viciously attacked by a coyote at Huntington Beach in California. The animal can be seen prowling in the far left of the frame The incident occurred when a mother took her two children to the ocean to paddle. She did not notice what was happening to one of her kids just feet away The coyote jumped up and pounced on the youngster knocking her over onto the sand The girl's face was mauled for around 15 seconds before an adult shooed the animal away One of the coyotes was found dead on the beach on Friday morning and was being taken in for rabies testing but it was not believed to be the animal responsible for the attack. Officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have since captured an injured coyote they found under a trailer home near the pier and euthanized it, Captain Patrick Foy said. Officers believe this to be the coyote responsible for the attack but will not know for certain until they test the carcass to compare its DNA to the girl's bite wounds, the Los Angeles Times reported. Authorities will test both animal carcasses for rabies. 'There's no evidence to suggest the coyote was rabid, but that test will certainly help alleviate any concerns the family might have,' Foy said. The disturbing attack against the girl was captured on police's beachcam footage. It showed the toddler being mauled by a coyote for 15 seconds before her family members noticed. Two coyotes were shot dead by officials later on Thursday night. One of the coyotes was found dead on the beach on Friday morning and was being taken in for rabies testing but it was not believed to be the animal responsible for the attack The youngster who is expected to make a full recovery, then got up and ran to one of her parents who reacted in horror. The little girl was rushed to a hospital by ambulance, with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Foy was unable to say why the attack occurred. The family did not appear to be doing anything to provoke the wild animals. Such encounters are relatively rare, Foy suggested that people who encounter the wild animals should try and scare them away by making loud noises. 'Don't feed them. That's the most important thing we can do as a society to keep coyotes from being too comfortable around people,' Foy said. After a decade working in London left him battling with depression, the Duchess of Cambridges brother, James Middleton, has told The Mail on Sunday how hes turned to farming to find peace. James and his French financier wife, Alizee Thevenet, are restoring a 1.45million Berkshire farmhouse, complete with a smallholding. The move means that the 35-year-old former boss of Boomf, a company that sold personalised marshmallows, is recasting himself as a gentleman farmer with a sideline in breeding spaniels. James, left, has sheep, ducks, goats, hens and beehives as well as dogs. The couple plan to become fully self-sustainable like the characters in TVs The Good Life. James Middleton and his wife Alizee are revelling in country life with their four spaniels and one flat coated retriever Speaking to The Mail on Sunday last week, James said: This morning, I was up at six vaccinating our flock of Herdwick sheep, which are a wonderful breed from the Lake District but which are known as escape artists! Im learning as I go. James, who, like his sisters Kate and Pippa went to Marlborough College, set up Boomf in 2013 but it went into administration in 2021. Last year, he spoke candidly about being diagnosed with clinical depression and said that nature had helped to improve his emotional health. His new property is in Stanford Dingley, near to the village of Bucklebury, where he grew up and where his parents still live. Its also near where Pippa and her husband James Matthews recently bought a rundown petting zoo. Kate is believed to be planning to move into the area too, along with Prince William and their three children. The Duchess of Cambridge carries Princess Charlotte followed by her brother James and sister Pippa for a service at Bucklebury parish church on Christmas Day in 2016 James says: Living in London, you dont have community. You dont get to know the things in life that people care about. We are so lucky to live in a small village with 100 people and two pubs. Our house dates back to the 16th Century, so when its windy it blows through the drawing room. But thats the charm. James and Alizee its pronounced like Champs-Elysees, it took me a while to get it right! now have six dogs, including Inka the naughty one, and golden retriever Mabel, his only non-spaniel. Later this month, they are due to lead a parade of hundreds of dogs at Goodwoof, a new two-day celebration organised by the Duke of Richmond on his Goodwood estate in Sussex (tickets available from the Goodwood website). It is described as a canine version of the Chelsea Flower Show. James breeds working spaniels. Last year he gave a black cocker spaniel to the Duchess of Cambridge after her beloved Lupo also bred by James died suddenly at the age of nine. Last year, James Middleton spoke candidly about being diagnosed with clinical depression and said that nature had helped to improve his emotional health Middleton pictured with the Duke of Richmond at his Goodwood estate in Sussex Most of the spaniels I breed go to people I know well enough to have a coffee with. I dont advertise, he explains. I always say dogs are a way of life not an accessory. James says he wants more people to be able to bring their dogs to work. I would encourage more offices to take dogs in, or even provide facilities. He also believes more shops should allow dogs inside. While hes speaking about his responsibilities for his animals, the obvious question is whether he and Alizee plan to have children. James quips that baby goats are the only kids in the farmhouse nursery for now, but adds: I think children are inevitably going to be our next direction and were both very keen and happy to let nature take its course. For the moment, though, James is busy tending his animals. The latest addition was a clutch of hen chicks and next he must prepare his dogs to join him as the face of Goodwoof, especially naughty Inka. Boris Johnson declared his renewed commitment to supporting Ukraine amid its war with Russia and 'ensuring Putin falls' following his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today. The Prime Minister offered Mr Zelensky the UK's 'continued economic and humanitarian support' and pledged further arms shipments during a call on Saturday afternoon, a Downing Street spokesperson said. Britain is one of the largest suppliers in Europe of arms to Ukraine, having already sent more than 5,000 anti-tank missiles, 1,360 anti-structure munitions, five air defence systems with more than 100 missiles, and 4.5 tonnes of plastic explosives, according to the Ministry of Defence. Ukrainian forces have also been using Starstreak high-velocity and low-velocity anti-air missiles supplied by the UK. Following the call, Mr Johnson tweeted: 'I spoke to President @ZelenskyyUa earlier to set out how the UK will continue to provide military and humanitarian aid to give Ukrainians the equipment they need to defend themselves. 'I'm more committed than ever to reinforcing Ukraine and ensuring Putin fails.' President Zelensky tweeted: 'I keep in touch with @BorisJohnson. Spoke about the situation on the battlefield and in the blocked Mariupol. 'Discussed defensive support for Ukraine and the necessary diplomatic efforts to achieve peace.' It comes as Ukraine's armed forces and territorial defence units continue to engage in bitter fighting as they attempt to repel Russia's all-out assault on the eastern Donbas region. The Prime Minister offered Mr Zelensky the UK's 'continued economic and humanitarian support' and pledged further arms shipments during a call on Saturday afternoon, a Downing Street spokesperson said Following the call, President Zelensky tweeted: 'I keep in touch with @BorisJohnson. Spoke about the situation on the battlefield and in the blocked Mariupol. 'Discussed defensive support for Ukraine and the necessary diplomatic efforts to achieve peace' Mr Johnson tweeted: 'I spoke to President @ZelenskyyUa earlier to set out how the UK will continue to provide military and humanitarian aid to give Ukrainians the equipment they need to defend themselves. I'm more committed than ever to reinforcing Ukraine and ensuring Putin fails' Ukrainian military personnel inspect the site of a missile strike in front of a damaged residential building, amid Russia's invasion, in Dobropillia, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, April 30, 2022 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, presents State Awards to members of the Ukrainian Border Guards to mark their professional holiday, April 30, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine Following the call between Mr Johnson and Mr Zelensky, a Downing Street spokesperson said: 'The Prime Minister spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today, as part of their regular dialogue. 'President Zelensky updated on the fierce fighting in Eastern Ukraine and ongoing siege of Mariupol. He set out the equipment needed for the defence of Ukraine. 'The Prime Minister reiterated that he is more committed than ever to reinforcing Ukraine and ensuring Putin fails, noting how hard the Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom. 'He confirmed that the UK will continue to provide additional military aid to give the Ukrainians the equipment they needed to defend themselves. 'The leaders also discussed progress of the UN-led effort to evacuate Mariupol and concern for the injured there. The Prime Minister offered the UK's continued economic and humanitarian support. 'The Prime Minister and President Zelensky agreed to remain in close contact on next steps, in coordination with international allies and partners.' Russia is believed to have sustained heavy casualties in the eastern Donbas region, as Ukraine's armed forces continue their bitter defence of the Donetsk and Luhansk territories which have been partially occupied by Moscow-backed separatists since 2014. Russia's military leaders are pouring troops and equipment into the east of Ukraine in an attempt to force a bloody victory after they abandoned plans to blitz through Ukraine's north and seize Kyiv earlier in the war. Britain's ministry of defence today said Putin's troops in the east are still struggling to make ground despite the renewed support, citing poor tactics and the deployment of low-skilled troops as reasons for the slow progress. 'Shortcomings in Russian tactical coordination remain. A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localised improvements,' the MoD tweeted. 'Russia hopes to rectify issues that have previously constrained its invasion by geographically concentrating combat power, shortening supply lines and simplifying command and control,' it said. Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in eastern Ukraine has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Also, both Ukraine and the Moscow-backed rebels have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone. So far though, Russia's troops and the separatists appeared to have made only minor gains in the month since Moscow said it would focus its military strength in the east. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, presents State Awards to members of the Ukrainian Border Guards to mark their professional holiday, April 30, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine Britain's ministry of defence today said Putin's troops in the east are still struggling to make ground despite the renewed support, citing poor tactics and the deployment of low-skilled troops as reasons for the slow progress Numerically, Russia's military manpower vastly exceeds Ukraine's. In the days before the war began, Western intelligence estimated Russia had positioned near the border as many as 190,000 troops; Ukraine's standing military totals about 200,000, spread throughout the country. Yet, in part because of the tenacity of the Ukrainian resistance, the U.S. believes the Russians are 'at least several days behind where they wanted to be' as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east, said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the American military's assessment. With plenty of firepower still in reserve, Russia's offensive still could intensify and overrun the Ukrainians. Overall the Russian army has an estimated 900,000 active-duty personnel. Russia also has a much larger air force and navy. But hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance has flowed into Ukraine since the war began, and Western allies have made it clear they intend to keep providing the Ukrainian armed forces with the resources and equipment necessary to defend their territory against the invaders. Besides the 23,000 troops lost in battle, Russia has reportedly lost 986 tanks, 2418 armoured vehicles, 189 planes, 155 helicopters and 73 anti-aircraft missile units over the past nine weeks, according to information provided by the Ukrainian Land Forces. However, Russia has continued its brutal bombardment of the southern port city of Mariupol, where a small battalion of Ukrainian fighters are attempting to evacuate desperate civilians from the Azovstal steel plant. Russian servicemen guard the territory of the cargo sea port in Mariupol. Russia has continued its brutal bombardment of the southern port city, where a small battalion of Ukrainian fighters are attempting to evacuate desperate civilians from the Azovstal steel plant Russia's attacks are now concentrated on the Soviet-era steel plant (pictured) located close to the harbour - the only part of the city not under occupation - where a small contingent of between 1,000-2000 Ukrainian soldiers are staging a desperate holdout alongside roughly 1,000 civilians Of the 450,000 people who lived in Mariupol prior to Russia's invasion of February 24, only around 100,000 remain in the bombed out ruins of the city. But Russia's attacks are now concentrated on the Soviet-era steel plant located close to the harbour - the only part of the city not under occupation - where a small contingent of between 1,000-2000 Ukrainian soldiers are staging a desperate holdout alongside roughly 1,000 civilians. Ukrainian soldiers hiding in the network of tunnels and rooms underneath the plant have repeatedly called for international aid and a safe passage for evacuation, saying the plant's residents are barely surviving on extremely limited food and water and that there are many injured soldiers and civilians suffering without proper medical attention. U.N. humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu said the world organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv to organise a ceasefire. 'There is, right now, ongoing, high-level engagements with all the governments, Russia and Ukraine, to make sure that you can save civilians and support the evacuation of civilians from the plant,' Abreu said today, but he could not provide details of the ongoing evacuation effort 'because of the complexity and fluidity of the operation.' Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling. Smoke rises from the grounds of the Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol on April 29, 2022, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine People take part in a rally demanding international leaders to organise a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of Ukrainian military and civilians from Mariupol, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in central Kyiv, Ukraine April 30, 2022 The ferocity of the fighting, and the plight of the civilians hiding in the Azovstal factory, has stunned the world, bringing Pentagon press secretary John Kirby to the verge of tears on Friday. 'It's hard to look at what [Putin] is doing in Ukraine, what his forces are doing in Ukraine, and think that any ethical, moral individual could justify that,' Kirby, a retired rear admiral, told reporters. 'It's difficult to look at some of the images and imagine that any well-thinking, serious, mature leader would do that. So, I can't talk to his psychology. But I think we can all speak to his depravity.' A vast underground network of tunnels and bunkers has provided civilians and fighters hiding in the steel plant with relative safety from airstrikes. But the situation has grown more dire in recent days after the Russians dropped 'bunker busters' and other bombs on the plant, the city's mayor Vadym Boychenko said Friday. Women whose husbands are trapped in the plant with the Azov Regiment said they feared soldiers will be tortured and killed if they are left behind and captured. Meanwhile, Britain's Foreign Office is investigating reports that a British national has been detained by Russia after a video emerged showing a man in camouflage clothes being questioned. In the video, reportedly shown on Russian television, the man appears to give his name as Andrew Hill. He speaks with an English accent, has his arm in a sling, a bandage around his head, and blood can be seen on his hand. The video, which has not been verified, has been shared online. Russia has continued its brutal bombardment of the southern port city of Mariupol (pictured), where a small battalion of Ukrainian fighters are attempting to evacuate desperate civilians from the Azovstal steel plant Britain's Foreign Office is investigating reports that a British national has been detained by Russia after a video emerged showing a man in camouflage clothes being questioned. In the video, reportedly shown on Russian television, the man appears to give his name as Andrew Hill The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is investigating the reports and also supporting family members. The FCDO condemns the exploitation of prisoners of war for political purposes and calls for anyone detained to be treated humanely in accordance with the requirements of international humanitarian law. Two other British men, said to be working as humanitarian aid volunteers, are also believed to have been detained in Ukraine by Russian forces. The Presidium Network, a non-profit group, said said Paul Urey and Dylan Healey were captured early on Monday morning at a checkpoint south of the city of Zaporizhzhia in south-eastern Ukraine. Mr Urey, who was born in 1977 and is from Manchester, and Mr Healey, born in 2000 and from Cambridgeshire, travelled to Ukraine of their own accord, the organisation said. They were not working for the Presidium Network, which helps to get aid into Kyiv. The organisation said the pair were driving to help a woman and two children to evacuate when they went missing. Presidium Network said it is concerned Russian forces may think the two men are British spies. The Foreign Office said it was urgently seeking more information following reports of British nationals being detained in Ukraine. The Duchess of Cornwall will appear in a special edition of Vogue magazine this summer to mark her 75th birthday. Camilla's photoshoot took place last week with a skeleton crew of magazine staff and palace aides, all sworn to secrecy. An insider said the session had been agreed after several meetings between the Duchess and Edward Enninful, the British Vogue editor-in-chief. The source said: 'Conversations have been ongoing for months so this has been in the pipeline for a long time. The timing has been carefully thought through and her 75th birthday felt like the appropriate time.' The Duchess of Cornwall will appear in a special edition of Vogue magazine this summer to mark her 75th birthday. Camilla's photoshoot took place last week with a skeleton crew of magazine staff and palace aides, all sworn to secrecy. (She is pictured in a Vivienne Westwood gown at the London Palladium in 2013) Camilla, who turns 75 on July 17, is expected to feature on the front cover of the fashion bible, which has also conducted an interview with her. The high-profile exposure will be seen as a major step towards establishing the Duchess as a future Queen Consort in the public consciousness. The Queen, who has said that it is her 'sincere wish' that Camilla is known as such when Prince Charles ascends the throne, is thought to approve of the Vogue project. Another source said: 'It won't just be in the magazine but obviously very prominently displayed on the website, so lots of people will see this.' It is understood that the Duchess turned down the offer of flying in a team of celebrity stylists to help with the shoot. Her participation will be seen as a show of support for Ghanaian-born Mr Enninful, who has championed diversity during his five years at the helm of the magazine. Last year, he took on the role of global ambassador for the Prince's Trust, which was founded by Prince Charles in 1976. And last week, Mr Enninful hosted a gala event for the charity in New York, attended by supermodels Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, the Hadid sisters and Karlie Kloss. An insider said the session had been agreed after several meetings between the Duchess and Edward Enninful, the British Vogue editor-in-chief. (They are pictured at London Fashion Week in 2019) The Camilla feature is set to be one of his most high-profile interviews yet and follows a long-established tradition of the Royal Family appearing in Vogue. The Queen made her first appearance in its pages in 1927 as a one-year-old on her mother's knee. Princess Diana, Princess Anne and the Duchess of Cambridge have all been cover stars, while the Duchess of Sussex guest-edited an edition of the magazine in 2019. April's edition of Vogue featured two different covers one of which showed a 1957 portrait of the Queen taken by her future brother-in-law Antony Armstrong-Jones, later Lord Snowdon. Just the latest Royal cover girl Some of Vogue's most iconic covers over the decades have featured Royal women including... (L to r): Norman Parkinson's portrait of Princess Anne in 1971; Princess Diana shot by Patrick Demarchelier in both December 1991 and in July 1994 The Duchess of Cambridge captured in a relaxed, rural pose by Josh Olins in June 2016; and Lord Snowdon's 1957 image of the Queen, used in April to mark the Platinum Jubilee Advertisement In his editor's letter for the edition, Edward Enninful wrote: 'When I received my OBE for services to diversity in fashion several years ago, I thought carefully about what the decision to accept it would mean. 'Ultimately, I saw an ancient institution that was setting about on a programme of change and if they had noticed and wanted to recognise my work as something worth spotlighting, given the fact my endeavours were all about spotlighting under-represented people too, then I felt comfortable keen, even to engage.' Camilla's Vogue appearance will place her more firmly than ever at the heart of public life, and many will see it as another step towards ensuring a smooth transition when Prince Charles becomes King. After careful consideration, she will appear in the magazine after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend in June, so as not to overshadow the landmark celebrations. Earlier this year, the Queen publicly supported her daughter-in-law by issuing an extraordinary statement to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. On the eve of the anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI, the Queen said: 'When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.' Both Vogue publisher Conde Nast and Clarence House declined to comment last night. No-fuss Duchess refuses to be used as a clothes horse By ALEXANDRA SHULMAN, former Vogue editor The Duchess of Cornwall has never seen herself as a fashion leader. But then, she's had no need. As an attractive, confident woman, she has never used the latest trends to carve out an identity. Nor has she needed her clothes to attract men. That's not to say, however, that she doesn't have her own views and her own specific style. I remember, as Vogue editor, commissioning Mario Testino to photograph Camilla and Charles for their first wedding anniversary in 2006. Camilla was adamant then that she did not want clothes provided for her, and brought in her own. There was no fuss, she just knew what she liked and what suited her and did not want to undergo a Vogue transformation. Camilla has a good eye for colour, writes Alexandra Shulman. Above, the Duchess in a Bruce Oldfield sequin dress - and right, in black and white again by Oldfield Above, Camilla is dressed for the country in Gloucestershire. The Duchess of Cornwall has never seen herself as a fashion leader. But then, she's had no need I applaud her for that. It's hard to be in the public eye and not feel that you have to be some kind of clothes horse. She hasn't bowed to that pressure and tried to change herself. It's a look that's both polished, appealing and smart. She loves the simple, pared-back clothes of Anna Valentine and the femininity of Edina Ronay, both small British brands. Like any self-respecting upper-class Englishwoman she loves her pearls. She has a good eye for colour, too. She knows a deep blue like the Vivienne Westwood dress she wore to the London Palladium in 2013 will bring out the colour of her eyes. She also tends towards icy colours pale blues, pale pinks, blush tones and cream that work with her hair and complexion. One of her greatest strengths is she's happy in her own skin. It's one of the things I suspect her husband admires most in her. (Above, the couple in March) She always gamely dresses the part, but I suspect she's happiest in informal country clothes. The Barbour jacket, the Dubarry boots and a pair of corduroy trousers are far more Camilla's style than the glittering frocks. One of her greatest strengths is she's happy in her own skin. It's one of the things I suspect her husband admires most in her. Times have changed since her last Vogue photoshoot. We now know Camilla will be crowned Queen alongside Charles, a prospect which is no longer in the distant future. The stakes have also risen. There's far more scrutiny over what someone in that position wears and her choices will also tell us something about how she will want to be seen as Queen. Will she stick with her own tried-and-tested wardrobe, or will we see a new version of the Duchess of Cornwall emerge? I suspect the former. She's walking a fine line between remaining true to herself, while realising she is poised to step into a more highly scrutinised role. Whatever the case, the choice will have been hers and hers alone. A Conservative Party inquiry into the Basic Instinct furore over Angela Rayner has concluded that the Labour Deputy Leader was herself the source of the story. The report in last weeks Mail on Sunday triggered a storm at Westminster, after Ms Rayner claimed that Boris Johnsons cheerleaders have resorted to spreading desperate, perverted smears in their doomed attempts to save his skin. The uproar forced the Prime Minister to release a statement condemning the misogyny which had been anonymously directed at Ms Rayner, and to order his whips to try to identify the Tory MP quoted in the article. Mr Johnson also vowed that he would unleash the terrors of the Earth on the person responsible. But within 24 hours of the investigation starting, the whips had spoken to four Tory MPs who testified that Ms Rayner had herself raised the issue with them during an evening on the Commons terrace. According to one of the MPs, she told them that during PMQs she liked to do my Sharon Stone trick. I cross and uncross my legs and give him a flash of my ginger g******. A Conservative Party inquiry into the Basic Instinct furore over Angela Rayner has concluded that the Labour Deputy Leader was herself the source of the story A second MP also recalled the phrase. A third MP told the whips they hadnt heard the entire exchange, but had overheard the vulgar colloquialism, while a fourth said: Angela was telling us how she distracts Boris. The investigation concluded that the exchanges had been lighthearted and good-natured. When this newspaper put the story to the Labour Party last weekend, a spokeswoman had insisted that the claims were categorically untrue. The resulting row led to Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle condemning the article as unsubstantiated, misogynistic and offensive, and inviting The Mail on Sundays Editor, David Dillon, to a meeting at the Commons. The request was declined. After the row broke out last week, the Daily Mail revealed the contents of a podcast recorded in January in which Ms Rayner volunteered the fact that her appearance at PMQs that month had drawn comparisons with Miss Stone, and that it had sparked an internet meme of her crossing and uncrossing her legs. The interview came 18 days after the Daily Mails Amanda Platell had likened Ms Rayner to Miss Stone in her column without receiving a complaint. Mr Johnson also vowed that he would unleash the terrors of the Earth on the person responsible. But within 24 hours of the investigation starting, the whips had spoken to four Tory MPs who testified that Ms Rayner (pictured during Prime Minister's Questions) had herself raised the issue with them during an evening on the Commons terrace The revelations that Ms Rayner had herself propagated the story she was supposedly furious about led her supporters to try to reframe the row as an indictment of the sexist and classist culture at Westminster and in the media. A senior Tory source said: We soon realised that Rayners story wasnt quite all it seemed. A leader article in todays MoS calls on Britains political and media classes to relearn old rules such as the one which advises waiting for the facts before passing judgment, and that trial comes before verdict, and verdict before sentence. It concludes: If they do not, and if they continue to allow themselves to be stampeded by social media mobs, then freedom of speech, freedom of the Press and democracy itself are in danger. Boris Johnson is trailing Keir Starmer as he faces a week of vital elections but the absence of an obvious Tory successor could ensure his survival as leader. That is the conclusion of exclusive research by former Conservative Deputy Chairman Lord Ashcroft, published in todays Mail on Sunday. When asked to choose between a Conservative Government led by Boris Johnson and a Labour Government led by Sir Keir Starmer, 57 per cent of people backed Sir Keir, and 43 per cent backed Mr Johnson. But the 8,000-sample survey also picked up a 55 per cent approval rating for the Prime Ministers handling of the Ukrainian crisis, with just 25 per cent who disapprove. Despite the rows still raging about Partygate, the survey says the cost of living crisis is regarded as the most important issue facing the country, followed by the NHS, the economy, climate change and immigration. Lord Ashcroft's poll results (pictured) show high approval for Boris Johnson's handling of the Ukraine crisis, but other aspects of his leadership are less popular The Prime Minister was found to be the less popular option to lead a Government than Sir Kier Starmer There is no question, however, that the Partygate allegations have damaged the Prime Minister, particularly among voters who switched to the Conservatives from Labour at the last Election one third think he should resign over the issue. Among voters as a whole, 47 per cent think he should resign, while 30 per cent disapprove of his actions but think he should stay to concentrate on more important issues, and 15 per cent dismiss the stories as trivial. Lord Ashcroft concludes that there are three reasons why Boris and his party have a path to survival. First, many of those who objected to Party-gate said it would not stop them voting Tory; second, theres the lack of a Tory rival with the potential to turn around the partys fortunes; and third, Sir Keir has yet to take the nation by storm. The survey also found very little enthusiasm for Labour... even among those... highly critical of Johnson and the Conservatives. There were concerns that Labour could not be trusted with the public finances, and Starmer himself was widely thought to be criticising the Government without offering any constructive alternatives. One focus group attendee said: Hes a non-entity really. All he does is bitch about what everybodys doing wrong, but hes not telling us what hell do. Another said: Theres no kind of solution coming out of his mouth. But voters did praise the woman of the moment: Labours Deputy Leader Angela Rayner. According to one participant: We need someone like Angela Rayner comes from a mining village, was a carer for years. Shes got that passion to try and make a difference. Another commented: She doesnt seem like a politician. She just seems like the woman who lives across the street and goes on a rant and a rave. LORD ASHCROFT: Three reasons why Boris Johnson can survive the public's anger at Partygate By Lord Ashcroft Looking at my latest polling, it is easy to see why many believe that Boris Johnsons Downing Street days are numbered. The 8,000-sample survey shows the Opposition ahead not just on traditional Labour issues such as the NHS and public services, but on supposedly Tory territory such as immigration and crime. When it comes to questions related to the premiership, Keir Starmer rates higher than Johnson in nearly all areas: communicating, leading a team, formulating effective policies, judgment in a crisis and doing the job of Prime Minister overall. Apart from a willingness to take tough decisions for the long-term a double-edged sword that can suggest callousness the Conservatives lag behind Labour on all the qualities we asked about: unity, values, being on the side of people like me, having the right priorities and (disastrously for a centre-right party) competence. Polling by Lord Ashcroft has found that Prime Minister Boris Johnson scores lower than Sir Kier Starmer on a range of categories from communicating to judgement in a crisis Sir Kier Starmer did score lower on willingness to take tough decisions for the long-term The Governments response to rocketing living costs has hardly helped. In our focus groups, a few wise souls always knew the lavish pandemic spending would have to be paid for and asked what any Minister could do in the face of global markets. But most of those who had noticed the March mini-Budget were unimpressed. Not only did the help on offer feel derisory in comparison to tax and price rises, but revelations about the non-dom status of the Chancellors wife, the couples combined wealth and his apparent inability to make a contactless payment reinforced the impression of a Government at one remove from real peoples lives. And that is before Partygate. Just under half of voters including most 2019 Tories think the issue is trivial or the PM should be allowed to concentrate on more important things. But the 47 per cent who told us he should resign included nearly a third of those who switched to the Conservatives from Labour at the last election. Notably, in our groups it was often such first-time Tories who were angriest with Johnson. Having had the highest hopes for him, they were the most disappointed. They had regarded him as a maverick but not as a liar or lawbreaker. This episode showed him to be part of an elite that looked down on them, not as theyd felt in 2019 on their side against the Brexit-blocking establishment. All of which helps to explain why, forced to choose between the Johnson-led Conservatives and a Starmer-led Labour Government, my poll had the latter ahead by a 14-point margin. Despite Partygate, Lord Ashcroft believes the Prime Minister can continue to lead for reasons including a lack of a successor and weak opposition No wonder that so many believe Johnson is doomed, or that the Tories chances at the next election depend on his departure. But from my research, I see three reasons why Boris and his party have a path to survival. First, though Partygate anger goes wide and, for some, deep, it is not clear it will be a dealbreaker. Often people would spend a good hour grumbling about Johnson and his party (and parties) and then say, usually with a sigh, that they would probably vote Tory again next time. Four in ten of those leaning towards the Tories said they thought Johnson was a rogue and a chancer but that wouldnt stop them voting for him. For some there was also a feeling that with Brexit, Covid and now Ukraine, he hadnt really had a chance to show what he could do a remarkable sentiment after 12 years of Tory-led government. Second is the lack of an obvious successor, with no indication from our groups that any one figure had the potential to transform the partys standing. Some continued to see Johnson as appealing, regarding his staying power as a trait of leadership. Third, to put it kindly, Keir Starmer has yet to take the nation by storm. Its just we wouldnt have done that, one borderline voter told us. Nothing to make me think this guys got a plan. Some wondered if Labour had really changed and could be trusted, especially given Starmers previous incarnation in the Corbyn Shadow Cabinet. For many, his apparent hedging on the question of what defines a woman said more about his fear of upsetting his partys radical wing than about the issue itself: He left it pretty wishy-washy, and I dont want a wishy-washy Prime Minister, said one. All this suggests the poll numbers reflect a grumpiness with the status quo rather than a firm endorsement of the alternative. Recent events have brought Johnsons long-standing opponents into alliance with some of those who helped put him in No 10. His job is to persuade the latter that there is more that divides them from their new confederates than they have in common. Voters wont forget Partygate. The question is how many of them given time, a proper apology and a renewed focus on other priorities will forgive or at least disregard it. But time is just what his opponents dont want to give Boris Johnson. Full details of Lord Ashcrofts research are at LordAshcroftPolls.com. Lord Ashcroft is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. For information about his work, visit LordAshcroftPolls.com or LordAshcroft.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook: @LordAshcroft Good Morning Britain weatherman Alex Beresford has called in the police after being targeted by racist trolls on Twitter. The TV presenter reported an incident to the Metropolitan Police last month after experiencing an unprecedented level of personal attacks on the social-media platform. Friends of the 41-year-old say he was furious at the degree of abuse and, after years of grimly tolerating the slurs, finally decided to take action. One tweet, describing him as a black ****, was reported to Twitter, but the social-media firm claimed it did not break its safety policies. A source close to Mr Beresford said: He gets so much hate on Twitter and, after this particularly despicable comment, he decided to go to the police. They are now looking into it. Alex calls a lot of these people out and tries to shame them but it reaches the point where they have to be properly investigated by officials. Good Morning Britain weatherman Alex Beresford (above) has called in the police after being targeted by racist trolls on Twitter. The TV presenter reported an incident to the Metropolitan Police last month after experiencing an unprecedented level of personal attacks on the social-media platform Mr Beresford, who recently revealed that he is engaged to his partner, Imogen McKay, became a household name after clashing with Piers Morgan on GMB over the Duchess of Sussexs interview with Oprah Winfrey The level of abuse towards him is extraordinary, it is a disgrace. Like many celebrities he will take so much but it gets to the point when something serious needs to be done and the authorities have to get involved. Friends of the Bristol-born presenter say that he was dismayed by the response of Twitter to his complaint about the racist tweet. In its reply, the social media giant wrote: After reviewing the available information we want to let you know that @AndrewH1508 hasnt broken our safety rules. We know this isnt the answer youre looking for. If this account breaks our policies in the future, well notify you. Twitter suggested that Mr Beresford simply blocks the troll. The weatherman has the full support of his ITV bosses who last year announced a major diversity and inclusion initiative to support the networks ethnic minority staff. Piers Morgan stormed off set after a heated discussion with Alex Beresford about racism on Good Morning Britain Last year he said on GMB: Some of the things I see on Twitter, well, I would not even read out on this programme. So yes, it is a shame social media has gone that way. Mr Beresford, who recently revealed that he is engaged to his partner, Imogen McKay, became a household name after clashing with Piers Morgan on GMB over the Duchess of Sussexs interview with Oprah Winfrey. Their debate ended with Morgan walking off of the programme. The following day, it was announced that he would not be returning after he refused to apologise for his views, citing free speech. A record 58,000 complaints about Mr Morgan were made to television regulator Ofcom but ITV were cleared following investigation. A remarkable video obtained by The Mail on Sunday appears to show Russian soldiers handing out hijacked Ukrainian aid to residents of the besieged town of Mariupol in a cynical propaganda stunt. The footage was supplied by Alexey Podolian, a Ukrainian soldier badly injured in a Russian mortar attack. I want the world to know the truth, said the 26-year-old artillery commander. There is a rule that humanitarian aid cant be attacked, so for quite a while there was no security on convoys. But the Russians are doing exactly that. They are searching, looking out for them and then targeting them. The video, being shared among Ukrainian troops fighting in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, was posted on the Telegram messaging service site of Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, a Vladimir Putin ally The video, being shared among Ukrainian troops fighting in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, was posted on the Telegram messaging service site of Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, a Vladimir Putin ally. It appears to show Chechen fighters and Russian soldiers handing residents food and drink that has Ukrainian writing on it. The MoS has been unable to verify the footage, but Russia has been accused of waging a propaganda war domestically and overseas. A remarkable video obtained by The Mail on Sunday appears to show Russian soldiers handing out hijacked Ukrainian aid to residents of the besieged town of Mariupol in a cynical propaganda stunt Ukrainian soldier Podolian, who is recovering at home in Lviv after losing a foot in the mortar attack, said: A friend of mine who fought in Mariupol and was captured saw Russian soldiers attacking convoys, stealing food and other products, and then giving them away to civilians like it came from them. They do it for the camera and then finish the rest themselves. Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky, said: You can see Ukrainian brands on the products, like a couple of the meat products, and also packs of flour which have writing in Ukrainian.' A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was found dead at a home in Melbourne's outer east. Emergency services were called to the Patrick Avenue address, in Croydon North, about 10.15pm on Saturday to reports of an assault. 'Paramedics worked on a woman found with critical injuries,' a police spokesperson said. 'Sadly, the woman who is yet to be formally identified died at the scene.' A woman has been found dead at a home on Patrick Avenue (pictured) in Melbourne's outer east Police were called to the property about 10.15pm on Saturday to reports of an assault Homicide squad detectives are investigating the death. A 40-year-old Croydon North man is assisting police with their enquiries. Neighbours told the Herald Sun they head a woman scream, with one saying they believed the commotion was animals having a fight. Another local said the man in custody was a 'nice normal person' and 'they were a quiet family'. Police have taped off the scene as forensic teams carried items away from the scene. Children's toys, including stuffed animal and balls, could be seen in the garage, with police taking a box of the items away. Daniel Mr Woodrow who lives nearby said he was shocked to stumble across the police presence during his morning walk. 'I got woken up last night, I got out of bed I actually thought it mightve been a cat trying to kill a possum, there was a human element to it,' he said. Anyone with further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or through the website. A violent criminal has escaped deportation to Iran by claiming he faces persecution for having himself tattooed with Christian symbols. The 43-year-old Iranian asylum seeker was jailed for 18 months for assault in 2012 and ordered to leave Britain the following year, but fought his removal by claiming to have converted to Christianity. Even though a judge rejected the claim and said the former convict was not a credible witness, the Iranian was given leave to appeal in 2019. The Home Office rejected the appeal, but was unaware of tattoos all over both his arms. Now immigration tribunal judge Paul Doyle has ruled that, regardless of the mans faith and whether he had himself tattooed cynically, the Christian imagery put him at risk of being detained on arrival in Iran, so he must remain in the UK. Judge Doyle accepted the man would be able to associate with people in Iran without coming to harm and that there was not a real risk that he would come to the adverse attention of the Iranian authorities after entering the country, but he would be at risk while passing through Tehran airport. The Home Office agreed that on his return to Iran he would be asked by airport officials to roll up his sleeves and bare his arms, and the Christian tattoos made him likely to be detained for further questioning. The asylum seeker, whose identity is protected by a court order, arrived in the UK in 2008. He was refused asylum, but continued to live in Britain until he was convicted of the assault in Glasgow. A 43-year-old Iranian asylum seeker, a convicted violent criminal, has escaped deportation to Iran by claiming he faces persecution for having himself tattooed with Christian symbols (pictured, the Home Office building in London) In a ruling in March, Judge Doyle said: The appellants tattoos are extensive. All of the surface of each arm is covered in ink. The tattoos extend across the backs of his hands and to his knuckles. Perhaps the appellant cynically had Christian iconography tattooed on his arms. The reason does not matter. It is the existence of the tattoos which raises a real risk of persecution because of the treatment the appellant will receive at the airport in Tehran. About 800,000 Christians live in Iran, where they risk arrest, detention and persecution for their beliefs. Tory MP Tim Loughton, who sits on the Commons Home Affairs Committee, said: This is madness and makes a complete mockery of the legal system. Anybody can go to a tattoo parlour and pay a few quid to have a symbol which magically exempts them from deportation. Alp Mehmet, chairman of the Migration Watch think-tank, said: The judge is entitled to his opinion, but this case suggests he has been taken in. The public would be justified in feeling uneasy about what appears a perverse decision that flies in the face of common sense. There were 48,540 asylum applications last year, the most since 2003, with just 28 per cent of cases refused. The Home Office did not respond to a request for comment. Transition team Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo met with the British ambassador to South Korea on Friday and discussed bilateral cooperation on supply chain issues and the war in Ukraine. Ambassador Colin Crooks paid a visit to Ahn at his office, saying he is pleased South Korea was the first Asian country to sign a free trade agreement with Britain following its exit from the European Union. Ahn said he is interested in both the FTA and developing a bilateral framework proposed by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. "I'm sure there are many areas where we can cooperate, such as supply chains and the pandemic," he said. "On Ukraine, we're participating in sanctions (against Russia) and providing humanitarian support." Crooks noted that freedom-loving countries, such as the United States, Britain and South Korea, will be able to cooperate on Ukraine because they take the crisis seriously and condemn Russia's invasion. Ahn also referred to Britain's participation in the 1950-53 Korean War, saying the South Korean people have special feelings for Britain because of its support during the conflict. (Yonhap) As adventures overseas became all but a distant memory last year, many of us introduced lush palm prints, tropical fruit, handmade woven baskets and berber rugs to our homes. Wanderlust interiors. And that trend shows no sign of abating the latest exotic collections in High Street homeware stores are bursting with designs inspired by cultures from around the world. This 'global trend', as it's been coined, is a way for us to remember trips to beloved countries, or can act as inspiration for places we may hope to explore. Totally tropical: Amara has a wide selection of palm tree-inspired pieces including the Les Ottomans candlestick, 270 Centuries ago it was a case of travellers bringing home their goodies on ships laden with treasures. Today, it's possible to source pieces from makers around the world from your sofa. 'The restrictions we saw during the pandemic prevented many of us from indulging our love of travel and consequently, we saw an increased appetite from customers for bringing countries and cultures into the home so they could continue to enjoy their love of far-flung places,' said Rona Olds, head of product at Habitat, which has launched a new 'global trend' collection featuring cheetah print cushions and curtains, leaf bedding sets and mango wood serving bowls (from 8). The turn of spring is the perfect time to play with the trend, as the sun begins to shine and we look to refresh our homes. There are no hard and fast rules. Don't be afraid to mix cultures, countries and patterns, but if you do, make sure you keep your walls and larger furniture simple. A slice of pineapple Oliver Bonas's rattan storage basket is woven in the shape of a pineapple with a spiky lid (75) We seem to be going bananas for pineapples, with the tropical fruit appearing in the form of cocktail glasses, lampshades, jugs and crockery galore and printed on cushions and posters. Oliver Bonas has a wide-range of pineapple-inspired pieces. Its yellow and green pineapple ceramic pitcher has a textile finish and will brighten up any table (75). If you're wanting something more subtle, go for the rattan storage basket which is woven in the shape of a pineapple with a spiky lid; understated, but fun (pictured, 75). Oranges and lemons were big news last year as citrus shades and bright prints proved the perfect antidote to the doom and gloom of the pandemic. Lemon prints remain particularly popular. Spicer and Wood have a beaded lemon patterned cushion handcrafted in India, perfect for an armchair which needs cheering up (55). For a cheaper option, go for Dunelm's Lemon Tapestry cushion cover (7). Wanting to brighten up your walls? Postery's vintage Sorrento lemon tree print will transport you to sunny days in Italy (from 13). Handcrafted appeal 'Natural materials such as rattan, raffia and jute are a big trend story this season.' says Rona Olds. 'We're also seeing a demand for pieces made using handcrafted techniques such as punch-needle weaving techniques, ceramics featuring pad print patterns, handblown glassware, and wooden handcarved home accessories and furniture.' H&M Home has a 'straw, rattan and jute' collection. Its seagrass candle holder would look charming on a rustic wooden table (12.99), while the bamboo pendant would add texture to a scheme (69.99). H&M Home's Spring collection is full of travel-inspired straw, rattan and jute pieces Handwoven baskets, often used for storage or laundry, are proving particularly popular. Toast's Hogla storage basket comes in three sizes and is handwoven by Bangladeshi female artisans using seagrass (known as hogla, from 25). Mad for palms There seems to be a universal lust for lush jungly foliage which transports us to sunnier climes and happier days. Amara has a wide selection of palm tree-inspired pieces, including a lime green ceramic candlestick in the shape of a palm tree (157), pictured top), a mustard velvet cushion handstitched with a detailed palm tree print (46) and turquoise palm tree bed linen set (from 64.50). Graham & Green has a set of two vintage-style palm tree prints displayed in fir wood frames (89). Hit the floor Many cultures tell stories through pattern. The Otomi people of Mexico depict tales about their local region through colourful embroideries made up of the flora and fauna found in the Tenango de Doria area. The Portuguese have told stories of their culture with decorative blue and white azulejo tiles for hundreds of years and Moroccans use the simple language of Berber patterns in their rugs. When looking to our floors, Morocco is a great source of colour and inspiration. Porcelain Superstore has a wide range of Moroccan tiles. The Tapestry Blue collection is a particular favourite (30.60 per sqm). Runners and rugs are a quick and easy way to add interest and we can look to Morocco for those, too. Boucherouite rugs, woven in the Atlas Mountains, make excellent bath mats. Online store Moussem, meanwhile, sells beautifully tasselled runners, cushions and pouffes crafted by the Berber communities of women artisans across Morocco (from 25. More than five million honeybees were left to die in the hot sun, after a Delta Airlines shipment bound for Alaska was diverted and left on hot tarmac in Atlanta. Weighing about 800lb, the 200 crates of honeybees were the first of two shipments being sent from Sacramento, California to Anchorage in Alaska. There, more than 300 beekeepers were waiting for their pollination services in apple orchards. Previous shipments had made it to Alaska, on Delta Airlines flights that went from Sacramento to Seattle, then on to Anchorage, but this trip was diverted. Atlanta beekeeper Edward Morgan works to open a crate of bees as Ellen Ausley shines a flashlight into one of two cargo boxes of bees Edward Morgan was one of the Atlanta beekeepers who rushed to save millions of dying bees at Atlanta Airport in Georgia A beekeeper examines a package of mostly dead bees at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport on Sunday evening According to a report in the New York Times, there wasn't room on the flight bound for Seattle, causing it to be rerouted through the Delta hub in Atlanta last Friday, where the bees would then travel on to Anchorage the next day. While the bees were initially put in a cooler, they were later removed and left on the tarmac, in 83 degree Fahrenheit heat, due to some of them escaping the crate. After sending a local expert to examine the bees, it was found they had been placed upside down, with no access to food, and millions had died. The rest were given away, meaning none were able to be delivered to Alaska. The bees were the first of two shipments ordered by Alaska beekeeper Sarah McElrea from a distributor in California. Millions of bees were left to die on a tarmac out in Georgia sun after a shipment from California to Alaska was diverted to Georgia crate of bees that died from starvation after a cargo box was left out in the hot sun at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport Beekeepers are seen checking to see if a queen in one of the packages of bees had survived McElrea said she worried when the 800-pound shipment didn't arrive in Atlanta in time to make the connecting flight. The next day, she said, Delta told her some bees had escaped, so airline workers put the crates holding the bees outside a Delta cargo bay. In a panic, McElrea reached a beekeeper in Atlanta, who rushed to the airport and discovered that many of the bees had died from the heat and starvation. Delta called it an 'unfortunate situation.' In an emailed statement, Delta spokeswoman Catherine Morrow said the airline 'was made aware of the shipment situation ... and quickly engaged the appropriate internal teams to assess the situation. We have taken immediate action to implement new measures to ensure events of this nature do not occur in the future.' Many of the bees were saved thanks to the quick response of the bee community. Pictured above, an Atlanta beekeeper Edward Morgan of the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association talks about the condition of the bees A group of beekeepers perform triage on the bees that were left on the tarmac at Atlanta airport Morrow said Delta apologized to McElrea. The airline declined to make anyone available for an interview. McElrea said in future she would take a fleet of vehicles to carry the bees directly to Seattle from Sacramento, where they could fly to Alaska. The bees were to be used to pollinate apple orchards and nurseries in Alaska, where they are not native. A beekeeper in Atlanta, Edward Morgan, called more than a dozen people to go to the airport and try to save any bees that were still alive. 'It's devastating to see that many dead,' Georgia beekeeper Julia Mahood told Atlanta broadcaster WABE. 'Just clumps of dead bees that had no chance because they were left outside with no food and basically got lost in Deltas machinery.' McElrea, who runs a business called Sarah's Alaska Honey, said that she had received previous shipments of honeybees on Delta from Sacramento, California, to Anchorage via Seattle many times. The airline told her that last weekend's shipment didn't fit on the plane, so they were rerouted through Atlanta. McElrea said her supplier in California will replace the shipment, which was worth about $48,000. She said she is hoping Delta provides some help, although she acknowledged that shipping live animals carries risk. A beekeeper works to unload a cargo box of bees at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport Liverpool and Manchester City are tussling for dominance but Newcastle, facing both of these juggernauts in the next week, can have a huge say in who takes that league title. They have totally transformed their season since January so much so that only Jurgen Klopps Liverpool have picked up more Premier League points than Eddie Howes Newcastle in 2022. This turnaround has been nothing short of astonishing. Liverpool are a side that like to suffocate their opponents into submission a team that was meticulously built, player by player, and window by window, to fight for this unprecedented quadruple. Newcastle have undergone a remarkable transformation since Eddie Howe became manager Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will be wary of Newcastle when they travel to St James' Park Where they are now is where Newcastle dream of being, and the supporters hope they are witnessing the start of something special. Howe arrived in November when the club were joint-bottom with Norwich on a meagre five points from 11 matches. After nine games in charge, he had overseen only a single win. But January turned them around. Howe identified what was needed and bought well, making five signings who have suited his 4-3-3 system. The back four had the biggest surgery with Matt Targett, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn all brought in. All have made major contributions I involve Trippier in that because he helped the team kickstart their comeback before his injury, including scoring a winner against Aston Villa. On the right of the midfield three is another impressive January signing Bruno Guimaraes. If he is a sign of whats to follow in this bright new future for Newcastle, then very exciting times are ahead. Bruno Guimaraes has been an inspired signing for Newcastle United and is a class act Joelinton has also impressed since being converted from a centre forward to a midfielder Bruno had to wait until March 10 for his first start but hes been a big hit and is class act. Hes a total all-round midfielder tenacious in the tackle, tidy and neat with the ball, but full of flair and is on a higher level to what theyve bought in recent years. On the left of the midfield is Joelinton, who has been a revelation since Howe converted him from a centre forward. Jonjo Shelvey mainly sits as the deepest midfielder and he looks inspired by having Bruno beside him. Up front theyve mostly started with Allan Saint-Maximin on the left, new signing Chris Wood down the middle and Miguel Almiron on the right. Howe made some interesting changes for their trip to Norwich last weekend. In a comfortable 3-0 win, Joelinton started as centre forward but was regularly moving out to wide left to allow Saint-Maximin to come in centrally. Howe will be hoping to test Liverpool's formidable high line at St James' Park on Saturday It was from that position that Joelinton grabbed himself a couple of goals. But Howe is likely to revert to his regular 4-3-3 line-up for Liverpool. He will be wanting to test Klopps formidable high line at St James Park. Klopps side are the offside kings opponents have been flagged 131 times against them this season, far more than any other team. But just pinching possession off Liverpool can be difficult. If Newcastle can get Bruno or Shelvey on the ball, then both are capable of sending long balls forward for Saint-Maximin and Almiron to run on to from deep, with Howe hoping thats how they can beat the offside trap. Mind you, even if they manage that, they will then have the not-so-small matter of beating a one-v-one master in Alisson! Its a tough ask, but Howe will hope this is one way they can exploit Liverpool. They will know the visitors will control possession but they need to be ready to launch these counter-attacks when given the chance. Newcastle fans finally have a team and a manager they can get behind after a torrid period These are long-awaited days for the Geordie faithful. From where they were, staring at relegation from the Premier League, to where they are now winning 10 of their last 14 games the dream they had when the new owners arrived is now becoming a reality. St James Park will be bouncing for this. It will be at its atmospheric best now that its supporters have a club who are competing again. This clash is an opportunity for Newcastle to take on one of Europes finest, harbouring a renewed belief that they themselves can one day emulate what Liverpool are trying to achieve this season. Barcelona are set to launch a move for Romelu Lukaku in the summer transfer window as they prepare to miss out on Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski. Lukaku, who has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge in recent months, has moved up the priority list for Barcelona who are desperate to sign a striker ahead of next season. With Haaland likely to join Man City and Lewandowski potentially staying at Bayern Munich for another year, Marca suggests the Belgian striker could be headed to the Nou Camp in summer. Romelu Lukaku has become a top transfer target for Spanish giants Barcelona The 28-year-old made his desire to leave Chelsea apparent in December when he spoke about how he feels misused in Thomas Tuchel's system. That led to Lukaku's exclusion from the squad for a few games before being reinstated back into the first team - but he's failed to kick on since then having not scored in the league this calendar year. Barcelona had been in pursuit of Lewandowski but Bayern have made his situation very difficult and have remained blunt in the idea that the Polish striker will play in Germany next season. Erling Haaland has been closely linked with a move to Manchester City in recent weeks meaning a move to Spain is unlikely for the Norweigan. Barcelona had been in pursuit of Robert Lewandowski - but a move seems increasingly unlikely Lukaku joined Chelsea for a reported club record fee of 97.5 million after winning the Serie A title with Inter Milan the year before. The Belgian got off to a flying start with the Blues - netting three goals in his opening three league games. However his form has significantly dropped off with Lukaku only netting two more league goals in the 30 games that followed. He's mustered just 12 goals in all competitions for the Blues, which is some way off his impressive 64 goals in 95 games across two seasons with the Italian champions. Borussia Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke has revealed how close Erling Haaland was to signing for Manchester United in January 2020. The Norwegian striker was impressing at Red Bull Salzburg and then-United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believed he'd wrapped up a deal for a player he knew well from Molde. But reports at the time suggested that United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward pulled out of the deal because of Mino Raiola's agent fee and a reluctance to insert a release clause in Haaland's contract. Borussia Dortmund's chief has revealed how close Erling Haaland was to joining Man United Man United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer thought he had a deal for his former striker from Molde That allowed Watzke and Dortmund to swoop just before the January 2020 transfer window and snatch the prolific striker from beneath United's noses. To make matters worse, Haaland could now be on his way to Manchester City this summer. Watzke has now confirmed the rumours from the time, telling 19:09 Talk: 'We gave Erling Haaland a release clause otherwise he would have gone to Manchester United.' United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward was reluctant to insert a release clause Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke has revealed Haaland would have move to United had they agreed to put a release clause into his contract Haaland's release clause is believed to be around 63million and, after scoring 82 goals in 86 appearances during two-and-a-half seasons with Dortmund, the 21-year-old is now set to move. Though Dortmund only paid 18m for Haaland back in January 2020 and stand to make a healthy profit, 63m still seems like a steal for one of the world's best strikers. Having failed in their efforts to sign Haaland, United ended up taking Odion Ighalo on loan from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua at the tail end of the January window. Haaland has scored 82 times in 86 outings for Dortmund and is set to sign for Manchester City They finished third in the Premier League at the end of that campaign but have been in decline ever since and may not even qualify for Europe this time around. As Sportsmail revealed earlier this month, City have agreed terms over a 500,000-a-week deal to sign Haaland, making him the highest-paid player in the Premier League. He will come to the Etihad Stadium on a five-year contract. In a strong hint that Haaland's departure is imminent, Watzke said: 'He has a decision to make, it will come eventually. But I'm sure we'll find the new Haaland. We need the new Haaland.' Claire Sweeney cut a glamorous figure as she stepped out to the DIVA Awards 2022 at The Waldorf Hilton Hotel in London on Friday night. The actress, 51, wore a slinky bejewelled black dress with a plunging sweetheart neckline. She was joined by fellow screen star Suranne Jones, 43, who looked stylish in a white trouser suit and red and white shirt. Glitterati: Claire Sweeney looked glamorous in glitzy bejewelled dress while Suranne Jones wore a chic white trouser suit to the star-studded DIVA Awards 2022 bash in London on Friday Suranne carried a white hard shell clutch purse with a gold clasp by designer Tyler Ellis and completed her ensemble by opting for a pair of cream heels. The star wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty facial features and opted for some gold earrings. Claire completed her look by wearing a pair of glitzy silver heels while she carried a purse in the same colour. Glamour puss: Actress Claire, 51, wore a slinky bejewelled black dress with a plunging sweetheart neckline In style: Fellow screen star Suranne, 43, looked stylish in a white trouser suit and red and white shirt The pair were both in good spirits and were seen separately on the dance floor at the event. Claire could be seen throwing her arms in the air as she moved while surrounded by fellow revellers. Suranne flashed a broad smile as she partied at the bash, dancing nearby to Claire. Living it up: The pair were both in good spirits and were seen separately on the dance floor at the event Busting some moves: Claire could be seen throwing her arms in the air as she moved while surrounded by fellow revellers Happy times: Suranne flashed a broad smile as she partied at the bash, dancing nearby to Claire Strike a pose: Claire looked happy and relaxed as she sat at the table before dinner at the awards Suranne was joined by her pal, former Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay, 48, who looked chic in a black satin dress. The star, who played Shelley Unwin in the ITV soap, wore her dress cinched in at the waist to accentuate her hourglass figure. Her garment featured a plunging neckline and she carried a black clutch with her with gold metal detail to the front. Good friends: Suranne was joined by her pal, former Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay, 48, who looked chic in a black satin dress All dressed u[: The star, who played Shelley Unwin in the ITV soap, wore her dress cinched in at the waist to accentuate her hourglass figure Sally wore a pair of mirrored gold trainers with a chunky white sole which could be seen poking out from under her dress. Also in attendance was Adele Roberts who was handed the DIVA Choice Award at the bash. The BBC Radio 1 DJ, 43, was moved to tears after she was presented with the accolade, taking to her Instagram Stories to thank her fans for their support. Looking good: Her garment featured a plunging neckline and she carried a black clutch with her with gold metal detail to the front Out on the town: The pair looked happy to be in one another's company as they posed alongside each other at the venue Beauty: Sally wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty facial features, opting for black eyeliner and plenty of blush In the detail: The star painted her nails black to match the dark colour of her outfit on Friday night All smiles: Suranne could be seen smiling as she walked alongside businesswoman Cathryn Wright She said: 'I am having the best night of all time. I'm sorry if my face looks a mess because I've just been crying. 'I've got a DIVA Award! That's crazy,.. this means the world, thank you so much! 'Thank you to the who team DIVA for everything you do to represent our community, to uplift others, to empower others but also for making me feel so amazing tonight.' Champion: Also in attendance was Adele Roberts who was handed the DIVA Choice Award at the bash Happy couple: Adele, who has been undergoing treatment for bowel cancer, was seen at the awards with girlfriend Kate Holderness All smiles: Former Big Brother housemate Adele looked stylish in a black jumpsuit and cropped jacket for the evening Out together: Kate wore a flowing white maxi dress and they cosied-up to one another as they posed for pictures after Adele was given her prize Representation: The DIVA Awards celebrate the achievements of LGBTQI women and non-binary people, and their allies, across business, the media and politics Emotional: The BBC Radio 1 DJ, 43, was moved to tears after she was presented with the accolade, taking to her Instagram Stories to thank her fans for their support Speaking out: She said: 'I am having the best night of all time. I'm sorry if my face looks a mess because I've just been crying' The DIVA Awards, founded in 2017 by DIVA Magazine publisher Linda Riley, celebrate the achievements of LGBTQI women and non-binary people, and their allies, across business, the media and politics. Adele, who has been undergoing treatment for bowel cancer, was seen at the awards with girlfriend Kate Holderness. Former Big Brother housemate Adele looked stylish in a black jumpsuit and cropped jacket for the evening. Boogie nights: The couple were seen dancing together at the event after Adele was handed her award Famous friends: She was seen with actress Sadie Frost, 56, who dressed all in black, opting for a pair of baggy trousers Kate wore a flowing white maxi dress and they cosied-up to one another as they posed for pictures after Adele was given her prize. She was seen with actress Sadie Frost, 56, who dressed all in black, opting for a pair of baggy trousers. The director wore a pair of chunky platform boots and opted for a black jacket to match. Celebrity style: The director wore a pair of chunky platform boots and opted for a black jacket to match Keeping it casual: Sadie looked relaxed as she posed at the venue, resting back against some railings above the main floor Elsewhere, Sandi Toksvig, 63, wore a blue velvet jacket and white blouse as she sat alongside Suranne for dinner. Also in attendance was comedian Rosie Jones, 31, who wore a red and black animal print top and black trousers. She stood arm-in-arm with pal Aisling O'Connor who looked edgy in a black leather jacket, sheet top and black dress for the night. In conversation: Elsewhere, Sandi Toksvig, 63, wore a blue velvet jacket and white blouse as she sat alongside Suranne for dinner Delighted: Sandi looked delighted as she stood up to collect her award for the media personality category Live for the applause: She was seen smiling as the crowd around her cheered and applauded as she was announced as winner Cosying up: Sandi beamed as she posed with her media personality award alongside presenter Dawn Butler Bold and bright: Dawn ensured she brought a dash of colour to the evening with a bright red dress Winner: Suranne looked delighted as she posed with her Celebrity Ally award alongside Sandi and Cathryn Wright Night out: Also in attendance was comedian Rosie Jones, 31, who wore a red and black animal print top and black trousers while with pal Aisling O'Connor Star-studded: Advisory firm and investment house Sedulo managing director Cathryn Wright, was seen with Suranne and Sally, and DIVA magazine publisher Linda Riley Crew: Actress Sophie Ward (L) posed with Linda, Sadie and Adele, as well as Editor-in-Chief of DIVA Magazine Roxy Bourdillon A biomedical science student from Victoria will represent Australia at the Miss World pageant in Puerto Rico in December. Kristen Wright, 23, was crowned Miss World Australia at a ceremony held at the Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast Friday. The gorgeous blonde accepted the crown from the 2019 Miss World Australia, Sarah Marschle. Beautiful: Kristen Wright, 23, (pictured) a biomedical science student from Victoria, accepted her crown as Miss World Australia on the Gold Coast at the Palazzo Versace on Friday night Kristen has been involved with the Miss World competition, the world's longest running beauty pageant, since 2020 reports The Courier Mail. Runners up on the night were Ruby Schofield from NSW and Emma Healy of Queensland. After winning the crown, Kristen said she felt 'overwhelmed'. 'But I'm absolutely honoured to have the title and I hope to do Australia proud at the international competition,' Kristen said. The current Miss World is Karolina Bielawska, 23, of Poland. Triumph: Kristen was overjoyed as she was named Miss World Australia Joy: Sarah and well-wishers surrounded Kristen after she announced Miss World Australia The judges on the panel included Simone Elliott from the Real Housewives of Melbourne, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here star Alli Simpson and Jade Kevin Foster from the Netflix hit, Byron Baes. There were 24 national finalists in the Miss World Australia contest and they managed to raise an impressive $389,000 for the Variety charity. Covid-19 lockdowns complicated the competition. 'Now I realise this contest is an opportunity for women to come together and create something meaningful and longstanding, and that's priceless,' Kristen said But the charming Kristen said they were a blessing in disguise, affording the beauty a chance to create a meaningful platform for the Miss World competition. 'Now I realise this contest is an opportunity for women to come together and create something meaningful and longstanding, and that's priceless,' Kristen said. Kristen is a certified scuba diving instructor with more than 36 certifications in the field and she also one of youngest qualified scuba instructors in Victoria. She's been enjoying some downtime in New York City over the last few days, after visiting for a UN conference last Wednesday. And Amal Clooney looked typically chic as she arrived back to her hotel in the Big Apple on Friday. The 44-year-old donned a pair of Christian Louboutin thigh-high leather boots with a red trimming - paired with a leopard print coat. Sleek: Amal Clooney, 44, sported an ultra chic look on Friday in a leopard print and leather ensemble as she arrived at her New York City hotel The coat, which had brown leather pockets, was layered over a grey roll-neck jumper dress and sheer black tights. Amal's glossy brunette locks were left to fall down to her chest in a slightly tousled wave. The human rights layer shielded her eyes with a pair of statement black sunglasses, as she sported a dewy makeup look and glossy pink lip. Stylish: She donned a pair of Christian Louboutin thigh-high leather boots with a red trimming - paired with a leopard print coat Layering: The coat, which had brown leather pockets, was layered over a grey roll-neck jumper dress and sheer black tights Brunette beauty: Amal's glossy brunette locks were left to fall down to her chest in a slightly tousled wave The wife of George Clooney swung a black cross-body handbag over her shoulder, holding onto it's strap as she made her way inside the hotel. She seemed in high spirits on departure from her taxi, flashing a smile for the cameras as she kept her hands inside her pockets. She has been spending some quality time with her mother, Baria Alamuddin, over the last few days in New York. Staples: The human rights layer shielded her eyes with a pair of statement black sunglasses Glowing: She sported a dewy makeup look and glossy pink lip for the outing The LebaneseBritish barrister and her mother have been relaxing following Amal's address at the United Nations on Wednesday. During the tense session, she accused the UN of ignoring potential war crimes perpetrated by Russia amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine during an informal meeting of the Security Council. 'Here we are, faced with the evidence of crimes of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and mounting evidence each day of the crime of genocide,' she said during her statement. She went on to describe Ukraine as a 'slaughterhouse' in the 'heart of Europe,' and she expressed concerns that evidence of alleged Russian war crimes would merely sit in 'storage' for years to come. Accessories: The wife of George Clooney swung a black cross-body handbag over her shoulder, holding onto it's strap as she made her way inside the hotel Lola Van Vorst, a former contestant on the hit reality series Australia's Next Top Model, has made a heartbreaking plea to her fans for help. The beautiful 34-year-old is in desperate need of surgery because of a serious spinal condition. Lola has started a GoFundMe page to finance her urgent and costly spinal procedure. Heartbreaking: Former Australia's Next Top Model finalist Lola Van Vorst has started a GoFundMe page (pictured) to pay for urgent spinal surgery Appearing alongside the gorgeous Tahnee Atkinson - the eventual winner - in the 2009 in season 5 of ANTM, Lola gave a run-down of expenses she faces to fix her spine. 'The cost has come in at $7,000 for the surgeon plus $1,800 for the anesthetist,' she posted to social media. 'Something my family and I are just not in the position to cover the total cost of.' Lola explained that she needs immediate surgery to correct discs in her spine. Beautiful: Lola seen here posing on her Instagram was a star of Season 5 of Australia's Next Top Model in 2009 Scandal: Lola created controversy while appearing on Australia's Next Top Model in 2009 when nude photos of her, taken by an old boyfriend, surfaced while the show went to air As of Friday, Lola's GoFundMe page has raised $5,900. Lola created controversy while appearing on Australia's Next Top Model in 2009 when nude photos of her, taken by an old boyfriend, surfaced while the show went to air. In the shots Lola is seen to pose seductively for the camera. Calling for help: Lola takes a joke selfie as she attempts to raise funds for urgent spinal surgery She later explained that her boyfriend was 'testing a new camera'. After the photos were sold to Famous magazine for publication through an agency, Lola announced that she was not ashamed of the incident, while admitting that the photos might ultimately damage her career. Lola, who was romantically linked to another ANTM star, Taylah Roberts in 2014, appeared alongside 2009 season runner-up Cassi Van Den Dungen. Peter Kay sent his fans into a frenzy on Friday evening with another show-stopping performance at London's Alexandra Palace. The comedian, 48, is currently on his long-awaited Dance For life tour - in which all the proceeds go to Cancer Research. Fans have been waiting years for Peter's return to the stage, after he stepped away from the spotlight in 2017 due to 'unforeseen family circumstances'. He's back: Peter Kay, 48, sent fans into a frenzy during his Dance For Life tour after five years away from the limelight - continuing the tour on Friday evening in London (pictured 2010) Posted by Jan Speer on Friday, April 29, 2022 Peter kicked off the tour two weeks ago in Manchester, for the first time since his record-breaking The Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour...Now On Tour, which wrapped in late 2011. And fans seemed to be pleased with Friday's performance, with some even saying they were 'emotional'. One took to twitter to write: 'Why did I get emotional when I saw Peter Kay tonight? I love him so much' Dance-a-thon: The comedian is currently on his long-awaited Dance For life tor - in which all the proceeds go to Cancer Research Adoring: And fans seemed to be pleased with Friday's performance and Peter's return, with some even saying they were 'emotional' 'The first chance to dance in a while, and what a great experience,' wrote another. The event is billed as a 'dance-a-thon party that will save lives - with Peter also taking to the DJ decks during the show. Peter was due to go on a massive tour from April 2018 through to summer 2019, but he cancelled it in December 2017 due to unknown circumstances. A blast: 'The first chance to dance in a while, and what a great experience,' wrote another fan Light show: A light show lit up the stage as Manchester welcomed the comedian last week Long time coming: Fans have been waiting years for Peter's return to the stage, after he stepped away from the spotlight in 2017 due to 'unforeseen family circumstances' The performer said on December 13, 2017: 'Due to unforeseen family circumstances, I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects. 'This unfortunately includes my upcoming standup tour, Dance for Life shows and any outstanding live work commitments. 'My sincerest apologies. This decision has not been taken lightly and I'm sure you'll understand my family must always come first.' He had previously been due to make a comeback with the series of Dance For Life shows to raise money for Cancer Research UK in April and May 2020. But the events had to be postponed in March last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Party time: The event is billed as a 'dance-a-thon party that will save lives -with all the money raised going to Cancer Research David Walliams gave fans an inside glimpse at his friendship with David Schwimmer on Friday as he shared a picture of the pair at dinner on Instagram. The comedian, 50, looked grinned from ear-to-ear in the snap as he posed with his arms wrapped around the US star, 55. The American actor, who is famous for his role as Ross Geller in Friends, rested his arm on the Britain's Got Talent judge as they sat alongside each other. Famous friends: David Walliams, 50, gave fans an inside glimpse at his friendship with David Schwimmer, 55, on Friday as he shared a picture of the pair at dinner on Instagram Walliams captioned the picture: 'Dinner with Schwimmer @_schwim_.' The star also shared an identical black and white picture of the pair. British star David's fans were quick to take to the comments section to praise the stars, with one branded them 'twins'. Night out: The comedian grinned from ear-to-ear in the snap as he posed with his arms wrapped around the US star Another person wrote: 'Looking sharp gentleman,' while someone else shared: 'Ohh amazing,' along with a heart emoji. Someone else posted: 'Yayyy love this is absolutely so much love!' While someone else posted: 'Awh thats such a gorgeous photo. Two incredibly talented gentlemen.' Devotees: British star David's fans were quick to take to the comments section to praise the stars, with one branded them 'twins' Screen stars: David Schwimmer starred in Friends as Ross Geller alongside (L-R) Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, and Courteney Cox as Monica Geller (pictured 1995) It comes after Walliams reportedly poked fun at Simon Cowell's age on Britain's Got Talent, but the gag was believed to have been cut from the final edit. The comedian, 50, made a cheeky jibe about his fellow judge, 62, looking like a 'grandad' in the audition rounds of the talent show in January, according to The Sun. The duo are known for their banter on camera, and they often got back and forth teasing each other and arguing. Oh dear! It comes following reports that David was said to have poked fun at Simon Cowell's age on Britain's Got Talent, but the gag was believed to have been cut from the final edit But it appeared David, who is known for taunting Simon, went too far when he made the joke at Simon's expense while talking to dance troupe Born to Perform. He reportedly quipped: 'Are you a fan of Simon Cowell? Does he look like your grandad?' It is understood that Simon cut David's jibe from the final edit of the Britain's Got Talent episode, which aired on Saturday night. A TV source told The Sun that Simon did not appear offended when the joke was first made, adding: 'It's odd the joke was taken out of the final cut as David has made far cheekier gags about Simon and they've stayed in.' Jibes: The comedian, who is known for teasing Simon, made a cheeky joke about his fellow judge, 62, looking like a 'grandad' in the audition rounds of the talent show in January MailOnline has contacted Britain's Got Talent, Simon Cowell and David Walliams' representatives for comment. David often makes jibes at Simon's expense on the show and the pair are known for their on-screen repartee. Simon recently hit back at a joke David made about his 'gastric band' as he cheekily suggested that the funnyman has had a hair transplant. The music mogul, 62, hit back at the Britain's Got Talent judge's previous remarks by making a subtle dig, suggesting David, 50, had received the procedure. In an interview with The Mirror, Simon was asked if the judges had changed over 10 years on the ITV talent show. 'You've obviously lost weight naturally!' It comes after David Walliams has playfully joked Simon Cowell (left) shed 20lbs with a gastric band (both pictured in 2020) He replied: 'Actually, everyone seems to look identical to when we started. David seems to have more hair, funny that. Maybe he's got a new hairdresser.' David - who is known for taunting Simon - admitted that fans enjoy his cheeky remarks directed at his fellow judge. 'Every single day when someone recognises me on the street, they say, 'Oh, we love it when you have a go at Simon',' he said. 'It seems to be the key thing people really like... so if I didn't give him a hard time, I think people would be disappointed.' It comes after David playfully joked that Simon lost 20lbs with the help of a gastric band. Healthy lifestyle: Simon' has overhauled his lifestyle since breaking his back in 2020, ditching his drinking and embarking on a fitness plan to lose 20Ibs (pictured right in September 2018) He was reminiscing on a Simon-lookalike auditionee, who appeared in Saturday's episode, during a recent press conference for the show. Retorting with a dig, the media mogul, 62, threw shade at the 'desperate' children's author for 'telling his followers' to vote for him when nominated for awards. Speaking about the uncanny magician, the record executive admitted: 'I wasn't thrilled. He was what I would call probably a semi professional and we liked it because we have a lot of little magic acts, like playing cards. 'His was very big and I popped out of nowhere but our audience loves magic acts. That wasn't my favourite part of the show, though.' The Little Britain star soon chimed in: 'You need to behave. He could only be your double if he had some plastic surgery,' before Simon let slip: 'I was thinking that.' Uncanny: The comedian, 50, was reminiscing on a Simon-lookalike auditionee, who will appear in Saturday's episode, during a recent press conference for the show A cheeky David added: 'Also a gastric band,' before his co-star insisted: 'I haven't got a gastric band!' The children's author joked: 'I'm not saying you have, you've obviously lost weight naturally.' David went on to quip that Simon had gone under the knife in order to achieve his age-defying visage. He said: 'He looks younger and younger every year, I don't know how he does it,' with an irritated Simon hitting back: 'It's called exercise and eating well, David.' And it was previously reported that Simon 'exploded' at David Walliams during filming for the Britain's Got Talent auditions after he made a lewd joke. Clashing! Simon Cowell reportedly 'exploded' at David Walliams during filming for the Britain's Got Talent auditions after he made a lewd joke (the judges are pictured during filming) Sources claimed the music mogul berated the comic for his cheeky comment in reference to a contestant, noting the programme is supposed to be 'a family show'. According to The Sun, contestant handsome Tim Jones took to the stage dressed in police uniform for his audition, leading David to joke: 'Arrest me now!' As Tim began to explain his talent the cheeky judge interrupted: 'Is it getting your c*** out?' Simon was quick to interject as he ordered David to apologise which only fuelled David who then added: 'Do you swing it around?' Furious Simon exclaimed: 'Get out, get out, this is supposed to be a family show!' Jokes: Sources claimed the music mogul berated the comic for his cheeky comment in reference to a contestant, noting the programme is supposed to be 'a family show' Turning to address the audience the BGT creator added: 'When we have a break well make him sit on his own for ten minutes.' An audience member told the publication: 'It was clear that David was sailing close to the wind with his jibes. Then he went too far. Simon was visibly angry with him and exploded.' The guest explained that David had been making jibes at Simon all day before he pushed it too far with the gag. David's latest joke about Simon's age came before he dished out his golden buzzer after being blown away by dance group Born To Perform. Great job: David's latest joke about Simon's age came before he dished out his golden buzzer after being blown away by dance group Born To Perform The group, made up of people with disabilities from Northampton, lit up the stage with an energetic performance to You Can't Stop The Beat from the musical Hairspray, leaving everyone on their feet. And the routine impressed the funnyman so much that he pressed his buzzer and showered the stage with gold, with the moment leaving fellow judge Amanda Holden in tears. The fun-filled dance, featuring spins, cartwheels and lots of shimmying, left everyone with a huge smile on their faces, with host Dec declaring that it was 'Joyous, just joyous!' Commenting after the performance, Alesha Dixon told the group, made up of 14-24 year-olds: 'Your passion is just pouring out, it's just wonderful to see, you did a fantastic job, each and every one of you.' While Amanda said: 'I did not stop smiling for the whole of that performance, you were amazing!' Wow: The group, made up of people with disabilities from Northampton, lit up the stage with an energetic performance to You Can't Stop The Beat from the musical Hairspray Reverting to his famous catchphrase, Simon declared: 'I didn't like it, I loved it!' The music mogul then added: 'I loved the fact that you were having such a great time, it was actually one of my favourite auditions.' When it came to David, his excitement was clear to see as he announced: 'I absolutely loved it guys. In fact, I loved it so much that I'm gonna do this!' He then reached over and pressed the golden buzzer, much to the shock of Born To Perform, with both cheers and tears coming from the group. As David headed to the stage to congratulate them and greet them with fist bumps, Amanda was seen wiping away the tears at the emotional moment. Social media personality Kurt Coleman has revealed he has Covid-19. The 25-year-old announced to his 100,000 Instagram followers Saturday, that he discovered he had the virus after experiencing a poor night's sleep. 'Only took three years but I just woke up with scumbag Covid,' he posted. Waking up Hell: 'Only took 3 years but I just woke up with scumbag Covid,' Kurt Coleman posted to followers on Saturday Picture: Kurt as seen on his Instagram recently 'After having a tickle in my throat all day yesterday... I knew something was wrong,' the star influencer explained. 'I had the worst sleep and woke up in hell today,' he declared. Kurt, who suffers from pancreatitis and has been sober for almost a year, signed off the post by asking his followers to wish him luck. 'Tell me remedies please,' he pleaded. 'After having a tickle in my throat all day yesterday... I knew something was wrong,' the star influencer explained The handsome Gold Coast native made news recently when the openly gay Kurt revealed he rejected 'identity labels'. Posting a video message to his Instagram, Kurt said he was happy to just identify himself by his name rather than use a particular label. He explained that while he is gay, he doesn't see himself as part of the wider LGBT community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community). Getting sick: Kurt said he suspected there 'was something wrong' after experiencing a ticklish throat Friday 'I'm just saying what I think, and I don't even ever want to be involved with the "LGBT community" either. I just can't relate,' Kurt said. 'It's amazing that people have their communities but I just don't relate to it... I just see myself as me. I don't think into it at all,' he added. Kurt said he also has no interest in being a 'role model' to other gay people, and is happy just being himself. 'I don't really care about chucking some name on myself other than the name I was named... never have and don't care really about the labels of anything... I'm all good being Kurt,' he declared. There's no denying that Australia's former foreign minister Julie Bishop is one of the most stylish personalities around. And on Saturday, the 65-year-old revealed her style secrets in a chat with The Daily Telegraph. Julie, who is now the Chancellor of the Australian National University, said she doesn't have a favourite fashion era and instead favours 'classic and timeless' fashion. Inside Julie Bishop's wardrobe: Ex-politician, 65, revealed this week her style secrets and said she loves 'classic and timeless fashion' 'I love classic and timeless fashion that transcends short-term trends,' Julie said. 'Style reflects individual tastes and choices curating my own look,' she added. With a love of timeless fashion and both Australian and international labels, Julie's wardrobe reflects her strong sense of self and style. 'Style reflects individual tastes and choices curating my own look,' she added Fashionista: She told the publication that her favourite brands include Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss and Rebecca Vallance She told the publication that her favourite brands include Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Hugo Boss and Rebecca Vallance. Despite retiring from politics, Julie still makes regular appearances on red carpets showcasing her impressive designer wardrobe. Julie retired from federal politics back in 2019, and was the first woman to hold the role of deputy leader of the Liberal Party. 'I love classic and timeless fashion that transcends short-term trends,' Julie said Julie retired from federal politics back in 2019, and was the first woman to hold the role of deputy leader of the Liberal Party. Pictured in Parliament in April 2019 'Her passion that she has always brought to her role, the dignity and grace that she has always demonstrated in every single role she has held,' Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Parliament in February 2019. 'She is an incredibly classy individual. Her successor will have big shoes to fill, and we know that Julie has the best shoes in Parliament.' Julie is now the Chancellor of the Australian National University. Alec Baldwin was spotted while going for a walk with his two youngest children, son Eduardo and daughter Lucia, and his family's nanny in New York City on Friday. The 64-year-old performer pushed a double-decker stroller along the Big Apple's crowded streets. The actor's outing comes during a particularly turbulent period of his life, during which he has suffered various personal and professional setbacks. Stepping out: Alec Baldwin was spotted while going for a walk with his two youngest children, Eduardo and Lucia, and his family's nanny in New York City on Friday afternoon Baldwin layered up with a button-up jacket worn on top of a maroon-colored polo shirt. The 30 Rock actor also donned a pair of black trousers and a set of dark brown leather shoes. The performer kept a navy blue mask with him in case he needed to interact with anyone unfamiliar during his public outing. Getting some fresh air: The 64-year-old performer kept his eyes focused on his kids at one point of the outing, during which he pushed a double-decker stroller along the Big Apple's crowded streets Roughing it out: The actor's outing comes during a particularly turbulent period of his life, during which he has suffered various personal and professional setbacks Baldwin's son Rafael broke his arm when playing in a park in New York on Wednesday, causing him to spend hours inside Lenox Hill Hospital. The actor's wife Hilaria, 36, took to Instagram to share photos of their six-year-old son including a snap where her 64-year-old husband held their little one in his arms while Rafael wore a sling. Another shot showed Rafael with breathing tubes spreading out all over his face and sticking in his nose. Scary: Alec and Hilaria Baldwin's son Rafael spent hours in the hospital after breaking his arm on Wednesday In a different picture, Rafael laid on the floor on top of a myriad pillows while he tried to sleep. A couple of his siblings seemed to take a serious interest in his cast, and he showed them his new arm adornment. Hilaria, a yoga instructor and author, shared the long and difficult experience in her post's caption. Keeping fans in the loop: Hilaria, 36, took to Instagram to share photos of their 6-year-old son Breathing tubes: One shot showed Rafael with breathing tubes spreading out all over his face and sticking in his nose 'Really bad': Hilaria wrote that Rafael 'broke his arm really badly yesterday, playing at the park' 'Rafa broke his arm really badly yesterday, playing at the park,' the caption read. 'You will see him with a cast for quite a while now, so I wanted to give you a heads up. Thank you Lennox Hill emergency room for taking such good care of our baby. So grateful to the doctors and the nurses for your expertise and kindness. 'This is a part of being a parent that is so heartbreaking. We were with the babies when it happened and to get that call makes your heart sink. His little voice on the phone I want my mommyknowing even the 20 min to get to him is 20 min too long. 'To not be able to immediately take away their pain and fearoooof nothing prepares us for this, right? We were at the hospital until pretty late and then we made a bed on our floor (wild sleeper, was afraid he might fall off our bed). How many times he called out for me last night, I do not know. At one point I heard him whispering to himself, recounting what happened, saying over and over: I broke my arm.' She finished off her post on a positive note, writing, 'We are relieved that, while it will be a long recovery road, he is certainly on it [pink hearts emoji].' Thanking medical pros: She wrote, 'Thank you Lennox Hill emergency room for taking such good care of our baby. So grateful to the doctors and the nurses for your expertise and kindness' Sleeping on the floor: Baldwin shared a snap of Rafael sleeping on the floor because they were worried he might roll off his bed during the night Intrigued: A couple of his siblings seemed to take a serious interest in his cast, and he showed them his new arm adornment Hilaria and Alec married back in 2012 and have quickly built a huge family together. They share six children: Carmen, 8, Rafael, 6, Leonardo, 5, Romero, 3, Eduardo, 1, and Lucia, 1. The pair told People last month that they are also expecting their seventh child later this year. 'Our capacity to love continues to expand and we can't wait to embrace our new little one this fall!' they wrote in their statement. Happy together: Hilaria and Alec married back in 2012 and have quickly built a huge family together (pictured 2021) One big happy family: They share six children: Carmen, 8, Rafael, 6, Leonardo, 5, Romero, 3, Eduardo, 1, and Lucia, 1 (pictured 2021) Alec is still reeling from the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his movie Rust. Earlier this week, a new video emerged of the moment a distraught and confused Alec was told he had accidentally killed Hutchins. The footage was taken inside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office in New Mexico on October 21, 2021, after Baldwin's prop gun fired a live round during a rehearsal for a scene. He had just finished telling cops that he didn't pull the trigger, and was therefore stunned when he saw what looked like a live round fire from his weapon and pierce through director Joel Souza's shoulder before striking Hutchins in the armpit. 'I have some unfortunate news. She didn't make it,' the investigator told him. Seventh baby on the way: The couple announced last month that they are expecting their seventh child together (pictured April 2022) He shot back in his seat, saying: 'No!' before asking if he can be excused to phone his wife. Baldwin left the room with his head in his hands. Seconds later, he was photographed in the parking lot of the sheriff's office, wailing as he spoke to Hilaria. At the time and even now, six months later, no one knows how a live bullet made its way into Baldwin's gun. Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the movie Rust on October 21, 2021, when he pulled his gun from his costume. It fired and shot Hutchins, 42, in the armpit, fatally wounding her. The gun fired a live round which had been loaded into what Baldwin thought was an empty gun. It comes after Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza on Tuesday suggested Baldwin may still face charges for accidentally killing Hutchins. New video came to light: Earlier this week, a new video emerged of the moment a distraught and confused Alec was told he had accidentally killed the cinematographer on his movie Rust last year Gone too soon: Baldwin was rehearsing a scene for the movie Rust on October 21, 2021, when he pulled his gun from his costume. It fired and shot Hutchins, 42, Halyna The Santa Fe Sheriff's Office this week released a trove of documents and videos from their investigation into the on-set accident. More new footage has also emerged of Baldwin in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with the actor telling police that he was 'the one holding the gun' and asking for a cigarette to calm himself down. Video shows Baldwin sitting down outside the set smoking the cigarette that was handed to him. He then asks how Hutchins is doing before a police officer says that her status is 'questionable'. It comes as Sheriff Mendoza said that Baldwin could still face charges because he was who was handling the weapon. Appearing on Good Morning America on Tuesday, Sheriff Mendoza said 'He was the one that handled the weapon that fired the round that led to the fatality. 'We're going to work with the DA's office to determine if there is criminal neglect or criminal charges. We kind of know who didn't do their jobs here. That was one of the key questions. Advertisement Amelia Gray Hamlin and Brooke Shields brought out eye-catching looks for Friday's Funny Or Die and PEOPLE's Washington's Funniest Party in Washington, D.C. The two models, 20 and 56, donned very different but equally fashion-forward outfits as they hit the pre-party red carpet. Amelia stunned in a form-fitting strapless black dress while Brooke made a statement in a patterned suit. Showstoppers: Amelia Gray Hamlin and Brooke Shields brought out eye-catching looks for Friday's Funny Or Die and PEOPLE's Washington's Funniest Party Amelia looked sleek with her lustrous raven locks in a glossy, bone-straight style that featured a precise center part. She tucked the strands behind both her ears and let them fall down her back. The beauty, who's the daughter of Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna, skipped a necklace and showed off subtle tan lines. She wore double diamond drop earrings and opted out of any other jewelry pieces, keeping the look clean and letting her beauty take center stage. Gorgeous: Amelia looked sleek with her lustrous raven locks in a glossy, bone-straight style that featured a precise center part Simplicity: The beauty, who's the daughter of Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna, skipped a necklace and showed off subtle tan lines The figure-hugging gown dropped down to her ankles and was finished with an ostrich feather hemline. She showed off a bit of cleavage in the number, which was structured with boning around the bodice. She rounded out the classic look with a pair of pointy-toe black heels, solidifying her status as one of the most fashionable models of the moment. Daddy-daughter: Amelia posed with her father Harry Hamlin as they matched in all black Clean and simple: Harry Hamlin looked timeless in a fully black look and black-rimmed eyeglasses For her part, Brooke kept her getup fun and bold with its grayscale and black abstract pattern. The wide-leg pants were long and had a matching blazer that she wore unbuttoned to reveal a jeweled nude turtleneck. The supermodel, whose heyday was in the 80s and 90s punctuated the look with pointed black flats. She wore her golden locks in voluminous curls that fell over her shoulders. Eye-popping: For her part, Brooke kept her getup fun and bold with its grayscale and black abstract pattern Sultry: She wore her golden locks in voluminous curls that fell over her shoulders Shields accessorized with a soft green velvet pouch that had black ribbon attached to it. She rocked her signature full, dark eyebrows and warmed her visage with warm pink tones. She went with a soft pink lip stain and brought her eyes with smoky makeup on her eyelids. The former runway star rocked an understated nude manicure and added a pair of small drop earrings. Mario Van Peebles also attended the event, which was held in Washington, DC. Star-studded: Mario Van Peebles also attended the event, which was held in Washington, DC Style maven: Gayle King arrived to the gathering in style, showing off her sense of fashion in a lacy black dress The film director and actor donned a navy and light blue pinstriped suit and a black fedora hat. He wore the accessory tilted to the side and complemented it with a black vest and tie. Underneath his top layers he wore a baby blue button-up shirt. He finished the look with a pair of black shoes. Gayle King arrived to the gathering in style, showing off her sense of fashion in a lacy black dress. It had a white base, cropped above the knee, and she layered it with a black motorcycle jacket. The journalist rocked coordinating black and white slip-on sneakers and looked beautiful in a full face of glam makeup. Looking sharp: Kevin McHale wore a dark blue crewneck sweater on top of a slim-fitting pair of trousers while attending the star-studded event Messing around: Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas struck a pose while rocking a leather vest with matching jeans and boots Pop star JC Chasez looked dapper in a pink velvet blazer that he teamed with a black turtleneck and black slacks. He tucked his top into his belted trousers and wore black loafers with an embellished stud design. He rocked eyeglasses, a light beard, and wore his long hair neatly brushed back and tucked behind his ears. He brought a raven-haired date who looked beautiful in a purple and white patterned mini dress. Handsome: Pop star JC Chasez looked dapper in a pink velvet blazer that he teamed with a black turtleneck and black slacks All together now: Kyle Ferari-Munoz, Henry R. Munoz III, Joe Farrell and Mike Farah posed for a group photo while spending time at the party Actor Billy Eichner sported a baby blue suit with a navy blue shirt underneath. He kept the ensemble crisp and light with a pair of fresh white sneakers. His chestnut brown hair was carefully coiffed and neatly cut, nicely complementing his shadowed beard. Gerard Butler and his girlfriend Morgan Brown looked to be enjoying each other's company on Friday after reuniting in the back half of 2021. The on-again, off-again couple were spotted while out on a casual stroll along the bustling streets of New York City. It appears Butler is enjoying a bit of downtime, now that he has finished work on several films that have moved into post-production, as well as a new animated series that's slated to drop later in 2022. Downtime: Gerard Butler, 52, and girlfriend Morgan Brown, 51, went on a casual walk together along the bustling streets of New York City on Friday The Scottish actor, 52, was the picture of casualcool in the fashion department thanks to an old pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt. He also added a brown leather jacket that looked similar in its design of the Members Only brand, which was founded in the 1970s and became popular in the 1980s. The leading man of the epic historical action film 300 rounded out his ensemble with a pair of black sneakers, and had his dark brown hair cut short with a subtle center part With the sun glaring down and the temperature jumping past 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the Scottish native donned dark sunglasses. Lasting love: The couple appear to be going strong since reuniting again last year, following their last breakup during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 Morgan wore a tan double-breasted blazer with a plunging white blouse, a gray plaid miniskirt and rumpled brown boots. The pair started dating in 2014 but broke up in 2016, only to get back together the following summer. They split again during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, but were seen periodically together as recently as October 2021, in Puerto Rico, around the time he was wrapping on the shoot for The Plane. They looked to be having a great time together, frolicking down the beach together in their swimsuits. Along with The Plane, Butler's two other films slated for release include Night Has Fallen and Kandahar. He's also the lead voice actor in the Ark: The Animated Series, which is slated to debut its 14 episode season sometime in 2022. Work and play: The Scottish actor was seen with Brown in Puerto Rico around the time he was wrapping the shoot for his upcoming film The Plane with Kelly Gale (right) Brown, who just turned 51 on March 22, is the daughter of a former model who began her own modeling career at the age of 14. By 20, the Oklahoma native got a job in interior design, and started working in real estate by flipping homes. She currently works as an interior designer and a property developer. Butler has been open and honest in sharing his desire to start a family, which includes being in a serious 'relationship' with 'one or two kids. 'It's about time,' he confessed to People on October 2017. Coronation Street's Spider Nugent will soon be returning to the soap after 19-years, ITV have confirmed. The eco warrior - who appeared on the cobbles between 1997 and 2003 - was initially introduced as the nephew of legendary character Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire). And original actor Martin Hancock, 53, is thrilled to be returning to the ITV soap 25 years after making his debut. Back again! Coronation Street's Spider Nugent (Martin Hancock) will soon be returning to the soap after 19 years ITV have confirmed He said: 'Having the opportunity to walk back onto the cobbles is fabulous, I'm so excited to be seeing a lot of old friends and picking up what Spider has been up to'. Adding: ' I've always wanted to come back at some point and it just felt like this is the right time. I'm eternally grateful to Iain [executive producer Iain McLeod] for the opportunity.' During his time on the soap, Spider - whose real name was Geoffrey David Nugent - struck up on on/off relationship with Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) and the pair left the Street in 2000 for a new life in London. Drama ahead: Original actor Martin Hancock, 53, is thrilled to be returning to the ITV soap 25 years after making his debut (pictured in 2001) Spoiler: Coronation Street shared a teaser video of the characters return on Friday on the soap's official Twitter account Get ready:The teaser showed the character walking around Weatherfield, hailing a taxi and heading into the Rovers Return The relationship failed and the pair split up, with Spider moving to Peru and Toyah leaving for Liverpool only to move back to Weatherfield to be with her family back in 2016. Meanwhile, Spider - who was last seen visiting Emily after she had been attacked by serial killer Richard Hillman in 2003 - carried out charity work in Peru and was joined by his aunt back in 2016 following actress Eileen Derbyshire's decision to step back from the show. Executive producer Ian teased that Spider's return to the soap will serve as an 'enthralling new story' for his former flame Toyah which could potentially 'ruin her life forever.' Old flame: During his time on the soap, Spider - whose real name was Geoffrey David Nugent - struck up on on/off relationship with Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) and the pair left the Street in 2000 for a new life in London (pictured together in 1998) He said: 'Martin is a fabulous actor and Spider is a character with real heritage, and affection from fans. His return heralds an enthralling new story for Toyah, who will be embroiled in a mess of guilt and secrecy when Spider arrives. Will he be her saviour or the thing that ruins her life forever?' With Toyah currently preparing for her wedding to Imran (Charlie de Melo), a character set to leave the cobbles this year, leading to speculation that her old flame Spider could derail the big day. Coronation Street shared a teaser video of the characters return on Friday on the soap's official Twitter account. Soap stars: Pictured on the show with L-R Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire) Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) Ken Barlow (William Roach) and Toyah Battersby After teasing the news with a promo of Martin walking around the Salford based-set, fans rushed to twitter to share their excitement for the character's imminent return. One soap viewer wrote: 'This is the best news I have heard for some time. I hope there'll be a good storyline between Spider and Toyah?'. While another added: 'Get in! Spider's a legend!'. And a third commented: 'This is the most random but awesome return in years!' Excited: After teasing the news with a promo of Martin walking around the Salford based-set, fans rushed to twitter to share their excitement for the character's imminent return She has jetted to Palma in Mallorca for a wild hen do with her friends and family. And Kate Lawler, 41, looked incredible on Friday as she showed off her toned figure in a pink bikini, a glitzy bride-to-be hat and novelty sunglasses. The Big Brother winner posed up a storm for a slew of sizzling Instagram snaps in front of a stunning sea view. Wow! Kate Lawler, 41, looked incredible on Friday as she showed off her toned figure in a pink bikini, a glitzy bride-to-be hat and novelty sunglasses in Mallorca for her hen weekend The beauty sported a white sheer beach cover up over her shoulders and paired the ensemble with black sandals which were embellished with pearls. Her string bikini also featured large pearl detailing and her blonde locks were styled in loose curls. The novelty bride-to-be hat from Glitter Gals and sunglasses from G Gal Designs were embellished in pearls and rhinestones. Kate oozed confidence as she posed for the stunning snaps which she captioned: 'Mrs B to be' Looking good: The Big Brother winner posed up a storm for a slew of sizzling Instagram snaps in front of a stunning sea view Beauty: Her string bikini also featured large pearl detailing and her blonde locks were styled in loose curls Stunning: The beauty sported a white sheer beach cover up over her shoulders and paired the ensemble with black sandals which were embellished with pearls Kate is engaged to her fiance Martin - who she shares her daughter Noa, 13 months, with - and the pair are set to wed in June. The party, which she nicknamed 'disgust-hen', got into full swing on Friday with Kate being accompanied by a group of pals including her sisters. In one snap the gang were served huge jugs of summery cocktails with Kate's sister Kelly then seen singing and dancing around the tables as the other girls egged her on. Her pals later decorate her lavish hotel room with silver balloons and snaps of her dogs. Pose: The novelty bride-to-be hat and sunglasses were embellished in pearls and rhinestones Work it! Kate oozed confidence as she posed for the stunning snaps which she captioned: 'Mrs B to be' Diamonds: The beautiful bride-to-be flashed her sparkling engagement ring in the snap as she looked out over the ocean The star and and her fiance Martin were meant to tie the knot on June 6 last year but were forced to postpone their big day due to COVID-19 restrictions. Earlier this month Kate revealed she and her fiance Martin were in the 'worst possible place for a couple' as she detailed their relationship ahead of their upcoming wedding. In a candid interview she admitted that she 'wasn't prepared for the seismic shift' in their relationship following the birth of their daughter Noa. Boozy: The party, which she nicknamed 'disgust-hen', got into full swing on Friday with Kate being accompanied by a group of pals including her sisters Here she is: She shared some close up snaps of her 'Mrs Bojtos' glasses and wore a sparkly bride hat Family: Kate is engaged to her fiance Martin - who she shares her daughter Noa, 13 months, with - and the pair are set to wed in June However, the star told how her first week since quitting Virgin radio had already seen things dramatically improve with her fiance and her daughter, with Kate and Martin now happily looking forward to their nuptials in June. The 2002 Big Brother winner, presenter, DJ and author, had her first child Noa last February after insisting for a long time she never wanted to be a mum, while her partner of nine years Martin, known affectionately as Boj, was 'desperate' for kids. Speaking to Kate Thornton on her White Wine Question Time podcast, Kate explained: 'Since we became parents our relationship has changed so much. I want to say for the better, but sadly we both know, and we're acutely aware of this, that we haven't prioritised our relationship at all and we know that we need to take steps to improve it. Together: The party, which she nicknamed 'disgust-hen' got into full swing with Kate being accompanied by a group of pals including her sisters 'We're getting married in two months and we've actually had like the hardest year as a couple so far. 'But we know it's because we became parents and your life changes monumentally when you become parents.' She continued: 'I wasn't prepared for the seismic shift in our relationship. I thought it would change my life, me personally, but I didn't think about how much it would effect us as a couple even though I had friends giving me advice saying 'look you're both going to say things you don't mean, you're both going to be more tired than you've ever been before'. Funny: Her pals later decorate her lavish hotel room with silver balloons and snaps of her dogs 'We went out for a curry the other night because I pointed out that since Noa was born a year ago we've only been out on our own on a date twice. It's not good enough. 'I can't be bothered to put on make-up and find something to wear. I want to sit in my pyjamas and read a book.' She went on: 'We'd only been out for our anniversary in June, four months after Noa had been born...and we spent most of it looking on the monitor like 'ooh, is she ok?'. His mum was babysitting. So the last week has been great. 'We're talking, we're communicating. We're just better with each other.' Style: For her hen do Kate looked incredible in a silky colourful co-ord from Zara that showed off her toned legs Last month, Kate told how Boj, who proposed back in 2018, had brought them couples therapy in a bid to start their marriage on 'right foot'. Speaking about the effect it has had on their relationship, she said: 'It was Boj's suggestion that we start couple's therapy, and I can't recommend it enough because it's really helped us. She's given us tools that we've applied when it comes to that feeling when an argument is brewing and you know that you're going to go down a road that's going to lead to anger and shouting. 'I felt really bad saying this to Boj... but part of the reason I didn't want a kid was because I was so scared of what it would do to our relationship. I feel that he knew that when arguments were brewing over the last year and I'd say 'this is why I knew we shouldn't have...' Having fun: She took to her Instagram Story to share close ups of her novelty glasses as she partied with friends and family 'And I hate myself for saying that because it's horrible for him to hear it, for me saying 'I knew that it would do this to us, I knew it would break us, I knew that we would end up resenting each other', and falling out and becoming like distant and being in the worst place possible for a couple who are about to get married. 'But we're coming out of the other side. We know what we need to do and we're trying to make sure that at the bottom of this, that us going into our marriage we want to start on the right foot which is why we decided therapy would be the best route for us. 'And we would just focus on spending more time together as a family, and less time on our phones and less time working in the evenings when we're supposed to be having that quality time together.' Wild: In one snap the gang were served huge jugs of summery cocktails with Kate's sister Kelly then seen singing and dancing around the tables as the other girls egged her on She added: 'I'm focusing on the wedding now. It's all about just spending the next two months, doing as little work as possible just to take a little breather and make sure that I'm happy on my wedding day. I don't want to feel like I've been feeling on my wedding day - I want to be a happy bride.' The beauty revealed how she's tying the knot on June 11 at an East London venue, with her darling daughter acting as a bridesmaid. Kate also revealed that she's turned down a magazine deal, that they're having a non-religious ceremony as they're both atheists and that Noa and their dogs will be joining them on the second part of their honeymoon. Married At First Sight star Jessika Power has been raking in the big bucks ever since joining OnlyFans last year. And now the 30-year-old has revealed that she's earning so much money she can afford to fly first class all over the world. The blonde beauty is also able to turn down Instagram influencing deals thanks to her OnlyFans income, which is around $120,000 per month. Success: Married At First Sight star Jessika Power has been earning so much money from OnlyFans that she can afford to fly first class all over the world now Commenting on an Instagram post from The Wash, Jess admitted that she, 'needed [endorsement] deals and s**t to pay for my life' after she first got off Married At First Sight in 2019. 'Then I found OnlyFans and now Im flying myself first class everywhere,' she bragged. Jess recently jetted off to Dubai for a getaway with her boyfriend Connor Thompson. Good life: 'I found OnlyFans and now Im flying myself first class everywhere,' she bragged She later returned to England, where she's been based for the last few months, before flying back to Australia on a $9000 first class Emirates flight. Jess opened up about her staggering OnlyFans earnings earlier this year, after sharing that she'd been raking in six figures every month. 'I do my OnlyFans because honestly it brings in a fabulous income - it is ridiculous the amount of money I have earnt in the last four months - [and] it allows me to be a provider for my family,' she told the Daily Telegraph. 'It's a fabulous income!' The stunner now rakes in around $120,000 a month on OnlyFans In addition to supporting her loved ones with her earnings, Jessika recently revealed she plans to buy property in Brisbane and Greece. 'I want two investment properties under my belt by the end of this year and with the money I'm earning I'd be reckless if I didn't have that,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Jessika has also been splashing out on designer bags and jewellery from brands like Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and Fendi. Daisy May Cooper looked busty as she wore skimpy black negligee to film scenes for her new BBC comedy drama Rain Dogs in Bristol on Saturday. The 35-year-old star was seen shooting on the balcony of a high rise building as she peered over the edge in her revealing outfit. She later covered up in a cosy grey dressing gown in between takes as he team chatted to her and brought her a coffee. Star: Daisy May Cooper looked busty as she wore skimpy black negligee to film scenes for her new BBC comedy drama Rain Dogs in Bristol on Saturday She styled her signature blonde tresses in a new chic bob as she got into character as Costello Jones and accessorised with gold hoop earrings. The Cirencester-born star rose to prominence when she created the comedy series This Country alongside her brother Charlie. Rain Dogs, is written by Cash Carraway and sees Daisy star as a young single mum, living with her ten year-old daughter in the brutal lonely landscape of austerity Britain. Here she is: The 35-year-old star was seen shooting on the balcony of a high rise building as she peered over the edge in her revealing outfit Lead role: She styled her signature blonde tresses in a new chic bob as she got into character as Costello Jones and accessorised with gold hoop earrings Earlier this month Daisy sparked engagement speculation as she kissed her new man, private chef Ryan Weymouth while wearing a ring on her wedding finger. The couple put on a loved up display as he accompanied her as she arrived on the set in Bristol. The loved-up pair linked arms as they strolled along before pausing to share a kiss in the sunshine. Warm: She later covered up in a cosy grey dressing gown in between takes as he team chatted to her and brought her a coffee Big name: The Cirencester-born star rose to prominence when she created the comedy series This Country alongside her brother Charlie Plot: Rain Dogs, is written by Cash Carraway and sees Daisy star as a young single mum, living with her ten year-old daughter in the brutal lonely landscape of austerity Britain Daisy and Ryan went Instagram official in December, when he posted a snap of them cuddled up on a sofa. The couple made their red carpet debut earlier this month as they stepped out publicly together for the first time at London 's O2 Academy Brixton. Daisy, who stars alongside her real-life brother Charlie in This Country, recently told how much she enjoyed being away from him in her latest series, The Witchfinder. Exciting: Rain Dogs is a wild and punky tale of a mothers love for her daughter, of deep-rooted and passionate friendships, and of brilliance thwarted by poverty and prejudice Role: Costello is a writer and single mother with a rock and roll swagger and a glint in her eye, a woman who appreciates the glamour of the gutter but would do anything to keep her daughter, Iris, from it Official: Rain Dogs was commissioned by Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, Chief Content Officer at the BBC Love life: Earlier this month Daisy sparked engagement speculation as she kissed her new man, private chef Ryan Weymouth while wearing a ring on her wedding finger Cute: Daisy and Ryan went Instagram official in December, when he posted a snap of them cuddled up on a sofa Revealing she and her sibling are 'nasty and rude' to each other in front of the crew, she told Heat: 'No, it was brilliant to be away from my brother. 'What's difficult is when you're acting with your family, you're just so nasty and rude to each other, because you don't feel that you have to be professional in any sense.' The six-part series is set in 1647 East Anglia, following a witchfinder (Tim Key) and his suspected witch (Daisy) on a road-free road trip through an England gripped by civil war, famine and plague. Romance: The couple made their red carpet debut earlier this month as they stepped out publicly together for the first time at London 's O2 Academy Brixton Cast: The show also stars Selby (Jack Farthing) who is a boarding school boy educated on Brett Easton Ellis and Goddard, Costellos loyal soulmate and loving tormentor Ample assets: She showcased her cleavage in the black top which had a silver design on it and thick straps The ruling and opposition parties have discussed the need for a swift review of a bill that will allow K-pop superstar BTS and other prominent pop celebrities to substitute their mandatory military service with other public service, a lawmaker said Tuesday. Rep. Sung Il-jong of the People Power Party, who serves as executive secretary for the National Assembly Defense Committee, told MBC radio that he and his Democratic Party of Korea counterpart recently discussed the need to swiftly review the bill pending in the National Assembly. The bill failed to be passed by the parliamentary national defense committee in November, with opponents saying a passage could spark controversy for being unfair to young men in other fields. Article By Kwak Yeon-soo Alison Brahe has shared how going through menopause led to body insecurities. The 52-year-old former model tells this week's issue of Body+Soul magazine that she gained some weight and feared that her husband, actor Cameron Daddo, 57, no longer found her changing body attractive. 'I know, for instance, that Cam's love language is physical. It's what he wants and needs and how he feels secure with me,' she told the publication. Hard: Alison Brahe has shared how going through menopause led to body insecurities. Pictured in this week's issue of Body+Soul magazine 'A lot of the dislike of my body shape had to do with what I thought Cam wanted, or what Cam liked. Once he told me he didn't give a crap if I put on weight and that he loved me as a person, the more I addressed my own judgement of myself'. Over time, Alison came to accept her new shape, but says that she still has difficult periods where she feels less than confident. 'There are days where I go, "You're just a cute little 52-year-old with a tubby tummy," and then I'll put on a pair of jeans and think, "Oh, God, I look six months pregnant, I can't stand it." I still go back and forwards with it,' she said. Fears: Alison says she gained some weight and feared that her husband, actor Cameron Daddo (right) no longer found her changing body attractive. Pictured in 2019 'I'm so aware now of what women have been taught about their body shapes. They're constantly described by how they look. You've just got to love the shape you are'. Alison was an 'It-girl' in the 1990s, gracing the covers of dozens of magazines during her successful modelling career. The couple wed in 1991 and have three children together, daughters Lotus, 24, and Bodhi, 14, and a son, River, 20. Last year Cameron and Alison celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. 'A lot of the dislike of my body shape had to do with what I thought Cam wanted, or what Cam liked' she said The pair recently spoke about how they saved their marriage after the Models Inc. actor cheated on his wife in 1994. His infidelity took place in America, after he had relocated there for his acting career. Alison told the Sydney Morning Herald that her relationship 'evolved the most' during marriage counselling in the wake of his infidelity. However it wasn't all smooth sailing, with the mother-of-three admitting they had 'a terrible experience' with their first therapist. 'Once he told me he didn't give a crap if I put on weight and that he loved me as a person, the more I addressed my own judgement of myself' Alison continued. Pictured in 2021 'It is so important to find the right therapist for you. The one we found was our second choice, as the first one was a terrible experience,' Alison said. However once they found a decent counsellor, the long-term couple 'both wanted the relationship to work, so that was a good starting point'. Last year, Daddo spoke about hurting his wife by cheating on her three years after tying the knot in 1991. Cover star: Alison was an 'It-girl' in the 1990s, gracing the covers of dozens of magazines during her successful modelling career The Australian star discussed his marriage on Nova FM's Separate Bathrooms podcast and admitted it's important to 'learn how to apologise'. 'We were told by Reverend Brian that married us. He said you're going to hurt your partner the most of anyone in your life. In my case, it's probably true,' Cameron said. 'So it's a good idea to learn how to apologise, mean it and then make the necessary actions, so you don't repeat it. That's a good lesson,' he added. He's expecting his second child with fiance Lucy Mecklenburgh after welcoming their son Roman in March 2020. And Ryan Thomas looked every inch the doting dad as he enjoyed a family day out at Legoland on Saturday. The Coronation Street star, 37, cut a casual figure in a white T-shirt, black joggers and trench coat, while sporting a black cap. Happy family: Ryan Thomas looked every inch the doting dad as he enjoyed a family day out at Legoland on Saturday Ryan beamed while sporting a black cap and cuddling up to daughter Scarlett, 13 - his only child with ex Tino O'Brien - and Roman, 2, his infant son with Lucy. The family were accompanied by a friend as they made their way around the park, but former TOWIE star Lucy was nowhere in sight. Elsewhere AJ Pritchard and Abbie Quinnen looked loved-up as they also attended with younger family members. Looking good: The Coronation Street star, 37, cut a casual figure in a white t-shirt, black joggers and trench coat Fun in the sun: The kids were all smiles as they explored the enchanting new walk through attraction at the Windsor Resort Congratulations! Ryan is expecting his second child with fiance Lucy Mecklenburgh after welcoming their 2-year-old son Roman in March 2020 The couple - who have been together for over three years - looked effortlessly stylish as they posed for a slew of snaps. Dancer Abbie, 24, dressed to impress in a white crop top, flashing her toned midriff underneath a pink shirt and matching white trousers. Meanwhile AJ, 27, looked cool in a white t-shirt, jeans and a black jacket, while being prepared for the sunshine with sunglasses and a cap. Cute! AJ Pritchard and Abbie Quinnen looked loved-up as they also attended with younger family members Couple goals: The couple - who have been together for over three years - looked effortlessly stylish as they posed for a slew of snaps Stylish: Dancer Abbie, 24, dressed to impress in a white crop top, flashing her toned midriff underneath a pink shirt and matching white trousers It comes after Lucy announced her pregnancy with her second child in December in a post she shared with fans on Instagram. In the image shared to her social media, Lucy wore a white top and jeans as she posed with her little boy in the image captioned: 'Here we go again @ryanthomas84.' Lucy's followers were quick to offer their congratulations underneath the adorable photograph. Baby number 2! Lucy, 30, announced the sweet news with a picture of her baby bump on her Instagram page on Monday afternoon (pictured while pregnant with Roman) Lucy also reflected on her son Roman being rushed to hospital last month, revealing that doctors discovered he was battling 'six viruses'. Lucy said she fears Roman may have suffered from a weakened immune system after being isolated at home during the Covid lockdown. In September Roman spent nearly a week in intensive care. Reflecting on the traumatic night, Lucy said she had gone to check on Roman in the night as he had been suffering with a cold. Speaking on the Sweat, Snot & Tears podcast Lucy said: 'I heard sort of grumbles at 3am and like I think we all do, if they're not sounding like it's a big scream and they're in pain, you think, 'Oh well they're just having a little dream. Scare: In September, Lucy shared every parents worst nightmare when she revealed her son Roman was taken to intensive care and put on a ventilator after she found him 'blue in his cot'. (Ryan pictured in hospital with Roman) She revealed that when she checked the baby monitor an hour later that something 'didn't feel right', adding: 'He was moving very slowly, side to side, and I thought, 'This doesn't feel right and I want to go and see him.'' It was then when she found Roman 'blue in his cot' and he was rushed to Basildon Hospital and St Mary's in London. Her son has since been diagnosed with a 'viral induced wheeze' and now requires an inhaler twice a day. Jules Robinson was enjoying her new figure on Saturday, after losing 20 kilos. The Married At First Sight bride showed off her slim physique in a series of posts to Instagram, as she headed to the Ministry of Sound music festival in Queensland. The 40-year-old stunned in a video posted to Instagram Stories, in which she got ready and blow dried her hair while wearing a skintight body suit. Out and about: Jules Robinson (pictured) was enjoying her new figure on Saturday after losing 20 kilos. The Married At First Sight bride showed off her slim physique in a series of posts to Instagram, as she headed to the Ministry of Sound music festival in Queensland The racy number featured a baroque pattern and the sweetheart neckline showed off lots of bust. She later paired the top with stylish leather trousers which clung close to her fit frame. Over the top, she wore a loose, sheer duster with a pattern that matched her bodysuit. Wow! The 40-year-old stunned in a video posted to Instagram Stories, in which she got ready and blow dried her hair while wearing a skintight body suit Stunner: The racy number featured a baroque pattern and the sweetheart neckline showed off lots of bust Looking good: Her curves were on full display in the flattering ensemble The former reality star finished the look with a wide-brim hat and a YSL crossbody bag in a straw finish. 'Oh yes. Off to my first festival in soooooo long!' she wrote excitedly in her Instagram caption. Last year, Jules debuted her jaw-dropping figure in sleek activewear after confirming she was 'so so close' to achieving her aim of losing 20 kilos after just 15 weeks. Party time: She paired the top with a pair of leather trousers which clung close to her fit frame Details: Over the top, she wore a loose, sheer duster with a pattern that matched her bodysuit She posed on Instagram in an exercise bra and tight black leggings, looking healthy and happy as she beamed at the camera. Jules said that she achieved her goal due to 'determination' and help from Jenny Craig, adding: 'I'm so sooo close to my goal! So close! 'For any one wanting to know details.. I'm doing #rapidresultsmax and have been for 15weeks and I'm nearly at my 20 kilos goal, back to what I was pre pregnant.' Finishing touches: The former reality star finished the look with a wide-brim hat. Pictured alongside friend Kerry Knight 'Oh yes. Off to my first festival in soooooo long!' she wrote excitedly in her Instagram caption. Pictured with friends Kerry Knight and Elizabeth Tregoning She says that 20 kilos had 'crept on' her figure after she had welcomed her son Ollie last October 2020. Jules welcomed her first child, son Oliver, with her husband Cameron Merchant last year. The pair officially married in January 2019, after meeting on the reality show Married At First Sight. She might sometimes have to wear the traditional barrister's gown and horsehair wig, but outside court Amal Clooney always cuts a more glamorous figure. The human rights lawyer presented more evidence for her status as a style icon, arriving at her New York hotel on Friday night in a ferocious display of leopard-print coat and above-the-knee leather boots that dazzled onlookers. The 44-year-old has had a busy week in the city, where she addressed the United Nations on the war in Ukraine. Amal Clooney arrived at her New York hotel on Friday night in a ferocious display of leopard-print coat and above-the-knee leather boots that dazzled onlookers The 44-year-old human rights lawyer has had a busy week in the city, where she addressed the United Nations on the war in Ukraine. But she has also been able to relax while in Manhattan, spending time with her mother, the Lebanese journalist Baria Alamuddin (pictured) She described the country as a 'slaughterhouse' and urged nations to hold Russia accountable for its barbarism. But she has also been able to relax while in Manhattan, spending time with her mother, the Lebanese journalist Baria Alamuddin. Absent from the New York trip were husband George Clooney and their five-year-old twins. Clooney is thought to be in Wiltshire filming his movie The Boys In The Boat. Perhaps time away from the children explains how Amal looks so remarkably fresh-faced, despite the demanding nature of her work. Absent from the New York trip were husband George Clooney and their five-year-old twins. Clooney is thought to be in Wiltshire filming his movie The Boys In The Boat Crush of the week: Amazonica Impressing Tom Cruise is not a Mission: Impossible if your name is Amazonica. The DJ tells me her wildest night was playing at an exclusive party in London where the guests included the Hollywood A-lister, Monica Lewinsky and an array of young Royals. Unfortunately, the crowd was so raucous the police were called to shut down the event but not before Tom had congratulated Amazonica on her DJ skills. Impressing Tom Cruise is not a Mission: Impossible if your name is Amazonica. The DJ (above) tells me her wildest night was playing at an exclusive party in London where the guests included the Hollywood A-lister, Monica Lewinsky and an array of young Royals More recently, the 38-year-old real name Victoria Harrison kept VIPs on their feet at a Bafta gala party and she is also resident DJ at London's celeb haunt Chiltern Firehouse. But such work isn't all fun and games, she tells me. 'I'm DJing to 4am most of the time and it really breaks you physically.' My lips are sealed, but... Which ageing playboy, now separated from his younger wife, has crudely boasted to friends of celebrating his most recent birthday 'with a couple of tarts and a pizza'? Selin Mengu was all dressed up with somewhere to go on Saturday night. The Married At First Sight bride headed to an event at The Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane and opted for Hollywood glamour for the occasion. The 33-year-old shared a series of images to Instagram in which she showed off her figure in a slinky silver dress. Wow! Selin Mengu (pictured) was all dressed up with somewhere to go on Saturday night. The Married At First Sight bride headed to an event at The Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane It featured an unusual one-shoulder design, with the other sleeve long and featuring a puffed portion. She wore her brunette locks in a slick ponytail and opted for a glamorous makeup look. The reality star completed her ensemble with a pair of chunky gold hoop earrings. Looking good: The 33-year-old shared a series of images to Instagram in which she showed off her figure in a slinky silver dress On trend: It featured an unusual one-shoulder design, with the other sleeve long and featuring a puffed portion. Pictured with stylist Jamie Azzopardi 'A night in Bris-Vegas with the familia' Selin wrote in her caption alongside the photographs. Following her recent rise to fame on Married At First Sight, Selin's new career as an influencer seems to be flourishing. She has been cashing in on her newfound reality TV fame calling for fans to purchase custom-made videos on Memmo. 'A night in Bris-Vegas with the familia' Selin wrote in her caption alongside the photographs. Pictured with friends Kristian Gaupset, Jamie Azzopardi and Steph Harper Selin announced she would be charging $30 a video to make a personalised clip, which are traditionally purchased by fans to wish their pals a happy birthday, to get well soon or to say congratulations. Her time with 'husband' Anthony Cincotta came to an abrupt end after they both decided to write 'leave' during a commitment ceremony. 'The time was up for Anthony and I in the experiment, we both decided it was the best thing we could do to end it and are civil,' she said speaking of experience. Amanda Bynes went on social media late Friday night to clarify the accusations she leveled against her fiance Paul Michael earlier this week. The actress, 36, posted a photo to social media which seemed to show the couple touching hands, each with an impressive ring shining on their fingers. She wrote a long caption detailing the situation which read, 'To clarify: I said what I said about Paul relapsing because he did. I don't know when he got clean and because of the disturbing porn he was watching, I assumed he must be on drugs now. Addressing the situation: Amanda Bynes went on social media late Friday night to clarify the accusations she leveled against her fiance Paul Michael earlier this week (pictured 2009) 'Also Paul did vandalize his mom's home 2 weeks ago. His brother Mark called the cops on him but Paul left before they got there. When I saw the mom and son porn on Paul's phone, I got upset and kicked him out. When he left I was worried he would vandalize my home because he still had the keys. That's why I called the police. 'At any rate, I shouldn't have said he's currently using, because he's been sober for 2 weeks. Also, he told me he searched milfs and the other content auto filled the search engine.' The clarification came a day after the She's The Man star accused Paul of using drugs, watching disturbing pornography and vandalizing his mom's home following an explosive argument that led to a 911 call. She claimed Thursday on her Instagram Stories that Paul had stopped taking his medications and that she had 'kicked him out' of her house over his 'alarming behavior.' Reaching out: The actress, 36, posted a photo to social media which seemed to show the two stars touching hands, each with an impressive ring shining on their fingers 'I'm afraid of what he'll do,' Amanda said, alleging that she found his 'stash of crack cocaine' and that he had put 'salmon under' his mom's bed. Despite what Bynes' Instagram caption said on Friday, TMZ reported that Paul was the one to call the police, not Amanda. Right before her Instagram Stories, Paul called police to their home at 2:30am during a verbal dispute with the star and accused her of taking his Adderall and calling her 'out of control,' according to TMZ. Confirming she was right: She wrote a long caption detailing the situation which read, 'To clarify: I said what I said about Paul relapsing because he did During the 2:30 am call to the police, Paul had told the police she kicked him out of the house but he stayed there until they arrived, per the outlet's source with the LAPD. He spoke to the dispatcher and told them they were in a verbal dispute. According to the outlet, he reportedly went to his Instagram and said he didn't know 'what the f**k she's talking about.' Amanda's lawyer David Esquibias gave People a statement on Thursday morning after the accusations and cop visit. David said: 'Amanda and Paul had an argument Wednesday evening. Amanda left her home, where Paul has been residing, for her safety before the situation escalated. She was not there when police arrived.' 'Amanda is now back home and denies Paul's claims of taking his medication. She remains focused on her well-being,' he said to the outlet. Vandalized: Bynes claims that Michael did actually vandalize his mom's house two weeks ago Shocking: The troubled actress spoke directly on her stories as she claimed he stopped taking his medications and watching disturbing porn, calling his 'behavior alarming' and revealing she 'kicked him out of' her house Hours before, Amanda posted a snap of Paul to her stories as he lounged on the couch. Amanda spoke directly to the camera next, listing out the accusations against her fiance. 'Paul told me he stopped taking his medications. I looked at his phone and he was looking at mom and son porn.' Adding: 'He vandalized his mom's home, he broke all of her pictures and he put salmon under her bed. His behavior is alarming and I'm afraid of what he'll do.' Accusations: 'I'm afraid of what he'll do,' Amanda said, adding that she found his 'stash of crack cocaine' and that he put 'salmon under' his mom's bed Candid: She deleted the stories of her accusations from her Instagram and posted a new one of her in the car, noting a correction 'I forgot to mention I found Paul's stash of crack cocaine. He's been using for the past six months. He needs serious house. I kicked him out of my house.' Hours prior, Paul was seen smoking on her stories. She deleted the stories of her accusations from her Instagram and posted a new one of her in the car, noting a correction. Amanda said in the stories posted at around 7 am PST: 'Correction. Paul looked up Milfs, moms and sons just popped up. Also, I went to CVS, bought a drug test. Paul tested clean. Paul's clean. Also I had something in my teeth in the last video.' The pair seemed to make up on Thursday morning as the duo locked lips in Los Angeles. All good? The pair seemed to make up on Thursday morning as the duo locked lips in Los Angeles Concerned: Despite seemingly making up, people close to Bynes are reportedly concerned about Michael's behavior Despite seemingly making up, people close to Bynes are reportedly concerned about Michael's behavior. According to a report by TMZ on Friday, sources said that they were worried about Paul's temper and feared that the pair's relationship could potentially end violently. The insiders told the media outlet that Paul has a history of losing his temper and cited the incident in which he allegedly vandalized his mother's home. The sources told TMZ that the Wednesday altercation between Amanda and Paul escalated because of his temper. The insiders also claimed that the Sydney White star had called the police over fears for her safety before Paul made his own 911 call. Sources told TMZ that Amanda's parents still stand by their agreement to end her conservatorship after almost nine years as she 'continues to do well on her own, but the concern is now over Paul.' Andy Cohen has shared another heart-warming snap of the newest member of his family, daughter Lucy. In a photo posted to his Instagram account on Saturday, the Bravo star, 53, gazed adoringly at his newborn child as she lay swaddled in her cradle. 'Greetings from Cloud 9 #ILoveLucy,' he captioned the post. 'Greetings from Cloud 9': Andy Cohen has shared another heart-warming snap of the newest member of his family, daughter Lucy Andy made the surprise announcement that he had welcomed a second child via surrogate - daughter Lucy - on Friday. He shared a sweet image of himself cradling the bundle of joy with the caption: 'HERES LUCY!!!!! Meet my daughter, Lucy Eve Cohen! Shes 8 pounds 13 oz and was born at 5:13 pm in New York City!!!' Back in February 2019, Andy welcomed his first child - a son named Benjamin, now three - via surrogate as he made sure to note in the caption that the youngster is excited about being a big brother. Andy wrote: 'Her big brother cant wait to meet her! Thank you to my rock star surrogate (ALL surrogates are rockstars, by the way) and everyone who helped make this miracle happen. Im so happy.' Rock a bye baby! Cohen also shared a tender shot of him cradling his baby 'Can't wait to meet her!': Back in February 2019, Andy welcomed his first child - a son named Benjamin, now three - via surrogate as he made sure to note in the caption that the youngster is excited about being a big brother, the father and son are seen in February Many of the television personality's famous friends hit the comment section to congratulate the star on his new bundle of joy including Billy Eichner, Billie Lourd, and several personalities from the Bravo universe. Longtime pal Sarah Jessica Parker sent a sweet message which said: 'Oh Lucy Eve we are madly in love with you already. Congratulations Andy. All hands on deck and ready. Ben is a big brother!!!!! So much love from our family to yours!! Xxxxx' Anderson Cooper wrote: 'Amazing! Congratulations! Welcome Lucy!!!!' 'Oh Lucy Eve we are madly in love with you already': Many of the television personality's famous friends hit the comment section to congratulate the star on his new bundle of joy including Billy Eichner, Billie Lourd, and several personalities from the Bravo universe Khloe Kardashian sent well wishes as she said: 'Congratulations!!!!! How wonderful and blessed is your family!!! May God bless you all!! [three red hear emojis]' 'Hello sweet girl! [heart emoji] congrats Andy!,' John Mayer wrote before adding: 'Doing her star chart right now!!!' The Bravo exec was so excited to share the news that he spanned social media platforms as he excitedly posted: 'IM A GIRL-DAD!!!!!' The Bravo exec was so excited to share the news that he spanned social media platforms as he excitedly posted: 'IM A GIRL-DAD!!!!!' He also shared the same image from Instagram with the caption: 'HERES LUCY!!!! Meet Lucy Eve Cohen!! My heart is bursting' He did not elaborate on the meaning behind the new bundle of joy's name but since 'HERES LUCY!!!!!' was in the caption, it seems to be a reference to one of the most iconic television stars of all-time Lucille Ball. Ball was an icon who famously starred on I Love Lucy from 1951 to 1957, The Lucy Show from 1962 to 1968, and yes Here's Lucy from 1968 to 1974. 'Eternally grateful': In February 2019, he revealed that he had welcomed son Benjamin Allen Cohen also with an Instagram post According to BabyNames.com, the name Lucy is of English origin and means light. In February 2019, he revealed that he had welcomed son Benjamin Allen Cohen also with an Instagram post. 'WOW! This is my son, Benjamin Allen Cohen,' Cohen said. He is 9 lbs 2 ounces !! 20 inches !! Born at 6:35 pm, PT.' 'He is named after my grandfather Ben Allen. Im in love. And speechless. And eternally grateful to an incredible surrogate. And Im a dad. Wow.' In February, Benjamin sweetly joined Andy as he received a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. Icon: He did not elaborate on the meaning behind the new bundle of joy's name but since 'HERES LUCY!!!!!' was in the caption, it seems to be a reference to one of the most iconic television stars of all-time Lucille Ball (seen center in Here's Lucy in 1970 along with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton) Cohen - who hosts late night talk show Watch What Happens Live on Bravo and Radio Andy on Sirius XM - had the support of his famous friends including Lisa Rinna, Garcelle Beauvais, and John Mayer who all spoke at the event. The ceremony wasn't the only reason the day was special in the Cohen household as they also celebrated Ben's third birthday. Andy ended his speech by saying: 'This is all my honor and my privilege and thank you so much all of you and thanks for coming out to my friends and family. 'And happy birthday Ben! Happy birthday Ben! It's your birthday! We've got cookies waiting for you man.' What a moment: In February, Benjamin sweetly joined Andy as he received a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame Squad goals: The star brigade was there in support as Garcelle Beauvais, John Mayer and Lisa Rinna are seen left to right Andy has worked hard to get to the place he is in as he began his career in the late 1980s working in television as an intern at CBS News where he spent 10 years and eventually served as senior producer for The Early Show. He also served as a producer for 48 Hours and CBS This Morning. He went on to join pop culture network Trio in 2000 which was bought out by Bravo in 2004 and Andy eventually became vice president of original programming. In the summer of 2009, he began hosting a weekly late night chat show titled Watch What Happens Live which later expanded to a weeknight series and still is on air to this day. Aww: The 53-year-old Bravo executive and host proudly held his son at the event Bond: Andy grinned from ear-to-ear Andy later shared a post celebrating his son's third birthday with the caption: 'Ben had the best 3rd birthday ever!!! [four heart and one cake emojis]' The proud St. Louis, Missouri native made history with the gig as it made him the first openly gay host of an American late-night talk show. As if that already wasn't enough, in September 2015 Sirius XM launched a new radio channel curated by him, known as Radio Andy. More recently Andy joined pal Anderson Cooper as co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve coverage as he replaced Kathy Griffin in 2017. Emily Atack has hit out at her male fans who bombard her with unsolicited pictures of their penises on social media. The actress, 32, said she's likely to receive 'about 10 penises I have not asked to see' before breakfast. She told the Mirror: 'If someone sends me a sexually explicit message, I'm like, "Why have they said that to me?" Unwanted: Emily Atack, 32, has hit out at her male fans who bombard her with pictures of their penises on social media 'It makes you question who you are and why you're single.' Speaking about her love life, she also joked: 'I try and stay away from things that aren't good for me. 'It's hard when you are a little mischievous, like me!' Explicit: The actress says she's likely to receive 'about 10 penises I have not asked to see' before breakfast It comes after Emily said she felt awkward filming sex scenes on her show The Inbetweeners. The comedian rose to fame after playing Charlotte Hinchcliffe on the E4 comedy series from 2008 to 2010, but admitted it was strange filming intimate scenes with co-star Simon Bird - who played Will McKenzie - because of the age gap between the pair. Emily, who was 17 at the time whilst Simon was in his late 20s, recalled the embarrassing moment she tried to break the tension. Not everyone: It comes after Emily said she felt awkward filming sex scenes on her show The Inbetweeners (pictured with show co-star Simon Bird) Speaking on Rob Brydons podcast, she said: 'He had to get on top of me and I remember thinking I'm going to have to say something to break the ice, and I said, "How does it feel being on top of a 17-year-old?" 'He was like, "You're 17! Oh my God." He was mortified.' The former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! contestant also spilled the beans on the beauty regimes of her male co-stars, who included James Buckley and Blake Harrison. She added: 'Every time I walked into the dressing rooms they were having their chests shaved.' Emily is currently a team captain on the ITV2 comedy panel show Celebrity Juice after replacing Holly Willoughby and revealed that Miriam Margolyes and Louis Theroux would be her dream guests on the programme. The star said: 'I think Miriam Margolyes needs to come on. She is just incredible. Big Narstie was a guest for the first show back this series and had us all crying with laughter. Id love to have Louis Theroux on my team because its Louis Theroux.' Jada Pinkett Smith shared an inspirational selfie to Instagram on Saturday. The actress, 50, posed in a green suede blazer with large gold hoop earrings hanging from her ears. She matched those earrings to her thick gold necklace, and her hazel eyes shined brightly with the sunshine resting on her face. Sun shining down: Jada Pinkett Smith shared an inspirational selfie to Instagram on Saturday The Madagascar actress captioned the photo, 'Smile within your heart and be reminded that life is a gift and so are you.' Jada's post came while her husband Will is still on a 'spiritual journey' in India following the now-infamous slap of Chris Rock onstage at the Academy Awards. Will is in India for 'spiritual purposes' with plans on practicing yoga and meditation, according to People. Insiders spoke to Page Six earlier this week and balked at the notion that Smith's trip, which he said is to make sure 'that I never again allow violence to overtake reason,' means nothing when he reportedly still hasn't reach out to Chris Rock personally. Positive message: The Madagascar actress captioned the photo, 'Smile within your heart and be reminded that life is a gift and so are you' (pictured 2019) Her man's away: Jada's post while her husband Will is still on a 'spiritual journey' in India following the now-infamous slap of Chris Rock onstage at the Academy Awards (pictured 2015) 'Wills spiritual journey to India for yoga and meditation seems cynical and ridiculous, given that he hasnt apologized personally to the one person he assaulted in front of millions,' one source told the outlet. 'No amount of Namastes will make up for that.' While he hasn't personally apologized to the comedian yet, the Aladdin actor did apologize to Rock via social media in an Instagram post late last month. He wrote, 'I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.' Defending Jada: Smith walked onstage and slapped Rock after the Saturday Night Live alum cracked wise about Jada's shaved head. Jada suffers from alopecia, a hair loss condition Smack down: The Academy Award winner has since resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. He was also banned from the Oscars for 10 years Smith walked onstage and slapped Rock after the Saturday Night Live alum cracked wise about Jada's shaved head. The Matrix Revolutions star suffers from alopecia which causes hair loss. Once he returned to his seat he screamed, multiple times, 'Keep my wife's name out of your f**king mouth,' causing a level of awkwardness in the room. The Academy Award winner has since resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. He was also banned from the Oscars for 10 years. A number of Smith's projects including a sequel to the actor's 2017 sci-fi action thriller 'Bright' directed by David Ayer and Bad Boys 4 are now on hold. Rapper DaBaby has been hit with felony battery charges for an alleged attack that happened at his music video shoot last year. The musician, 30, has been charged by the L.A. County District Attorney's Office for allegedly striking property owner, Gary Pagar, after he attempted to shut down his video shoot. The incident, which happened in early December, reportedly left Pagar with serious injuries, as reported by TMZ Legal trouble: Rapper DaBaby, 30, has been hit with felony battery charges for an alleged attack that happened at his music video shoot last year: Pictured in 2021 An associate of the rapper named Thankgod Awute - who prosecutors claim was DaBaby's 'cohort in crime' - has also received felony robbery charges stemming from the event. DaBaby - born Jonathan Lyndale Kirk - rented Pagars Los Angeles mansion for a week in order to shoot a music video. In a lawsuit filed by the property owner last February, he alleged that the rapper and his management team agreed to keep the number of guests to 12 during his stay, as per their rental agreement. Serious: The musician has been charged by the L.A. County District Attorney's Office for beating up property owner, Gary Pagar, after he attempted to shut down his video shoot (An associate of DaBaby, pictured in yellow plaid shirt, was also involved) Short fuse: Pagar claims that after he attempted to enforce rules regarding the number of people allowed on the property, DaBaby punched him in the mouth, knocking out his tooth (DaBaby pictured in red, yellow and black shirt) Pagar claims that after he realized there were more than 12 people at the property, DaBaby's team falsely assured him that they would not be staying for long. However, when Pagar visited the property on December 2, he found that the rapper was shooting a video with 'upwards of 40 people' at the mansion, which violated the original lease agreement. While trying to resolve the situation, Pagar was allegedly assaulted by a member of DaBabys crew, who pushed him to the ground, as seen in the video of the incident. DaBaby - who's been involved in countless physical altercations over the years - then allegedly punched Pagar in the mouth, knocking out his tooth. The violent incident is one of many in the rapper's history. Last weekend, he appeared to have swung his fist at a member of his own team. One of many: The star has been involved in countless physical altercations over the years, and recently swung his fist at his own artist, Wisdom, during a backstage altercation The incident, which saw him appearing to swing at Wisdom, his signed artist, happened backstage at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, where DaBaby was scheduled to perform for Spring Jam 2022. Earlier this month, the rapper also shot someone in the leg, after alleging that they wandered onto his property, as per TMZ. No arrests were made at the time. He's also been embroiled in a bowling alley altercation with his ex-girlfriend DaniLeigh's, 27, brother Brandon Bills earlier this year, with law enforcement sources saying they were investigating DaBaby for assault with a deadly weapon at the time. Meanwhile a recent video of the rapper surfaced last weekend, showing him fatally shooting 19-year-old Jaylin Craig during a 2018 confrontation at a Walmart in North Carolina. DaBaby was charged with carrying a concealed weapon after the shooting, but did not receive a murder charge as he claimed self-defense and reported that the victim had pulled a gun on him. Rolling Stone published surveillance footage of the incident, sparking a debate in regards to self-defense. Prosecutors sought formal arrest warrants Monday for a woman and her boyfriend who stand accused of causing the 2019 drowning death of the woman's husband for a hefty insurance payout, officials said. Investigators suspect they committed the crime for 800 million won (US$650,000) in insurance money. Police also launched an investigation into suspicions of Lee's ex-lovers who died while snorkeling in Thailand in 2014 and in Incheon in 2010 due to a car accident at Seokbawi Rock. Georgia Harrison went braless under a waist coat while her pal Fran Parman wowed in a mini dress as they enjoyed a night out in London on Saturday. The Love Island star turned heads as she flashed her incredible figure and ample assts in a black waist coat which was held together with one button. Looking simply sensational, the 27-year-old, posed up at storm as she left Park Row restaurant in Soho in the sexy ensemble. Stunning: Love Island's Georgia Harrison, 27, turned heads as she went braless under a black waist coat as she enjoyed a night out in London on Saturday The reality star rocked a pair of wide legged black trousers and added a pair of towering strappy heels to elevate her frame. The beauty slicked her tressed back in a large clip out of her face from a centre parting and accessorised with a bold necklace and a pair of drop earrings. Georgia was joined by TOWIE's Fran, 31, who showcased her incredible legs in a plunging black satin crossover mini dress. Looking good: Georgia (left) and TOWIE's Fran Parman (right) showcased their incredible figures as they left Park Row restaurant in Soho in tall black ensembles Stylish: The Love Island star flashed her incredible figure and ample assts in a black waist coat which was held together with one button The reality star kept warm under a fur jacket and carried her personal belongings in a black handbag. She added some height to her frame in a pair of black heels and accessorised wearing a silver pendant necklace. Fran styled her long brunette tresses down in loose curls as they cascaded down past her shoulders and she opted for a glam makeup palette. Wow: Fran showcased her incredible legs in a plunging black satin crossover mini dress and kept warm under a fur jacket while carrying her personal belongings in a black handbag Also spotted out in London on Saturday night was TOWIE's Danni Imbert who headed to Cloud 9 rooftop bar in London. The beauty looked glamorous as she flashed her toned midriff and belly button piercing in a satin white corset top showcasing her sensational figure. Dannie kept the look casual in a pair of ripped blue denim jeans but added some height to her frame in a pair of clear heels. Girls night: The reality stars rocked a pair of towering strappy heels to elevate their frames as they strutted around the streets The blonde beauty styled her luxurious curls down in a centre parting as she carried her belonging in a white handbag. Georgia's outing comes as she revealed she is 'never dating again' as she continues to struggle with 'trust issues' from her previous relationships. The former Love Island star shared that she has sought counselling to help her overcome her problems surrounding dating. Night out: Fran (right) styled her long brunette tresses down in loose curls as they cascaded down past her shoulders and she opted for a glam makeup palette She admitted she's been on the celebrity dating app Raya for over a year now but remains single while working on herself. In an exclusive interview, Georgia told MailOnline: 'I'm never dating again. I don't date. I genuinely think I've got a lot of issues. Trust issues potentially, and I've started counselling for it.' 'I don't date people enough, and it's not normal at my age. I'm 27, and at my age I should be dating and connecting with people. Fashionista: Also spotted out in London on Saturday night was TOWIE's Danni Imbert who headed to Cloud 9 rooftop bar in London Posing: Dannie kept the look casual in a pair of ripped blue denim jeans but added some height to her frame in a pair of clear heels 'I find it very hard to date people but I'm trying to work through it. It's been around a year since I was on a date' 'I'd like to go to counselling more often, but it's really expensive. I go about once a month and it's really broken the bank. It's 70 [a session] it's not that expensive, but it feels like it is.' Georgia admits counselling has been a useful resource while getting over her dating fears, and reflects on her previous negative relationships. She said: 'I find it really good. I always thought it would be really negative having to bring up past things, but it made me think things about myself, like small patterns that I didn't notice. 'I've learnt why I go for men that won't perhaps treat me the way that I deserve. It's basically an underlying thing, and there's ways of dealing with it. So I feel like I've learnt a bit.' When Bridgerton star Simone Ashley described her mental health struggles and being hard on herself after a failed romance, no names were mentioned. But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the 27-year-olds first serious relationship was with coffee brand manager Luke Richardson, who is 13 years her senior. The couple met in an East London cafe where he was working as a barista and quickly moved in together. They then moved to Los Angeles as Miss Ashley pursued her fledgling screen career, but their two-year relationship ended when Grimsby-born Mr Richardson previously the drummer with indie rock group The Draytones, who once toured with Paul Weller decided to leave California. The couple met in an East London cafe where he was working as a barista and quickly moved in together. They then moved to Los Angeles as Miss Ashley pursued her fledgling screen career, but their two-year relationship ended when Grimsby-born Mr Richardson previously the drummer with indie rock group The Draytones, who once toured with Paul Weller decided to leave California Last month, Miss Ashley told how the role as feisty aristocrat Kate Sharma (above) in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton helped with her mental health after a break-up Last month, Miss Ashley told how the role as feisty aristocrat Kate Sharma in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton helped with her mental health after a break-up. The Surrey-born actress, who has 2.8 million Instagram followers, said: I was going through a break-up in 2019 to 2020, just before I got Bridgerton, and I wasnt taking care of myself. I was being so hard on myself. It is unclear if she was describing being upset at the break-up with Mr Richardson, which was thought to have been in 2017, or a split from a subsequent partner. One of Mr Richardsons family friends said: Everything was great for a couple of years. We genuinely thought they were on track to marry and have kids. 'It was a serious relationship. There is no doubt that Luke was really in love with Simone and the feeling was clearly reciprocated. The source said that Miss Ashley quickly became like one of the family, but added: The closer they seemed to get together, the more Luke seemed to get cold feet. The way it ended was that it came down to this issue of him not wanting to stay in LA. They did the long-distance thing for a while, and that didnt really work. Confirming the romance, Mr Richardsons mother, Margaret, said: Simone was just starting out. She was a lovely girl. She came to our house. 'But I just think her career was taking off she needed to go to America, so it was just one of those things. It was not the right time for both of them. After the split, almost all of the social-media posts linking the pair were deleted. One of the few remaining shows them at a wedding in Ireland in 2017, while Miss Ashley was also pictured holding an ice cream. Referring to Mr Richardson, who went on to work in Bali for coffee brand Arabica, it was captioned: Luke got me sprinkles. The MoS has contacted Miss Ashleys team for comment. Mehreen Kaur is in a happy place! She is busy completing the shooting of her Kannada film, and is done with her Telugu comic caper F3. Her role in F3 is very different from the earlier iterations, and the actress says she will be at her comical best in the Anil Ravipudi directorial. In F2, my role (Honey) has a lot of spunk and I am like a little kid. But in F3, I look mature. The best part of the role is its layers, says the actress, adding that she liked the spirit of the character. Mehreen was one of the actresses who was busy working even during the pandemic. I started working for F3 during that time, she recalls. For F2, I had time to prepare for the part, but for F3, I havent prepared much, as I had to be spontaneous. Also, this is my first franchise film so its very special and I am excited, she says. According to Mehreen, her role mirrors her real-life character. I am quite funny and entertaining in general, and Honey is one of my favourite characters. Everyone loved watching Honey, she says. F3 is about how the situations in life make people run after money, the actress shares. It has a practical core, but has been told in an entertaining way. Mehreen says she loves travelling and taking frequent breaks from work. A peek into her social media handle reveals photos from her recent vacation in Turkey. Travelling is like therapy, she says. I want to meet new people and experience new cultures. I have made a conscious effort to do that more frequently of late, because, due to the pandemic I wasnt travelling, she adds. As someone who travelled extensively, Mehreen finds that, although culturally, people are different, they are all similar when it comes to thought processes. Her six-year-long journey in films, Mehreen says, has been full of learning. I have learnt a lot; I became a better person and my understanding of the craft is strong, she avers. Courtesy of Dickson Phua By David A. Tizzard From the days I worked as a daily wage labourer, I considered the diamond as a god. I realised that harnessing a diamonds true potential was not only an art, but it was also a very precise and exact science. The skills needed to be a proficient diamond-cutter and polisher would take years of training to acquire but the science part remained an enigma to most workers. When I went to Belgium more precisely, Antwerp, the global centre of diamond trade I learnt a lot of this science. Diamond cutting in Antwerp began in the sixteenth century, when many Jewish people who were expelled from Spain and Portugal settled there. The diamond business works on references. I had to go to Antwerp with a sound reference. I spoke to Rameshbhai Raj Kapoor. He readily agreed to accompany me to Antwerp but demanded a three per cent commission in the business. I saw no problem in that. Later, I discussed the matter with Shantibhai and Navinbhai in Bombay, and they not only endorsed my idea of starting a business in Antwerp but also offered a 50 per cent partnership. Navinbhai deputed his younger brother Dilipbhai to accompany me to Antwerp. A hundred people came from Surat in two buses to see me off at Bombay. In the wee hours of 16 January 1977, Dilipbhai and I flew on Sabena, the Belgian national airline, from Bombay to Brussels. We would spend 22 days in Belgium. Without intending to or even realising it, I became the first person in my native district Amreli to go abroad. It was a thrill to experience the time lag. We were flying for eight hours and yet landed in Brussels at 6 am. We added many hours to our life, I told Dilipbhai. He smiled and said: Enjoy, Govindbhai, till you lose them when we fly in the opposite direction. Antwerp is a riverside city like Surat. The Scheldt River drains into the North Sea like the Tapi into the Bay of Khambhat. I lodged myself close to the Diamond Quarter, called Diamantkwartier locally. Its an area of about one square mile consisting of several square blocks where 1,500 companies operate from their small offices doing a turnover of $25 billion every year. It is the undisputed capital of the diamond trade and celebrated in the industry worldwide. Before it was known for its diamonds, Antwerp was the most important trading and financial centre in Western Europe. The worlds first stock exchange was developed in Antwerp, and traded valuable materials such as diamonds, gold, silver and copper. The Antwerp diamond exchange was established around 1456. In the same year, Belgian Lodewyk van Berken invented the Scaif, a polishing wheel infused with a mixture of olive oil and diamond dust. For the first time, it was possible to polish all the facets of the diamond symmetrically at angles that reflected the light in ways never seen before. The Scaif revolutionised diamond polishing. This invention increased orders among the European aristocracy and attracted many diamond artisans. The discovery of diamonds in South Africas Kimberley in 1871 also significantly increased the number of diamonds and established Antwerp as the diamond capital of the world. Back in the 14th and 15th centuries, India was mining diamonds; rough diamonds arriving from India were brought first to the city of Bruges and then to Antwerp in Belgium, where they were polished and set in jewellery for the rich and famous of the colonisers in Europe. There were many Indians in the Diamond Quarter. Most of them young Jains the Mehtas and Shahs from Palanpur in Gujarat arrived there looking for better fortunes. They were working at the bottom of the business with low quality roughs, which offered very small margins of profit. They sent these stones to family members back in India for cutting and polishing, where labour costs were a fraction of those in Antwerp. Cheap labour, large families, and a willingness to work harder than the competition earned the Indians respect in the Antwerp business community and created a new business area for small stones. I found myself at perfect ease in this faraway land. We must invest our profits and begin to move up the value chain, I thought. I started sending rough diamonds to India for processing. On a weekend, we travelled from Antwerp to London. India was still a British Commonwealth country and Indians could enter Britain with a visa on arrival. My surname on the passport was mentioned as Patel, a generic surname of all Patidars then, and the immigration officer took his time to allow me in. Later, I officially changed my surname from Patel to Dholakia. London looked familiar. It was like Bombay. I was surprised to know Londons largest industry was finance. I sat for a while in a public square in the City of London, an area of about one square mile. It was here that the finances of the British Empire, on which the sun had never set, were handled. Before returning to Antwerp, we visited the northwestern boroughs of Harrow and Brent where many Hindu communities had settled. We also went to see the Kohinoor at the Tower of London. We bought rough diamonds of Rs 26 lakhs in that trip. After making gems out of them, we made a profit of Rs 9 lakhs, getting Rs 4.5 lakhs for ourselves and rest for D. Navinchandra & Co. Since we started our firm in 1970, we had never seen a profit of more than Rs 5 lakhs. Seeing it doubling suddenly was indeed thrilling. We made another trip after a few months and bought Rs 39 lakhs worth of roughs, and then made another trip, and so on. We had finally become rich! Excerpted with permission from the publishers, Penguin Enterprise Diamonds are Forever, So are Morals By Govind Dholakia As told to Arun Tiwari and Kamlesh Yagnik Penguin Enterprise pp. 338, Rs.699 CM Jagan met Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi on Saturday. Photo BY ARRANGEMENT. VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday attended the 39 conferences of chief ministers and High Court chief justices in New Delhi on Saturday. Later, he met Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and urged him to sanction medical colleges in 12 districts. He said once cleared the state government would complete the works by December 2023 and start admissions from the 2024 academic session. Reddy said that bifurcation has deprived its residents of critical tertiary care facilities and trained manpower. The Chief Minister said that in order to make administration more responsive, the state government has created 13 more districts to the 13 already in place. He said that the state has 11 medical colleges in the public sector and one each were sanctioned by the Center at Paderu (Alluri Sitharama Raju district), Machilipatnam (Krishna district) and Piduguralla (Palnadu district). The new system is aimed at streamlining the hitherto unorganised process, by following the solid waste management rules. (Representational Image/ DC) Hyderabad: The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) on Thursday initiated the new door-to-door garbage collection system, by roping in around 300 workers and assigning them various streets and colonies. The new system is aimed at streamlining the hitherto unorganised process, by following the solid waste management rules. The move, however, has not gone down well with several resident welfare associations (RWAs), which are objecting to SCBs control over the waste management exercise. We have to be exempted from the new rules as we already have a system in place. We are managing on our own the safety, surveillance and cleanliness of our premises using our own funds, said Arvind Lingala, secretary, Vikrampuri Colony. The residents suggested that the authorities instead focus on regular cleaning and sweeping of roads. SCB officials say the RWAs are not segregating the waste at source, and that there were shortcomings in the way the waste management was being done. We will ensure that there is door-to-door garbage collection all through the year and even during festivals. The new Swacch auto tippers collect the biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste separately, said A. Mahender, sanitary inspector, SCB. The main contention of the petitioners was that the government in 1996 notified 84 villages that fell under GO 111. But, it did not make any efforts to demarcate the catchment area and non- catchment area in each village. DC Image HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Friday allowed land owners to make commercial and high-rise development works in 87 land parcels spread across 948 acres in Vattinagulapally. Earlier, construction approvals had been denied on the ground that the village was mentioned in GO 111 of March 3, 1996, with regard to safety measures in order to safeguard Osmansagar and Himayatsagar. With the court orders, now the land owners in survey numbers 173, 178 to 214, 216 to 260 and 512 of Vattinagulapally can go for development works, after getting approval from the authorities concerned. The land is divided among 377 owners. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili also made it clear that the GO 69 dated 12 April 2022, which made modifications to GO 111, was not applicable to these lands. The court also paved the way for the said lands to proceed with the same developments as adjoining lands like Neopolis, Kokapet SEZ, Puppalguda, US Consulate, Financial district and Q City. The government reports stated that the said lands fell outside the catchment area of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar lakes, so the question of application of GO 69 to the lands does not arise and the land shall certainly be subjected to same development regulations applicable to the adjoining lands, the bench passed orders. Some of the land owners approached the High Court complaining that though their lands did not fall in the catchment area, they were denied developmental works in their lands on pretext of GO 111. They also challenged the applicability of recent G.O 69 upon their lands. The main contention of the petitioners was that the government in 1996 notified 84 villages that fell under GO 111. But, it did not make any efforts to demarcate the catchment area and non- catchment area in each village. They also brought to the notice of the court that Vattinagulapally village had unique geography and drainage pattern as compared to other villages. Their main contention of the petitioners was that the government was permitting high rise buildings to be constructed beside the US Consulate, which was diagonally opposite to their lands. They also brought to the notice of the court that recently auctioned lands at Kokapet were just 700 meters away from the full tank level of the Osmansagar lake, whereas the petitioners lands were admittedly at a distance of three-and-a-half kilometres away from Osmansagar lake. The government allowed the construction of high-rise buildings in auctioned lands but was not permitting any constructions in their lands for 25 years. Hyderabad: Though civic officials claim to boost the citys lung spaces, some persons are taking advantage of unguarded parks and making them safe haven to consume alcohol and drugs, and later cause inconvenience to visitors. The Cha Cha Nehru Park near Masab Tank is one such, with vast spaces where antisocial elements assemble and make merry. Lack of proper lighting and CCTV cameras and inadequate patrolling come handy for teens to indulge in vices. When Deccan Chronicle visited the park, there were multiple used ganja packets, cigarette butts, codeine cough syrup and alcohol bottles strewn around. What is more alarming is that many of these were found near the childrens play area, along with heaps of other waste. Many incidents of harassment of women and robberies at knife-point have been reported in the park, although park officials claim such incidents have reduced drastically in the past few months. Speaking to this newspaper, a park attendant, on condition of anonymity, said teens frequented the parks late in the evening and were often seen consuming alcohol or even drugs. We are on special deployment at this park to deal with such miscreants. I have been working here for a couple of months, he said. There are nine of us, who work in three shifts to deal with this menace. About 40 days ago, a visitor was robbed at knife-point by some of these teens. The miscreants scale the walls and enter the park, the attendant said. Some parts of the park are hidden from the main walkways and there are no lights here. So I usually come around 7 pm to ask visitors to vacate these spots and move to the central areas of the park. Many times, we have had women come running to the security point because they were being chased or harassed by some of these people, the attendant said. A student, who also requested anonymity, said, About three months ago, I came for a walk in the evening with a friend. I noticed five men smoking in one corner. Three men blocked us from behind while two obstructed our path in front. They tried to misbehave with us, and later threatened us, and took away Rs 750 in cash. We complained to the security but the gang had left by the time the guards reached the spot. A GHMC employee at the park said he had witnessed cases of harassment of women as well as instances of youth smoking ganja in the park. Once, a girl who was studying in the park came running, alleging that some of these miscreants were misbehaving with her. When we approached them, they tried to pick up a fight with us. When we said we would call the police, they left. I have also seen teens filling ganja in cigarettes and smoking them in the corners. Park manager Bomma Lakshmi said, Untoward accidents do happen in this park. We have received complaints from staff about miscreants drinking alcohol and smoking ganja. However, I have not received any complaints regarding eve-teasing or misbehaviour. A few months ago, our staff got into a tussle with some of these miscreants, whereby they manhandled our staff. Even though there is police patrolling, and DRF staff deployed in the park, there is an urgent need to increase the number of patrolling staff. I have submitted a complaint in this regard to the enforcement vigilance and disaster management office. However, action is yet to be taken, she added. Hyderabad: YSRC leader and Andhra Pradesh tourism minister R.K. Roja on Thursday met Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao at Pragathi Bhavan. She was accompanied by her husband R.K.Selvamani, daughter and son. Roja was received by CM's wife Shobha and daughter and MLC K. Kavitha. Her meeting came on a day when ministers from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were engaged in a war of words over the remarks made by IT minister K.T.Rama Rao over infrastructure in AP. Roja claimed that she made a courtesy call to Pragathi Bhavan to meet Telangana CM, who is like a fatherly figure to her, and sought his blessings after assuming charge as minister for the first time recently. Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has turned his focus on better delivery of welfare schemes. The schemes form a crucial component of the TRS government's goal of Welfare to every house, Happiness on every face. Although the government has increased expenditure on welfare schemes from Rs 30,000 crore in 2014 to Rs 94,000 crore in 2022, implementing over 400 welfare schemes, the highest in the country, there have been largescale complaints against their lackadaisical implementation. A significant chunk of people have not been receiving benefits in time and some are not receiving anything due to a poor delivery mechanism. Adding to this is the fact that monitoring at the official level has been insignificant. There were many gaps in sanction and release of funds and the actual expenditure incurred on schemes leading to discontent among beneficiaries. Rao will soon review implementation of welfare schemes with ministers and officials and streamline the process, according to official sources. They pointed out that reports obtained by him through various sources on implementation of welfare schemes revealed that only Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima are being implemented effectively. Rythu Bandhu is reaching all the 64 lakh beneficiaries promptly twice a year against an annual expenditure of Rs 15,000 crore. However, implementation of schemes like KCR Kits, Aasara pensions, sheep distribution, Kalyana Lakshmi, Shadi Mubarak, scholarships, fee reimbursement, Arogyasri and 2BHK housing has been found lagging. For instance, although Aasara pensions are to be distributed before the 10th of every month, many beneficiaries are yet to receive the March amounts, including in Medak district. Women beneficiaries are only getting KCR Kits containing 16 items and not the financial assistance of Rs 12,000 in three installments prior and after delivery. Beneficiaries who have paid their share of 25 per cent towards the sheep distribution scheme have not been paid anything since 2018. Fee reimbursement and distribution of scholarships to nearly 13 lakh students are pending for the last two years. Although the state government is sanctioning adequate funds in the budget for implementation of welfare schemes, the problem is arising at the level of the finance department in the release of funds. The department is diverting funds towards irrigation projects and other development programmes whenever there is fund crunch. HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Friday vowed to work for the betterment of the country since the incumbent government at the Centre had destroyed the social environment of the nation by whipping up communal and regional passions. He said Telangana state would have achieved more progress in the past seven years had the Centre performed at least half the work that the Telangana state government had accomplished. Rao added that the Centre had been ailing with a 'disease' which needed to be cured. The Chief Minister was speaking at an iftar party hosted by the government at LB Stadium. Home minister Mohd Mahmood Ali, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, elected representatives of the TRS and the AIMIM and clerics and religious heads were present. Addressing the gathering in Urdu, the Chief Minister said, "Like we have achieved Telangana state eight years ago and placed it on the top in the country in development and welfare, I want to focus on the country to improve the conditions. A sad state of affairs is prevailing in the country at present and needs to be changed. It is the responsibility and duty of all to work for the betterment of the country. I am ready to discharge my duties and fulfil my responsibilities. I am confident of achieving the desired results with the support of people and the blessings of Allah." Stating that Telangana was the only state in the country which was shining with development in all sectors and the rest of India was in darkness, Rao said, "Prior to formation of Telangana state eight years ago, there was no power, drinking water and irrigation water. We have now resolved all these issues. Only Telangana is able to provide 24x7 quality power to all sectors today while other states are languishing in darkness due to power cuts. This development model needs to be replicated in the entire country. Cautioning the people against 'communal and divisive forces', the Chief Minister said, "Look what is happening in Bengaluru, known to be the silicon valley of India. These disruptive forces are spewing venom in the name of religion. Not just in Bengaluru, it is being spread across the country. We need to set these things right. These disruptive forces may succeed for a while, but it is temporary. Ultimately, it is humanity and wisdom that prevail." He said Telangana's per capita income had grown from Rs 1.27 lakh in 2014 to Rs 2.78 lakh in 2021 and GSDP had grown from Rs 5 lakh crore to Rs 11.54 lakh crore. Noted economists opined that if the Centre had performed at least half of Telangana's performance, our state's GSDP would have increased to more than Rs 14 lakh crore. We suffered due to a non-performing government at the Centre, he said. The Congress-Prashant Kishor saga continues to be a subject of animated discussion in the party. The entire episode, which played out over several days and ended with the poll strategist declining Sonia Gandhis offer to join the party, has obviously embarrassed the Congress. But more than that, it has dented party general secretary Priyanka Gandhis image. It is an acknowledged fact that she was insisting that Mr Kishor be invited to join the party and help plan and manage the next round of elections. Priyanka had similarly messed up when she insisted on Navjot Singh Sidhus appointment as president of Punjab Congress, triggering a chain of events which eventually proved to be disastrous for the party. Once touted as the Congress Partys brahmastra Priyankas track record so far has not been particularly inspiring. Her political choices are being increasingly questioned even by her diehard loyalists in the party who were once convinced Priyanka would be a better alternative than Rahul Gandhi. Well, not anymore. Delhi and Punjab chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Singh Mann recently signed a knowledge-sharing agreement to enable the two state governments to cooperate in various fields of public welfare. This comes shortly after the two chief ministers faced flak when a group of officials from Punjab met Mr Kejriwal in Delhi without Mr Mann. The Opposition immediately dubbed the meeting as unconstitutional and accused Mr Kejriwal of running the Punjab government through remote control. This agreement, the Delhi political grapevine insists, is essentially a cover to enable Mr Kejriwal to interact with the Punjab bureaucracy, dictate policy and exercise control over the Mann government without attracting Opposition ire. It is widely believed that Mr Kejriwal cannot and will not allow Mr Mann to function independently as it would enhance the latters stature since he heads a larger state. For the past several years now, ministers in the Narendra Modi government were discouraged from interacting with the media unless they were assigned to do so. Information on their respective ministries was to be conveyed only through official channels, they were told. However, theres a perceptible change now as ministers are calling up selected groups of press persons for informal briefings. For instance, last week Mansukh Mandaviya, chemicals and fertilizers ministers, and his colleague power minister R.K. Singh were among those who invited journalists for such a briefing. This can probably be put down to the fact that the country is facing a severe power crisis due to the shortage of coal while Russias war in Ukraine has worsened the fertilizer crisis not just in India but across the world. This has forced the government to hike the subsidy on fertilizers to bail out the farming community. With Naresh Patel, the influential head of the Khodaldham Trust, keeping the Congress guessing about his political future, the party has finally decided to keep its own Patidar leader, Hardik Patel, in good humour. Hardik had been upset at being sidelined and had gone public with his grievances, even suggesting that he could leave the Congress. Gujarat Congress leaders had pinned their hopes on poll strategist Prashant Kishor persuading his good friend Naresh Patel on joining the party as that would have minimised any damage from Hardik's possible defection. Now that talks with Kishor have fallen through and Naresh Patel has said he is still 'thinking' about his political debut, Gujarat Congress leaders have gone into damage control mode. Realising the party has lost precious time in Gujarat where both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party are already in campaign mode, a fresh outreach to Hardik has begun. Last week, Gujarat Congress chief Jagdish Thakor and other leaders put in an appearance at a function to mark Hardik Patels fathers death anniversary. Hardik has apparently been assured he will be kept in the loop on all key decisions in the future. However, this may yet fail to placate Hardik as he wants sufficient say in ticket distribution. After sulking for the past two years, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda finally pressured the Congress leadership to replace his bete noire Kumari Selja with his protege Udai Bhan as the president of the partys state unit. The initial proposal was to give charge of Haryana Congress to Mr Hooda but the latter was reluctant to give up his current position as leader of opposition in the state Assembly. The next big question is whether Mr Hooda will flex his muscles when it comes to picking the partys candidate for the Rajya Sabha when elections are held this August following the retirement of two Upper House members from Haryana. The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are set to get one seat each. It is being speculated that Ms Selja could be accommodated in the Rajya Sabha provided Hooda doesnt nix the proposal. Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, who is looking to return to the Rajya Sabha after his retirement, also has his eye on the upcoming Haryana vacancy. Mr Sharma is at an advantage here as he is a close friend of Hooda. Steel-to-salt conglomerate Tata Group is evaluating plans to enter the chip-making business to cut its reliance on imports. The news came at a time when a global semiconductor shortage has hurt the production of everything from cars to computers. Manufacturing semiconductors is a space we are looking at. We have already gotten into precision manufacturing and related assembly in the semiconductor value chain, said N Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Sons, the groups main holding company. Tata is in talks with Tamil Nadu to set up its chip-making unit, a senior government official told DH. Tamil Nadu has proposed Coimbatore for the factory, even as the group continued talks with other South Indian states such as Karnataka and Telangana for the same. It is also considering the option to acquire assets in the chip-making space outside India, the source said. Tata also revealed plans to make batteries for electric vehicles, promising more details of the venture at a later date. Earlier on Friday, the EV arm of Tata Motors unveiled its new-generation platform which will roll out electric cars with a minimum range of 500 km and advanced technology features including voice assist, artificial intelligence and machine language, hoping to woo buyers in India and abroad. Currently, the electric cars in Tata Motors portfolio Tata Nexon EV and Tata Tigor EV give a range of around 300 km. The platform, dubbed Tata Avinya, will see multiple EV models, with the first one expected to hit the road by 2025. Chandrasekaran said the group wanted to attain total assurance and capabilities to deliver top-quality electric cars. While it was aligned with the governments goal of cutting down emissions, our ambition is much larger, he said. The EVs made on the new platform will be ready for all global terrains, said Shailesh Chandra Managing Director, Tata Motors. With this architecture, the goal is to go global, eventually, and be the best, said Chandrasekaran. Watch the latest DH Videos here: By James M. Dorsey Russia and the Nordic countries' pavilions at this year's Venice Biennale, the world's most prestigious art exhibition, project two different concepts of civilization, nationalism and sovereignty that have come to blows in Ukraine. Newly renovated, brooding and inward-looking, Russia's art nouveau pavilion stands empty and abandoned after its Lithuanian curator and artists resigned in protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A lone armed guard is what is left of what would have been Russia's cultural contribution. The pavilion, located in Giardini, a Venice city park, is expected to attract protesters instead of visitors. By contrast, the modern structure representing the Nordic states, Sweden, Norway and Finland radiates light and openness at a time that Russia's actions have prompted Swedes and Finns to consider trading in their long-standing neutrality for membership in Moscow's nemesis, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Nordic pavilion also breathes the kind of inclusiveness and historical reconciliation that is diametrically opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin's concept of a Russian world whose borders are defined by representations of Russian civilization rather than international law. By dedicating their gazebo to the Sami and letting artists from an indigenous minority populate it, Scandinavians opted to project an ethnicity that views them as colonizers. "It acknowledges the Sami as a nation that exists across contiguous borders; it makes space for a different notion of nation," said Jolene Rickard, an art historian specializing in indigenous art and a member of the Tuscarora Nation, a Native American tribe. The unprecedented gesture projects a national and ethnic identity that, even though it crosses internationally recognized boundaries and is civilizational, is all-encompassing, welcoming and harmonious. It jars with the civilizationism advocated by Putin and his autocratic counterparts in Asia, Europe and the Americas that is fueled by anger, grievance, righteousness and a quest for an imaginary past. By implication, the Nordic pavilion puts forward a 21st-century notion of sovereignty that acknowledges that multiple 21st-century common challenges and identities transcend national borders. It is a notion that embraces globalization rather than a definition of sovereignty that puts the nation-state beyond international law and the supervision of supranational organizations like the United Nations, views the nation as a homogeneous, ethnocultural entity where minorities or immigrants are accepted only if they agree to assimilate and embraces economic protectionism as a defense against globalization. A traditionally semi-nomadic people who number some 100,000, the Sami are scattered across northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia's Kola Peninsula. For much of the last two centuries, they were culturally repressed and endangered by deforestation and settlement on lands where they lived, hunted and herded reindeer. Definitions of nationalism, civilizationism and sovereignty are one aspect of the Sami struggle and perhaps not the one that is foremost in Sami minds. More immediate for them are their critical 21st-century challenges that have shaped their quest: the impact of climate change, the building of wind turbine farms on their land, land dispossession for mineral extraction and dam construction. The Sami-themed pavilion in Venice is the latest Nordic step in recognizing the groups' rights and addressing past wrongs. Despite having their own elected parliaments in Scandinavia that focus on cultural, educational and developmental issues, many Samis feel that racism remains rife and that they still have little say about what happens on or to their land. As a result, Samis may feel that Nordic states could do more. Even so, the principles underlying the Nordic engagement entail a vision of identity, nationalism and civilization that holds out the prospect of a world in which grievances and challenges are addressed non-violently in accordance with accepted norms and rules. Despite the rise of populist anti-immigrant sentiment in countries like Sweden, Nordic engagement contrasts starkly with Russia's track record of violent confrontation, brutal military aggression and land grabs in violation of international law. The juxtaposition of the Russian and Nordic pavilions at the Biennale graphically illustrates the battle for the shape of this century's world order that is being fought in the streets of Ukrainian cities, towns and villages. It is a battle not only over Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity but also over the definition of the concepts of sovereignty, nationalism and civilization. Dr. James M. Dorsey (jamesmdorsey@substack.com) is an award-winning journalist and scholar, a senior fellow at the National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute and adjunct senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Shell Overseas Investment B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell plc (Shell), has signed an agreement with Actis Solenergi Limited (Actis) to acquire 100 per cent of Solenergi Power Private Limited for $1.55 billion and with it, the Sprng Energy group of companies. Solenergi Power Private Limited is incorporated in Mauritius and is the direct shareholder of the Sprng Energy group of companies in India. Sprng Energy, headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra, will retain its existing brand and operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell within Shells Renewables and Energy Solutions Integrated Power business. The transaction is subject to regulatory clearance and is expected to close later this year. This deal positions Shell as one of the first movers in building a truly integrated energy transition business in India, said Wael Sawan, Shells Integrated Gas, Renewables and Energy Solutions Director in a press release on Friday. I believe it will enable Shell to become a leader across the power value chain in a rapidly growing market where electrification on a massive scale and strong demand for renewables are driving the energy transition. Sprng Energy generates cash, has an excellent team, strong and proven development track record and a healthy growth pipeline. Sprng Energys strengths can combine with Shell Indias thriving customer-facing gas and downstream businesses to create even more opportunities for growth, Sawan said. According to the release, the solar and wind assets Shell acquires through the deal will triple Shells present renewable capacity in operation and help deliver its Powering Progress strategy. An important part of the strategy is to develop a best-in-class integrated power business, which will help Shell to reach its target of becoming a profitable net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, the release said. Check out the latest videos from DH: Amidst last minute drama, Hamza Shehbaz, son of Pakistans new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Saturday took the oath of chief minister of Punjab, the countrys most populous province with 110 million people. National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath of office to 47-year-old Hamza at the Governor House here. Earlier in the morning, Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema rejected the resignation of outgoing chief minister Usman Buzdar and restored his Cabinet. He also declared Hamza's election as constitutionally invalid. Governor Cheema also lodged a strong protest over Punjab police taking over the charge of the Governor House from its security personnel to ensure a smooth oath taking ceremony of Hamza. As the ceremony was underway, Cheema urged the chief justice to take notice of the police occupying the Governor House. "The drama of a fake chief minister's oath has been performed in an unconstitutional manner and the chief justice should take note of this," he said, adding that he would also write to President Arif Alvi on this issue. Soon after the oath taking ceremony, Punjab chief secretary notified that Hamza has assumed the charge of the chief minister's office. On Friday, the Lahore High Court asked the National Assembly Speaker to administer the oath of Hamza. Earlier, the court had ordered Governor Cheema to administer the oath but he refused, citing Hamzas election as unconstitutional. Hamza was elected the Chief Minister of Punjab on April 16 during an assembly session marred by violence in which Speaker Parvez Elahi and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Asia Amjad suffered injuries. The PTI-led coalition had boycotted the election after its 26 lawmakers defected to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and voted for Hamza. Hamza's father and Prime Minister Shehbaz served as Punjab Chief Minister, a province of 110 million people, three times. Hamza, who served a 20-month jail term in the money laundering and income beyond means cases in the previous government of Imran Khan, has become the provinces chief minister for the first time. He is facing another corruption case of Rs 14 billion instituted by the Federal Investigation Agency. He is on a pre-arrest bail till May 14 in this case. A senior ruling PML-N leader told PTI that Shehbaz would be the defecto chief minister of Punjab. "Shehbaz had effectively run the affairs of Punjab during his three tenures. Now he will be calling the shots in Punjab as his son will merely be assisting him," he said. Watch the latest DH Videos here: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday took a dig at the BJP and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal with a poem over the Delhi Chief Minister's "mannerless" posture row. The BJP had criticised Kejriwal on Wednesday over his "mannerless" posture during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Covid situation in the country and questioned whether this is how a chief minister should behave at an important meeting. Tagging a media report on the BJP's criticism of Kejriwal, Tharoor shared a poem "There once was a CM of Delhi who stretched from his head to his belly; The onscreen reticulation revealed his pandiculation so BJP frothed & quivered like jelly!" Tweeting a video of Modi's interaction with chief ministers, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) IT cell head Amit Malviya had said, "Arvind Kejriwal continues to disgrace himself with uncouth mannerism." In the video, Kejriwal was seen sitting in a relaxed manner with his hands behind his head. Asking whether this is how a chief minister should behave at an important meeting, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla had wondered whether Kejriwal was "bored or mannerless or both" The virtual meeting of the prime minister with the chief ministers was convened to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the country. Check out DH's latest videos: Supporters of Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Saturday said they were withdrawing their call for "jail bharo" (courting arrest) agitation as the independent MLA from Gujarat has been released from jail in Assam. The agitation had been announced to protest Mevani's arrest by Assam Police last week. A court in the northeastern state on Friday granted him bail in a case where he is accused of assaulting a woman police personnel. "Since Mevani is released from jail and there is no other FIR against him, we have withdrawn our agitation," said his close aide Subodh Parmar. Read | FIRs filed against me in disregard of law: Mevani "We wanted to make the point that it is better for us to surrender ourselves to the police than letting them arrest us on false grounds," he added. Earlier, a tweet from Mevani's handle had said the agitation will proceed till he was set free without any new First Information Report being registered against him. Mevani, MLA from Vadgam Assembly constituency in Gujarat, on Saturday completed pending bail formalities at the Kokrajhar court in Assam, and was set to return to his home state. Last week, Mevani was picked up by an Assam Police team from Palanpur in Gujarat over his purported tweet claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "considered Godse as God." Soon after being released on bail in the case, he was rearrested for allegedly assaulting a policewoman who was part of the police party which accompanied him to Kokrajhar. Watch latest videos by DH here: Where to Watch / Stream Berlin JWD Online Theatrical release - Not available on any OTT Platform right now. Advertisements Berlin JWD : Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Songs About Berlin JWD Berlin JWD was released on May 01, 2022 and was directed by Bernhard Sallmann .This movie is 1 hr 14 min in duration and is available in English language. Berlin JWD is available in genre. Berlin JWD - Star Cast And Crew B Bernhard Sallmann Director Disclaimer: All content and media has been sourced from original content streaming platforms, such as Disney Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc. Digit Binge is an aggregator of content and does not claim any rights on the content. The copyrights of all the content belongs to their respective original owners and streaming service providers. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Summit could mark milestone in bilateral ties Incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden are scheduled to hold their first summit in Seoul on May 21 to discuss how to strengthen the alliance and deepen the partnership between the two countries. The summit will come only 11 days after Yoon is sworn in as president May 10. This will mark the earliest-ever meeting between the leaders of the allies following a South Korean president's inauguration. Both Seoul and Washington certainly feel the urgent need for better ties and enhanced cooperation amid growing North Korean military threats, the ongoing Russian war on Ukraine and the escalating rivalry between the U.S. and China. Thus, Yoon and Biden are expected to work together closely to open a new era in bilateral relations. It is worth noting that Yoon has already promised to further develop the two countries' comprehensive strategic alliance not only in defense and security but also in other areas such as the economy, trade, technology and climate change. Biden also needs South Korea's cooperation in bilateral, regional and international issues as he is vying to regain the U.S.' global leadership and restoring its alliance and partnership with like-minded democracies. Most of all, the two leaders should take advantage of their scheduled summit to upgrade the bilateral alliance to better cope with mounting tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has conducted 13 launches of different types of missiles, including a hypersonic ballistic missile, so far this year. It even test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, scrapping its self-imposed moratorium on ICBM and nuclear tests. More seriously, its leader Kim Jong-un recently threatened to use nuclear weapons. There are also concerns that Pyongyang may conduct a seventh nuclear test as early as next month. Against the backdrop, Yoon and Biden need to work out a new strategy to prevent the recalcitrant North from making further provocations. They are likely to discuss ways of deploying U.S. strategic assets to South Korea to enhance deterrence against possible nuclear attacks from North Korea. Beefing up the bilateral security alliance is, no doubt, crucial to ensure peace and stability on the peninsula and in the region. It is also necessary for the two presidents to hammer out measures to lure the North back to dialogue and prod it to move toward denuclearization. Yoon and Biden are also predicted to accelerate the economic partnership between the two allies. Bilateral technology cooperation is necessary for the U.S. to establish its own supply chain for semiconductors and other strategic goods. They are likely to discuss cooperation in the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific to counter China's growing influence in the region. In addition, Biden is expected to ask Yoon to mend ties with Japan in order to push for trilateral cooperation, while calling for Korea's active participation in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a U.S.-led security partnership involving Australia, Japan and India. We hope that Seoul and Washington will make successful results in the May 21 summit to open a new chapter in bilateral ties and upgrade their alliance to a more comprehensive strategic partnership based on mutual respect, trust and cooperation. Woori Bank should make excruciating efforts to correct problems It is dumbfounding that an employee of Woori Bank, one of the country's major commercial banks, was arrested for embezzling more than 61.4 billion won ($47 million). The case is all the more shocking in that it took place at the headquarters of the nation's fourth-largest lender despite the need for it to manage money securely. According to the bank and the police Thursday, the lender discovered the embezzlement through an internal inspection, and referred the case to the police for further investigation. The man, who has yet to be identified, turned himself in at Namdaemun Police Station in central Seoul. The employee was found to have transferred 61.4 billion won to his own accounts over six years starting from 2012 while in charge of financial rescheduling of insolvent companies. The embezzled money is believed to be part of what Woori Bank confiscated from an Iranian home appliance maker following the breakdown of a merger deal involving the now-defunct Daewoo Electronics. Police said they are confirming details regarding the use of the money, adding they suspect the employee may have spent a huge amount of money on stock investments. On Friday, police also arrested the employee's younger brother on charges of abetting. The recent case is far more sizable compared to most other embezzlement cases in the past 24.6 billion won concerning Keyang Electric Machinery and 11.5 billion won involving an official of Gangdong-gu Office. Only the Osstem Implant case involving 221 billion won earlier this year is larger. These cases are serious as they show that our society is swayed by the trend of "money makes it all." The recent case at the bank is far more serious and will likely have a far-flung impact since it involves a major first-tier lender. It is unbelievable that it took place at the bank's headquarters, rather than a branch, and went completely undetected for six years. This proves the bank has a serious defect in its internal control systems. The bank has been pursuing management with a focus on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) values. Yet, the recent case has tarnished those efforts. Woori Bank cannot avoid criticism for having failed to adopt a cross-check system of handling money strictly, delegating money management to the relevant employee. This shows the bank has failed to take even the basic steps needed for tight money management. Now the bank should thoroughly review the problems and make excruciating efforts to prevent such bungling from occurring again. If not, the bank may face a serious setback as its clients may turn their back on it. Though Korea has been regarded as an advanced economy, its financial sector has a long way to go. Now is the time for local banks to adopt advanced financial systems by, for instance, diversifying their business models, beyond seeking profits from interest only. It is not enough to punish only the employee. The executive members including CEO and relevant officials of the Financial Supervisory Service should take due responsibility for the case. Financial authorities and the nation's other commercial banks should take appropriate measures to protect themselves from similar humiliating embezzlement cases. Standing in Aiken Military Barracks on Wednesday of last week during the ceremony to mark the centenary of the last British troops to leave Dundalk and its occupation by forces representing the Provisional Government on April 13, 1922, I was left wondering 'What went wrong 100 years ago'? I was quite proud to have lived to see that anniversary but also a little sad to recall what happened afterwards in Dundalk which led to such bloodshed that had occurred during the ensuing Civil War! I was reminded of the words of Dr. Rory O'Hanlon, Carrickmacross, with whom I was privileged to have shared a primary school class in St. Mary's College, Dundalk, when he remarked while speaking at the launch of a book about events in Monaghan at that time, 'I was born within touching distance of the Revolution'! Well, he is a few months older than I am but not much and I hope that we may both live just a little longer. The reason I mention Dr. O'Hanlon was that his father was one of the Michael Collins squad, known as 'The Twelve Apostles', that was involved in the execution of British spies in Dublin on that fateful day in November 1920 that came to be known as 'Bloody Sunday' and afterwards supported the Anti-Treaty side in the Civil War. My own father was an ardent Collins supporter whose nearest in age sister was shot at the start of the Civil War , one of the two first civilian casualties, and, presumably as a result, he joined the National Army in support of the Treaty! Attending that centenary ceremony I could not help but reflect that a very similar situation is unfolding in the Ukraine at the present time and wondering how it might effect the people of Ireland? It seems that there was no formal hand-over ceremony on that day in April 1922 and, according to Sergeant Ricardo Lucchesi, curator of a museum at the Aiken Barracks, the British actually cut down the flag-pole before they left! The other thing that came to my mind was that, while I thought I knew quite a bit about the history of the start of the Civil War in Dundalk, speaking to a number of people there, I realised that I might have got a lot of the facts wrong! Some things I will not mention here, in case it might offend some of the descendants of those involved who are still alive. First, however, I would like to correct an error I made in connection with the man who was Frank Aiken's second in command of the 4th Northern Division of the I.R.A. at the time. I referred to him as 'Frank McCoy' from Mullaghbawn while, if fact, he was John McCoy. I had been told that his statement to the Bureau of Military History was one of the most definitive records of the events of the time and, having read it more than once, I have to agreed this it is! I had understood from it that he must have been one of the volunteers who took over the Barracks in 1922, however, having read it again, I wonder if I was mistaken because, in his statement, says that he had moved his military activities from Newry to Dundalk and that the Barracks had been taken over in March 1922. Surely, if he had been present, he would not have made that mistake? McCoy did not make his statement to the Military Tribunal until March 1951 and was then living in Kill, County Kildare, so that his memory at that stage might have been faulty. He was, however, the person that the Government trusted to witness many other statements, including that of the Editor of the Democrat, Frank Necy, who submitted one in relation to his part in the 1916 Rising. I might add that I have a great admiration for John McCoy and consider that he was a person who may not have got credit for this part in the establishment of our State to which he was entitled. He certainly worked hard to prevent the Civil War occurring and, like Frank Aiken, tried to maintain a neutral position, which proved to be untenable! One of the other interesting parts of his statement that I note is that he says that his mother was an O'Hanlon and, as such, probably was a relative of Dr. Rory O'Hanlon, whom I mentioned previously, who was from the same County Armagh district. My own mother, who is mentioned in at least one of the Military History statements, always maintained that women did not get as much credit as they were entitled to for their part in the Fight for Independence - and I believe that she was correct! There are many more interesting details in John McCoy's fairly lengthy statement which will probably come to light when other events in Dundalk in 1922 are being remembered and I look forward to learning more about them. The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) Branch Committee at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) says it has little enough confidence that the current leadership at DkIT could deliver on achieving Technological University status for the institute and says that this institute needs new leadership to take us forward. The DkIT TUI branch was responding to comments made to the Dundalk Democrat by a spokesperson at DkIT, where it said they are confident we are progressing in the right direction in their progress on seeking TU status. The Dundalk Democrat raised the matter with DkIT last week after concerns were raised by the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) at its annual conference about the lack of progress being made in seeking TU status. When asked about its plans for seeking TU status and how they were progressing, DkIT said it was pleased with the recent declarations of support from Simon Harris, Minister for Higher Education at his address of the TUI Congress 2022. In his address to the TUI congress Minister Harris said: There has been some concern expressed that Dundalk IT and IADT Dun Laoghaire will be left behind but, speaking for myself, for the Department and the HEA, I can assure you that that is not the case. The HEA continues to provide financial and expert guidance for these Institutes, indeed with a special adviser providing support. However, Institutes are autonomous and ultimately it is a matter for their governing bodies to decide. Of course, there is still room for diversity in the sector. We stand ready to assist both of these Institutes within the parameters of what is possible under the existing policy and legislation. DkIT says that the Minister's comments at the congress further solidified the commitment from the government to support the Institute on its journey to become a significant campus within a regional multi-campus Technological University. It went on to say that the Institute has received exchequer financing via the Technological University Transformation Funding to support its path towards Technological University designation. DkIT is also availing of the technical advice and support services of the respected Higher Education Authority (HEA) special advisor on higher education policy, Dr. Ruaidhri Neavyn, who will continue to assist the Institute as an external expert advisor. The Governing Body, Leadership Team and all staff are fully engaged with Dr. Ruaidhri Neavyn on the Institutes progression towards Technological University Status. The Dundalk Democrat put to DkIT that its statement covered information that had already been covered in the media in the past, including commitment of government support and exchequer financing, and the fact that the assistance of Dr Ruaidhri Neavyn in the project was first announced in 2020. The Democrat asked if this means that the Institute has not made any further progress in the project and questioned that if it has, to provide an update on what that progress was and asked if a timeline was available. In response DkIT said that the government is firm in its support which is important, and they continue to fund us on a yearly basis on our TU journey so their continued backing is a reflection of their confidence in us achieving TU status. They have repeatedly stated over the last 12 months that they recognise that the whole of the Institute is completely aligned and committed to become a campus of a Regional Technological University. It added that it continues to work on the metrics which are reviewed on a yearly basis, adding that is has three out of four with the last metric regarding research to be achieved by September 2022. With regards to the assistance of Dr Ruaidhri Neavyn in the project first being announced in 2020, DkIT acknowledged that this was the case, adding but since then he has been actively working with the Schools and Departments of the Institute on a granular level in preparation for us achieving TU Status. We are confident we are progressing in the right direction. The spokesperson added that Technologically University Status will be subject to a section 38, which will mean we will merge with an already formed Technologically University. The DkIT TUI branch said however that the Section 38 application requires a joint submission, from both DkIT and an existing TU. The trouble is, four years ago, without any consultation with the Leadership Team and or the Governing Body, the President's Office withdrew DkIT from discussions with the very institutes that went on to become the TUs, one of which we would now need as a willing partner if we are to implement a Section 38. The local TUI branch said that willfully ignoring the union's loud and consistent ringing of the alarm bell, the previous Governing Body and key senior managers refused to act while the President's Office took us out, and kept us out, of the TU conversation. Union action in response to this strategic misleading has resulted in the HEA stepping in to help guide our development. This is to be welcomed. Over the last twelve months, there have been three information sessions for all staff. The local branch added however that, at these meetings, the full impact of what the union had long warned was made clear. And yet, the President's Office refuses point blank to acknowledge any responsibility for the decisions to withdraw DkIT from the TU discussions and the negative consequences which have flowed from that strategic failure. This institute needs new leadership to take us forward. The British consul heads to the Korean palace in the 1890s. Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff On April 10, 1901, the British representative in Korea presented the Order of the Grand Commander of the Indian Empire to Emperor Gojong. The Korea Review an English-language magazine published in Seoul declared in a very short article that the document accompanying the decoration was one of the last signed by the late Queen Victoria with her own hand. For such an amazing honor, it seems somewhat disappointing the Korea Review deigned to celebrate it with such a short article. Fortunately, soldiers and sailors love to complain and moan and often lack the tact of their diplomatic counterparts. A British sailor his identity is not given accompanied his captain along with three other officers to Seoul in order to confer the award, which he described as "a somewhat magnificent order, badge, and collar, evidently instituted to a great extent as suitable for dusky potentates, &c." All arrangements had been made for the award to be bestowed upon the emperor but at the last moment the ceremony was postponed by a day. The following day, the five sailors in their dress uniforms proceeded from the British consulate to the palace in chairs borne by six coolies. A large Korean military guard preceded them and they were accompanied by two Korean officers who rode alongside them in their own chairs. According to our witness: "The palace appeared to me to be a collection of low rambling buildings, commanded by walls and large gates, all very Chinese style of architecture. Soldiers guard all entrances, and everybody entering is greeted at once by shrill whistles, repeated at different portions of the palace, to announce to the Emperor and his attendants a stranger on the scene. The fear of assassination is ever with this monarch. It is not so very long ago that his Queen was cut down within the palace walls, and he takes the utmost precautions and is guarded in every way. We duly passed the guards, were announced by the whistles, and then, stopping at a fairly large building, were received on the steps of it by the Minister of the Household, to whom we were presented by our Consul." Afterwards they were led into a large reception room that "was furnished according to supposed Western ideas." His criticism is especially telling as Antoinette Sontag seems to have been responsible for the selection of furniture and cuisine. Deoksu Palace circa 1900s Robert Neff Collection According to our sailor: "It rather gave me the idea of a cheap boarding house or something of the kind, carpeted with bright flaring carpet, the windows hung with the ordinary net or imitation lace curtains common in England. A heavy glass chandelier hung from the ceiling over a small table covered by a red cloth. Many plush-upholstered chairs were arranged round the room, and beyond a small clock and a screen of [Korean] work (the only decent thing in the room by the way), which screened off a corner of the room devoted to a small table of refreshments, and one or two attendants, there was no other furniture." It was here that they met the Korean courtiers, "dressed in dark green gowns and wearing the horsehair netted head-dress of the country." The sailor seems to have found some interest in the accessories of the uniforms "buttons worn behind the ears, either made of jade or gold, and a very comical belt, many sizes too large for them, of metal and stone, stiff as a barrel hoop, and evidently slug to their gowns somehow, for it is useless as a belt." It is interesting to note that instead of coffee (which the Americans were generally provided) they were offered "tea (European fashion, milk and sugar) and cigars and cigarettes and biscuits." Like any good military man, our commentator was annoyed with the delay: "We had a long wait here, as, with the procrastination peculiar to Eastern Courts, no arrangements had been made by the Korean authorities, no details of procedure had been demanded, and, beyond the bare day being fixed, they had done nothing, despite vigorous efforts on the part of our Consul, to get everything arranged beforehand. It took quite an hour to arrange the preliminaries of our being presented, some slight flaw in a Chinese character in the document announcing investiture had to be gone into, then it had to be arranged that the order and insignia should be presented to, and not placed on, his Majesty as his sacred person cannot be touched the method of wearing the sash and collar had to be shown, and so on ad lib. until we got very tired indeed." An overview of Deoksu Palace in the 1900s Robert Neff Collection Two men are in custody in a garda station in Cork following separate operations conducted in the Gurranabraher area on Friday. As part of Operation Tara, a house in the Gurranabraher area was searched shartly after 5pm under warrant by members of the Serious Crime and Drugs Units based at Gurranabraher station. "Cannabis herb worth in excess of 20k (anaylsis pending) was seized along with 7k in cash," a spokesperson said. "Other items including mobile phones and electronic scales were also seized." A man in aged in his late 20s was arrested and is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice Drugs Trafficking Act, 1996 at Gurranabraher station. He can be held for up to seven days. "In a separate operation, shortly before 8pm, members of the Cork Divisional Drugs and local Drugs Units searched a house under warrant also in the Gurranabraher area of the City," the spokesperson said. "Cocaine worth in excess of 8k was seized (analysis pending) along with 4k in cash. "A man in his late 30s was arrested and is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice Drugs Trafficking Act, 1996 at Gurranabraher station." Gardai said all drugs seized will now be sent for to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. LUSAKA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Friday sealed a bilateral agreement on manufacturing electric vehicle batteries. Under the agreement, the two sides will jointly explore minerals that are critical raw materials for battery-manufacturing and give full play to their rich cobalt and lithium resources. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and his DRC counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, attended the signing ceremony at the Mulungushi International Conference Center in Lusaka, the Zambian capital. According to a communique released after the ceremony, Zambia and the DRC, holding together approximately 70 percent of the world's cobalt reserves, have agreed to implement the initiative in the "shortest possible time." The two countries will not only establish a joint governing council and a technical committee to monitor the implementation process, but also develop industrial zones as support, it said. Calling the signing of the agreement as key to poverty alleviation in the two countries, Hichilema said the initiative has sent a message that Africa was tired of being a source of raw materials and wanted to start exporting finished products. Meanwhile, Tshisekedi pointed out that the agreement will create value chains for producing electric vehicle batteries and help transform the economies of both countries. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Export-Import Bank have made commitments to support the initiative in resource mobilization and its successful implementation. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, attends a parade to celebrate the 110th birth anniversary of its late founder Kim Il-sung, at the Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 15, in this photo provided by the North Korean government. AP-Yonhap By David A. Tizzard By Kim Sang-woo The apparent attack and sinking of the Black Sea Fleet's flagship, the Moskva, represents a symbolic blow to the Kremlin. The Moskva was the pride of its fleet and the most prestigious vessel involved in the war against Ukraine. "The sinking of the Moskva is not just a significant loss, it is emblematic of the shambolic Russian military campaign," said Michael Kofman, the research program director and a Russia expert at the Center for Naval Analysis. Confirmation of the sinking came as CIA Director William Burns warned that Vladimir Putin may resort to using a tactical or low-yield nuclear weapon in light of his country's military setbacks. During a speech in Atlanta, Burns said: "Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low-yield nuclear weapons." The Kremlin placed Russian nuclear forces on high alert shortly after beginning the war on Feb. 24, and furthered its nuclear rhetoric on April 14 when it said it would be forced to strengthen its defenses in the Baltic if Finland and Sweden join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), including by deploying nuclear weapons. Burns, however, said the U.S. has not seen "a lot of practical evidence" of any actual deployments that could cause more worry. Recently, Russia successfully tested the Sarmat ICBM and President Vladimir Putin boasted: "This truly unique weapon will ensure the security of Russia from external threats, and make those who try to threaten our country think twice." Asked about Putin's comments, a senior U.S. defense official called them irresponsible. "We find that rhetoric to be unhelpful certainly it's not the kind of thing that we would expect from a responsible nuclear power, especially in the current environment." Douglas Barrie, a senior fellow for military aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said that the Sarmat's ability to carry ten or more warheads and decoys and Russia's option of firing it over either of the earth's poles, posed a challenge to ground and satellite-based radar and tracking systems: "This complicates where you've got to look." Launching the Ukraine invasion, Putin made a pointed reference to Russia's nuclear forces and warned the West that any attempt to get in its way "will lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history." Failure in Ukraine could put Putin's own political survival at risk. His ultimate risks are his removal from office, imprisonment, and possibly even execution. Accordingly, Putin is far more likely to press harder in Ukraine than to acquiesce to a negotiated settlement that leaves him without tangible gains. The use of tactical nuclear weapons inside Ukraine is also a possibility in a last bid to achieve a military success. As NATO's nuclear umbrella doesn't extend over Ukraine, Putin may discount the possibility of retaliation. The shock of such an event would be profound and could even lead to Ukraine submission or acceptance of unfavorable terms. To counter the threat of a Russian first-use nuclear strike and regain freedom of action, the United States and NATO must return to the core deterrence principles of capability and credibility. NATO's nuclear forces, though much reduced, are absolutely capable of overwhelming Russia's. NATO's credibility, on the other hand, is constantly undermined when leaders publicly express fears that Putin will employ his nuclear arsenal, and they must at all costs avoid pushing him into a corner. A resolve not to be bullied is essential. Deterrence works best when leaders are direct, unambiguous, resolute, and calm. As President Emmanuel Macron reminded Russia recently, the West has nuclear weapons too. Over the last few weeks, such nuclear talk has arisen over a myriad of issues. If the war continues to go badly for Russia, at what point will a seemingly erratic Putin begin issuing nuclear redlines to Ukraine and its allies? Would a crushing military defeat push Putin over the edge facing the possible end of his regime? Ukraine nuke talk spins off into lots of other places. Nuclear North Korea is resuming its ballistic missile launches to intimidate non-nuclear South Korea and Japan. China is rapidly expanding its nuclear stockpiles as well. On April 17, North Korea test-fired a new type of tactical guided weapon designed to boost its nuclear fighting capability. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim Jong-un and other top officials observed the launch. It said that the weapon tested has "great significance in drastically improving the firepower of the frontline long-range artillery units, enhancing the efficiency in the operation of (North Korea's) tactical nukes and diversification of their firepower missions." The mention of the word "tactical nukes" suggests that the weapon is likely capable of carrying a battlefield nuclear warhead that could hit strategic targets in South Korea, including U.S. military installations. Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha University in Seoul said, "Pyongyang's purposes likely exceed deterrence and regime survival. Like Russia employs the fear it could use tactical nukes, North Korea may want such weapons for political coercion, battlefield escalation and limiting the willingness of other countries to intervene in a conflict." Lately, the media seems fixated on hyping the relative stockpiles and megatonnage of various nuclear states, as if they were GDP or energy output data. The world seems nuclear-obsessed. Is there a danger in normalizing the abnormal and casually thinking the unthinkable? "The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last month. This "strange voyage," in Winston Churchill's words, is a journey into the unknown, as all wars are. The best we can do is to prepare for the worst. At stake now is an international order founded on something other than brute force and imperial ambition. Kim Sang-woo (swkim54@hotmail.com) is a former lawmaker and is currently the chairman of the East Asia Cultural Project. He is also a member of the board of directors at the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation. India has seized assets worth approximately $725 million from Xiaomi India after the countrys anti-money laundering agency found the subsidiary had broken local foreign exchange laws. According to Reuters , Indias Enforcement Directorate announced Saturday it recently determined Xiaomi had made illegal remittances when it attempted to pass off some transfers as royalty payments. That money went to three foreign companies, including one under the wider Xiaomi banner. The Enforcement Directorate found Xiaomi designed the payments to benefit itself. "Such huge amounts in the name of royalties were remitted on the instructions of their Chinese parent group entities," the agency said. The Indian Enforcement Directorate began investigating the subsidiary, among a handful of other local Chinese firms, last December. It accused Xiaomi of providing misleading information to the banks while remitting the money abroad. On Twitter, Xiaomi said it believes its payments were legitimate. "These royalty payments that Xiaomi India made were for the in-licensed technologies and IPs used in our Indian version products, the company stated. We are committed to working closely with government authorities to clarify any misunderstandings." Weve reached out to the company for additional information and comment. New York State Senator Jessica Ramos and Assembly Member Latoya Joyner have introduced a new bill meant to limit production quotas for warehouse workers. The bill, called the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, takes aim at Amazon's labor practices. It expands upon and strengthens the language of a similar bill in California that was signed into law back in 2021, making the state the first in the US to have legislation that regulates warehouse quotas. Productivity quotas prevent workers from complying with safety standards and contribute to rising injury rates in warehouse, Ramos notes in a statement. She explains that if the bill passes, it can "ease the bargaining process" for workers seeking to make demands for health purposes in their workplace. Warehouses will have to go through an ergonomic assessment of all tasks if the bill becomes a law, and companies could face penalties if they're found to be lacking. The New York State Department of Labor will enforce rules established under the bill. As Motherboard reports, the Warehouse Worker Protection Act will require employers with at least 50 employees in a single warehouse or 500 workers statewide to describe their productivity quotas in a written description. They also have to explain how their quotas are developed and how they can be used for disciplinary purposes. If the bill passes, it can make sure employees are giving their workers bathroom breaks and rest periods, as well. Amazon made it to the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health's most dangerous workplaces in the US for the third time this year. The advocacy group included Amazon for having an injury rate more than double the industry average and highlighted the deaths that took place in its facility in Bessemer, Alabama. Workers' rights advocates also recently accused the e-commerce giant of using its charity work placement scheme to conceal true injury rates in its warehouses. When Ideas Matter: Democracy and Corruption in India by Bilal A Baloch, New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 2021; pp xxiii + 335, `995 (hardcover). The bookWhen Ideas Matter: Democracy and Corruption in Indiamakes a powerful argument that when rulers/ruling elites face a credibility crisis in a democracy, their ideas/ ideology become the determining factor that guides their response to it. With his in-depth studies of two of Indias anti-corruption movements and the responses of the respective rulers (governments) to them, Bilal A Baloch rightly advises that one must take ideas of political elites seriously. These two well-known episodes of post-independence Indias history are now widely referred to as the Jayaprakash movement (JPM) and India Against Corruption (IAC), informally, the Anna movement. The rulers they were pitted against were Indira Gandhi-led Congress and Sonia GandhiManmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). At the very outset, the author raises this pertinent question as to why Indira Gandhi responded by suppressing the JPM, while the UPA government looked incoherent in its dealing with the IAC movement. Obviously, in his answer, the difference lies in the ideas/ideology of the respective ruling dispensations. The unfolding of the plague crisis of 1896 in the Bombay Presidency played an instrumental role in shaping a new vocabulary of nationalism and regional politics in western India. The plague epidemic led to further consolidation of the upper caste-led conservative politics in western India. It was in the aftermath of the deadly plague crisis that the political discourse of cultural revivalism dominated by the Brahmins gathered incredible momentum, resulting in the consolidation of Hindu nationalist voices in western India. The decades between 1890 and 1930 had been enormously painful for the Indian subcontinent. Since 1896, the havoc created by the bubonic plague not only generated a health crisis of immense proportion but also led to a serious political crisis for the colonial state. Around 10 million deaths occurred in India due to the plague epidemic from the period between 1896 and 1930 (Arnold 1993: 164). Among the different regions affected by the epidemic crisis in India, it was the Bombay Presidency that was one of the hardest hit provinces. It led to a colossal destruction of lives. The chaos witnessed by two prominent cities of the province, Bombay and Poona pertinently symbolised the gravity of the crisis. From the inception of the bubonic plague in 1896 to the commencement of the World War I in 1914, the number of deaths recorded in Bombay city alone, during this period, was around two million (Klein 1988: 734). On the contrary, the city of Poona recorded more than 50,000 deaths in the same period. Contemporary Marathi-speaking journalists compared this huge crisis and enormous loss of the lives with the reign of terror (Mahratta, 25 April 1897). Along with the rising mortality in both cities, large-scale displacement of the population also led to the reframing and reworking of provincial politics. This article would be precisely dealing with this aspect of the plague aftermath. In this article, first, I argue that the unfolding of the plague crisis in the Bombay Presidency played an important role in shaping the new vocabulary of politics in western India. This vocabulary was not just confined to the plague measures adopted by the colonial rule, nor was it only about the concomitant response of the nationalists to the plague crisis. It rather went beyond the realm of epidemic and healthcare and led to the creation of new forms of political hegemony in western India. Scholars and historians have worked on different aspects of the history of medicine and public healthcare system in colonial India. Insofar as the scholarship concerning the history of plague epidemic is concerned, scholars have mostly focused solely on the health-related aspects of colonial response to the plague crisis. Few of them have tried to look beyond the calamity in order to grasp the significance of the crisis (Arnold 1993; Chandavarkar 1998; Kidambi 2004; Pati and Harrison 2009). The caste question and its link to the larger vocabulary of politics have not been fully addressed. I argue that the plague epidemic led to further consolidation of the upper caste-led conservative politics in western India. It was in the aftermath of a deadly plague crisis that the political discourse of cultural revivalism dominated by the Brahmins gathered incredible momentum. In this period, it largely revolved around the political articulation and activism of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a prominent leader of Congress from the region. The intellectual and political ecosystem created by the epidemic clearly led to the strengthening of Hindu nationalist politics in western India. Even before the war in Ukraine, the European Union had been gearing toward an increasingly competitive strategic environment by developing its geo-political autonomy to meet Europes security responsibility and reduce strategic shrinkage. Post the Ukraine invasion, however, security and defense have assumed greater relevance. Russia continues to be a permanent adversary in the broader European estimation. However, it is Chinas growing global influence that has instilled a new momentum into the EUs pivot to the Indo-Pacific, the worlds current and future economic and political center of gravity. THE GLOBAL GATEWAY - In 2021, the EU solidified its strategic outreach to Asia with the release of the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the 300 billion Euros trade and investment-centric Global Gateway strategy. This new integrated European approach to the region began in earnest in 2018 with the release of the Indo-Pacific strategies of three of its member countries ? France, Germany, and the Netherlands in that order ? in quick succession, and the EU strategy on Connecting Europe and Asia. Notably, these strategies are non-confrontational and focus on cooperation with like-minded regional partners such as India and Japan. They keep intact the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Viewing these partnerships through the lens of strategic autonomy, creating minilateral regional groupings seems an obvious choice. In particular, given that the EU, India, and Japan are all intent on building their own unique brands and in a wider relationship with each other, establishing an EU-India-Japan trilateral, on the heels of the Italy-India-Japan grouping, could be of immense value. But what shape would this trilateral take? What are the prospects of forming such a trilateral outside an American-led or Chinese-led architecture? How critical would the EU-India-Japan trilateral be to the new global supply chains? In which areas could this trilateral cooperate in the Indian Ocean? What would be the scope of cooperation with ASEAN for this trilateral? STRATEGIC BILATERAL AND TRILATERAL TIES - Objectively speaking, both India and Japan are strategic partners of the EU that share a Special Strategic and Global Partnership between themselves. Such deep-seated ties provide for a global and value-oriented trustworthy and confidence-inducing grouping much coveted in international collaborations. The creation of such a trilateral would not only solidify their bilateral ties India-Japan, India-EU, EU-Japan but also provide a much-needed boost to wider multilateral cooperation in the region. All three powers subscribe to a multipolar world order while being dedicatedly committed to safeguardIng a free and open rules-based international order. This provides the basis for a solid foundational connection. In recent years, with Donald Trumps America First foreign policy and later with the haphazard US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the signing of AUKUS that snubbed France, the transatlantic allies started losing faith in the United States as the top security provider. Since then the siren call for the EUs strategic autonomy has only grown louder, culminating in the recently released Strategic Compass that seeks to broaden the scope of the EU as a credible global security provider. CHINA ENTANGLEMENT - Meanwhile, even as Brussels, Tokyo, and Delhi have sought to limit their economic dependence on China in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and growing security concerns, complete decoupling from China is an improbable proposition. Some have aptly called it a pipe dream. As of 2021, China remains a top trade partner for the EU, India, and Japan across sectors. Hence, while the three share a common threat perception of China as a revisionist authoritarian power, they are realistic about the importance of maintaining a balance in their approaches to Beijing, in contrast to Washingtons expectations. Thus, an India-Japan-EU trilateral would allow the three actors to build a non-US, non-China driven multipolar tripartite structure that furthers their common interests in the region while protecting national security. ALIGNMENT OF CORE VALUES: SEEKING WIDER AMBIT - The three pillars of Japans Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and Indias Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision are in line with the EUs core values and principles of democracy, rule of law, human rights, and international norms and standards. This alignment allows for cooperation in areas such as maritime security, resilient supply chains, energy, infrastructure, and digital connectivity, ocean governance, climate action, defense and security, and enhanced engagement in troubled European regions. Economically, all three powers face the urgency of a post-pandemic fiscal recovery. Here, creating sustainable and resilient supply chains has emerged as a critical area of focus. To this end, the EU could embrace the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) launched by Japan, India, and Australia, especially via its Global Gateway strategy, which focuses on boosting competitiveness and global supply chains. The SCRI can help enhance the EUs geo-economic ambitions in the highly interconnected Indo-Pacific, furthering its agenda of strategic autonomy. Similarly, the India-Japan-EU trilateral can offer connectivity alternatives, such as in Asia and the EUs extended neighborhood, where Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has made significant inroads. Opportunities in areas such as transport, digital, energy, pharmaceuticals, renewables, and infrastructure can be created through already existing cooperation frameworks. Among them: the EU-Japan Partnership on Sustainable Connectivity and Quality Infrastructure, Global Gateway, Japans Expanded Partnership for Quality Infrastructure (EPQI), Indias Act East Policy, Japans Western Balkans Cooperation Initiative, and Indias Look West policy. EMBRACING TAIWAN, ASEAN: With regard to the Taiwan question too, the Ukraine invasion has sensitized Europe to the potential occupation of Taiwan and the existential threat for extended neighbors such as India and Japan. Both neighbors have stepped up their engagement with Taiwan and are indicating the possibility of further change, should the threat from China increase substantially. The trilateral could help build a global consensus on Taiwan. For example, liaising with the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) that is seeking to embrace Taiwan to ease its isolation in multilateral forums where Chinas clout is a deterrent. One of the most important binding domains is the trios unambiguous emphasis on the ASEAN centrality principle. The EUs integrated approach can draw from Indias and Japans long standing cooperation with ASEAN states and can help build tailored partnerships in Southeast Asia, not just as a trade partner but also as a credible security provider. The trilateral connection will ease the outreach to these states with their diverse national interests, and identify common areas where geo-political or strategic support is required. Some of the focus areas include climate action, ocean governance, digital connectivity, and infrastructure development. As ASEAN dialogue partners, they could also work toward improving humanitarian access. In places such as Myanmar, they could also help initiate a political pathway to restore democracy. The presence of India and Japan would help in enhancing the EUs credibility too. BEYOND ASIA: VISION FOR AFRICA AND MARITIME SECURITY - Beyond Asia, in Africa the trilateral can find convergence in mutually beneficial areas. The EU could help reinvigorate the Platform for Japan-India Business Cooperation in Asia-Africa Region. It could also involve India and Japan, as long standing contributors in the continent, to help implement the EUs joint vision for Africa as outlined at the sixth African Union-EU summit in February 2022. An Africa-Europe Investment Package of 150 billion Euros was earmarked at the time to support a common ambition for 2030. A collective effort ? in concert with the mutually reinforceable Global Gateway and Build Back Better World ? will effectively challenge Chinas growing African footprint. Another key area of synergy is maritime security. The EU, like India and Japan, wants to build an open and rules-based regional security order while protecting sea lines of communication (SLOCs). But importantly, the EU also wants to promote capacity building and upgrade its maritime presence via EU member-states. To achieve this, the EU will look to lead more joint exercises and port calls with Indo-Pacific partners, accentuating existing efforts to build democratic maritime deterrence in the region. MINILATERAL STRENGTH - The trilateral can also provide a basis to strengthen the EUs exchanges with India and Japan on security, defense, technology, and trade. An important area is counter-piracy operations. India and Japan are already partners in the EUs capacity-building initiative Critical Maritime Routes in the Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO) project. The trilateral could build on this partnership through the recently implemented Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) in the North-Western Indian Ocean. The EUs focus on the Indian Ocean as a gateway to the Indo-Pacific highlights Brussels attempts to protect geo-economic interests, creating room for such a trilateral connection. In brief, amidst growing polarization in world politics due to the US-China hegemonic great power rivalry, the middle and regional powers in the Indo-Pacific are increasingly moving toward minilateral formations. India and Japan are already part of several such groupings, together through the Quad, and separately through such as India-Russia-China, Japan-US-EU. Nevertheless, a comprehensive integrated partnership of the two with the EU, which runs parallel to, if not beyond the US or China-led mechanisms, will help create a mutually beneficial arrangement that could act as a stabilizing power in the region. In Search of an EU-India-Japan Trilateral Op-Ed by Jagannath Panda Italian Institute for International Political Studies / ISPI. (The Op-Ed can be downloaded here: https://www.isdp.eu/publication/in-search-of-an-eu-india-japan-trilateral/) gettyimagesbank This is part of a submission to the Korean court to assist judges in understanding the international norms for the case of Adam Crapser vs. the Republic of Korea . The 70-page long submission was fully translated into English by Korean students studying in the U.S. Special thanks to Raymond Ha (M.A. '21, Stanford Univ.), Hyejin Jang (B.A. '21 Princeton Univ.), Do Yon Lena Kwon (J.D. Candidate '22, Penn Law), Hailey M. Lee (J.D. Candidate '24, Penn Law), and Lydia Lim (J.D. '21, Penn Law). By Lee Kyung-eun Question: Does the government of the Republic of Korea owe a responsibility to adoptees to confirm whether citizenship in the receiving country was obtained after inter-country adoption? Answer: Nationality is a fundamental human right, also called "the right to have rights." International norms protecting nationality as an individual's rights have continued to develop through major human rights treaties sine the 1948 U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. From the perspective of the child who must start a new life with a new family in a different country, the acquisition of citizenship of the country of his or her residence is the minimum safety net that can guarantee the most basic protections. Without reference to any international legal standard, the relevant laws of Korea, such as the Act on Private International Law and the Nationality Act, as well as the legislative intent of the Special Adoption Act, collectively imply that the government is responsible for verifying the finalization of these matters. The 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political rights stipulates that upon a child's birth, he or she has the right to be registered, have a name, and acquire a nationality without any discrimination. U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child, in particular, imposes the duty upon the state to prevent a child from being discriminated upon due to the child's parents' legal, social status, such as the birth out of marriage. The 1967 European Convention on the Adoption of Children emphasizes that a child's severance of ties with birth parents as a result of inter-country adoption need not necessarily lead to the loss of citizenship in the country of origin. Rather, this Convention stipulates that it is the state party's obligation to ensure that the child promptly obtains citizenship in the receiving country that is to become the child's country of residence. The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child states that an inter-country adopted child must enjoy the same safeguards as one adopted domestically and the measures should be interpreted to include the acquisition of citizenship of the receiving country. The government of the Republic of Korea was aware of the need to confirm an inter-country adoptee's acquisition of foreign citizenship starting from the Korean Nationality Act and Special Adoption Act, which specify the obligations of the related agencies to confirm and report such acquisition. From the earliest time of implementing the Nationality Act and Special Adoption Act, the legislation stipulated a process of confirming whether a child adopted to a foreigner had obtained the citizenship of the foreign country and reporting to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). The MOJ enforced this regulation and canceled the Korean citizenship of a child who obtained a foreign citizenship by inter-country adoption. Additionally, the Ministry has been keeping and publishing a list of names of the adopted children whose Korean citizenship were invalidated in the Official Gazettes. A critically acclaimed Dallas-based barbecue chain was ordered to return $867,000 to hundreds of employees after the U.S. Department of Labor investigated its employment practices. Hard Eight BBQ, a family-owned North Texas restaurant, failed to pay tipped employees all their tips and hourly managers werent paid the correct time and a half for overtime hours worked, the department said in a news release. The restaurant violated the law by including managers in their tip pool, the agency said. By doing so, the employer denied tipped workers some of their tips and managers proper overtime wages. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not allow an employer or their managers and/or supervisors to keep employee tips for any reason. Matt Perry, the restaurants chief operating officer, told the Dallas Morning News that the issue stemmed from a misunderstanding of the law. Sarah Crabill Our people are just the most important thing to us, and we thought we were doing the right thing by including our store managers in the tip pool, Perry told the newspaper. Our restaurant isnt a normal restaurant with wait staff, and so there was a gray area (in the law). Once we were made aware of the issue, we ceased doing that and have been in compliance since. Juan Rodriguez, a Department of Labor spokesman, said the investigation took place between June 2019 and April 2021. The probe included all five of the restaurant's locations. MORE: H-E-Bs grip on the San Antonio market tightened in 2021, but a new competitor is on the way Out of the 910 employees, only about 219 were found and paid directly by Hard Eight BBQ, Rodriguez said. The company gave the Department of Labor the rest of the funds to find the remaining employees. The department is in the process of locating them. To check if you are owed lost wages, call the U.S. Department of Labor at 1-866-487-9243 or visit the agency's website. Hard Eight BBQ opened in Stephenville in 2003. It now operates restaurants in Roanoke, Coppell, The Colony and Burleson, according to its website. All are in the Dallas area. Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthlys barbecue editor, wrote in a recent review that the restaurant was a quintessential barbecue experience. Its the North Texas version of the Salt Lick, the famous barbecue restaurant in Dripping Springs that people from Austin have long taken their out-of-state guests to, an almost required rite of passage for giving guests a Texas experience. timothy.fanning@express-news.net Director Baz Luhrmann and his wife have placed their giant Australian home on the market for $16 million. The home, located in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst, is 29,062 square feet and was built in the late 1880s for Edward Chisholm, a cattle farmer who sold it in 1908 to Adela Taylor. She was married to timber merchant and former lord mayor of Sydney Sir Allen Taylor. It was later turned into a psychiatric hospital, according to Domain. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Before Courtney and Evan Morris showed up in my inbox this week, Id planned to write about inflation and corporate profiteering, about the rising prices of goods, including my beloved blueberries. Y aguacates. But that will have to wait. I needed a story like that of Evan and Courtney, both 33, a San Antonio couple who welcomed a baby girl named Stella a week ago Saturday under unusual, stressful circumstances. The story involves a water main break and a midwife, an excavator and a birthing pool, four public servants and a hole in a street in the King William area that Evan called a crater. It all couldve gone sideways but for four guys, all dads, who worked quickly to help a baby come into the world the way her parents intended. The crew was led by David Sandoval, 43, a lifelong South Sider and a foreman for the San Antonio Water System. But let me back up a bit. About 5:30 a.m. last Saturday, Courtney woke her husband and said it was time. The baby already past due was coming, as were contractions. She gave birth to her 2-year-old daughter Emma in a water pool with an attending midwife at a birthing center. This time Courtney would do the same, but at home. She headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth but came right back out to say there was no water coming from the faucet on a day when water lots of it would play a key role in her delivery. Without it, midwife Naomi Thomas wouldnt be able to scrub-in. More importantly, they needed to fill a giant inflatable tub. When they had their first child, the Morrises experienced a calm water delivery. Because the child is in water in the womb, Evan said, giving birth in water gives way for a gradual introduction to oxygen. Mothers and couples who opt for a water birth are convinced it reduces the stress of labor. Not so much last Saturday when Evan, an architect for Lake Flato Architects, heard a string of expletives coming from his wifes mouth. Did you pay the water bill? she asked. You might imagine the tone in her voice, which gave way to anxiety. Warm water was a critical part of her pain management plan. Shed be otherwise unmedicated. The tub had no heating element. It had to be filled at just the right moment to remain warm. Outside, Sandoval and his three-member crew Mike Garcia, Matthew Bustamante and Frank Cavender had relieved the night shift. A leak in an underground water main had been detected, and the water supply had been shut off to figure out the fix. Evan spotted the lights, trucks and commotion and went outside to a SAWS crew presiding over an enormous crater in my street. He asked how long it would take to get water restored. His first attempt to explain the situation may have been lost in translation. Evan said his wifes water had broken. Sandoval laughed about what he said, Why are you telling me? After better understanding the situation, Sandoval said, Sir, Im going to do my best. But if something happens, please go to the hospital. Sandoval rallied his troops and told them a woman was in labor and needed water restored. Meanwhile, Courtney tried to stall the baby. We wouldnt let her walk much, her husband said. For the next five hours, the crew worked on removing and replacing a busted section of pipe. Sandoval provided updates about every 20 minutes, Evan said. By about 11:30 a.m., theyd restored water. But it took at least another half-hour to flush the pipe, regain pressure and get it nice and clean and clear, Sandoval said. To help the process, they opened a fire hydrant. In his 13 years at SAWS, Sandoval said he had never encountered a situation like this. Im a public servant, and thats what we do, and were fathers, so it was special to us. It made him look back at the deadly freeze of February 2021, when the states electrical grid failed and caused major disruptions in electricity and water service. We didnt come home for days, Sandoval said. In such situations, the job is not just a paycheck, he said, its an honor to serve. When Sandoval gave them the thumbs-up, Courtney got in the shower as Evan and the midwife filled the pool. By about 12:30 p.m., Courtney slipped into the warm water. Stella was born at 1:57 p.m. She weighed 9 pounds and 4 ounces and was 21.5 inches long. Shes healthy and doing great, her dad said. Mom is doing well, too, enjoying time with her baby and toddler, whos learning to be a big sister. For them, the experience has been magical. It has been a difficult couple of years. If we have learned anything, Evan said, its that theres comfort in family. The coronavirus pandemic helped make that clearer to a lot of people. Before the SAWS crew wrapped up, Sandoval gave Evan a slip of paper with his cell number on it. Stella had not yet arrived. Wed love to see a picture of the baby, he told Evan, who obliged. Sandoval is probably biased but said, Shes beautiful. eayala@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Gov. Greg Abbott ordered flags lowered at the Texas Capitol last week in honor of Spc. Bishop Evans, the soldier who died while trying to rescue two migrants in the Rio Grande. But even as the governor issued the order, a former Texas National Guard commander said Evans, 22, of Arlington, wasnt getting the respect he deserved from state leaders. The Texas National Guard lost a hero and a combat veteran on State Active Duty, SPC Bishop Evans. That hurts all of us, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. John Nichols tweeted. Ask Texas to provide his family with the life insurance and burial honors that our veterans get when they lose their life in combat. Please. Thank you. Evans death has prompted lawmakers to dust off a plan to create a fund for fallen guardsmen when the Legislature convenes in January. The statement by Nichols, who was adjutant general of the Texas Guard under Abbott and then-Gov. Rick Perry, was a blunt criticism of state leaders failure to ensure that when guardsmen on state active duty die, their families will be compensated. On ExpressNews.com: On the border, chasing delays in pay and fewer migrants, some Texas guardsmen are losing faith The families of police and firefighters killed in the line of duty can receive $500,000 under the Texas Government Code. Guardsmen cannot. Soldiers and airmen in the guard can buy life insurance policies, but they are not required to. The 22,700-strong Texas Guard, the nations largest, has not said whether Evans was the first soldier to die on state active duty during Operation Lone Star. Abbott launched the border security initiative with great fanfare in March 2021. Guard commanders also have not said whether Evans had a Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) policy, the kind typically offered to troops in war zones. Evans disappeared April 22 after diving into the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass to try to rescue two migrants who were struggling in a dangerous stretch of the river. His body was recovered Monday. Both of the migrants survived. The law offering benefits to fallen first responders might be modified to include guardsmen. Separately, state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, intends to introduce during the next legislative session the Bishop Evans Act, which would create a special fund to pay for death benefits for troops serving in Operation Lone Star. The Texas Guards public affairs office did not respond to questions last week. Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan also did not respond. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said through a spokesman that he supports a death benefit for guardsmen and hopes both chambers can find an agreement during the upcoming legislative session. On ExpressNews.com: Texas Guard commander got raw deal from Abbott, other former top guardsmen say All guardsmen are eligible for SGLI, but they must pay a monthly premium to maintain coverage. A bill in the U.S. House would amend two sections of the U.S. Code to extend added benefits to guardsmen. House Resolution 4247 would make National Guard service members eligible for Veterans Affairs health care and a Defense Department disability pension if they are injured or become disabled while on state active duty. Today, troops who are injured while on state active duty receive no Defense Department or VA compensation. If they were enrolled in SGLI when they died, their families receive benefits. The issue of benefit parity for guardsmen was front and center last week at a joint hearing in Austin of the state House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee and the Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee. On ExpressNews.com: Missing Texas National Guard soldiers body recovered from Rio Grande Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the current adjutant general of the Texas Guard, said the force would need an additional $531 million to support Operation Lone Star from May 1 through Aug. 31, the end of the state fiscal year. On Friday, the state shifted $495 million from other agencies to the border mission to help fill the gap. There have been five casualties so far connected with Operation Lone Star. Before Evans death, four guardsmen had committed suicide. Legislative failures The concern about death benefits for troops on state active-duty missions weighs on Nichols, a onetime F-16 pilot with combat time in Iraq. He said he sent messages on social media to Abbott, U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and Rep. Chip Roy, all Texas Republicans, in hopes of sparking a discussion about how to protect state active-duty troops. I was just being blunt, Nichols said. I didnt want to sugarcoat it at all. I just wanted (to say), Look, you dont know this, but these folks are not covered. Yall need to get together and have a discussion. The Legislature has twice failed to ensure that soldiers and airmen sent on dangerous missions were covered by insurance in the event of their deaths. Measures to provide state death benefits to guardsmens families, spearheaded by state Rep. John Cyrier, R-Lockhart, died in legislative sessions in 2019 and last year. Nichols said hes sought legislation to provide those benefits since 2016 and that the need has become more urgent as Abbott has deployed state active-duty troops on missions that go far beyond their traditional role of responding to hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters limited engagements that last a few weeks or a month. I think Nichols is right, said retired Army Maj. Gen. Wayne Marty, who led the Texas Guard from 2002-05 and sent troops on medical missions to the Lower Rio Grande Valley and on rabies control operations in South Texas. I think its time to look at that. If theyre going to continue to have people on state active duty, if there is not any coverage, there should be coverage. Under Operation Lone Star, 6,128 guardsmen are serving on the border, with an additional 3,700 elsewhere, making it the organizations largest mission in decades. The state also has assigned 1,600 Department of Public Safety troopers to the border. Until last year, Texas Guard border forays had a relatively small footprint. In 2014, then-Gov. Perry dispatched 1,000 troops to be the tip of the spear in protecting Americans from these cartels and gangs. On ExpressNews.com: Perry gives Guard troops sendoff to border ry ves Guard troops sendoff to border Troops in the current mission have complained about problems that include cramped sleeping quarters, a lack of portable restrooms at remote observation posts and difficulties getting paid. Suelzer, their commander, told the legislative committees those issues had mostly been resolved. SGLI covers active-duty members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, as well as cadets and midshipmen at U.S. military academies or those in the Reserve Officers Training Corps engaged in authorized training and practice cruises. Its also available to those in the National Guard and the Ready Reserve who are assigned to a unit and are scheduled to participate in at least 12 training periods per year. Guardsmen have been briefly released from Operation Lone Star so they can attend most of their weekend drills, which they must show up for to earn retirement credits. Nichols said he learned through someone in the Texas Guard that Evans, a veteran of deployments to Iraq and Kuwait, had an SGLI policy. Because Evans was a veteran, his family also may be entitled to VA burial benefits that include a resting place at a state or national veterans cemetery and coverage of other burial costs. Evans family could not be reached for comment. The Texas Guard troops Abbott has sent to the border on state active duty have options for insurance even if they do not get an SGLI policy, but they have to purchase it. They can obtain a state-sponsored life insurance policy through the National Guard Association of Texas, with death benefits of $10,000 to $50,000. Premiums range from $3.66 to $17 a month. Nichols recalls having long conversations with guardsmen in which he tried to persuade them to purchase insurance. Cyrier, a captain in the Texas Guard, believes Evans death will tip the scales toward granting benefits in next years Legislature. Unfortunately now with Spc. Evans death, everybody is quite aware of what is going on, and I feel very confident that in the next legislative session they will pass not only the death benefit but also any other type of benefits that help, he said. Pressuring lawmakers State Rep. Richard Pena Raymond, D-Laredo, said the key is to amend the government code. Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News I think several of us have talked and we will be pushing it, and Im sure we will pass it in the House. I feel confident of that, said Raymond, chairman of the Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee. Hed like to make the bill retroactive so Evans family can receive the benefit. But Gutierrez, whose state Senate district includes the area where the young soldier died and who is an ardent opponent of Operation Lone Star, said his measure would sidestep retroactive benefits by giving the guards adjutant general authority to disburse $500,000 to the beneficiaries of troops who die in the line of duty. This is not just a time for thoughts and prayers, said Gutierrez, a former chairman of the House Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee. Its a time for people calling us for solutions, and much of Operation Lone Star over the last year plus three months has been one political stunt after the other at the expense of taxpayers, at the expense of due process and unfortunately at the expense of four, and now five, five soldiers culminating in the drowning of Bishop Evans. Nichols stays away from the politics of the operation. For him, theres just one goal: protecting guardsmens families. Theyre putting their lives on the line, he said. sigc@express-news.net An area institution is observing its 75th anniversary this year, counting from the first summer camp held at the camp and conference center of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, but there are other milestones to note in the early history of Camp Capers and some relate to big events in the wider world. Before the property along the Guadalupe River near Waring was purchased, the diocese headquartered in San Antonio held its big meetings in a variety of locations St. Marks Episcopal Church in San Antonio and, for longer events, at Camp Arrowhead near Hunt or the Methodist Encampment, a collection of privately owned cabins near Kerrville. The Presbyterians had Westminster Presbyterian Encampment from 1906 to 1950, when it was succeeded by Mo-Ranch after being purchased in 1949; and Houstons Episcopal Diocese of Texas has had Camp Allen since 1921. When the Rev. Everett Holland Jones IV became rector of St. Marks in 1938, he was asked by then-Bishop William Theodotus Capers to become chairman of the diocesan youth committee, he writes in his Reflections upon the Beginnings and Early Days of the Diocesan Camping Program. More from Paula Allen: Teen club offered wholesome fun to wartime youth Having seen the great influences and strength of the camp program at Camp Allen during his previous post, he took his new assignment as an opportunity to get one going here. By the following year, Jones had a camp plan, starting with a limited youth summer camp at Arrowhead, then a private girls camp, for a short period before their regular season began. Meanwhile, a committee was appointed to look for a permanent home for not only a summer camp but year-round meetings. One of the members, Albert Steves Jr., heard of a 75-acre property about 45 miles from San Antonio with half a mile of riverfront, the summer home of San Antonios Negley family. Several of us went up and visited the area and were quite impressed, Jones said. The old building (the summer house) was run down, but we could see the possibilities with the beautiful oak trees and river front and the comparatively isolated location. So we began to move toward getting that property. The camp committee took an option on the land to hold it while they sought funding. Then, Jones remembered, there is a very dramatic story associated with the purchase and securing of that land. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Courtesy of the San Antonio Light Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy of the San Antonio Light Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Courtesy of the San Antonio Light Show More Show Less One of Steves sons, Maj. Walter Steves II, was a pilot in the Air Force. While the committee was looking around for money to buy the camp, Jones said, it was reported that Walter was missing from his base in Italy. He had taken a flight and had not returned. For several days, the family and all of us, his friends, were praying earnestly that this young man would be found and rescued. Shot down over Austria, as Jones recalled, Walter Steves was captured and taken prisoner by the Germans. During his time in the camp, run by the German Luftwaffe to hold Allied airmen, he made contact with some of the other prisoners, and they worked out a way by which he could escape and get to a nearby airfield where there were several planes. There, young Steves figured out how to fly a German plane and flew himself back to his base in Italy. After only a few weeks, Jones remembered, word came that the missing pilot was back at his base, safe and sound. In the joy of that occasion, Mr. Steves came to me and said, The camp property is given by the Steves family as a thank offering for Walters safe return. More from Paula Allen: Wartime park in San Antonio catered to soldiers in training According to Kendall County deed records, members of the Negley family transferred the deed to their property to Albert Steves on Jan. 12, 1945. In turn, Steves granted the deed on July 2, 1945, to an entity then known as Episcopal Diocesan Camp. The first Camp Capers Day in local churches was held Sept. 16, 1945, when a special offering was collected for a camp building fund. It soon would be named Camp Capers, after the former bishop who died in 1943 after nearly 30 years in office, during a time of two world wars, unrest along the Mexican border and the Great Depression. During those turbulent times, Capers managed to keep the diocesan schools open, start new congregations and nudge the diocese into becoming fully independent for the first time, no longer having to rely on aid from the national church. The renovated farmhouse was named Steves Hall. The new camp would have opened for its first summer session during the summer of 1946, but an epidemic of an unusual type of polio with a high fatality rate, according to the San Antonio Light, July 15, 1946, had already closed schools by mid-May of that year, with most of the cases occurring among youngsters 7-17 the age group of the intended campers. So the first day of the first summer camp session was postponed until June 9, 1947. In the meantime, the grounds served as the site for parish picnics and meetings of mens and womens groups. More from Paula Allen: Much like COVID-19, polio shut down schools, public places in 1946; officials urged hand washing and social distancing By this time, Jones had succeeded Capers as bishop. Albert Steves Jr. died only a few months after arranging the property purchase and transfer. His son, the former POW who had carried out such a daring escape, died at 55 on June 30, 1972, in a collision on Loop 410 near Airport Boulevard. Over the years, additional land was acquired, and a swimming pool and additional buildings were constructed. Most recently, a master plan from 2008 to 2017 has more than doubled the size of the campus, remodeled the Steves Hall meeting space and added lodges, a riverside amphitheater, a health center and the Lillibridge Dining Hall. The hall is named for the Rt. Rev. Gary Lillilibridge, bishop of the diocese from 2006 to 2017, and a former Camp Capers camper who received the Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers Hero of Camping Ministry Award in 2015. True to its original purpose, Camp Capers is open for meetings, retreats and conferences throughout the year, with multiple summer sessions serving more than 1,000 youth ages 8-18 each year. For many years, scholarships have made it more inclusive, and children from the dioceses Good Samaritan Center for community services have attended the camp. A history of Camp Capers is to be compiled and published by the dioceseshistorical commission, of which this columnist is a member. To contribute memories and photographs for the history and other anniversary activities, send to campcapershistory@gmail.com. A 75th anniversary celebration is planned for the weekend of Oct. 7-9 at the camp. historycolumn@yahoo.com | Twitter: @sahistorycolumn | Facebook: SanAntoniohistorycolumn This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Angelica Navarro-DePaz, the woman whom San Antonio police recorded trying to hire a hit man to kill her boyfriends sister in 2017, testified in her trial Friday that she was told it was all a game and was ordered to follow a detailed plan concocted by an informant police were relying on. The informant, who had been extorting and threatening her for months, told her the ruse that later got her arrested was to help the alleged target of the hit get her immigration papers, Navarro-DePaz testified. She thought no one was going to get killed, she told the jury through an interpreter, adding, Ive never had the intent for anyone to die. The Docket: Local crime and courtroom news, delivered to your inbox weekly When prosecutor Nicole Phillips asked Navarro-DePaz if the whole plot was about someone gaining citizenship, Navarro-DePaz said that is what the informant told her. She said she had to follow a script and say the words exactly, because she was to be recorded. If she didnt, a shadowy group that included the informant, who had been shaking her down for money, would kill her family, Navarro-DePaz said. Earlier this week, the jury saw Navarro-DePaz on video counting out $850 as a down payment of a $1,700 fee to have her boyfriends sister killed. San Antonio police officers acknowledged on the stand that they had help from an informant named Henrietta Martinez, also known as Katy. On ExpressNews.com: Defendant testifies in murder-for-hire trial; says San Antonio police informant shook down her business Navarro-DePaz, an Austin businesswoman who also owns properties in San Antonio, testified Thursday and Friday that Katy demanded monthly payments in a protection racket enforced through months of threats and violence directed against her and her children. The informant has since died, lawyers in the case said. Prosecutors on Friday said the cause of death was COVID-19. Testimony has established that the woman Navarro-DePaz told the undercover officer she wanted killed was Anayeli Mendoza Flores, the sister of her boyfriend at the time. He is no longer romantically involved with her but still a friend, Navarro-DePaz said. Police witnesses who testified Tuesday were vague on Navarro-DePazs possible motive for wanting Flores dead. Navarro-DePaz on Friday said Katy told her that going through the motions of seeking Flores assassination would help Flores legalize her immigration status. And then Flores took the stand. With the jury out of the room, she said she owed Navarro-DePaz $40,000 for bringing her illegally across the border. Flores testified only briefly until state District Judge Melisa Skinner recessed the trial for the weekend. Earlier on cross-examination, Phillips went point by point with Navarro-DePaz on her testimony, challenging her over all the occasions she could have contacted police to tell them she had been threatened, kidnapped and burned; her children taken and assaulted; and her businesses vandalized, as she had said. Because she said they were working with the police was Navarro-DePazs explanation. Questioned by her defense team, who requested that their names not be used in media reports because of a fear of retaliation in a case they believe is linked to organized crime, Navarro-DePaz told the jury the only way she could stop the threats and get her life and businesses back was if she followed Katys plan. Otherwise, she said, she would watch everyone she loves get killed. If convicted, Navarro-DePaz faces up to life in prison. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 21 Pro Video A man died in a motorcycle accident early Saturday morning, according to San Antonio police. The man, who has yet to be identified, was riding northbound on the off-ramp that connects Interstate 35 and U.S. 90. While negotiating the curve, the man lost control of the motorcycle, according to police. He hit a curb and was thrown from the vehicle, police said. Land Commissioner George P. Bush this week became one of the few major candidates in Texas to call for the state to take the extreme step of declaring illegal border crossings an invasion under the Constitution in order to expel migrants immediately, bypassing the federal governments authority over immigration. Bush, who will face off against Attorney General Ken Paxton in the May 24 Republican primary runoff, said Thursday that Texas has been left with no choice but to take drastic action because President Joe Biden and Paxton wont. Texas National Guard and DPS troopers are already deployed to the border yet are handcuffed by our current federal policies, Bush said in a news release. Texas needs an Attorney General who is willing to take every action available to secure our state and restore Texas Justice. Bushs call comes three weeks before early voting starts in his runoff with Paxton, which is expected to be a low-turnout election dominated by the states reddest voters. Public polling in the race shows Paxton, who has been endorsed by Donald Trump, with a comfortable lead. Some experts have cast doubt on the strength of the Constitutional argument. Paxton, who has filed 11 lawsuits seeking to upend Bidens border policies, has been asked to render his own legal opinion on the matter, but has not yet done so. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has also faced increasing pressure in recent months to move forward with a declaration of invasion, something former Trump administration officials have promoted as a way for Texas and Arizona the two GOP-controlled states that border Mexico to take matters into their own hands. BIDENS PLAN: White House calls for 23,000 officers, slashing asylum processing time at border Abbott has said hes considering the idea but has some reservations. Earlier this month, he told reporters in San Antonio that he worried that migrants dropped off across the border could simply cross again, and that such a policy puts state law enforcement at risk of prosecution, something an unnamed former head of Border Patrol has told him is a concern. There are federal laws that law enforcement could be prosecuted under if they were to take someone, without authority, and immediately return them across the border, Abbott said. Aside from Bush, the only other major Texas candidate to seriously entertain the invasion declaration idea has been former state Sen. Don Huffines, who lost to Abbott in the March primary. However, adding a new urgency to matters is the Biden administrations intention to roll back a Trump-era public health order, known as Title 42, that officials have used to turn away asylum seekers at the border. For now, the administration is enjoined by the courts from taking any actions to dismantle the program after Texas sued. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday. David J. Bier, the associate director of immigration studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, said the courts have historically defined an invasion as armed hostility from another political entity, and thats how the Founders talked about it as well. The people coming are actively seeking to place themselves under the laws of the United States by seeking asylum, Bier said. So the idea that the first invasion in the history of the world where invaders seek to subject themselves to the law of country that theyre invading its a total mischaracterization of what an invasion is. Arizona AG aboard The former Trump officials, through the Center for Renewing America, a Washington-based conservative think tank, have theorized that states can invoke certain clauses of the Constitution to defend themselves against the unprecedented surge of migrants at the border since last spring. They include Ken Cuccinelli, a senior fellow with the organization and former deputy secretary of Homeland Security under President Trump. The leader of the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents agents and support staff, as well as Arizonas Republican attorney general, Mark Brnovich, who is running for U.S. Senate, have also advocated for the plan. The violence and lawlessness at the border caused by transnational cartels and gangs satisfies the definition of an invasion under the U.S. Constitution, and Arizona therefore has the power to defend itself from this invasion under the governors authority as Commander-in-Chief, Brnovich concluded in his opinion issued this February. The viability of the legal argument is still a major unknown. In the mid-1990s, six states Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas sued the federal government alleging that its inability to get a handle on illegal immigration constituted a violation of the invasion clause, among other laws. Their claims failed, in some cases because the court said the states lacked standing. But in other cases, judges ruled these were political questions that were not reviewable by the courts and that failing to stop illegal immigration did not constitute an abdication" of the governments statutory duties. But with the current conservative majority Supreme Court and more conservative-leaning federal judges on the bench, that may be changing. Bier, with the Cato Institute, said the invasion argument could have a better chance now than ever before. He pointed to how Texas has been at least initially successful in a number of claims in federal courts by arguing that its being unfairly burdened by federal immigration policies. In August, a federal judge in Texas issued an injunction that ordered the Biden Administration to reinstate the Trump era remain in Mexico program that it had attempted to shut down, a tremendous level of control over immigration policy that the states have seldom yielded before. The courts have shown themselves to be exceptionally friendly to legal theories that would have been dismissed just a couple years ago, Bier said. There are a lot of reasons to think that the courts would be much more favorable to this idea now than in the 90s. taylor.goldenstein@chron.com The UK sheep sectors concerns over the UK-Australia trade deal have been "undermined and insulted" by the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC). The National Sheep Association (NSA) has questioned the attitude of the TAC, an independent expert committee formed to scrutinise post-Brexit free trade deals and their impact on British farming. The NSA hit back in response to a TAC assessment of the UK-Australia deal, which suggested that differences between the nations farming standards were not significant or important, and that industry concerns had been over exaggerated. The sheep group said serious health and welfare issues, transport distances, space in transit, and antibiotic use had been "dismissed as minute details that are overexaggerated by UK sheep producers". It also said this attitude from the TAC was "an insult to UK consumers, who value our product and its high production standards." The body had submitted a response to the Australia trade deal at the start of the year, highlighting the issues the free trade agreement provided for UK producers. The association said these issues had been "brushed off as a minor inconvenience", which in turn created "yet another blow to UK producers". NSA chief executive, Phil Stocker said: "I was highly offended to hear the Chair of the TAC, Professor Lorand Bartels, state that the farming industry had overreacted to the risks of the trade deal. "As a major stakeholder in this deal the NSAs overarching assessment was that there was likely to be very little immediate risk. "But that the deal was opening UK sheep farmers to levels of risk in years to come considering the political, climate, and trade related volatility that we are seeing globally. "The new deals with Australia and New Zealand combined give the theoretic possibility of these countries supplying the UKs total sheepmeat consumption. Mr Stocker explained that UK sheep producers had again been put in a position where their businesses were "cast aside". If our government isnt willing to protect our domestic industries, backed up by advice from the TAC, then it will, as usual, be down to industry to protect itself by communicating the attributes of British products. Dhruv Kapoor may have launched his brand in New Delhi but the designer has taken it global time and again, one of the few Indian designers who has managed to find success in India and abroad. What helps is that Dhruv Kapoors eponymous label strikes true with the people of today. Its a label that makes people across genders feel comfortable and sharp. For the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Delhi graduate, the world is his oyster and hes just begun to enjoy his share. Excerpts from our interviewTradition is something we grow up withI dont think one can possibly leave it behind, but it does get filtered with takes from contemporary culture. I feel men are personalising their traditional approach by mixing various social elements and their personality. It is exciting to see them experiment and personalise their wardrobe, defying public opinion or social norms. Its a new space for us all, where societal pressure or restraints are kept aside, and people are free to express themselves as they desire.I find it exciting to give a different point of view, Why Not? is our key approach. From odd pairings to bizarre colour combinations, proportions or simply mixing strange elements together results in a refreshing take on contemporary culture and our interactions with the same. The combination of past-future respects tradition but tweaks it and reapproaches it in a format fit for today.If we are dressing, the vibe is the most important. We dont want it to look forced.That of power. The prints, the fit and the boldness of it requires someone who is willing to experiment and is fearless to own who they are. Vibe to me is more emotional than a physical projection.Authenticity. Its sometimes a growing trend or standards set by new communities/ generations. People who resonate with certain tribes adapt to that vibe. Some build their own vibe. For me, its an emotional state of being one that is simply enhanced by clothing, accessories, hair and makeup.I feel if someone enjoys putting effort into their look, they wouldnt really care for their country of origin. But yes, the global markets are more accessible and the number of choices is far too many. Maybe, sometimes its easier to discover things over social media and invest.Ranveer Singh. I love his energy and admire his fearlessness and Karan Johar because Bollywood is incomplete without his mention in anything fashion. I love his take on our clothes. The pairing and the selection are on point.For traditional clothing yes. For contemporary clothing, not so much. The daily appearances of stars have a higher impact on contemporary clothing.Not really. I feel we choose what direction to take when something is offered to us. I rather take global connectivity in the case of Instagram. The community is more tightly knit.I would go way back to the Mughals. Its fascinating. The craftsmanship, the colours and the materials Its mind-blowing.This was our 9th season at Milan Fashion Week. It feels like home. I am always excited to interact with different cultures, and communities and understand floating mindsets. Milan is very encouraging and extremely supportive. And when you have a playground like Milan Fashion Week, it urges you to step up. For India, anything that brings honour to the homeland is important. Its thrilling to promote Indian craftsmanship on a global scale.Finally, after two years of virtual shows, this was our first outing in Milan. With travel restrictions being lifted, I met some great creators and journalists during our showcase. The physical format doubles the impact- helping us build a niche network within Europe and globally.Keeping the business opportunities aside, it is always a learning experience. I always retain pointers from floating mindsets in the room and around me. Live presentations come with direct feedback from press and buyers, which is very insightful for us to develop further. We have added some new stores to our portfolio and are moving ahead with refreshing collaborations on a global front.It completely shifted my approach to design in general. Once you live in Italy, you practically breathe a different aesthetic. In our case, its just the same, as a result, the brand combines the maximal approach I grew up with in India and the minimal aesthetic I acquired during my time in Milan.The world is watching. Milano Fashion Week has immensely helped us expose the brand to global audiences. Growing awareness about the brand is constantly opening new doors and enhancing overall sales. I feel when one showcases at a platform as large as Milano Fashion Week, it psychologically builds a reputation for the brand and when we have this opportunity, we always ensure to put our best foot forward. gettyimagesbank Erin, a foreign student studying in a prestigious South Korean graduate school, shares her perspective on the word 'grateful' based on her experience as an inter-country adoptee. Ironically, the school of the university that she currently attends has her family's name, Underwood. ED. By Erin Underwood Sheetal Sharma who has lensed a palette of engrossing storytelling through his costumes in films like Kesari, Manto, Stree, Mimi and Gangubai Kathiawadi, highlights the power and prowess of characterisation through the art that is costuming. He narrates a tale where films meet fashion - as he peels off the layers of the pristine wardrobe on the silver screen, which makes the audiences gasp with an enviable sigh. He delves deeper as he unearths the carefully embedded details in the outfits that elevate the storyline to a captivating height. He draws your attention to what makes the characters of the film come live through the garbs they don. Excerpts... How Did You Discover Your Passion For Costume Designing? I was inclined since childhood towards art and craft. Artworks of the Renaissance period and Victorian art and clothing, the beautiful depiction of beauty and drapes of saree in Raja Ravi Verma paintings, Pakistani artist Abdur Rahman Chughtai, art derived from miniature Mughal art paintings were a great influence. During my time in fashion college, we were introduced to the beauty of World Cinema and its magical power to bring art forms alive. Films like Amelie, In The Mood For Love, Fallen Angels or V Shantaram films did play a very important Gangubai Kathiawadi. As a costume designer I always try to imagine a backstory to the character, episodes, or situations of the past that would have influenced the characters part for my passion towards film costume designing. After a three years course in fashion technology and a top up MA in London on costume designing, I met a college senior who introduced me to film making and costume designing in films. Miss Lovely was my first project, it showed me the potential to explore art with ensembles and I loved it and to top it, it was a film based in the backdrop of the 80s. Getting to work with director Ashim Ahluwalia was a great learning experience for a first timer. The rest just followed. What Is Your Take On Costumes Being Used For Characterization In Films? As a costume designer I always try to imagine a backstory to the character, episodes, or situations of the past that would have influenced the characters. The most difficult part in such situations is convincing the actors to go out of their way to allow some discomfort so that the essence of the character is more authentic on screen. When you are too comfortable with the way you walk or how your outfits look - you are restricting yourself to being a star, when you surpass that and work hard on yourself, the character comes to play. Youve Done Multiple Period Projects - Kesari, Manto, Raees, Airlift, And The Most Recent Ones - The Empire And Gangubai Kathiawadi - How Would You Say The Process Of Costume Designing Differs In A Commercial Film From That Of A Period Production? Research is the core of any period drama. Especially when you talk about realistic content. For Kesari, a quick visit to the Saragarhi museum in Amritsar and books suggested by director Anurag Singh were very helpful. Minute details like the style of the belt, the way they carried their kirpan, the way the shoes were tied with long leather straps, how the famous bulbous Pagdis were tied with the metal chakkar on it to hold the turbans and also use it as a weapon, how they carried their water and food for long journeys, the types of weapons they carried (guns was not the only type) - was helpful to portray a look that was closest to those events. A similar approach was adopted for Manto and Nandita Das herself had a whole book of research and photographs collected from Mantos family, which were immensely helpful. For Manto - it was replete with photographic research of some dupatta, some vessels, some jewellery from the Partition Museum and understanding how different strata of the society functioned. In some scenes, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is wearing pants and shirts picked from flea markets or second hand stuff. Even in commercial films, I try to stay away from brands and labels and 50 per cent of these films are also designed based on my sketches or references to add quirk and made by our backbone - the tailors. But the process is a bit faster since you are not trying to source the impossible. Speaking Of Gangubai Kathiawadi, The Colour White Has Played A Significant Role In Alias Wardrobe - Could You Elaborate On That In Terms Of Characterization? I associate the colour white with two aspects - it is a colour of sorrow/sadness/ calmness and on the contrary, also of strength/power/ glamour. When we started our research work on Gangubai, Sanjay Leela Bhansali had a very specific brief- its a real character. As Hussain Zaidis book mentions, Gangu wore a lot of whites with gold ornaments. Although there is no photographic reference of her, with Sirs help we started building the character from the backstory. Gangu was born in a family of barristers and witnessed the world of class and sophistication. Gangu wala Safed was her way of belonging to that class and rising in strength above the society norms. When Gangus brothel mates honour her with the role of a Gharwali or a Madam, she transforms to Gangubai and accepts her white saree as a symbol of strength. Sanjay sir was very clear about the consistency of white from this point on. Where Did You Get The Inspiration To Make Gangubais Character So Stylish And Relevant In The Era In Which The Story Is Set? Our first set of inspiration came from the onscreen ladies of that era Waheeda Rehman, Nutan, Madhubala, and Meena Kumari all the great actresses of Indian Cinema and their natural beauty. Gangu would see a bit of herself in all of them. Her flamboyance peaks after she becomes a brothel madam and then a mafia queen. She has the money and the power, and she is not shy. Her blouse pieces are adorned with gold buttons, her sarees have gold embroideries, her shoes are a gold jadau embellished yet cool and quirky. Meena Kumaris style of hair, her walk, and the way she wore her pallu slightly on her head and tucked into her blouse became the main reference. Her jewellery on the other hand has always got hints of Kathiawad, reminiscent of the past like a carrier of the agony of her loneliness. And the way Alia Bhatt carried this entire look along with the body language, it is remarkably commendable. Tell Us A Little About The Research That Went Behind Designing Costumes For The Empire Which Is Set In The Mughal Era. The Empire speaks of an era that can only be read from books or inspired by the museum pieces and paintings of the past. We got our hands on the Babar Nama from which we could pick up certain details and routes that the Mughals followed. Showrunner Nikhil Advani and director Mitakshara Kumar had a strong vision where the Mughals needed to be portrayed as Nomadic till they settled in India and formed the Delhi Sultanate. So the ensembles spoke of their travels and the ruggedness of a warrior tribe. A lot of references were drawn out of Mughal miniature paintings, we studied the Mongol culture and craftsmanship. The karigari of Uzbekistans art and architecture was a great help to derive a colour board that generates the right vibe. Its regal yet dark and soothing at the same time. We relied a lot on handloom textiles and upholstery from Jodhpur, Kashmir even the central Asian embroideries and motifs were very important. With the onset of lockdown, the shoot shifted from being shot in Uzbekistan to Mumbai studios and in Rajasthan. Thick and warm fabrics sourced and made to look Afghani or Uzbeki and layers of our ensembles would have killed the actors in Mumbai heat. The same original fabrics from Afghanistan and Uzbekistan were then used as cuts and patchworks on mulmul and linens or as the topmost layer of jackets and throws which the actors could put on only during the take. Stree Was A Horror Comedy And Mimi Is Based On A Social Subject - How Did You Approach The Designing Process For These Other Genres? Every character has a backstory, and you just have to find a thread connecting it. Like Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) is known for his tailoring craft in Stree. He needs to have that upbeat stitching details to his own garments and yet be old-fashioned to represent a town living its old legends. His jacket flip opens like a flap instead of a traditional front open. The palettes are muted and deeper tones because its a horror film. We shot the film in the old town of Chanderi which is all beige and off white, so there is a lot of deep maroon with brown and black that stands out in the dusty lanes. A hint of blues adds a highlighting factor and sets the night tone when the horror begins. Same in Mimi. Kriti played the role of a dancer from a small town of Rajasthan who wants to be an actress in Bollywood and how her life changes as she becomes a surrogate mother. We kept that slight tint of a small-town girl yet the confident girl as shes a dancer, and the colours and style here played a very cool eye-catchy vibe. Kriti completely owned this character and made it look beautiful yet very true and organic Hailing from Jaipur with a heart full of aspirations, Aakanksha Singh is a quintessential example of how dreams do turn into reality. Being a hardworking student since childhood, she honed her craft of being an actress with perfection and chased opportunities along the way. Today she is living her dream and achieving milestones every step of the way. In Runway 34, she played Ajay Devgns wife and rubbed shoulders with stalwarts like Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani - she talks about how it is an experience of a lifetime. The journey from where she started and how her career graph is shaping up as it traverses from Television to South films to Bollywood. Excerpts from an engaging interview. 1. When did you decide to become an actor? I started acting at 15. The first time I was in the theatre, the sounds of people clapping were the moment I realised I wanted to become an actor. 2. You've mentioned earlier how your childhood was very hectic with theatre workshops and stuff - were your parents supportive of your career choice? I have always been a good student. My parents were not in a mindset of Oh what will she do, I was a studious person and keener on academics, never missed school. My mother used to say Achha aaj mat jao chutti lelo, and I was like nahi I want to go to school. They were very supportive and as my mom is from the theatre so she always has this little inclination towards art, dancing, singing, and, later on, she got to know that there is an actor in me. They were very supportive. 3. How do you think Bollywood has evolved over time in how it deals with newcomers? When I started out my South film journey I was a little apprehensive about going from Hindi to the South. Is it the right decision? I don't know the language so I had many apprehensions. But you know they welcomed me. I am a North Indian girl who doesn't know the language. They welcomed me and I am still doing films down there and vice versa. I think there is nothing called South Indian industry and Bollywood industry. Everybody is making a pan India film. Now you have OTT, web shows, and so many platforms to showcase your talent. Even if you are not coming to OTT, you can open your own YouTube channel and showcase your talent. So the industry is more welcoming I would say but challenges are always there for newcomers. 4. Who were the role models you looked up to in Bollywood while starting off? When I came into this industry my inspiration was Anupam Kher. Later on, I always wanted to work with Irrfan Khan because my mom did her first play with him, back in 1985. So I always had this thing that I really want to work with him. He was a big inspiration for me like coming from Jaipur, doing his own things, theatre, and then making it big in Bollywood and Hollywood. I think in every step, I got my inspiration from different people. Doing Runway, Amitabh Ji is the new inspiration I would say. 5. From your Bollywood debut with Alia Bhatt in Badrinath Ki Dulhania to your upcoming film Runway 34 with a stellar cast - it's been quite a journey My only motto while doing Badri was to gain experience. When I worked on Badri, I realised that with different films you portray different characters, and working with Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan I had seen, when we were shooting it was a whole team. And that was a new experience for them and they are such lovely people to work with. Even director Shashank Khaitan for that matter, I never felt that I am an outsider, coming from a non-filmy background, I never felt. Being on that set gave me another kind of confidence to do films and thats how I would like to sum it up. Badri I would say was a cameo but it helped a lot as an actor to open new doors for me. 6. How did Runway 34 come your way? Vaibhav, the casting director, called me when I was in Jaipur. I had gone there to celebrate Diwali but it was such a bad time because my whole family got covid and I had to stay in a hotel. And amidst this I got this call from Vaibhav that this film is coming and it is opposite Ajay Devgn, would you like to give it a try? I said why not, it is a good opportunity and he said hed send a small test to record and send. I recorded the test, sent it to him and he called me back and said they really liked it and wanted me on board. 7. Tell us a little about your role in Runway 34 and how you approached it. I am playing Ajay Devgn's wife but she is not a trophy wife, it has some substance. I just asked them, "What is it?" - this was my question during Badri too. I always told Shashank that I dont want to be there just for the sake of it. The actor inside me always wants to do more. So this time around my question remained the same and I really wanted to know what she was doing. And then they explained it to me and I understood there is something to play in it, its not just the normal wife kind of a character. 8. Getting to work with veterans like Ajay Devgn and Amitabh Bachchan - how was the experience? When I was on the set for the very first day of the shoot, the Muhurat shot started with me. And on the last day, the shoot ended with my shot, so you know the whole experience of the film was different and unique I would say. It was really amazing to see Ajay sir in the category of director, actor, and producer, and at the same time, it was very weird for me to see him act and it was a very difficult task I would say for a director to also act in the same scene. Also Ive never worked on a set with twelve cameras. It was a great learning experience for me. 9.You've also received a handwritten letter from Amitabh Bachchan himself When I got hurt, my foot was in plaster and I was sitting in a wheelchair.. And he asked what happened to you. So I told him how I got injured. Hes very observant. Someone had written Tutti Frutti on my plaster and he started calling me Miss Tutti Frutti after that. I used to eat on the sets as I found it difficult to go to my van and he used to tease me about not offering him food. One day he brought a whole carton of biscuits on the sets and offered two big boxes to me from it. Then, he got to know I was sitting on the sets because I found it difficult to use a walker and arranged a buggy for me. And on the day before the plaster was to be cut, he even graciously wrote words of encouragement on it. Never in my life had I thought that I would be working with him and at the same time sharing this rapport with him. It was like a dream come true. 10. Do you feel Runway 34 will open up more opportunities for you in Bollywood? The screen space actually does not matter for an actor. There is a very good example of Taapsee Pannu in Baby, she just had those five minutes. And I always feel that it is an inspiration for any actor. If you get those five minutes right, your job is done. So yes of course I have always been positive about my craft and always been confident about how I act and how my journey is going so yeah people will see me more and more now. 11. Any Bollywood actors on your wish list you're looking forward to working with? I really want to work with Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal, and Ayushmann Khurrana. If the script is really good for me, like a full-fledged women-oriented film, I would love to do something again with Alia. I really like Shefali Shah, I really want to work with her. Kirti Kulhari, Radhika Apte. I really want to work with Shabana Azmi maam as well. Actor and producer Vijay Babu is currently on the run according to media reports. The actor was recently booked for alleged sexual assault on a female actor and moments after the news broke, Vijay Babu hosted a Facebook Live where he disclosed the identity of the complainant. The survivor had spoken about the alleged assault she faced at the hands of the Malayalam actor and this has caused heated debate regarding the dark side of the Malayalam film industry. This is also not the first time that a Malayalam actor is being accused of criminal behaviour. On Friday, another woman spoke up about an alleged encounter with the actor which left her scarred. The encounter was posted on Women Against Sexual Harassments Facebook page and accused Vijay Babu of trying to kiss her without her consent. The lady mentioned that she met the actor in November 2021 for professional reasons and certain personal issues came up during the conversation and Vijay Babu appeared to be willing to offer her help. According to TOI, the post also talks about how the actor was allegedly consuming alcohol and had also offered her some which she refused. When the two of them were alone, Vijay Babu reportedly tried to kiss her without her consent but she stepped back. Despite her disinterest, he tried to cajole her for just one kiss. The actor later apologised to her and requested her to not divulge the incident to anyone. Even though he didn't further force me to do anything, the thing which he did was cheap and scary. I had to discontinue my work because of this. I just stopped taking efforts to enter the Malayalam film industry after this, which was a dream for me until then. I realised that we just barely knew each other for 20-30 minutes, within this timeframe he made his first movement. I wondered how many women would have faced a much worse experience. I decided to bring up this after reading the recent incident which happened to an actress. I understand through what all she had gone through. When some group of people is speaking against her I was not able to keep quiet, as I know, he is someone who would do this. He is someone who tries to utilise vulnerable women offering help. So I want to state that Im here to raise my voice for the rape survivor. Im ready to withstand her. She deserves justice. Also, by removing or punishing people like him, the myths about the film industry - "not safe for women should be proved wrong for women like me to not be scared to step in (sic), the note read according to TOI. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 29, 2022 / PetroChina Company Limited ("PetroChina" or the "Company", (SEHK:0857)(NYSE:PTR)(SSE:601857) announced today that it has filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which includes its audited financial statements. The report can be accessed through SEC's website www.sec.gov and the Company's website www.petrochina.com.cn . A soft copy of the report in pdf format is available for download through the Company's website. Upon request by a shareholder, the Company will deliver a hard copy of the report free of charge within a reasonable time. To request a hard copy www.sec.gov of the annual report, please contact: CONTACT: BNY Mellon Shareowner Services P.O. BOX 505000 Louisville, KY40233-5000 UNITED STATES Overnight correspondence should be sent to: BNY Mellon Shareowner Services 462 South 4th Street Suite 1600 Louisville, KY40202 UNITED STATES Calling from within the US and Canada(toll-free): 1 888 269 2377 International call: 1-201-680-6825 Email: shrrelations@cpushareownerservices.com Additional information on PetroChina is available at its website: http://www.petrochina.com.cn Related Links http://www.petrochina.com.cn Media archive at www.todayir.com SOURCE: PetroChina Company Limited View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/699592/PetroChina-Filed-Annual-Report-on-Form-20-F Menlo Park, California and Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 29, 2022) - Intellabridge Technology Corporation (CSE: KASH) (OTCQB: KASHF) (FSE: KASH) (the "Company" or "Intellabridge"), announces the filing of restated financial statements and MD&A for the years ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2019, change of auditor, and change to year end. Restatement of Financial Statements The consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018, have been restated. From August 2018 through November 2018, Cryptanite purchased telecom minutes from an entity called Travel Data Solutions LLC. Those purchases totaled $1,084,360 and were recorded as part of Cryptanite's cost of sales. From August 2018 through November 2018, Cryptanite sold telecom minutes to an entity called Success Zone Technology Limited. Those sales totaled $1,100,649 and were recorded as part of Cryptanite's sales of products and services. The difference between those sales and cost of sales was a recorded profit of $16,289. It was recently determined from all available information that Travel Data Solutions LLC and Success Zone Technology Limited were both owned and controlled by the same individual. At that time, the individual in question did not disclose this information during the due diligence process. As a result of the restatement, the net profit of $16,289 was applied against the impairment of the security deposit previously recognized for the amount Cryptanite had paid in relation to the acquisition of this revenue stream. Consequently, Cryptanite has revised its accounting for the purchase and sale of the telecom minutes, eliminating the recording of the sales, cost of sales, and resulting profit related to those telecom minutes. Telecom activity has not been a part of Cryptanite's activity since 2018. Change of Auditor The Company has, after a review of the audit services and requirements in the blockchain sector, agreed with Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton Labonte LLP ("Former Auditor") to end the engagement effective March 18, 2022, and has appointed EBT Chartered Professional Accountants ("Successor Auditor") as external auditors effective April 25, 2022, until the close of the next annual general meeting of Intellabridge Shareholders. There were no reservations or modified opinions in any of the Former Auditor's audit reports for any financial period during which the Former Auditor was the Corporation's auditor with the exception of the restated year-end financial statements dated December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2019. Intellabridge confirms there are no "reportable events" (as the term is defined in National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations) between the Corporation and the Former Auditor and in its opinion, there are no reportable events pending. The Corporation and the Board of Directors would like to extend their thanks to Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton Labonte LLP for auditing services to date. In accordance with National Instrument 51-102, the Notice of Change of Auditor, together with the required letters from Former Auditor and Successor Auditor, have been reviewed by the Corporation's Audit Committee and have been filed on SEDAR accordingly. Change of Year End In connection with the change of Auditor, the Company is changing its year end to March 31, from its current year end of December 31, in order to provide the Successor Auditor the time to perform its audit of the annual financial statements. The notice for the year end change required under National Instrument 51-102 has been filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. As a result, the Company will report audited financial results for a 15-month period from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. Afterwards, Intellabridge will revert to a customary quarterly reporting calendar based on a March 31 financial year-end, with fiscal quarters ending on the last day in June, September, and December each year. About Intellabridge Technology Corporation Intellabridge Technology Corporation (CSE: KASH) (OTCQB: KASHF) (FSE: KASH) operates Kash, a digital banking platform based on a hybrid of decentralized finance, stablecoin technology, and traditional financial services. The Kash product features DeFi interest-bearing savings accounts, stablecoin checking, fiat-crypto on-ramps, synthetic stock, ETF and commodity investing, and other DeFi banking services, with plans to offer debit cards, virtual cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay in a growing number of markets globally. The Kash platform is available on web and mobile at kash.io. For more information on Intellabridge, visit www.intellabridge.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD of DIRECTORS INTELLABRIDGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION "Maria Eagleton" Maria Eagleton, COO To contact Intellabridge: Website: intellabridge.com Phone: +1-303-800-5333 Email: maria@intellabridge.com The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the word "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/122219 AMSTERDAM, April 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Merrill Lynch B.V. today informs its security holders that its Annual Financial Report for the year ended December 31, 2021, together with the audit report, has been filed with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (the "AFM"), the competent authority of the Netherlands, Merrill Lynch B.V.'s home Member State. Merrill Lynch B.V. makes available free of charge on its website its Annual and Half-Yearly Financial Reports filed with the AFM as soon as reasonably practicable after Merrill Lynch B.V. electronically files these documents with the AFM. These documents are posted on Bank of America Corporation's website at http://investor.bankofamerica.com/financial-information/subsidiary-and-country-disclosuresfbid=C0rA-iMt6oC under "Subsidiary and Country Disclosures / Subsidiary Information". The AFM maintains a website that contains reports and other information that issuers are required to file with it. These materials may be obtained electronically by accessing the AFM's page at https://www.afm.nl/en/professionals/registers/meldingenregisters. Copies of the above referenced information will also be made available, free of charge, by calling +31-20-5925-606 or upon written request to: Merrill Lynch B.V. Amstelplein 1, Rembrandt Tower, 27 Floor 1096 HA Amsterdam The Netherlands DGAP-News: Adler Group S.A. / Key word(s): Personnel Adler Group S.A.: Changes in the Board of Directors following the issue of a disclaimer of opinion by KPMG on Adler Group's Consolidated Financial Statements 30.04.2022 / 21:58 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Changes in the Board of Directors following the issue of a disclaimer of opinion by KPMG on Adler Group's Consolidated Financial Statements Audited Financial Statements published within all relevant deadlines - bond covenants intact The whole 2021 Board offered collectively its resignation with immediate effect - four resignations accepted by the Chairman The Board of Directors now consists of Thierry Beaudemoulin, Stefan Kirsten, Thilo Schmid and Thomas Zinnocker to ensure the continuity of business Chairman of the Board of Directors Stefan Kirsten: " We want to remove the reasons for disclaimer of opinion as quickly as possible. We are aspiring an unqualified audit opinion for 2022." Luxemburg, 30 April 2022: The consolidated financial statements of Adler Group S. A. ("Adler Group; Adler") for 2021 have been issued with a disclaimer of opinion by KPMG Luxembourg citing as a reason: "the denial of access to certain related party information". However, the audited financial statements were published within all relevant deadlines on 30 April 2022. Therefore, Adler Group complies with the statutory publication deadline as a S-Dax listed company vis-a-vis the capital market. This further means that the bond covenants of the existing bond portfolio stay intact. According to KPMG Luxembourg, the denial by the company is considered as "exceptional circumstances which prevent us from obtaining sufficient appropriate evidence about the identification and disclosure of related parties and significant related party transactions and account balances. This also precludes us from evaluating whether the accounting treatments for at least some of these transactions are appropriate and consistent with their substance, as well as evaluating whether management's assessment about the valuation of certain account balances is adequate." In summary, this leads KPMG Luxembourg to a disclaimer of opinion. Due to the disclaimer of opinion, all members of the Board of Directors who held a mandate in 2021 collectively offered their resignation with immediate effect. Chairman of the Board of Directors Prof. Dr. A. Stefan Kirsten states: "As I pointed out, governance and compliance issues have been identified during the special investigation. The auditors - in its severity also surprisingly for me - expressed this strongly in their opinion today." The Chairman has asked the Board members Thilo Schmid and Thomas Zinnocker to retain their mandates for the continuity of business until the Annual General Meeting on 29 June 2022 and then stand for re-election. The second CEO Thierry Beaudemoulin will also remain in office as CEO and on the Board of Directors and stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting. A new CFO is being sought externally with immediate effect. Outgoing Deputy and former Chairman Dr. Peter Maser said: "The Board has worked intensively in 2021 with external advice, while under severe pressure from the outside. We exercised our duty in the best interest of the company; now we want to give Adler Group a fresh start with our collective resignation." Kirsten: "I respect the Board offering its collective resignation. With Mr Schmid and Mr Zinnocker, we have two experienced managers in the team who will support us in the repositioning of the Adler Group. Mr Schmid heads the Audit Committee and Mr Zinnocker the Investment and Finance Committee. The senior management around Thierry Beaudemoulin, Sven-Christian Frank and Dr. Bernd Schade will also be extended. We will expand the compliance function under Mr Frank with external help and are looking for a new CFO on short notice." On the issue of the alleged denial of access of certain information, Kirsten adds: "The 30 April 2022 as closing date for the 2021 audited financial statements was far more important to us than longer lasting auditing procedures." According to Kirsten, Adler Group will seek a dialogue with KPMG Luxembourg, in order to clarify, how these information deficits could be cured without legal detriment. Kirsten also announced that the Board of Directors has decided on a reservation clause for so-called related party transactions. The position of the Aggregate bonds at nominal value of 34.2m and market value of 22.9m at year-end 2021 reached market value of 14.6m as of 29 April 2022. "Regardless of the economic success or lack thereof, this transaction with a former related party, even if legal, does not correspond to my understanding of good governance. The Board of Directors takes control of this position. For now, the bonds are held until maturity. Of course, we will report on this position to the capital market on an ongoing basis." Kirsten concludes: "It goes without saying that such a disclaimer of opinion is no good news. Such a note reflects a high level of distrust between the company and the auditors; but once again: we are about to make a new start, because in my opinion Adler has sufficient substance. Our existing portfolio is rock solid. The disclaimer is the confirmation of an audit that was carried out without an opinion. We have to accept that, but we will try to eliminate the reasons for the disclaimer as soon as possible. We are and remain, as I said to the special investigation, ailing but vital." Adler will present the 2021 consolidated financial statements on Tuesday, 3 May 2022, during an investor and analyst conference call with Stefan Kirsten and Thierry Beaudemoulin. The audited Consolidated Financial Statements for 2021 were published on the corporate website on 30 April 2022. Contact Investor Relations: T +352 278 456 710 F +352 203 015 00 E investorrelations@adler-group.com 30.04.2022 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de Zurich, Switzerland--(Newsfile Corp. - April 30, 2022) - Summary: BitValley is an Ecosystem of products that develops new projects to stay trendy. After the launch of BitDash, the company has announced the expected launch of their NFT Marketplace and the anticipated release of their Beta version BitValley App. BitValley To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8621/122278_0a12e12784160a5d_001full.jpg BitValley is a crypto project developed by individuals from Europe. In the recent development, the company has its first and second products already developed: Bitdash and NFT Marketplace. BitDash has already launched, and the expected launch of NFT Marketplace will be announced soon. Their third project, BitValley Mobile App (which is their main product), is in progress and it will have multiple features inside. BitValley's products: BitDash - Already developed and Launched BitValley Dashboard is an all-in-one dashboard for the BitValley investors. They offer a tracking feature for their BitValley tokens, rewards, and upcoming rewards. BitDash also has a Newsfeed where investors can read the latest news regarding BitValley. The team plans to add more features like statistics, charts, etc. so BitDash is a product for the BitValley users to keep them updated with everything regarding BitValley. NFT Marketplace - Already Developed - To be launched soon The BitValley NFT Marketplace offers client-friendly design, speed, and low minting prices. BitValley's NFT Marketplace will be launched together with 4 categories of BitValley NFT collections. Some categories will have NFT art to purchase, with benefits added as the NFT Roadmap progresses. Some other categories will have benefits from the start. BitValley App - In progress - Beta Version to be released soon The BitValley app is their main product and will be their All-in-One Crypto-Related Mobile App, which will also have its Web-based Platform. BitValley will have multiple products inside one Mobile App. It offers crypto courses and subscription-based courses without the charge within the BitValley App. Suppose a user is a developer with limited funds and can't promote the idea. In that case, BitValley provides a section for upcoming launches free of charge, and this same feature will be useful for people searching for new upcoming projects. BitValley offers an algorithm for hiring issues based on a decentralized contract. There will be even more features in the App like Crypto News, Trending projects, Listings, Secure Fund Storage and Swap, Giveaways, Categorized Open Chat, etc. Short term Plans of BitValley The team will launch their NFT Marketplace, and they will announce significant collaborations and partnerships. Also, they will release a beta version of their BitValley App, which will be tested by community members before launching it on AppStore and PlayStore. BitValley is a low Market Cap forum that hasn't spent any marketing money for months; they are preparing their marketing campaign now and will have what to promote soon. Potential investors can visit the official website: https://bitvalley.io/ for more details. Visit the Telegram: https://t.me/BitValleyOfficial or Twitter: https://twitter.com/BitValleyInc to connect with the community. Media Contact Details Company Name: BitValley Contact person: David Muller Email: Admin@bitvalley.io Website: https://bitvalley.io/ City: Zurich Country: Switzerland To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/122278 Lam Research's R&D center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of Lam Research Korea By Baek Byung-yeul Lam Research, a U.S.-based semiconductor equipment company, opened its R&D center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. The U.S. company is expected to further strengthen its partnership with Korean chip companies, given the research center is close to Samsung Electronics' factory in Yongin's Giheung District and is at the center of the K-Semiconductor Belt industrial complex, a government-led initiative. "Located in the Jigok Industrial Complex in the heart of Korea's K-Semiconductor Belt, the R&D center's proximity to customers will enable closer collaboration and accelerated development of solutions across the full range of the chip-making processes offered by Lam," Lam Research's Korean unit said. Lam Research plans to operate the Lam Research Korea Technology Center (KTC) as a core base for its global R&D network. "As the semiconductor equipment sector becomes increasingly important, we expect the opening of Lam Research KTC to contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the Korean semiconductor industry," Park Jin-kyu, the first vice minister of trade, industry and energy, said during an opening ceremony held at the center. "The government will actively support Korea to become a stable and attractive investment destination for global semiconductor materials, parts and equipment companies." "The Lam Research Korea Technology Center is a powerful extension to our global lab network," said Tim Archer, president and CEO of Lam Research. "By enabling deeper technology partnerships with our customers, this new facility further strengthens our ability to develop next-generation solutions faster." Lee Sang-won, president of the company's Korean unit, also said, "This new R&D center will provide an outstanding venue where those efforts can continue and will contribute to the strengthening of the K-semiconductor industry ecosystem for many years to come." Since launching its Korean unit in 1989, Lam Research has been working closely with Korean chip companies. In February, the company said it would produce etching equipment, a next-generation core piece of equipment for chip production in Korea. The new equipment is forecast to be used in developing next-generation Samsung memory chips and system chips. My long lasting 40 project. State of Finland bought about 4,400 Ford m. 40 truck and truck chassis from United States in year 1940. Large number (about 1,100 - 1,200 or so?) of those Ford trucks were captured by the Germans when they invaded Norway in 1940 and were taken in German use. Germany later compensated the Ford trucks taken to their own use in Norway by delivering French trucks (mainly Citroen T45) to Finland. Some 2,500 trucks were delivered to Finland via Norwegian harbours before German invasion and last shipments that had not yet reached Norway were re-routed via Petsamo harbour. Sweden was apparently also having pretty serious shortage of trucks at the time, so Finland sold about 1,000 of the new Ford m.40 trucks to Sweden.) Stabsoffizier der Kraftfahrtruppen Hi, I should have done this a while ago, but time flies so many guys here at this forum inspired me for so long time,specially Brian from bernette/42 2 ton, i have almost done the same job as him.still followingMy truck have a special story, one of around 1,100-1,200 (not sure about this) trucks going on two ships from USA to Finland in april 1940, due to bad weather or guided by a Royal Navy convoy, the ships ended up in Bergen, west coast Norway april 8th....the day before Germany occupied Norway.(The ships was sent to Stavanger ,and unloaded ,all the trucks was then used by the German occupants in the war, my truck was used by German Luftwaffe (luftgaukommando norwegen)in Norway during ww2.(i have the original German papers)My grand dad Nils Veka started with his own truck business in 1935, with a new Chevrolet ,and later an older Chevrolet 1931...both trucks was taken by the germans in 1940, but he got the 31 model back since he normally was doing maintenance on the local roads . who altso gained the Germans.The 35 truck was used for snowplowing the german made airstrip in Voss during the war...i dont know what happen to that truck later...ln late 1945 /early 1946 he went to Bergen and bought himself a 1940 Ford truck....it was cheap, and in bad condition after hard use the 5 years before....but he got the truck the 60 miles back home to his hometown Voss, a bit up in the west coast mountains ,where i am altso born and raised..and fixed it up.used it for many years.......lucky me, i found some registration papers and some other papers regarding the truck in my grandpas house long time after he passed away in 1984.I found the truck abandoned in the woods in 1999......it was looking terrible.....i was living near Oslo in the eastern part of Norway at this time...i went home but could not get the truck of my mind..i got it out from the woods and stored the truck for some years...start collecting parts..and i altso managed to find a donor truck with a cab possible to save.....altso an ex German used truck.....the ball start to roll....in 2012 i had moved back home to Voss and got a restoration place in the local American Car Club building....so parallel to other projects im still working on the truck.hoping for paint this winter.......this was the short story...i have a lot of detailsim going to post some pics from the last years of restoration...my goal has always been to use most of the original parts from the wood wreckage...but Ebuy , good competent friends and some good peoples in Dakota and some other places in USA have supported me a lot finding parts for my project, and im thankful for that.sorry...i hope you are able to understand my written english. And i`m not used to loading up pictures on forums...but i will give it a shotNilsmore pictures i coming ........ First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon, right, visits a Hyundai Motor research center in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, April 26. Yonhap The government plans to invest 397.5 billion won ($318 million) to build charging stations for electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles this year in an effort to foster the next-generation car industry, a senior official said Tuesday. The government also plans to focus on building infrastructure and developing technology for self-driving vehicles this year, according to First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon. "The government will continue to craft policy support for the next-generation car sector in a bid to help sharpen the industry's competitive edge and take the lead in the global market," Lee said during his visit to a research center of leading automaker Hyundai Motor in Hwaseong, south of Seoul. The administration designated the non-memory chip, bio-health and next-generation vehicle sectors as key three industries that it aims to nurture for job creation and innovation-driven growth. The government earlier said it plans to provide more support for zero-emission cars in an effort to help the country better achieve its greenhouse gas emission goals. Korea aims to raise the total number of eco-friendly vehicles to 4.5 million by 2030, including 3.62 million EVs. (Yonhap) Samsung Group's corporate flag flies in front of its headquarters building in Seoul / Yonhap Samsung Electronics reported its best first-quarter earnings in four years Thursday on the back of solid semiconductor and mobile demand. The world's largest memory chip and mobile phone maker said its operating profit rose more than 50 percent to 14.1 trillion won ($11.1 billion) year-on-year in a regulatory filing. Its January to March operating income beat the market consensus of 13.2 trillion won from a survey of analysts by Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap News Agency. Sales increased 18.9 percent to 77.7 trillion won in the first quarter, an all-time quarterly record and the third consecutive quarter that the tech giant has logged more than 70 trillion won in quarterly sales. Prices of memory chips, which support a great portion of Samsung's top and bottom lines, held up better than expected. Robust demand for server memory chips, smartphones and high-end home appliances helped boost the tech giant's profits. (Yonhap) From left, Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, Founder of Heritage Foundation Edwin John Feulner Jr. and Hanwha Hotels & Resorts Managing Director Kim Dong-seon pose after dinner at a restaurant in Seoul, April 27. Courtesy of Hanwha Group By Kim Jae-heun Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn met with Edwin John Feulner Jr., the founder of the Heritage Foundation, late Wednesday, to discuss a range of issues concerning Korea and U.S. ties, the company said Thursday. The Heritage Foundation is a conservative U.S. policy think tank that was established in 1973. The meeting took place on the occasion of Feulner's visit to Korea to participate in an international conference. During the two-hour dinner, Kim and Feulner shared their opinions on global economic issues including the ongoing price increases of raw materials triggered by the Ukraine-Russia war and energy security. They also talked about ways to promote friendly relations between Korea and the United States. Chairman Kim's youngest son Kim Dong-seon, managing director of Hanwha Hotels & Resorts, also joined the meeting. Feulner had been the chairman of the Heritage Foundation until 2013 and he still heads the Asian Studies Center within the group. With his deep knowledge of and diverse experience with Korea's politics, economy and society, he is widely seen as an expert on the region. Kim and Feulner have been close for nearly 40 years since the early 1980s. They have been sharing their views not only on pending issues between Korea and the United States but also on the global economy as a whole whenever they have the chance to meet. Kim also met with former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in March to discuss Korea-U.S. relations. Kim mentioned the difficulties local companies were facing then due to international tensions and stressed the importance of global leaders' cooperation in resolving the issues. Pence joined the Heritage Foundation as a guest research fellow in February 2021. DELAWARE CITY, Del., April 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imagine a world where crypto traders can use any currency at any time on every blockchain without worrying about fluctuations in value or fees. With a unique auto-deduction charge fee of 10-40% for sellers to control them from dumping tokens, the fee system will be used for treasury reserves as a means of controlling traders, preventing them from dumping their assets in an effort to cause instability in the market and to trade in peace knowing the funds are safe and secure on the xWEOWNS Treasury Reserve Decentralized Platform. Offering one of the most innovative solutions for liquidity management, xWEOWNS offers seamless swaps between fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies (USD, EURO, WEOWNS, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more) through its cross chain protocol that allows simultaneous transactions across two blockchains using smart contracts without requiring an intermediary party or centralized order book manager. With this solution all trades are executed automatically via atomic swaps while ensuring trustless trade execution and transparency thanks to distributed ledger technology underpinning it. Fixed price xWEOWNS $282 stablecoin to go live on 6th May 2022 on Latoken Exchange. The new xWEOWNS DeFI Platform has a unique 'auto deduction' charge fee which deducts 10%-40% when traders sell their assets. Utilizing the xWEOWNS stablecoin, traders can invest in cross-chain trading at fixed prices that increase by 30% per quarter. This gives traders who hold their assets longer an advantage over those who are looking for quick profits as well as reducing volatility in the marketplace and thus making trading much safer overall. The treasury reserve system has a holding pool which is more dynamic than Tether or any other stablecoin in the crypto market for users to trade and invest on the xWEOWNS DeFi platform at all times without fear of being dumped from sellers who are looking to control the price value of tokens they hold as an investment strategy against volatility swings in cryptocurrency markets. This new technology will provide a dynamic and secure treasury reserve system that crypto traders can count on. Stability in the Crypto Market. No more pump & dumps with xWEOWNS. With the introduction of xWEOWNS, crypto traders will be able to trade using a more stable token without having to worry about price volatility as it has been engineered with an underlying treasury reserve system that prevents tokens from being dumped by sellers looking to make quick profits. By leveraging xWEOWNS' advanced technology which supports trading all major cryptocurrencies simultaneously across multiple exchanges, traders can take advantage of arbitrage opportunities as well as hedging against cryptocurrency volatility risks such as Bitcoin's price swings. With xWEOWNS, there is no need for third party services like Tether or any other stablecoin as this platform offers secure and flexible cross-chain treasury reserves at fixed rates which can be withdrawn anytime users want out of their investments on Lachain blockchain or Latoken Exchange while also retaining value stability so they are not impacted by market fluctuations when trying to cash out their holdings back into fiat currency currencies such as USD or EURO which would otherwise happen if these assets were traded on external exchanges outside of xWEOWNS where prices can fluctuate wildly due to market forces outside of its control. A New Era of Decentralized Treasury Reserve Trading. Introducing cross chain swaps into xWEOWNS' ecosystem. This means that crypto traders can access an even wider range of cryptocurrencies without having to worry about fluctuating prices from one exchange site as they are all priced against xWEOWNS with Fixed Token Price, Dynamic Holding Pool, Automatic DeFi Rate Adjustments and more. This gives crypto traders stability, predictability and transparency when it comes to trading their digital assets within this new ecosystem. "One thing that many traders struggle with is trying not only reduce their exposure but also try and keep their risks down by reducing those risks through diversification - something which has been difficult given how volatile cryptocurrency markets have been over recent years. We offer both hedging for traders who want their portfolio less volatile as well as automated trading for those who want their assets turned into cash quickly," said Ssemakula Peter Luyima, Weownomy Global CEO/President/Co-Chairman and Principal Founder of xWEOWNS. xWEOWNS Treasury Reserve Holding Pool The treasury reserve holding pool can be used by holders as an asset management tool, while also preventing token dumpers from ruining the market through xWEOWNS's auto-deduction charge fees system. 30% of all generated fees will be deposited into the treasury reserve holding pool which consists of all the trading fees earned by xWEOWNS (calculated at 10% - 40%). Paying it Forward A portion of all proceeds from each transaction will be distributed among all xWEOWNS holders. The percentage distribution is 30% (x30) of the total funds received, and will be generated through treasury reserve holding pool on the blockchain network that pays out dividends in xWEOWNS. A built in distribution system will automatically distribute funds between all xWEOWNS holders, with a special emphasis on those who have been holding their tokens for longer periods of time (1 up to 3 years). "Earn a share of the xWEOWNS charge fee on every transaction and hold your tokens in treasury reserve holding pool for 30% from 1 upto 3 years," said Ssemakula Peter Luyima. xWEOWNS Holders Control the Market. With automatic fee deduction from sellers and an opportunity to earn 30% of the proceeds through treasury reserve holding pool, holders control xWEOWNS token value by voting on market price adjustments. Sellers can choose between a percentage fee of 10%, 20%, or 40% that will be deducted automatically when they sell their tokens; this is good for both buyers and sellers as it prevents sellers from dumping tokens to generate quick profits and buy back at lower prices later on. The other benefit is that you can earn up to 30% if you hold your coins in our reserve pool by purchasing them back with the proceeds generated through selling fees collected from those who are selling their tokens; this creates a cycle where more people will want to purchase because they know there's always someone willing to buy what they're selling which means higher demand, which ultimately drives up prices so everyone benefits. WeownomyChat: The first fully decentralized and secure app for personal communication Weownomy has signed a new strategic partnership with confidential Romania tech company to launch WeownomyChat into a super user owned app (powered by VOBP) that secures and encrypts all your communication.The Romanian Technology Partner will help drive international growth as well as provide an unparalleled security service for all WeownomyChat global users. WeownomyChat is a revolutionary new app that enables anyone, anywhere in the world to generate revenue from their content. It's also secure and encrypted. The mission of the project is for individuals to take back ownership of their digital identity through self-sovereign identification technologies. This way they can protect themselves from third party intrusions or abuse. Developed by Romania's leading tech company, WeownomyChat, the communication app will provide consumers with an all-in-one encrypted solution for messaging, calls and video chats that is controlled 100% by the user. With every chat connection made on WeownomyChat App, users can generate revenue from their conversations while retaining control over their data. The new partnership will see WeownomyChat launched as a super user owned app (powered by VOBP) on May 27 which guarantees privacy and security for users' conversations in line with GDPR regulations coming into force starting from May 25 onwards. "Using our new partner's proprietary technologies, we are building an app that encrypts all messages so you can own your chat data, content and privacy - giving you complete control over who sees what. Participate in the next generation of social media that gives you more control over your data - we don't track or sell it! The most innovative monetization model - earn money from both advertisers & users/customers while owning your own content!" said Ssemakula Peter Luyima. About xWEOWNS Weownomy is launching the xWEOWNS fixed $282 stablecoin on Latoken exchange that provides treasury reserve protection against price drops of digital assets while capitalizing on the high volatility that exists today in the crypto currency markets. The development team at Weownomy has designed an automated process for trading cryptocurrencies through an intermediary asset called xWEOWNS which will allow traders to hedge their investments from market volatility. About Weownomy Platform Corporation Weownomy Platform Corporation, Incorporated in the State of Delaware https://www.weownomy.global is launching a subscription-based, open and participatory platform. A new redefined social network that facilitates people's participation in the democratic process of defining their own rules for their future, generating an ownership structure where every person has rights to share in the proceeds generated by this new economy and hence true economic equality. Media Ssemakula Peter Luyima ceo@weownomy.global President and CEO Weownomy Platform Corporation Related Images Image 1: xWEOWNS xWEOWNS Fixed Stablecoin $282 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Credit Suisse Group AG (Credit Suisse or the Company) (NYSE: CS) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and docketed under 22-cv-02477, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Credit Suisse securities between March 19, 2021 and March 25, 2022, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Credit Suisse securities during the Class Period, you have until June 28, 2022 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Credit Suisse, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. The Company offers private banking and wealth management solutions, including advisory, investment, financial planning, succession planning, and trust services, and financing and lending, and multi-shore platform solutions. Credit Suisse has a history of business dealings with Russian oligarchs, or ultra-high net worth business leaders possessing significant political influence. For example, an article published by Financial Times on February 7, 2022, entitled Credit Suisse securitizes yacht loans to oligarchs and tycoons, cited a recent investor presentation for a synthetic securitization deal, in which Credit Suisse sold off $80 million worth of risk related to a $2 billion portfolio of loans backed by assets owned by certain of the banks ultra-high net worth clients (the Securitization Deal), which disclosed that, in 2017 and 2018, Credit Suisse experienced 12 defaults on yacht and aircraft loans, a third of which were related to U.S. sanctions against Russian oligarchs. Press reports at the time indicated that Russian billionaires Oleg Deripaska, Arkady Rotenberg, and Boris Rotenberg had to terminate private jet leases with Credit Suisse in those years. Beginning in or around October 2021, Russia commenced a major military build-up near the Russo-Ukrainian border, in apparent preparation for an invasion of Ukraine. Although the Russian government repeatedly denied it had plans to invade or attack Ukraine, the U.S. later released intelligence of Russian invasion plans, including satellite photographs showing Russian troops and equipment near the Russo-Ukrainian border. In November 2021, as Russias military buildup on the Russo-Ukrainian border continued, the Company entered the Securitization Deal. Just months later, on February 24, 2022, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine. In the immediate aftermath of the invasion, Western governments including, among others, the U.S., Canada, and the European Union, imposed significant sanctions on Russia. The sanctions included, inter alia, measures targeting Russias ultrawealthy oligarchs by denying them access to the global financial system and by, in some cases, authorizing the seizure of certain of their high-value assets located outside of Russia. Barely a week after the commencement of the Russian invasion and the retaliatory sanctions imposed by Western nations, news outlets reported that Credit Suisse had requested non-participating investors who received information about the Companys loan portfolio to destroy and permanently erase any confidential information that Credit Suisse provided to them regarding the Securitization Deal. The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Credit Suisse had deficient disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; (ii) Credit Suisses practice of lending money to Russian oligarchs subject to U.S. and international sanctions created a significant risk of violating rules pertaining to those sanctions and future sanctions; (iii) the foregoing conduct subjected the Company to an increased risk of heightened regulatory scrutiny and/or enforcement actions; (iv) the Securitization Deal concerned loans that Credit Suisse made to Russian oligarchs previously sanctioned by the U.S.; (v) the purpose of the Securitization Deal was to offload the risks associated with these loans and mitigate the impact on Credit Suisse of sanctions likely to be implemented by Western nations in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine; (vi) Credit Suisses request that non-participating investors destroy documents related to the Securitization Deal was intended to conceal the Companys noncompliance with U.S. and international sanctions in its lending practices; (vii) the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to subject the Company to enhanced regulatory scrutiny and significant reputational harm; and (viii) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On March 28, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform sent Credit Suisse a letter asking the Company to turn over information and documents about a portfolio of loans backed by yachts and private jets owned by clients, potentially including sanctioned Russian individuals. In the letter, House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney and Rep. Stephen Lynch, chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, questioned Credit Suisses request that hedge funds and other non-participating investors destroy documents related to yachts and private jets owned by the banks clients. Given the timing of this request and its subject matter, the House Democrats wrote, Credit Suisses action raises significant concerns that it may be concealing information about whether participants in the deal may be evading sanctions imposed by the West after Russias invasion of Ukraine. On this news, Credit Suisses stock price fell $0.21 per share, or 2.58%, to close at $7.94 per share on March 28, 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 Las Vegas, Nevada, April 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tonya Hofmann a serial entrepreneur and CEO of BeeKonnected explained the need for creating the social media platform and what makes this app a must have for personal brands. The podcast host Qamar Zaman interviewed Tonya Hofmann, a social speaker and a serial entrepreneur, founder of many organizations and associations, author of 8 books, and many more. The podcast discusses how her experience helped build a platform for business owners made for business people. They also discussed how it takes the best things from other social media into BeeKonnected. BeeKonnected will be the first platform for like-minded businesses to connect through their latest feature of the platform, the Konnection Generator''. Companies can connect with other companies, suppliers, and customers to further enhance their business. With so much noise in the content space,our life has been hijacked. You can't simply join a social media platform for business and have to bear all the noise that comes with these platforms. Furthermore, social media brings a lot of spammers who ruin the atmosphere of the groups making new and upcoming businesses to be smothered by them. BeeKonnected will provide the best of these media platforms and none of the hassle or spammers. This initiative will also keep out trolls and fake profiles, allowing old and new business owners to be heard and discovered in the new age of digital business places. Listen to the podcast on your favorite platform. Apple iTunes, Amazon Music, Google Podcast & Spotify About BeeKonnected BeeKonnected is a platform for entrepreneurs and business owners with like minded goals to connect to further enhance their businesses. Founder and CEO of this startup, Ms. Tonya Hofmann is working hard with her team to design AI and algorithms to connect like-minded and similar businesses on BeeKonnected while allowing feeds to be about their favorite company and suppliers without weeding through multiple platforms to get heard. Key highlights of the interview include: What is BeeKonnected? Who is the Target Audience for BeeKonnected? Why Another Tool for social media? What makes BeeKonnected unique? For more information, listen here: About Tonya Hofmann Tonya is a serial entrepreneur who is the CEO & Co-Founder at BeeKonnected. She is a globally sought-after speaker and mentor to inspire upcoming business owners and entrepreneurs and has been presented on the cover of many magazines and the winner of the EBC's Global Mentorship Award and winner of the International eWomenNetwork Business Matchmaker of the Year award. She has also authored 8 best-selling books. Website: https://beekonnected.com/ LinkedIn: Tonya Hofmann About Qamar Zaman - Host of Subject Matter Expert Podcast Qamar Zaman is a subject matter expert podcast host who interviews other experts worldwide on his show. Listen to Qamar Zaman Amazon Music | Google Podcast iTunes | Spotify | BuzzSprout Media Contact Ana Khan - subjectmatterexpertspodcast@gmail.com English Lithuanian The resolutions of the Ordinary General Shareholders Meeting of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL held on 30 April 2022: 1. Presentation of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL consolidated annual report for 2021. Shareholders of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL are presented with the Consolidated Annual Report of the Company for 2021 (attached). There is no voting on this issue of agenda. 2. Presentation of the independent auditors report on the financial statements and consolidated annual report of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL. Shareholders of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL are presented with the independent auditors report on the financial statements and consolidated annual report of the Company (attached). There is no voting on this issue of agenda. 3. Approval of the consolidated and stand-alone financial statements for 2021 of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL. To approve the consolidated and stand-alone financial statements for 2021 (attached) of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL. 4. Resolution regarding profit distribution of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL. To distribute profit of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL as follows (thousand EUR): 1) Retained earnings (loss) at the beginning of the financial year of the reporting period; 62,686 2) Net profit (loss) for the financial year; 37,453 3) Profit (loss) not recognized in the income statement of the reporting financial year; - 4) Transfers from reserves; - from the reserve for the acquisition of own shares - from the mandatory reserve - from share premium - from share based payments reserve - 5) Shareholders contribution to cover loss (if all or part of loss is covered by the shareholders) - 6) Distributable profit (loss) in total; 100,139 7) Profit transfers to the legal reserves; - 8) Profit transfers to the reserves for own shares acquisition - 9) Profit transfers to the reserve for granting equity incentives - 10) Profit to be paid as dividends*; -7,637* 11) Profit to be paid as annual payments (bonus) and for other purposes; 12) Retained earnings (loss) at the end of the financial year. 92,502 * EUR 0.65 per share, when the total number of shares entitling to dividends is 11,749,032. If the increase of the share capital is registered before the shareholders' rights accounting day, EUR 0.65 per share would also be paid for the newly issued shares. In this case, the amount allocated for dividends would increase to EUR 7,682 thousand and retained earnings (loss) at the end of the financial year would decrease to EUR 92,457 thousand. 5. Decision on approval of the Remuneration Report of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL. To approve the Remuneration Report of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL for 2021 (presented as Annex 4 to the Consolidated Annual Report). 6. Regarding the election of the members of the Board of Invalda INVL for a new term of office. At the end of the term of office of the members of the Board of Invalda INVL, to elect the following persons to the Board of Invalda INVL for 4 (four) years term of office: The nominees are: - Tomas Bubinas (independent member of the Board), - Alvydas Banys - Indre Miseikyte. The newly elected members of the Board shall take up their duties upon adoption of this decision. 7. Regarding the determination of remuneration for work in the Board of the company. 7.1. To enter into Agreements with the elected members of the Board on the activities of the member of the Board and to set the following remuneration for the work in the Board of Invalda INVL (all taxes and fees applicable to the member of the Board, except for VAT (when the member of the Board becomes liable to pay VAT), inclusive): 7.1.1. to set a salary of EUR 200 per hour for an independent member of the Board, which shall be paid at least once per quarter for the hours actually spent by a member of the Board in attending and preparing for meetings, according to the report of the member. 7.1.2. to set a fixed monthly remuneration of EUR 1,500 for the other members of the Board, and a monthly fixed remuneration of EUR 2,000 when the member of the Board serves as the Chairman of the Board. The monthly remuneration may be reduced proportionately or not paid at all if a member of the Board does not attend the meetings of the Board of the company or does not perform other functions assigned to him. 7.2. To instruct the Board of the Company to determine other terms of the Agreements by a jointly adopted decision. 8. Approval of the salary change in accordance with the provisions of the Remuneration Policy. Pursuant to the provisions of the Remuneration Policy approved by the General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company on 30 April 2020, amendments to the existing remuneration levels of the members of the Board of the Company must be approved by the General Meeting of Shareholders. If the remuneration of the existing members of the Board is changed without the approval of the General Meeting of Shareholders, such changes in remuneration shall be submitted to the next General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company for approval. In accordance with the provisions of the Remuneration Policy of the Company, to approve the monthly salary of the member of the Board, acting as the advisor in the company, in the amount of EUR 4,625 as of 1 May 2022. 9. Resolution regarding purchase of own shares of the public joint-stock company Invalda INVL. Until the day of the General Shareholders meeting the reserve for the purchase of own shares which is equal to EUR 9,888 thousand is not used. To use the reserve (a part of it) for the purchase of own shares and to purchase shares in Invalda INVL under these conditions: 1) The goal for the purchase of own shares is to ensure shareholders a possibility to sell companys shares. 2) The maximum number of shares to be acquired - the nominal value of own shares may not exceed 1/10 of the share capital. 3) The period during which the company may purchase its own shares - 18 months from the day of this resolution. 4) The maximum and minimal one share acquisition price: the maximum one share acquisition price - value of consolidated equity per one share calculated according to the last publicly announced data of the consolidated equity of Invalda INVL before the decision of the Board is taken; minimum one share acquisition price - EUR 1. 5) The conditions of the selling of the purchased shares and minimal purchase price: Purchased own shares (including the shares acquired before the adoption of this decision) may be cancelled by the decision of the General Shareholders Meeting or by the decision of the Board granted the right to acquire the shares for the employees upon conditions of the Rules for Granting Equity Incentives, or sold by the decision of the Board upon the condition that minimum sale price for one share isnt lower than value of consolidated equity per one share calculated according to the publicly announced data of the consolidated equity of Invalda INVL before the decision of the Board is taken, and the sale procedure will ensure equal possibilities for all shareholders to purchase these shares. The Board of Invalda INVL is delegated, on the basis of this resolution and the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania, to adopt decisions regarding purchase and sale of own shares, to organise purchase and selling procedure of own shares and to determine an order and timing for purchase and sale of own shares as well as the amount of shares and shares price, and to complete all other actions related with purchase and sale procedure of own shares. From the date of this resolution the resolution of the General Shareholders Meeting on 30 April 2021 on the acquisition of own shares expires. 10. Resolution regarding the specific number of ordinary registered shares of Invalda INVL for which employees shall be offered stock options contracts during the year 2022 and regarding the price of the shares. It is offered for the employees of Invalda INVL and of the companies, in which Invalda INVL owns 50%or more of shares, during the year 2022 to sign stock options contracts, on the basis of which, according to the procedures and terms established in stock options contracts, in year 2025 employees will be able to exercise the right to acquire up to 50,000 ordinary registered shares of Invalda INVL of EUR 0.29 nominal value, by paying for every acquired share EUR 1 (one). If a decision requiring payments to shareholders is made prior to the signing of the share purchase agreement, the transfer price of 1 (one) euro per share would be recalculated by reducing it by the amount paid per share. The acquisition price of the shares is fixed and does not change depending on the performance of the company and / or other group companies or the price of ordinary registered shares of Invalda INVL on the regulated market. 11. Resolution regarding the exercise of stock options granted to Invalda INVL Group employees in 2019. Pursuant to the decision of the General Meeting of Shareholders of 30 April 2019, on the basis of which stock option agreements on the acquisition of shares of Invalda INVL in 2022 were concluded with the employees of Invalda INVL AB and companies in which more than 50% of the shares are owned by Invalda INVL, to establish that the right of the employees to acquire the said shares is exercised by submitting to the employees for subscription no more than 69,479 newly issued shares of the company. 12. Resolution regarding increase of authorised capital of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL. Increase the authorised capital of the joint stock company Invalda INVL by additional monetary contributions from EUR EUR 3,473,786.17 to EUR 3,493,935.08. 13. Class, number, nominal value and minimum issue price and payment of the issued shares. The authorised capital of Invalda INVL is increased by issuing 69.479 ordinary registered shares with a nominal value of EUR 0.29. (i) On 30 April 2019, the General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company passed a resolution, based on which in 2019 stock option agreements were entered into with the employees. In accordance with the procedure and terms established in the valid stock option agreements, in 2022 the employees will acquire the right to acquire up to 69.479 ordinary registered shares of Invalda INVL, paying a price of 1 (one) euro for each share to be acquired. The acquisition price of the shares is fixed, it does not change depending on the performance of the company and / or other group companies or the price of ordinary registered shares of the joint-stock company Invalda INVL on the regulated market, (ii) on 30 April 2020, the general meeting of shareholders of the Company passed a resolution on the payment of dividends of EUR 0.80 per share, (iii) The Rules for Granting Equity Incentives, approved by the resolution of the General Meeting of Shareholders of 30 April 2018, which should be applied to the option agreements concluded in 2019, stipulate that if before the conclusion of the share purchase agreement the General Meeting of Shareholders of the company makes decisions on the payment of dividends, the issue of changing the number of shares and (or) the price of shares permitted to be acquired by employees must be considered in such a way as to maintain the economic logic of the share purchase agreement and the balance of interests between the parties, to establish that when exercising the 2019 share options, the share purchase sale price shall be 0.20 euros, and the minimum issue price per share shall be EUR 0.29 (minimum total issue value - EUR 20,148.91). Newly issued shares are granted against partial payment. The issue price of the newly issued shares is paid in cash as follows: (i) part of the issue price, equal to 0.20 euros per share, is paid by the person subscribing to the shares, (ii) the remaining part of the issue price is paid by the company from the reserve set up by the company to grant shares. The subscription agreements for the issued shares are concluded until 8 June 2022. If not all shares are subscribed for during the subscription period, the authorised capital will be increased by the sum of the nominal values of the subscribed shares. On the basis of this decision, the Board of the Company must amend the Articles of Association and the number of shares accordingly in the Articles of Association and submit the amended Articles of Association to the Registrar of Legal Entities. 14. Cancellation of the pre-emptive right of shareholders of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL to acquire shares issued by the Company. Pursuant to the provisions of Article 57 of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania, to cancel the pre-emptive right of the shareholders of Invalda INVL to acquire 69,479 ordinary registered shares with a nominal value of EUR 0.29 each. Priority will be revoked according to the decision of the General Meeting of Shareholders held on 30 April 2019, on the basis of which employees of the public joint-stock company Invalda INVL and employees of the companies where more than 50 per cent of the shares are owned by the Company, signed stock option contracts to acquire ordinary registered shares of the public joint-stock company Invalda INVL. Accordingly, the pre-emptive right to acquire the newly issued 69,479 ordinary registered shares of the public joint-stock company Invalda INVL is granted to the employees of the joint stock company Invalda INVL and employees of the companies with more than 50 per cent of the shares owned by Invalda INVL, who have concluded the aforementioned option contracts and for whom the right to acquire the newly issued shares has not been revoked on the grounds established in the Rules for Granting Equity Incentives (the list of persons who are entitled to acquire the newly issued 69,479 ordinary registered shares of the public joint-stock company Invalda INVL is stored in the premises of Invalda INVL, in order to ensure the protection of the personal data the list is not published). 15. Amendment of the Articles of Association of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL and approval of the new wording of the Articles of Association. Taking into account: (i) the decisions of the agendas items 11 - 14; (ii) the provisions of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania that if a supervisory board is not formed in a public limited company whose shares are admitted to trading on a regulated market, the Articles of Association of the company must provide that a board is formed in the company, and the board performs the supervisory functions established in Paragraph 11 of Article 34 of the Law on Companies; and in accordance with the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania, to approve the new wording of the Articles of Association of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL (the draft Articles of Association is attached), changing the entire text of the Articles of Association (without separately approving the amendment of each clause of the Articles of Association). To authorise Darius Sulnis, the President of the public joint stock company Invalda INVL, to sign the new wording of the Company's Articles of Association. 16. Regarding the adjustment of the terms of payment for audit services for the audit services of 2021 annual financial statements To set an additional remuneration not exceeding EUR 3,500 per year (value added tax is calculated and paid additionally in accordance with the procedure established by legal acts) to the Company's audit company KPMG Baltics, UAB, registered address Lvivo str 101, Vilnius, company code 111494971, for the audit services of the annual accounts for 2021 in order to meet the requirements of the Articles 3 and 4 of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/815 of 17 December 2018 supplementing Directive 2004/109/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards on the specification of a single electronic reporting format. The person authorized to provide additional information is: Darius Sulnis, President of Invalda INVL E-mail Darius.Sulnis@invl.com Attachments Genesis BBQ Chairman Yoon Hong-geun gives a speech during the company's 25th anniversary, at one of the company's buildings in Seoul, Sept. 1, 2020. Courtesy of Genesis BBQ By Kim Jae-heun Genesis BBQ franchisees are protesting the company's decision to raise the prices of ingredients and other supplies, arguing that the fried chicken firm is trying to maximize profits at the expense of franchisees and consumers, they said Friday. On Thursday, Korea's third-largest fried chicken franchise said it will raise the prices of fresh chicken, pickled radish, cooking oil and other items supplied to its franchisees on May 2 by an average of 19.8 percent. It said franchisee representatives agreed to the planned hikes during a meeting with the company's management on April 12. A week ago, BBQ also announced its plan to increase the prices of its fried chicken by 2,000 won ($1.50). At the time, it said it decided to charge consumers more to financially help its franchise operators. However, as they will also have to pay more for the ingredients supplied by the company, the planned 2,000 won price hike is not expected to provide any relief. "When fried chicken is sold at a restaurant, the company takes 46 percent of the profit, while a franchisee takes 54 percent. Considering the rise in prices of grain and fresh meat around the world, it was inevitable for us to raise our ingredient prices," a BBQ official said. However, owners of BBQ Smart Kitchen (BSK) restaurants that specialize in takeout and delivery services are opposing the chicken franchise's plan for hiking the prices of raw ingredients. "If the company increases prices of both fried chicken products and ingredients, franchisees' profit decreases and the headquarters' gains increase," one of the franchisees said. "Raising the price of ingredients to help franchisees is only the company's justification to maximize its profit." Another franchisee said BBQ should scrap its price hike plan for ingredients provided to franchisees. "We need three boxes of olive oil to fry 200 chickens. If the headquarters charges 40,000 won per box, it means we will have to pay 120,000 won to make 600 fried chickens. The headquarters will take 600 won of profit per menu item sold simply by raising the price of olive oil, and franchisees are the ones who will have to bear the price burden," the BBQ restaurant owner said. "I don't know what our representatives were thinking when they agreed with the company's decision." BBQ saw its sales increase year-on-year in 2021 by 13 percent to 362.4 billion won, and its operating profit jump 14.5 percent to 60.8 billion won. Samsung Electronics' chip-making plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics By Baek Byung-yeul Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics should make more efforts to find new growth engines, likely through mergers and acquisitions (M&As), as its current cash cows memory chips, TVs and smartphones are facing increasing competition from global rivals, according to industry experts, Friday. They said the share price of Korea's top company has remained lackluster in recent months, despite its record-breaking performances, because it has failed to show investors what its future will look like, stressing that it needs to find a breakthrough by actively seeking to take over companies with strong future growth prospects to further widen its lead on competitors. "Although Samsung is the world's No.1 player in the memory chip field, its growth in the non-memory sector is still far from investors' expectation, remaining second with around a 17 percent market share while leader TSMC takes around a 60 percent share," said Kim Dae-jong, a professor of business administration at Sejong University. "Of course, there are many reasons for this, but being not active in M&As could be one. Large companies like Samsung should have acquired companies with high potential to increase their growth, as we already seen in previous cases such as Google's acquisition of YouTube." Samsung has not conducted any major M&A deals since it acquired U.S.-based connected car and audio system company Harman in 2016 for $8 billion. Though Samsung Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee said during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, "We are reviewing M&A opportunities in various sectors," the company hasn't provided investors any kind of clues about it during Thursday's conference call. The Sejong University professor pointed out that one of the reasons why Samsung has been sluggish in M&As is that its chief has been unable to get involved in management decisions. "For Korean conglomerates, the role of corporate leaders is very important especially when it comes to making a decision about conducting large-scale M&As. Samsung's leader Lee Jae-yong is currently embroiled in legal issues, so there is no one who can make a risk-taking decision," Kim said. Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung and son of the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, is not allowed to return to management until 2027 due to a five-year ban imposed by the Ministry of Justice. Lee was convicted of offering bribes to former President Park Geun-hye and has been on parole since August 2021. As a presidential pardon is the only way for Lee to legally lead the company again, business lobby groups including the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Korea International Trade Association and an association of Samsung's collaborating vendors submitted pleas recently to the presidential office asking President Moon Jae-in to grand a full presidential pardon before he leaves office on May 9. "There is a need for the government to grant a pardon to Lee's legal problems, which are intertwined with political logic. Since it is true that Samsung had problems with its governance structure, the conglomerate must be operated based on legal compliance and politicians should not interfere too much with businessmen," Kim said. In response to the growing calls for conducting M&As, Samsung hired semiconductor investment banker Marco Chisari recently, according to Bloomberg report. Given that Chisari, who has worked at Bank of America, is known as an expert in M&A activities in the semiconductor sector, the industry view is that Samsung is finally jumping back into the takeover race. A Samsung spokesman said that "there is nothing internally known about where he is joining, or in what position he will work, if he joins us." The tech giant announced its sales in the first quarter came in at 77.78 trillion won ($61.11 billion), up 18.95 percent from the same period last year, while operating profit reached 14.12 trillion won, increasing 50.5 percent year-on-year. But its business outlook is not that bright due to a series of unfavorable factors such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and supply disruptions caused by the pandemic. Formula 1 has always had a blinkered relationship with the United States since its first season in 1950. No less than ten different circuits in the U.S. have already been allowed to host a Grand Prix. In 2022 the Miami GP will be the eleventh and in 2023 Las Vegas will be the twelfth. Can these circuits remain on the calendar for an extended period of time? From Indy 500 to Watkins Glen The first official race held by Formula 1 in America was the Indianapolis 500. From 1950 through 1960, the Indy 500 was a round on the F1 calendar, but often there were no drivers running that race. Instead of the Indy 500, America looked for a permanent place to host a Grand Prix. In 1959, Sebring was designated once and in 1960 it was Riverside's turn. Both circuits were on the Formula One calendar only once. In 1961, a suitable venue finally seemed to have been found. Watkins Glen would be a regular fixture on the F1 calendar from that year until 1980. However, the circuit was aging and after 1980 F1 decided not to return to the circuit in the east of the country. Multiple circuits in the eighties Despite the fact that the United States Grand Prix disappeared with it, the country still had a race on the calendar. Indeed, the United States Grand Prix West was held annually on the streets of Long Beach from 1976 through 1983. There were also races held in Detroit, Dallas and in a parking lot in Las Vegas. Detroit was on the calendar the longest of these three races, running seven times. Dallas and Las Vegas were less successful. The Caesars Palace Grand Prix in Las Vegas was run twice, and after a race in horrifically hot Dallas, the F1 circus did not return there either. When Detroit disappeared from the calendar after 1988, Phoenix took over. The United States Grand Prix was held three times in the Arizona city. Return to Indianapolis and permanent place for Austin Phoenix also remained on the calendar only briefly and no American race was held in 1992. Fans in America had to wait until the year 2000 for a race on home soil. That year Indianapolis returned to the calendar, but this time not for a race on the oval. In fact, F1 was using the infield circuit that had been built. In total, the race at Indianapolis was on the calendar eight times before it disappeared again. Since 2012, F1 seems to have finally found a permanent home again. Austin hosts the United States Grand Prix year after year. The Circuit of the Americas is a well-attended track in F1 and Liberty Media does not seem to want to leave Texas. Expansion of US calendar Starting in 2022, there will be a second Grand Prix in the United States for the first time in years. Miami will host the race around the Hard Rock Stadium. In 2023, a third American GP will be added in Las Vegas. Compared to the previous races that F1 has hosted in the U.S., one very big difference now is Liberty Media. Liberty Media has made F1 a product that is very popular among American fans, whereas in previous years it was less so. Americans at the time preferred to watch NASCAR or IndyCar. F1 becoming more popular in the U.S. F1 received another boost in popularity in the United States through the Netflix series Drive to Survive. It made Formula 1 more accessible to new fans, many of whom were from America. Austin was stiffly sold out in 2021, and Miami is also expected to have large crowds. So it looks like these two races will stay on the calendar for a long time. For Las Vegas, it's a little harder to say. The drivers seem enthusiastic and with a circuit that goes over the Last Vegas Strip, it should provide spectacular images. Liberty Media seems to want to make Las Vegas one of the gems of the calendar. To answer the question of whether the current American races are here to stay, simply look at the contracts. Miami has signed a top contract with Formula 1 and will be on the calendar at least through 2031. The race in Austin will be on the calendar until at least 2026 and Las Vegas will be on the F1 calendar for ten years starting in 2023. So for now, F1 will continue to visit the United States on a regular basis. In June, the Grand Prix of Canada will be on the calendar for the first time in three years, which for Nicholas Latifi means he gets to travel to his home race for the first time. First, however, the Miami Grand Prix is still on the program. A warm-up for Latifi, who experiences the event as a kind of 'second home race.' Latifi lives in Toronto, but was born in Montreal. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is right in the middle of his hometown, so the Canadian Grand Prix is truly his home race, but the Williams driver has also spent a lot of time in Miami. Latifi looking forward to 'second home race' in Miami For example, in his karting days, he always wintered in Florida, he tells Formula1.com. His family even had an apartment there, so the Canadian feels very much at home in the "Sunshine State. The good childhood memories, therefore, make him look forward to the first Grand Prix of Miami. He doesn't want to call it a real home race, because for him that is of course in Montreal. Nevertheless, for Latifi it does feel a bit like coming home. "It's kind of a second home race," he explains. "It's going to be special for me to race there because I've spent so much time there and I feel good there, and I also just think it's really cool that there's a Grand Prix there now." Read more F1 Social Stint | Ricciardo and Norris appear in hilarious outfits Romano Fenati's return to Moto2 (a class in which he had already raced in 2018) is proving to be more complicated than expected. The rider from Ascoli races for Luca Boscoscuro's Speed Up team but his results have been below expectations. Fifteenth in Qatar and Texas, out of the points in Indonesia and Argentina, his best finish was 11th in Portimao last Sunday, but in a race where a lot of riders were missing after the red zone. For some time now, rumours have been circulating in the paddock that Romano may not finish the season and today at Jerez Luca Boscoscuro did not rule out this possibility to the microphones of motogp.com. I hope he continues with us, but I'm not happy with his season so far - explained the Italian manager - This is the sixth race and I haven't seen any progress from him, that's the only problem. I hope that he will be able to take a step forward, if it doesn't happen it would for me be like losing a challenge, but it's complicated . Chinese lithium and cobalt sulfate prices fell this month as strict COVID-19 lockdowns in Shanghai and elsewhere limit demand in the worlds largest electric vehicle market. Chinese battery-grade lithium prices fell by 5% this month to a mid-point of RMB 478,000 (US$72,600) per tonne, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligencess Lithium Price Assessmentthe first fall since June 2021. Prices for cobalt sulfate fell by 6%, according to Benchmarks Cobalt Price Assessment. Chinas zero-COVID policy could slow sales of electric vehicles this month as consumers in the countrys biggest city remain at home. At the same time logistical difficulties caused by the lockdowns in Shanghai and elsewhere are disrupting supply chains for automakers and battery producers. Shanghai, a city of 25 million people, has been in lockdown for more than a month, impacting auto factories and the transportation of parts and supplies in the city and neighboring Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. Automakers including Tesla, Nio and Volkswagen were forced to halt production temporarily earlier in the month. Tesla has said it had resumed limited production at its plant in Shanghai. Consultancy Rho Motion now forecasts Chinese EV sales of 5.6 million this year, down from an earlier forecast of 5.8 million. Chinese cathode producers are drawing down on their inventories of battery raw materials rather than making new purchases, according to George Miller, an analyst at Benchmark. Prices for cobalt sulfate fell by 6% in April to RMB 112,500 (US$17,100) a tonne as lockdowns halted downstream cathode production, weakening demand, according to Benchmarks Cobalt Price Assessment. Still, battery producers including CATL and LGES said this week they were confident about global sales this year. Lost EV demand due to the lockdowns could be pushed into later this year, according to Miller. Upstream raw material price increases have started to ease, and demand still remains exuberant. So Im naturally positive on the industry and prospects for the company. Jiang Li, CATL board member Chinas Passenger Car Association said it expected retail sales of passenger cars to fall in April by 32% but said it was still optimistic on sales of new energy vehicles, saying it expected them to maintain their 25% market share. Ken Brinsden, chief executive of Australian lithium producer Pilbara Minerals, said this week that the automotive shutdowns in China had not impacted lithium demand. Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has announced that its electric vehicle (EV) will be available in India for sale by 2025. It also iterated that the governments target of 30% EV sales by 2030 may be difficult to achieve as the company expects EV penetration level between 8-10% by 2030 that looks realistically more possible, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. Suzuki Motors has a global EV alliance with Toyota, however it has lags with regards to its BEV strategy in India. Spotting of multiple Maruti Suzuki test EVs sparked speculation about an India launch but the recent inputs from the new CEO suggests that the company believes that the market is isnt yet ready for EV commercialization. That said, the company has research & development ongoing for EV products. It has a battery joint venture with Toshiba and Denso in Gujarat and has recently announced a US$1.3-billion investment for local manufacturing of EVs and EV batteries. Bakar Sadik Agwan, Senior Automotive Consulting Analyst at GlobalData However, MSI does have an ambition to achieve leadership in the segment in the second half of the decade. But for now, the larger focus for the company would be conventional and alternative fuel ICEs. Delegates of China and Laos attend the inauguration ceremony of the Vientiane Saysettha Low-Carbon Demonstration Zone in Vientiane, capital of Laos, April 29, 2022. The inauguration ceremony of the Vientiane Saysettha Low-Carbon Demonstration Zone jointly built by China and Laos was held via video conferencing on Friday. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) VIENTIANE, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The inauguration ceremony of the Vientiane Saysettha Low-Carbon Demonstration Zone jointly built by China and Laos was held via video conferencing on Friday. The event indicates construction of the demonstration zone has entered a new phase, opening a new chapter for China-Laos cooperation to address climate change in the framework of South-South cooperation. Zhao Yingmin, vice minister of China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said in his speech that the low-carbon demonstration project in the Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone (SDZ) serves as an important step to implement the action plan on building the China-Laos community with a shared future, and highlights the joint efforts addressing climate change made by the two countries. Located in Vientiane, capital of Laos, the SDZ covers an area of 11.5 square kilometers. It is a key cooperation project between the governments of China and Laos, with the zone expected to function as both an industrial park and a new town of the Lao capital, with a total planned investment of about 5 billion U.S. dollars. China is willing to continue to work with the Lao side to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of environmental protection and climate change response, promote green and low-carbon sustainable development, so as to benefit the two peoples and make greater contribution to the building of a community with a shared future between the two countrie, the Chinese official said at the ceremony. In his speech, Saynakhone Inthavong, vice minister of the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said the Saysettha Low-Carbon Demonstration Zone project is a model for bilateral cooperation in addressing climate change. "I wish the cooperation between Laos and China on the environment will achieve greater results," said the Lao official. On the same day, the Chinese side officially handed over the second batch of assistance supplies for the demonstration zone to the Lao side, including 12 new energy buses, eight new energy trucks, and eight new energy law enforcement vehicles. In August last year, the first batch of China-aided materials arrived in Vientiane. So far, all the material assistance proposed in the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in building the Vientiane Saysettha low-carbon demonstration zone has been fully realized. On July 16, 2020, the environment ministers of China and Laos signed the mentioned memorandum of understanding at a video conference. In the past two years, the teams from both sides have made joint efforts to overcome difficulties from the COVID-19 epidemic and complete the planning work for the low-carbon demonstration zone, including on development goals, main tasks and key projects. NuScale Power President and CEO John L. Hopkins, second from left, and GS Energy CEO Huh Yong-soo, third from left, pose for a photo after signing an MOU at GS headquarters in Seoul, April 26. Courtesy of GS Energy By Kim Jae-heun GS Energy is joining hands with Doosan Enerbility, Samsung C&T and NuScale Power to develop small modular reactors (SMRs), a nuclear energy technology which some consider a more realistic means to achieve carbon neutrality. NuScale Power is one of the world's leading SMR technology companies. The three local firms and the U.S. company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at GS Energy's headquarters in Gangnam District, Seoul, April 26, to cooperate in jointly building and operating SMRs around the world. NuScale Power is the only company in the world that is certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to design SMRs. Not only do the firm's SMRs produce electricity, but they also produce hydrogen using high-temperature steam, as well as supply process heat for industrial complexes and seawater desalination. A power plant using a NuScale SMR will be built and commercially operated in the U.S. state of Idaho by 2029. Through the MOU, the four companies can expect synergy between NuScale Power's SMR technology, GS Group's power plant operation capability, Doosan Enerbility's nuclear power plant supply capability and Samsung C&T's power plant construction capability. "Carbon neutrality is an irresistible mission of the current world and I believe SMRs are the most effective way to fulfill it. We expect that the world's best SMR technology and Korea's superior capabilities in generating nuclear power will contribute greatly to the world," GS Energy CEO Huh Yong-soo said. "Today's MOU is an important milestone in providing carbon-free, stable and economical energy throughout Asia. NuScale will cooperate with Korean investors to supply clean energy to the world within the next 10 years," NuScale President and CEO John L. Hopkins said. For the second year in a row, Connecticut lawmakers passed a bill to limit the Department of Corrections use of solitary confinement on those in the states prisons and jails. The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Ned Lamont, who vetoed a similar proposal last year. This years measure largely codifies an executive order Lamont issued in place of his veto, a set of policies he said better protected the incarcerated population and those who work in the correction system. The bill would also establish independent oversight of the Department of Correction, reestablishing an ombuds office that had been open for 37 years before it was shuttered in 2010 to save money, as well as a correction advisory committee that meets and works with the ombuds regularly. The governor, the Department of Correction and advocates reached an agreement on this years proposal, likely avoiding another veto. The Senate passed the bill 29-6 on April 27. The House approved it 98-45 the next evening. At least 27 people submitted testimony on the bill from their prison cells. They compared being in solitary to torture. They talked about how isolation affects their mental health and how solitary makes them feel broken when they go home. They told legislators how incarceration makes them feel like animals, imploring their elected officials to see them as human. It is time that prisoners are viewed as fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, as loved ones, as members of the community, as human beings, wrote Roberto Alvarado. Others talked about the things theyve done while imprisoned. Noah Wade Hendron told legislators about how he was a teachers assistant at Cheshire Correctional Institution, helping to change his incarcerated peers lives through education. Helping other men get their G.E.D. is one of the most rewarding things that Ive ever done. It opens doors that they never knew existed, he wrote. Hendron asked legislators to put an end to needless lockdowns, solitary and restraints, which he said dehumanize people and make it harder for them to have healthy relationships when they go home. He ended his two-page handwritten letter with a simple statement, a message he hoped lawmakers would keep in mind as they considered the bill : Were not all bad. GREENWICH In June 2018, a Greenwich equestrian leader who headed the local chapter of a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the horse industry and helping people involved in the equestrian field, had a question for the treasurer about an event they had recently put on: How much revenue had it brought in? There were no answers and no responses from the treasurer, according to an arrest warrant application filed at state Superior Court in Stamford. But a lengthy investigation by a forensic accounting firm later uncovered the alleged theft of a total of $188,000 from the organization, and the former treasurer, Naomi Gauruder, 44, of Branca Court, Milford, is now facing a felony charge of first-degree larceny, according to court files. Gauruder had been working as the treasurer for the nonprofit organization, which was headed by a Greenwich resident and horse farm co-owner, since 2008, and she had access to a debit card and checks, according to court files. The nonprofit chapter president told police that after his suspicions were aroused in 2018, and he then carried out a soft audit that revealed about $66,000 had gone missing and was unaccounted for. He later told investigators that Gauruder had presented financial numbers in a way that disguised her misuse of chapter funds, according to the affidavit. Funds has been used at gas stations, nail salons and for medical purposes involving Gauruders late husband, Gary Gauruder, a former Wilton police officer who died in 2020. The chapter president contracted a New Haven accounting firm to conduct an investigation, and the firm provided evidence that $188,000 had been taken from 2011 to 2018, when Gauruder was terminated from her position as treasurer, according to court files. The accounting firm found that money from the debit card and checking account was used for dining, travel, gas and insurance bills related to medical care, the court papers state. Money was also funneled to Gauruders own horse management business, the affidavit said. About $34,000 was embezzled in 2013, with $30,000 taken from the nonprofits account in 2016, court papers state. After a Greenwich police detective met with the accounting firm earlier this year, an arrest warrant was issued, and Gauruder turned herself in at police headquarters Tuesday. After her arrest, bail was set at $250,000, and she was assigned a court date of May 11. Messages left with Gauruder at her business and her attorney, Stephan Seeger, were not returned Thursday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KYIV, Ukraine In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, a series of explosions boomed near the television tower late Wednesday and at least temporarily knocked Russian channels off the air, Ukrainian and Russian news organizations reported. The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said missiles and rockets were fired at the city from the direction of the Ukrainian forces to the northwest. Kherson has been occupied by Russian forces since early in the war. Ukrayinska Pravda, an online newspaper, said the strikes set off a fire and knocked Russian television channels off the air. RIA Novosti said the broadcast later resumed. It said Russian channels began broadcasting from Kherson last week. Russia has been determined to strengthen its control over the city, but residents have continued to come out onto the streets to protest the occupation. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Russia cuts natural gas to 2 NATO nations in escalation European nations accuse Russia of natural gas blackmail The AP Interview: UN nuclear chief wants Ukraine plant access EXPLAINER: Whats behind Russias natural gas cutoff? Follow all AP stories on Russia's war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: BERLIN An independent research group says Germany was the biggest buyer of Russian energy during the first two months since the start of the war in Ukraine. A study published by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air calculates that Russia earned $66.5 billion from fossil fuel exports since Russian troops attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24. Using data on ship movements, real-time tracking of gas flows through pipelines and estimates based on historical monthly trade, the researchers reckon Germany paid Russia about 9.1 billion euros for fossil fuel deliveries in the first two months of the war. The German government says it cant comment on estimates and declines to provide any figures of its own. __ LONDON Britains top diplomat says Western allies should send tanks, planes and other heavy weapons to Ukraine, saying inaction would be the greatest provocation. NATO nations have supplied Ukraine with military supplies including missiles and armored vehicles. But so far they have been reluctant to send fighter planes for fear of escalating the conflict. U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said this is a time for courage, not caution. Despite Truss call for jets, British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons spokesman said there were no plans for the U.K. to send planes to Ukraine. Truss also said Russias attack on Ukraine must be a wake-up call for international institutions. She called for a new focus on military strength, economic security and deeper global alliances. __ BOSTON Cyberattacks by state-backed Russian hackers have destroyed data across dozens of organizations in Ukraine and produced a chaotic information environment, Microsoft says in a report released Wednesday. Nearly half the destructive attacks were against critical infrastructure, many times simultaneous to physical attacks, the report notes. A top Ukrainian cybersecurity official, Victor Zhora, told reporters in a news briefing on Wednesday that cyberattacks on telecommunications have sometimes coincided with artillery and other physical attacks. Microsoft assessed that Russia-aligned threat groups were pre-positioning for the conflict as early as March 2021, hacking into networks to obtain footholds they could later use to collect strategic and battlefield intelligence or to facilitate future destructive attacks. During the war, Russias cyberattacks have at times not only degraded the functions of the targeted organizations but sought to disrupt citizens access to reliable information and critical life services, and to shake confidence in the countrys leadership, the companys Digital Security Unit says in the 20-page report. Kremlin cyber operations have had an impact in terms of technical disruption of services and causing a chaotic information environment, but Microsoft is not able to evaluate their broader strategic impact, the report says. ___ ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Wednesday that Russias war on Ukraine screams that the world needs to stop importing oil and gas from Russia and instead move toward other forms of energy. At an international forum on offshore wind energy in Atlantic City, Granholm said the U.S. as well as its energy industries are on a war footing, and called for a rapid acceleration of renewable energy including offshore wind power. Her comments were echoed by Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy, who noted that Europe recently committed itself to a large-scale move away from Russian fossil fuel imports, and considers wind energy an important part of that transition. Their comments came as Russia cut off natural gas to NATO members Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday and threatened to do the same to other countries, dramatically escalating its standoff with the West over the war in Ukraine. European leaders decried the move as blackmail. Germany and Italy are among Europes biggest consumers of Russian natural gas but have already been taking steps to reduce their dependence on Moscow. Russia is waging a war in Ukraine and the imperative to move away from Russian oil and gas, for the world to move away from Russian oil and gas screams that there is an imperative that we electrify, said Granholm, the former Michigan governor. Offshore wind is just a huge component in that. ___ UNITED NATIONS The U.N. says its humanitarian office is mobilizing an experienced team from around the world to coordinate the complex evacuation of civilians from the besieged steel plant in the battered Ukrainian city of Mariupol with the International Committee of the Red Cross. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in principle to U.N. and ICRC participation in the evacuation from the plant during a nearly two-hour, one-on-one meeting Tuesday. The sprawling Azovstal complex, which has been almost completely destroyed by Russian attacks, is the last pocket of organized Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol. An estimated 2,000 troops and 1,000 civilians are said to be holed up in bunkers underneath the wrecked structure. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters Wednesday that the U.N. is trying to translate the Guterres-Putin agreement in principle into an agreement in detail and an agreement on the ground. And ultimately what we want is to make sure that a cease-fire would be respected that would allow us to move people safely, he said. Haq said U.N. officials are having follow-on discussions Wednesday with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv to develop the operational framework for the timely evacuation of civilians. He said the exact timing depends on the outcome of discussions between the U.N. humanitarian office and Russias Ministry of Defense in Moscow as well as between the U.N. crisis coordinator for Ukraine, Amin Awad, and the authorities in Kyiv, where Guterres will be meeting Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday. ___ OTTAWA, Ontario The Canadian government said Wednesday that it has imposed sanctions on more than 200 people who are loyal to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraines eastern Donbas region. Russian forces have been backing separatist rebels in the Donbas area for eight years following Russias annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. The Canadian sanctions are focused on the renewed Russian attempt to annex areas of the Donbas by targeting people attempting to support the next phase of the two-month-old Russian war on Ukraine. Canada will not stand idly by and watch President Putin and his accomplices attempt to redraw the borders of Ukraine with impunity, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement. International law must be respected. Global Affairs Canada, the governmental department that manages the countrys diplomatic relations, said the new measures target 11 senior officials and 192 other members of the Peoples Councils of the self-proclaimed Peoples Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk for supporting Putins attack on the area. ___ WASHINGTON The White House says President Joe Biden will tour a Lockheed Martin facility that makes weapons systems, such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, that the administration is providing to Ukraine to defend itself against Russias 2-month-old invasion. Biden plans to visit the facility in Alabama on May 3. A Javelin is a long-range guided anti-tank missile that can be carried by one person. The United States says it has provided several thousand of the systems to Ukraine. ___ MADRID Russia announced Wednesday it was withdrawing from the United Nations World Tourism Organization just hours before the bodys assembly voted to temporarily suspend the countrys membership over the invasion of Ukraine, officials said. UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili made the announcement on his official Twitter account. He said it was the first U.N. body to address Russias membership. The organization went ahead and approved the suspension at a special meeting in Madrid on Wednesday, where the organization has its headquarters. (Russian President Vladimir) Putins military offensive is an attack on the founding principles of the United Nations and on the values that tourism represents, such as peace, prosperity and universal respect and the observance of human rights, Spanish Industry, Trade and Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said in a statement following the decision. The assembly resolution included a clause that said the suspension could be reversed if a change in the politics of the Russian Federation were noted. Spain was one of 22 European nations that had promoted the motion. ___ COPENHAGEN, Denmark Norways Energy Minister Terje Aasland said Wednesday that the Scandinavian countrys position as a stable, predictable and long-term supplier of energy to the European market is only becoming more important. It is underlined by what is now happening on the part of Gazprom, Aasland told Norwegian news agency NTB. The state-controlled Russian giant said it was shutting off natural gas to NATO members Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday because they refused to pay in Russian rubles, as President Vladimir Putin had demanded. Russia threatened to do the same to other countries, dramatically escalating its standoff with the West over the war in Ukraine. European leaders decried the move as blackmail. Norway exports about 95% of its gas via an extensive subsea pipeline network linking it to terminals in Germany, Britain, France and Belgium. Last month, Denmark decided to resume the construction of the Danish part of Baltic Pipe, which will connect Poland to Norwegian gas fields. ___ MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to Russias parliament that the goals of the countrys military operation in Ukraine will be achieved. Putin said in an address on Wednesday to both houses of parliament: I want to emphasize again that all the tasks of the special military operation we are conducting in the Donbas and Ukraine, launched on Feb. 24, will be unconditionally fulfilled. That, he said, will guarantee the security of the residents of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine that Russia recognized as independent shortly before launching its military action in Ukraine, as well as Crimea which Russia annexed in 2014 and our entire country in the historical perspective. ___ BERLIN Germanys economy minister says the government is considering all scenarios for a Russian-owned oil refinery that supplies much of the petroleum used in and around Berlin. Robert Habeck told reporters Wednesday that the German governments goal is to ensure the country becomes independent of Russian energy supplies, and companies established to procure fossil fuels from Russia are not helpful in that regard. The refinery at Schwedt is controlled by Rosneft, a Russian state-controlled oil and gas company. Asked whether Germany would go so far as to nationalize the refinery, an option foreseen in a regulatory change approved by Cabinet this week, Habeck said that we are in a situation where the government must expect and prepare for all scenarios. There are likely to be some we havent thought of, he said. But we are considering everything conceivable and making political preparations. Habeck said Russias decision to stop supplies of gas to Poland and Bulgaria was an example of the reality where energy is used as a weapon. He acknowledged that Germany was and remains one of the biggest consumers of Russian fossil fuels worldwide, though it is making all efforts to diversify its supplies, reduce consumption and switch to renewable energy so that we are not defenseless. ___ KYIV, Ukraine A Ukrainian presidential adviser has hinted that his country might be involved in a series of fires in border regions of Russia in recent days. On Wednesday, the governor of the Belgorod region said an ammunition depot was burning after several explosions were heard. Earlier this week, there was a blaze at an oil storage facility in Bryansk. Ukraine hasnt officially taken responsibility for those and other incidents, and Russian officials havent publicly ascribed them to Ukrainian attacks. But Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in a Telegram post Wednesday that karma (is) a harsh thing. He said that Russian regions where the incidents happened are now also actively studying the concept of demilitarization. Without directly admitting any Ukrainian involvement, he said that sooner or later the debts will have to be repaid. ___ ROME Premier Mario Draghis office says the Italian leader will meet President Joe Biden in Washington on May 10. Draghis office said in a statement on Wednesday that Ukraine will be at the center of discussions, including coordinated measures to support the Ukrainian population and to counter Russias unjustified aggression. The leaders will also discuss energy security. Italy is among European countries that get a large proportion of their natural gas from Russia. Draghi and his ministers have been working to get alternative sources. ___ WARSAW, Poland Security authorities in Poland say that a Russian and a Belarusian man have been arrested on allegations that they spied for Russian intelligence. A spokesman for Polands state security bodies, Stanislaw Zaryn, said Wednesday that material gathered by Polish military intelligence led to their arrest. He said that they were gathering sensitive military information, including about Polish troops in the area near Polands border with Belarus. The men were arrested separately last week. ___ SOFIA, Bulgaria The Bulgarian government says the prime minister and defense minister will go to Ukraine to meet with that countrys leaders. The goverment press office said Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and Defense Minister Dragomir Zakov were being accompanied on Wednesday by members of Parliament. In Kyiv, they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and with members of the 200,000-strong Bulgarian community in Ukraine. They also will visit Borodyanka, Bucha and Irpin, in the Kyiv region, to see damage caused by the Russian invasion. ___ BRUSSELS The head of the European Unions executive Commission says energy companies in the 27-nation bloc that agree to Moscows demands to pay for gas deliveries in Russian rubles will be breaching the sanctions imposed over Russias invasion of Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen spoke after Polish and Bulgarian officials said Moscow was cutting off natural gas deliveries to their countries due to their refusal to pay in rubles, a demand made by President Vladimir Putin after sanctions were levied against his nation. Von der Leyen said Wednesday that our guidance here is very clear. She said that to pay in rubles, if this is not foreseen in the contract, is a breach of our sanctions. We have round about 97% of all contracts that explicitly stipulate payments in euros or dollars, so its very clear. And the request from the Russian side to pay in rubles is a unilateral decision and not according to the contracts. Von der Leyen said Russias decision to cut off supplies to Poland and Bulgaria is another provocation from the Kremlin and an attempt to blackmail the EU. She said that, following an urgent meeting of member states, both Poland and Bulgaria are now receiving gas from their EU neighbors. ___ COPENHAGEN, Denmark Russia has expelled three Norwegian diplomats following the expulsion from Norway earlier this month of three Russian diplomats. Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfelt said Wednesday that the Norwegians being kicked out were doing regular diplomatic work. She vowed that Norway will continue to stand with our close allies and partners against Russias aggression and in our support for Ukraine, Huitfeld told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that like other European countries and allies, we have reduced contact with the Russian authorities to a minimum. On Tuesday, Russia expelled four Swedish diplomats. The Foreign Ministry in Stockholm said they too were engaged in normal diplomatic activities. ___ The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced sanctions against 287 British lawmakers in response to the U.K. sanctioning 368 members of Russias lower house of parliament. The ministry on Wednesday released a list of both government and opposition lawmakers, and a few former lawmakers. They are now barred from entering Russia because they took the most active part in the establishment of anti-Russian sanctions instruments in London (and) contribute to the groundless ramping-up of Russophobic hysteria in the U.K. The ministrys statement said that hostile rhetoric and far-fetched accusations coming from the mouths of British parliamentarians not only condone the hostile course of London aimed at demonizing our country and (at) its international isolation, but are also used by opponents of mutually respectful dialogue with Russia to undermine the foundation of bilateral cooperation. Responding to the announcement, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that those 287 should regard it as a badge of honor. ___ MOSCOW The Kremlin has criticized a statement by a Ukrainian presidential adviser holding the door open to possible military action in the separatist Trans-Dniester region of Moldova. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday described the statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys adviser Oleksiy Arestovych as quite provocative. Asked in a video stream if Ukraine could send its forces into Trans-Dniester, Arestovych said it could do that but only if Moldova asks for it. Trans-Dniester, a sliver of land with about 470,000 people, has been under the control of separatist authorities since a 1992 war with Moldova. Russia bases about 1,500 troops in the breakaway region, nominally as peacekeepers. Tensions in the region have escalated in recent days with a series of explosions, for which no one claimed responsibility, raising fears of broader hostilities. ___ BERLIN The German government has rejected criticism that it has been slow to provide Ukraine with weapons requested by Kyiv. Following domestic and international pressure, Germany announced this week that it would allow the delivery of self-propelled armored anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine to help it fend off Russias military attack, backing off earlier reluctance provide heavy weapons to the country. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said that the federal government and chancellor have looked with great seriousness at the difficult situation Ukraine, Europe and the entire world are in, and taken a very balanced decision." He told reporters in Berlin: I dont see a change of position on the part of the government, but continuity. ___ KYIV, Ukraine The International Atomic Energy Agencys director-general says the level of safety at Europes largest nuclear plant, currently under Russian occupation in Ukraine, is like a red light blinking as his organization tries in vain to get access for work including repairs. In an interview with The Associated Press, Rafael Grossi said that the IAEA needs access to the Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine so its inspectors can, among other things, reestablish connections with the Vienna-based headquarters of the U.N. agency. And for that, both Russia and Ukraine need to help. The plant requires repairs, and all of this is not happening. So the situation as I have described it, and I would repeat it today, is not sustainable as it is, Grossi said. So this is a pending issue. This is a red light blinking. He spoke in an interview Wednesday, a day after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the issue. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A mask mandate for commuter rail passengers is back by popular demand in the San Francisco Bay Area, the region that two years ago imposed the nations first coronavirus stay-at-home order and now is bucking the national trend away from required face coverings. The Bay Area Rapid Transit system, known as BART, had decided last week to drop its rule in line with a federal court ruling but that decision prompted an outcry, spokeswoman Alicia Trost said Friday. We started to immediately hear from riders in phone calls, emails, tweets, that they felt unsafe on the train if there was not a mask mandate, BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said Friday. BARTs board of directors decided in a meeting Thursday to temporarily restore the mask rule until at least July 18, the agency said in a statement. Children ages 2 and under as well as people with medical conditions that prevent them from wearing masks are exempt from the mandate. The decision makes the Bay Area's largest transit system the latest in California to bring back a mandate for face coverings after Los Angeles County restored its masking rule a week ago for all public transportation including buses, trains, subways, taxis and airports. The reinstatement came 10 days after a federal judge in Florida ended the nations federal mask mandate on public transportation, freeing airlines, airports and mass transit systems to make their own decisions about mask requirements. A mix of responses has taken shape across the country that reflects the nations ongoing divisions over how to battle the virus. Major airlines immediately dropped mask requirements after the decision, as did many local transit agencies around the country. New York City, Chicago and Connecticut, however, continued to require masks for travelers. San Francisco and Los Angeles public transit agencies initially dropped their mask requirements, but many have since flip-flopped. Thursdays BART board meeting was flooded by callers who voiced support for reinstating the policy in particular to protect vulnerable riders, Trost said. BART, which connects San Francisco to its eastern and southern suburbs, is struggling to restore ridership that plummeted from pre-pandemic highs of over 400,000 weekday riders to about 130,000, according to recent data. It quickly became clear that banishing mask mandates would not help. We are still really trying to win back riders, and I think masks can play an important role in doing that," Trost said. San Francisco and the wider Bay Area have had some of the strictest pandemic regulations and compliance with the rules in the nation, starting in March 2020 when the Bay Area became the first to declare a state of emergency. Many residents have continued to wear masks in supermarkets and other indoor venues even though indoor mask mandates were largely lifted in February. Similarly, most BART riders have continued to wear masks in the past week, despite the temporary lifting of the mask rule. BART said its police force will emphasize education-based enforcement by offering masks to riders before issuing citations up to $75 or ejecting anyone. BART officials said that police wont use those enforcement options for the first week of the mandate. COVID-19 infections in California have multiplied in recent weeks, following a trend seen around the country, but hospitalizations remain low in California. The Bay Area has reported a more pronounced spike in cases than elsewhere in the state with a seven-day average of 26 new cases per 100,000 residents, compared to 10.6 cases per 100,000 in California overall. However, Los Angeles County on Friday reported more than 28 new cases per 100,000 residents. Public health officials said the county was experiencing a high rate of transmission" and cases were steadily rising. NEWTOWN - A federal judge gave Sandy Hook families awaiting defamation damages trials in Connecticut and Texas part of what they wanted on Friday by agreeing to hear their motions first to dismiss Alex Jones bankruptcies as bad faith filings. But the judge also gave Jones attorneys part of what they wanted - enough breathing room to prepare an unhurried defense of their plan to pay the Sandy Hook families defamation damages Jones owes without putting his conspiracy platform Infowars out of business. These are really important issues for the families and important for the debtors, Judge Christopher Lopez told a crowd of 60 attorneys and observers during a livestreamed conference in Southern Texas Bankruptcy Court. I get it that no one likes the debtors, but they have a right to defend themselves just like anyone who comes before me. Although the only action Lopez took was to set hearing dates - the first on arguments to dismiss the bankruptcies of three former Jones-controlled entities on May 27 - both sides were passionate. One attorney representing parents of two slain Sandy Hook boys whose trials to award damages from defamation cases they won against Jones in Texas have been delayed called Jones 11-hour bankruptcy filings unworthy and abusive. I cant think of a less worthy purpose for bankruptcy court than the rehabilitation and reorganization of companies that made tens of millions of dollars by lying, said attorney Maxwell Beatty. One of my clients held his son with a bullet hole in his head and Mr. Jones called him a liar. The father the attorney was referring to is Neil Heslin, whose son was among the 26 first-graders and educators slain in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Heslin and his sons mother, Scarlett Lewis, were scheduled to start their jury trial to determine how much Jones owes them in damages last week. Attorneys for Jones and the parent company of his broadcast and merchandising enterprise called Free Speech Systems were equally passionate. An attorney for FSS said before Jones filed for emergency bankruptcy protection, he was facing financial deplatforming. Spending millions of dollars on trials in two locations would consume assets and will not result in economic recovery(because) the plaintiffs all have liability death penalties, said FSS attorney Ray Battaglia. The likely effect of a (jury trial) judgment would be to shut Free Speech Systems down. While neither Jones nor Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy protection, they have been preserved from defamation award trials for the time being in Texas and Connecticut, in part to ensure there is enough money to pay the Sandy Hook families when their claims are settled, Battaglia said. Jones has suffered financially since he called the worst crime in Connecticut history staged, synthetic, manufactured, a giant hoax, and completely fake with actors, paying at least $10 million in legal fees and losing at least $20 million because of the Sandy Hook lawsuits, his representatives said in court. Jones, whose credibility in the conspiracy theory community was likened by one of his representatives in court to the Coca-Cola brand, did not want to file for bankruptcy himself for fear his product sales would suffer, representatives said in court. The Sandy Hook families attorneys argued unsuccessfully in court on Friday that every day families wait for the judge to rule on the validity of Jones bankruptcy claims, they are spending money they dont have. The creditors here are different than regular creditors because they are victims, and right now the victims are spending money, said Beatty, who asked the judge to schedule the dismissal hearing next week. This is incurring fees on people who have already suffered enough. Jones lead bankruptcy attorney argued his client deserved equal consideration. No matter how bad Mr. Jones conduct was, the (bankruptcy) parties are entitled to due process, said attorney Kyung Lee. You have to give us 21 days notice. The judge gave Jones one month. I am giving everyone a lot of time because I want everyone to put up their best evidence, Lopez said. I am going to be deliberate and not rush anything, but you are going to get an answer from me really fast. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 Motorists pass a welcome sign, April 29, in Murray, Ky. Relatives say former U.S. Marine Willy Joseph Cancel, who at one point had lived in the town, was killed alongside Ukrainian forces in the war with Russia in what is the first known death of an American citizen fighting in Ukraine. AP-Yonhap A 22-year-old former U.S. Marine was killed alongside Ukrainian forces in the war with Russia, his relatives have told news outlets, in the first known death of an American citizen fighting in Ukraine. Willy Joseph Cancel was killed Monday while working for a military contracting company that sent him to Ukraine, his mother, Rebecca Cabrera, told CNN. Cancel had recently worked as a corrections officer in Tennessee and previously served in the Marines from 2017 to 2021, joining the Corps the same year he graduated from high school. Cabrera said her son had signed up to work with the private military contractor shortly before fighting began in Ukraine, Feb. 24. She told CNN he agreed to go to Ukraine. ''He wanted to go over because he believed in what Ukraine was fighting for, and he wanted to be a part of it to contain it there so it didn't come here, and that maybe our American soldiers wouldn't have to be involved in it,'' she said. Cancel had volunteered with his local fire department in New York as a high school student, and he had a 7-month-old son, according to an online fundraising page set up by a man identifying himself as his father. The U.S. government said it had seen reports about the death but did not have official confirmation, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki. ''It's very sad. He left a little baby behind,'' President Joe Biden said. Psaki reiterated warnings against U.S. citizens traveling to Ukraine. ''We know people want to help, but we do encourage Americans to find other ways to do so rather than traveling to Ukraine to fight there,'' she said. ''It is a war zone.'' The State Department also said it was aware of the reports and was ''closely monitoring the situation,'' but could not comment further ''due to privacy considerations.'' It, too, urged U.S. citizens not to go to Ukraine. Cabrera said her son's body has not been found. ''They are trying, the men that were with him, but it was either grab his body or get killed, but we would love for him to come back to us,'' she said. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Paul Valdez Depolley gathered a group of high school students at the farthest edge of the Santa Fe National Cemetery to talk statehood, death and the Civil War. If the Civil War hadnt come to New Mexico, we would have most likely stayed as a territory, said Valdez Depolley, a cultural liaison for the state-chartered New Mexico School for the Arts. We could have been Mexicans instead of New Mexicans, which is very interesting. He spent much of a recent Tuesday morning explaining Civil War-era rituals of death and burial to students and discussing the historical context of the land the cemetery is built on which he noted was home to Indigenous people long before it was dotted with tens of thousands of military gravestones. The field trip was part of a larger effort in the Santa Fe area to connect students of all ages with stories waiting to be told at the national cemetery, where nearly 68,000 veterans and their spouses are buried from the Civil War era onward. In 2021, Santa Fe Community College contracted with the National Cemetery Administrations New Mexico Veterans Legacy Project to encourage students to research veterans, living and deceased, and record their stories. The project has culminated in a host of lesson plans available for use by middle school and high school teachers, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. I never before this thought of using a cemetery as a history, said New Mexico School for the Arts history and English teacher Cameron Sperry, who is helping to develop instructional materials centered on the Veterans Legacy Project. Soon, she said, the instructional materials will be expanded to lower grade levels. Sperry said she hopes visiting the national cemetery will lead students to ask more questions about the Civil War and the Union and Confederate soldiers buried there. A scavenger hunt she assembled took students to the graves of various soldiers, asked them to identify information on gravestones and led them to areas of the cemetery commemorating Buffalo Soldiers, women in the military and Navajo Code Talkers. These are primary sources, Sperry said. We can go out and learn about things that have happened by looking at a gravestone. It makes it real; these are real people, she added. Its hard to get that through more-traditional learning. Sophomore Evangeline Miranda, 16, who had visited the cemetery previously, was pleased with the experience. I think its really cool that we went here today, she said. It was more information than I expected. Much of the content of the scavenger hunt was what you wouldnt learn in a textbook, something she enjoyed, Evangeline said. I think most of what I learned about is an overall concept of what a lot of these people did, said sophomore Caitlyn Bizzell, 15. Like Navajo Code Talkers or the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). Bringing the stories of war and the people who served in them to students is key for Ken Dettelbach, a Vietnam veteran who helped coordinate the partnership between Santa Fe Community College and the Veterans Legacy Project. For the last month, Dettelbach has been spending time in history classrooms at New Mexico School for the Arts to teach students more about war and to share his personal experiences. He answers a range of student questions: Why did you go to war? Did you kill anyone? He brings photos and letters to share with students. They get to see, really, what it means to come back, he said. And that I give back because I came back. Dettelbach said his time in the classroom also has allowed students to further explore the complexities of conflicts the U.S. has been involved in with more depth than is usually possible in history classes. In May, he plans to visit classrooms at Santa Fe High School. The lesson in the cemetery began with taps, a bugle call used in U.S. military funerals, performed by the local Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 996. Young members of Santa Fe Highs Reserve Officers Training Corps demonstrated a flag-folding ceremony. It was a meaningful day for Avelino Calabaza of Santo Domingo Pueblo, the Southwest regional commander for National American Indian Veterans and a member of VVA Chapter 996. Calabaza was an architecture student in 1969, when he was drafted into the Vietnam War. He was 20 not far in age from the high school sophomores and juniors wandering among the gravestones Tuesday. Decades later, he received a diagnosis for post-traumatic stress disorder related to his time in the military. The experience led him to become an advocate for veterans, including dozens of World War II veterans from the Santo Domingo Pueblo. War, he said, remains a constant in every part of history. Calabaza said interactive learning about veterans is important for local students so they can understand the hell they went through, and how veterans support one another. Its very important to actually start respecting a veteran who went through the war and help them if they need support, he said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian forces fought village by village Saturday to hold back a Russian advance through the countrys east, while the United Nations worked to broker a civilian evacuation from the last defensive stronghold in the bombed-out ruins of the port city of Mariupol. An estimated 100,000 civilians remain in the city, and up to 1,000 are living beneath a sprawling Soviet-era steel plant, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has not said how many fighters are also in the plant, the only part of Mariupol not occupied by Russian forces, but Russia put the number at about 2,000. Russian state media outlets reported Saturday that 25 civilians had been evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks, though there was no confirmation from the U.N. Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said 19 adults and six children were brought out, but gave no further details. A top official with the Azov Regiment, the Ukrainian unit defending the plant, said 20 civilians were evacuated during a cease-fire, though it was not clear if he was referring to the same group as the Russian news reports. These are women and children, Sviatoslav Palamar said in a video posted on the regiment's Telegram channel. He also called for the evacuation of the wounded: We dont know why they are not taken away and their evacuation to the territory controlled by Ukraine is not being discussed. Video and images from inside the plant, shared with The Associated Press by two Ukrainian women who said their husbands are among the fighters refusing to surrender there, showed unidentified men with stained bandages; others had open wounds or amputated limbs. A skeleton medical staff was treating at least 600 wounded people, said the women, who identified their husbands as members of the Azov Regiment of Ukraines National Guard. Some of the wounds were rotting with gangrene, they said. In the video the men said that they eat just once daily and share as little as 1.5 liters (50 ounces) of water a day among four people, and that supplies inside the besieged facility are depleted. One shirtless man appeared to be in pain as he described his wounds: two broken ribs, a punctured lung and a dislocated arm that was hanging on the flesh. I want to tell everyone who sees this: If you will not stop this here, in Ukraine, it will go further, to Europe, he said. AP could not independently verify the date and location of the video, which the women said was taken in the last week in the maze of corridors and bunkers beneath the plant. The women urged that Ukrainian fighters also be evacuated alongside civilians, warning they could be tortured and executed if captured. The lives of soldiers matter too, Yuliia Fedusiuk told AP in Rome. In his nightly video address late Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian to urge Russian troops not to fight in Ukraine, saying even their generals expect that thousands more of them will die. The president accused Moscow of recruiting new soldiers with little motivation and little combat experience so that units gutted early in the war can be thrown back into battle. Every Russian soldier can still save his own life, Zelenskyy said. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land. In other developments: Ukrainian Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotsky said in televised remarks that Russian forces have seized hundreds of thousands of tons of grain in territory under their control. Ukraine is a major grain producer, and the invasion has pushed up world prices and raised concerns about shortages. A Russian rocket attack destroyed the airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-most populous city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said. The bodies of three men were found buried in a forest near the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the head of Kyivs regional police force said. The men, whose bodies were found Friday, had been tortured before they were shot in the head, Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. Ukrainian officials have alleged that retreating Russian troops carried out mass killings of civilians in Bucha. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators talk almost every day. However, he told Chinese state news agency Xinhua, progress has not been easy. Two buses sent to evacuate residents from the eastern town of Popasna were fired upon, and contact with the organizers was lost, Mayor Nikolai Khanatov said: We know that (the buses) reached the town and then came under fire from an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group. Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in eastern Ukraine has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Also, both Ukraine and Moscow-backed rebels have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone. But Western military analysts suggested that the offensive in the Donbas region, which includes Mariupol, was going much slower than planned. So far, Russian troops and the separatists appeared to have made only minor gains in the month since Moscow said it would focus its military strength in the east. Numerically, Russias military manpower vastly exceeds Ukraines. In the days before the war began, Western intelligence estimated Russia had positioned near the border as many as 190,000 troops; Ukraines standing military totals about 200,000, spread throughout the country. Yet, in part because of the tenacity of the Ukrainian resistance, the U.S. believes the Russians are at least several days behind where they wanted to be as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east, said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the American militarys assessment. With plenty of firepower still in reserve, Russias offensive still could intensify and overrun the Ukrainians. Overall the Russian army has an estimated 900,000 active-duty personnel. Russia also has a much larger air force and navy. Hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance has flowed into Ukraine since the war began, but Russia's vast armories mean Ukraine's needs are nearly inexhaustible. Mariupol officials have described dire shortages of food, water and medicine. U.N. humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu said the world organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv, but he could not provide details of the ongoing evacuation effort "because of the complexity and fluidity of the operation. There is, right now, ongoing, high-level engagements with all the governments, Russia and Ukraine, to make sure that you can save civilians and support the evacuation of civilians from the plant, Abreu told AP. He would not confirm video posted on social media purportedly showing U.N.-marked vehicles in Mariupol. Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling. ___ Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell and Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Trisha Thompson in Rome and AP staff around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A union leader has asked state Democrats to cease using political consulting giant Global Strategy Group, claiming its work for Amazon amounted to union-busting. Anti-unionism and anti-union enablers have no place in today's Democratic Party SEIU CT State Council Director Rick Melita said of Amazon in an email this week to Democratic Party Chair Nancy DiNardo. Citing a report in CNBC, Melita wrote that Global Strategy Group monitored the social media accounts of Amazon Labor Union organizers and produced anti-union propaganda, using Connecticut GSG employees. National unions including SEIU have severed all business dealings with Global Strategies Group, Melita wrote to DiNardo. I would hope the Connecticut Democratic Party does the same. I urge the party to remove individuals who maintain ties to virulently anti-union companies like Amazon from leadership positions. Further the party should inform candidates seeking the Democratic nominations to sever all links to Global Strategies Group and to refrain from using them as consultants in the future. Global Strategy Group has been a longtime contractor for Democratic campaigns, listing among its clients President Joe Biden and Senators Joe Manchin, Ed Markey, Kirsten Gillibrand, current New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, among others, according to reports. In his most recent campaign filing, Gov. Ned Lamont reported paying about $159,000 to the New York-based Global Strategy Group for polling. In an emailed statement, Global Strategy Group apologized for their work with Amazon. While there have been factual inaccuracies in reports about our work for Amazon, being involved in any way was a mistake, the company said. We have resigned that work, and we are deeply sorry. As we move forward, we are committed to supporting the rights of workers to organize. A spokesman for Lamont referred all comments to the state Democratic Party. DiNardo did not make a commitment to end ties with Global Strategy Group. She responded Friday to Melita by saying she is a former longtime member of the Bridgeport Education Association, the Connecticut Education Association and was also a member of the Office & Professional Employees International Union for a short time. Labor has been a critical partner for the Connecticut Democrats, DiNardo wrote to Melita. On behalf of the Connecticut Democrats, I look forward to continuing to work with candidates and supporters who embrace the core issues of the Democratic Party and who defend the right of workers to organize and to collectively bargain. Melita, though, said during an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media Group that Democrats would have to choose whether or not they want to be on the side of people who build their own personal rocket ships, a reference to Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos. This type of duress is really unacceptable if you want to participate in Democratic Party, he said. You gotta pick which side you are on. Earlier in April, the Democratic National Committee announced that it was discussing banning any of its contractors from engaging in anti-union activity. We appreciate the Democratic Party committees decision to amend their contract and RFP processes in light of reporting that GSG had been working for Amazon as they sought to defeat the recent organizing drive, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement to Politico. Global Strategy Group said those standards would prohibit companies, like ours, that work for Democratic Party candidates and organizations, from doing work that opposes workers efforts to organize. This also includes working on campaigns or as part of coalitions that seek to categorize workers in ways that make it harder for them to organize or qualify for benefits. We agree to these new standards and will be incorporating them into our client contracts, the company said in a statement. DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE, Alaska (AP) Those wishing to climb North Americas tallest peak got a leg up this week from the U.S. Army. Aviators from B Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright flew two bus-sized CH-47F Chinook helicopters Wednesday to continue the decades-old tradition of helping set up base camp on Denali, a 20,310-foot (6,190 meters) mountain located about 240 miles (386 kilometers) north of Anchorage. PRIVATE SCHOOLS Academy of Our Lady of Guam Business office is open 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday to Friday. Payments may be made at aolg.edu.gu electronically or with PayPal. Email inquiries to acad@aolg.edu.gu.May schedule: May 2: Crowning Liturgy 10 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica. May 6: Early dismissal at 1:35 p.m. May 7: Placement testing from 9 a.m.-noon. Call 671-477-8203 for more information. May 9: Faculty meeting and professional development at 8:30 a.m. May 11: Baccalaureate Mass 6 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica. May 13: Commencement 4 p.m. at the Father Duenas Phoenix Center. May 17-20: Semester exams for 9-11th grade. May 20: End of Year liturgy, End of the Year Awards and the last day of classes. Calling all alumnae: Register online at aolg.edu.gu under Alumnae/Alumnae Registration. For a prayer request for living or deceased loved ones, complete the form at aolg.edu.gu under Alumnae/Prayer Request or call 671-477-8203. COLLEGES GCC Mascot search contest Guam Community College is seeking for a mascot design that will be used to define the colleges brand. GCC students, former students, alumni who attended GCC for at least 1 year and employees can join the contest. Submissions will be accepted from through May 27. Multiple designs are accepted if submitted individually. Designs must be submitted at www.guamcc.edu/gccmascot. The winner will receive $500.00 and an official print of the GCC mascot. For more information, contact gcc.mascot@guamcc.edu or visit www.guamcc.edu/gccmascot. SCHOLARSHIPS Bill Raynor Micronesia Challenge Scholarship Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Guam, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and Marshall Island students who aim to take a masters or doctorate degree in any resource management or conservation field at an institution within the Pacific region can apply for the Bill Raynor Micronesia Challenge. Awardees will receive financial support of up to $30,000 per year for two years at any university within the Pacific region/rim or in the U.S. mainland and mentorship from technical experts who have long experience in the fields of conservation, climate change adaptation and sustainable development in the Pacific. The scholarship is limited to one or two students per scholarship round. Applications available at ourmicronesia.org/brmcs.html. Deadline is May 15. For more information contact, Bertha Reyuw at 691-350-2092/950-2151 or capacity@ourmicronesia.org. WORKSHOPS Place-based Environmental Education workshop The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Center for Learning with Nature and other partners is hosting a Fanihi & Friends: Place-based Environmental Education workshop for upper elementary to secondary science teachers at 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 29-July 2. Participants will have the opportunity to: Learn new ways and tools to connect Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math subjects to Guams natural environment. Attend formal instructional days and two field visits to explore place-based learning opportunities on Guam. Network with other educators to grow STEAM education among students. Register for one graduate credit at a fee of $20. For more information or to register, contact Marybelle Quinata at 671-355-5096 or email marybelle_quinata@fws.gov. Corrections and clarifications: This story was updated to correct the spelling of Zekiya Mapilisan's last name. Zekiya Sage N. Mapilisan, a senior at Okkodo High School, is set to represent Guam on Monday at the 2022 Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals. The competition invites students nationwide to recite great works of poetry, and Mapilisans passionate connection to the emotional pulse of poetry may just send her to the winners circle. Mapilisan, who carries herself with the kind of grounded, quiet confidence youd expect from a champion poem reciter, admits that she hasnt always had her eye on this particular prize. If Im being honest, that actually started off as extra credit from my English trial class, because Im a senior right now. And you know, being a student, when you see an opportunity especially if it involves extra credit you take it. And so thats what I did. Thats how it really started, Mapilisan said. Despite the humble beginnings of her poetry adventure, her skills and efforts have taken her to new heights. This is only the second year that Guam will be represented in the nationwide contest, a fact that Mapilisan doesnt take lightly. I actually remember I thought of myself as a mediocre, sort of average poetry reciter. Im no professional at all. I mean, I think this is my first one, doing something big like this. So when I heard that (I won), I was wondering that I would be representing my island. It was like, Wow, theres so much things bigger than this. And I was really excited, Mapilisan said. The Poetry Out Loud competition is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency, and the Office of the Governor. It consists of several rounds, which in Guam begin at the school wide level before advancing to island wide, to national semifinals, and then to national finals. In the current round, Mapilisan will be up against students from American Samoa and Western states including California, Washington, and more. If she is chosen as one of the top three competitors from her region, she will move forward to the national finals. If she is chosen as one of the top three competitors from her region, she will move forward to the national finals. There are even rounds within the rounds of competition three, in fact. This helps judges whittle it down to just one winner, and allows competitors to show off their mastery and versatility. For the national semifinals, Mapilisan chose Thoughtless Cruelty, by Charles Lamb, The Coming Woman, by Mary Weston Fordham and Ars Poetica, by Jose Olivarez. She has already recorded her recitations via Zoom call with the production team. In choosing her poems, Mapilisan has her eye on several moving parts, including range, emotional connection, interest in the language, narrative, eschewing rhyme schemes and diverging from very well-known poems in favor of what captures her attention. I think it was just the amount of emotion in them, because the first one is more on the sad or sorrowful tone. And then my second one, which is The Coming Woman, that one was the 20th-century type of poem where you have to seem like you were speaking back in the days, but I actually liked it. Thats what drew my attention to it. And then the third one, which is Ars Poetica, that one is on immigration. I know coming from Guam, its like, I dont fit in, or I always have to work a little bit harder than other people. And I think the storyline behind it is what caught my attention, Mapilisan said. Poems usually have a rhyming scheme. For me, I dont favor them, actually. I like the ones that dont, because it sounds more like a story and I could relate to it. So the ones that I did end up choosing, majority were not rhyming and it was more of a storyline as if youre playing actor and actress. Thats how I sort of convey myself within those poems. According to the Poetry Out Loud website, the competition encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students, helping them to master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. In Mapilisans case, she has chosen poets throughout the competition who represent diverse segments of society and loom large in the world of poetry. Claudia Rankine and Mary Weston Fordham, for example two Black, American women poets writing a hundred years apart about the nuances of a world only they can perceive. Usually, in literature class, itd be like Robert Frost or Emily Dickinson, so all of the major types of poems that students would go for. But I remember looking through the different lists online because we did get to choose our own, but it had to be from the website. There was a whole list, so I was going through them and then I chose the ones that first caught my attention, Mapilisan said. A judges guide found on the Poetry Out Loud website from the 2020-2021 academic year cites the categories for scoring as physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, and overall performance, which can be scored on a scale of one to six. Mapilisan says she has her own way of approaching the recitation. I think its more of the way you recite the poem. Because you could do little actions along the way, but I think its your tone of voice. And not only is it reciting the poem, or delivering the poem by memory, its knowing the type of persona you want to convey through your words, and through those small actions, Mapilisan said. Should Mapilisan advance to the national finals, she will be competing against eight other students for some hefty prizes that could support her future endeavors. According to the Poetry Out Loud website, the 2022 Poetry Out Loud Champion will be awarded $20,000, with $10,000 and $5,000 going to the second- and third-place finalists. In total, $50,000 in awards and school or organizational stipends will be awarded by the end of the competition. Whether or not she walks away with money in her pocket, Mapilisan has already gained perspective and an appreciation for literature throughout this process. Shell begin her studies in nursing at Seattle Pacific University come autumn, but poems will never be far from her mind. I learned that I find comfort in reciting poems. When I recite them, I get to look through these poems and look at them, like through a different perspective almost, and put myself in their shoes and understand their feelings and the amount of emotion that they put into that art piece or that work that the author created. Its their raw thoughts, and thats whats going into it, Mapilisan said. For me to win the entire thing, that would be ecstatic and something that I never thought that I would be able to do. Ive had a deeper understanding of how this is, that I could be something, that I could add on to myself and be like, Oh, Im a student, going to college, but I also do things on my own time. And thats poetry reciting. And now I have sort of a name for myself, and to think that other people could take something or learn something from that is also an amazing thing. Prior to becoming a two-term governor of Guam, the Honorable Carl T.C. Gutierrez chaired the islands Second Constitutional Convention in 1977. He now serves as the president and CEO of Guam Visitors Bureau, permit czar, and chairman of the Governors Economic Strategy Council. Send comments or questions to GVB at communityrelations@visitguam.org. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny leave after visiting a chemist on Day 20 of the 2022 federal election campaign, in Launceston, April 30. EPA-Yonhap Australia's prime minister accused China on Saturday of "form," or a record, on interference in foreign politics, after his home minister said Beijing's unveiling of a security deal with the nearby Solomon Islands was timed to influence an election. With most polls showing Scott Morrison's conservative coalition headed for a loss in the May 21 election, it has sought to highlight its national security credentials, such as a tough approach to China. "We are very aware of the influence the Chinese government seeks to have in this country," Morrison told reporters in Tasmania. "There is form on foreign interference in Australia." He was replying to a query about evidence for a radio statement by Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews that the timing of China's revelation of its recent Solomons deal was a form of foreign interference in Australia's election. China has said the pact was not targeted at any third party and urged Australia to "respect the sovereign and independent choices made by China and the Solomons." News of the security pact with the Pacific nation sparked concerns at the prospect of a Chinese military presence less than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Australian shores, casting the national security efforts of Morrison's coalition in poor light. After Australia's opposition Labor Party this week called the deal a national security failure by Canberra, Morrison's government has toughened its remarks. He cited a ban on foreign political donations and a register of foreign representatives, saying, "Any suggestion that the Chinese government doesn't seek to interfere in Australia, well, we didn't put that legislation in for no reason." In the Solomon Islands a day earlier, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told parliament the country would not participate in any militarization in the Pacific, and had signed the China deal as a security pact with Australia was inadequate. (Reuters) Haiti - FLASH : The GTS proposes 12 exceptional measures to the Government to put an end to insecurity The Working Group on Security (GTS) created in 2019, made up of security, human rights, private sector, trade union, religious, academic and diaspora experts with the mission of proposing possible solutions that can help to solve the problem of insecurity in Haiti, once again challenges the government authorities faced the worsening criminal insecurity in Port-au-Prince, in particular urban violence in the area of Croix des Missions and Santo, following the territory war between members of the "Chen Mechan" and "400 Marozo" gangs for a week. Faced with the rise in power of the "400 Marozo" gang and its desire to exercise control over the entire Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, the security situation in the country and in particular in the metropolitan area of West is in danger of becoming even more dramatic. Any control by the men of "400 Marozo" over the neighborhoodsat the northern entrance to the capital would not only constitute a serious threat to the commercial enterprises in the area, the port infrastructures and customs revenue, but also to the only sources of free supply of the inhabitants of Port-au-Prince in foodstuffs, underlines the GTS In order to bring a definitive solution to these criminal threats and to avoid more particularly that the gangs of Martissant and the "400 Marozo" completely besiege the Capital, the GTS urges the Head of Government to adopt the measures of following exceptions: Actions proposed by the GTS : Declare a state of security emergency for a period of one month throughout the territory; Call on residents of areas exposed to clashes between the PNH and gangs to take shelter for the duration of the interventions; Establish an "Operational Task Force" of at least 500 police officers, primarily bringing together police officers from the National Police Intervention Group (SWAT), the Research and Intervention Brigade (BRI) and Departmental Units Maintenance of Order (UDMO) etc, having been previously submitted to a Vetting; Reinforce controls at the Haitian-Dominican border and deploy the forces of the Office for the Fight against Narcotics Trafficking (BLTS) there as well as in all the ports of the country in order to prevent gangs from resupplying with weapons and ammunition outdoors; Strictly control, with the support of the UDMO, interdepartmental travel and transport so as to prevent any attempt at reinforcements from other regions for the benefit of the gangs of the capital; Grant the Police the right to search or raid all officially registered vehicles; Suspend all immunity regimes for senior civil servants; Strengthen the rules of engagement of the PNH so as to prevent civilian elements in the pay of gangs from invading the perimeters of armored vehicles in order to neutralize them and deliver the police officers on board into the hands of these gangs; Mobilize substantial operating funds and exceptional risk bonuses to enable police officers engaged head-on in the fight against armed gangs to remain permanently on the spot in order to consolidate the reconquered territories; Requisition blood banks and specialized medical personnel to ensure diligent and effective care of police officers injured during anti-gang operations; Establish an investigative chamber and a National Prosecutor's Office to prosecute members of armed gangs, as well as all individuals suspected of having supported them; Adopt any other derogable right and any other exceptional measure likely to contribute to the effectiveness of the fight against armed gangs. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36536-haiti-gang-war-the-pnh-in-the-combat-zone.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36528-haiti-flash-at-least-20-civilians-killed-in-gang-fighting-zones.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36512-haiti-flash-gang-war-the-plaine-du-cul-de-sac-transformed-into-a-battlefield.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Quebec : Recruitment project of about fifty nurses in Haiti This week, Fritz Dorvillier, Consul General of Haiti in Montreal, had a fruitful meeting with representatives of the Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie as well as the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration of Quebec around the project relating to the recruitment of nurses abroad, more particularly in Haiti. The representatives of the Government of Quebec first took care to present to the Consul General Dorvillier the nature and the objectives of the project while clearly specifying that it was a project which aims to promote the training mobility of nurses and that itis not intended to permanently immigrate Haitian nurses to Quebec. They explained that it was rather a question of allowing Haitian nurses to come and exchange their knowledge and professional experiences with their Quebec colleagues and to improve their skills and at the same time to work part-time as orderlies for the beneficiaries during a defined period of continuing education. In this perspective, in the next 3 months, Quebec intends to start recruiting about 50 nurses in Haiti. The Consul General, thanked the representatives of the Government of Quebec for the clarifications on this project and said he was enthusiastic about this initiative, convinced that this project will be beneficial to both parties. On the one hand, the recruited Haitian nurses will benefit in Quebec from a quality professional environment that will help them improve their skills and on the other hand, they will contribute to better taking care of patients as orderlies. In addition, Dorvillier has requested the direct participation of Quebec in the initial training of nurses in Haiti, by setting up distance continuing education modules, by sending experienced trainers to Haiti and by donating modern medical equipment to Haiti. Finally, the Consul General assured them of the formal, legal and responsible collaboration of the Haitian State in the execution of this project. This requires the signing of a specific agreement between Quebec and Haiti to protect not only their interests, but also those of the nurses who will be recruited. HL/ HaitiLibre Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help Nearly 5.4 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia invaded two months ago, the United Nations said Thursday, with more than 55,000 leaving in the past 24 hours. In total, 5,372,854 people have fled Ukraine as refugees since February 24, according to the latest data from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. That marks an increase of 55,635 over the figure given on Wednesday. While the outflow has slowed significantly since March, UNHCR has projected that the conflict in Ukraine could produce 8.3 million refugees by the end of the year. In addition to the Ukrainian refugees, the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said nearly a quarter of a million citizens of third countries largely students and migrant workers have also escaped to neighbouring countries since the invasion began. (AFP) Russia's defense ministry on Friday confirmed it had carried out an air strike on Kyiv during a visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "High-precision, long-range air-based weapons of the Russian Aerospace Forces have destroyed the production buildings of the Artyom missile and space enterprise in Kyiv," the ministry said in its daily briefing on the conflict in Ukraine. Ukraine said Friday that one person had been killed in the strike on Thursday, the first in the capital in nearly two weeks and which Guterres's spokesman described as "shocking." Guterres on Thursday toured Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs where Moscow is alleged to have committed war crimes. The defense ministry said its forces had carried out a range of air strikes on Thursday, destroying three power substations at Ukrainian railway hubs and a Tochka-U missile launcher that it said had carried out an attack on the Russian-held city of Kherson. (AFP) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessees lead investigative agency is looking into a state prison inmate death that authorities say was reported as a homicide. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Leslie Earhart identified the deceased Riverbend Maximum Security Institution inmate as 26-year-old Justin Walters. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler is planning to propose spending $3.9 million to add 28 unarmed public safety specialists to the Police Bureau. That would bring the total to 62, which is more than three times the current number, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Wheeler said the goal is to free up sworn police to handle higher priority calls. The Police Bureau is confident it can fill the jobs, noting that 89 people have applied. The additional funding also would cover 14 more vehicles for the public safety specialists. The specialists handle 33 types of calls, including cold stolen vehicle calls, cold theft calls, calls about recovered stolen vehicles or other property, suspicious subjects, vandalism and non-injury accidents. They also help police with traffic detours, conduct searches for missing persons and attend neighborhood meetings. Earlier this year, the city budget office recommended an outside evaluation of their work. An evaluation has since found in an average shift, a public safety specialist can save 4.6 hours of patrol officer time through the calls the specialist can handle. Portland would do well to significantly increase the number of PS3s (public safety specialists), to expand their working hours, and to grow the calls/tasks they are trained and authorized to handle, the review said. The first public safety specialists were hired in June 2019. They have 200 hours of training during a five-week academy and ride with a field training officer for four to eight weeks. The mayors request is expected to be released Tuesday as part of his requested city budget for the next fiscal year. GALESBURG, Ill. (AP) A sheriff's deputy in western Illinois setting up spike strips on a roadway was killed Friday morning when he was struck by a car driven by man who was fleeing authorities after allegedly being spotted at a store with a gun, officials said. In a news release, the Illinois State Police said the Knox County deputy was struck shortly after 8 a.m. as he was setting up spike strips to try to flatten the tires of the fleeing vehicle that was being pursued in nearby Henry County by Galesburg Police officers. The officers, responding to a 911 call about a suspect with a gun at Circle K covenience store in Galesburg, were chasing the vehicle after the driver fled during an attempted traffic stop. More than 1,000 people were evacuated and three people injured early Saturday after a fire ignited at a nightclub in southwest Houston, according to authorities. Houston firefighters responded around 12:15 a.m. to the iClub nightclub at 8329 Southwest Freeway and found a mass of people leaving the building, HFD said. "It took us a while to get in here there were so many people," HFD District 68 spokesperson Bo Davis said. "There were probably between 1,000 and 1,500 people trying to exit." More on HoustonChronicle.com: Houston nightclub accused of overserving alcohol in $20 million lawsuit after teen killed in crash When firefighters finally entered the building, they found four people laying unresponsive behind the bar in the fetal position, Davis said. Three of the four were taken to Memorial Hermann with severe injuries due to smoke inhalation. In the back of the building, firefighters were able to quickly get the fire under control with the help of the sprinkler system, HFD added. More from Joel Umanzor: Teen girl shot to death by mother's boyfriend inside Harris County home, police say The area the fire burned appeared to be near the DJ booth, which then burned the ceiling and attic, Davis said, adding arson investigators were on the way to the scene. No other information is available at this time. Joel.Umanzor@chron.com OnScene.Tv Two men were injured Friday night during a drive-by shooting outside of a residence in southeast Houston, according to police. Officers responded to the shooting around 8:35 p.m. at the 6800 block of Ridgeway Drive and found two men with gunshot wounds, police said. Both of the men were transported to a local hospital, one in critical condition while the other had non-life threatening injuries and is expected to survive. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Operation Lone Star has once again suffered a tragedy. Spc. Bishop Evans, 22, drowned after leaping into the Rio Grande to help two men who were struggling in the river, which is wide in the Del Rio Sector and often looks deceptively calm. His body was recovered Monday, after a days-long search that left many questions remaining. At a Wednesday legislative hearing, leaders of the Texas Military Department responded to a joint investigation by Army Times and the Texas Tribune, which found that Evans was not equipped with a flotation device. Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, who was appointed Texas adjutant general in March, said Operation Lone Star personnel currently have access to just 43 flotation devices, although more have been ordered and should be available by mid-July. If youre not trained to be a boat crewman, youre not supposed to be getting into the water, Suelzer said when questioned by state Rep. Eddie Morales, a Democrat whose rural southwest Texas district covers hundreds of miles at the border. This includes the stretch where Evans, of Arlington, had been stationed. The policy of course ignores the reality that most service members and law enforcement officers are not likely to stand idly by if they see a person visibly struggling, regardless of whether they have the appropriate training and even if they would put themselves at some risk by rendering aid. Indeed, Suelzer said, that was the case here: Sgt. Evans was a human being. He saw a human being drowning and he jumped in the water to save him. This is not the first time Operation Lone Star, the costly exercise in political grandstanding launched by Gov. Greg Abbott in March 2021, has been shaken by a terrible loss. Army Times reported in December that over the preceding two months, four soldiers involved with the operation had died by suspected suicide. Furthermore, a number of the 10,000 men and women deployed to the border or otherwise providing support to the operation have reported issues with morale, housing, or even with being paid on time. All of which raises the question of why were sending service members to the border an extremely dangerous place, to hear Republicans tell it with so little consideration and without even basic safety devices. As Morales noted, water rescues are a regular occurrence along the river, as are accidental drownings. The most plausible answer to that overarching question sadly, outrageously is that Operation Lone Star is a political operation designed to highlight President Joe Bidens weaknesses and raise Abbotts national profile. A similar case could be made about Abbotts brief, ludicrous border shutdown last month, which began when he announced that Texas Department of Public Safety officers would be conducting their own inspections of every commercial vehicle traveling north through the states ports of entry. These were redundant inspections. The federal government, via Customs and Border Protection, inspects northbound truck traffic already. And the costs of this stunt were immediately obvious, as trucks sat idle for hours on the Mexican side of the border, in some cases with their produce wilting. Direct costs to Texas were estimated at $4.2 billion, according to an analysis by the Perryman Group. And those are just the costs that can be readily quantified: Mexico this week announced that a new rail line that its building will connect with New Mexico rather than Texas, citing Abbotts border shutdown as the reason. As for the gains? Well, DPS didnt interdict any drugs or apprehend any migrants as a result of the exercise. The agency did, however, identify some trucks that need repairs. And the governors of four neighboring Mexican states agreed to do more to improve security on their end, although some of the measures these governors agreed to undertake were already implemented, or on the books. These agreements in hand, Abbott proceeded to declare victory. Texas did more in two days to secure the border than Biden has done in 15 months, Abbott tweeted last week. Perhaps Abbotts Mexican counterparts could have been induced to make the same concessions via discussions about our shared concerns, rather than a ham-handed move that cost Texas billions of dollars while inflicting pain on our states largest trading partner and southern neighbor. In fairness, under certain circumstances there may be a productive purpose to this sort of political theater. If an issue isnt receiving the attention it deserves from Washington, for example, state-level action may help put it in the spotlight. Are we in such a situation, though? Bidens weaknesses when it comes to border security are practically self-evident. He has struggled to find a course that rejects the draconian enforcement policies of the Trump administration, most cruelly exemplified by the family separations policy, but that recognizes the legitimate national security and public health concerns presented by drug and human trafficking. Unfortunately, it does not appear that a serious discussion of the issue is forthcoming from Austin. Abbott on Friday did, however, announce plans to shift roughly half a billion dollars from other state agencies to keep Operation Bottomless Pit going. There is never a good reason for a governor to play politics with peoples lives. And with Democrats such as Biden bungling this situation, Abbotts moves dont even seem that shrewd, politically. It appears that the governor is willing to put his unquenchable political ambitions over the livelihoods and lives of the people he represents. erica.grieder@chron.com Regarding GOP activist Steven Hotze appears in court for first time since charges in voter fraud case, (April 21): I cannot believe I'm writing this but as a lifelong Republican it makes me incredibly angry to read about Steve Hotze. Before Trumpism I thought the nadir of bad GOP behavior was Nixon/Watergate. Reading about current events in Texas convinces me the GOP is far worse than the Watergate era. What Hotze and his crew did at a recent event, promoting the "fake news" that there was voter fraud in Texas is unfathomable for sane, responsible Texans to sign along with him, let alone donate to an already moneyed person. What I'm observing is a veritable gold mine of GOP misbehavior, misinformation and misanthropy, all in one event. It had the blathering "pillow man," it had the twice-charged-with-felonies Texas attorney general along with a terminated and disgraced Houston police captain who allegedly assaulted an innocent Texas citizen. At gunpoint! This is the stuff of the worst kind of dystopian science fiction; how could none of these people be in jail? But what really struck me the hardest about the front page article was that it shared space with the people of Ukraine. They are fighting for their lives and literally dying to have a semblance of democracy they prefer death to Russian fascism yet when I read about a fundraiser that purports to be for God and Liberty, the articles about Ukrainians sickened me even more. I wonder, if the Ukrainians saw our brand of democracy in Texas, would they fight as hard for freedom? Hotze says he's "the tip of the spear," I say he's the tip of the iceberg. If it were not for Rep. Liz Cheney and Congressman Adam Kinzinger I would be in complete mourning for my party. J. Gallagher, Montgomery There was a time not to distant from today when we all pulled together as a nation. There are many examples of the tragedies that we endured together 9/11 is one , losses in the space program another. We then, through pride, love, support of each other and a determination to get it right, went back to work as a people. But now whether Democrat or Republican, if the opposing party introduces legislation, you and everyone in your party including constituents must be against it. There is absolutely no working across the aisle, and no cooperation in finding whats best for the average family. We have lost our way, and a house divided cannot stand. Ours is a democracy only if we can keep it, and I wish folks would fight to keep it the way that the Ukrainians are doing. Ronald Joubert, Houston Regarding McCarthy defends 1/6 audio, House GOP backs 'next speaker', (April 27): I am a proud Democrat and have been for most of my voting life. However, I can't claim to be enthusiastic about the current position the Democratic party has taken in response to the anti-democratic attacks by the Republican party and individual Republicans. The Republican Party is the same party and individuals who have violated long-established rules, regulations and statutes in pushing their authoritarian agenda, and the party and individuals who participated in a coup attempt in pursuit of their anti-democratic ideology. We all know what they have done. They don't even see a need to hide or deny their illegal actions. So far, the Democrats seem content to publicly rehash the wrongdoing while asking for campaign contributions; all while coming up short in holding people accountable for very prosecutable crimes. They seem to be holding on to a principle of propriety that died with the election of Trump. Frankly, the party appears to be relying on their principles as their only weapon in a political gun fight. If principles had an impact on the American voter, none of this outrage would have been allowed to happen in the first place. We are in a no-holds-barred struggle where one side will literally do anything to save their privileged positions and the other side should start acting accordingly, even if it seems a little thuggish to their principles. To use a famous movie quote, it is time to go to the mattresses. Ray Pickens, Pearland Regarding Marjorie Taylor Greene hostile in testimony over eligibility, (April 22): I just watched video clips of a well-known congresswoman from Georgia repeatedly saying "I don't remember" to almost every question asked about her involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Be you Republican or Democrat, we all know she was lying. We know that, right? And then on the other side we have the Squad made up of four congresswomen espousing extreme views in several areas. Take for example their opposition to Israel, one of our most important and loyal allies. I think most of us eligible voters don't agree with the extreme views on either side. Take away the three or four percent on each end of the spectrum and most of us probably lean a little left on some issues and a little right on others. All this political noise and grandstanding histrionics never allow us to have the chance to come together and work and vote for real solutions to help fix many of our nation's problems. Jerry McMorrow, Houston As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Travelers wait for trains at a station in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 29, 2022. As Eid al-Fitr approaches, hundreds of thousands of Dhaka dwellers have streamed out of the city to join the festival with their kith and kin in village homes. (Xinhua) DHAKA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The normally busy streets in the Bangladeshi capital saw less traffic on Friday morning, while millions of people were on the move at bus terminals, train stations and river ports. Dhaka dwellers are traveling to their hometowns this year to join the Eid festival celebration with their kith and kin in villages after the annual exodus had been stalled for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan, will be celebrated in Bangladesh on or around May 3 based on the sighting of the new moon. "I'm going to celebrate Eid at grandpa's house," said Sabikun Nahar while getting onto a packed train with his family members in Dhaka's central Kamalapur Railway Station. Traveler Tumpa Moni said many were unable to go home in the last two years due to the pandemic, but now the station has seen a mad rush of home goers since last weekend. "Being able to go home in this crowd is a great joy for me," Moni said. Some of the travelers have to sit on the rooftops of the trains when there are no more seats offered inside. Traveler Naeem said his feelings can't be expressed in words. "Eid with family is something very special. We're all happy. We'll celebrate Eid with everyone." The travel rush of millions of home-bound people could impact Bangladesh's entire transportation system during this Eid occasion, an expert at the Accident Research Institute at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said recently. "We found that 11.5 million people left Dhaka for Eid in 2019, but it reduced to only 6 million during the pandemic," said Professor Md Hadiuzzaman, director of the institute, noting the number will be doubled again this time. "Some 3 million people may leave Dhaka every day in the four days before Eid," he said. According to the expert, trains, buses and ferries have the capacity to transport 1.3-1.4 million passengers daily. "Therefore, there is no transportation system for (the rest) 1.6 million people," he added. Bangladeshi Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan earlier this month said they would operate 92 intercity trains in a special arrangement and there would be no weekly break for seven days for train services before Eid. Also, authorities have made the necessary arrangements to minimize inconvenience for travelers ahead of the busy period. Bangladeshi Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said roads and highways across Bangladesh are in much better shape for the holiday travel rush this Eid than at any time in the past. He said they have settled some common problems for Eid travelers in some places of mega highways in the northern part of the country as the road condition in Bangladesh is better. Travelers sitting on the roof of a train leave a station in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 29, 2022. As Eid al-Fitr approaches, hundreds of thousands of Dhaka dwellers have streamed out of the city to join the festival with their kith and kin in their village homes. (Xinhua) Travelers wait for trains at a station in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 29, 2022. As Eid al-Fitr approaches, hundreds of thousands of Dhaka dwellers have streamed out of the city to join the festival with their kith and kin in village homes. (Xinhua) Photo taken on April 29, 2022 shows a child on a train in Dhaka, Bangladesh. As Eid al-Fitr approaches, hundreds of thousands of Dhaka dwellers have streamed out of the city to join the festival with their kith and kin in village homes. (Xinhua) Photo taken on April 29, 2022 shows a child on a train in Dhaka, Bangladesh. As Eid al-Fitr approaches, hundreds of thousands of Dhaka dwellers have streamed out of the city to join the festival with their kith and kin in village homes. (Xinhua) Today, what we're expressing is not a shift from pessimism to optimism, as much as it is an expression of confidence in the future. There's a great quote that I love ... from Winston Churchill ... over two years before the end of World War II ... "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. It is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." And I think that is the moment we're at now at United Airlines. ... we'll look back at this as the turning point. The light at the end of the tunnel is a long way away. But this is the turning point. April 30: Fratelli Wines Pvt Ltd, a family run- winery in Akluj, Maharashtra, was conferred with the Super: Best Family Business with turnover under Rs. 1000 Crore, Led by a Woman, at the Moneycontrol Pro and CNBC India Family Business Awards last evening in Mumbai, with Puja Sekhri recognised for steering the company successfully through turbulent years after the tragic and untimely death of her husband and co-founder Kapil Sekhri in 2020, reports Subhash Arora Pujas brother-in-law, Gaurav Sekhri, Director, co-founder and elder brother of the Late Kapil Sekhri , was very upbeat when I met him over a cup of coffee about 10 days ago. He was quite excited about the award but due to the usual embargo on the release of such news, requested me to keep the story under wrap till today. The family deserves an applause. Founded in 2007 by Sekhri brothers Kapil and Gaurav, Secci brothers Alessio and Andrea from Tuscany and Mohite-Patil brothers Ranjit and Arjun in Maharashtra, the family business became the second biggest wine company in terms of volume and value, about 4 years ago, notching past Grover to stay behind the leader of the pack, Sula Vineyards which is a formidable and worthy opponent today in a market of around Rs. 1000 Crores (Rs. 10 Billion) and expanding annually in double digits. The company earned revenue of Rs 112 crore in the financial year 2020-21, compared to a little over Rs 109 crore in 2019-20. Although Gaurav was tight-lipped about the performance in the post-Covid 2021-22, reliable sources inform delWine that the growth has been over 30% last year, highest in the industry. Also Read : Piero Masi of Fratelli Wines Passes On Last year, the company revamped the varietals with chic labels that were the brain child of Puja Sekhri who was devastated by the death of her husband but immersed herself quietly but firmly, full time in the family business . Fratelli launched the rebranded version of its varietal wines with the new stylised labels under her supervision and they were very well received in the market. I had shared with Gaurav and Puja on a visit to their office last year that they looked like sure winners. Kapil had been very ambitious and in moments of weakness would share in private that he dreamt of Fratelli Wines being the leading wine company in India. He wanted to take Indian wines to the world and went international in 2018 and now exports wines to many countries including France and the Netherlands. They have collaborated with Jean Charles Boisset in California and launched JNOON in 2018. The wines priced at around Rs. 4000 are always in short supply due to the small quantities produced. As Gaurav informed me, the current vintage has already been sold out. Also Read : Fratelli Wines: Sekhri Family carries on the Legacy of Kapil Sekhri With the late Steven Spurrier, Fratelli had released MS- denoting the last names of (Piero) Masi and (Steven) Spurrier. Ironically, Steven Spurrier had passed away last year while Piero Masi was snatched away earlier this month. The company produces its wine in Akluj, a small town in Solapur district of Maharashtra, that was selected after Masi had tested the soil and climate of various possible sites in Maharashtra, including Nashik and around. Fratelli Wines has 32 domestic labels in its portfolio and its selection is now available across 27 states and Union Territories. Also Read : Obituary: Kapil Sekhri of Fratelli Wines Passes Away due to Cardiac Arrest The company is the undisputed leader of the Wine-in-Can category in India. TILT label was introduced by Kapil and Puja Sekhri and had received a very good response from the market, with the sale of over 50,000 cases (of 24 cans each) last year. The company has its sight set on 100,000 cases within the next 2 years, maintaining its leadership position in the Can market with 4 variants as well as NOI sparkling wine cans. Also Read : TiLT in Fratelli towards Wine-in-Can (WiC) The company is quite aggressive in planning its expansion. Gaurav Sekhris son Aditya who was obliged to join the company 2 years ago, has taken charge of the operations and sales and providing valuable, renewed energy in building the business. It is participating in the North East Food Show with a wine pavilion on May 5-7. Hosted by the government of Meghalaya, the event is slated to include buyers and exhibitors from all the 8 North-eastern states. A Masterclass to be held by the company Sommelier is expected to attract big number of visitors. The company is also pitching in with possibly the biggest wine stand at Vinexpo India Mumbai 2022 on August 18-20 and a Masterclass to have its wines penetrate even further in Maharashtra and elsewhere. Also Read : Fratelli now Second Largest Premium Wine Producer The brand caters to the affordable as well as mid-premium segments and is available at price points ranging all the way from Rs 150 to Rs 4,000. Keeping in mind the increased demand of the affordable wines for the burgeoning middle-class buyers it is in the process of releasing a new label Jivo. Fratelli also entered the artisanal cheese business during the Covid time, by collaborating in 2020 with Chennai-based Kirke Cheese which sells the dairy product under the Kase brand. In keeping with its high-flying ambitions, Fratelli claims to be the only Indian wine to be on the wine menu of Tata-owned Vistara Airline for its international sectors. Also Read : Junoon for Unique Wines brings Jnoon from Fratelli & JCB Indian Wine Academy and delWine wish Puja Sekhri and the entire team including Gaurav Sekhri, Aditya Sekhri and Alessio Secci continued success. As Rajeev Samant, Founder CEO of Sula Vineyards often says, he loves to see competition in the Indian wine industry. Fratelli Wines can be officially acknowledged to be that competition with the announcement of this Award, hosted by Moneycontrol PRO and CNBC. The Award has been won in the Category Best Family Business with turnover under Rs. 1000 Crore, Led by a Woman. Also Read : Fratelli Wines: Sette pe Satta Subhash Arora The 45-year-old Bashir Ahmad Dar is busy weaving Kashmiri silk carpet on a wooden loom in Sonawari village in north Kashmirs Bandipora district with a hope that government provided Geographical Indication (GI) tag will help them to boost their business and fight counter branding. We welcome steps taken by the government and we hope that this move will revive this dying Industry of Kashmir, said Bashir. Bashir said that this work is all about pure hard work. It takes months to make a hand-knotted carpet and the artisans working on it are paid very less. Despite such hard work, it is very difficult for us to run our families on a meager amount, he said. Idrees Bukhtiyar As per the artisans in the valley, carpet worth Rs 400 crore is exported to different European countries and the United States. We have a lot of expectations from the government this time as this Industry has got the GI tag. Now, the customers can verify and check for themselves which are hand-made and machine-made carpets, said Abdul Rasheed, 65, a carpet weaver from Saida Kadal area of Srinagar. Rasheed believes that only a few veteran artisans who are alive are running this Industry. If they die, the industry too will die and there would be no one left to weave the original hand-knotted carpets, he said. I would request the government to assist the artisans with the special monetary help which will encourage them to keep this dying industry moving, he said. Mohd Rafiq Shah, the owner of Ali Shah Oriental Carpets, the manufacturers of hand-knotted carpets in Srinagar said they have been working for the last many years to keep this Industry alive. We have over a dozen artisans at our unit and we are paying them good salaries with an aim that this carpet Industry should not collapse, he said. Shah added, New generation isnt interested in such work as it demands hard work and they look for the shortcuts to succeed in life which is not possible nowadays. GI Tag for carpets On February 11, J&K Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha introduced QR-code for handmade Kashmiri carpets, thus giving the customers a platform to verify the authenticity of the carpet. Idrees Bukhtiyar The GI tag helps in verifying the genuineness of these carpets with information of the manufacturer, weaver, district and raw material mentioned on them, news agency PTI quoted a government spokesperson as saying. The carpets from Jammu and Kashmir are being exported to at least 25 countries. In 2020-21, carpets worth Rs 115 crore were exported to Germany, while Rs 34 crore worth rugs were sent to the US, Rs 36 crore to the UAE and Rs 22 crore to the Netherlands, the spokesperson said. The Jammu and Kashmir administration is also working on launching a mega carpet village, he said. The Jammu and Kashmir government finally in March started a Geographical Indication (GI) registry for the famed Kashmiri carpet with a quick response (QR) code with details of artisans and the material used. The first ever consignment of GI-tagged carpets were exported to Germany from New Delhi on 11th March. The Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC), in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, held a seminar in New Delhi to raise awareness about the GI registration of authentic carpets from Kashmir. Origin of Kashmiri carpets Idrees Bukhtiyar The origin of hand knotted carpets locally known as Kal baffi dates back to 15th century after which it progressively attained the high degree of perfection. It is said that king Zain-ul-Abidin popularly known as Budshah brought carpet weavers from Persia and central Asia into Kashmir to train the local inhabitants. Carpets from 200 knots to 900 knots/sq. inch both in wool & silk yarn have attained such excellence that they rank amongst the finest in the world. The loom used in Kashmir carpet weaving is composed of two horizontal wooden beams between which the wrap threads are stretched, one beam in front of the weaver and the second behind the first. The difference between a carpet and other hand woven rugs lies in the fact that short lengths of the thread or yarn are tied to wrap chains to form the pile of the carpet. These are commonly called knots though it is a loop rather than an actual knot. There are different types of knots and in Kashmir the Farsi baff and the Persian system known as Sehna, or Sinneh, knot is originally used. Very simple tools are used to thread these knots, a wood or Metal comb to push knots and weft tightly together and a pair of short scissors to cut the pile of the carpet to an even form once it is finished. What officials said Idrees Bukhtiyar Sheikh Ashiq, member of board of directors, Carpet Export Promotion Council set up by the ministry of textile said that GI tag will now grow the business for the artisans and exporters as well. This will stop the sale of fake carpets and original hand-made carpets will be given the priority and taken into the market, he said. Mehmood Ahmad Shah, Director, Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir said that the QR code attached to the GI tag will help in reviving the sheen and glory of the Kashmiri carpet industry. It will help in certifying the genuineness of the hand-knotted carpets with relevant information of the manufacturer, weaver, district, raw material etc, he said. For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Punjab Government on Saturday ordered the transfer of three top police officers in Patiala district, a day after clashes broke out between two religious groups there. Chief Minister Bhagwat Mann in an order directed the transfer with immediate effect of Nanak Singh and Rakesh Agrawal, who were posted as Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police and Patiala Inspector General of Police. SP (superintendent of police) of Patiala city Harpal Singh was also been transferred. ANI Mobile Internet suspended Earlier the government had issued an order to temporarily suspended mobile internet services from 9:30 am to 6 pm in the city. A curfew is also in place till 6 pm on Saturday and heavy police presence has been deployed at the site of the clashes. What happened on Friday Tension had gripped Patiala after two groups clashed outside the Kali Mata temple on Friday, brandishing swords and pelting stones at each other, at a rally in which four people, including two policemen, were injured. ANI It all began with an anti-Khalistan march organized by a group that calls itself the Shiv Sena Hindustan. The march began at 10 am from Patialas Arya Samaj temple and chants like "Khalistan Murdabad March" were heard. In Patiala Punjab. A Hindu org organized Khalistan Murdabad rally raised Har Har Mahadev Slogan. Sikhs came out with Khalistan Zindabad rally. Sikhs chased Hindus with swords & raised Bole so Nihal slogans. Situation tensed#Khalistan #Punjab #Sikhpic.twitter.com/1Pw1v8aMcx Crime Reports India (@AsianDigest) April 29, 2022 Later some Sikh groups, including Nihangs took out a countermarch. The two groups came face to face near a Kali Mata temple, leading to an attraction. The Shiv Sena activists reportedly took shelter inside the temple and began pelting stones at the pro-Khakistani group who were outside. Open call for Khalistan in Patiala, Punjab! Hindu Nationalists and Khalistan supporting Sikhs have clashed today in India and the Khalistan movement is not anymore limited to a group of Sikhs in Canada or UK! pic.twitter.com/gx1nEuHHXR Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) April 29, 2022 CM orders probe Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has ordered a probe into the clash and said that strict action will be taken against those behind the violence. Patiala Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said one person has been arrested with regard to the clashes. She said, "FIRs have been lodged and raids are underway. We appeal to the public to maintain peace. From 9.30 am to 6 pm today, mobile internet services will remain temporarily suspended as a step of abundant caution by the government. One person has been arrested." Protests continue On Saturday a protest demonstration was held outside the Shri Kali Devi Temple in Patiala. ANI "The Hindus of Punjab are ready to protest. The Administration should not underestimate us on the basis of the number of people gathered here," Yograj Sharma, President of the Shiv Sena Hindustan, the group which led the protest told ANI. For more on news, sports and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Nursing Homes Ireland has highlighted the need for a number of measures to be implemented to attract people to work across the healthcare sector in Ireland. The nursing home representative organisation highlighted the importance of healthcare settings across Ireland working together to attract staff, instead of competing against one another. The NHI has highlighted the need for greater cooperation within the sector, a promotional and educational campaign around working in nursing homes and the need for parity between private and public nursing home funding. Nursing homes across Ireland, like many other healthcare services, were severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which still has a negative effect on services to this day. Nursing homes across Ireland have been at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19 over the past two years or so, attempting to keep the older and more at-risk population safe from the virus. Over the past two years, nursing homes across the country have had to contend with wave after wave of Covid-19, outbreaks inside their very own walls and a depleted workforce due to widespread infection. Speaking to Irish Examiner, Tadhg Daly, CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland, highlighted the need for increased recruitment of staff and the urgent need for measures to ensure this recruitment can take place. Amid global healthcare worker shortages and increased demand, Mr Daly said Ireland must act now to ensure that staff are in place to care for the ageing population, and to ensure that there is no knock-on effect on patients or other healthcare settings as a result of reduced staffing. Ultimately, we have an ageing population in healthcare generally so, whether its nursing homes or home care, we need more people working in what I would term the social care sector, he explained. Tadhg Daly, CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland. There are challenges from time to time in recruiting for various positions, whether it be doctors, nurses, physios or others. The challenge at the moment in particular is in recruiting healthcare assistants, he added. Theres a real significant pressure across all settings, hospitals, nursing homes and home care, around the recruitment of healthcare assistants at the moment. Mr Daly highlighted the importance of raising the profile of those that work in social care to ensure greater levels of recruitment. One of the big challenges is raising the profile of those that work in social care thats a big challenge in terms of recruitment, he said. The work is very rewarding but it is challenging and thats been highlighted by Covid. As a country, Ireland needs to examine the education and training system, and the possibility of promoting social care in schools and colleges, Mr Daly explained further. We feel there should be a national promotion campaign run by the Department of Health and the Department of Education to attract more people into the sector. In the private sector, recruitment is arguably the biggest challenge at the moment its a challenge in every sector. The nursing home sector is 24/7. We see in other sectors outside of healthcare where businesses can close for some days and holidays or work reduced hours, he added. When youre caring for older, vulnerable people, thats just not possible. We need trained, caring, compassionate, committed individuals to work in the sector. There is natural attrition with people retiring or leaving to work in other sectors, but we certainly need to make it more attractive to work in the sector. The NHI also highlighted what it describes as a lack of parity between the funding allocated for public nursing homes and private settings, which it said is impacting recruitment. The organisation stated that the Fair Deal Scheme sees public nursing homes take in around 1,700 per resident per week on average, whereas, in a private or voluntary home, it is around 1,000 per resident per week. One of the big challenges for us in the private sector is the actual Fair Deal Scheme, which is an impediment to us in terms of competing with pay and conditions with the public sector, said Mr Daly. The people who are working in the private sector are doing the exact same work as those in the public so its important there is equal pay for equal work. The budget needs to be increased to ensure the nursing home sector can pay what we would feel is the appropriate rate for those who work in nursing homes. As well as addressing the budget, the NHI highlighted the importance of introducing apprenticeships in the nursing home sector and ensuring that career pathways are available for people ready to take the next step. In fact, the organisation is already working with the Department of Further Education on apprenticeships in the sector to encourage more people to work in the area. We also need to look at career pathways within the sector, said Mr Daly. People might come in and work as a carer and then decide to become a senior carer or advanced healthcare practitioner. Some might even decide to go on and do nursing, for example, so its important to have those pathways and opportunities available. Nursing homes are hugely rewarding places to work and its a very rewarding career youre working with the older population bringing them joy and support, he added. What we need to do as a sector is raise the profile of those working in the sector and create a greater understanding of the type of work and roles that are available in the sector. Looking to the future of healthcare in Ireland, Mr Daly highlighted the implementation of Slaintecare and the important role that nursing homes will play in this regard. With Slaintecare aiming to provide more care within the community setting, nursing homes will play a key role in ensuring that people can be discharged from hospitals to receive care in the community. Ultimately, nursing home care is in line with Slaintecare as its effectively caring in the community, and thats what we need to move towards, said Mr Daly. Nursing home care is a vibrant and critical element of a well-functioning health service. If you dont have a sustainable nursing home sector, its going to have a huge impact on the older people who require residential care. We know, for example, that there are often large numbers of people who are unable to be discharged from hospitals due to a lack of capacity in the nursing home sector, he added. If we dont address the workforce crisis, this lack of capacity will only continue and have a knock-on effect on older people and the wider health service. We also need to look at the health and social care system as one entity and the integration of these sectors post-Covid, which will be hugely important. We are competing in some respects with the public hospitals but thats just moving people from one part of the healthcare system to another. What we need to do is to attract more people to work in healthcare broadly. A teenager suffered the most terrifying day of his life in a violent armed raid at his home when he was bundled into his bathroom and forced to hand over 50,000 in cash from the family safe. Now one of the gang involved in this criminal escapade is to fly out of Ireland and return to Lithuania and have the balance of a three-year sentence suspended. Judge Helen Boyle noted from the evidence of Detective Garda Diarmuid ONeill at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that Gytenis Miliauskas had been arrested in Germany last December on a European arrest warrant in relation to this part in the crime. He was taken back to Ireland where he has been in custody awaiting sentence. Gardai will take him from Cork Prison to Dublin Airport on Friday evening for him to fly back to Lithuania. On doing so, the balance of his three-year sentence will be suspended. He gave an undertaking not to return to Ireland for at least 14 years. The teenage victim of the crime said that the attack that dated back to December 12, 2015, was the worst night of his life. In a victim impact statement read on his behalf by Det. Garda ONeill, he said: Three men burst in the door and pushed me to the floor putting a coat over my head. I was in a massive panic. I felt something sticking into my shoulder. They shouted, If you move, I shoot. I could hear my home being ransacked. I genuinely thought they were going to kill me. One of these guys had what I believe to be a Taser when the lights were off the crackle would come and I could see the blue lights. These guys then kicked me into the bathroom and locked me in there. I had to wait 20 minutes. They told me if I left they would kill me. I will never forget the cold sweat and panic. I still feel it to this day. There is not one day since that this doesnt go through my head. Miliauskas was one of two getaway drivers involved with the gang on this night. They got away with over 50,000 from the safe at his home in Midleton, County Cork. Ray Boland, defending, said the 34-year-old had a girlfriend and four children back in Lithuania. Unfortunately, he got involved in this after two weeks in Ireland, Mr Boland said. Judge Boyle said that an aggravating factor in the case was that the accused fled and left the jurisdiction in 2015. Mr Boland said Miliauskas had the most minor part in these offences. He was the getaway driver. He was outside with a walkie-talkie. He obviously knew something nefarious was going on. Case background The background to the case was that an armed gang broke into a house in Midleton, forced the teenager to the floor, put a jacket over his head, barricaded him into a bathroom and snatched 50,000 in cash from a safe. Miliauskas pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary on December 12, 2015, at a house in Midleton, Co Cork. Detective Garda ONeill said that on the night of December 12, 2015, three men entered the home at the address in Midleton, carrying hand guns and a Taser and forced the young man living there to the floor. They put a jacket over his head and took 50,000 in cash from a safe. The three males placed the young man in a downstairs bathroom and barricaded the door and left in the vehicle which was nearby. The accused was the getaway driver. A second member of the gang who drove a later part of the getaway was previously given a similar sentence. A woman accused of a burglary spree of popular venues in Dublin city centre has been released on bail. Emma Butterly, 30, who is of no fixed abode but has agreed to reside at Brackenwood Avenue, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, told gardai, "it was not f**** me". She had been charged with four burglaries in Temple Bar and around the city centre's south side. Garda Ian Murphy objected to bail due to the seriousness of the alleged offences when she appeared at Dublin District Court on Saturday. The woman is accused of three burglaries on April 4 at the Trinity Bar, Dame Street, The Counter restaurant on Suffolk Street, and the Porterhouse Bar on Parliament Street. She is also accused of another burglary of the Wild Duck theatre on Sycamore Street, in Temple Bar, on March 13. The court heard the woman was homeless, and gardai used CCTV evidence to identify her. The officer accepted she had no prior criminal convictions, and there were no witness interference concerns. He told defence counsel Kevin McCrave that he had not obtained directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions yet, but he thought the case would be heard at district court level. Pleading for bail, the barrister said his client had suffered from mental health issues and could reside at an address in Balbriggan. She would also obey conditions, he submitted. The garda conceded he would be satisfied with that. Judge Cephas Power described the charges as serious, and even though they involved business premises, they represented "persistent offending and a burglary spree". The objection made by the garda was valid; however, against that, he noted she had no addiction issues and could offer an address. He set bail in her bond of 200 with a residency condition, ordered her to sign on twice daily at the local garda station and told her to provide gardai with a contact phone number. She has not yet indicated how she will plead. Judge Power granted legal aid after noting she received social welfare, and he ordered her to appear again on May 12. A week is a long time in politics. So said the British Labour prime minister Harold Wilson in the mid-'60s and Independent Senator, Sharon Keogan, must surely agree. Last week Ms Keogan was ejected from an Oireachtas Committee meeting examining the Irish laws surrounding surrogacy for what some committee members termed her bigoted, cold cruel comments. Afterward, at a private meeting on Wednesday, her attempt to elicit an apology from fellow committee members Senator Lynn Ruane and acting chair Sinn Fein TD Kathleen Funchion for their characterisation of her remarks failed. Ms Keogan has subsequently resigned from the separate Oireachtas Committee on Children citing anunsafe working environment, although she remains on the surrogacy committee. During the committee meeting on surrogacy, Ms Keogan expressed the view that surrogacy was harmful, exploitative, and unethical and not in the best interest of the child. Ms Keogan also told Gearoid Kenny Moore, a representative for Irish Gay Dads, that he was extremely lucky to be here today. Unsurprisingly, this elicited a reaction from both witnesses who were giving what was undoubtedly very personal testimony on their surrogacy experiences and from committee members. Independent senator Lynn Ruane asked her colleague Sharon Keogan to check her Christian values for her comments at an Oireachtas Committee. Senator Lynn Ruane asked Ms Keogan to check her Christian values. Elaine Cohalan, Chairperson of the Assisted Human Reproduction Coalition, said that committee members had a responsibility to lead the debate in a dignified manner. Ms Keogan has alleged that during the course of the private meeting of the committee she was warned that the witnesses could sue her under privilege for her remarks. Commenting on the matter in The Irish Times, Una Mullally posed the question as to what processes are in place to sanction senators when they go too far in our political chambers. An answer to Mullalys question is that the principle of freedom of speech in parliament enshrined in our Constitution allows TDs and Senators to bang on more or less as they wish with the odd instance of them being put on the naughty step. Article 15.12 of the Constitution lays down that all official reports and publications of the Oireachtas or of either House thereof and utterances made in either House wherever published shall be privileged. The rationale for this is to allow members of parliament to function independently and to prevent outside influence from interfering in the business of the houses. There is a slight curb on this right: Article 15.13 of the Constitution says that members of the Dail and Seanad shall not, in respect of any utterance in either House, be amenable to any court or any authority other than the House itself. Exemption from defamation laws In plain English, this means that members of the houses are above the defamation law that Joe or Josephine Public is subject to. The logic of keeping the courts out of what is said in the houses may be said to be a part of the checks and balances which underpin the doctrine of the separation of powers which says that the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government should be separate and which is a cornerstone of our democratic system. However, TDs and senators can be amenable or answerable to the House itself. Without getting bogged down in long-winded legalese, basically TDs or senators can be answerable to the Committee on Privilege and Procedure (CPP) for abusing their parliamentary privilege if what they say is defamatory. Members can defend themselves by proving that their utterances were made in a responsible manner, that they acted in good faith, and ensured as much as possible that the remarks were soundly based. Members can also be asked to withdraw their utterances or can be reprimanded. None of this seems to cover Ms Keogans remarks which while potentially hurtful, offensive, and repellent to some cannot be said to be defamatory. During the course of what must have been a lively Oireachtas committee meeting, Ms Keogan said that committees are a place for debate. If there is no critical reasoning or questioning, we could write that report now, with no dissenting voice. That is the value of free speech. Two days ago, Ms Keogan tweeted her thanks to those who have supported her right to free speech online or by writing letters irrespective of their own personal views. I find myself in the unusual position of agreeing with Senator Keogan on this sole point of free speech. Last Saturday, in this paper Daniel McConnell, while seeming to disagree with the senators remarks made the case that being offended is the price we pay for living in a free society. He quoted Voltaires biographer who said I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Mr McConnell concluded that while Ms Keogan may have been offensive, insensitive, and crass she had a right to air her views however unpalatable. And that by accusing Ms Keogan of bigotry, Senator Lynn Ruane and others personalised the issue thereby betraying the liberalism that they proclaim to extol. Ms Mullaly writes that Keogan frequently adopts the just asking questions stance, an obfuscating tactic that can be broadly seen as attempting to amplify or drop in poor information, misinformation or disinformation. Mechanisms to sow misinformation Her point is that sometimes questions are insincere and are simply mechanisms to sow misinformation and distrust among the public, and in this, she may be said to be correct. But she questions if people should be able to say whatever they want within our political chambers even if its tinged with conspiracy, misinformation or disinformation. The aforementioned opposing views when deconstructed could be said to echo the culture wars currently raging. To be reductive about a complicated topic you have the right to freedom of speech in one corner slugging it out with the right not to be offended in the other. The right not to be offended is a cultural construct rather than an actual right enshrined in law. In a week when Elon Musk moved to buy Twitter, free speech is continuing to feel as if it has been hijacked by the super-wealthy and powerful so that money rather than truth is winning. Regardless of where you land on this (there are opposing teams in my own family on this topic) it should be remembered that the particular context here is what TDs and senators can and cannot say while discharging their parliamentary duties. Free speech is continuing to feel as if it has been hijacked by the super-wealthy and powerful as Elon Musk made a move to buy Twitter. Picture: Hannibal Hanschke/AP Assuming that it was even legally possible to censor their utterances I strongly think we should be slow to do so; as mentioned above there is a solid logic behind parliamentary privilege. It is for this reason that it is widely recognised in laws in democratic countries right across the world and has been robustly upheld by our Supreme Court in a slew of cases. Also, not to be too Socratic about it the question posed by Mullally of what should we do when senators go too far seems to raise two further equally important questions, what constitutes going too far, and who gets to define what this constitutes? While I wholeheartedly agree with Ms Mullally on the fearmongering amongst the right-wing Christian fundamentalists weaponised against the LGBT community (she makes an excellent point about the idea that minorities or marginalised groups are involved in takeovers of society being a diverse conspiracy theory) I dont think our political chambers is the place to censor views. You need an honest exchange of views, however repugnant, at the very least to know what the enemy is thinking. Driving real agendas underground by way of sanctions on utterances that have been deemed to be unsayable is not to be welcomed and will never result in the changing of hearts or minds. It will simply result in an authoritarian Kafkaesque society where we say one thing and think another which strikes me as unhealthy and undesirable. This week the topic of asking questions appears to be in the ether. In last Saturdays Financial Times, Romila Thapar, the 90-year-old eminent Indian historian, when asked a question on what she would like her legacy to be said, I would like there to be a generation that goes on asking questions Asking those questions freely and exploring the answers to those questions in a free manner. That is what I would want Any society which gets to the point where theyre not allowed to ask questions, its a desperate situation." Russian forces pounded Ukraine's eastern Donbas region on Saturday but failed to capture three target areas, Ukraine's military said, while Moscow said Western sanctions on Russia and arms shipments to Ukraine were impeding peace negotiations. The Russians were trying to capture the areas of Lyman in Donetsk and Sievierodonetsk and Popasna in Luhansk, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in a daily update. "Not succeeding - the fighting continues," it said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in remarks published early on Saturday, said lifting Western sanctions on Russia was part of the peace talks, which he said were difficult but continued daily by video link. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24 that sanctions needed to be strengthened and could not be part of negotiations. He said on Friday there was a high risk the talks would end because of what he called Russia's "playbook on murdering people". A local resident walks past a destroyed building in Mariupol, in territory under the government of the Donetsk People's Republic, eastern Ukraine, Friday, April 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov) Ukraine accuses Russian troops of atrocities in areas near the capital, Kyiv, that they previously occupied. Moscow denies the claims. Lavrov said that if the United States and other NATO countries were truly interested in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, they should stop sending weapons to Kyiv. In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden's proposed $33 billion aid package for Ukraine, including $20 billion for weapons, has received bipartisan support. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday she hoped Congress would pass the package as soon as possible. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists. Ukraine and the West say the fascist allegation is baseless and the war is an unprovoked act of aggression. The war has turned cities to rubble, killed thousands and forced 5 million Ukrainians to flee abroad. After failing to capture the capital, Russia is now focusing on the east and south of Ukraine. Moscow hopes to take full control of the eastern Donbas region made up of Luhansk and Donetsk, parts of which were already controlled by Russian-backed separatists before the invasion. Moscow said on Saturday its artillery units had struck 389 Ukrainian targets overnight. The governor of Russia's Bryansk region said air defenses had prevented a Ukrainian aircraft from entering the region, and as a result shelling had hit parts of an oil terminal, Russian news agencies reported. On the Ukrainian side, Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said the Russians were shelling all over the region "but they cannot get through our defence". He said civilians would continue to be evacuated despite the difficult situation. Gaidai said two schools and 20 houses were destroyed by Russian attacks on Friday in the Luhansk towns of Rubizhne and Popasna. Mykola Khanatov, head of military administration in Popasna, said two buses sent to evacuate civilians from the town were fired on by Russian troops on Friday and there was no word from the drivers. He did not say how many people were on the buses. There were also reports of attacks on places outside the Donbas, including in the southern Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia areas and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, where the regional governor said a residential area had been shelled overnight. A police officer inspects a destroyed area following a Russian missiles attack on Thursday in Fastov, south of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, April 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) Britain's defence ministry said on Saturday that Russia had been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from failed advances in northeastern Ukraine. Reuters could not independently verify the reports on what was happening on the ground. Ukraine's deputy agriculture minister Taras Vysotskiy accused Russian forces of stealing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of grain in the areas they occupy, and said he feared an additional 1.5 million tonnes were at risk of being stolen. Ukraine said on Thursday that Russian theft of grain from its territory was increasing the threat to global food security posed by disruptions to spring sowing and the blocking of Ukrainian ports. The Kremlin said it had no information on the matter. According to International Grains Council data, Ukraine was the world's fourth-largest grain exporter in the 2020/21 season, selling 44.7 million tonnes abroad. The volume of exports has fallen sharply since the invasion. Zelenskyy said in his evening address on Friday that fuel shortages would end soon in Ukraine even though Russian forces had damaged a number of oil depots. Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said Ukraine's operators had secured contracts with European suppliers. Russia and the West are closer to nuclear war than during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the great-granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev has said. Nina Khrushcheva, an academic whose great-grandfather was leader of the Soviet Union during the 1962 standoff, warned the conflict in Ukraine is more dangerous because neither side appears prepared to back off. Ms Khrushcheva said despite a war of words during the period of Cold War brinkmanship, both President John F Kennedy and Khrushchev agreed to de-escalate as soon as there was a real threat of nuclear action. Speaking on the Today programme, she said it was clear the current conflict was a proxy war between the West and Russia in which Ukraine is to some degree a pawn. A picture issued by the US Embassy in London in 1962 was said to show Intermediate ballistic missile site under construction in Cuba (PA) Ms Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at The New School in New York, said of the 1962 crisis: What really saved the world at the time was that both Khrushchev and Kennedy, whatever they thought of each others ideology and disagreed with it, and didnt want to give in and blink first, yet when the threat appeared of a potential conflict of any kind they immediately backed off. We are closer to more issues, nuclear, than any other way, because I dont see today any side, particularly the Russian side, backing off, and thats what really scares me the most. She added: It was clear on February 24 it was a proxy war because it was the negotiations of Ukraine with the United States first of all and then Nato, so that was already a proxy conversation and Ukraine was to some degree a pawn in this relationship. Her concerns about escalation were echoed by former MI6 chief Alex Younger, who said the discipline of deterrence that helped both sides back down in 1962 appears to have been lost. Mr Younger told the programme that aggressive rhetoric from Russia was in part an attempt to bully and intimidate the West, but the situation should still be taken seriously. It's a very emotional situation that we're in... So I think there are real dangers here, but I think Putin also is essentially trying to bully us and intimidate us with talk of his nuclear weapons I think in some ways weve lost the discipline of deterrence, he said. Its a very emotional situation that were in So I think there are real dangers here, but I think Putin also is essentially trying to bully us and intimidate us with talk of his nuclear weapons. He knows full well that its a much more complicated situation than that. Of course, the West has the capacity to retaliate and it would not in any way be a rational manoeuvre on his part to try and employ them. But Mr Younger rejected the argument that the war was a proxy battle, warning that such claims risk inadvertently strengthening Russias position. The idea that this is a broader war, that were in a broader conflict with Russia, simply plays to the Russian narrative as they come under pressure because theyll be able to tell their people that this is a defensive war, he said. Burma Thai, Malaysian firms pull out of Myanmar gasfield project A Petronas petrol station in Kuala Lumpur. BANGKOKThailands oil and gas conglomerate PTTEP and Malaysias Petronas announced Friday they would withdraw from the Yetagun gas project in coup-hit Myanmar. There has been an exodus of global energy companies from Myanmar including Chevron and TotalEnergies following last years military takeover and subsequent allegations of human rights abuses. More than 1,800 civilians have died during a military crackdown and more than 13,000 have been arrested, according to a local monitoring group. Petronas subsidiary Carigali holds a roughly 41 percent stake in the Yetagun project while PTTEP has a 19.31 share. The withdrawal is part of the companys portfolio management to refocus on projects that support the energy security for the country, PTTEP chief executive Montri Rawanchaikul said in a statement Friday. PTTEP said its stake will be reallocated proportionately to the remaining shareholders with no commercial value, effective upon regulatory approval. Petronas, which has operated the project since 2003, said in a statement the decision followed a review and was part of an asset rationalisation strategy to adapt to the changing industry environment and accelerated energy transition. The 24,130 square kilometre field in the Gulf of Moattama produces natural gas and condensate. Japans Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration and Myanmars junta-linked Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise have the remaining stakes in the project. PTTEPs decision is not the end of its involvement with Myanmar. In March, PTTEP said it will take over the running of Myanmars vital Yadana gasfield following the withdrawal of Chevron and TotalEnergies in January. The American and French firms said they would pull out of Myanmar following growing international pressure from human rights groups to cut financial ties with the junta. The Yadana gas field in the Andaman Sea provides electricity to Myanmar and Thailand, one of a number of gas projects that Human Rights Watch says make up Naypyidaws largest source of foreign currency revenue, generating more than $1 billion annually. Myanmars military has interests in large swathes of the countrys economy, including oil and gas. Other international firms including British American Tobacco and French renewable energy firm Voltalia have also pulled back from Myanmar since February last year. A spokesperson for rights group Justice for Myanmar called on companies involved with the Yetagun gas project to completely sever ties with the military. The field is near depletion and we call on Petronas and its international partners to decommission the field in accordance with environmental best practices, and responsibly disengage, Yadanar Maung said. Petronas and their partners must ensure no more revenue flows to the Myanmar junta. Junta Watch Junta Watch: Regime Spokespersons Obscenity; Electric buses but no Electricity for the People and More Regime spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun during a press conference in March 2021. / AFP Regime spokespersons obscenity goes viral If you are what you say, the regimes spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun is a lowly man for his use of an obscenity at the regimes so-called press conference on April 27, which was mostly attended by pro-junta media. After taking the podium, the Maj-Gen denounced media outlets that refuse to parrot the regimes falsehoods as state-destroying media, accusing them of reporting in favor of the shadow National Unity Government (NUG). Think to yourself whether you are the terrorist NUGs ball-lifter, he barked, using a vulgar Myanmar slang phrase equivalent to the English phrase ass licker. The junta has branded the NUG and its associates as terrorists. In Myanmar today, ball-lifter is most commonly used on social media to describe someone who shows too much respect to the generals and their dictatorship. It is rarely used in everyday conversations, as it is considered too offensive. Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tuns comment went viral online, attracting a torrent of criticism. People wondered what a crude and uneducated person he must be for daring to use such an obscenity at a state-level press conference. But considering the vile institution he represents, it is perhaps not surprising to hear him spout such language. After all, the regime is just a bunch of uncivilized, shameless men in uniform who kill unarmed civilians and loot and torch their homes. Plans to introduce electric buses ongoing despite daily power cuts Amid long hours of rolling power blackouts, a policy coordination meeting on the earliest possible production of electric vehicles was held in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw on April 22 on the orders of coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. The meeting was attended by the juntas transport and communications minister Tin Aung San, industry minister U Charlie Than and officials of Omni Focus Co Ltd, owned by grandsons of the late military dictator U Ne Win, and discussed plans to run electric buses in Naypyitaw, Yangon and Mandalay. U Charlie Than asked Omni to present its business plan to the regimes governing body, the State Administration Council (SAC). He said the SAC will form a leading committee and work committee to develop guidelines. Min Aung Hlaing has often talked about introducing electric buses and electric trains to Myanmar. In August last year, he said his regime was developing a policy and would announce it soon. The Myanmar people, however, have called on the military regime for an end to power cuts and full access to electricity for everyone before trying to run electric buses. Regime to adopt proportional representation for its 2023 election Speaking at the regimes April 27 press conference, the juntas Union Election Commission (UEC) member U Khin Maung Oo said closed list proportional representation (PR) will replace the current First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system for the general election to be held by the regime next year. Many believe the juntas move is an attempt to prevent another landslide loss, after military-backed political parties were overwhelmingly trounced by the National League for Democracy (NLD) Party under the FPTP system in the elections of 1990, 2015 and 2020 [the NLD boycotted the 2010 poll]. Under the PR voting system, seats are distributed by election authorities to each party in proportion to the number of votes the party receives. In the closed list PR system, people vote only for a party, not for individual candidates. Each political party will have already decided which politicians will represent the seats allocated to the party after the election. Under PR, it will be impossible for parties which enjoy wide popular support, like the NLD and the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), to dominate parliament. Min Aung Hlaing could well become president under PR, given that 25 per cent of seats are reserved for military appointees, while the militarys proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party and other pro-military parties will also take a share of the seats. Since the coup, the junta-controlled UEC has held four meetings with political parties to discuss the adoption of closed list PR. Those meetings were boycotted by the NLD, SNLD and the other parties which won the largest share of seats in the 2020 general election. Lethal pro-junta militias get regimes official blessing Myanmars military regime has officially endorsed lethal pro-junta militias that are increasingly targeting civilians who oppose military rule. Junta spokesman Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun told a press conference in Naypyitaw on Wednesday that the regime was implementing a public security system with regime supporters, as well as the army and police, who will get manpower and equipment support from the junta. The implementation of the system means that pro-regime militias like the Pyu Saw Htee groups will have the official blessing to continue their atrocities against civilians such as extrajudicial killings, sexual assaults, arbitrary arrests and the torching of houses, under the cover of eliminating terrorist forces, the regimes jargon for anyone who opposes military dictatorship. The endorsement comes after the recent emergence of the Thwe Thout militia group, which was formed in response to an anti-junta groups vow to attack regime supporters, security forces and their family members. Thwe Thout has already claimed responsibility for the killing of two NLD supporters in Mandalay. Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun denied the group was endorsed by the junta. But he said nothing about taking legal action against the group. You may also like these stories: Pregnant Woman Miscarries, 4 Detained as Myanmar Regime Cracks Down on Six Twos Protest Myanmar Junta Asks UNs Top Court to Drop Rohingya Genocide Case at Hearing in The Hague Cobra Gold Military Exercise Kicks Off in Thailand Without Myanmar Manny Diaz has done a great job in the Legislature on education issues ranging from teacher pay to parental rights and choice, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week, when he nominated Florida Senator Manny Diaz Jr to be the next Florida Commissioner of Education. On Friday, the state Board of Education unanimously voted to appoint the Miami-Dade state senator to the Commissioner of Education post. The vote makes Diaz the first Hispanic Commissioner of Education in Floridas history, according to a press release from the Department of Education. I am incredibly thankful for Governor DeSantis commitment to improve the quality of education we provide to our students, and for the opportunity to build upon the amazing work that Commissioner Corcoran and the Florida Department of Education have accomplished, Diaz, Jr said in the statement. I am extremely humbled and appreciative of the faith and trust that the State Board of Education has placed in me. Rest assured, Florida will continue to serve students, parents, and educators in our quest to provide students with a world-class education that meets the unique and individual needs of all students. Diaz will not take over until June 1. Present Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran is stepping down. His last day is May 1, according to the press release. The board appointed Senior Chancellor Jacob Oliva to serve as interim commissioner for the month of May. For the complete Department of Education statement, click here. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Chamisa tells us he will not go for a Congress, certainly not before 2023 harmonised elections. Yet he is Triple Cs presidential aspirant. He relied on Hopewell Chinono a.k.a. meemee goat investor of Murehwa to fly the kite. This stupendous goat investor lately has been Chamisas trusted errand boy. Including on probing missions for a pact with Zanu-PF. About that, let little be said for now. But he flew the kite, and did so with the panache of a bull in a China shop! Hard and hot in tow was Hwende, ready to officialise what Hopewell seemed to goof about: Triple C would not go to Congress ahead of 2023! Congress is expensive business, Hwende added, pasting some USD2m cost tag to it. The harmonised elections themselves would need some USD200m or more, he opined. When a Professor from the East went berserk That put the Triple C dove-coat in a swooning flutter. All hell broke loose, with Professor Jonathan Moyo Triple Cs unhappy ideologue stridently registering vehement objections. How could anyone sane and with any pretensions to democratic credentials sidestep so crucial a stage and process to leadership legitimacy, wailed the Professor from the East. He quoted chapter and verse, quoted all and any example from history history past, present and future to fortify his outrage at this political abomination most foul! Was he heard? Triple Cs Twitter hit squads lacerated, nay eviscerated, the good Professor, including superfluously reminding him of his G-40 roots, a reminder he did not need, least of all from TripleCs irreverent kids. Not known to take blows lying, the Professor came back, darting venom, spitting big book, and big English on his hapless OLevel tormentors. What political burlesque! In feigned politeness and with a mighty hoof in cheek, I asked the good Professor: do you think they grasp this recondite stuff you are adumbrating? He ignored me, suitably! Beyond the burlesque, I found the defence raised by Chamisas people a sample of political tragicomedy. Lets face it, Triple C is the Wests vehicle for a neo-colonial project targeting Zimbabwe. It is not organically connected to any interest or community of interest, the way Zanu-PF is. Zanu-PF is united around legacy and land; Chamisas Triple C around nothing, which is why it has no bidding ideology or interest around which to coalesce. While most of us forgave Tsvangirai, Chamisas predecessor, we find it hard to grant Chamisa the poetic license of earthiness. Chamisa and those around him preen themselves as part of Zimbabwes literati, the learned one in his case. In typical Dickensian style, he is a coxcomb who loves big statute books behind him as props. Lets grant him all such pretences. But he should not blame us for measuring him by the rod of his own choosing. So many bald excuses With him unilaterally nay unconstitutionally at the helm, one thought the Wests neo-colonial project had acquired some modicum of literate local leadership; that however misplaced and treacherous to country and continent, the project would be sold better to the masses, with a fair amount of decent pretences. Not what we got after the Professors rejoinder! Congresses are a Zanu-PF mechanism for infiltrating the opposition, one bald section of his supporters bellowed! Did ZANU-PF itself go to Congress after 2017 coup, wailed another section! Why wont the courts fast-track the legitimacy case in courts against President Mnangagwa, yelled yet another section of Chamisas supporters! Who says congresses are a must for a political party, roared another portion! To which another added: we have no Constitution, meaning nothing provides for a Congress! You cant breach a Constitution which doesnt exist, came another dart! When a toddler drops two milk teeth Never in my little life did I ever imagine I would meet, let alone grapple, with this type of crass political thinking in this column. Never at all. Yet here I am, afflicted by it, and in this my late life! Lets start with the bedrock: the party Constitution. Triple C says it has no Constitution; and because it does not have a Constitution, nothing provides for a Congress! In one illogical logic, two Cs are knocked off the Triple! The name Triple C now looks incongruous, what with only one C left! Its like a day-old toddler growing, decaying and dropping two milk teeth in the crib! You dont snuff out an original or antecedent sin by inanely leapfrogging to brew a false debate on the succedent. Why doesnt Triple C have a Constitution anyway? While claiming it is ready to govern, but without a governing covenant in its home! Even the earthy Tsvangirai was literate enough to use NCA as an interim vehicle as the yet-to-be-launched MDC was working on its constitution! Why not become a monarchical party? What we now have at the helm is a man who by self-proclamation is an advocate who says he sits in chambers. But he seems completely unaware that an organisation called a party needs a setting/founding document? And this several years after Tsvangirai passes on, and after usurping power thereafter? And this more than a year after losing the party he usurped to one Mwonzora, and staying as long and quiescently in nameless constitutional twilight before emerging from the chrysalis as Triple C? Worse, with a whole year to go before the next harmonised elections, he cannot envisage drafting a constitution, because he cant stand democracy on whose ticket he rose? And because he wont subject himself to an elective Congress such a constitution enjoins? Well, let him draw up a constitution for a monarchical party; monarchs dont run on womb constitutions, on DNAs! We refuse to be stampeded into the next, false question: Why is Triple C without a constitution in the first place? So they have a bad, unconscionable retort to charges of not holding a Congress? What monster have these guys sired and let loose upon Zimbabwes political society? Sunday Mail A RWANDAN refugee housed at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Zimbabwe appeared in court yesterday on allegations of duping his Burundian friend, now based in the United States, of US$85 000 to buy and register six kombis as an investment. John Paul Harinditarwi (36) was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Yeukai Dzuda charged with theft of trust property and money laundering and was remanded in custody to today for his bail application. Harinditarwi is alleged to have duped a Burundi national, whom he befriended when they met at Tongogara Refugee Camp before the Burundian relocated to the US in 2005. It is the States case that on January 12, 2005, the Burundi national arrived in Zimbabwe as a refugee and was accommodated at Tongogara Refugee Camp where Harinditarwi and his family were already living. The two then became friends. In September 2009, the Burundian left Zimbabwe for the US, but they remained in touch. Sometime in 2017 Harinditarwi suggested that the Burundian could invest in a transport business in Zimbabwe and Harinditarwi could manage the business. They allegedly agreed that the Burundian would buy commuter omnibuses while Harinditarwi would manage the business. Harinditarwi told his friend that they would make US$1 100 profit each month after servicing and repairs costs have been deducted. The buying started in 2017. On March 13, 2017 Harinditarwi send his friend an invoice for a Toyota Hiace in the name of Sayed Cooperation in Japan worth US$9 500 and US$9 576 including bank charges was sent. On March 23, 2017 Harinditarwi sent the second invoice of a Toyota Hiace in the name of OS Motors CC in Japan valued at US$10 000 and the money was transferred on March 27, 2022. The third invoice was sent on April 3, 2017 and US$ 10 676 was transferred from the USA the next day. In June the fourth invoice saw US$9850 transferred, in January 2018 a fifth invoice produced another US$10 050 and in May the same year a six invoice netted US$9 550. It is alleged that Harinditarwi was sent US$24 000 through Western Union to register the commuter omnibuses, buy windows and upholstery. Allegations are that Harinditarwi registered all the commuter omnibuses in his name alone and never remitted the profits to his friend as agreed. Herald ZIMBABWEs top civil servants are undergoing indoctrination lessons under the ruling Zanu PFs school of ideology amid claims that the training will be cascaded to the rank and file of the public service. The Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology which exhibited under the Zanu PF stand at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) was first mooted after the country gained Independence from British colonial rule in 1980. A push to operationalise the college gathered momentum in 2016 to allegedly instil a sense of patriotism and understanding of Zanu PFs ideology by civil servants and others, who did not participate in the liberation struggle. In 2016, a resolution was passed by Zanu PF that no candidate would represent the party in national elections without passing through the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology. This publication gathered that top civil servants, including directors in ministries have undergone the indoctrination lessons modelled under the controversial national youth service, the difference being that there is no military-type training. Its on course (training of civil servants at the school of ideology). Currently, directors in ministries have gone through that already, a Cabinet minister confirmed yesterday. Chitepo was chairperson of the war council of Zanu during the liberation war. He was assassinated on March 18, 1975 in Lusaka in a car bomb and the mystery surrounding his death remains unresolved. Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa was not available for comment while her deputy Kindness Paradza referred The Standard to Zanu PF for official comment. Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu referred The Standard to the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology principal Munyaradzi Machacha, who confirmed the indoctrination lessons. Its basic orientation for about five days although we have other customised courses for different groups and institutions to address their specific needs, Machacha said. We have done the basic orientation courses in ministries, parastatals and in the Zanu PF structures. Machacha went on to say opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) members, including their leader Nelson Chamisa must undergo the indoctrination lessons to inculcate a culture of patriotism in them. The school is really a national heritage school where we treat every citizen equally regardless of political affiliation, he said. If Chamisa were to come, we would put him through the same course to teach him patriotism and national conscience and to defend Zimbabwes national interest, which is lacking in our opposition who hero-worship our colonial masters and want the same to come and superintend over us. We wish every citizen to come and join this course and have a national belief system that makes us all unite in defence of our national interest. Machacha denied charges that the courses were partisan, in favour of the ruling party. Chitepo is not a party institution, but a national heritage school detached from the ruling party, he said. However, unions representing civil servants on Friday condemned the indoctrination lessons as unconstitutional and partisan. It is very unfortunate that the Zanu PF government continues to manipulate our civil servants, forcing them to participate in training that is clearly partisan. We condemn such acts, which really violate the constitution of our people and the fundamental rights of the civil servants, Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure said. We still have an inherent right of freedom of association and assembly. We cant be forcing people to associate with the ruling party against their will. If we force them to be partisan, we are then dividing an already divided nation. Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou weighed in, saying there is nothing national about the Chitepo School of Ideology. It is a Zanu PF ideological college and not at all national. Anything that is partisan must be resisted by all level-headed Zimbabweans, and as teachers and civil servants, we dont see any need to be affiliated to any political party, Zhou said. The whole aspect of trying to send civil servants to an ideological college is the issue of propaganda, propagating propaganda so that civil servants parrot a political party propaganda. That in itself is not enviable, and we will resist that by all means necessary. In October 2021, the government attracted criticism from unions representing nurses after proposing to introduce patriotism and induction modules for health workers. The proposed modules were meant to cover public health service orientation, which speaks to national heritage and patriotism among others. In the recent past, there were plans to have civil service jobs reserved for youths who went through the notorious Border Gezi national youth service (NYS). The NYS programme, launched by the late Youth minister Border Gezi in 2001, was introduced with the aim of drilling revolutionary and patriotic ideologies into the countrys young citizens. Standard 04/29/2022 by Buffy Lockette When the last final exam of JSUs spring semester is completed on May 4, things will slow down on campus for a week until the summer semester begins on May 16. Below is a list of hours, information and reminders for the remainder of the spring semester, the summer semester and the short break in-between. OFFICES University offices will be open normal business hours except for the following days: Memorial Day, May 30; Juneteenth, June 20; and Independence Day, July 4. DINING Spring Meal Plans will expire on May 4. Unused Flex Dollars from Fall and Spring may be used through the end of July. Jack Hopper Dining Hall will have modified hours May 1-4 as follows: Breakfast, 7-10 a.m.; Light Breakfast 10-10:45 a.m.; Lunch, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Light Lunch, 1:30-5 p.m.; Dinner, 5-7 p.m. All Sodexo dining locations will close for the semester on May 4 at 2 p.m. Until the start of the summer semester, the only Sodexo dining location open will be Jack Hopper Dining Hall at lunch: May 5-6 and May 9-13, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Summer Dining Hours will begin May 16: Jack Hopper Dining Hall: Monday-Friday, 7-8 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and 5-6 p.m. Closed on Saturday and Sunday. Closed May 30, June 20 and July 4. Chick-fil-A: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. WOW: Friday-Sunday, 12-7 p.m. The Red Rooster will continue to operate its normal hours througout the end of the spring, the summer semester and in-between: Monday-Saturday, 12-7 p.m. Gamecock Diner, Freshens, Mein Bowl, The Peak and Jazzman's will be closed all summer. Z Bean's hours are not currently available. REC CENTER The University Recreation and Fitness Center will be open all summer except for May 31 and July 4. Summer hours will begin May 5 as follows: Monday-Friday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 12-8 p.m. For a full list of hours, including the indoor and outdoor pool schedule, visit the UREC website. Students who were enrolled in the Spring 2022 semester will continue to have access to the Rec Center through May 31. Those taking at least one class this summer will have access to the center all summer. Students who were enrolled in Spring 2022 or are registered for Fall 2022 but are not taking classes over the summer - including incoming freshmen - may purchase a Semester Off membership for $60 and have access for the summer. Need to learn to swim so you can enjoy the UREC pools? The center offers private and partner swim lessons for both members and non-members alike. LIBRARY Houston Cole Library hours are: Saturday, April 30, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 1, 12 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, May 2, 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday, May 3, 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday, May 4, 7:30 a.m. to 12 a.m. May 5-15, Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Closed Weekends May 16 to July 30, Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Sunday, 2-10 p.m. July 30 to August 14: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Closed on weekends BOOKSTORE Spring Textbook Rentals must be returned to the Bookstore by Wednesday, May 4. Students may bring them directly to the Bookstore or mail them back. Flat rate labels may be purchased online or students may use the carrier of their choice if they specify ATTENTION: BOOKSTORE on the package. Commencement: The Bookstore will be open extended hours for commencement on Friday, May 6, from 7:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Bookstore will also operate a booth in the main lobby of Pete Mathews Coliseum at the graduation ceremonies so students may purchase last minute regalia, such as caps and tassels, as well as graduation souvenirs. The booth will be open starting 1.5 hours before each ceremony. Summer Hours for the Bookstore will be observed May 9 to July 29 as follows: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It will be closed May 30, June 20 and July 4 for holidays. On Gamecock Orientation days, the Bookstore will remain open until 5:30 p.m., when incoming students will be invited to stop by for a special welcome treat. Summer Aid: The charging period for Student Financial Aid is currently open for summer textbook purchases. Through July 1, students may purchase course materials and supplies using their excess financial aid by simply showing their Student ID at the cash register. Students who need to order online using their financial may view instructions at online. HEALTH, SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION The RMC/JSU Health Center will be open its normal hours all summer, with the exception of being closed for holidays on May 30 and July 4. The University Police Department will be open 24/7 all summer to keep campus safe and secure. The Counseling Center will be open university business hours all summer to serve currently enrolled students. More information and appointments are available online. JSU Ride will continue to operate this summer. Through May 8, it will run Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Beginning on May 9 through the end of summer, it will operate Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. SUMMER CAMPS FOR KIDS If you have a little Gamecock in your life, be sure to check out all the summer youth camps and programs hosted this summer by the university. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER, GAMECOCKS! Russias foreign minister urged the US and NATO to stop supplying Kyiv with arms if they are really interested in resolving the Ukraine crisis, Chinese state media reported Saturday. Months into an invasion that failed in its short-term aim of capturing Kyiv, Moscow is now intensifying operations in Ukraines eastern Donbas region. But Sergei Lavrov told Chinas official Xinhua news agency that the special military operation is proceeding strictly according to plan. China has avoided condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine and defends its firm friendship with Moscow, with state media often echoing the Russian line on the war. If the US and NATO are really interested in resolving the Ukraine crisis, then first of all, they should wake up and stop supplying the Kyiv regime with arms and ammunition, Lavrov said. The Kremlin had previously called Western arms deliveries to Ukraine a threat to European security. In his interview with Xinhua published Saturday, Lavrov said that Russia can retool its economy to guard against potential unlawful hostilities. He added that the sanctions-hit country will focus on moving away from the US dollar and lean less on imports, while boosting its tech independence, Xinhua reported. Moscow has pursued a de-dollarisation policy for several years, calling on partners such as China and India to conduct payments in other currencies. Since the invasion, Western nations have imposed sanctions that largely cut Russias financial sector off from the global economy. Ukrainian prosecutors say they have pinpointed more than 8,000 war crimes and are investigating 10 Russian soldiers for suspected atrocities in Bucha, where dozens of bodies in civilian clothes were found following Moscows retreat. Ukraines second city Kharkiv was hit by more deadly shelling on Saturday while Ukrainian forces made some gains in the surrounding region as Washington slammed Russian President Vladimir Putins depravity. Although Ukraine has retained control of Kharkiv, the city has been repeatedly battered by Moscows forces and still faces daily attacks. One person was killed and five were injured in artillery and mortar strikes, Kharkivs regional military administration said on Telegram. The situation in the Kharkiv region is tough. But our military, our intelligence, have important tactical success, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his latest televised address. Ukrainian forces said they had recaptured the village of Ruska Lozova, near Kharkiv, that had been occupied by Russian troops for two months and evacuated hundreds of civilians. It was two months of terrible fear. Nothing else, a terrible and relentless fear, Natalia, a 28-year-old evacuee from Ruska Lozova, told AFP. We were in the basements without food for two months, we were eating what we had, said Svyatoslav, 40, who did not want to give his full name, his eyes red with fatigue. Oleksandr Skachko, a resident of nearby Slatyne, which was also recaptured by Ukrainian troops, said 15 people from the village had been killed. Addressing Russians, the 47-year-old said: Your army has invaded our land and is killing our children. No matter what anyone says, no matter what Putin says, our people are dying here. Putins depravity Thousands have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since the Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbour began on February 24. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on Friday briefly choked with emotion as he described the destruction in Ukraine and slammed Putins depravity. Ukrainian prosecutors say they have pinpointed more than 8,000 war crimes carried out by Russian troops and are investigating 10 Russian soldiers for suspected atrocities in Bucha near Kyiv. Russia is now intensifying operations in the eastern Donbas region, making some territorial advances, and tightening its stranglehold on the devastated southern port city of Mariupol. Ukrainian authorities said they planned to evacuate civilians on Friday from the besieged Azovstal steel plant, the last holdout in Mariupol where hundreds are sheltering with Ukrainian troops. But Denis Pushilin, leader of the breakaway eastern region of Donetsk, accused Ukrainian forces of acting like outright terrorists and holding civilians hostage in the steel plant. From Mariupols badly damaged port zone, AFP on Friday heard heavy shelling coming from Azovstal during a media trip organised by the Russian army, with explosions only a few seconds apart. Humiliation of the UN Russia also on Friday confirmed that it carried out an air strike on Kyiv in which a journalist was killed during a visit by UN chief Antonio Guterres the previous day, the first such attack on the Ukrainian capital in nearly two weeks. Russias defence ministry said it had deployed high-precision, long-range air-based weapons that destroyed the production buildings of the Artyom missile and space enterprise in Kyiv. Zelensky called for a stronger global response to Thursdays strikes, which immediately followed his talks in the city with the UNs secretary general. It is unfortunate, but such a deliberate and brutal humiliation of the United Nations by Russia has gone unanswered, he said. Guterres had also toured Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs where Moscow is alleged to have committed war crimes. Russia denies killing civilians. I was moved by the resilience and bravery of the people of Ukraine. My message to them is simple: We will not give up, Guterres tweeted Friday. The UN will redouble its efforts to save lives and reduce human suffering. In this war, as in all wars, the civilians always pay the highest price. Minor advances Kyiv has admitted that Russian forces have captured a string of villages in the Donbas region. But a senior NATO official said Russia had made only minor and uneven advances. The Pentagon also said the Kremlins eastern offensive was behind schedule. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the special military operation is proceeding strictly according to plan, Chinas official Xinhua news agency reported. More Western armaments are due to arrive in Ukraine, with US President Joe Biden on Thursday seeking billions of dollars from Congress to boost supplies. Russias defence ministry in recent days has said its forces have struck Ukrainian military sites hosting Western-supplied weapons and ammunition, a claim denied by a senior NATO official. Russia has warned Western countries against sending military aid. If the US and NATO are really interested in resolving the Ukraine crisis, then first of all, they should wake up and stop supplying the Kyiv regime with arms and ammunition, Lavrov said. Ukrainian police on Saturday reported finding three bodies shot in the head with their hands tied near the town of Bucha, which has become synonymous with allegations of Russian war crimes. The three bodies found in a pit were brutally killed by Russian soldiers each shot in the head, the police said in a statement. The victims hands were tied, cloths were covering their eyes and some were gagged. There are traces of torture on the corpses, it said. Russian forces also on Saturday kept up their relentless shelling on the east of the country, killing at least one person and injuring 12 more. In Odessa meanwhile regional governor Maxim Marchenko said a Russian missile destroyed the airport runway as Russia targets infrastructure and supply lines deep in the west of the country. There were no victims from the airport strike. On the front line in the east, Russian troops have advanced slightly in some areas but Ukrainian forces have also recaptured territory in recent days particularly around the city of Kharkiv. One of the areas taken back from Russian control was the village of Ruska Lozova which evacuees said had been occupied for two months. It was two months of terrible fear. Nothing else, a terrible and relentless fear, Natalia, a 28-year-old evacuee from Ruska Lozova, told AFP after reaching Kharkiv. We were in the basements without food for two months, we were eating what we had, said Svyatoslav, 40, who did not want to give his full name, his eyes red with fatigue. Putins depravity Thousands have been killed and millions forced to flee their homes since the Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbour began on February 24. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on Friday briefly choked with emotion as he described the destruction in Ukraine and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of depravity. Ukrainian prosecutors say they have pinpointed more than 8,000 war crimes carried out by Russian troops and are investigating 10 Russian soldiers for suspected atrocities in Bucha. Russia earlier confirmed that it carried out an air strike on Kyiv in which a journalist was killed during a visit by UN chief Antonio Guterres the previous day, the first such attack on the Ukrainian capital in nearly two weeks. Russias defence ministry said it had deployed high-precision, long-range air-based weapons that destroyed the production buildings of the Artyom missile and space enterprise in Kyiv. Russia is now intensifying operations in the eastern Donbas region, making some territorial advances, and tightening its stranglehold on the devastated southern port city of Mariupol. Ukrainian authorities have said they are hoping for an evacuation soon from the besieged Azovstal steel plant, the last holdout in Mariupol where hundreds are sheltering with Ukrainian troops. But Denis Pushilin, leader of the breakaway eastern region of Donetsk, accused Ukrainian forces of acting like outright terrorists and holding civilians hostage in the steel plant. From Mariupols badly damaged port zone, AFP on Friday heard heavy shelling coming from Azovstal during a media trip organised by the Russian army, with explosions only a few seconds apart. Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk meanwhile reported that 14 Ukrainians including a pregnant soldier had been freed in the latest prisoner exchange with Russian forces. She did not say how many Russians had been returned. Not very fast Kyiv has admitted that Russian forces have captured a string of villages in the Donbas region. Even if there has been some advance by Russian troops on the ground, it is not very fast, Russian military expert Alexander Khramchikhin told AFP. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the special military operation is proceeding strictly according to plan, Chinas official Xinhua news agency reported. More Western armaments are due to arrive in Ukraine, with US President Joe Biden on Thursday seeking billions of dollars from Congress to boost supplies. Following a conversation with Zelensky, President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that France would also intensify military and humanitarian support. Russias defence ministry in recent days has said its forces have struck Ukrainian military sites hosting Western-supplied weapons and ammunition, a claim denied by a senior NATO official. Russia has warned Western countries against sending more military aid. If the US and NATO are really interested in resolving the Ukraine crisis, then first of all, they should wake up and stop supplying the Kyiv regime with arms and ammunition, Lavrov said. Every year, Hallyu world introduces fresh face stars that managed to garner attention after landing a remarkable role. With the surging popularity of talented stars in K-dramaland, these celebrities did not only mesmerized the viewers with their talent but also wowed companies with their beauty and influence. From being rising stars to soon-to-be sought-after female leads, these three beauties are also selected as brand ambassadors for top-tier brands. Han So Hee The 27-year-old actress started her career with minor roles such as "100 Days My Prince," "Abyss," and more. Fortunately, Han So Hee skyrocketed her popularity after joining the cast of "The World of the married" with top stars Kim Hee Ae and Park Hae Joon. She landed the role of beautiful, young mistress Yeo Da Kyung which showed her maturity as an actress. Following the revenge K-drama, Han So Hee headlined multiple projects in 2021. First is the webtoon-based rom-com series "Nevertheless" with Song Kang. Viewers saw her innocence as she played Yu Na Bi while Han So Hee showed off her tough side in Netflix's "My Name." Apart from her blockbuster series and movies, the 27-year-old star is also a brand ambassador for several global brands. To name a few, Han So Hee joined the makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury as their first Korean muse, followed by the global haircare brand L'Oreal Paris. In addition, she is also the first Korean global ambassador for luxury fashion house Balenciaga. Jeon Yeo Been She has been in the industry since 2015 and appeared in supporting roles in Seo Ye Ji and Ok Taec Yeon's "Save Me" as well as the comedy-drama film, "Great Patrioteers" with Goo Kyo Hwan. However, it was only in 2017 that she had her first-ever lead role in the movie "Write or Dance." Interestingly, Jeon Yeo Been solidified her name in K-drama after headlining the cast of "Be Melodramatic," followed by the smash hit K-drama "Vincenzo" with Song Joong Ki. Jeon Yeo Been and the Hallyu star were lauded for their undeniable chemistry. Now that the 32-year-old beauty solidified her name in Hallyu, brands are courting the actress to represent their company. Cosmetic brand Giorgio Armani Beauty formally introduced her in September 2021 as their new model. The Italian brand was drawn to Jeon Yeo Been's sophisticated and elegant aura, which made her the perfect muse for the brand's "Designer Lift" foundation. Jung Ho Yeon The list of Korean breakout stars will not be complete without the "Squid Game" actress Jung Ho Yeon. She captured the hearts of viewers with her unique beauty and portrayal of the fearless Kang Sae Byeok in the Netflix series. At the height of the "Squid Game" craze, the model actress was selected by Adidas, Calvin Klein, and the French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton as their global brand ambassador. KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills The Kenosha Community Foundation has announced that Kenosha County residents who are currently attending an accredited college or university in the state are invited to apply for the 2022 Cropley and Howard J. Brown scholarships. All academic majors are welcome to apply. The scholarships have separate application forms and different Grade Point Average criteria: Applicants for the Cropley Scholarship must have a minimum 3.0 GPA out of 4.0. Applicants for the Brown Scholarship must have a minimum 3.5 GPA out of 4.0. Female students who are attending Carthage College and University of Wisconsin-Parkside who are entering their junior or senior year and have applied for either the Cropley or Brown Scholarship will also be considered for the Madrigrano-Friebus Scholarship. All applications for the Foundations Cropley and Brown Scholarships must be submitted by email to: scholarships@kenoshafoundation.org. Deadline for applications is June 23 Application forms for the Foundations Cropley and Brown Scholarships can be found at the Foundations websitewww.kenoshafoundation.org. Recipients of the Foundations Cropley, Brown, and Madrigrano-Friebus Scholarships will be announced later this summer. Applications In addition to being a resident of Kenosha County, to be eligible for these scholarships an applicant must be an undergraduate enrolled at an accredited college/university located in the state of Wisconsin and have completed at least one year of study. Students must submit a separate application for each scholarship they are interested in and respond to a series of questions on how they are paying for their education, the subjects that they are studying at college/university, and their plans after completing academic studies. Short answers are required for each question. Applicants responses should be well-written, clear, and concise. The Foundation strongly encourages that the applicant has a family member or friend review the responses before they submit their application. Cropley Scholarship Established by the late Ward Cropley (the former head of classified advertising at the Kenosha News) and his wife Jesse Cropley, the fund provides scholarships to students currently enrolled in college and who are students in financial need, to help them continue and/or complete their education. Ward Cropley, who retired in 1962 after 43 years with the Kenosha News, established the scholarship endowment to provide financial assistance to needy and worthy students, who are desirous of and ambitious to receive a college, university, or other higher education, and who without financial assistance, would be unable to acquire such college, university or higher education. Since 2015, the Foundation has awarded 27 Cropley Scholarships to area students totaling more than $75,000. Brown Scholarship The Brown scholarship honors the late Howard J. Brown, the late publisher of the Kenosha News and long-time member of the Kenosha Community Foundation Board of Directors. The Foundation assumed management of the Brown Scholarship Fund in 2019. The one-year scholarships were established for the benefit of students that meet criteria with regard to: need and scholastic or professional promise. Madrigrano-Friebus Scholarship Established by Gina Madrigrano-Friebus, the scholarship is awarded to a Kenosha County undergraduate woman in their final years at Carthage College or UW-Parkside with an excellent academic record. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Women and Childrens Horizons in Kenosha held an intimate candlelight vigil in honor of survivors of sexual violence outside the organizations administrative building in Uptown Friday evening. The vigil helped the agency wrap up April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Gwen Fayne, an advocate against sexual assault and domestic violence, said violence against women is often overlooked by many in Kenosha County, and women facing abuse should not be afraid or ashamed for seeking help from the agency. We are gathered here at our administration building to honor our survivors of sexual violence, Fayne said. We also want to bring awareness to the ongoing violence in the community. There is help out here. If you are in need of help we have a number of advocates who can support them in the transition of healing. One out of every six American women has been the victim of completed rape or attempted rape in their lifetimes, according to the National Sexual Assault Hotline. Sexual assault is something that really never goes away in the community, said Byron Wright, interim director of the organization. Wright said Women and Childrens Horizons often has a long-term, positive and life-changing impact on a lot of people, he said. A lot of the women we work with, we often meet them at their worst times of their lives and the most vulnerable times of their lives. He said the organization aims to provide immediate support for women in crisis 24 hours a day, seven days a week, along with ongoing support on whatever level they need. We want to put together a service plan that meets their needs, and everybodys needs are a little different, he said. Its an honor to work with the people who need our services. Women and Childrens Horizons was established in 1976 and is the oldest incorporated shelter in Wisconsin. The mission of Women and Childrens Horizons is to provide support, shelter, education, training and healing services to victims of sexual and domestic abuse, their families and the community. Women in need of support are encouraged to call their 24-hour hotline at 262-652-9900. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 50 Shares Share All medical professionals are familiar with the jargon: quality metrics, P4P, low-cost/high-value care, PQRS, and meaningful use. We see these terms in multiple emails, staff and clinical meetings, and organization-wide initiatives. These measures and guidelines will significantly impact the type and quality of care we provide to our patients and how we are paid for it. This movement is not necessarily detrimental and could lead to improved health among our patient populations if implemented reasonably. However, amongst all the initiatives and loaded terminology, we should consider another critical term: the perverse incentive. A perverse incentive is an incentive that has an unintended and undesirable result that is contrary to the intentions of its designers. This concept was well illustrated during the British rule of India in the late 1880s. The British government, concerned about the number of venomous cobras in the city and region of Delhi, offered a bounty for each dead cobra brought to the authorities. The initiative was quite successful in the beginning as the locals killed many cobras. However, some saw this as an opportunity to breed cobras, kill them, and then present them to the British government for a bounty. The Brits eventually became wise to this endeavor and scrapped the program. In response, these snake farmers released their cobras into the wild, creating a more significant cobra problem than the one that existed previously. The moral of the story is that we can make an existing problem worse through the noblest of intentions. We should keep that in mind when we make organizational decisions in pursuit of quality. As a primary care physician, I find it difficult to reconcile the quality metric standards and my ability to provide patient-centered care through shared decision-making with the individual patient. Couple that with the fact that chronic disease management guidelines have a way of changing at least every 3 to 5 years, and its easy to understand that quality metrics and P4P can directly conflict with providing quality patient care. Suppose you tell a provider that their compensation will be tied to meeting population-level metrics and goals. This incentive can directly conflict with delivering personalized patient care. Population medicine and generalized metrics and guidelines are vital because they provide a framework in which our situational judgment can be performed. However, patient populations are not a grouping of identical game pieces that you can put on a checkerboard and assume they all have the same function, desires, care goals, and risk factors. David Hahn provided a fascinating perspective on the conflict between quality metrics and individualized patient care in his 2017 article in the Annals of Family Medicine. He argued that the benefits of [blending quality measures with P4P] include use of medical evidence and population-based thinking. Limitations include use of disease-oriented instead of patient-oriented measures, and arbitrary benchmarks lacking actionable information. He mentions numerous examples of misguided population-level benchmarks being used to provide poor individual care. For instance, it took four years from the publishing of the ACCORD Trial for quality metrics surrounding A1c goals to change. We now know aggressive lowering of every diabetic patient to an A1c of more than seven increases mortality. In turn, physicians were faced with adhering to expert-guided quality measures or practicing evidence-based medicine. Also, a very current quality guideline all primary care providers face is the hypertensive goal of less than 140/90. Setting aside that the AAFP loosened its guidelines regarding BP goals in patients older than 60 with no diabetes or vascular disease, we are still accountable for the 140/90 benchmark in all our patient populations. Hahn explains that this benchmark will inevitably lead to gaming. For example, a provider could see a hypertensive patient in January with a BP of 139/89 and not schedule his follow-up visit until the following year. The provider would meet quality goals but provide substandard care in the process. An organization should think long and hard before implementing guidelines that can lead to these actions. How can we stop this ever-growing cascade of metric goals and focus on what matters? A 2012 BMJ article voiced that we must analyze the return on measurement involved with quality measures. Every attempt to measure and construct a quality metric comes at a cost. We must ensure the standards consider the inherent worth of collecting and reporting data to the measures impact on patient-centered outcomes. I also propose we consider the psychological burden that excessive quality metrics place on providers. Many of our contemporaries have retired or transitioned to nonclinical jobs due to burnout from these demands. Quality metrics and P4P are not inherently negative, but if their implementation interferes with proper patient care and shared decision-making, they need to be reevaluated. In addition, it would be beneficial to us as providers to be able to document exceptions to the measures if they pose an inherent risk to our patients and not be penalized for providing mindful, patient-centered care. Michael McCutchen is a family physician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Local featured PINPOINTING THE PROBLEM Airbnbs, VRBOs taking off in Key West City seeking methods to crack down on unlicensed Map from www.airdna.co This map from the website www.airdna.co (not .com), shows many, but not all properties listed on Airbnb and VRBO west of First Street including several offshore. Image from www.airdna.co This map from the website www.airdna.co (not .com), shows many, but not all properties listed on Airbnb and VRBO east of First Street. With the issues of affordability and tourism taking the forefront in city politics post-pandemic, Key West is seeking to crack down on the persistent problem of unlicensed short-term rentals that are eating into an already depleted housing stock. Data shows that the number of Airbnbs and VRBOs listed in the city is on the rise. According to data provided by AirDNA, a firm that studies trends in the vacation rental sector, the number of Airbnbs and VRBOs listed for rent in Key West went from 1,566 in the first quarter of 2019 to 2,429 in the first quarter of 2022. The average daily rate for one of these rentals in Key West is $460 and their occupancy rate is around 81%, AirDNA reported. The top property managers for the online rental properties are Vacasa, a Portland, Oregon-based rental management company, with 146 listings; Last Key Realty with 119; Key West Vacation Company with 106 (an annual change rate of 146.5%) and Historic Key West Vacation Rentals with 61. In a list provided by the city of all transient and non-transient rental licenses, there are 848 listed as transient, meaning allowed to rent for a period of less than 30 days. There are 2,502 listed as non-transient, meaning they are allowed to be rented for periods of 30 or more days. AirDNA data shows that 40% of the Airbnbs and VRBOs in Key West have a minimum stay of one night listed, another 17% have a minimum of two nights and another 15% with a minimum of three. Only 4% of those types of rentals in Key West have a minimum stay policy of 30 days or more, according to AirDNA. TAKING NOTICE The problem of unlicensed Airbnbs and VRBOs has become persistent enough for city leaders to take notice. Special Magistrate Donald E. Yates called the problem endemic at a code compliance hearing in March. In the same hearing, he issued one of the larger fines seen for an unlicensed VRBO in the city, of $18,000. The property in question is on Elgin Lane and does have a non-transient license, but was listed on the VRBO website for a minimum stay of 15 nights, a code compliance officer said. Key West Mayor Teri Johnston is looking to crack down on the unlicensed short-term rentals in the city, and recently inquired of city staff whether green mitigation funds could be directed to hire new code compliance officers. I do see that as a major threat, Johnston said. The way were trying to approach this is were trying to enforce illegal rentals. To do that, we need more code compliance people just focused on that. Johnston said City Manager Patti McLaughlin is working on finding funds for more code compliance officers. We have to have more people out there, and we have to have people alerting us to transient rentals in their neighborhood. Then we need to create a fine thats actually a deterrent, Johnston said. But creating a fine that is beyond the threshold of just being a cost of doing business is challenging for Key West because of a certain state preemption law that makes it so Key West cannot strengthen its vacation rental ordinance without losing home rule on the issue, said Jim Young, director of the citys Code Compliance Department. The state government created a law in 2015 that prevents local governments from regulating the duration or frequency of rental of vacation rentals. However, this law did not fully impact Monroe County, since it was deemed a State Area of Critical Concern. According to Young, the county can strengthen its vacation rental policies by majority vote of the Board of County Commissioners, since it has a population of more than 50,000, but the city cannot without risking loss of home rule. The feeling is, you fine them $5,000, but they make that in one week, Young said, referring to the owners of the online rentals. GETTING CREATIVE Young said the city has gotten creative with implementing stronger fines by charging the owners of unlicensed rentals for every day the rental remains advertised. He added that running an unlicensed rental can result in a misdemeanor criminal charge, but no one had been arrested on that charge, to his knowledge. Once a transient rental license is obtained, the owner can hold onto it as long as it is renewed yearly, Young said. The city stopped issuing the medallions as they are called in the late 1990s, when the state changed its laws. Those licenses can now only be obtained through the open market, where they can run a price of as much as $150,000, Young said. The Code Compliance Department now has one person specifically focused on unlicensed rentals, and Young said hes working to get more in upcoming budget talks. Airbnb, based in Silicon Valley, California, and VRBO, based in another tech hub of Austin, Texas, were pioneering forces in online rentals and disruptors to the vacation rental industry, making it easier than ever to rent out a home. However, Jodi Weinhofer, president of the Lodging Association of the Florida Keys and Key West, said they are not necessarily viewed as direct competition to the local hotel sector, which boasts extremely high occupancy rates. She said the customers who stay in hotels are not the same who stay in Airbnbs. But, they are having an impact by eating into housing stock in the city and impacting affordability, making it difficult for many of the hotels to hire adequate numbers of staff. It really hurts our workforce housing because its just too lucrative to rent it out short-term, Weinhofer said. Key West hit an all-time high daily room rate for its hotels in February at $593 average per night, according to data compiled by Smith Travel Research. That shattered the previous record of $492 set in December 2021. Prior to that, the record was $408 on average per night in February 2020. The average daily rate in 2012 was $266.47. Weinhofer said the rate in April is still high but is cooling down somewhat, and added that the ever-increasing room rates are a result of demand fueled by a desire for domestic travel over foreign destinations due to coronavirus, the Ukraine War and possible other factors. Once other nations open back up, she expects the average hotel rate to drop. ANOTHER TREND Young said hes also noticed another trend as of late that impacts affordability in the city: monthly vacation rentals being advertised for rates in the tens of thousands. Speaking to The Key West Citizen, Young said he was looking at a few that were advertised at $14,359 per month, $14,735 per month and $11,398 per month. The market is referring to these as monthly vacation rentals, I think now that is really putting a dent into our housing market, he said. Other cities, also gripped in affordability crises, are implementing regulations on short-term rentals. As far back as 2011, New York City has had laws that say renters cannot rent out an entire apartment short-term and can only have up to two paying guests. San Francisco has laws requiring them to register both as a business and as a short-term rental and can only have up to 90 days per year when the owners are not present. Miami Beach has especially strict short-term rental laws which do not permit rentals for less than six months outside of certain zones of the city. At one time, Miami Beach was handing out massive fines for unlicensed rentals with a $20,000 fine on first offense, $40,000 for a second, $60,000 for a third and so on. The city was sued in 2018 over the steep fines, and a judge ruled in favor of an Airbnb-owner plaintiff. Despite that, a city spokeswoman said in 2019 that the fines are still in effect and the citys code enforcement would continue to enforce its ordinances, the Miami Herald reported at the time. eweld@keysnews.com by Nurul Ramadhan JAKARTA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo has been expecting Japan's investment on the construction of a new capital city and renewable energy projects. The message was conveyed by President Widodo, widely known as Jokowi, directly to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java province, on Friday, during the Japanese prime minister's visit to Indonesia as part of his tour to Southeast Asian countries. Indonesia's new capital city mega project has been estimated to cost around 466 trillion rupiahs (about 32 billion U.S. dollars). Previously, Japan's SoftBank Group, a noted investor, was reportedly ready to invest no less than 30 billion dollars on the construction of the new capital but pulled out from the plan in March. Japan has been one of the largest investors in Indonesia for years, particularly in the infrastructure sector. Among Japan-Indonesia's ongoing joint projects are the Jakarta mass rapid transit (MRT) in the current capital city and the Patimban Port in Subang district, West Java province, for which Japan and Indonesia agreed on additional loans in yen. Widodo also hoped for more expansion projects with Japan in other sectors, such as energy, cement industry, as well as farming and health technologies. "In terms of energy and environment, I expect Japan can help us accelerate the energy transition agenda through investment in renewable energy, like hydrogen, biomass and ethanol," Widodo said at a joint press conference with Kishida after their meeting. Widodo also expressed a special hope to Kishida for wide access for Indonesia's fishery and farming products to enter Japan's market. Both countries have also agreed to address the Russia-Ukraine ongoing conflict in the Group of 20 (G20) Presidency that will take place in Indonesia's Bali resort island at the end of October, of which Indonesia will become the host country. "We will use the G20 Presidency as a catalyst to address humanitarian issues and global economic recovery. The war in Ukraine must end soon, and we must together create a conducive situation so that we can reach a peaceful resolution," Widodo said. "Until now, Japan has received various supplies, such as coal, from Indonesia, and we thanked it for that. For the future, we will continue to cooperate regarding the zero-emission concept," Kishida said. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Cloudy early with peeks of sunshine expected late. High 87F. SE winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 68F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. At least one tornado touched down near Andover, Kansas, on Friday. A woman sits among destroyed cars in Mariupol, in territory under the government of the Donetsk People's Republic, eastern Ukraine, April 29. AP-Yonhap From countering a Western "information war" during a Taiwan conflict to using "shock and awe" to swiftly subdue the island's forces, Chinese strategists are soaking up lessons from Russia's Ukrainian quagmire, according to diplomats, scholars and analysts. Chinese military experts are discussing the conflict in private chat groups, offering their takes on Western involvement in Ukraine and Russia's perceived failings, said two scholars and four Asian and Western diplomats who are in touch with Chinese strategists. Although their conclusions have yet to surface in official military journals or state media, Russia's failure to quickly crush the Ukrainian military is a key topic as are fears about how well China's untested forces would perform. "Many Chinese experts are monitoring this war as if they are imagining how this would unfold if it happened between China and the West," said Beijing-based security scholar Zhao Tong of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Russia's approach in the early stages of the war did not subdue Ukrainian forces, which emboldened the international community to intervene with intelligence sharing, military equipment and the economic isolation of Russia. "China probably should think about conducting a much stronger and much more comprehensive operation at the very beginning to shock and awe the Taiwanese forces to secure a major advantage," Zhao said, referring to observations from Chinese strategists. They believe securing that advantage would "deter enemy forces from being willing to intervene", he said. Singapore-based scholar Collin Koh said such an approach would create its own problems for China's People's Liberation Army. "If you are going to 'shock and awe' Taiwan with overwhelming force in the initial stages, there might be a lot of civilian casualties," said Koh, of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. That would make occupation difficult and harden international opposition. "The Chinese can't have any illusions now that they will be welcomed as liberators in Taiwan and given supplies and assistance," he said. Taiwan also has greater missile capabilities than Ukraine, allowing for pre-emptive strikes on a Chinese build-up or attacks on Chinese facilities after an invasion. Neither China's defense ministry nor China's Taiwan Affairs Office immediately responded to requests for comment. Russian forces invaded eastern Ukraine starting Feb. 24, reducing towns and cities to rubble amid stiff resistance, losing thousands of troops as well as tanks, helicopters and aircraft. British officials estimated this week that 15,000 Russian troops have died; other sources suggest a higher number. More than 5 million people have fled after what Russia describes as a "special operation" to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists. Ukraine and Western governments say this a false pretext for an unprovoked war of aggression by President Vladimir Putin. Matt Bontrager, left, and his wife, Dr. Kaley Bontrager, right, celebrated the official groundbreaking of their expanded dental practice in LaGrange on April 29 with a special ceremony. The multimillion dollar expansion project is expected to be finished by late December or early January. The students at Central Denison this past week did their part to plant new roots for future growth in the community. The City of Lake Genevas Tree Board held a tree planting ceremony on the playground at Central Denison Elementary School on Friday, April 29. The ceremony is an annual tradition Lake Geneva which is designated Tree City USA. Each year, the city honors somebody in Lake Geneva on Arbor Day and this year it was dedicated to the second grade students of Central Denison Elementary School and Principal Becky Buhler. For a long time the tree board has wanted to partner with the schools, Sonya Dailey, a City of Lake Geneva Tree Board Member, said. We finally thought of an activity that might be doable. Buhler had her kids collect seeds and they came up with a total of 2,000 seeds, according to Dailey. All the kids worked on it and they had enough that we shared with the other schools, Dailey said. All the kids got a handout of how to plant the seeds and they did. But even if they didnt, they know there is such a thing as planting a tree and at second grade if they know there is such a thing thats great. We can always use more trees. The tree planted at the elementary school is an Autumn Fantasy Maple, and according city arborist Jon Foster, its a mix of two trees. It has a mix of Red Maple and Silver maple, he said. Silver Maple arent the most popular trees, but when you mix them together with this particular tree that we have planted here with a good structure and some really good fall color, we hope that in a couple years itll be another six feet. In the fall, when the colors start changing, itll have sort of an off-red color to it and its a beautiful color. All the second graders came out during the ceremony to learn about trees as well as Badger High School juniors Carter Volck and Katelyn Weiss, who have been working on a project of their own through their Science and Sustainability class at the high school. We got some seeds that were shared with us (of the 2,000 seeds collected) and we did different experiments with them including mixing them with warm water, cold water and even Coca-Cola, Volck said. We put them in our soil mix at Badger and we put them in our greenhouse and let them sit out there and grow. We had a couple trays that had some seedlings pop up and overall I think it was a pretty good experiment. Weiss found the project and experiment to be a lot of fun and a good experience. It was a fun experiment to see how it all would go and work in the real world and see what would be better when planting, she said. Candy Kirchberg, who has been on the Tree Board for eight to 10 years, called last years ceremony incredible. The tree was planted in front of the Lake Geneva Police Department located at 626 Geneva St. It was in memory of former Lake Geneva Police Chief Richard Newberry who had passed away in October 2020. But she has long had the desire to get involved with the schools, and of course, bring her dog Finley, a Golden Retriever, who was just as excited as she was. I told him he was coming with me to this and he got very excited, Kirchberg said. He loves everybody and gets along with everyone. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Walworth County in April become the first county in the state to pass an ordinance prohibiting the county from accepting any donation from any person or non-governmental entity for the purpose of election administration, including the collection of ballots or voter registration. The idea behind it is to stop outside money like funds from a Mark Zuckerberg funded-charity from coming into the community and affecting the administering of elections. Leading up to the November 2020 presidential election, more than 200 Wisconsin communities received money from the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life. Five Democratic-leaning cities Kenosha, Racine, Green Bay, Madison and Milwaukee received the lions share. Since then, the Republican controlled Legislature passed a law that would have prohibited government agencies from accepting private funds for the administering of elections. But Gov. Tony Evers voted it here. Other states have enacted similar laws. In order to try to stop communities from accepting private election donations, now work is being done to enact change at the local level, through ordinances like what Walworth County passed. Ron Heuer, president of the Wisconsin Voter Alliance, a nonprofit, is among those working to help encourage more counties and municipalities to pass similar ordinances. His alliance formed in September 2020 as a result of communities, including Racine and Kenosha, accepting private funds to help administer the election. They sold it under the idea it was to protect people from COVID, Heuer said. But it was really a way to increase the Democratic vote for Joe Biden, Heuer asserted. By increasing the vote in minority neighborhoods, they were able to increase the vote for Biden with 8 or 9 out of 10 voting for Biden. They spent a pile of this money on getting the vote out for Biden, Heuer said. Sachin Chheda, a Democratic consultant and director of the Wisconsin-based Fair Elections Project, called Walworth Countys ordinance dumb. This is governing by Twitter, not governing by actually taking facts and using the truth to make good decisions for taxpayers, Chheda said. The fact is that since COVID started, with increased utilization of absentee and mail-in voting, costs and effort for local election authorities has gone up. If local communities dont want to take private donations to help fund those increased costs, then either costs will fall to taxpayers or access to the polls will be limited for eligible voters. The reality is that these dollars flow to elected and appointed leaders who local communities trust to run elections; theres no reason to reject outside support that just saves taxpayers money. Shannon Powell, Racines communications director, said he was not aware of any conversations being had about restricting the use of grant funds in Racine. As many court cases have confirmed, it is legal to do so under state law, so we will continue to follow law just as we have done, Powell said. The City very transparently applied for grants to support and assist in running a safe election in the midst of a pandemic. The Clerk, her staff, and all the poll workers all did an amazing job. Previously, Racine officials have said that their 2020 elections budget had been nearly entirely consumed by running the April 2020 election, which was nearly postponed by Evers one month after the coronavirus was confirmed to be present in Wisconsin. Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian did not immediately return calls for comment about accepting the private grants. The Wisconsin Voter Alliance filed a lawsuit trying to stop the flow of the money into the cities including Racine and Kenosha, but they have so far not been successful. The reason you dont want to have private money in the election, you can have a guy like Zuckerberg controlling all the elections, Heuer said. Once we have done that, we have lost our country. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and others have argued that banning the practice would likewise stop the likes of conservative billionaires, such as the Koch family, from funneling money into right-leaning communities in get out the vote efforts. Imagine if it happened in reverse, where the Koch brothers gave millions of dollars to only turn out people of white background in the suburbs, Vos said last fall. People would say, That is crazy. Well, thats exactly what happened with the money from Zuckerberg in reverse, where they focused only on turning out minorities in large cities. Chheda responded to this, saying These (CTCL) funds went to more than 200 communities that needed support to fund local elections that had gotten more expensive. If the Koch brothers wanted to support to get votes out in communities instead of spending millions lobbying for tax breaks that would be a good thing. Chris Gable, chairman of the Republican Party of Walworth County, said since Evers vetoed any changes to state law pertaining to private election money, it is important for local governments to enact their own ordinances. No other election reforms will occur before the November election. Its time for the counties and we the people to speak at a local level, Gable said. Walworth County Administrator Mark Luberda said the ordinance that Walworth County passed just applies for the county. Municipalities within the county would still have to enact their own ordinances to prohibit individual cities and villages from accepting private funds. Elections are a core aspect of what we do. Its reasonable we should be able to fund those, Luberda said. Adam Rogan of Lee Newspapers contributed to this report. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Charlene Klein has officially begun her second term as Lake Genevas mayor. Klein was sworn into her second term during a city council reorganizational meeting, April 19. She defeated challenger Todd Krause during the April 5 spring election. Klein received 907 votes, and Krause received 858 votes during the election. Klein said she is looking forward to serving another term as mayor. Im so proud and honored to have the opportunity to serve the city for another two years, she said. Klein first was elected mayor during the spring 2020 election by defeating then incumbent Tom Hartz. Kleins first term began during the start of the coronavirus. She thanked city officials for working together to help Lake Geneva get through the pandemic. Two years ago, I stood before you to tell everyone to care for themselves, their families and their neighbors, as we prepared to weather the coming storm of the pandemic, Klein said. Not only did we weather that storm, but with great teamwork we made progress with the city financially and otherwise. Also during the meeting, incumbent aldermen Tim Dunn, Mary Jo Fesenmaier and Joan Yunker, along with newcomer Cindy Yager, were sworn into the city council. Each candidate ran unopposed during the spring election. Yager said she is looking forward to serving her first term as a Lake Geneva alderman. She is replacing Cindy Flower, who decided to not seek re-election. This will be Yagers first elected position. Its a new venture, so Im excited to play my role, she said. Yager has served as the director of career and opportunities for the Delavan-Darien School District and has held administrator positions for school districts in Illinois and Indiana. She said she feels her past work experience will help be an effective member of the city council. After living in the city since 2007, Ive noticed many issues that I could probably assist with and hopefully help my district relay their needs to the city council, Yager said. City Attorney Dan Draper was sworn into another term during the meeting. Draper ran unopposed. During the meeting, Alderman Richard Hedlund was elected as the city councils president. We didnt give you a chance to say no, Klein told Hedlund. Alderman Ken Howell was elected the councils vice president. The aldermen also unanimously approved Kleins appointments to the councils standing committees. Howell, Yunker, Fesenmaier, Hedlund and John Halverson were appointed to the finance, licensing & regulation committee. Hedlund, Dunn, Howell, Halverson and Yager were appointed to the personnel committee. The piers, harbors & lakefront committee will include Shari Straube, Yunker, Howell, Hedlund and Dunn. Halverson, Fesenmaier, Hedlund, Dunn and Yunker were selected to the public works committee. The board of review will include City Clerk Lane Kropf, Yunker, Halverson, Dunn, Howell, Hedlund and Klein. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. STURGEON BAY A jury in Door County on Friday found an 86-year-old man guilty of killing his wife and disposing of her body more than four decades ago. Jurors returned guilty verdicts on charges of first-degree murder and disinterment of the dead against Richard Pierce, who has maintained his innocence. Carol Jean Pierce has not been seen since Sept. 5, 1975, and her remains have never been found. Investigators say Richard Pierce moved to Cheboygan, Michigan, shortly after his wife disappeared. Investigators searched Pierces Michigan home in 2008. Prosecutors believe that Carol Jean Pierces body was hidden in the Michigan home for years until Richard Pierce removed it. In September of 2018, the Wisconsin Cold Case Review Team looked at the case and concluded there was enough evidence to show Richard Pierce was set to gain from his wifes disappearance, WBAY-TV reported. Investigators from Sturgeon Bay and Michigan then spent weeks searching Richard Pierces property in Michigan, looking for possible evidence related to the womans disappearance. Her remains were never located. However, a cadaver dog handler testified at trial that the dog had six hits for human remains in Pierces house. The prosecution argued that Pierce would benefit from his wifes death, getting her property, including a home and truck, and could move on with a new girlfriend. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 5. The highly contagious bird flu that has resulted in the killing of millions of poultry so far across the state has been found in two more Wisconsin counties, bringing the total number of affected counties to nine, officials said Friday. Highly pathogenic avian influenza was recently found in backyard flocks in Fond du Lac and Oconto counties, the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said. The 266 birds in the two flocks were euthanized to prevent further spread. This strain of the bird flu, called EA H5N1, is deadly to captive and domesticated birds such as those found in farms, zoos and in peoples homes but is not as dangerous to the wild birds that are spreading it throughout the state. Infected wild birds have been found in a total of 15 counties, the DATCP said. The continued spread of the virus could threaten captive bird populations and the egg and poultry industry, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the virus does not currently pose a significant health risk to humans. On Thursday evening, the CDC announced that the first case of human bird flu was confirmed in Colorado, but federal officials said theres little threat to the general public. The man who was infected was a prison inmate who was helping remove chickens from an infected farm. He reported fatigue for a few days but has recovered, Colorado health and CDC officials said in a statement. Despite the infection, the CDC considers the threat to the general public to be low because spread of the virus to people requires close contact with an infected bird. Eating cooked poultry products doesnt cause the virus to spread because cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees kills the virus, the DATCP said. Signals that could raise the public health risk might include multiple reports of virus infections in people from exposure to birds, or identification of spread from one person to another. The CDC also is monitoring for genetic changes to the H5N1 bird flu virus that is currently circulating. Any genetic changes could indicate the virus is adapting to spread more readily from birds to people or other mammals. Many different bird flu viruses have infected humans worldwide since at least the 1990s, but health officials still say human infection is uncommon. Wisconsin has not had a reported case of bird flu infecting a human. Across the country Cases of bird flu have been found in U.S. commercial and backyard birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states. More than 35 million chickens and turkeys have been killed and removed to avoid spread, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported. In Wisconsin, the seven other counties that have had captive flocks become infected are Barron, Polk, Sheboygan, Columbia, Racine, Rock and Jefferson counties, the DATCP said. All of the birds in those flocks have been euthanized, including 2.8 million chickens in a commercial flock in Jefferson County. The next-largest was a commercial flock in Barron County with 111,000 birds, according to the DATCP. Dane Countys Vilas Zoo closed its bird exhibits March 22 because of the outbreak, and other zoos across the state are taking precautions. The DATCP has suspended all poultry shows, exhibitions and swap meets in Wisconsin until May 31. What to watch for The state Department of Natural Resources is asking residents to call if they see waterfowl, raptors such as eagles, or avian scavengers such as crows, ravens and gulls displaying tremors, circling movement or holding their heads in strange positions. Residents are also asked not to touch sick or dead birds. To report birds with signs of avian flu, email DNRWildlifeSwitchboard@wi.gov or call 608-267-0866. The DATCP is encouraging residents with their own flocks to call (608) 224-4872 during business hours or (800) 943-0003 after hours and on weekends if they spot signs of infected birds, which include: Sudden death without clinical signs. Lack of energy or appetite. Decrease in egg production; soft, misshapen eggs. Purple discoloration of wattles, comb and legs. Difficulty breathing. Runny nose, coughing, sneezing. Stumbling or falling down. Diarrhea. The Associated Press contributed to this report. New Delhi, April 30: Oil marketing companies, which include Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation, are scheduled to organise more than 5,000 LPG panchayats across the country on May 1 to celebrate Ujjwala Diwas. Apart from experience sharing, aimed at safe and sustained usage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), the oil marketing companies will also make efforts to maximise customer enrolment. In addition to LPG panchayats, distribution of new connections under Ujjwala 2.0; explaining the details of new Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) categories and collection of KYC forms for the ongoing Ujjwala 2.0 scheme, organizing Free Hot Plate service camps, organisation of safety clinics, facilitation of Ujjwala beneficiaries etc will also be organised, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas said in a statement on Saturday. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is a popular initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government for social inclusion. Under the scheme, free LPG connection is provided to every BPL household. The scheme was launched on 1st May 2016 at Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. To celebrate the achievements of the scheme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has decided to celebrate 1st May 2022 as Ujjwala Diwas. On the occasion of Ujjwala Diwas on Sunday, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameshwar Teli is scheduled to preside over a Ujjwala Diwas celebration programme at Dibrugarh, Assam. The minister is also scheduled to hand over LPG connections to new Ujjwala beneficiaries. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, April 30: The first dose of Sputnik V vaccine can be administered as the precaution dose to all those vaccinated with the Russian COVID-19 jab, an NTAGI panel has recommended, official sources told PTI on Saturday. The two doses of Sputnik V vaccine have separate compositions. Currently, there is no policy decision on providing a precaution dose to those inoculated with the Russian vaccine. The CoWIN portal does not show the option of precaution dose for Sputnik V. Many Sputnik V recipients who had taken their second dose way back in July last year are unable to get the booster shot. The two doses of Sputnik V are administered at a gap of 21-30 days. The first dose of the vaccine contains a recombinant adenovirus type 26 (rAd26-S) and the second dose a recombinant adenovirus 5 (rAd5-S), an official explained. "The NTAGI's Standing Technical Sub-Committee (STSC) which held its meeting on Friday discussed the issue and recommended that Sputnik Light which has the same component of Sputnik V's first dose will be given as the precaution dose," a official source told PTI. COVID-19 Vaccine Update: Over 60% of Youngsters Between 12-14 Age Group Received 1st Dose of Coronavirus Vaccine, Says Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) is an advisory committee comprising multidisciplinary experts responsible for providing information and recommendations to government for making evidence-based decisions regarding vaccine and immunisation policy. The Union Health Ministry is learnt to have received several representations over the precaution dose of Sputnik V. According to sources, more than six lakh people have received the Russian vaccine. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 30 (ANI): With the nation reeling under power crisis across the country, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that the Government of India should ensure the availability of sufficient amounts of coal with the power plants in the country. "It is the responsibility of the Government of India to make sure that a sufficient amount of coal is being supplied to the power plants and industries across the country, Baghel told media persons on Friday, before heading for Delhi. Also Read | Commonwealth Games 2010 Scam Case: 'Corruption Is a Silent Killer in Society', Says Delhi High Court. Baghel is likely to attend a programme at the national capital's Vigyan Bhawan on Saturday, wherein various dignitaries including the President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Ministers of various states, and Chief Justices of India will be present. As per the statement of the Ministry of Power, the country is facing a huge power crisis wherein the peak power demand for electricity touched an all-time high of 2,07,111 MW on Friday. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Asks State Governments to Junk Obsolete Laws. According to the ministry, the demand for power has risen in April due to the extreme heat wave and people in different parts of the country are facing power cuts. The problem has been accentuated by a steep rise in prices of imported coal due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the non-operation of some power plants to their full capacity. Jharkhand, Haryana, Bihar, Punjab, and Maharashtra are among the states that are regularly seeing power outages. On the other hand, Delhi had written to the Centre over the possibility of power cuts to important establishments. Other states and Union Territories are also taking steps to handle the situation. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru, April 30: Amid fresh COVID-19 concerns, the Karnataka government on Saturday instructed officials to initiate surveillance measures for those arriving from Japan and Thailand, including RT-PCR tests for symptomatic cases at the airport testing laboratory. Screening, surveillance and tele-monitoring for certain international arrivals have been instructed as per the recommendations of the State COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). At Bengaluru International Airport and Mangaluru International Airport, the arrivals from the above-mentioned countries should undergo thermal screening upon arrival, a government circular said. Testing through RT-PCR should be done for the symptomatic persons at the airport testing laboratory and for those found positive, the samples shall be sent for genome sequencing. Further treatment and management of COVID patients is to be followed as per the state government protocol, it added. According to the circular, at the district and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) level, tele-monitoring of the international passengers (from Japan and Thailand) should be done at their respective districts for 14 days through call centre. COVID-19 Vaccine Precaution Dose: 1st Dose to Be Given as Booster to Those Vaccinated with Sputnik V, Says NTAGI. If the person develops symptoms during the follow-up period, testing, treatment and management of the case should be taken up as per the protocol by the district teams, and the positive samples shall be sent for genome sequencing. The circular signed by Principal Secretary to Health and Family Welfare T K Anil Kumar said the COVID-19 situation in Karnataka is well under control, with a daily average of 110 cases and test positivity rate ranging between 0.9 and 1.1 per cent, and currently 2 per cent of international arrivals from designated countries are screened randomly at airports, as per guidelines of the Government of India. Noting that in view of the recent spurt of COVID-19 cases in China, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Russia and South Korea, further surveillance may be required, it said and added that of the eight countries, direct flight services to Bengaluru are available only from Japan and Thailand. Hence, it is instructed to initiate the following surveillance measures for those arriving from Japan and Thailand. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) By Shalini Bhardwaj New Delhi [India], April 30 (ANI): The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) recommended that the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik Light which contains the same ingredients as the first dose of Sputnik V can be taken as a precaution dose, said Sources. Also Read | Mumbai Shocker: Fraudsters Circulate Morphed Pornographic Video to Family, Friends After Man Fails To Repay Loan. The two doses of Sputnik V have separate compositions. Many beneficiaries in India who have taken two doses of Sputnik V are waiting for the booster dose. Also Read | Gurugram Hottest at 46.2 Degrees Celsius in Haryana, Punjab. "The NTAGI's Standing Technical Sub Committee that held a meeting on Friday has recommended taking Sputnik light as a precaution dose which has the same component of Sputnik V first dose." official sources told ANI. The Union Health Ministry has also received several representations regarding the booster dose of SputnikV. Sputnik Light has also received the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in the month of February this year. The SputnikV is already included in the National vaccination programme of the government. According to the CoWIN platform, more than 12 lakh people have been already administered with SputnikV. (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 30 (PTI) The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the model of governance of the NCT of Delhi will invariably require the Union government to play a central role even if a legislative assembly or a council of ministers is introduced. The Union government told the apex court that the contentious issue of who should control administrative services in Delhi be referred to a Constitution Bench. Also Read | BMC Elections 2022: Preeti Sharma-Menon Elected As New President of Aam Aadmi Partys Mumbai Unit. "The significance of the issues involved in the present appeals, is much greater, in view of the fact that Delhi is the national capital of our country and as such the model of governance of the NCT of Delhi would invariably require the Union government to play a central role, even if a legislative assembly or a council of ministers is introduced," the Centre said. In a written note filed before the top court, the Centre said that from a bare reading of the 2017 order making reference to the Constitution Bench, it can be gathered that the terms of reference required all aspects of Article 239AA to be interpreted. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: Nearly 46,000 Unauthorised Loudspeakers Removed from Religious Places in State, Says ADG. "The Union of India has made a prayer seeking reference to a Constitution Bench, in view of the fact that the majority judgment of the Constitution Bench did not bestow its consideration on the purpose and intent of the expression 'insofar as any such matter is applicable to Union Territories' as it occurs in Article 239AA(3) of the Constitution, which is the pivotal and crucial aspects of the said provision," the Centre said. The Union government further submitted that the interpretation of Article 239AA (which deals with Delhi and its power) by the Constitution Bench would remain incomplete till such time the same does not interpret all aspects of Article 239AA brought by the 69th Amendment, which was aimed to provide for the administrative setup of the Union Territory of Delhi. "The above submission is premised on the need that there ought to be adequate clarity on the crucial aspect of legislative competence of the legislative assembly of NCT of Delhi as regards List II and List III of the Seventh Schedule keeping in view that as per Article 246, entries of List II and List III are available to Legislative Assemblies of States (as distinct from Union Territories as per Article 1 read with the First Schedule), basis which the individual issues, including that of Entry 41 of List II could be decided," it said. The note said it is noteworthy that in the Constitution Bench judgment, the status of the NCT of Delhi, to the effect that the same continues to be a union territory governed by Part VIII of the Constitution, even after the incorporation of Article 239AA is an accepted proposition. "It is respectfully submitted that the present matter involves the interpretation of a provision of the Constitution which is germane to the determination of the present issue and is not merely ancillary or incidental issue. The determination of the legislative competence of the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi for entries contained in List II and List III of the Seventh Schedule," it said. The top court on Thursday had reserved its order on the Centre's submission that the dispute around the control over the services in the national capital be referred to a five-judge bench, a plea which was strongly opposed by the AAP-led Delhi government. The central government had also sought a joint hearing of two separate petitions of the Delhi government on control over services and challenging the constitutional validity of the amended GNCTD Act, 2021 and the Transaction of Business Rules, which allegedly give more powers to the lieutenant governor respectively, saying they are prima facie correlated. The plea by the Delhi government arises out of a split verdict of February 14, 2019, in which a two judge-bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan, both retired since, had recommended to the Chief Justice of India that a three-judge bench be set up to finally decide the issue of control of services in the national capital in view of its split verdict. Justice Bhushan had ruled the Delhi government had no power at all over the administrative services. Justice Sikri, however, made a distinction. He said the transfer or posting of officers in top echelons of the bureaucracy (joint director and above) can only be done by the Central government, and the view of the lieutenant governor would prevail in case of a difference of opinion on matters relating to other bureaucrats. In a 2018 judgement, a five-judge Constitution bench had unanimously held that the lieutenant governor of Delhi is bound by the aid and advice of the elected government, and both needed to work harmoniously with each other. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, April 30: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said Gen MM Naravane in his tenure as the Army Chief contributed in strengthening India's defence capabilities and preparedness. Gen Naravane retired from service on Saturday after an illustrious career spanning 42 years. Gen Manoj Pande became the 29th Chief of the Army Staff after Naravane's tenure came to an end. "Had a wonderful meeting with the Army Chief, General MM Naravane, who is going to retire today after serving the nation for 42 years. His contributions as a military leader has strengthened India's defence capabilities & preparedness," the defence minister tweeted. "I wish him success in his future endeavours," he said. Gen Naravane called on President Ram Nath Kovind, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces. He had taken charge as the Army Chief on December 31, 2019. General Manoj Pande Takes Over as 29th Army Chief. Under his leadership, the Indian Army significantly enhanced its overall surveillance and preparedness along the Line of Actual Control with China following the eastern Ladakh standoff that began in May 2020. Gen Naravane was accorded a guard of honour at the South Block lawns before he demitted the office of the Chief of Army Staff. (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 30 (ANI): Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Saturday said that "ambiguities in legislations" add to existing legal issues, and if the legislature passes a law, with "clarity of thought, foresight and people's welfare in mind", the scope for litigation gets minimized, while revealing that India has "only 20 judges per 10 lakh population, which is alarming low". Speaking at the inauguration of the 11th joint conference of the Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of the High Court, CJI Ramana said that "the legislature is expected to solicit the views of the public and debate the bills, clause by clause, threadbare, before enacting a law." Also Read | Commonwealth Games 2010 Scam Case: 'Corruption Is a Silent Killer in Society', Says Delhi High Court. "The judiciary is also confronted with the issue of the executive willingly transferring the burden of decision making to it. Although policymaking is not our domain, if a citizen comes to the court with a prayer to address his grievance, the courts cannot say no. At times, ambiguities in legislation also add to existing legal issues. If the legislature passes a law, with clarity of thought, foresight and with people's welfare in mind, the scope for litigation gets minimized," the CJI said. CJI further said, "When I expressed concern about the passing of laws without much legislative scrutiny on the 15th of August last year, I was misunderstood by some quarters. I have the highest regard for the legislature and the elected representatives. I value the role played by each of them in our democracy, right from a ward member to a Member of Parliament. I was merely pointing toward certain deficiencies." Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Asks State Governments to Junk Obsolete Laws. "Interestingly, my sentiments on law-making in India were shared by none other than the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla, who reportedly said a few weeks ago and I quote, "Laws should be made after thorough debates and discussions, incorporating the needs of the aspirational sections of the society," he stated. Based on these examples, one can safely summarize that, often, litigation is triggered because of two major reasons- one is, non-performance by the various wings of the executive and the second is, the legislature not realizing its full potential, CJI added. Another important factor in promoting access to justice is filling up judicial vacancies and increasing the sanctioned strength of judges, said the CJI. "As of today, out of 1,104 sanctioned posts of High Court Judges, there are 388 vacancies. From day one, it has been my endeavour to fill judicial vacancies. We have made 180 recommendations, for appointments in various High Courts during the last year. Out of this, 126 appointments have been made. I thank the government of India for clearing the names. However, 50 proposals are still awaiting approval by the Government of India," CJI told the gathering. "The data reveals the earnest efforts being made by the judiciary to fill the vacancies. I would like to urge the Chief Ministers to extend wholehearted co-operation to the Chief Justices, in their endeavour to strengthen the district judiciary. When we last met in 2016, the sanctioned strength of judicial officers in the country was 20,811. Now, it is 24,112, which is an increase of 16 per cent in 6 years," the CJI further said. On the other hand, in the corresponding period, pendency in district courts has gone up from 2 crores 65 lakhs to 4 crores 11 lakhs, which is an increase of 54.64 per cent, the CJI revealed. He urged the government to be "generous" in creating more posts and filling the same so that the judge-to-population ratio is comparable to advanced democracies. "This data shows how inadequate the increase in the sanctioned strength is. Unless the foundation is strong, the structure cannot be sustained. Please be generous in creating more posts and filling the same, so that our judge-to-population ratio is comparable to advanced democracies. As per sanctioned strength, we have just around 20 judges per 10 lakh population, which is alarming low," said the CJI. "Please remember, it is only the judicial process that is adversarial. Not the judges or their judgments. We are merely discharging our constitutionally assigned role. Judgments are meant for delivering justice and should be seen as such. Let us work together for fulfilling the Constitutional mandate," the CJI said. He also said that it is the harmonious and coordinated functioning among the three organs of the State that has preserved and strengthened the democratic foundations of this great nation over the last seven decades. CJI Ramana said while discharging duties, we all must be mindful of the 'Lakshman Rekha' and the judiciary would never come in the way of governance if it is in accordance with the law. He further began identifying a few contributing factors for docket explosion in the Indian scenario, adding that if a Tehsildar acts upon a grievance of a farmer regarding the land survey, or a ration card, the farmer would not think of approaching the court and if a municipal authority or a gram panchayat discharges its duties properly, the citizens need not look to courts. CJI also said that if revenue authorities acquire land through due process of law, the courts would not be burdened by land disputes. Apparently, these cases account for 66 per cent of the pendency, he added. "It is beyond my understanding as to why Intra and interdepartmental disputes of the government or fights between PSUs and the government end up in courts. If service laws are applied fairly in matters of seniority, pension and so on, no employee will be compelled to go to court. It is a well-acknowledged fact that the governments are the biggest litigants accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the cases," CJI further said. Justice Ramana said that abiding by the law and the constitution, is the key to good governance, however, this is often ignored, and opinions of legal departments are not sought in the rush to implement executive decisions. The decisions of courts are not implemented by governments for years together, said the CJI, adding that the resultant contempt petitions are a new category of a burden on the Courts, which is a direct result of the defiance by the governments. "Deliberate inactions by the governments, despite judicial pronouncements, are not good for the health of democracy," said the CJI. He stressed that these are avoidable burdens on the judicial system. "On various occasions, I have elaborated on the complexities involved in this issue. I am aware that, there are certain concerns with the judicial system also, with regard to timely delivery of justice and pendency. Pendency is often blamed on the judiciary. Due to the paucity of time, I cannot explain the same in detail. But a keen look at the websites of the courts will give you an idea about the huge workload on judges. The number of cases filed and disposed on each day is unimaginable," said CJI. The rising number of frivolous litigations is an area of concern, he added. CJI said, "For example, the well-meaning concept of public interest litigation is at times turning into personal interest litigation. No doubt, PIL has served a lot of public interest. However, it is sometimes being misused to stall projects or pressurize public authorities. These days, PIL has become a tool for those who want to settle political scores or corporate rivalry. Realizing the potential for misuse, Courts are now highly cautious in entertaining the same." "This conference is an occasion for us to introspect and contemplate solutions. I have been a strong proponent of the "Indianization of the Justice Delivery System", he added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday took a swipe at the Centre over the issue widespread power outages, saying the government has found the "perfect solution" to it which is to cancel passenger trains and run coal rakes. Various states continued to reel under power shortages on Friday with soaring mercury pushing the demand higher, as opposition parties blamed the Centre for coal shortages at thermal plants. Also Read | Odisha: BJD MLA Angada Kanhar Appears For Class 10 Exam 40 Years After Dropping Out of School. Attacking the government over the issue, Chidambaram said, "Abundant coal, large rail network, unutilised capacity in thermal plants. Yet, there is acute power shortage. Modi Government cannot be blamed. It is because of 60 years of Congress rule!" "There is no incompetence in the Ministries of Coal, Railway or Power. The blame lies with past Congress ministers of the said departments!" he said. Also Read | Heatwave in Uttar Pradesh: Banda Records Highest Maximum Temperature of 47.4 Degrees Celsius. "Government has found the perfect solution: cancel passenger trains and run coal rakes! Modi hai, mumkin hai," the former Union minister said in a series of tweets. As a heatwave continued, the country's peak power demand touched an all-time high of 207.11 GW on Friday and the railways cancelled 42 passenger trains to facilitate coal freight movement, with South East Central Railway (SECR) division that covers the coal-producing regions cancelling 34 trains. Aam Aadmi Party and Congress leaders held the Centre responsible for the ongoing power crisis and alleged that logistical support was not being provided for coal distribution to power plants. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) On the 101st birth anniversary of Satyajit Ray, the National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai under the Union Information and Broadcasting ministry will host a three day film festival at various venues across India to screen films made by the legendary filmmaker. It will also screen films made on Satyajit Ray. Akshay Kumar 'overwhelmed' After Visiting National Museum of Indian Cinema. An NFDC statement on Saturday said the screenings will be held in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Pune on May 2, 3 and 4 for free. Ray was born on May 2, 1921. National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai in association with the National Film Development Corporation, Films Division, National Film Archives of India and Doordarshan and supported by Government of West Bengal and Aurora Film Corporation and Friends Communication is organising the Film Festival, the statement said. The opening film at the festival will be Anik Dutta's Aparajito, which will have its India Premier'. The film is inspired by the making of Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali and is a tribute to the Ray masterpiece of the 50s. A panel discussion will be held on May 4 post the screening of Pather Panchali, the world acclaimed feature on human documentation which first introduced by Ray to the world. The panel discussion will be streamed live on NFDC's official Facebook page for all audiences especially the cinephiles and aficionados of Ray's work.The panellists will be director Shyam Benegal, Ray's favourite actor Barun Chanda and music composer Shantanu Moitra. The statement quoted NFDC's Managing Director Ravinder Bhakar as saying "On the occasion of Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, it is a great honour for us to celebrate the birth centenary of Ray and roll out a special gallery at National Museum of Indian Cinema as a tribute to the legendary filmmaker. Satyajit Ray Birth Anniversary: Shabana Azmi Remembers Legendary Filmmaker on His Birth Centenary (View Pic). "People have seen Ray's films in some form or the other. Yet this time we invite Ray lovers for our handpicked package on the big screens in selected theatres for free in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Pune from May 2 to 4, 2022," he added. Besides, premiering Dutta's Aparajito, slated to be released for big screens on May 13, the other films include NFDC's Agantuk, Ghare Baire, Ganashatru - all directed by Ray. The festival will also screen 'Music of Satyajit Ray directed by Utpalendu Chakraborty, Ray's documentary on Rabindranath Tagore. 'Satyajit Ray' directed by Shyam Benegal, newly restored films by Ray - Sonar Kella, Seemabadha, Hirak Rajar Deshe will be screened as well as 'Pather Panchali' which had been restored in Academy Film Archive's after the negatives had been nearly lost in a fire. Films Aparajito and Jalsaghar both directed by Ray would also be screened.The National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) is housed in two buildings the New Museum Building and the 19th century historic palace Gulshan Mahal both at the Films Division campus in Mumbai. (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 30 (ANI): Google's upcoming Pixel Watch has already been in the headlines owing to the huge speculation after its images were leaked. The latest leak gives us an overview of the battery prowess of the Pixel Watch, along with its cellular connectivity feature. According to sources from 9to5Google, the Pixel Watch has a battery that comes in at 300mAh. It also confirms the presence of cellular connectivity on the device, though it's not certain how the models will differ. Also Read | RR vs MI Stat Highlights, IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians Register Seasons First Win. The closest analog to the Pixel Watch is Samsung's 'Galaxy Watch 4.' That wearable, which is also 40mm, has a 247mAh battery that's quoted as having a 40-hour run time with Wear OS 3. The smaller Galaxy Watch 4 is closer to a 24-hour device, depending on usage. Google's watch certainly beats that in physical capacity, but that shouldn't be surprising since it's thicker, reports 9to5Google. Meanwhile, a week ago, pictures of the Pixel Watch unexpectedly surfaced around the Internet, when presumably a Google employee had left it behind at a restaurant. Also Read | Maharashtra: Postman Booked for Misplacing Over 200 EPIC Voter Cards in Thane District. The device is expected to be officially announced at the highly anticipated Google I/O 2022, which starts on May 11 and continues through May 12. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kabul [Afghanistan], April 30 (ANI): UN Deputy special envoy for Afghanistan criticized the arbitrary detention of journalists and media workers and said that free media in the country is under attack. While attending a meeting in Kabul on Saturday to mark the World Press Freedom Day that falls on May 3, Mette Knudsen, deputy special envoy of the UN described the current media situation in Afghanistan as "challenging". Also Read | COVID-19 in China: Beijing Residents Must Test COVID-19 Negative To Enter Public Spaces. She also called on the Islamic Emirate to respect the freedom of the free and independent media. Journalists and a UNESCO representative also attended the meeting in Kabul Saturday to mark World Press Freedom Day. Also Read | Pakistan: Reham Khan Was Paid To Write Book Against Me in 2018, Says Former PM Imran Khan. "Free media is under attack, news outlets have been shut down, journalists have lost jobs, scores have left the country, but many remain facing an uncertain future, those still working with firm commitment and dedication are living in a consistent fear and intimidation. Reporters have been arbitrarily arrested ... and women journalists are bearing the most severe burden," she said. Addressing the meeting, Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO noted, "The digital area has also put media workers and their sources at greater risk of being targeted, harassed and attacked, for instance, due to data retention, spyware and digital surveillance, expression of hatred against journalists has spiraled." Moreover, Richard Bennett, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council, said, "We call on the authority to recognize and respect a free pluralistic and independent media, and we ask the authorities to comply with Afghanistan's obligations and the international human rights instruments and protect and promote the freedom of opinion and expression with the quality between women and men as promulgated in the universal declaration of human rights and the international community on civil and political rights to which Afghanistan is a state party." Since the Islamic Emirate takeover, more than 300 media outlets stopped activity and nearly seventy percent of journalists lost their jobs, reported Tolo News. With the consistent arbitrary arrests of journalists by the Taliban, the media in Afghanistan faces ever-increasing restrictions. In the latest incident of such arbitrary detention, an Afghan TV host and presenter Moheb Jalili had been abducted and tortured by the Taliban members in Kabul city on Saturday, Khaama Press reported citing sources. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Moscow [Russia], April 30 (ANI/Sputnik): International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi offered to head a group of experts to go to Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) as soon as possible, the IAEA said on Friday. "IAEA Director-General @RafaelMGrossi has proposed to lead a visit to Zaporizhzhya NPP after necessary consultations and at earliest possible opportunity," the agency tweeted. Also Read | 18,000 Kg of Chicken Nuggets From Overturned Truck Blocks Pennsylvania Highway in US. According to the IAEA, the Ukrainian side informed the agency of the difficult conditions under which Ukrainian specialists worked at the NPP. "Personnel at Zaporizhzhya NPP--controlled by Russian forces but still operated by its Ukrainian staff--were 'working under unbelievable pressure' Ukraine told IAEA. Specialists from Rosenergoatom demanded daily reports from management," the agency added. Also Read | Airbnb Allows Employees to Live and Work from Anywhere Around the World. On Thursday Grossi announced that he would meet with Russian representatives to discuss possible visit to Zaporizhzhya NPP. On March 4, the Russian forces took full control over the Zaporizhzhya NPP. Russian troops and Ukrainian soldiers of the NPP guard battalion reached an agreement to jointly secure the plant. Russian specialists provide advisory assistance to Ukrainian plant personnel, who are in charge of the management and the operation of the Zaporizhzhya NPP. 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. Moscow said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine. (ANI/Sputnik) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lviv, Apr 30 (AP) Russia's foreign minister says Moscow has evacuated over 1 million people from Ukraine since the war there began. The comments Saturday by Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua come as Ukraine has accused Moscow of forcefully sending Ukrainians out of the country. Lavrov said that figure included more than 300 Chinese civilians. Also Read | China Building Collapse: Over 20 Trapped, 39 Missing as 6 Storey Residential Building Collapses in Hunan Province, President Xi Jinping Orders All-Out Efforts for Rescue. Lavrov offered no evidence to support his claim in the interview. Lavrov also said that negotiations continue between Russia and Ukraine almost every day. However, he cautioned that progress has not been easy. Also Read | Hamza Shehbaz, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharifs Son, Takes Oath as Punjab CM. Lavrov in part blamed the bellicose rhetoric and inflammatory actions of Western supporters of the Kyiv regime for disrupting the talks. However, Russian state TV nightly has had guests suggest that Moscow use nuclear weapons in the conflict. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukrainian forces fight Russia's grinding advance in Donbas Wives of Mariupol defenders appeal for solders' evacuation from final holdout Ukrainians go back across front line toward homes despite dangers Ukrainian women learn how to clear land mines after taking refuge in Kosovo ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: LVIV, Ukraine The British military believes Russian forces in Ukraine are likely suffering from weakened morale. The British Defense Ministry made that assessment in a tweet Saturday as part of a daily report it provides on Russia's war on Kyiv. It says Russia still faces considerable challenges in fighting. The British military believes Russian forces have been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in northeast Ukraine. It offered no information on how it arrived at this assessment. However, analysts believe Russian forces that failed to take Kyiv at the start of the war have been redeployed without the time needed to properly rearm and restaff. The British believe Russia hopes to reorganize its effort and shorten supply lines. The ministry added: A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localized improvements. ___ WASHINGTON A senior U.S. defense official said Friday the Russian offensive is going much slower than planned in part because of the strength of the Ukrainian resistance. We also assess that because of this slow and uneven progress, again, without perfect knowledge of every aspect of the Russian plan, we do believe and assess that they are behind schedule in what they were trying to accomplish in the Donbas, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the U.S. military's assessment. He said the U.S. believes the Russians are at least several days behind where they wanted to be as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east. As the troops try to move north out of Mariupol so they can advance on Ukrainian forces from the south, their progress has been slow and uneven, and certainly not decisive in any, in any event, the official said. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to destroy the Donbas and all who live there. The constant brutal bombardments, the constant Russian strikes on infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to empty this territory of all people. Therefore, the defense of our land, the defense of our people, is literally a fight for life, he said late Friday in his nightly video address to the nation. He said the cities and towns of the Donbas will survive only if Ukraine remains standing. If the Russian invaders are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones. As they did with Mariupol. Zelenskyy said Mariupol, once one of the most developed cities in the region, was now a Russian concentration camp among the ruins. In Kharkiv, a major city to the north, the situation was brutal but Ukrainian troops and intelligence agents have had important tactical successes, he said without elaborating. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said about 20% of the city's residential buildings have been so badly damaged that it will be impossible to restore them. Zelenskyy said rescuers were still going through the rubble in Kyiv after Thursday's missile strikes. He expressed his condolences to the family of Vira Hyrych, who was killed in the bombardment. He said she was the 23rd journalist killed in the war. ___ DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appears to have dismissed the need for the United Nations to help secure humanitarian corridors out of Ukraine's besieged cities, striking a tough line a day after the U.N. chief toured war-wracked Kyiv with that very aim. As an interviewer at Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV tried to ask Lavrov about U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians, Lavrov cut him off. There is no need. I know, I know, an irritated Lavrov said. There is no need for anybody to provide help to open humanitarian corridors. There is only one problem humanitarian corridors are being ignored by Ukrainian ultra-nationals, he said. We appreciate the interest of the secretary-general to be helpful, he added. (We have) explained what is the mechanism for them to monitor how the humanitarian corridors are announced. During the hourlong interview, Lavrov also accused the West of sabotaging Russia's peace talks with Ukraine. He claimed that thorny negotiations in Istanbul last month had been progressing on issues of Russian territorial claims and security guarantees until Ukrainian diplomats backtracked at the behest of the West. We are stuck because of their desire to play games all the time, Lavrov said. Because of the instructions they get Washington, from London, from some other capitals, not to accelerate the negotiations. When asked about the risks of war spilling into neighboring Moldova after a series of explosions rattled a breakaway border region within the country, Lavrov struck an ominous tone. Moldova should worry about their own future, he said. Because they're being pulled into NATO. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Colombo [Sri Lanka], April 30 (ANI): Sri Lanka's Central Bank has announced that they will remove the regulations that made the exporters convert their foreign currency earnings into rupees in the coming future. In recent months the central bank has imposed various regulations that forced the exporters to convert their US dollars within a period of time to support the island nation's foreign reserves, Xinhua News Agency reported. Also Read | Ukraine Is Following Syria Model - Has Now Become a Center of Global Terrorism, Says Russia. Addressing a press conference, Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe on Friday said, "For services exports like IT and tourism, we will remove the mandatory conversion requirement." "We have no way to track these services. Apparently, some exporters are not bringing in foreign currency they make because of the mandatory conversion rule," he added. Also Read | China's Bid for World Domination Collapsing With Faltering Belt and Road Initiative. He added that the central bank is also planning to give relaxation to tourists who were made to pay the hotels in dollars, reported Xinhua. Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka's central bank governor said domestic debt in the form of government securities and development bonds will not be restructured as restructuring external debt is a top priority for the island nation. Central bank governor Nandalal Weerasinghe also provided an update on the progress made during the recent discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. Addressing a meeting of the Committee of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, he said progress has been made towards establishing a macro-fiscal policy framework and initiating structural reforms. The central bank governor also expressed confidence that a staff-level agreement with the IMF is likely to be reached within the next two months. Weerasinghe announced that additional measures will be implemented to address urgent economic concerns, reported Xinhua. The measures include introducing regulations to encourage the U.S. dollar flows currently transacting in the informal market to be channelled through the formal banking system. As a result of policy measures already introduced by the central bank and the government, he is of the view that expenditure on imports will be declining further to more sustainable levels.Sri Lanka is going through an economic crisis brought about by foreign currency shortages and it halted external debt repayment on April 12. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kabul [Afghanistan], April 30 (ANI): The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed his disappointment over the fact that the Taliban has failed to fulfil their promises about reopening schools for girls in Afghanistan. Testifying before a Senate committee in Washington, Blinken said that the Taliban has been unable to keep their promise of granting Afghan girls over grade 6, access to education by withdrawing their decision of banning girls' schools, reported Tolo News. Also Read | WATCH: Dozens of Visitors Gathered on a Dairy Farm in Southern Sweden to Witness the Latest Tweet by Reuters. "We have seen, including most recently, the Taliban fall back on its commitment that it had made to ensure that girls can go to school above the six grade," said Blinken. When asked by Senator Lindsey Graham about the presence of Daesh and al-Qaeda groups in Afghanistan, Blinken said that there is a very small number of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Also Read | Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko Warns About Possible Rise in COVID-19 Infections in June 2022. In response to Senator Lindsey Graham, Blinken mentioned that the presence of Islamic groups like Daesh and al-Qaeda which stand in opposition to the Taliban has been rendered futile because they are small in number, reported Tolo News. "ISIS-K is as you know is of course an enemy of the Taliban and the issue there is not the will of the Taliban to take them on, it is their capacity. When it comes to the al-Qaeda, the Arab al-Qaeda core, there are a very, very small number of people," Blinken said. Further, an Afghan women's rights activist, Shahla Arifi emphasized the importance of female education, highlighting the fact that Afghan women are the future of the country and yet they are being deprived of "educational, social and political rights." Earlier, Thomas West, the US special envoy for Afghanistan had expressed his concerns to former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, over the ban of girls' schools in a phone conversation. West even urged the Afghan government to pay heed to the religious scholars of the country and revoke the ban. The worldwide condemnation of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has heightened, even more, after the Taliban decided to close all secondary schools for girls. Several activists and political parties have also urged the Taliban to reconsider the ban on secondary schools for girls. Earlier, the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) expressed their concern that the closing of secondary and high schools for girl students is a serious issue. However, the Taliban's Ministry of Education has assured that the schools for girls in grades 7-12 will be reopened in the near future. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New York [US], April 30 (ANI): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has condemned the attack at the University of Karachi in Pakistan that led to the death of four people, including three Chinese nationals. The UNSC President and UK's Permanent Representative to the UN Barbara Woodward in a statement condemned the "heinous and cowardly" terrorist attack at Karachi University on April 26. Also Read | 'Ghost of Kyiv' Major Stepan Tarabalka Killed in Battle After Shooting Down 40 Russian Aircraft. The attack, which was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), killed four people and left several others injured. Reaffirming that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, the security council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. Also Read | Pakistan: Five Arrested for Insulting PM Shehbaz Sharif's Delegation in Saudi Arabia. The members of the UNSC also reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed, added the statement. "They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts," said the statement. The council has also extended condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured. Notably, a large number of Chinese engineers and other workers are working in Pakistan's Sindh and Balochistan provinces as part of 'One Belt One Road (OBOR)' project. Many Chinese teachers are even teaching Mandarin to Pakistanis in various Universities and institutes. This has irked the indigenous Baloch and Sindhi political activists as they oppose any Chinese investment in their region. The recent suicide attack that killed three Chinese teachers was carried outside the University of Karachi's (KU) Confucius Institute. The BLA claimed responsibility for the attack. The Karachi suicide bombing is part of an intensifying Baloch pushback against the 54 billion USD China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It also highlights the larger and deeper struggle for Balochistan's freedom. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Knoxville (Tennessee), May 1 (AP) Two members of motorcycle gangs were fatally shot during a fight that broke out in the parking lot of a Tennessee bar, police said. According to Knoxville police, a preliminary investigation determined that a member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club and a member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club were killed in the shooting outside Hatmaker's Bar & Grill on Friday night. Also Read | COVID-19 in China: Beijing Residents Must Test COVID-19 Negative To Enter Public Spaces. Another member of the Outlaws and another member of the Pagans were brought to the hospital with gunshot wounds that weren't life-threatening, authorities said. Another man with unknown affiliation went to the hospital with at least one gunshot wound that also was not life-threatening, officials said. Also Read | Pakistan: Reham Khan Was Paid To Write Book Against Me in 2018, Says Former PM Imran Khan. No suspects had been arrested or identified as of Saturday afternoon. Police did not identify the people who were shot. Police urged anyone with information about the incident to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, April 30: A complaint has been lodged against Punjab Police officials for misbehaving with a journalist during a joint press conference of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann at The Imperial here. A senior police official said that they were looking into the matter. The victim, Naresh Vats, who lodged the complaint at the Connaught Place Police Station, alleged that when he went to cover the press conference on April 26, he was stopped by security personnel at the entry gate. Punjab: Mobile Internet Services Suspended in Patiala After Clashes Between Two Groups Over Anti-Khalistan March. "I showed them my PIB (Press Information Bureau) card. But on the pretext of checking they took it and after few minutes they told me that I was not a reporter and will not allowed to enter the press conference room," Vats claimed. He further alleged that when he asked the Punjab Police what was the criteria to define a reporter, they allegedly misbeheaved with him. "One of them asked other cops to have me arrested. When I again opposed, they dragged me out of the room. In CCTV, it could be seen." He has now requested the two Chief Ministers to take action against the accused Punjab Police officials. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 30, 2022 11:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). On Friday, the Lahore High Court asked the National Assembly Speaker to administer the oath of Hamza. Earlier, the court had ordered Governor Cheema to administer the oath but he refused, citing Hamza's election as unconstitutional. #Russia has barred entry to the country for nine individuals from #Iceland, three from #Greenland, three from the #FaroeIslands and 16 from #Norway in a retaliatory move, the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. pic.twitter.com/mgkKHYNbN9 IANS (@ians_india) April 30, 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.) Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday announced that SNAP benefits in Texas for the month of May will soon be released by the state's Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). Abbott said the HHSC is providing more than $317.9 million in emergency SNAP benefits, with the allotments expected to provide to around 1.6 million Texas residents, according to the governor's office's press release. Abbott noted that the extension of emergency SNAP benefits for May would help ensure that families in Texas can have nutritious food in their homes. The Republican governor also expressed his gratitude to HHSC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the continued effort to support families in Texas. HHSC received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. In addition, all SNAP households will receive a minimum of $95 in emergency allotments, with the additional emergency allotment set to appear in recipients' accounts by May 31. The emergency May allotments are in addition to the more than $6.7 billion in benefits previously provided to Texans since April 2020. READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits 2022: Texas, California, Florida, Other States Payment Updates SNAP Benefits 2022 Update SNAP benefits in Texas are deposited onto Lone Star Cards once per month, and the benefits are being sent out over 15 days. SNAP benefits are released on the 1st of the month. Recipients in Texas can receive their SNAP benefits based on the last digit in their Eligibility Determination Group (EDG) number, according to Yahoo Finance News. If your SNAP EDG number ends in 0, then you are set to receive your benefits on May 1. SNAP EDG number ending in 1 will receive their benefits on May 3, while those with a SNAP EDG number ending in 2 will receive their allotments on May 5. Those EDG numbers in 3 will receive their payments on May 6, while those with numbers ending in 4 will receive them on May 7. EDG numbers ending in 5 will receive their payments on May 9, while those ending in 6 will receive their benefits on May 11 and ending in 7 will be released on May 12. SNAP EDG numbers ending in 8 will have their benefits on May 13, while those with SNAP numbers ending in 9 will receive them on May 15. SNAP Benefits Texas In April, Texas HHSC announced that it would provide more than $318 million in emergency SNAP food benefits. According to Fox 4 News, the allotments were expected to help more than 1.5 million Texas households. The emergency allotment was scheduled to appear in recipients' accounts by April 30. Texas HHS Access and Eligibility Services Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter earlier said that the department continues to do its best to support Texans who need extra help. Administered by HHSC, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to eligible low-income families and individuals in Texas. Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage their benefits. Salter said these benefits "assist families throughout the state to provide nutritious meals to their loved ones." READ MORE: SNAP Benefits 2022 Update: Here's How You Can Avail Amazon Prime 50% Discount With Your EBT Card This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Extra EBT Food Stamps SNAP Update 2022 | Payout Schedule & Details - From Credit Viral Gabby Petito's parents, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, made some changes to the lawsuit they filed against Brian Laundrie's parents. Petito's parents originally filed a civil lawsuit against Chris and Roberta Laundrie in March 10. However, WFLA reported that Judge Hunter Carroll noted a "perceived procedural deficiency" in the suit, so the legal team for Petito's parents made some revisions. The lawsuit still claimed that Laundrie's parents were aware of their son killing Petito and sought to help him flee the country. The amended lawsuit filed in Sarasota County Circuit Court in Florida reportedly contains six notable changes made by attorneys for Schmidt and Petito. Earlier this year, the judge told Petito's parents that their initial filing against the Laundries had "procedural deficiency" and should be amended to proceed. READ NEXT: Brian Laundrie's Parents Move to Dismiss Lawsuit Filed by Gabby Petito's Parents | Here's the Details Gabby Petito Case: The Amended Lawsuit Against Brian Laundrie Parents The amended lawsuit now claimed that Brian Laundrie's parents went on a vacation at the Fort DeSoto campground with their son in early September, knowing that Laundrie killed Petito and had knowledge on the location of Petito's body, NBC News reported. In the updated lawsuit, Petito's parents also said the elder Laundries' claim that they were hopeful the search for Petito would be successful "at a time when they knew she had been murdered by their son was beyond outrageous." Their legal team also removed "law enforcement" from the mentioned parties that the elder Laundries allegedly refused to communicate with in section 28 of the lawsuit. The updated lawsuit reads: "Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie refused to respond to either Joseph Petito or Nichole Schmidt or law enforcement." They also revised section 31 of the suit to specify claims that the elder Laundries were aware of the pain and suffering that Petito's parents were experiencing through their daughter's disappearance. "Christopher Laundrie and [Roberta] Laundrie knew of the mental suffering and anguish of Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt in not knowing the well-being or location of their daughter, and further knew that such mental suffering and anguish increased each day that Gabrielle Petito was missing," the suit now reads as WFLA reported. Section 31 also claimed that Petito's parents' "anguish" and "mental suffering" would have been lessened if the elder Laundries disclosed what they knew about the well-being and location of Petito's remains, "yet they repeatedly refused to do so." Section 32 of the lawsuit was also amended as a summation of the case with five specific allegations that include blocking calls and social media queries of Petito's family. Lastly, WFLA reported that the lawsuit's most procedural amendment is separating the counts issued by and against all parties. Gabby Petito Case: Lawyer of Brian Laundrie Parents Reacts on the Amended Lawsuit Brian Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told NBC News by email on Friday that the allegations in the amended complaint "may now conform to proper pleadings, but they do not give rise to liability under the law." Thus, Bertolino noted that they were still confident the court "will dismiss the action." If the lawsuit will not be dismissed, a trial in front of a jury has been scheduled for the week of August 14, 2023. Laundrie's parents had already filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. In the motion to dismiss the civil lawsuit filed late last month, the attorneys for the Laundries said they had fundamental constitutional rights to silence. They added that while Gabby Petito's death is "unfortunate," they had a "general constitutional right" not to speak on any topic and a "more specific constitutional right not to speak" in the face of a criminal investigation. The lawyers for the Laundries further noted that the arguments cited by the Petitos' camp were "fatally flawed." Thus, they wanted the case thrown out with prejudice to prevent them from re-filing the claim. Last January, the FBI revealed that Brian Laundrie confessed to killing Gabby Petito in a message left in his notebook. In its final report on the case, the FBI said a review of the notebook revealed written statements by Laundrie claiming responsibility for Petito's death. The FBI noted that its investigation has concluded that Laundrie was the only person responsible for Petito's "tragic death." Apart from the notebook, the FBI confirmed that they also found a "backpack" and a "revolver" upon further search of the area where Laundrie's remains were found. Gabby Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19. A Teton County, Wyoming coroner said she was strangled to death by a "human being," and the manner of death was homicide. On the other hand, Brian Laundrie's skeletal remains were discovered at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida on October 20. His autopsy report showed that he died of a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was suicide. READ MORE: Gabby Petito Killing Sparks Move to Change Yellowstone's Zone of Death: Full Details This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Gabby Petito's Family Sues Brian Laundrie's Parents, Claim They Knew He Murdered Daughter - From FOX 13 Tampa Bay A federal judge in Mexico has rejected the request of Laisha Oseguera Gonzalez, the daughter of Jalisco cartel leader Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, to suspend an arrest warrant for her. Laisha Oseguera was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of two Navy members in Zapopan, Jalisco, which occurred after the arrest of her mother, Rosalinda Gonzalez, last November. According to Borderland Beat, the magistrate of the Fourth District Court of Amparo in Criminal Matters rejected the legal appeal filed by Laisha Oseguera's legal team since she had previously obtained a similar appeal. "Laisha Michelle Oseguera Gonzalez is denied the definitive suspension against the act and authority that were specified in the first result of this resolution, by virtue of the reasoning set out in the single recital," the court's decision said. READ NEXT: Mexico Travel Advisory: Here's Why the U.S. Embassy Issued a Security Alert for Americans Traveling to Zacatecas Arrest of El Mencho's Daughter Laisha Oseguera Suspended Last December, Seventh District Court Judge Julio Sena issued the provisional suspension that prohibits Laisha Oseguera from being arrested for crimes that do not need pretrial detention. El Mencho's daughter was also ordered to pay an economic guarantee of 5,000 pesos (US$240) to prevent her from being jailed. Laisha Oseguera and her boyfriend Christian Gutierrez allegedly orchestrated the November 15 kidnapping. They were accused of ordering the abduction of the two sailors at a Walmart parking lot in Zapopan just hours after her mother had been arrested. The sailors were accompanying a Navy captain who went inside the store while they remained in the vehicle before they were kidnapped. The military said Gutierrez was inside the Walmart while the abduction took place. And after the sailors were kidnapped, he and El Mencho's daughter reportedly escaped. The sailors were found kneeling on the side of a road by police officers who were patrolling a neighborhood in Puerto Vallarta on November 19. The Navy noted that the female sailor was unharmed. However, the male sailor was beaten by their captors. Laisha Oseguera is the youngest among the three children of El Mencho with Rosalinda Gonzalez. El Mencho's wife, known by her alias "La Jefa" or "the Boss," was arrested by the military in Zapopan on November 15 for several crimes, including her involvement in the "illicit financial operation" of the Jalisco cartel. The Release of Jalisco Cartel Boss' Daughter 'La Negra' Last month, El Mencho's other daughter, Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez, known as "La Negra," was released from a U.S. prison after being jailed for over 25 months on charges of money laundering. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons told Univision News that La Negra was released on March 14, a month earlier than her scheduled release date. "Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez was released from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons on March 14, 2022, through the First Step Law. For privacy and security reasons, we do not disclose additional information about inmates not in BOP custody," Randilee Giamusso, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Prisons, told the outlet. The so-called First Step Act was signed into law by former President Donald Trump in December 2018. It was enacted to reduce the population in federal prisons and prevent recidivism. To date, the Bureau of Prisons said more than 4,000 sentence reductions had been granted. El Mencho's daughter served the last part of her sentence at the FCI Dublin prison in San Francisco, California. La Negra's attorneys earlier asked the court that she serve her prison sentence in a jail in California so she could be close to her relatives. El Mencho's daughter was born in California and moved to Mexico while in high school. El Mencho, who heads the Jalisco cartel, continues to evade capture, and the U.S. government offers a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. The Jalisco cartel boss remains to be the most elusive criminal and is reportedly hiding in Mexico. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) had approximately 5,000 members and was allegedly involved in mass graves, kidnappings, acid baths, and video recording beheadings. The Jalisco cartel is considered one of Mexico's most dangerous and powerful drug cartels. READ MORE: Sinaloa Cartel Leaves Severed Head, Cardboard With Threatening Message for Jalisco Cartel in Mexico's Colima State This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: New Generation Jalisco Drug Cartel Spreads Through Mexico - From CGTN America Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. A man in the Midlands found to be over the drink driving limit after being involved in a road crash has been put off the road for two years. Dailis Kamols, 4 Miller Square, Lusk, Dublin pleaded guilty at last weeks sitting of Longford District Court to drink driving following an incident at MacEoin Park, Longford on January 2, 2022. The court was told by Sgt Mark Mahon, for the State, of how gardai had been called to the scene of a road crash shortly after midday. When they arrived, the defendant was found intoxicated inside a car and produced a reading of 46mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Judge Bernadette Owens was informed the result was one which was just above the one year threshold for a driving disqualification. Frank Gearty, for the defence, said his client was a man of otherwise good character who had taken a chance on the day in question. He is a forklift driver and cooperated fully with gardai and he will be substantially discommoded by this, said Mr Gearty. Judge Owens banned Mr Kamols from driving for two years, fining him 300 in the process. In being given four months to pay, a second charge of no insurance was struck out after documentation illustrating Mr Kamols innocence was handed into the court. The brother of Jennifer Poole, who was fatally stabbed seven times by her boyfriend in her Finglas apartment, has said his family are tormented by the thoughts of what she endured that day and that she spent her last minutes on earth with the "very worst of humanity". Jason Poole told the Central Criminal Court on Friday, April 29 that: "No one deserves to die at the hands of another person for no reason. No one deserves to be treated like Jennifer was treated. No one should ever think they can control a person and make them feel worthless. Nobody should feel afraid or scared of someone else". Sentencing judge Mr Justice Paul Burns noted this was "yet another case of a violent attack upon a young mother by a male partner". He noted that the defendant, 30-year-old Gavin Murphy, had a violent disposition toward women and had previously been convicted of an attack on another partner and her mother, where he produced a knife. The court heard that Jennifer's friend and neighbour Danielle Tuffy had heard her scream "Stop, please don't do this" and that Ms Tuffy had shouted to be let into the apartment to help. "Fuck off you," Murphy had replied. The court heard that the relationship between Jennifer and Murphy had ongoing difficulties in the months prior to the fatal assault. Family and friends had noticed injuries on Jennifer's face and body and while she made "benign" excuses, her family were deeply suspicious. The day before she died her friend took pictures of her injuries. In a letter of apology to the Poole family which was read out today by his defence counsel in court, Murphy said: "I know that nothing I can say can take away the pain. Everyone knew and loved Jennifer. I cannot say how sorry I am for what I have done. I pleaded guilty to murder to show how sorry I am. I wanted to save everyone who loved Jennifer from having to go through a trial. I wanted to accept full responsibility, I will never forgive myself for what I did". Jason Poole also said in his statement that his family has so many unanswered questions as to why and how someone could take the life of another person who was always there to help others and who had a family and two "beautiful young children". The testimony was heard as part of an emotional victim impact statement read to the Central Criminal Court, where Murphy was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murdering his girlfriend Ms Poole. The sentence was backdated to April 17 2021, when he went into custody. Before sentencing the defendant, Mr Justice Burns said: "This is yet another case of a violent attack upon a young mother by a male partner, this case having fatal consequences for the deceased. Ms Poole was involved with the accused for one year prior to her death and their relationship was described as having difficulties. Her family and friends noticed injuries on Ms Poole prior to the fatal attack. The judge added: "The accused appears to be of a violent disposition, having previously been convicted of assault causing harm to a previous partner and her mother, where he produced a knife. It shows his disposition for violence upon women". "Ms Poole received seven stab wounds, her neighbour witnessed it in part and that must have been a harrowing experience for her. The victim impact statements made were very eloquent, it is clear Ms Poole was a good and caring person, a devoted mother and was respected in her community. The loss has had a devastating effect upon the family, particularly her two small children who are left to make their way in the world without the love of their mother," he concluded. Mr Justice Burns finally extended his condolences to the Poole family. Mother-of-two Ms Poole (24) was stabbed to death at her first floor apartment in Melville Drive, Finglas, north Dublin, at around 2pm on April 17, 2021. Neighbours raised the alarm and emergency services attended the scene before she was rushed to Connolly Hospital and died a short time later. Her cause of death was haemorrhage and shock due to multiple stab wounds. Gavin Murphy, with an address at Coultry Drive, Ballymun, Dublin 9 appeared at the court today for his sentence hearing, having pleaded guilty earlier this month on April 1 to murdering Ms Poole in her Dublin home last year. Ms Poole, originally from the Ballygall area of Finglas, was a healthcare worker at Beneavin Lodge Care Home, and played camogie with local club Erins Isle. Earlier, the court heard that Murphy has 13 previous convictions for the use of a mobile phone whilst in custody, the unlawful seizure of a vehicle, criminal damage, burglary, the production of an article in the course of a dispute and two counts of assault causing harm. The court was told that the two assault charges were against his "romantic partner at the time" and her mother, when a knife was produced during a fight. Dean Kelly SC, prosecuting, told the hearing that Ms Poole's young son was outside at the time of the fatal assault and could hear his mother's cries for help. Ms Poole's friend and neighbour tried to break down the deceased's front door during the attack as Ms Poole screamed at her to kick the door in. SENTENCE HEARING: At the sentencing hearing, Detective Sergeant Damian Mangan detailed the background to the incident. He told prosecution counsel, Dean Kelly SC with Marc Thompson Grolimund BL, that Jennifer is survived by her two young children and was employed in Beneavin nursing home as a care worker until her death. Outlining the events that led up to the murder, Mr Kelly said that Jennifer met Murphy in May 2020 through a neighbour and friend and they had been in a relationship together. Murphy moved into Jennifer's home in Finglas "reasonably quickly" after their relationship began. The detective said that Murphy was not the father of Jennifer's children and that she had been in a previous relationship with the children's father which came to an end. Gardai learned that Jennifer's relationship with Murphy appeared to have had "ongoing difficulties" in the months prior to her murder and the deceased's friend and neighbour Danielle Tuffy had observed injuries on Ms Poole on the Tuesday as well as the day prior to her death. [Ms Poole died on a Saturday]. Ms Poole's sister had observed injuries to Jennifer's face and body on a number of occasions prior to her death, the court heard. "Benign explanations were given by Ms Poole and nothing further was suspected by her work colleagues. Family and friends were deeply suspicious and didn't believe the explanations," said the witness. According to the witness, Ms Tuffy had taken photos of Jennifer's injuries on the day prior to her death. The court heard that Ms Tuffy was speaking to Jennifer up until the early hours of April 17 and that was how she became aware of Murphy's "health difficulties". On April 17, Ms Poole asked Ms Tuffy if she had heard smashing and noise coming from her home when Murphy was in it. Ms Tuffy told her friend not to return to the house but said that Jennifer came back and left her young son in the car. Twenty minutes later, Ms Tuffy heard Jennifer screaming in a high pitch: "Stop, please don't do this". Ms Tuffy took Ms Poole's son out of the car, put him into a bedroom with her own son and told them not to move before going to Jennifer's house, where she heard Ms Poole shouting 'help me'. The detective said Ms Tuffy was banging as hard as she could on Jennifer's door and could hear Ms Poole saying" "Kick the door in". Ms Tuffy was not strong enough to kick the door in. "Ms Tuffy then looked in the letterbox and was able to see Ms Poole slumped up against the wall, sitting upright and she saw Murphy but could not see his face," said the witness. Ms Tuffy then saw Murphy with a kitchen knife held up against the side of Ms Poole's neck. Ms Tuffy was screaming "to be let in to help". There was blood on the wall and Murphy began to wipe something with a big bath towel, said the detective. Ms Tuffy was still screaming to be let into Ms Poole's house but Murphy told her "fuck off you" and to kick the door down but she was still unable to. Ms Tuffy said Murphy looked very strange, that his eyes were big and dark and his face grey. Murphy walked to the back of the apartment, climbed over the balcony and walked across the road. Ms Tuffy rang 999 at 2.04pm that afternoon and they arrived ten minutes later. Ms Tuffy could see Jennifer lying on the ground through the letterbox, her top was slashed and her lips and face were grey. Gardai broke down the door and Ms Poole was brought to Connolly Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 2.55pm. Seven stab wounds were observed on the front and back of Ms Poole's body. Murphy later told gardai in his initial statement that he did not know what started the argument between him and Ms Poole. He said they were in the sitting room and Ms Poole saw "a blade" and it "got heated". The defendant said the knife was produced by Jennifer and she "came at" him with it. "In a split second I must have used the knife, I must have blanked out. In a split second she was on the ground. I couldn't look at her and just left. I hope she is ok," he said. When gardai received confirmation that Ms Poole had passed away, Murphy was arrested on suspicion of murder. He was interviewed on five occasions and prepared a statement in advance of his fifth interview which said: "The first thing I want to say is I'm deeply sorry for what happened. I accept I caused her death. I want to express my remorse. I loved her very much, we had planned a future together. I am full of shame and am so sorry..........She came into me in the bedroom, we ended up having sex together. I was looking at my phone, she sort of got jealous when I was on the phone. The row was about when she pointed the knife again, when I got caught in the struggle I must have completely lost it [sic]. I know this is not about me but Jen and the kids but I have had some trauma in my life. I truly loved her and cannot believe I will never see her again. It was having the knife pointed at me that made me react this way, not Jen herself. I apologise deeply to all her family". The court heard that Murphy is originally from Tallaght and has a son. Under cross-examination, the detective agreed with defence counsel Giollaiosa O Lideadha SC that his client had also said in his statement that he had no plan to or that he wanted to kill Ms Poole. Murphy also said in his statement that he was really sorry and didn't want this to happen. VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENTS The deceased's brother Jason Poole began his statement by saying that if he was to try and highlight the type of person Jennifer was or how her murder had affected them as a family he could speak in court about it all day. He continued: "On Saturday April 17 our world fell around us. Jennifer was 24 years old when her life was taken in the most horrendous of circumstances. Jennifer was beautiful inside and out. She had a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone. She gave of her time to make the lives of others even better. Jennifer did not deserve the death she was given. "She had a smile that would brighten even the darkest of days. Jennifer was one of the most caring people you could meet. Jennifer worked as a carer and later in a nursing home. She was full of empathy for others and always wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. "Sports was Jennifer's life and Jennifer played for her local club Erin's Isle in Finglas. Jennifer loved this sport but when she met the defendant this love along with other aspects of her life stopped. "Jennifer was also a devoted and loving mother to her two children. She would do anything for her children and also made it her priority to keep them safe. Jennifer's children are also the victim of this crime committed by the defendant and the stories we have to listen to as a family about what this defendant did to their mammy prior to her death is what our family have to listen and deal with sometimes on a daily basis. "Having a daughter and sister murdered changes you. It changes you so deeply, so permanently. It changes your soul; every fibre of your existence is moulded into something unrecognisable. "On the day of her death we could not comprehend what was being told to us when it happened. It was so horrific. It felt like some sort of sick waking nightmare. You can't imagine how anyone could do such a thing. But we quickly realised this was no nightmare when we had to go to Connolly Hospital to identify our beautiful Jennifer lying on a bed cold, blooded and being unable to touch her; not able to kiss her and not able to say goodbye. "As a family having to sit down to tell her two children that they will never be able to see their mammy again because she had been murdered by the man that she had told she didn't want anymore. "We are left wondering when she realised she was in danger. We wonder what her murderer said to her. We wonder how long she was conscious. We wonder did she know she would die? What were her last words? Did she suffer? Could she and did she cry out for help? Did she know that she would never see her family or children ever again?" "This is our life sentence, for us there will be no parole. We have so many unanswered questions as to why and how someone could take the life of another person who was always there to help others, who had a family and two beautiful young children. "At Jennifer's graveside we often sit and stare in disbelief at her name on her headstone and ask ourselves if she is really dead. It doesn't seem real. She had so much to live for and we had so much to do together. A second victim impact statement was read to the court by Ms Poole's other brother, David Poole. He told the court that Jennifer's two children had lost "a devoted mother who they adored" and that Ms Poole loved them both unconditionally saying: "You could not meet a more caring mother who did everything for them and made sure they had everything they needed". "Their mother was robbed from them at the ages of seven and four. All they have left is memories of their beautiful mother and so many unanswered questions. Questions which we don't have the answers to. How can we answer questions like; Why did he do it? Why did he always hit my mammy? Why did he break her phone and telly? Why did he put my mammy to sleep on the floor before?" "When [Jennifer's son] asks why his mammy was screaming for help that day while he could hear what was going on inside the apartment. How do you tell a four-year-old that he won't see his mammy again. "Their lives were turned upside down that day and one year later they still live in fear that the same will happen to them. They have nightmares about the things they witnessed and happened to them and their mother when they lived with her and the defendant. Both of the children are terrified to go to the bathroom alone or go up the stairs alone. Finally, he said: "Their lives have changed forever. The emotional and psychological impact of the murder of Jennifer by the defendant is something her children will have to take with them for the rest of their lives". A Laois cemetery that dates back hundreds of years needs and is understood to be the final resting place for a famous Irish saint should benefit from the help of Laois County Council, according to a county councillor. Cllr Conor Bergin, Fine Gael, raised concerns about the old Kyle Cemetery at a recent meeting with council officials. He tabled a motion calling on the local authority to carry out a survey on the headstones in the old Kyle Cemetery, Ballaghmore and write up a register of all those buried there, for the benefit of local genealogy and historical research. Cllr Bergin said a church on the site was founded in the 6th century by St Molua who is also believed to be buried there. However, Cllr Bergin said residents are concerned about the condition. There is a huge amount of historical significance but a lot of the graves are in quite bad condition, he said. He said it is one of many older cemeteries in Laois that need attention and that are not registered. It would be of huge benefit to generations to come if there was some research on them. There is a huge amount of interest in people tracing their roots. It is a big part of local history and it would be a pity to see that lost, he said. Cllr Bergin added that unregistered cemeteries are often maintained by the same families who have looked after them for generations. He said these people should be given assistance. Cllr James Kelly, Independent, said he knew the cemetery saying that his great grandparents are buried there. He said the great work done by the local group should be acknowledged. He said the Community Monuments Fund could be used to fund work on the Kyle and other cemeteries. Cllr Ollie Clooney, Independent, said cemeteries that have no headstones also need to be addressed. Ms, Catherine Casey, Heritage Officer with the council replied to Cllr Bergin in writing. The Heritage Office has worked with communities to provide training and assist the community to record the headstones in historic graveyards. This training could be organised for Old Kyle, and the community assisted in compiling the records for upload to the historic graves website which already holds memorial records for many graveyards in Laois and nationwide," she said. She said this website is www.historicgraves.com She added that the entry for Old Kyle Graveyard at the Historic Graves website is located at www.historicgraves.com/graveyard/kyle-abbey/la-kyab A juvenile admitted to Naas District Court on Thursday, April 21, that he stole a Waterford Crystal centrepiece from a store in the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge in 2020. The defendant also admitted to stealing a number items, including a number of alcoholic beverages, from the Spar store in Prosperous, at another date in 2020. The teenager told Judge John O Leary that he was an eejit to have stolen the centrepiece, after being instructed to do so by his cousins. Garda Sergeant Brian Jacob told the judge that the piece was worth over 500, and that on both occasions, the properties had not been recovered. It was heard that the juvenile is currently under the supervision of a probation officer, and has 16 previous convictions, 11 of which are for theft offences. His barrister, Sarah Connolly, said to the judge that he is no longer in contact with the cousins who told him to steal the centrepiece. She added that he has also returned to school, and aims to work over the summer. CONDITIONS The judge agreed to grant a probation bond for the youth under three conditions. He said that he must remain under supervision with his probation officer for a further year, that he must abstain from alcohol, and that he must pay a 50 contribution to the St Vincent de Paul charity. Judge O Leary gave the State liberty to re-enter the case at a later date. Dromod Men's Shed with a host of volunteers have been busy refurbishing a house in the hope of welcoming Ukrainian families to the area. In a Facebook post they described the work they are doing Our house renovation project has really gathered momentum and the backing of the Community. This work is being done on a purely voluntary basis and to date is a huge success. The housing of a Ukrainian family or two is the ultimate aim. The number of people and business owners that have contributed materials and labour is a great testament to the very generous nature of our community. The volunteers that turned up on day one to give the place a really deep clean this ran into day two when the curtains were brought away to be washed locally, the place was starting to take shape and on it went, the window cleaner from over the road arrived and left both inside and out sparkling, and then he took into the gutters, facia, and soffit. Preparation for painting started, filling the minor cracks, sanding, sealing, priming. Two local Dairy Farmers/block layers took on to prepare and paint the beautiful spiral staircase what a job. The painters arrived, they were only too delighted getting stuck into the free paint supplied by Dulux. We needed light and heat at this stage and this was being looked after by our local Plumbing contractor and Electrical contractor and in the words of a very famous song, let there be Light and there was Light but in this case we also got Heat. While all this was going on in walks the Satellite and TV repair man followed shortly afterwards by the chimney sweep two more jobs done. The crew were working outside led by the Moyne Builder, the Council Engineer, and with a Spanish influence to the fore they started, power washing, preparing flower beds for planting, and giving the place a general tidy up. The roofer arrived and carried out some minor repairs, two local businesses that specialise in insulating homes to a very high standard will leave the house very cosy for our Ukrainian friends. The doors and windows needed a bit of attention along comes local repair man and gets the job done without any fuss. One of the last things to be done before we move in furniture will be cleaning and shampooing the carpets, this will also be done by a local man who specialises in this work. It is very encouraging to be getting great support from our local charity shop, and have people donating washing machines, fridges, beds, bed linen, bedroom furniture, couches, curtains, chairs, tables, tv etc. All this is going on under the very watchful eyes of two Shed Stalwarts, one the semi retired builder from Fyhora, the other our Safety Officer and retired School caretaker. We would like to thank all those people and business owners who have helped out on this project so far in any way big or small. There is a great atmosphere around the place with all kinds of good humoured banter going on especially when Fr Pat is not around. There is one thing very noticeable, the ladies are taking photos of their male partners putting on the marigolds grabbing the mop doing the cleaning and painting in a house the don't live in watch this space. This is only a flavour of who is involved too as there is many to mention everyone. The work continues this week and will see it complete. If you have a spare hour do drop in and give a hand thank you. Firefighters work at the scene where a bus caught fire in Paris, France, April 4, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier BENOIT TESSIER / REUTERS 149 electric buses will be taken off the streets of Paris temporarily "as a precaution" after two of the vehicles caught fire, public transport operator RATP said Friday, April 29. Following a second blaze on Friday morning, in which no one was hurt, "RATP has taken the decision to suspend use of 149 electric buses" of manufacturer Bollore's Bluebus 5SE model, the state-owned company said. The number 71 bus that caught fire in southeast Paris early Friday released thick clouds of black smoke and a strong smell of burning plastic, according to an AFP journalist on the scene. "The bus driver immediately evacuated all the passengers. Nobody was hurt," RATP said, while the city fire service said the blaze was put out by around 30 firefighters. A first bus caught fire on the upscale Boulevard Saint-Germain in central Paris on April 4, destroying the vehicle but again causing no injuries. Bluebus is part of the sprawling empire of French billionaire Vincent Bollore, whose interests range from transport and logistics to media, generating around 24 billion euros ($25 billion) per year in revenue with 80,000 employees. Bollore's 12-metre (39-foot) electric buses are a familiar sight on the streets of the French capital, emblazoned with the words "100 percent electric vehicle". On its website, the company says the buses are "fitted with a new generation of batteries... with high energy density and optimal safety" spread around the roof and rear of the vehicle. Le Monde with AFP COP15 is not on track. COP... 15? No, the number isn't a mistake. In November 2021, it was indeed the 26th global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland. But in parallel to the climate negotiations, another United Nations Framework Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, which was created in 1992, organizes other "Conferences of the Parties" (COPs) every two years, this time focusing on biodiversity. Although less well known, these meetings are no less important. The stakes at the heart of this COP15, which is to take place at the end of summer in Kunming, China, are crucial. It is about adopting a new global framework to stop the decline in biodiversity by 2030. The Aichi Targets, signed in 2010, were put in place to achieve that goal by 2020, but they failed almost entirely. Many hope that the Kunming Declaration will be the equivalent for nature of what the Paris Agreement was for climate, in terms of awareness and commitments. At the end of March, a negotiation session was held in Geneva, Switzerland, to prepare for the COP, including the drafting of the global framework. Unfortunately, progress was far more limited than expected. One symbol alone sums up the slowness with which the discussions progressed: square brackets. As soon as a delegation disagrees with one of the proposed terms, it is put in square brackets. In Geneva, the draft agreement, built around 21 concrete objectives for 2030, was filled with square brackets to the point of resembling, in the words of the organizers, a Christmas tree on which each person had hung his or her garland of proposals. A full agenda Of course, the stage where the texts "inflate" to account for all points of view is indispensable and inherent to the negotiation process. Nonetheless, they must be able to "deflate" in time, as a consensus emerges. The process is struggling to move forward. The agenda for the two weeks of work, during which three discussions were held in parallel (on scientific and technical aspects, on implementation and on the text that will finally be adopted), was extremely full. The 2,000 delegates from 151 countries were also meeting for the first time after two years of discussions at a distance. Afterall, it takes time to reconnect and build trust. Despite the involvement of the majority of representatives and clear progress on the goal of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030, or on the inclusion of indigenous peoples, for example, the work that remains to be done to ensure a successful COP is colossal. On the key issue of financing, for example, the divide between developed and developing countries has hardened and will not be easily resolved. You have 51.78% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. A LIMERICK employment agency is providing a vital link between local Ukrainian refugees and employers, as hundreds of new arrivals look to provide for their families. Unijobs Limerick, a subsidiary of the University of Limerick, hosted a jobs fair for more than 70 members of the Ukrainian community looking to gain employment. The initial intention from Unijobs was to give one person an opportunity, Chief Operations Officer Damien Bowe told the Limerick Leader. This led to Daria Luzina (pictured below), from Kyiv, taking on a key role. Daria who has a commercial law background is now the main point of contact helping other Ukrainians get a job. What started as giving one person a leg up, has led to hundreds, he outlined. Since the jobs fair at Limerick City Hotel, several clinics helping Ukrainians with their CVs as well as profiling their last job, qualifications, levels of English and employment prospects have taken place. A database of 140 names and contact details has been compiled by Unijobs, and is being shared with other recruitment agencies, who in normal circumstances, would be a competitor in the market. Mr Bowe pointed to several successes, as two chefs and several Ukrainian nurses living in Limerick have already gained employment through Unijobs. We have huge interest from pubs, restaurants and other employers already, he stated. Despite the Trojan work being done by Daria, Mr Bowe believes that the effort is somewhat disjointed and hopes that some political leaders and businesspeople will step up to the plate. His hope is that there can be a structured regional response and a committee developed in Limerick. This would incorporate language lessons and a pathway to employment, replicating what is being conducted by Unijobs in one single uniformed approach. Unijobs are looking ahead to their next jobs fair for the Ukrainian community and are expecting hundreds to turn up as they look to seek employment in the county and city. One fear is that some of these people dont fall into precarious, low paid employment. Our intention is to not make any situation worse, he said. Once the central database is fully developed, Unijobs intend on meeting up with competitors and taking on those looking for work, sector by sector. At the minute a lot of them are overwhelmed by everything that is going on and with processing their documents. We are strategically placed to help people. Its important that they get in touch with us and Daria, who is the main point of contact on the ground, Mr Bowe concluded. MOTORISTS caught for speeding had their cases dismissed for a variety of reasons at one sitting of Kilmallock Court. One woman brought her fixed charge penalty notice to court after she was notified about speeding on the Dock Road, to show to Judge Patricia Harney. I was not driving. I dispute it is my car, said the woman. She claimed the photo of the registration on the penalty notice is not clear. She said the registration plate in the photo is 161D whereas her car is 181D. The rest of the numbers on the plate matched. Inspector Sandra Heelan said the State couldnt dispute her evidence. Judge Patricia Harney said she accepted the evidence and dismissed the case. The next person up for speeding in Limerick had an address in Northern Ireland. My remit doesnt extend to the six counties, said Judge Harney. Dismiss. One man said he didnt receive the fine in the post and so didnt have an opportunity to pay it. I live in an apartment block. An elderly man used to take all the post, he said. Dismiss. A number of drivers had their cases dismissed because they were allegedly detected driving over the limit in Parteen, Co Clare. They should have been prosecuted in the Clare Court District and not been summonsed to appear in the Limerick Court District. Lastly, a motorist said they couldnt have been speeding in the car because they had sold the vehicle a few weeks previously. The ownership had not changed over, they explained. Dismiss. LIMERICK City and County Council is consulting with Transport Infrastructure Ireland regarding the reduction of the speed limit on a busy road. At a meeting of the Municipal District of Adare-Rathkeale, councillors called on the TII to lower the speed limit on the N21 at Coolanoran between Newcastle West and Rathkeale. A traffic calming scheme has been designed for the area, however, this plan does not include the reduction of the speed limit. Councillors also expressed disappointment that lands adjacent to the petrol station were not being acquired to facilitate car parking for heavy goods vehicles. The scheme has been proposed to address issues with sight-lines and safety issues near the petrol station. While there has been no formal response from the TII, senior engineers at Limerick City and County Council say it is unlikely a speed review will be carried out at the area. Councillor Stephen Keary queried if any temporary measures could be introduced to improve safety in the area after he was contacted by concerned locals. Cllr Keary said visibility is poor for cars leaving the petrol station and that urgent measures need to be taken. The matter was adjourned to the next meeting of the Municipal District awaiting a formal response from the TII. ASIDE from the happy couple there will be another VIP at a wedding this summer - the man who donated a kidney to the groom. Brian Sheehy, aged 33, from Athea, will marry his bride-to-be Sarah Reidy in west Limerick later this year - they are pictured below with Joe Brolly. It is thanks to his uncle, Mike Sheehy (54) from Listowel, who donated his kidney to Brian that the happy day will happen. In August 2005 Brian's late brother Patrick was just 18 years old when he became an organ donor saving six lives following a fatal road traffic collision. Their parents made the decision to donate Patrick's organs. His heart, lung liver, two kidneys and pancreas which saved six lives. It was bittersweet for the Sheehy family when a month later, in September 2005, Brian received his first kidney transplant made possible by the decision of another family of a deceased organ donor. In August 2014 Brian underwent his second transplant when his uncle Mike donated a kidney to him. Eight years later Brian and Sarah (pictured below) are planning their wedding with Mike sure to be a very special guest. Before flying out to Portugal for their honeymoon after the June bank holiday weekend, Brian and Sarah Reidy will exchange marriage vows in Sarah's parish church in Ardagh. They will be watched on by their extended family and friends including their daughter Kayla (age 11) and kidney donor uncle Mike and his wife Rose and their three children, Laura (24) Mairead (22) and Rosie (19) and Brian's parents Margaret and Richard. Sharing his story to mark Organ Donor Awareness, Brian explained: "I'm feeling on top of the world now and I have Mike to thank for it. The transplant has given me my life back. It allowed me to go back to work, save for a house with Sarah, plan ahead and play an active role in my daughter's life." Brian added he is looking forward to his wedding in June. "The whole extended family will be attending our wedding celebration. While we exchange vows we will have three candles lit, one candle will be for the deceased donor who gave me my life back as a teenager and we will also remember my brother Patrick and have a photo of him at our wedding reception. We'll also be raising a glass for Mike who got me to this point". Organ donor cards can be requested by visiting ika.ie/get-a-donor-card or by phoning the Irish Kidney Association on 01 6205306. You can also free text the word DONOR to 50050. The massive fire that broke out at the Bhalswa landfill site on April 26 has not completely dozed off yet. The residents, staying near the landfill have informed the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) that poisonous fumes are entering their homes which are causing breathing problems. A police complaint has also been filed by those residing near the Bhalswa landfill site. The residents filed the complaint at Bhalswa Dairy police station, demanding legal action against North Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh, Deputy Mayor Archana Dilip Singh, and North MCD standing committee vice-chairman Vijay Kumar Bhagat. In the complaint letter, the locals said the smoke emitting from the fire at the landfill site has been posing a risk to their lives. The DCW summoned the North Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on May 4 to explain the steps taken by it to prevent poisonous fumes from entering the houses of residents living nearby Bhalswa. According to an official statement, the DCW panel has also sought details of the expenditure made by the North Delhi civic body in the last 15 years to clean the site In addition to this, the Delhi Government has directed the Delhi Pollution Control Board (DPCC) to impose a 50 lakh fine on the North Delhi's civic body for being negligent and not taking proper steps to prevent the fire at the Bhalswa landfill. The Bhalswa fire is the fourth such incident in the last month as Delhi's landfills are catching fire due to heavy build-up of methane inside the layers of millions of tonnes of garbage and heatwave in the city. Three incidents of fire have been reported this year at east Delhi's Ghazipur landfill site, including one on March 28 which was doused after over 50 hours. According to an official of NDMC, "The fire has been caused due to methane generated due to decaying organic matter in the landfill site". He said that excavators are helping to douse the fire and senior engineering officials have also been deputed to the landfill site to douse the fire. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday blamed "corruption" in the municipal corporation for the frequent fires at landfills in the city, saying the BJP-ruled civic bodies should have used bulldozers to clear the mountains of garbage. Rai also said that the Delhi Government would study a system installed in Mumbai to capture methane from the rotting waste and replicate it in the national capital to prevent fires at the landfill site. Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal sought to quell employee anger on Friday during a company-wide meeting where employees demanded answers to how managers planned to handle an anticipated mass exodus prompted by Elon Musk. The meeting comes after Musk, the Tesla chief executive who sealed a $44 billion deal to buy the social media company, repeatedly criticized Twitter's content moderation practices and a top executive responsible for setting speech and safety policies. At the internal town hall meeting, which was heard by Reuters, executives said the company would monitor staff attrition daily, but it was too soon to tell how the buyout deal with Musk would affect staff retention. Musk has pitched lenders on slashing board and executive salaries but exact cost cuts remain unclear, according to sources familiar with the matter. One source said Musk would not make decisions on job cuts until he assumes ownership of Twitter. "I'm tired of hearing about shareholder value and fiduciary duty. What are your honest thoughts about the very high likelihood that many employees will not have jobs after the deal closes?" one Twitter employee asked Agrawal, in a question read aloud during the meeting. Agrawal answered that Twitter has always cared about its employees and would continue to do so. "I believe the future Twitter organization will continue to care about its impact on the world and its customers," he said. Executives said during the meeting that the employee attrition rate has not changed compared to the levels before the news of Musk's interest in buying the company. In recent days, Musk has tweeted criticism of Twitter's top lawyer, Vijaya Gadde, who is a Twitter veteran and widely-respected across Silicon Valley. Musk's attack triggered a barrage of online harassment targeting her. Employees also told executives they feared Musk's erratic behavior could destabilize Twitter's business, and hurt it financially as the company prepares to address the advertising world in a presentation next week in New York City. "Do we have a strategy in the near-term on how to handle advertisers pulling investment," one employee asked. Sarah Personette, Twitter's chief customer officer, said the company was working to communicate frequently with advertisers and reassure them "the way that we service our customers is not changing." After the meeting, a Twitter employee told Reuters there was little trust in what executives had to say. "The PR speak is not landing. They told us don't leak and do a job you are proud of, but there is no clear incentive for employees to do this," the employee told Reuters, noting that compensation for non-executive staffers is now capped because of the deal. Agrawal is estimated to receive $42 million if he were terminated within 12 months of a change in control at the social media company, according to research firm Equilar. During the meeting, Agrawal urged staff to expect change in the future under new leadership, and acknowledged that the company could have performed better over the years. "Yes, we could have done things differently and better. I could have done things differently. I think about that a lot," he said. Twitter declined further comment. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Click here to read the full article. The Wall Street Journal on Friday dug into the circumstances of Elon Musks $44 billion purchase of Twitter, as well as those who had his ear and may have convinced him to go through with the move. Among them are billionaire GOP donor Peter Thiel and former CEO Jack Dorsey. Dorsey made it known to Musk that the social media site should have private ownership, according to people familiar with the matter. (Twitter was privately owned for its first seven years of existence.) Dorsey resigned last November, having faced pressure from the board to do so due to investors concerns about him running both Twitter and Square Inc. Before his departure, he and Musk communicated regularly including via direct messages on Twitter. The Journal also reported that when Twitter booted Donald Trump from the platform due to fears he could incite further violence following the Jan. 6 insurrection, Musk disagreed with the decision. Jared Birchall, Musks right-hand man, texted an associate Musks view: He vehemently disagrees with censoring. Especially for a sitting president. Insane. Musk also buys into a common argument of right-leaning commentators that Twitter activity by certain figures is subject to a shadow ban rather than an algorithm, according to an investor who spoke with the billionaire recently. Musks purchase has been heralded by some of these same commentators as a rebirth of free speech rights on the platform. Whether Musk will make the site a free-for-all isnt clear his plans are fluid yet it seems like those who were banned in the past will at least want to test the waters. The Journal reported that right-wing Holocaust skeptic Charles Johnson, who was permanently suspended from Twitter in 2015 after soliciting donations for taking out a Black Lives Matter activist, recently asked Birchall about regaining access to his account. When do I get my Twitter account back? Johnson asked via text. Hopefully soon, Birchall responded. Click here to read the full article. Anxieties about a climate in crisis, the plight of refugees, and the destructive legacy of war are among the subjects that will take center stage as part of Hot Docs Changing Face of Europe program, a collaboration between North Americas largest documentary film festival and European Film Promotion (EFP). Now in its fifth year, the program offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of a continent in transition, featuring nine feature-length and one short documentary selected by Hot Docs from over 60 submissions. The initiative is supported by the Creative Europe Media Program of the European Union and the participating EFP member organizations. In times like these, different perspectives are all the more important, with dialogue and exchange at the core of our program, says EFPs managing director Sonja Heinen. In addition to screenings and access to a comprehensive industry program, the directors and producers of the films will be matched with key distributors, buyers and festival programmers via prior virtual one-to-one meetings arranged by EFP. More than 130 such meetings have already taken place, offering filmmakers a chance to grab the attention of buyers ahead of the festivals opening night on April 28. The goal is to ensure that the filmmakers and their producers can understand how they can make the most out of their films, says Heinen. Throughout the pandemic, EFP has strengthened its relationships with distributors, particularly in markets outside of Europe, which is the bodys primary goal. That allowed the organization, for example, to host a showcase for American buyers during the Sundance Film Festival highlighting European films that hadnt yet secured distribution in the U.S. Such initiatives underscore the importance of providing a dedicated platform for films that might otherwise escape buyers notice, as well as highlighting the value of festivals such as Hot Docs in launching a films career. Without festivals, it is difficult to sell them. They need the stamp of the festival, says Heinen. Otherwise, they are not seen. The ten documentaries selected for this years Changing Face of Europe program range from the personal to the political, reckoning with the past as they look forward to an uncertain future all the while musing on what it means to be alive in a fractured Europe today. Six of the 10 films are directed by women, presenting a range of perspectives on themes such as identity, aging and motherhood. In How the Room Felt, director Ketevan Kapanadze enters a cramped Georgian house where a group of female and non-binary friends have created a space safe from their intolerant surroundings. In her 30-minute visual essay Crotch Stories, French filmmaker Myleine Guiard-Schmid speaks with women who professionally support women in childbirth or who have given birth themselves to ask if the process of giving birth can bring pleasure along with pain. Playwright, stage director and former Icelandic European Shooting Star Alfrun Ornolfsdottir, meanwhile, makes her big-screen directorial debut with Band, which introduces audiences to an all-female art rock band dealing with motherhood, aging and a self-imposed deadline to achieve success. Other films in the selection trace the lingering fallout of war and the efforts of survivors to rebuild their lives in its wake. Croatian filmmaker and journalist Vedrana Pribacic makes her documentary feature debut with Bigger Than Trauma, which follows women gathering in an unorthodox therapy group to confront the aftermath of sexual violence during the Croatian War of Independence. In Nasim, directors Ole Jacobs and Arne Buttner tell the story of an Afghan mother of two living in the largest refugee camp in the E.U. and dreaming of her freedom. Perhaps no greater challenge is facing Europe and the world today than climate change, whose increasingly dire consequences are already disrupting daily life across the planet. In Atomic Hope Inside the Pro-Nuclear Movement (pictured), Irish director Frankie Fenton asks whether nuclear energy is the only carbon-neutral technology capable of tackling the climate crisis. Lithuanian artist and filmmaker Emilija Skarnulyte, meanwhile, offers a meditation on nuclear energy and the great effort required to deal with its waste in Burial. Another environmentally focused film, Just Animals, directed by Saila Kivela and Vesa Kuosmanen, is a portrait of two Finnish sisters grappling with activisms hope and hopelessness while on divergent paths. No matter how narrow or wide in scope, such films offer a reminder of our common bonds in a world that is growing more connected by the day. For A Marble Travelogue, which world premiered in IDFA last fall, Chinese director Sean Wang followed the journey of a block of white marble from a Greek quarry to the Chinese sculptors who use it to create Hellenistic-style souvenirs many of which then return to Europe to be sold to Chinese tourists. On its surface, the film is a wry commentary on the strange and unexpected ways in which globalization has shaped the modern world. On a deeper level, its also a study of how culture is consumed in our age, says Wang, especially how culture from a civilization that has dominated the world for hundreds of years[is] being consumed by a new power. The story is fittingly told through the lens of Greece, a country that straddles Asia and Europe and illustrates the fluidity of culture across centuries of migration and movement. Its a quite Asian country to Europeans, and its a quite European country to Asians, says Wang, so geopolitically, financially, culturally, Greece is in a very unique position between Europe and Asia. Largely filmed before the pandemic, A Marble Travelogue unwittingly captured a geopolitical moment that might soon be disrupted by the shifting tides of history. The world order that A Marble Travelogue portrayed, in which China plays a very important role, maybe has been changed by COVID even forever, says Wang. Polish filmmaker Pawe ozinski likewise found himself portraying a world about to be irrevocably transformed with his documentary The Balcony Movie, which won the Critics Prize at the Locarno Film Festival last year. Across two years, ozinski placed his camera on the balcony of his flat and observed the people passing below, asking questions that ranged from the philosophical to the banal and creating a space for conversation that rarely exists between strangers today. In the process, the director unexpectedly created a time capsule of a world on the brink of upheaval. I managed to record the last days of paradise in our world before this virus and before the war [in Ukraine], he says. I captured the time of our virginity, maybe, when we thought the world is a good place and safe enough to live. Over the course of 165 shooting days, ozinski spoke with more than 2,000 passersby, from dog-walkers and strangers stepping out of parked cars to long-time neighbors. Those conversations managed to redefine the directors understanding of and relationship to his community. The film is not only about my curiosity for their stories, but there is a kind of human exchange of thoughts or emotions, he says. We can see and feel that there is a link between the guy that is behind the camera and his protagonist. There is a bridge. Its a connection that didnt necessarily end when the camera stopped rolling. Nearly two years after his last day of filming, some of the characters from ozinskis film still pass by the balcony to share news about their lives. The desire for connection he explored in his movie, says the director, has only come to feel more urgent. Especially after the pandemic, and during this terrible Russian war in Ukraine, people have even more need for conversation than before, he says. I think the film has new meaning after those two events. Because I tried to speak to people about difficult and universal matters, like the meaning of life, love, what is loneliness, and simply how to live in this world. The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival runs April 28 May 8. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Lyndsey Nelson, 31, started her own Etsy store, EchoCharliesApparel, during the pandemic, shortly after quitting her government job. She was constantly worried about leaving her kids, plus she was opposed to Covid-19 vaccine and mask mandates, saying that she has chronic lung illnesses and wearing masks all the time made me sick. For the most part, she sells fairly standard bleach-dyed graphic tees aimed at women, with slogans like Hot Mom Summer and Fries Before Guys; she also sells conservative-oriented apparel, such as shirts with the phrases Lets Go Brandon and Trump 2024. Recently, however, shes pivoted to something else: selling pro-Johnny Depp merchandise. For $24.30, you can purchase a T-shirt of the actor ensconced in a halo of light over a backdrop of newsprint, with the caption Thats hearsay, I guess a meme that emerged from his ongoing trial, where he is suing his ex Amber Heard for defamation. Another shirt Nelson sells features an amalgam of memes that have emerged from the trial: Thats Hearsay Brewing Co.: Home of the Mega Pint, the message emblazoned on the front reads, referencing a moment during the trial in which Heards attorney cross-examined him by asking if he poured himself a mega-pint of red wine after an argument. The shirt features an image of a skull with an eyepatch and a bandana an allusion to Depps blockbuster role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. I have been a fan of his my whole life. My favorite movie of all time is Edward Scissorhands, Nelson tells Rolling Stone. I feel so bad for him, everything going on with the trial, listening to him rehash what happened. I watch a lot of the clips of the trial and I thought the hearsay thing was hilarious. So I drew the design myself and went with it. She posted the shirt on Wednesday night, less than a day before we talked on the phone. Shes already sold more than 10 copies. Nelson is just one of the fan merch purveyors capitalizing off the intense media interest in Depps defamation trial, which is currently unfolding in Fairfax County, Virginia. Depp is suing ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million based on allegations she made about a former partner physically assaulting her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. (Heard does not name Depp in the op-ed, and Depp vehemently denies her claims.) Although the case is a simple defamation suit, the details that have surfaced in the trial allegations of Depps alcohol and drug abuse, Depps suave banter with cross-examiners during his testimony (Heard has yet to take the stand), and a bizarre claim about Heard defecating in Depps bed after an argument have all become fodder for public consumption. Heard and Depp wed in 2013 and Heard divorced Depp in 2016, successfully filing for a restraining order against him amid allegations of physical abuse. The two reached a $7 million settlement in 2016, with Heard reportedly donating her earnings to charity, though revelations from the trial have thrown that into question. In 2020, during a libel trial over the Sun referring to Depp as a wife beater in a 2018 article, a U.K. judge ruled against Depp, finding that 12 of 14 allegations of physical violence made by Heard were proved to the civil standard; that same year, recordings surfaced of conversations between Heard and Depp, in which Heard admitted to committing physical violence against Depp. Yet despite the admittedly ambiguous circumstances of the case, and the messiness of Heard and Depps relationship, footage from the current trial which has gone viral across Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok has had the effect of significantly turning public opinion in Depps favor. The hashtag #justiceforjohnnydepp currently has 5.7 billion views on TikTok, and hashtags like #AmberTurd and #AmberHeardIsALiar have been intermittently trending on Twitter for the past few weeks. Perhaps the most quantifiable method of gauging public opinion was captured in a viral TikTok taken at a Starbucks drive-through, which showed two tip jars labeled Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The Depp tip jar was full by the end of the video, while the Heard tip jar was empty. The intense media interest in the trial has spawned a cottage industry of true crime creators and conspiracy theorists pivoting to covering the trial on TikTok. Yet the apex of the phenomenon of profiting off the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case and the groundswell of support for Depp himself is vendors on Etsy making T-shirts, stickers, mugs, keychains, and pins expressing support for the actor. There are currently 4,148 results for the search term Justice for Johnny on Etsy, with more entrants being added every day. One vendor who has also pivoted to selling pro-Johnny Depp merch is Bianca Padilla, 26, an art teacher in New Jersey who, like Nelson, started her own Etsy store selling hand-painted shoes during the pandemic. (She has since launched her own website, Biancas Custom Canvas, to avoid Etsy vendor fees.) Like Nelson, Padilla has not watched the entirety of the trial, seeing only its most viral moments as captured in digestible chunks on TikTok and Instagram. Yet she too is a longtime Depp stan who has been captivated by his tongue-in-cheek demeanor during the trial. When all the news broke, I never believed her once, she says. Why would someone whos 50 years old suddenly start having violence claims? And once I saw clips from the trial I thought, See, this is great.' Four days ago, Padilla started selling hearsay stickers for $3.50 apiece. She has since sold more than 100, making the Depp merch her most hot-ticket item since a sticker she made of Dr. Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds. Most of the feedback shes gotten has been positive, aside from one Instagram comment questioning why she would attempt to profit off of a trial involving such dark allegations as sexual and physical abuse. That wasnt where my brain was at all, she says. It was just like, Hes being funny. Its funny. As a business owner, you go with the trends, and thats what is trending right now. So I was just like Let me jump on this.' Some of the analysis of the trial has centered on how many of Depps staunchest defenders are female, a fact that may speak in part to the strength of his star power and decades as a sex symbol, but also to backlash against the #MeToo movement, particularly the claim that female accusers (who make up 85 percent of domestic violence survivors) should always be believed. There is some concern among gender justice advocates like Farah Khan that the intense backlash against Heard could undo some of the gains of the #MeToo movement by dissuading survivors from reporting, as she told VICE News: I see lots of He is an artist, he is eccentric, he had an alcohol and drug problem. We make space for people who have trauma and people who may be using things to cope Yet for Heard, shes a whore, shes the worst of all these things. This is why so many people dont report abuse. The Minneapolis Police Department turned a blind eye to white nationalists and white supremacy movements online, even as its officers created fake social media accounts to surveil and troll law-abiding Black community members without a public safety objective. Thats just one of dozens of shocking revelations from a two-year investigation by the state governments top civil rights enforcement agency, which found that the Minneapolis police engage in a pattern or practice of race discrimination. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights launched the probe days after the police murder of George Floyd in late spring of 2020. The agency examined more than 700 hours of body camera footage, nearly half a million pages of police documents and use-of-force reports, dozens of hours of police training sessions, ten years of police data, and the results of 15 community listening sessions. The findings are distilled in a blistering 72-page report that brims with evidence of MPDs discriminatory policing. The report blasts city leadership that has allowed the departments culture to fester enabling unlawful policing practices that undermine public safety. Racist Language The problems at MPD begin with vile language from cops. The report blasts MPD officers who consistently use racist language and slurs. They call Black individuals n***ers and monkeys and call Black women Black bitches, the report reads, adding: One MPD supervisor referred to Somali men as orangutans. The racism was even directed at MPD officers of color, who reported that their colleagues called fellow Black MPD officers nappy head and cattle. The report also calls out the stark misogyny of Minneapolis cops, who demean women in the community with epithets like fucking cunt, bitch, and cussy, a derogatory term that combines the words cunt and pussy, the report says. Such abusive language from the police, undermines the criminal justice system, the report says, citing local prosecutors who find it challenging to use police body camera footage in court because of how disrespectful and offensive MPD officers are to criminal suspects, witnesses, and bystanders. Despite this glaring lack of professionalism, the report notes that MPD officers are trained to demand unquestioned compliance from members of the public and often cite citizens for obstruction or disorderly conduct for behavior that should rightfully be characterized as pissing off the police. Racist Violence The departments racist language correlates to racist actions that have put lives at risk, investigators found. MPD cops use disproportionate force against Black residents, who make up just 19 percent of the city population but were subject to 63% of all use of force incidents that MPD officers recorded, the report details. To control for factors other than race, investigators looked at the MPDs practice of using neck restraints which are now forbidden on Black and white suspects since 2010. It found that MPD officers [were] almost twice as likely to use neck restraints against Black individuals than white individuals in similar circumstances. Racist Stops and Searches Black Minneapolis drivers are also stopped by police vastly out of proportion to their share of the population, accounting for 54 percent of traffic stops. To control for other factors than race, investigators monitored traffic stops just before sunset, when drivers would be visible to cops, and after, when darkness would obscure the occupants race. The result? MPD officers were 12 percent more likely to stop a vehicle occupied by a person of color when it was light outside, the report states. MPDs searches of cars during traffic stops, the investigators found, are also racially biased. Black drivers accounted for 78 percent of cars searched by MPD. Controlling for other factors, cops searched the cars of Black drivers nearly twice as often as white drivers. Covert Social Media One of the most disturbing revelations from the investigation is how MPD officers have routinely used fake social media profiles to infiltrate Black online spaces even though they were acting without a public safety objective. The report describes these rogue cops spying on, and often trolling, prominent local Black leaders and organizations, without any suspicion of criminal activity. In particular, investigators describe how MPD officers used fake social media accounts to gain access to social media profiles of Black groups and organizations, such as the NAACP and Urban League. The fake MPD social media posts often expressed bigotry, using language to further racial stereotypes associated with Black people, the report says. One fake account posed as a Black community member and sent a message to a local branch of the NAACP, criticizing the group. The political context here is essential, as the local NAACP has long been critical of the MPD and pressed for policing reforms. They used taxpayer money and valuable officer time to surveil and troll the Minneapolis NAACP when we were trying to end police misconduct, the organization said in a statement responding to the report. A Blind Eye To White Supremacist Threats The report makes plain that this covert surveillance was targeted specifically at law abiding Black people and that MPD made no similar effort to surveil white supremacist or white nationalist groups, the report states. This remained true despite the fact that one of the most audacious acts of violence against MPD during the unrest after Floyds killing was perpetrated by a white Boogaloo Boi, who shot 13 rounds from an AK-47 into the departments third precinct on May 28, 2020. (Ivan Harrison Hunter has since pleaded guilty to a federal riot charge.) Two nights later, on May 30, Mayor Jacob Frey warned that white supremacists were infiltrating Minneapolis to destabilize our city. An MPD supervisor was caught on body cam that night insisting he wanted to prove the mayor wrong about white supremacists before making a racist comment about the makeup of the protesters in the street: Notorious Incidents The civil rights report highlights police misconduct in several violent incidents that have been chronicled in Rolling Stone. It points to MPDs protester hunting scandal, in which officers cruised the city in an unmarked van taking pot-shots at racial justice protesters with less-lethal rounds, as an example of negligent policing and a failure to uphold department standards. An officer should have intervened while other officers inappropriately used force, the report states. The investigators also rebuke the departments deceitful PR in the wake of the killing of Amir Locke, a bystander shot and killed by a SWAT team executing a pre-dawn, no-knock raid of the apartment where Locke was sleeping. MPD repeatedly referred to Mr. Locke, who was not a suspect, as a suspect, and released pictures to further paint Mr. Locke as a suspect, the report says. This type of inaccurate information sows community distrust, creates confusion, and undermines meaningful attempts of change. Failed Leadership The report is unsparing in its rebuke of city leaders it says have been aware of the deep organizational culture problems within the MPD that have resulted in the long-standing, disproportionate impact of race-based policing. These leaders, the report says, have failed to act with the necessary urgency leaving the rot at the core of MPD unchecked. Without naming the recently re-elected Frey, who leads civilian oversight of MPD, the report states that the mayor has claimed not to have the necessary authority to manage the police department. The report insists this is false: The Mayor has held this power for decades. At a press conference Wednesday, Frey who is quick to mirror public disgust in moments when the bureaus worst behavior is under the spotlight, but has dragged his feet on reform called the findings repugnant and at times horrific adding, they made me sick to my stomach. Frey vowed he was now dead serious in leading a culture shift, while insisting, our black community deserves better. (The interim MPD police chief, at the same conference, said the department was still reviewing the report but acknowledged that the points raised are deeply concerning.) Whats Next? Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero said that the investigation paints an unsettling picture of Minneapolis law enforcement, while underscoring that race-based policing is unlawful and harms everyone sometimes costing community members their lives. Insisting that city leaders have the power to make immediate changes, Lucero also vowed that deeper reform was coming in the form of an unprecedented consent decree that her agency will craft with the city to prevent ongoing violations of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. That consent decree will be divorced from daily politics, enforceable by a judge, and require sustained monitoring of MPD. Longtime critics of the MPD were not surprised by the reports findings. But Eric Rice, a local attorney who has attempted to hold the department accountable for its violence, says hes gratified to see the departments racist practices called out in an official document supported by objective evidence. Rice insists that promises of reform by Frey and the department have yielded few results in the two years since Floyds murder. The culture is either as bad or worse than it has ever been, he says. There have been so many additional incidents that show that nothing has changed. Rice is skeptical of the power of a consent decree to fundamentally overhaul the culture of the department. We all have a responsibility to not let this remain the status quo, he adds. These findings cannot be tolerated. PHOENIX (AP) Former Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel, who recently resigned amid controversy over her performance in office, died Saturday of unspecified health complications, her family announced. She was 45. Adel's husband, David DeNitto, said in a statement released on behalf of the family that they were utterly heartbroken by this unimaginable loss." The familys statement did not elaborate on the cause of death but said that relatives requested that the the press and the public honor her, her legacy and our family by respecting our privacy at this difficult time, Adel, a Republican and the first woman elected as Maricopa County attorney, had been criticized over issues that included dismissal of 180 misdemeanor cases because charges were not filed before the statute of limitations expired. She also faced scrutiny over whether an acknowledged alcohol abuse problem had affected her ability to do the job. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey called Adel's death tragic. The hearts and prayers of Arizonans are with Allisters family, colleagues and close friends. May she rest In peace," Ducey said on Twitter. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, Adel's interim successor, said Adel's many years of service to our community leaves a legacy that impacted crime victims, first responders, and animals, just to name a few." Adel was appointed to the office in October 2019 to fill a vacancy and she was elected to the office in November 2020. She resigned in March, saying in a statement that winning the office had been an honor. Adel underwent emergency surgery on election night in 2020 for a brain bleed. She was back on the job full-time by the following spring. In August 2021, she went into rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, an eating disorder and other issues. In September, she confirmed she was working remotely from an out-of-state treatment facility. Mitchell was among five criminal division chiefs in Adel's office who in February called into question Adels ability to do her job, saying she rarely was in the office, showed signs of being inebriated during phone calls and had not provided leadership. Adel responded that she was not planning to resign and that she vehemently disagreed with their characterization of her. Adel then faced tough criticism for the dismissal of the 180 misdemeanor cases that included people who had been charged with drunken driving, domestic violence, assaults and criminal damage. Asked about the dismissals, Ducey had said leaders should take accountability for their actions and not blame their employees. Adel then apologized to the victims in those cases and said she took responsibility for what had happened in her office. Adels office and the Phoenix Police Department also were criticized for a later-dismissed gang case brought against demonstrators at an October 2020 protest against police brutality. Lawyers hired by the city to investigate said authorities didnt have credible evidence to support the claim that protesters were members of an anti-police gang. Adel acknowledged that her office made mistakes in the case. Adel is survived by her husband and two children. Funeral arrangements will be released later, the family statement said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Thousands of Iranians marched in the capital of Tehran on Friday to mark Quds Day," or Jerusalem Day, a traditional show of support for the Palestinians. It was the first time such marches were held since before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Iran has been marking the day, the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, since the start of its 1979 Islamic Revolution led by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The name Quds Day comes after the Arabic name for Jerusalem. Demonstrators chanted Death to Israel and Death to America slogans that have become tradition in mass rallies in Iran since its revolution and set fire to American, British and Israeli flags. Iranian state TV later showed a variety of ballistic missiles on display at the rally, describing them as Israel hitters." Iran does not recognize Israel and supports the Palestinian Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah, militant groups that oppose it. Israel views Iran as its archenemy in the Middle East. The rallies all headed to Tehran University, where the ceremony ended at Fridays noon prayers. Similar rallies took place in other Iranian cities and towns. State news agency IRNA quoted a general of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard's expeditionary force, known as the Quds force, as saying that Iran backs all groups ready to fight Israel. "We support any front that is formed against this criminal regime, and we will support any community that is ready to fight this criminal regime, Gen. Esmail Ghaani said at a speech in the northeastern city of Mashhad. Many high-ranking Iranian officials attended the rally in Tehran, including hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi and the powerful Guard commander, Gen. Mohammad Salami. Salami warned Israel that it would face a painful response" if it takes any offensive action against Iran. If the slightest act of evil is being taken by you, you know better than me what will befall you, he said. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a speech broadcast live on television condemned unnamed Arab states in the Persian Gulf for normalizing ties with Israel, referring to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. We condemn the treacherous move to normalize relations" with Israel, he said, and reiterated Iran's support for the Palestinian cause. We have always said this, we have always acted on this, and we have stood by it, Khamenei said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned lower-court orders that have blocked the Biden administration from ending a controversial Trump-era immigration program for asylum-seekers. Questions from conservative and liberal justices during nearly two hours of arguments suggested that the court could free the administration to end the Remain in Mexico policy that forces some people seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico for their hearings. President Joe Biden suspended the program on his first day in office. After Texas and Missouri sued, lower courts required immigration officials to reinstate it, though the current administration has sent far fewer people back to Mexico than its predecessor. The heart of the legal fight is whether, with far less detention capacity than needed, immigration authorities must send people to Mexico or have the discretion under federal law to release asylum-seekers into the United States while they await their hearings. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, Biden's top Supreme Court lawyer, told the justices the law does not contain a provision requiring migrants to be returned to Mexico and that there is a significant public benefit to releasing migrants who pass criminal background and other checks into the U.S., keeping detention beds free for more dangerous people. Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, at least one of whom the administration needs to win the case, suggested that the administration had a better argument than the states. You lose, right, if the government is right about what significant public interest is, Barrett said in an exchange with Texas Solicitor General Judd Stone II. Several justices also picked up on Prelogar's point that no administration, including Trump's, fully complied with the requirement to make migrants wait in Mexico. If the states are reading the law correctly, Justice Clarence Thomas asked, Wouldn't it be odd for Congress to leave in place a statute that's impossible to comply with? Justice Elena Kagan was among members of the court who wondered whether the lower courts were dipping impermissibly into international relations since reinstating the program depends on Mexico's willingness to accept the migrants and close coordination between the countries. What are we supposed to do, drive truckloads of people to Mexico and leave them in Mexico? Kagan asked Stone. Justice Samuel Alito appeared to be the strongest voice on the states' side, questioning the administration's assertion that it assesses migrants on a case-by-case basis before releasing them. Border agents stopped migrants 221,000 times in March 2022 and nearly 66,000 migrants were released in the United States, according to a government court filing. Alito said the situation seemed akin to people waiting to get into a Washington Nationals game. If they have a ticket and no alcohol or guns, they're admitted, Alito said. That's basically what you're doing. You've got a little checklist and you go, boom, boom, boom, Alito said. About 70,000 people were enrolled in the program, formally known as Migrant Protection Protocols, after President Donald Trump launched it in 2019 and made it a centerpiece of efforts to deter asylum-seekers. After Biden's suspension of the program, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ended it in June 2021. In October, DHS produced additional justifications for the policys demise, to no avail in the courts. The program resumed in December, but barely 3,000 migrants had enrolled by the end of March, during a period when authorities stopped migrants about 700,000 times at the border. The high court pondered what to make of the limited nature of the challenged program. Chief Justice John Roberts said he was sympathetic with the administration's position that it can't detain everyone or possibly comply with the law. But where does that leave us? he asked. Those being forced to wait in Mexico widely say they are terrified in dangerous Mexican border cities and find it very hard to find lawyers to handle their asylum hearings. Democratic-led states and progressive groups are on the administration's side. Republican-led states and conservative groups have sided with Texas and Missouri. Those include the America First Legal Foundation, led by former Trump aides Stephen Miller and Mark Meadows. As the court is weighing the asylum policy, the administration is expected to end another key Trump-era border policy that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. It allows authorities to expel migrants without a chance to seek asylum. The decision to end Title 42 authority, named for a 1944 public health law, on May 23 is being legally challenged by 22 states and faces growing division within Bidens Democratic Party. A decision in Biden v. Texas, 21-954, is expected by late June. Researchers regularly survey coasts for creatures like sea turtles, marine mammals and endangered bird species. And while they often come across debris while combing the Texas shoreline, lately, creepy dolls seem to be their most popular find. Mission-Aransas Reserve researchers say that for years now, they've been mysteriously encountering dolls washing ashore on Texas beaches. The reserve documents the most interesting ones on their Facebook page. The creepy castaways are usually in horrific condition, covered in barnacles or missing their limbs, hair and eyes. One of the group's most recently shared dolls, which had barnacles growing out of its eyes, was on Monday. "Oh boy, a creepy doll. I know a bunch of you weirdos out there like this," says Jace Tunnell, director of the Mission-Aransas Reserve at the University of Texas Marine Institute, in a beachcombing video. "This is some stuff that comes up all the time." With each social media post, users appear to be more and more intrigued. "Creepy and why are there so many dolls in the ocean? Am I missing something?" one user commented on an April 22 post. "This one looks happy to be found! ... not like some of the others!" another wrote. Tunnell told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he and his colleagues regularly find the dolls while surveying a 40-mile stretch of beach from north Padre Island to Matagorda Island. "Every day is something new," Tunnell said. "Just when you've found everything that could possibly wash up on shore, something else comes up." So far, Tunnell told the Star-Telegram that he's collected 30 of the disturbing dolls since he began keeping count. "The creepiest are the ones that have lost all their hair," he said. The first doll they found was the head of a sex doll. "I posted a picture of it and I didn't realize that's what it was," Tunnel said. "We got a lot of followers on the page after that." Someone later bought the sex doll's head for $35 and the proceeds were donated to a sea turtle rescue program, Tunnell told the Star-Telegram. But how did the dolls even get there, one might ask? The UT Marine Science Institute found the Texas Coastal Bend region is a "junk magnet." "Texas coastal bend beaches get 10 times the amount of trash ... than any other beach in the Gulf of Mexico," Tunnel told the Star-Telegram. This is because of a "loop current" that extends from the Yucatan Peninsula to Florida and pushes debris toward the Texas Gulf. The group also gets a surprising number of people requesting to purchase or take the dolls. Tunnell told the Star-Telegram that he doesn't keep any of the toys out of fear that they could be haunted but he sells them at a yearly fundraising auction. "There's a lot of nightmares out there," he said. Hong Kong: 363 COVID-19 cases reported The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today said it is investigating 363 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 190 were detected by nucleic acid tests and 173 were identified via rapid antigen tests. Among the new cases, 25 are imported while the rest are locally infected. A total of 1,191,579 people have contracted the virus since the onset of the fifth wave of the epidemic, involving 9,095 deaths. Analysis by the Government's Public Health Laboratory Services Branch revealed that among the imported cases recently recorded, 10 cases were found to carry the BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1 variants under the Omicron mutant strain. Seven of these cases were identified upon arrival in Hong Kong and the remaining three tested positive during compulsory quarantine at designated quarantine hotels, the CHP said, adding that no cases of the sub-lineages were found in the local community so far. Meanwhile, the Government made a restriction-testing declaration to cover Tung On House of Lei Tung Estate in Ap Lei Chau, requiring people in the restricted area to undergo compulsory testing before the specified deadline. Due to a number of positive cases, 40 specified places are included in a compulsory testing notice. The Government will set up or reopen mobile specimen collection stations at Chi Fu Fa Yuen in Pok Fu Lam, Fu Shan Estate in Diamond Hill, On Yam Estate in Kwai Chung and Cheung Hong Estate in Tsing Yi tomorrow while the mobile station at Cheung Wang Estate in Tsing Yi will extend service to May 2. As there were positive sewage test results with relatively high viral loads in several housing estates in Sai Kung, Sham Shui Po and Sha Tin, the Housing Department and the respective district offices will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to relevant residents as well as cleaning workers and property management staff working there. For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage. This story has been published on: 2022-04-30. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. ANKARA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned the German ambassador to Turkey in a row with Berlin over the sentencing of Turkish businessman and activist Osman Kavala to life in prison, state-run TRT broadcaster reported. The move came after Germany summoned Turkey's ambassador in Berlin on Friday to protest the verdict for the Turkish activist. Turkey's Foreign Ministry told the German diplomat the ruling of the "independent Turkish judiciary cannot be questioned by any institution, authority or country," and the ministry also rejected any attempt to intervene in the Turkish judiciary and politics, anonymous Turkish diplomatic sources told the TRT. German Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Christofer Burger confirmed that Turkish ambassador in Berlin was summoned for talks Friday morning. A Turkish court sentenced Kavala to a life sentence without parole on Monday after he was convicted on charges of attempting to overthrow the government in protests in 2013. Seven other defendants were sentenced to 18 years in prison for "aiding" the attempt. Community, Charity & Cause By Ls Cohen Published: April 30 2022 Billionaire ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is known for her philanthropy. MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, committed $436 million in funding to Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit whose mission is to build homes for the underserved. From that, the Long Island-based chapter of the organization is expected to receive $3.75 million. The money comes after the Nassau and Suffolk County chapters of Habitat for Humanity decided to merge. Lee Silberman, CEO of the combined entity, told Newsday that the money comes at a good time and the charity is putting together a committee to figure out the best ways to use the funds. Silberman thanked Scott for the gift in a statement. When families work side by side with our construction staff and volunteers to build their forever home, they are not only creating a better community, but they are building a better life for themselves and the future for their children, he said. According to the Habitat for Humanity Long Island website, more than half of all families on Long Island spend over 30% of their income on housing, which is the HUD definition of being housing burdened and 20% of all families spend more than half of their income on housing, leaving little to no money to pay for proper health care and other necessities. Recently, Habitat for Humanity on Long Island provided a newly renovated home in East Patchogue for a mother and daughter. Local News, Health & Wellness By Long Island Published: April 29 2022 New StretchLab Studio Coming to the Local Area, Offering One on One Assisted Stretches StretchLab , the premier assisted stretching franchise, is set to open its doors for the first time on May 9 in East Northport. Located at 4097 Jericho Turnpike, the studio will soon introduce people of all ages and fitness levels to the various health and wellness benefits of working with highly trained Flexologists in an open, modern, fun and approachable environment. StretchLab East Northport is owned by James Immordino. As a child, James always admired his grandfathers entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to help others, which led him to pursue his dream as a local, small business owner. Immordino was inspired to open his a StretchLab studio after he discovered the long-term benefits of assisted stretching for people from all walks of life. From the clientele to the Flexologists, everyone who walks through the door has a different background and specific goal which makes the studio so unique and diverse, said James. I am excited to introduce the community to all the benefits StretchLab offers from a health and lifestyle perspective that will last a lifetime. StretchLab offers a variety of one-on-one personalized stretching services including a 25-minute stretch that concentrates on the clients current stretching needs, as well as a 50-minute head-to-toe deep stretch that addresses all major muscle groups. Monthly memberships are available for four or eight visits per month, as well as drop-in stretches. The East Northport studio will also offer the TRX MAPS machine, which is a revolutionary machine that identifies movement inefficiencies across four critical categories: Mobility, Activation, Posture and Symmetry. The MAPS score is created utilizing 3D technology to perform a total body movement assessment scan in under 30 seconds, as users perform three body-weight squats. Results are delivered on-screen and via email, which will allow StretchLabs Flexologists to better serve the needs of its diverse members. This creates a customized movement plan and offers a measurable way to see progress in flexibility. While working as a personal trainer in the fitness industry for many years, I was dedicated to motivating people and encouraging them to reach their goals, said General Manager, Jen Alexander. I am looking forward to bringing my passion to the new StretchLab in my local community and helping people who want to be able play and run around with their grandkids, excel in their sport and overall, live a healthy lifestyle. LAKE COUNTY A 20-year-old member of a fire department in Lake County was arrested for allegedly setting two fires in Yates Township. According to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to two separate fires on April 27. A Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer discovered the first fire on 80th Street. The second fire occurred a few hours later on Queens Highway, near 80th Street. The ongoing trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard continues, but the latter has been losing credibility in her efforts to prove she is right. Amber Heard's defense shows photos of drugs and a 'passed out' Johnny Depp There are two elements to her losing ground. The reasons being that she did not donate the money from her divorce to charity and she is accused of assaulting the actor. The donations that were not donations Heard reported that after a series of problems she had finally been able to make the donations, but now it is known that she had only donated 350,000 dollars. In addition, billionaire Elon Musk, her partner after breaking up with the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star, reportedly donated a million dollars. "We did not receive any payments from 2019 onwards," Terrance Dougherty, the chief operating officer and general counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said, responding to the actor's lawyer, Benjamin Chew. The deponent has again insisted that "Heard had not donated her entire settlement to the ACLU". She lied at the trial in London. Johnny Deep's injuries according to his bodyguard Malcolm Connolly, who has been Depp's bodyguard for years, was the next person to testify. He showed a photograph of the two actors on their honeymoon. Depp's face shows several bruises and swelling. "Most of these marks were on the left side of his face," said Connolly, who, because of his work, says he has learned to mentally register any injury or physical change in people. "He had a swollen lip and bruises on his eye. He'd walked into a door... or a door had walked into him." Update narration See full narration Hello and welcome to our American Finances live blog this Saturday, April 30, in which we look at some of the latest financial news and updates across the United States. This will include focusing on some the benefits programs that are available, as well as any money-saving tips that could come in handy. Today, we will highlight the monthly $500 checks being sent out to low-income residents in Chicago, in addition to the $150 Gas Cards that are on offer in the city. You can also expect to see an update on the $850 check on offer in the state of Maine, plus any Social Security payments. As news continue to filter in from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about tax refunds, we will keep you up to date on when you can expect your payment and much more. We will also provide an update on a monthly payment coming as part of the Supplemental Security Income program. There is a lot to discuss in this Saturday's live blog on the latest financial news in the U.S., so stay with us to find out what is going on. The most recent updates will be at the top of the updates. BIG RAPIDS The Big Rapids Community Library hosted the "Pickin with the Champ" event Wednesday, April 27, which featured Anthony Williams, a five-time morel hunting champion and expert in residence for the National Morel Festival. There was a crowd of around 30 in attendance, all eager to learn more about how to find the often-elusive Michigan fungi. HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) The Connecticut Senate gave final legislative approval shortly before midnight Friday to a bill abortion rights advocates contend is needed to protect in-state medical providers from legal action stemming from out-of-state laws, as well as the patients who travel to Connecticut to terminate a pregnancy and those who help them. Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, said lawmakers in Connecticut, a state with a long history of supporting abortion rights, needed to pass the legislation in defense of our own values and our own legal system." It comes after Texas enacted a law that authorizes lawsuits against clinics, doctors and others who perform or facilitate a banned abortion, even in another state. The bill, which already cleared the House of Representatives earlier this month, passed in the Senate on a 25-9 vote. It now moves to Gov. Ned Lamont's desk. The Democrat has said he will sign it. Supporters voiced concern about the spate of new abortion restrictions being enacted in a growing number of conservative states and the possibility the U.S. Supreme Court may overturn or weaken Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established a nationwide right to abortion. We have to think about what we will do when that time comes and we have to think about what we're going to do right now, given what's happening in other states, said Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chair of the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee. Under the bill, state and local agencies in the state of Connecticut, which codified the Roe v. Wade decision in state law in 1990, would be prevented from cooperating in investigations and prosecutions of abortion providers in the state. The bill also modifies the states extradition statutes and prevents an out-of-state patients medical records from being disclosed. The socially conservative Family Institute of Connecticut has criticized the legislation, arguing it will create a safe harbor for abortion providers who violate abortion laws in other states. The bill would also allow an advanced practice registered nurse, nurse-midwife or physician assistant to perform the most common type of in-clinic abortion known as an aspiration abortion in the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy. The procedure is currently limited to physicians. Advocates contend the additional clinicians are needed to help address a shortage of doctors in Connecticut that perform abortions as well as prepare for the possible influx of women from out-of-state seeking to have the procedure. Sen. Patricia Billie Miller, D-Stamford, who is Black, said she agrees women should be able to make choices about their bodies. However, Miller said she planned to vote against the bill because of the racist history surrounding abortion, which was outlined during a speech delivered on the House floor by freshman Rep. Trenee McGee, D-West Haven, who spoke of Black girls being steered toward abortion as a form of birth control. I can't support a system that systemically tried to get rid of a race of people, Miller said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BEIRUT (AP) The leader of Lebanons militant Hezbollah group warned Friday that if Israel continues to target Irans presence in the region, Tehran could eventually retaliate by striking deep inside Israel. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallahs warning came in a speech during a ceremony in Beirut marking Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day, a traditional show of support for the Palestinians. Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters and officials from allied Palestinian groups attended. Israel has staged hundreds of strikes over the years on targets in Syria where Iran, like Hezbollah, supports President Bashar Assads forces but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations. It has acknowledged targeting bases of Iran-allied militias, such as Hezbollah, in Syria. Israel says its attacks are against Iranian entrenchment in neighboring Syria. Hezbollah, one of Irans main arms in the region, was formed in the early 1980s during Lebanons civil war by Iranian officers and Tehran has been arming and funding the group since. Nasrallahs comments came two days after an Israeli missile strike in Syria killed four Syrian soldiers and wounded others, according to Syrian state media. A Syrian opposition war monitor gave a higher death toll for the early Wednesday strike that hit suburbs of the capital, Damascus, saying it killed six Syrian soldiers and four Iran-backed fighters. Last month, an Israeli missile attack on Damascus killed two colonels with Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Iran retaliated shortly after by firing surface-to-surface missiles on what it described as an Israeli spy center in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil. The Islamic Republics military stance is developing to a level that if the Israels aggression continues on Iranian presence in the region it might strike at Israel directly, Nasrallah said. The ceremony, on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, was the first large gathering by Hezbollah since the coronavirus pandemic started. Nasrallah said Iranian officials now believe that the time when we bring our martyrs and hold funerals for them has ended. We will avenge our martyrs. This is an important development, Nasrallah said. MANISTEE The Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Customer Service Experience Workshop next month. This workshop is targeted at the service, retail, restaurant or lodging industries as the first point of contact for people visiting Manistee County. "They will walk away with an enhanced skill set to represent your business, the community and provide guests with the best overall experience," reads a news release from the chamber. "Our goal is to make Manistee County a community of choice for visitors and employees." The workshop is slated for 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 10 at West Shore Community College Manistee Downtown Education Center, located at 400 River St. in Manistee. There is no charge for anyone who would like to attend. The deadline to register is May 5. "The chamber received a grant from Consumers Energy Foundation and we are excited to support this opportunity for this professional development in our community," reads a news release. The training will aid participants in building on their strengths to make challenges they face easier. "Employees will hone in on their customer service skills and professional development to elevate the experience in our county for visitors and locals," reads the news release. Those participating also will be able to take the Guest Service Gold Tourism Online Program and Certification on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute. Those who attend the workshop and pass the certification will be entered into a drawing to win a prise. The business owner will receiving marketing for all employees who pass the certification and "be recognized as a business with exceptional customer service." For more information, email carmen@manisteechamber.com. Register online business.manisteechamber.com/events/ . Availability is limited. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HARTFORD On a night when the House of Representatives was embroiled in a long and at times acrimonious debate on juvenile crime, lawmakers enjoyed a brief, sweet respite Thursday when they quickly approved a wide-ranging bill that includes new state holidays and declarations that lollipops become the state candy, and shelter animals the state pet. The bill, lobbied by third- and fourth-graders at Timothy Dwight School in Fairfield, won an overwhelming vote of 139-5 and next heads to the Senate as the calendar closes in on the legislatures midnight May 4 adjournment. While Fairfield lawmakers complimented the children, another representative from the town of Orange briefly paid homage to Pez, the iconic hard candy disqualified from a potential state appellation because of its commercial ownership rather than generic appeal. Speaker of the House Matt Ritter tried to add some further levity to the moment by briefly pushing and abandoning the idea that Goldendoodles become the state dog. Ritters family has two Goldendoodles cross breeds of Golden Retrievers and Poodles. State Rep. Dan Fox, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the Government Administration & Elections Committee, introduced the bill, which would require the governor to designate: The first week of May to raise public awareness and treatment for tardive dyskinesia, neurological involuntary-movement disorder June 13 Albinism Awareness Day June Women Veterans Month; as well as Pride Month in commemoration of June 1969 and the contributions of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights movement. September as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, as well as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Awareness Month, to highlight the syndrome and available treatments for it Sept. 7 to be Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Day, to raise awareness Sept. 14 to be Free Enterprise Day, recognizing its contributions to the state economy Sept. 17 to be Constitution Day, to mark the United States Constitution. But the brief debate focused mostly on the Dwight students lollipop lobbying. Speaking to Ritter, who rules the 151-member chamber from an elevated dais, Fox, whose committee usually focuses on arcane election law, called the legislation one of the more-entertaining proposals of the session. He admitted that the lollipop section of the bill really does suck. Those kids really are amazing, Ritter said of the Fairfield school children. Were all very proud of them. Then, first-term Rep. Mary Welander, D-Orange, stood and offered Pez, invented in 1927 and headquartered in Orange since 1973, as a possible candidate for debate purposes, knowing that particular commercial entities cannot earn the designation to join the Charter Oak (state tree), the American Robin (state bird), Nathan Hale (state hero), Mountain Laurel (state flower), State Animal (sperm whale) and the American Shad (state fish). Last years comic relief for lawmakers brought a vote in the House to declare pizza as the state food. While it overwhelmingly passed the House, the bill died without action on the Senate calendar. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Inside a cavernous stone fortress in downtown Pittsburgh, attorney Robin Frank defends parents at one of their lowest points when they risk losing their children. The job is never easy, but in the past she knew what she was up against when squaring off against child protective services in family court. Now, she worries shes fighting something she cant see: an opaque algorithm whose statistical calculations help social workers decide which families should be investigated in the first place. A lot of people dont know that its even being used, Frank said. Families should have the right to have all of the information in their file. From Los Angeles to Colorado and throughout Oregon, as child welfare agencies use or consider tools similar to the one in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, an Associated Press review has identified a number of concerns about the technology, including questions about its reliability and its potential to harden racial disparities in the child welfare system. Related issues have already torpedoed some jurisdictions plans to use predictive models, such as the tool notably dropped by the state of Illinois. According to new research from a Carnegie Mellon University team obtained exclusively by AP, Alleghenys algorithm in its first years of operation showed a pattern of flagging a disproportionate number of Black children for a mandatory neglect investigation, when compared with white children. The independent researchers, who received data from the county, also found that social workers disagreed with the risk scores the algorithm produced about one-third of the time. County officials said that social workers can always override the tool, and called the research hypothetical. Child welfare officials in Allegheny County, the cradle of Mister Rogers TV neighborhood and the icons child-centric innovations, say the cutting-edge tool which is capturing attention around the country uses data to support agency workers as they try to protect children from neglect. That nuanced term can include everything from inadequate housing to poor hygiene, but is a different category from physical or sexual abuse, which is investigated separately in Pennsylvania and is not subject to the algorithm. Workers, whoever they are, shouldnt be asked to make, in a given year, 14, 15, 16,000 of these kinds of decisions with incredibly imperfect information, said Erin Dalton, director of the countys Department of Human Services and a pioneer in implementing the predictive child welfare algorithm. ____ This story, supported by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, is part of an ongoing Associated Press series, Tracked, that investigates the power and consequences of decisions driven by algorithms on peoples everyday lives. ____ Critics say it gives a program powered by data mostly collected about poor people an outsized role in deciding families fates, and they warn against local officials growing reliance on artificial intelligence tools. If the tool had acted on its own to screen in a comparable rate of calls, it would have recommended that two-thirds of Black children be investigated, compared with about half of all other children reported, according to another study published last month and co-authored by a researcher who audited the countys algorithm. Advocates worry that if similar tools are used in other child welfare systems with minimal or no human interventionakin to how algorithms have been used to make decisions in the criminal justice systemthey could reinforce existing racial disparities in the child welfare system. Its not decreasing the impact among Black families, said Logan Stapleton, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University. On the point of accuracy and disparity, (the county is) making strong statements that I think are misleading. Because family court hearings are closed to the public and the records are sealed, AP wasnt able to identify first-hand any families who the algorithm recommended be mandatorily investigated for child neglect, nor any cases that resulted in a child being sent to foster care. Families and their attorneys can never be sure of the algorithms role in their lives either because they arent allowed to know the scores. SAFER, FASTER Incidents of potential neglect are reported to Allegheny Countys child protection hotline. The reports go through a screening process where the algorithm calculates the childs potential risk and assigns a score. Social workers then use their discretion to decide whether to investigate. The Allegheny Family Screening Tool is specifically designed to predict the risk that a child will be placed in foster care in the two years after they are investigated. Using a trove of detailed personal data collected from birth, Medicaid, substance abuse, mental health, jail and probation records, among other government data sets, the algorithm calculates a risk score of 1 to 20: The higher the number, the greater the risk. Given the high stakes skipping a report of neglect could end with a childs death but scrutinizing a familys life could set them up for separation the county and developers have suggested their tool can help course correct and make the agencys work more thorough and efficient by weeding out meritless reports so that social workers can focus on children who truly need protection. The developers have described using such tools as a moral imperative, saying child welfare officials should use whatever they have at their disposal to make sure children arent neglected. There are children in our communities who need protection, said Emily Putnam-Hornstein, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills School of Social Work who helped develop the Allegheny tool, speaking at a virtual panel held by New York University in November. Dalton said algorithms and other predictive technologies also provide a scientific check on call center workers personal biases because they see the risk score when deciding if the case merits an investigation. If the case is escalated, Dalton said the full investigation is carried out by a different social worker who probes in person, decides if the allegations are true and helps determine if the children should be placed in foster care. CMU researchers found that from August 2016 to May 2018, the tool calculated scores that suggested 32.5% of Black children reported as being neglected should be subject to a mandatory investigation, compared with 20.8% of white children. In addition, the county confirmed to the AP that for more than two years, a technical glitch in the tool sometimes presented social workers with the wrong scores, either underestimating or overestimating a childs risk. County officials said the problem has since been fixed. The county didnt challenge the CMU researchers figures, but Dalton said the research paper represented a hypothetical scenario that is so removed from the manner in which this tool has been implemented to support our workforce. The CMU research found no difference in the percentage of Black families investigated after the algorithm was adopted. The study found the workers were able to reduce this disparity produced by the algorithm. The county says that social workers are always in the loop and are ultimately responsible for deciding which families are investigated because they can override the algorithm, even if it flags a case for mandatory investigation. Dalton said the tool would never be used on its own in Allegheny, and doubted any county would allow for completely automated decision-making about families lives. Of course, they could do that, she said. I think that they are less likely to, because it doesnt make any actual sense to do that. Despite what the county describes as safeguards, one child welfare expert who worked for an Allegheny county contractor says there is still cause for concern. When you have technology designed by humans, the bias is going to show up in the algorithms, said NicoLee Biddle, who has worked for nearly a decade in child welfare, including as a family therapist and foster care placement specialist in Allegheny County. If they designed a perfect tool, it really doesnt matter, because its designed from very imperfect data systems. Biddle is a former foster care kid turned therapist, social worker and policy advocate. In 2020, she quit, largely due to her growing frustrations with the child welfare system. She also said officials dismissed her concerns when she asked why families were originally referred for investigation. We could see the report and that decision, but we were never able to see the actual tool, she said. I would be met with What does that have to do with now? In recent years, movements to reshape or dismantle child protective services have grown, as generations of dire foster care outcomes have been shown to be rooted in racism. In a memo last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cited racial disparities at nearly every major decision-making point of the child welfare system, an issue Aysha Schomburg, the associate commissioner of the U.S. Childrens Bureau said leads more than half of all Black children nationwide to be investigated by social workers. Over surveillance leads to mass family separation, Schomburg wrote in a recent blog post. With discussions about race and equity looming large in child welfare circles, Putnam-Hornstein last fall took part in a roundtable of experts convened by the conservative American Enterprise Institute and co-authored a paper that slammed advocates who believe child welfare systems are inherently racist. She said she collaborated with the group that suggested there are racial disparities in the incidence of maltreatment because she sees the need for reforms, and believes that the adoption of algorithmic decision aids can help guard against subjectivity and bias. Some researchers worry that as other government agencies implement similar tools, the algorithms could be allowed to make some decisions on their own. We know there are many other child welfare agencies that are looking into using risk assessment tools and their decisions about how much fully to automate really vary, said Stapleton. Had Allegheny County used it as a fully automated tool, we would have seen a much higher racial disparity in the proportion of kids who are investigated. LAB RATS A decade ago, the developers of Alleghenys tool Putnam-Hornstein and Rhema Vaithianathan, a professor of health economics at New Zealands Auckland University of Technology began collaborating on a project to design a predictive risk model for New Zealands child welfare system. Vaithianathan and colleagues prototyped a new child abuse screening model that proposed using national data to predict the risk that the child protection system would confirm allegations that a child had been mistreated by age 5. The plan was scrapped after documents revealed the Ministry of Social Developments head sharply opposed the project, declaring: These are children, not lab rats. The minister wasnt the only one concerned. Emily Keddell, a professor of social work at Otago University in New Zealand who analyzed the tool in the peer-reviewed Critical Social Policy journal, found that it would likely have resulted in more Maori families being tagged for investigation, reinforcing existing structural inequalities by contributing to the ongoing stigmatisation of this population. In response, Vaithianathan said that she and her collaborators are open to community criticism and committed to showing their work, even if jurisdictions decide against it. She added that she has worked extensively with Indigenous Maori researchers. We encourage agencies to listen to those critical voices and to make leadership decisions themselves, she said. Vaithianathan and Putnam-Hornstein said they have since expanded their work to at least half a dozen cities and counties across the United States and have explored building tools in Chile and Australia. Brian Chor, a clinical psychologist and child welfare researcher at the University of Chicagos Chapin Hall, said the pair are respected for confronting ethical and racial concerns in creating the tool. He also said that Pittsburgh was the perfect place to create a model algorithm for other public welfare agencies. Allegheny County is probably an early adopter where the stars seem to be aligned, where they have the data, Chor said. They have a solid recipe that I think is replicable. In several public presentations and media interviews, Vaithianathan and Putnam-Hornstein said they want to use public data to help families in need. Were researchers and were trying to model what good, good approaches look like in this field, Vaithianathan said in an interview. The developers also noted in a document sent to Pennsylvanias Department of Human Services last year that demand for their tools had increased due to the pandemic, as the state weighed a proposal for a statewide tool that would cost $520,000 to develop and implement. Vaithianathan has said the tool ultimately can help address racial bias, and has pointed to a 2019 Stanford University evaluation commissioned by Allegheny County that suggests it may have had a modest impact on some disparities. Ive always felt that these are tools that have the opportunity to improve the quality of decision making, Vaithianathan said at a November panel. To the extent that they are used with careful guardrails around them, I think they also offer an opportunity for us to try and address some of those systemic biases. But when AP asked county officials to address Carnegie Mellons findings on the tools pattern of flagging a disproportionate number of Black children for a mandatory child neglect investigation, Allegheny County questioned the researchers methodology by saying they relied on old data. The researchers reran the analysis using newer data to address the countys concerns and reached many of the same conclusions. In response to AP, Allegheny County provided research that acknowledges the tool has not helped with combating disparities in the rates at which Black and white child neglect cases are investigated. A recent unpublished analysis written by the developers themselves determined no statistically significant effect of the algorithm on this disparity. We dont frame the entire decision-making process around race, though clearly its an important thing that we think about, Dalton said. Dalton said her team wants to keep improving the tool and is considering new updates, including adding available private insurance data to capture more information about middle class and upper income families, as well as exploring other ways to avoid needless interventions. Dalton also downplayed the algorithms role in neglect investigations. If it goes into court, then theres attorneys on both sides and a judge, Dalton said. They have evidence, right? Chor said Alleghenys tool is applied at the most important point of the child welfare system. The very front end of child protection decision-making is understandably the most impactful decision that you can make on a childs life, because once you come into contact with the hotline, with an investigator, then your chance of being removed, of course, is increased, Chor said. The latest version of the tool excludes information about whether a family has received welfare dollars or food stamps, data that was initially included in calculating risk scores. It also stopped predicting whether a child would be reported again to the county in the two years that followed. However, much of the current algorithms design remains the same, according to American Civil Liberties Union researchers who have studied both versions. The county initially considered including race as a variable in its predictions about a familys relative risk but ultimately decided not to, according to a 2017 document. Critics say even if race is not measured outright, data from government programs used by many communities of color can be a proxy for race. In the document, the developers themselves urged continuing monitoring with regard to racial disparities. If over a million dollars have been spent creating and maintaining this tool, only for call screeners to disagree with it, for racial disparities to stay essentially level, and for screen-ins to continue at unreasonably high rates, is that the best use of Allegheny Countys resources? asked Kath Xu, an attorney at the ACLU. Child welfare agencies in at least 26 states and Washington, D.C., have considered using algorithmic tools, and at least 11 have deployed them, according to a recent ACLU white paper by Xu and colleagues. LITTLE TRANSPARENCY, GROWING INFLUENCE Family law attorney Frank says shes always worried about the lack of due process and secrecy surrounding Allegheny Countys child welfare algorithm. Some of her clients have asked if the system was surveilling them because they used public assistance or community programs, but she cant answer. I just dont understand why its something thats kept in secret, Frank said. Once, Frank recalled, a judge demanded to know a familys score, but the county resisted, claiming it didnt want to influence the legal proceeding with the numbers spat out by the algorithm. Bruce Noel, who oversees call screeners using Alleghenys tool, said that while the risk score advises their decision on whether to launch an investigation, he is torn about sharing that information with families because of the tools complexity. He added that he is cognizant of the racial disparities in the underlying data, and said his team didnt have much input into development. Given that our data is drawn from public records and involvement with public systems, we know that our population is going to garner scores that are higher than other demographics, such as white middle class folks who dont have as much involvement with public systems, Noel said. Dalton said she personally doesnt support giving parents their score because she worries it could discourage people from seeking services when they need them. I do think there are risks and I want the community to also be on board with the risks and benefits of transparency, Dalton said. Other counties using algorithms are taking a different approach. Larimer County, Colorado, home to Fort Collins, is now testing a tool modeled on Alleghenys and plans to share scores with families if it moves forward with the program. Its their life and their history, said Thad Paul, a manager with the countys Child, Youth & Family Services. We want to minimize the power differential that comes with being involved in child welfare we just really think it is unethical not to share the score with families. In the suburbs south of Denver, officials in Douglas County, Colorado, are using a similar tool and say they will share scores with families who request it. Oregon does not share risk score numbers from its statewide screening tool, which was first implemented in 2018 and inspired by Alleghenys algorithm. The Oregon Department of Human Services currently preparing to hire its eighth new child welfare director in six years explored at least four other algorithms while the agency was under scrutiny by a crisis oversight board ordered by the governor. It recently paused a pilot algorithm built to help decide when foster care children can be reunified with their families. Oregon also explored three other tools predictive models to assess a childs risk for death and severe injury, whether children should be placed in foster care and if so, where. For years, California explored data-driven approaches to the statewide child welfare system before abandoning a proposal to use a predictive risk modeling tool Putnam-Hornsteins team developed in 2019. The states Department of Social Services spent $195,273 on a two-year grant to develop the concept. During the project, the state also explored concerns about how the tool may impact racial equity. These findings resulted in the state ceasing exploration, department spokesman Scott Murray said in an email. Putnam-Hornsteins team is currently working with one of the nations largest local child welfare systems in Los Angeles County as it pilots a related tool. The embattled agency is being audited following high-profile child deaths, and is currently seeking a new director after its previous one stepped down late last year. The complex-risk algorithm helps to isolate the highest-risk cases that are being investigated, according to the countys Department of Children and Family Services. So far, the experiment has been limited to the Belvedere, Lancaster, and Santa Fe Springs offices, the agency said. The tool also has allowed the agency to generate and review reports about cases involving Black children and families who were deemed low-risk, but were still investigated and didnt result in any conclusive or substantiated allegations, the county said. In the Mojave Desert city of Lancaster, U.S. Census shows 22% of the citys child population is Black. In the first few months that social workers started using the tool, county data shows that Black children were the subject of nearly half of all the investigations flagged for additional scrutiny. The county did not immediately say why, but said it will decide whether to expand the tool later this year. Back in Pittsburgh, family law attorney Frank is still trying to untangle how, exactly, the countys algorithm is impacting each client she shepherds through the system. To find strength on the brutal days, she keeps a birthday calendar for the children shes helped and sends them handwritten cards to remember times when things went right. Shes still haunted by a case in which she says she heard a social worker discuss a mothers risk score in court around 2018. The case ultimately escalated to foster care, but Frank has never been able to understand how that number influenced the familys outcome. County officials said they could not imagine how a risk score could end up in court. Theres no way to prove it thats the problem, Frank said. ___ Associated Press reporter Camille Fassett contributed to this report. ___ Follow Sally Ho and Garance Burke on Twitter at @_sallyho and @garanceburke. ___ Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/ OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Oklahoma's Republican-led state Legislature passed several anti-abortion restrictions in recent weeks, part of a movement in conservative states to curtail women's reproductive rights. Anti-abortion lawmakers are hopeful the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court, which already indicated in arguments it would uphold Mississippi's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, might even overturn the nationwide right that has existed for nearly 50 years. A decision isn't expected before June. Meanwhile, a new Texas law that bans most abortions and was designed to evade court challenges has been in effect nearly eight months, resulting in a major spike in abortions in Oklahoma as women in Texas head to surrounding states to receive services. Here's a look at what's happening in Oklahoma and what experts say is expected in the coming months: ARE OKLAHOMA'S ABORTION RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED TO STAND? The first anti-abortion bill signed into law this year by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt would make performing an abortion a felony crime, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. That bill is scheduled to take effect in August, but it's likely to be struck down by the courts because the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion remains the law of the land and a state cannot make a felony something that SCOTUS says is a constitutional right," said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. A lawsuit seeking to halt that measure was filed Thursday in district court, adding the challenge to an existing case in which five anti-abortion measures approved by lawmakers last year have been blocked from taking effect. Abortion providers in Oklahoma say they are more concerned with two anti-abortion bills in the state that, like the Texas law, allow private citizens to sue doctors or anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion for up to $10,000. Because that law empowers private parties, not the state, to enforce the ban, so far the U.S. Supreme Court has not determined that it is unconstitutional. One Texas-style bill that prohibits abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy already is awaiting the governor's signature; another that bans essentially all abortions is still working through the Legislature. We are more concerned at this point about these Texas-style bans because they have, at least recently, been able to continue and remain in effect, said Emily Wales, interim president and CEO at Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates two abortion clinics in Oklahoma. Even though Oklahoma's governor has yet to sign the Texas-style ban, abortion rights activists are optimistic it could be halted by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which has blocked dozens of proposed anti-abortion laws in recent years. HOW MANY ABORTIONS ARE PERFORMED IN OKLAHOMA? The number of abortions performed each year in Oklahoma, which now has four abortion clinics, has declined steadily over the last two decades, from more than 6,200 in 2002 to 3,737 in 2020, the fewest in more than 20 years, according to data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. In 2020, before the Texas law was passed, about 9% of the abortions performed in Oklahoma were women from Texas. Those numbers are expected to spike dramatically because of the influx of Texas residents seeking abortions in Oklahoma. Before the Texas ban took effect on Sept. 1, about 40 women from Texas had abortions performed in Oklahoma each month, the data shows. That number jumped to 222 Texas women in September and 243 in October. Were serving as many Texans as Oklahomans right now, in some cases more Texans than Oklahomans, Wales said. WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND IN OKLAHOMA? Even though abortions are still legal in Oklahoma, Wales said many patients are uncertain because they've seen news stories about efforts to outlaw the practice. She said operators of the two clinics are slowing down scheduling appointments over concerns that there could be delays because of the new laws. At this point we are being really cautious about opening new schedules, because we dont want patients to make travel arrangements, schedule time off work, get to Oklahoma and then find out the governor signed a bill and you can no longer access care here," she said. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? It's not clear how soon the courts in Oklahoma might act, although judges in the past have issued temporary injunctions within weeks of legal challenges being filed. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in Oklahoma who have sought to restrict or outlaw abortion for decades are buoyed by the possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court may allow states to regulate or ban the practice. Combined with other Oklahoma statutes now on the books, it is hoped the practice of abortion will cease in our state for all time," said Rep. Todd Russ, a Republican from Cordell who wrote Oklahoma's Texas-style bill. We will continue our work until that is accomplished. Oklahoma is one of 22 states that have laws in place that would immediately ban abortions if the high court were to overturn or fundamentally weaken its Roe v. Wade decision, according to the Guttmacher Institute in New York, a think tank that supports abortion rights. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) Ballet dancers Adrian Blake Mitchell and Andrea Lassakova moved to Russia years ago to chase their dream of performing with the best in a country where people live and breathe ballet. But days after Russia invaded Ukraine, the couple uprooted their lives and left behind their prized jobs with the prestigious Mikhailovsky Ballet Company in St. Petersburg. Mitchell, who is American, and Lassakova, who is from Slovakia, are among the dozens of foreign dancers who have left Russia since the war started in February. The two are now in the U.S., preparing for a performance in Southern California. They say the war is bound to take Russian ballet back to the isolation of the Soviet era. Most of our friends are international. They left, and I dont think they will come back soon," Lassakova said. Amy Brandt, editor in chief of Pointe, an American online magazine about the world of ballet, said there were likely fewer than 100 foreign dancers working in Russia when the war started. But based on social media posts and hiring announcements by dance companies outside Russia, most have left, she said. Russia opened its ballet world to the West in the decades after the Soviet Union's collapse. In 2011, American ballet dancer David Hallberg became the first foreigner to be named a principal dancer at the storied Bolshoi Ballet. But in recent weeks, Russian ballet companies have experienced backlash over the war. The Bolshoi Ballet and Mariinsky Ballet companies, Russias most renowned ballet institutions, performed in the United States every year as part of their international tour, but already performances scheduled for this year have been canceled. It feels like were going backward in time in a lot of ways," Brandt said. Mitchell and Lassakova lived in Russia for seven years but decided to leave the country in early March after Russian troops invaded Ukraine and as rumors of martial law, financial collapse and the loss of liberties loomed. They hired a taxi and hurriedly left with their dog for Estonia. While in Russia, the pair didnt involve themselves in politics, despite seeing many pro-democracy protesters marching outside their apartment. But once across the border, and now in the U.S., the dance partners have been vocal about their opposition to the war. We had a difficult situation. But whats happening to the people of Ukraine is just the most tragic, terrible thing I could imagine, Mitchell said during an interview at Westside Ballet studios in Santa Monica, California, where he was once a student and where the couple will perform next month to raise funds for the school. Mitchell believes dancers, both Russian and the few foreign ones who remain, may oppose the war but fear the consequences of protesting. You hear very few Russian dancers speaking out, but many of them want to leave because they want to be able to speak out, he said. Russian ballerina Olga Smirnova quit the Bolshoi Ballet last month to protest the Russian invasion. She now dances with the Dutch National Ballet. Since arriving in the U.S., Mitchell and Lassakova have been traveling the country, doing benefit performances and giving talks in support of Ukraine. They are currently rehearsing at Santa Monica's Westside Ballet for a performance of Russian choreographer Oleg Vinogradovs Barbers Adagio." Its a ballet Mitchell and Lassakova performed in St. Petersburg. Now they fear they may never dance in Russia again. Russian ballet is definitely going to be totally isolated, Mitchell said. Isolated from the West. ___ Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (AP) Federal prosecutors on Friday urged a jury to reject a retired New York City police officer's argument that he was acting in self-defense when he swung a flagpole at police officers and tackled one of them during the U.S. Capitol riot. Thomas Webster, a 20-year NYPD veteran, is the first Capitol riot defendant to be tried on an assault charge and the first to present a jury with a self-defense argument. Jurors went home for the weekend about 30 minutes after getting the case. They're due back Monday for deliberations. During the trial's closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Kelly urged jurors to use their common sense and trust what they saw on several videos that captured the confrontation. Kelly said the videos show Webster swing his metal flagpole like a club, bull rush Metropolitan Police Department officer Noah Rathbun and then grab the officer's gas mask with both hands. Don't let the defendant off the hook for what he did that day, Kelly said. Webster, 56, testified Thursday that he was trying to protect himself from a rogue cop who punched him in the face. He also accused Rathbun of instigating the confrontation. Rathbun testified that he didnt punch or pick a fight with Webster as a mob attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, disrupting Congress from certifying President Joe Bidens electoral victory. Defense attorney James Monroe said Webster had a right to defend himself against a bad cop who was using excessive force. Acquit this man. Send him back to New York, Monroe told jurors. Get behind the truth. And I'm talking about the whole truth. Websters jury trial is the fourth for a Capitol riot case. The first three defendants to get a jury trial were convicted of all charges in their respective indictments. A judge decided two other cases without a jury, acquitting one of the defendants and partially acquitting the other. A grand jury indicted Webster on six counts, including a charge that he assaulted Rathbun with a dangerous weapon, a metal flagpole. He wasnt accused of entering the Capitol on Jan. 6. Webster drove alone to Washington, D.C., from his home near Goshen, New York, on the eve of the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally. He was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a U.S. Marine Corps flag on a metal pole when he approached the Capitol, after listening to then-President Donald Trump address thousands of supporters. Webster said he went to the Capitol to petition lawmakers to relook at the results of the 2020 presidential election. But he testified that he didnt intend to interfere with Congress joint session to certify the Electoral College vote. Rathbuns body camera captured Webster shouting profanities and insults before they made any physical contact. Webster said he was attending his first political protest as a civilian and expressing his free speech rights when he yelled at officers behind a row of bike racks. The body camera video shows that Webster slammed one of the bike racks at Rathbun before the officer reached out with an open left hand and struck the right side of Websters face. Webster said it felt like he had been hit by a freight train. Rathbun said he was trying to move Webster back from a security perimeter that he and other officers were struggling to maintain. After Rathbun struck his face, Webster swung a metal flagpole at the officer in a downward chopping motion, striking a bike rack. Rathbun grabbed the broken pole from Webster, who charged at the officer, tackled him to the ground and grabbed his gas mask. Rathbun testified that he started choking as the chinstrap on his gas mask pressed against his throat. Webster said he grabbed Rathbun by the gas mask because he wanted the officer to see his hands and know that he didn't pose a threat. "Does that make any amount of sense to any of you?" Kelly asked jurors. Rathbun reported a hand injury from a separate encounter with a rioter inside the Capitol. He didnt report any injuries caused by Webster, but jurors saw photos of leg bruises that Rathbun attributed to his confrontation with the retired officer. Webster faces six counts: assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer using a dangerous weapon; civil disorder; entering and remaining in restricted grounds with a dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in restricted grounds with a dangerous weapon; engaging in physical violence in restricted grounds with a dangerous weapon; and engaging in an act of physical violence on Capitol grounds. Webster retired from the NYPD in 2011 after 20 years of service, which included a stint on then-Mayor Michael Bloombergs private security detail. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1985 to 1989 before joining the NYPD in 1991. More than 780 people have been charged with riot-related federal crimes. The Justice Department says over 245 of them have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The United Methodist Churchs Council of Bishops, ending a five-day meeting Friday, acknowledged the inevitable breakup of their denomination a schism that will widen this weekend with the launch of a global movement led by theologically conservative Methodists. The breakaway denomination, called the Global Methodist Church, will officially exist as of Sunday. Its leaders have been exasperated by liberal churches continued defiance of UMC bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of openly gay clergy. Bishop Thomas Bickerton, who became the Council of Bishops new president Friday, described the launch of the new movement as a sad and sobering reality. Bickerton said he regrets any departure from the UMC and values the denominations diversity of thought. There is no perfect church, he said. The constant fighting, the vitriolic rhetoric, the punitive behaviors have no place in how we preserve and promote our witness as Christian believers. He said he prays the infighting will stop and the UMC will rediscover its mission to make disciples for Christ. He urged the UMC, even as it suffers defections, to think of May 1 as its launch day as well. We are the United Methodist Church not interested in continuing sexism, racism, homophobia, irrelevancy and decline, he said. What we are interested in is a discovery of what God has in mind for us on the horizon as the next expression of who we are as United Methodists. Bickerton, who heads the UMCs New York City region, succeeded Louisiana-based Cynthia Fierro Harvey as president of the bishops council. Harvey acknowledged the inevitable splintering of the denomination when she preached April 25 during her final address as the Council of Bishops president, I also realize that it might be time to bless and send our sisters and brothers who cannot remain under the big tent. A leader of the breakaway movement indicated Sundays launch would take place with little fanfare. This is the date that we can start receiving churches as they leave the United Methodist Church, and thats going to occur over a considerable amount of time, said the Rev. Keith Boyette, chairman of the new denominations Transitional Leadership Council and a United Methodist minister in Virginia. Itll be more of a rolling celebration. Its transitional doctrine includes a belief that marriage is between one man and one woman, and clergy must adhere to it a core point of division in the UMC for decades. Boyette said he expects some churches and pastors to announce Sunday they are joining the Global Methodist Church. He will be among them. On May 1, I will no longer be a member of the United Methodist Church, said Boyette, who has already been approved effective Sunday -- as a clergyperson in the new denomination. It is easier for clergy to leave the UMC than an entire church, which has to follow a layered process. As a result, Boyette expects the ranks of the Global Methodist Church will grow over time, noting that some who want to join will wait until after the UMC's 2024 General Conference and the possible passage of a protocol that spells out details for the breakup. Boyette criticized the actions of some members of the Council of Bishops, including the decision to further delay the General Conference. He suggested some bishops are intentionally blocking churches from using certain processes for exiting the denomination. Global Methodist Church organizers had originally expected to launch the denomination only after the next General Conference of the UMC. That legislative body is the only one that could approve a tentative agreement unveiled in 2020 after negotiations between conservatives, liberals and centrists to allow churches and regional groups to leave the denomination and keep their property. But the General Conference, originally scheduled for 2020, was already delayed for two straight years by the pandemic. In March, the UMC announced it was pushing off the next gathering yet again to 2024 due to long delays in the U.S. processing of visa applications. A little more than half of the denominations members are overseas, notably in Africa and the Philippines. The United Methodist Church claims 6.3 million members in the U.S. and 6.5 million overseas. Differences over same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy have simmered for years in the UMC, and came to a head in 2019 at a conference in St. Louis where delegates voted 438-384 to strengthen bans on LGBTQ-inclusive practices. Most U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBTQ-friendly options; they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines. In the aftermath of that meeting, many moderate and liberal clergy made clear they would not abide by the bans, and various groups worked on proposals to let the UMC split along theological lines. ___ Associated Press writer Giovanna Dell'Orto contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. The commanding officer of the USS George Washington told his crew Thursday that the Navy will begin to move sailors off of the aircraft carrier following a string of suicides and complaints from service members about conditions aboard the ship, whose projected departure from the shipyards has been pushed back once again. Capt. Brent Gaut announced that the ship will move 260 sailors "to an offsite barracks-type living arrangement on Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth" -- specifically, a Navy Gateway Inn and Suites -- starting Monday, according to a recording of the announcement reviewed by Military.com. "We'll be able to expand that number at about 50 additional beds per week as we figure out exactly what is needed," Gaut continued. Read Next: Troops at Remote and Overseas Bases Attempt Suicide More Often, GAO Finds The Navy confirmed the plan when asked by Military.com and a spokesperson added that the moves will continue until all Sailors who wish to move off-ship have done so. The moves comes at the end of a month that saw three sailors aboard the ship die via suicide, after a previously undisclosed string of suicides going back to at least July of last year. Military.com has been able to confirm at least five suicides by sailors assigned to the ship in the last 10 months -- the Navy has disputed the cause of death for one of those sailors -- and eight in total since November 2019. It also follows an April 22 visit to the ship by the Navy's top enlisted official, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russell Smith, in which the crew was told the service is largely powerless to improve conditions. Smith told a sailor who had asked about living conditions that the Navy "probably could have done better to manage your expectations coming in here" before informing the crew that raising concerns should be done "with reasonable expectations and then understanding what ... what this is like." "What you're not doing is sleeping in a foxhole like a Marine might be doing," he added. According to the commanding officer, the ship currently has 422 sailors living on board. Since sailors typically do not receive an allowance for housing until the E-5 rank, those living on board a ship while it's in a shipyard tend to be the most junior crew members. Gaut couched the development as the result of his team's focus on improving the crew's quality of life, mental health and morale. The captain noted that sailors will still have to sleep aboard the ship when they stand duty -- a Navy practice in which a portion of the crew remains aboard the ship overnight to be ready to respond to emergencies. Gaut also said sailors will be able to keep living aboard if they so choose. Gaut said that this arrangement will end about four months before the ship leaves the shipyard, before giving the crew a date that delays the delivery of the carrier to 2023. The Navy requested that Military.com not publish the specific date out of concerns about operational security. The delay is at least the third for the ship since it pulled into the shipyard at Newport News. In 2019, the ship was scheduled to be done in 2021, but a year later that had changed to 2022. Danny Hernandez, a spokesman for Newport News Shipbuilding, said that work on this ship "is nearing completion and our shipbuilding team is laser-focused on redelivering a fully recapitalized carrier to the fleet as early as possible." The news comes as details about who has died aboard the aircraft carrier and how are slowly coming to light amid mixed messages reported by the crew. Sailors reported to Military.com that Gaut told the crew on April 11 that the ship had had nine suicides in nine months. Another death followed on April 15; Gaut told the crew it also was a suicide. The Navy has yet to confirm or deny that Gaut relayed those numbers to the crew. When Military.com reached out to the Navy last week, Lt. Cmdr. Robert Meyers, a spokesman for Commander Naval Air Force Atlantic, said that the service was aware of only seven deaths -- not necessarily suicides -- aboard the ship in the last 12 months. The Navy did not provide details on who those sailors were and referred Military.com to local law enforcement for cause of death. A later Navy statement said that the three April deaths were "apparent suicides" while the other four 2021 deaths were as follows: a suicide in December; a "health-related death" in October; an "undetermined" death in July; and another "health-related death" in May. The Navy also disclosed that there were three additional suicides dating back to November 2019. This effectively brought the official count to seven deaths in 12 months, with four suicides. Again, no names were provided. In speaking with crew members and listening to other recordings of Gaut addressing the ship, Military.com was able to identify some of the other sailors who have died aboard the George Washington in the last nine months. The July death, which the Navy's statement called "undetermined," was ruled by the Virginia Office of the Medical Examiner to be a suicide, according to documents provided via email by the office. Still, when Gaut addressed his crew on Tuesday, he said the ship had experienced three suicides and three additional deaths in nine months -- inconsistent with the Navy's official statements and his prior statement to the crew, according to the sailors who spoke with Military.com. Regardless of the final count, the George Washington has experienced a cluster of suicides unheard of in recent years, though suicide rates have been climbing alarmingly for service members across the services. Rear Adm. John Meier, commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic, said in a statement this week that "while the Navy is a resilient force, we are not immune from the same challenges that affect the nation that we serve." "My staff and I are working daily, and aggressively, to ensure support and resources are available to sailors in the shipyards, at sea, and at home," he added. If you or someone you know needs help, the Veterans Crisis Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-273-8255, press 1. Services also are available online at www.veteranscrisisline.net or by text, 838255. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: The Navy Is Deputizing Doctors to Enforce Drug Rules Even for Those Seeking Mental Health Help When we hear a battlefield valor story about a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save a friend or battle buddy, that's usually the end of the story. For Cpl. Clair Goodblood, it was just the beginning. Goodblood was a soldier who first enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1947. His first posting was to Alaska, where he served as a chaplain's assistant. He reenlisted in 1950, the same year that North Korea sent its forces into South Korea, sparking off the three-year Korean War. He was transferred from Alaska to the undermanned 3rd Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Regiment shortly after. By Aug. 20, 1950, the 3rd Infantry Division was on its way to Wonson, Korea, where it would arrive on Nov. 21. Among their first tasks was covering the retreat of Task Force Faith from the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. Next, Goodblood and the 7th Infantry Regiment held the line around Hungnam as the United Nations forces successfully evacuated troops and materiel in the face of the surprise Chinese counterattack. Some 100,000 United Nations forces and 86,000 North Korean refugees were moved in a sealift operation that lasted nine days and is now known as the "Miracle of Christmas." The 7th Infantry Regiment was the last unit off of Hungnam's Pink Beach. By April 1951, Goodblood and the 7th were north of the South Korean capital of Seoul, among the first line of defense against the Chinese People's Liberation Army's 1951 Spring Offensive. It was here that Cpl. Goodblood would enter history books. As the UN positioned itself to retake the offensive over the 38th Parallel and take the fight back to North Korea, the Chinese moved first. With 700,000 men, the PLA suddenly struck the underprepared UN lines on April 22, 1951, all along the front line. Despite taking heavy losses at the Chosin Reservoir, the Chinese had plenty of troops to spare. In the area around Popsu-dong, 29 miles north of Seoul, Goodblood was a machine gunner for Company D, 1st Battalion, but was defending Company B's perimeter in a thickly wooded area. On the night of April 24, the perimeter was suddenly swarmed by incoming Chinese troops. Overwhelmed by the volume of attackers, the Americans were ordered to fall back. Goodblood volunteered to man his gun to cover their withdrawal. He and his assistant put the machine gun to work as his fellow soldiers escaped the onslaught, but caught sight of a grenade that was thrown into his position. Goodblood pushed his assistant aside and attempted to take the full force of the explosion himself, throwing his body on top of his fellow soldier. Both men were wounded, but Goodblood ordered an ammunition bearer to evacuate his assistant as he retook his position on the gun. United Nations troops fight on the outskirts of Seoul, South Korea. (U.S. Army) Wounded, Goodblood refused to be evacuated himself and continued pouring rounds into the enemy attackers. Finally, with all his comrades falling back, the Chinese mounted a "banzai charge" and were able to take down the soldier and silence his machine gun. When the U.S. and UN forces were able to retake the lost ground from the Chinese the next day, they found Goodblood's body beside his machine gun and around 100 dead enemy troops in his field of fire. His sacrifice allowed the company to regroup in the face of the surprise assault and retake their position. On Jan. 16, 1952, Goodblood's mother received his Medal of Honor from Secretary of Defense Robert A. Lovett at a Pentagon ceremony. On Memorial Day 1998, the Cpl. Clair Goodblood Medal of Honor Memorial was dedicated in Burnham, Maine's Chandler Cemetery, where he was buried. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook. Want to Learn More About Military Life? Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox. Answers Frontrunner Vaccine Will Affact the Price of Gold Chloride (AuCl3)-Beads - Market Trend CEO of Pfizer partner BioNTech says coming winter will be hard but by April, 300 million immunization units should be ready, which will have an impact on the global pandemic. If coronavirus vaccinations are rolled out widely, life could return to normal by next winter, one of the scientists behind the front-running coronavirus vaccine told British television on Sunday. Ugur Sahin, the Turkish co-founder of the German firm BioNTech, told the BBCs The Andrew Marr Show that this winter will be hard, without any major impact from vaccinations. Together with US giant Pfizer, BioNTech is developing the leading candidate in the worldwide chase for a vaccine. Israel has ordered millions of units of the vaccine, hoping that the first deliveries will arrive in the country by January. Affected by the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, the Gold Chloride (AuCl3)-Beads market is changing rapidly. These changes are indicators of market growth. This year-on-year upward trend in the market indicates that the next November 2020-2026 will show an oval but steady growth. The price of Gold Chloride (AuCl3)-Beads continues to be affected by factors such as market growth momentum, various opportunities and challenges. However, during the forecast period from 2020 to 2026, the global Gold Chloride (AuCl3)-Beads sales market is expected to continue to be above average. The growth rate will continue to increase. It is expected that from today to next week, the price of Gold Chloride (AuCl3)-Beads will increase to a certain extent. 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At room temperature, metallic lithium can partially generate lithium nitride when exposed to air, and lithium generates lithium nitride in a nitrogen stream 10 to 15 times faster than in air. At this time, all lithium is converted into lithium nitride. Learn more knowledge about Lithium nitride from nanotrun website. Inquery us Answers Global lithium-ion battery market trend 2025-2026 Common problems in the use and maintenance of lithium batteries by Newsmis-asia How serious are fertility problems today? People don't want to give birth,can't afford it, and can't give birth that has become the "three mountains". The problem of childbirth is related to the people's livelihood. Whether a country can prosper or not depends on the population. I saw a set of data a few days ago. The data shows that on January 1, 1990, 2,784 babies were born in Shanghai. Ten years later, on January 1, 2000, 1,148 babies were born in Shanghai. In 2010, the number became 380. , 2020 only 156 people, the decline in the birth rate is shocking. The three most critical reasons are: I don't want to give birth, I can't afford it, I can't give birth! The decline of the global population will bring a series of economic and social problems, among which the demand for lithium-ion battery will also be affected. 1. Basic concepts of lithium-ion battery: The lithium-ion battery has a nominal voltage of 3.7V (3.6V) and a charge cut-off voltage of 4.2V (4.1V, which has different designs according to the brand of the battery). (The specification for lithium-ion batteries is: lithium-ion secondary batteries 2. Requirements for charging lithium-ion battery (GB/T182872000 specification) First of all, constant current charging, that is, the current is constant, and the battery voltage gradually increases with the charging process. When the battery terminal voltage reaches 4.2V (4.1V), the constant current charging is changed to constant voltage charging; the voltage is constant, and the current is based on the battery. The saturation level gradually decreases as the charging process continues, and when it decreases to 0.01C, the charging is considered to be terminated. (C is a way of expressing the battery's nominal capacity against the current. For example, if the battery has a capacity of 1000mAh, 1C is the charging current of 1000mA. Note that it is me instead of mAh, and 0.01C is 10mA.) Of course, the standard representation is 0.01 C5A, simplified here. 3. Why do you think 0.01C is the end of charging? This is stipulated by the national standard GB/T18287-2000, and it is also discussed. In the past, everyone generally ended with 20mA. The industry standard YD/T998-1999 of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications also stipulates that no matter how large the battery capacity is, the stop current is 20mA. The 0.01C specified by the national standard helps charge more fully, which is beneficial for the manufacturer to pass the appraisal. In addition, the national standard stipulates that the charging time should not exceed 8 hours; that is to say, even if it has not reached 0.01C, the charging is considered to be over after 8 hours. (Batteries with good quality should reach 0.01C within 8 hours, for batteries with poor quality, it is meaningless to wait). 4. How to distinguish whether the battery is 4.1V or 4.2V? Consumers are indistinguishable; it depends on the product specification of the cell manufacturer. Some brands of batteries are 4.1V and 4.2V universal, such as A&TB (Toshiba); domestic manufacturers are 4.2V, but there are exceptions, such as Tianjin Lishen is 4.1V (but it is currently 4.2V). High-quality graphite supplier Luoyang Moon & Star New Energy Technology Co., LTD, founded on October 17, 2008, is a high-tech enterprise committed to developing, producing, processing, selling, and technical services of lithium-ion battery anode materials. After more than 10 years of development, the company has gradually developed into a diversified product structure with natural graphite, artificial graphite, composite graphite, intermediate phase, and other negative materials (silicon-carbon materials, etc.). The products are widely used in high-end lithium-ion digital power and energy storage batteries. If you are looking for Lithium battery anode material, click on the needed products and send us an inquirysales@graphite-corp.com. Recently, the Turkish government announced that the Turkish President has signed a presidential decree to provide incentives for its Black Sea gas field development projects, including tax exemptions and other preferential measures. With a fixed investment of 145.1 billion Turkish lira ($10 billion), the project will employ 1,018 people and produce 14 billion standard cubic meters of gas per year, the decree reads. The incentives involved include tariff and VAT exemptions, as well as a range of tax cuts. In June 2021, Turkish drill ships discovered 135 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the Sakaria field in the Black Sea, bringing Turkey's total gas discoveries in the region to 540 billion cubic meters. Turkey imports almost all of its annual gas consumption of about 50 billion cubic meters. Except for natural gas, the supply and prices of many other lithium-ion battery will continue to be influenced by international situations. Inquery us The Blue Jays announced this afternoon theyve selected infielder Vinny Capra. Right-hander Bowden Francis was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to create active roster space. Toronto already had a 40-man roster vacancy after placing Cavan Biggio on the COVID-19 injured list earlier in the week. Capra, 25, gets a big league call for the first time. The 58, 175 pound infielder was a 20th round pick in 2018 out of the University of Richmond. Despite lacking draft pedigree, the right-handed hitter climbed to the high minors by 2021 and had an impressive showing. In 282 plate appearances with Double-A New Hampshire, Capra hit .327/.396/.548 with ten home runs. That was inflated by a .428 batting average on balls in play that masked a 26.2% strikeout rate, but hed made contact at a higher clip in previous seasons. That solid Double-A showing earned him a five-game cameo in Triple-A late last year. Capra didnt collect a hit, but hes off to a nice start with Buffalo this season. Over 77 plate appearances, hes hitting .304/.377/.478 with three homers. He has only fanned in 10.4% of his trips to the dish, earning him a spot on the MLB bench. Capra has a fair bit of minor league experience at each of second base, third base and shortstop, with brief stints in both left and center field. A Deputy Finance Minister, Dr. John Kumah has stated that government is 95% ready to go ahead with the E-Levy implementation come May 1. He said the next 48 hours will shoot the preparedness level to a hundred percent. According to him, come May 1 Ghanaians will witness the commencement of the controversial E-levy live and colored. Speaking on the AM show on Joy News today, he said the implementation will proceed on as scheduled. He clarified that churches and mosques will not have their tithe and offerings taxed as being speculated by some persons. His comments follow claims that tithes and offerings sent digitally will attract the 1.5% E-levy tax. But Dr. Kumah explained that assuming you issued a cheque of GHS2000 for your tithe and your bank is going to charge you for your bank service charges for issuing a check. Does it mean that you are being charged for your tithe? Or assuming that I picked my car bought fuel and drove to the bank and withdrew GHS2000 to go and pay my tithe, the transportation to the bank to withdraw the money and transportation to the church to pay the tithe, are they part of the tithe I am paying? So this is complete propaganda just to create fear in people. If you decide to pay GHS2000 as your offering or tithe, the church will receive that exact amount. E-levy will not affect it. Dr. Kumah argues that there is a difference between taxing mobile money transactions and taxing tithe. He indicated that if I send my tithe by MoMo, I may be taxed 1.5% after GHS100 as a service charge, but that is not going to affect the amount of tax Im going to pay to my church and it is the same way if I have written a cheque my tithe will still be paid, but my bank will charge me for issuing the cheque. Lets not confuse these things by saying E-levy is going to tax tithes and whats not, its a big lie. The Electronic Transaction Lexy (E-levy) was passed into law after a presidential assent in March. The opposition NDC run to the Supreme Court to file an injunction to stop the implementation of the controversial levy. At least 3,077 people died in the Mediterranean and Atlantic while trying to reach Europe last year -- double the toll from 2020 -- according to United Nations' figures published on Friday. The report from the UN refugee agency calls for urgent action to reduce the surging number of deaths among refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants trying to reach Europe. Last year, a total of 3,077 people were lost while trying to negotiate the Mediterranean and Atlantic routes to the continent. The figure for 2020 was 1,544 . "Alarmingly, since the beginning of the year, an additional 478 people have also died or gone missing at sea," UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva. The report showed that for 2021, 1,924 people were reported dead or missing on the Central and Western Mediterranean routes, while another 1,153 perished on the North African maritime route to the Canary Islands. "Most of the sea crossings took place in packed, unseaworthy, inflatable boats, many of which capsized or were deflated leading to the loss of life," Mantoo said. The sea journey from countries on the West African coast such as Mauritania and Senegal to the Canary Islands was particularly perilous, she said, pointing out that the crossing could take up to 10 days. "Many boats drifted off course or otherwise went missing without trace in these waters," she said. 'Litany of abuses' The increase in the number of deaths at sea came against a background of a surge in the number of crossings. The UNHCR report showed that 53,323 migrants arrived by boat in Italy last year, an 83 percent hike over 2020. And 23,042 arrived in the Canary Islands, nearly the same number as a year earlier, it said. The report also noted a 61 percent hike in departures from Tunisia compared to 2020, while departures from Libya shot up 150 percent. Sea crossings are not the only dangers threathening migrants. The UNHCR cautioned that land routes were also "highly dangerous". "Even greater numbers may have died on journeys through the Sahara desert and remote border areas, in detention centres, or while in the captivity of smugglers or traffickers," Mantoo said. Migrants along all of these routes face a "litany of abuses", she said, naming "extrajudicial killings, unlawful and arbitrary detention, sexual and gender-based violence, forced labour, slavery, forced marriage." UNHCR warned that the coronavirus pandemic and related border closures had complicated movement further and had forced more desperate refugees and migrants to turn to smugglers to make their perilous journeys. It also said political instability, conflict and climate change could increase such dangerous displacements in the future. To coincide with the release of its report, the UN refugee agency launched an appeal for 150 million euros to help provide protection and solutions for refugees and others travelling along the dangerous routes to Europe. "UNHCR is appealing for support to help provide meaningful alternatives to these dangerous journeys and prevent people from becoming victims of traffickers," Mantoo said. (With news agencies) Heads of anti-corruption agencies from the Commonwealths 19 African member states are set to gather in Kigali, Rwanda, from 3 7 May 2022 for a major conference that will seek to boost regional crime-fighting efforts. Now in its 12th year, the Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa will be convened under the theme Combating Corruption for Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Africa. Organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda, the conference will bring together members of the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa, senior government officials, relevant international organisations, civil society, policymakers, and development partners to address key priorities towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16, share knowledge and good practices, discuss the impacts of corruption on sustainable development in Africa, and innovative approaches in the fight against corruption. The Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, said: Corruption is a serious threat to sustainable and equitable development. Every dollar lost to corruption is a dollar lost to investing in a childs education, healthcare or much-needed infrastructure. That is why the Commonwealth Secretariat has made preventing and countering corruption a top priority. But to do this, collaboration and cooperation between our member states will be critical if we are to successfully meet the challenge of corruption. By coming together, we can build the prosperous future we want for the generations to come. And the Commonwealth Secretariat stands ready to support member states in this endeavour as part of its mandate to strengthen democratic societies and good governance, and advance a free, just, and peaceful Commonwealth. Dr Roger Koranteng, the Commonwealth Secretariats Adviser and Head of Public Sector Governance, said: The conference will provide a timely assessment of the progress member countries have made towards achieving SDG Goal 16 and a platform for the sharing of country, regional and international experiences by Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies, International Organisations, and experts. Anti-corruption agencies will have the opportunity to engage with their counterparts and international experts on issues of mutual influence, opening space for capacity building and collaboration in the fight against corruption. We look forward to welcoming you in Kigali, for a successful conference. The Conference has been held annually since its inception in 2011 and is part of the Secretariats mission to help governments, judges, the police, and other public institutions tackle systemic corruption by sharing best practices, training, and policy research. Nairobi Education ministers at the 21st Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) in Nairobi, Kenya, have issued a joint statement in which they recognised the urgent need to increase investment in education and skills at all ages, with particular focus on ensuring foundational skills for all. With Kenya hosting the Conference, Ministers also recognised the urgent issues raised in the Kenyatta Call to Action on Education Finance in 2021 and agreed to look for suitable opportunities to consider the financing of education and welcomed initiatives that support the capacity building of ministries of education on financing of education. Hosted by the Government of Kenya in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat and Kenyas Ministry of Education, the two-day conference focused on the theme, Rethinking Education for Innovation, Growth and Sustainability post-Covid-19 and accorded ministers, policymakers, civil society, and development partners the opportunity to share knowledge and good practice, and explore trends and innovative approaches that can be adapted by member countries to develop sustainable and resilient education systems. With regard to charting the way forward in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, ministers committed to building resilient education systems that can withstand future threats and disruptions and sought to improve access to digital connectivity and skills to support teaching and learning. Ministers resolved to build back better and with resilience for fair, inclusive economic recovery, and a sustainable future in the Commonwealth. Ministers also acknowledged the Commonwealth of Learnings focus on promoting learning for sustainable development through the use of technologies and noted the report and good work in support of distance education and learning, especially during COVID-19 pandemic. In her concluding remarks, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt. Hon Patricia Scotland QC, said: Over the last two days, we have discussed important issues such as financing education, Covid-19 mitigation and recovery strategies, education and employability, redefining learning spaces and education for sustainability and peace. I gladly received your ministerial statement and look forward to working with Kenya to implement these new ideas and recommendations for the next three years. Education, we know, lays the foundation for personal and social development, responsible action and good citizenship. It is a human right and the best guarantee against unemployment and poverty. But for our communities and societies to reap these benefits, we need high-quality and inclusive education systems throughout the Commonwealth. Let us build, reinforce, and sustain our partnerships to deliver the targets and SDGs. Declaring the conference officially closed, the new Chairman of the Education Ministers Action Group (EMAG) and Kenyas Minister of Education, Hon. Prof. George Magoha, said: As was well elaborated during the proceedings of this meeting the benefits of education at the individual and economic levels are enormous and permeate all our lives. The Conference of Commonwealth of Education Ministers provides a platform for the members of this family to review our progress, build synergies and forge a common way forward towards improving education in our countries. It is, therefore, my earnest hope that our discussions in the last two days and the direction provided in the Declaration emanating from this meeting will accelerate momentum towards the achievement of the Education 2030 commitments. On the occasion, the Commonwealth Secretariat also launched an exciting childrens book series on sustainable energy and the global transformation of energy systems. The books present the concepts of sustainable and inclusive energy in a digestible and engaging format for young readers, aged 7-12, to find out why they can be part of the change in the way the world produces and uses energy. These books are among publications, toolkits, manuals and other educational resources that the Secretariat provides free of charge to member states. The six finalists of the 2022 Commonwealth Education Awards were also revealed at a virtual ceremony on the margins of the conference. The awards recognise and celebrate promising and innovative programmes, projects, and people that have made a positive impact on the education sector across the Commonwealth. The meeting concluded with ministers expressing their sincere appreciation to the Government of Kenya for the effective chairmanship and excellent arrangements made for the 21st CCEM. Policy proposals from the ministerial statement that was issued will inform discussions at the upcoming Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting (CHOGM) , scheduled to take place in June 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. Over 200 international delegates from 40 Commonwealth countries, and over 200 participants from Kenya, attended the conference, which was convened in a hybrid format for the first time with some ministers and delegates attending the in-person event in Nairobi, while the rest joined virtually. The meeting also marked the first time the Commonwealth education family came together in Nairobi since 1987 when it hosted the 10th Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers on the theme of vocational orientation of education. The next CCEM will take place in three years time in 2025. Read the ministerial statement 29.04.2022 LISTEN The Chairperson of the Convention Peoples Party, CPP, Akosua Frimpongmaa Sarpong KumanKumah, has denied reports suggesting that she dragged five national executive officers of the party to the police. Reports say she reported the members to the Adabraka Police station in Accra for allegedly making derogatory statements about her. However, at a press briefing in Accra on Friday, the Chairperson denied the reports. She however defended the interdiction of three CPP executives on April 1 this year, stressing that it was necessitated by the decision of the partys Central Committee. Not too long ago, it was reported that I had reported five national executive officers of the party to the Adabraka Police station in Accra for making derogatory statements about me. These are absolute lies, and it was reported as though its the truth. I was surprised when I heard the news, the best they could have done was to check with the police. The Police officer on the case was equally surprised upon hearing the news. The Central Committee of the CPP had earlier directed Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong Kumankumah to step aside after she gained 43% of the total votes cast in their chairmanship elections of August 2020. It said the votes she garnered do not make her qualified for the position she occupies. In a statement, the Central Committee said it has resolved to conduct a run-off election between Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong- Kumankumah and the first runner-up, Comrade Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim. Ms. Kumankumah said calls for her to step aside are needless, given that she legitimately won the election based on the majority of votes. Ms. Kumankumah asked the committee to resort to the right procedures in getting their concerns addressed if they felt the processes leading to her election were illegal. Meanwhile, the CPP Council of Elders has condemned the Committee's attempts to remove Ms. Kumankumah from office. ---citinewsroom Moderator of the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, has said Ghanaians must be willing to pay heftier taxes if they want better development, adding that the proposed e-levy that is being fought by some Ghanaians is even too small compared to the taxes in some European countries. Speaking on the sidelines of the maiden Moderators Academic Excellence Award and Founders Day Celebration at the Presbyterian Womens College of Education in Aburi, Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante: Fortunately or unfortunately, I just returned from Europe. After visiting several cities, I realised that our E-Levy is nothing compared to the percentage of taxes they pay. I was discussing with my colleagues back in Europe that if Ghana will ever be as nice as those places, we would have to be willing to make some sacrifices. I have heard Ghanaians complain that they do not see the impact government makes with the taxes they already pay. Well, the taxes we currently pay [are] too little", he noted. Rt. Rev. Prof. Yeboah Mante urged Ghanaians to give the e-levy the benefit of the doubt. Most Ghanaians are not ready to pay taxes, he observed, adding: They want everything to be done for them. They say they do not see what the little tax they pay is used for, he pointed out. The tax we pay is too small, he stressed. I wish that Ghanaians will not play politics with E-levy, he hoped. One thing I will say is that: Lets try and see how it goes. If we try it, and it is used to develop Ghana, thats fine. But if the money is taken, and they dont develop Ghana, we vote them out. The e-levy is projected to raise some GH6.9 billion this year. Source: Classfmonline.com Joseph Dindiok Kpemka 30.04.2022 LISTEN A former Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka has urged workers in the public sector to make sacrifices in the midst of the current hardships in the country to support the government. The appeal comes following the ongoing impasse between the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana, (CLOGSAG) and the government, as well as the demand by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for an increased salary for members conterminous with inflation. CLOGSAG last week reiterated its desire to continue its strike action after the government failed to provide a plan for the payment of neutrality allowance for members. Amid divided opinion on the neutrality allowance matter, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka has shared that public workers must make considerations to support the government. I will like to appeal to workers to make a little sacrifice as the government also cuts salaries of appointees. I will urge workers to be circumspect to ensure we dont take actions that will retrogress us. The best was as workers is to make a little sacrifice as a way to contribute, the former Deputy Minister of Justice told TV3 on the Key Points programme on Saturday, April 30, 2022. The TUC has already served notice of plans to stage the biggest industrial strike that will blow minds if the President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo fails to increase salaries of its members. Forced to flee her home, 62-year-old Agathe fears never to see peace again as she recounts the violence she has faced in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. But the abuse Agathe has suffered in the territory of Masisi in North-Kivu province is not by rebels who have terrorised the area for over a quarter of a century, but soldiers. "I tried three times to go home, but the soldiers who took control of the village behave like those in the forest," says Agathe, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, referring to rebels. "They force us to work for them, they steal half of our crops. They ask us to pay taxes to access our own fields and when we don't pay, they whip us." Agathe, like thousands of others displaced in Masisi, fled the fighting between DRC armed forces and rebel groups after the authorities declared a "state of siege" in the troubled region nearly a year ago. The stringent measure gave the army and police full powers to run the administration and wage war on the hundred or so armed groups. But in witness testimony and reports, civilians accuse soldiers of murder, rape, torture, looting, forced labour and collaborating with rebels. "We thought that the state of siege would put an end to harassment, but in fact, it's much worse," says a civil society figure, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons. "The extortion by soldiers is taking place in broad daylight and with complete impunity," the person says. 'Shot on the spot' A UN document seen by AFP tells of troops committing hundreds of abuses including "attacks on protected people and places... abduction, recruitment and use of children," as well as sexual violence and torture. The abuses were documented in Masisi between May 6 last year and February 9, 2022, the UN Joint Human Right Office in DR Congo (UNJHRO) says. A religious leader blames commanders. "The people will never be safe here while soldiers' rations are stolen by their commanders," he charges. A health worker describes how soldiers from the 3410e regiment stormed into a health centre in Loashi, 10 kilometres (six miles) from central Masisi, in February looking for a rebel before they "shot him on the spot with three bullets". A UN document seen by AFP says troops committed hundreds of abuses including 'attacks on protected people and places'. By ALEXIS HUGUET AFPFile In another incident in December, soldiers from the same regiment raped 15 women held in underground cells after they were accused of witchcraft, according to a report by UNJHRO. The soldiers demanded $200 for the release of each woman and refused to let them access health care, it adds. The region's armed forces spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Ndjike, told AFP he was not aware of any accusations against the regiment. "If necessary, they will respond (to any claims)... it's not a problem." Several sources said the 3410e regiment left Masisi earlier this month, which Ndjike did not deny. Sitting on a bench, a despondent Agathe remembers the happier times of her youth. "When I was a young girl, we could walk freely, there was no kidnapping, no shootings, no harassment," she says, describing a world she no longer believes will return. Politics in Africa has been so corrupted that free and fair elections are very rare. The welfare of ordinary people is not all that important to African politicians any longer. Many African leaders continue to abuse the law, using power and intimidation to impoverish ordinary people who stand in hot weather to vote. In many African countries, people have lost confidence in the ruling governments. Even though they have no solutions to the common people's problems, during elections they will do whatever it takes to rig the results, either by increasing or reducing the number of votes of competing candidates. It is very common to see failed ruling parties giving large amounts of money to ordinary people to vote for them. Corruption and electoral fraud are the common crimes in African politics and institutions These illegal interferences in the electoral process in order to prevent the actual results have diverse consequences that can affect any country. A typical example of such a catastrophe that has become Ghanas nightmare is what transpired in the 2020 elections. Ghanaians mustnt think this electoral fraud is over. History can repeat itself because a corrupted government doesnt give up power so easily. Using money to influence people to vote is not only a crime but also has a long-term devastating effect on a country's political and economic future. This crime often takes place in Ghana, but it's going to be worse in the next general election. In Ghana today, crime in politics doesnt mean anything to desperate politicians, even though election irregularities and fraud are powerful enough to change the lives of ordinary Ghanaians from worse to worse. As a result, crime and corruption have increased in Ghana in the absence of immediate solutions. Imagine that both the police boss, IGP George Dampare, and the president, Nana Akufo Addo, have been linked to murder cases in the country. Whether it's true or not, Ghanaians can't tell, but what we do know is that both murders are now cold cases. During the era of John Mahama, many Ghanaians rose against him and accused him of corruption. The ex-president, like all African leaders, made mistakes. However, competition in his developmental projects has never been challenged by any Ghanaian leader after him. In a country, where tribalism is considered more important than the development, the accomplishments of John Mahama are never taken into consideration and will never be taken. Meanwhile, the ruling government has incurred so much debt that it has affected the economy beyond recovery. Surprisingly, the current political disaster unfolding and the country's collapsed economy aren't issues of concern to a section of the Ghanaian media, journalists, and writers. Today, Ghana, a country with so many resources, including gold, bauxite, timber, cocoa, oil, etc., has become an uncomfortable country to live in West Africa, but dont be deceived, because this political nightmare is not over. The desperate and failed NPP government is not ready to leave power easily in 2024, despite the fact that the majority of Ghanaians dont want them. Thats when they can likely bribe ordinary Ghanaians. Any Ghanaian influenced by money to vote for a political party in the country has bought his or her infinite doom because a good government mustnt depend on bribes to rule a country. Therefore, no matter how hard it is for ordinary Ghanaians to flee from temptations, reject any gift, such as bags of sugar or rice. Ghanaians shouldn't expect any better government from Akufo Addo because is not qualified to be a shepherd, let alone to rule human beings. I am not suffering from any nepotic disease to give support to an incompetent president that has destroyed our nation. To whom it may concern. Those items are to serve you for just a short period of time. Intelligent Ghanaians need a good leader who will make the country better for them and the next generation. Avoid exchanging your future for any of these baits, including money to destroy the country and your future. These are some of the political crimes taking place in Africa by failed governments that want to retain power. One of the reasons why, despite its vast resources, Africa remains stuck in the same place with no progress is that most of the leaders are corrupt and not interested in development. They lack the knowledge to enhance it. Therefore, they waste the countrys resources through greed and corruption. Thats the situation in Ghana today. What has made the political situation worse in Ghana is the control of the people by the tribal and corrupt media working for Nana Akufo Addo. They are very good at creating false propaganda, promoting crime, corruption, and confusion, and misguiding voters into believing that a rigged result is legitimate. The NPP government knows that the people are no longer interested in them, but they find it very hard to accept because it's a weakness for them. However, whether its weakness or strength, they have been exposed. The NPP government is not only the most corrupt but also its leader, Nana Akufo Addo, is the worst Ghanaian leader in the countrys political history. This man was born to destroy Ghana. If Ghanaians think what I am saying is not the truth, they must ask the majority what has been successful under the administration of the NPP government since Akufo Addo became president. The NPP government didn't only collapse banking institutions but also engaged in uncountable sod-cuttings without projects, resulting in a high rate of unemployment, increasing corruption from 35% to 85%, and incurring a huge debt without accountability. Patriotic Ghanaians must avoid taking money from the NPP government in 2024. They must avoid selling their souls for money because they will face such temptation. I will keep reminding each of you till the next elections. Ghanaians should never forget the lies Akufo Addo told through his teeth in the initial stages when he was desperately looking for power. The President of Russia, Mr. Vladimir Putin, must be one of the most cynical human beings ever placed at the head of a great nation. If you dont agree, just look at what hes done: he invited or at any rate agreed to meet the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, at Putins office in Moscow. Now, it cannot be fun to meet Putin in his office. For he places one at the far end of a longish table, as if one was an orifice of poisons trying their best to get out and kill those nearby. Nevertheless, Mr. Guterres went there. Only one message was on his mind: Mr. Putin, please stop the war against Ukraine. Guterres would have argued that the peoples of the world hated to see so many innocent civilians killed; so many homes burnt to ashes; and so many men, women, children and babies, having been driven by bombs and missiles to try and find safety in cold and dark makeshift underground bunkers. The world has been watching in horror as Ukrainian hospitals have been bombed; as missiles have turned schools and kindergartens to rubble; and as roads have been rendered impassable by craters formed by artillery shells. Putin probably listened to Mr. Guterres with feigned interest. He didnt really care about what the United Nations top man was saying. But he would, out of politeness no, out of obedience to his public relations technique sit the meeting out. When it ends, he bids Guterres a warm goodbye. Probably even drinks a toast with him a toast of the best vodka Russia can provide. Guterres may have been encouraged by the meeting. Or he may have chalked it down to one of those nasty nightmares to which those placed in high positions are exposed every now and then. Whatever he thought of the meeting, Guterres would have been shocked out of his mind when, on going to Ukraine to talk to its President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, too about what might persuade Mr. Putin to stop the war, or at least create a humanitarian corridor through which some of those hiding in bunkers in Ukraine, Guterres heard that Putin had rained bombs on an area a few kilometres from where Guterres and Zelenskyy were meeting. Was Putin real? What message did he expect to convey to the world by bombing Kyiv, when Guterres representing the entire world was actually in the Ukrainian capital? I am afraid anyone who thinks Putin is out of his mind is himself/herself suffering from delusion. Putin had just simply decided that he, like a leopard, cannot change its spots forever! He was tired of pretending; pretending that he cared two hoots about what the world thought of him. But in selecting Guterres for such a public humiliation, Putin has placed himself in the same category as the leaders of the West, as far as those of us in developing countries are concerned. For let it not be forgotten that when another UN Secretary-General, Mr. Dag Hammarskjold, was killed in an air crash near Lusaka, Zambia, on September 18, 1961, it was widely suspected that the Western Powers especially, the USA, Britain, and Belgium knew something about the nefarious assassination. Hammarskjold was in the process of negotiating a political settlement in the Congo that might put the country on the way to weaning itself from Western control of the Congos enormous mineral resources. But despite clear evidence that the West was at least in a position to help the UNs investigatory organs to clear up the mystery surrounding the crash, the West has, for a good sixty years, refused to provide any information to UN commissions specially set up to find out the truth. So, in snubbing Guterres, Putin may think he is equalising the ground, as far as observance of international law is concerned. But he is wrong. The world has changed tremendously since the assassination of Hammarskjold. That 1961 murder was perpetrated in darkness the darkness of the night; in a remote area; within the ambit of very nasty intelligence agencies as well as the South African and the (then) Southern Rhodesian air forces. Today, however, the bombing of Ukraine is on colour television sets 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whatever anyone says, the pictures cannot lie. Putin-bombs-Putin-bombs-Putin-bombs goes the refrain that emanates from TV stations around the globe. Does Mr. Putin care that he is turning Russia the nation he says he loves madly into a barbaric murderer equipped with modern weapons of death? Does he care that he may provoke the West to overstep the mark and plunge the world into thermonuclear war? When Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union met Richard Nixon of the United States in Moscow in May 1972, and moved on from there to sign the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT), followed by summits at which peaceful measures were buttressed in treaties and statements, the world heaved a sigh of relief. It was hoped, then, that no longer would the worlds resources be wasted on armaments, and that nation would speak peace unto nation. This situation of detente, it was hoped, would spare the developing nations of the world the pain of making unsavoury choices about which Great Powers policies to support, and whose friendship they should cultivate. Alas, all that has turned to burnt ash like much of Ukraines infrastructure. All the good work done by Brezhinev/Nixon/Gorbachev/Reagan and their successors has been nullified by Vladimir Putin. He may be pleased with himself. But the world will inevitably consign him to the ranks of those rulers who spoke peace but meant war. BY Cameron Duodu New York, US (PANA) - Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the historic Chemical Weapons Convention on Friday, the UN chief described the treaty as a major achievement in disarmament The Covid pandemic has struck a heavy blow to India's school feeding programme and may have reversed years of progress in the fight against child malnutrition. Now back in their classrooms in the wake of the pandemic, students of government schools across several states may have to wait a little longer for their lunches. Until Covid hit, more than 87 percent of children in rural government schools were being served the "midday meal", touted as one of the largest school feeding programmes in the world. It provided nutritious food to millions of Indian children and has also resulted in increasing student enrolment and improving attendance. At the last count, the scheme covered 118 million children. But thousands of youngsters, especially from poor families, have dropped out of school over the past two years because of the Covid pandemic and the resulting economic crisis. Challenges Restarting the scheme after a long interruption is proving to be challenging in many schools. Economists and civil society members say schools in rural areas face delays in the delivery of raw materials like grains and lentils used to cook the meals, while schools in the cities are yet to sign contracts with centralised kitchens that cater for the children. The benefits of school meals are well established, but government budget pressures threaten the sustainability of the programme," said Reetika Khera, a development economist. "It will also need to fend off corruption and corporate lobbyists if it is to continue to thrive. This year's budget is slightly lower than last year's: in nominal terms, it has been slashed by about 10 billion rupees (123.4 million euros). Last month, Congress president Sonia Gandhi urged the government to restart the midday meal scheme in schools. She also asked the authorities to make available hot, cooked food to children under three-years-old, pregnant women and lactating mothers. When schools were shut down, the midday meals scheme was also discontinued. It was because of the National Food Security Act and directions from the Supreme Court that people were given dry rations. But, for children, dry rations are no substitute for cooked and nutritious meals," Gandhi said. "But now, as children return to school, they need to be given better nutrition. Midday meals will also help bring those children back to school who had dropped out during the pandemic." Stunted growth The country's latest National Family Health Survey found that one-third of all Indian children under the age of five were stunted and underweight, with little or no improvement in child nutrition levels since the previous survey was conducted in 2015-2016. Educationists say that well-designed school feeding programmes have been shown to enable students to catch up from early growth failure and other negative shocks. As such, once the schools reopen, the meal schemes can help address the deprivation that children have experienced during the closures and provide an incentive for the parents to send and keep their children, especially girls, in school. Last year, in the midst of the pandemic, the central government had announced that 12 billion rupees (150 million euros) were to be given to 118 million children across the country who are enrolled under the midday meal scheme. In other words, Rs 100 (1.23 euros) will be given per child as a one-time payment through direct benefit transfer. This additional allocation was expected to take care of the nutritional needs of children as schools were shut for more than a year due to the pandemic. Under the midday meal scheme of the Indian government, students in government schools receive free cooked hot meals once a day. The amount is just 100 rupees per child. This is also a one-time investment. How can one ensure nutritional security through this? asked Dipa Sinha, who is associated with the Right to Food Campaign. Half of the money will be spent in going and withdrawing the grant from the banks. In terms of the food and nutrition security situation, India already has an unenviable rank of 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index for 2020. 30.04.2022 LISTEN The foundation and the principles upon which the State of America was establish includes Fundamental human right, which is an inalienable right and enshrine in American Constitution. Countries across the globe draws inspirations or look up to Americans not just because of their infrastructural development, their GDP or their Per Capital Income but rather on their human right Index which includes the protection of human right in exercising once freedom of speech and the rights to chose once choice of sex or worship. I often argue, what makes American stands tall among the midst of their equal developed or advanced countries has to do with their strong attitude and belief when it comes to human right and the exercise of constitutional right. Country's like Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Emirates and even China have equal infrastructural development to America and even the likes of Dubai which is the hub of Skype buildings than America but the differential facto is America belief in human freedom and justice which is more cherishable than anything worth mentioning than anything on this planet. The questions are seek to ask and solicits a decent contributions both likewise and unlike wise views on this article of mine is why America the beacon of modern democracy would like to pass or impose a self inflicting bill the 'Parental Right 'bill on themselves or their Community? 'Parental Right' or "Don't Say Gay" bill, a propose bill across thirty five(35) States within America intented to ban sex education within elementary schools usually kids between 5 to 9 not being exposed to sex identity and other sex related topics. This bill on paper looks splendid but when pass to law and when fully operationalise looks more complicated and difficult, in a sense that miscreants and hoodlums can commit various degree of harm or suicidal crimes and hide on the back cover of such laws to seek for shelter. Laws in this magnitude pave ways for individuals or gangs to seek a revenge or self motivated reasonings which includes blackmailing a target group of people for financial gains and this is a form of kidnapping syndicates deployed in countries where LBGTQ is not entertained. As a social advocate by convictions, who had openly supported and wrote articles on the need to allow all individual to exercise their inalienable right which includes the right to sex within Ghana, Africa and by extension America and the rest of continent to upheld this right and to protect the LGBTQ community because the outcome of passing open law to ban this right or community is more consequential or bad as compared to gains that might derived from passing such laws and I will advise the state of America, specially states such as Florida, indiana, Georgia and rest of state of which this bill is propose to triad with conscious not to rash in passing the 'Parental Right' law but rather open for wider consultation, including where this rights are not allow specially those who protects the right of this community and consequences they are facing in addressing the excess that comes with it and the way forward. With my little knowledge about foreign politics, specially America politics of which I as a person and political animal just remember my political juegos love and cherish much when reading political science in my first degree at UG(University of Ghana) was America has 'interest Alliances' and not 'permanent friends' and also when it comes to protecting the rights of their citizens, irrespective of the economic group a citizens belongs which is less seen in other parts of the continent, specially in Africa the rich class are always protected by the law of the state on the expense of the poor class. America, for my first time in observing their politics from a far had seen a sharply stands between the two main political parties that is the incumbent political party, Democrats and the biggest opposition party the Republicans whiles Democrats are against the bill/Parental Right' bill the Republicans on the hand are in supportive to the passage of the bill. This argument has culminated in to some well establish American media houses depending on which political party one belongs, ideology and belief one posses. A recent banter between ESPN and Daily wire in which ESPN in most of their programs they officiate had to call for a minute silence in supportive of the right of the LGBTQ community in the wake up to the proposal of the 'Parental Right' bill indented to pass to become a law whilst the Daily wire media House which is seen as more Conservative media House are in supportive of the passage of the law. I am on the view this argument or banter between this two major political parties and the media houses has defeated the Stance which most people including those of us from Africa perceive America to be when it comes to human right Advocacy and l think America as a nation had to come together to address this issue more wholistically than what is happening with regards to the passage of the Parental Right Bill intended to pass in some states within America. In my conclusive remarks, I will urge American people as beacon of democracy to have a second look to the passage of the 'Parental Right' bill and go back to the human right chatter of which they , that is America had played a vital and a leading role in drafting and implementing such laws which is a whole spectrum of human right and to borrow Disney words " our right is from God and not of any political class". MICHAEL YIRAN One of Algeria's leading opposition figures, Karim Tabbou, was released Saturday after 24 hours in detention for unknown reasons, his lawyer said. Toufik Belala, writing on Facebook, said Tabbou was summoned to appear again before police on Wednesday. The lawyer did not elaborate and was unavailable for further comment. Tabbou was one of the most-recognisable faces during unprecedented mass rallies, led by the Hirak pro-democracy movement, that began in February 2019. The protests demanded a sweeping overhaul of the ruling system in place since the North African country's independence from France in 1962. He was detained Friday evening at his home, rights groups said. His brother Djaffar wrote on Facebook: "He was arrested arbitrarily and in a terrifying way, without being given the right to contact his family or a lawyer." Algeria's Human Rights League (LADDH) said on its Facebook page there was "no news on the reasons for this new arrest". Tabbou, 47, had been detained but then released on other occasions, including just before last June's parliamentary election, which the Hirak movement boycotted. His last public activity was on Thursday when he attended the funeral of Hirak activist Hakim Debbazi. On Tuesday, Tabbou published on his Facebook page a "homage" to Debbazi, who died after two months in custody. "Physically dead, the martyrs of the just causes are more than alive," Tabbou wrote. He blamed authorities for the death of "modest and humble" Debbazi and said the activist had been "committed body and soul to the Hirak". Tabbou called on people to honour Debbazi's "sacrifice" and "continue our fight for the advent of a state of law". Tabbou leads a small, unregistered opposition party, the Democratic Social Union (UDS). In March 2020, he was sentenced to one-year in jail for "undermining national security". The conviction stemmed from his criticism of the army's involvement in politics. The Hirak protests forced longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down. Demonstrations continued in a push for deep reforms but the movement waned when the coronavirus pandemic struck. Around 300 people are detained in Algeria over links to the Hirak or rights activism, the National Committee for the Release of Detainees (CNLD) says. 30.04.2022 LISTEN Goodluck Jonathan has the right to contest the 2023 presidential elections if the APC gives him the chance, but let Bola Tinubu and Yemi Osinbajo be treated with equity and fairness. This is my advice to the Adamu led NWC of the party and ignoring the advice of Rev Obinna Akukwe is very injurious to anyone no matter how highly placed. The records are there. Let the process of selection be with equity, free and fair. Jonathan candidacy is better than the cabals plot to hoist Rotimi Amechi or Emefiele on the party. If Emefiele or Amechi is imposed, the train terrorists will start killing some hostages. I have written twice on the connection between the Kaduna train terrorists and the APC consensus plot ,. I wrote in the piece, Kaduna Train Terrorists Working for APC Politicians that These hostages will be kept for long and will be deliberately eliminated or dehumanized to spite Buhari, Adamu and the Cabals in government, unsettle their consensus arrangement during the primaries, and throw the race open to everybody I wrote the piece KadunaTrain Attacks: Aggrieved APC Candidates Hit Back at Buhari and hinted that aggrieved APC chieftains have a proxy control over the terrorists. In the piece I noted that Intelligence at our disposal suggests that aggrieved APC chieftains who sensed a loss in the consensus convention used the occasion of the Abuja-Kaduna train bomb attacks to hit back at President Buhari , Chairman Adamu and Rotimi Amechi( Minister of Transportation), a supposed presidential favorite, as a warning to others like him , including Godwin Emefiele (CBN Governor), who are waiting behind the shadows, to be hoisted on the Governors through the backdoor. Since Buhari agreed two weeks ago, to an indirect primary system, the terrorists, according to our intelligence reports, treated their captives with more empathy, providing more blankets, food and shelter to them. However, once the consensus arrangement, devoid of equity is implemented, the terrorist will show another side of their kindness. I wish Goodluck to Jonathan's aspirations. He has acted like good sportsman since his defeat in 2015. He has constructively joined the national conversation. He has sought for peace and given a new template for electoral acceptance, something alien to Nigerian culture. He moved away from the do or die politics of Olusegun Obasanjo and Winner takes all politics of Atiku Abubakar. His regime was very disastrous in terms of corruption and security; however, I believe he has learnt his lessons. However, let the APC primaries be fair so that Tinubu, Osinbajo and Jonathan will test their popularity. Tinubu stood for Buhari during trying times while Osinbajo have refused to leak official secrets to enemies of Buhari. Let them be treated with fairness and equity. Rev Obinna Akukwe . a loyal party man, believes in Jonathans right to contest, his sportsmanship, and the fact that Tinubu who contributed a lot to the growth of APC should not be treated as a leper, let there be fairness to all (Obinna Akukwe, Cleric, Activist, [email protected] , facebook, [email protected]) Former President John Dramani Mahama has accused the Akufo-Addo's government of abandoning the Constitutional Review process started by his administration. He maintains that Ghanas constitution needs a comprehensive review after three decades of existence. Mahama said the amendments must be carried out to meet the current challenge the country faces and must also reflect the dreams and aspirations of the general populace. Speaking at the opening of a meeting by the NDC Professional Forum in the Ashanti Region, John Mahama said the NDC will revisit the constitutional review process and complete the exercise if it returns to office. It is regrettable that as with almost everything else, this government has abandoned that work we did with regard to the constitutional review process and has failed to move the process forward. [If we win power] We in the NDC will continue and finish the process to ensure that the 1992 constitution evolves into an even stronger document embodying the hopes and aspirations of the ordinary people of Ghana, he said. Constitution under threat The former president also criticized President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for what he said were dictatorial tendencies exhibited by the government. He said some of the actions of the government threatened the countrys constitution and democracy. In recent times, under the government, many fundamental principles that should ground our democracy as dictated by the constitution have come under threat. There have been aspects of the behaviour of this government and the leadership that mimics the activities of brutal dictatorships. ---citinewsroom 30.04.2022 LISTEN Former President John Dramani Mahama has challenged the Akufo-Addo government to prove him wrong by allowing an independent forensic audit into how COVID-19 funds were used. According to him, the government did not make prudent use of the funds it received to fight the pandemic. Speaking at the 4th Summit of the NDC Professional Forum in the Ashanti Region, Mahama said he stands by his claim that the government misused the Covid-19 funds by, among other things, using the money to finance the New Patriotic Partys election 2020 campaign. Parliament presented a motion to ask for a parliamentary investigation into how the COVID-19 funds were used. Who were those who threw out that motion? It was the NPP administration. The only way you can prove me wrong and say that that money was not used for election 2020 is to allow for an independent forensic audit into how the money we received during the COVID pandemic was used. Prove me wrong, he threw the challenge. Meanwhile, Jonh Mahama has also accused the Akufo-Addo government of abandoning the constitutional review process started by his government despite the importance of the exercise. He said an NDC government will ensure the continuation of the process if it wins back power. Speaking at the same event, he said, It is regrettable that, as with almost everything else, this government has abandoned that work we did with regard to the constitutional review process and has failed to move the process forward. [If we win power] We in the NDC will continue and finish the process to ensure that the 1992 constitution evolves into an even stronger document embodying the hopes and aspirations of the ordinary people of Ghana. ---citinewsroom The Church of Pentecost, Obuasi Area through the effort of the Area Head - Apostle William Boakye Agyarko as part of its social intervention has renovated two boys dormitories for Obuasi Senior High Technical School which had become a burden to the school's management. The total cost of the dormitory renovation project was Sixty-Two Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ten Ghana Cedis (GHC 62,910.00) The project was undertaken in line with the Churchs Four-Year Vision (Vision 2023) aimed at Possession the Nations Transforming every sphere of life. The Churchs attention was drawn to some of the infrastructural challenges in the school of which the roof leakages in the dormitories were serious. The Area Head and a section of the Obuasi Area Pastorate officially handed over the renovated dormitory blocks to the school management in a brief ceremony held at the schools dining hall. Apostle William Boakye Agyarko in his remarks said the church does not only preach the word of God but also do community partnership with the government through social interventions. "It is against this background that the church saw it imperative to renovate the dormitories to allow the students to have a good sleeping place, he stressed. Apostle emphasized that the church would keep on with the vision of supporting any sector that may need assistance whenever God endows the church with financial strength. He entreated the school management to work hard for the success of the students. The headmaster of the school Mr. Ernest Wiafe was so impressed and expressed his heartfelt gratitude and that of the school management to the church, the Area Head, the pastorate and the entire membership for coming to their aid. He appealed to other churches and organizations to emulate the examples of the Church of Pentecost by support the school in any form. The Area Head Apostle William Boakye Agyarko finally prayed for the school. 30.04.2022 LISTEN The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has said Ghanaians must think about how they can contribute for the development of the country than always demanding from government. He said this on Friday April 29, 2022, when he cut the sod for a rubber plantation farm at Assin Nsuta in the Central Region. The 826-acre rubber plantation, is an initiative of the Anglican Diocese of Accra (ADOA), and supported by the Agric Development Bank (ADB), is expected to create jobs for the youth within the community. Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony, Vice President Bawumia commended the Anglican Diocess of Accra for the initiative, and also highlighted the immense benefits will bring to the local community and the nation as a whole. "In this day and age when we are all seeking and asking for what they can benefit from the Government instead of what they can contribute, it fills me with great joy and gladness to see the Anglican Church in Ghana, specifically, the Accra Diocese become a change agent. Indeed, this is what practical Bible or Christian doctrine and principles are founded on That is collaboration with the state to help citizens, especially, the poor and volunerable members of society cope with daily challenges," Dr. Bawumia said of the Anglican Church. He added, "I am told, a rubber plantation of this magnitude - covering 826 acres of valuable land is the biggest private-owned rubber plantation in the country. "This will contribute positively to climate change as well as provide jobs for many people especially the teeming unemployed youth in the community and beyond. "It is even unnecessary to overemphasize the importance of natural rubber whose immense benefits are well known. Natural rubber is harvested in the form of latex which is used for the production of tyres, mattresses, shoe soles, hot water bottles, balloons, rubber boots and seal rings and many more. "Production of these from raw material that can be sourced right here in our country opens a wide range of opportunities including, exportation for the country." The Vice expressed gratitude to the Chiefs and people of Assin Nsuta for ceding a large track of their land for this project. "They indeed deserve our high commendations." Dr. Bawumia also reiterated government's commitment towards prioritising the agriculture sector, which he stressed plays a significant role to the country's GDP. "The Agricultural sector as we all know, accounts for one fifth of the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It employs nearly half of the country's workforce and is the main source of livelihood for the majority of the country's poorest households. Hence, the need to focus on policies like the Planting for Food and Jobs to boost our Agricultural Sector. "Planting for Food and Jobs as we may be well aware has five modules of which, this rubber plantation aligns with four of its key precepts, namely; Food Crops Production and Job Creation (PFJ): where people work, their status is lifted and their personal economic lives get better and richer. "Planting for exports and Rural Development (PERD): A double edge sword, bringing in revenue to the country and developing Assin Nsuta beyond what it is now. Greenhouse Technology Villages: Research into methodologies and sophisticated but safe measures of growing our food and living healthy." The Lord Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Accra, Rt. Rev' Dr. Daniel Syivanus Mensah Torto, said the project is part of the Anglican Church's contribution towards the development of the country. Two persons; Korshie Atitso, age 23, and Wisdom Dzeke, age 25 have been jailed 20 years each by an Aflao Circuit Court for robbery, causing harm and possessing firearm without authority. The two went through trial and were found to be guilty of the charges leading to their conviction. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Bob Wuda, narrated to the court, presided over by Mr Joseph Ofosu Behome, that on September 24, 2020, at about 0200hours, convicts and two others (at large), armed with a machete and five-rounds Taurus Ultra Lite 38 special revolver pistol, attacked a house at Kpogedi Zongo, occupied by Nigerien merchants. The attack was ostensibly to rob them of three brand new motor bikes. Prosecution said the robbers took four of the occupants hostage, amidst firing of the pistol, robbed the victims of their phones and an amount of GH250.00 The gunshots and screaming of the victims attracted neighbours, who thronged the walled house to rescue the victims, he said. On seeing the neighbours, Wisdom Dzeke and two others, believed to be Togolese, fled, leaving behind Atitso Korshie, who was trapped in the house with the pistol. While arresting Atitso, he aimed and shot at one Ahmed Zibo, aged 23, who sustained fracture on his left thigh. Other neighbours pounced on Atitso and retrieved the pistol with nine live ammunition and called the police to the scene. Chief Inspector Wuda said the victim, Mr Zibo, was later rushed to the St Anthony Hospital at Dzodze for treatment. The prosecutor said during investigations, Atitso mentioned Dzeke and the other two as his accomplices. The three robbers went into hiding until Dzeke was later arrested at Aflao on July 17, 2021, upon a tip off. GNA A 22-year-old young man, Alhassan Shayibu from Jakara yili, a suburb of Tamale is currently battling for his Life at the Tamale Teaching Hospital for electrocution. The young man is a student who normally during vacation follows his brother for satellite work. Alhassan, unfortunately, three weeks ago went to work on a costumer's satellite when he got electrocuted. He was rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for medical attention. However, after weeks of battling for his life, Alhassan has been diagnosed with a medical condition, Anterior Cervical discectomy and fusion with titanium cage" and will require an amount of Gh 21,700.00 to undergo a surgery which the family is unable to raise. They are therefore appealing to the general public to help them raise the said amount to enable Alhassan undergo the surgery. Find details of Alhassan's condition in the attached document below: New York, US (PANA) - Members of the Security Council have condemned the recent violence in West Darfur, Sudan, which has resulted in the killing and injury of civilians, mass displacement and attacks on health-care facilities LAGOS, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were killed and five others injured in a road accident in Nigeria's southwestern state of Ogun on Friday, local authorities said. Ahmed Umar, a sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, told reporters that a bus driver lost control of his vehicle, which rammed into a moving truck head-on along an expressway. "A total of 16 people, 15 of them male adults, were involved in the accident," Umar said, adding that five men were injured, while six men and one woman died in the mishap. The survivors were transferred to a nearby hospital. The sector commander described the crash as avoidable, if the bus driver had not sped excessively on the slippery highway, as it was raining at the time of the accident. He warned motorists not to overspeed or drive recklessly, so as to avoid unnecessary loss of lives and property. Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions and reckless driving. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here April 30, 2022 Media Are Now Whitewashing Nazis They Had Previously Condemned Recently the New York Times, like many other 'western' outlets, has changed its language when reporting about the fascist Ukrainian Asov Battalion. What was once "a Ukrainian neo-Nazi paramilitary organization" which even the FBI said is notorious for its association with neo-Nazi ideology was first relabeled as merely "far right" before it became a normal "unit in the Ukrainian military". --- New Zealand Massacre Highlights Global Reach of White Extremism, Mar 15 2019 Scrawled on his rifle was a white nationalist credo popularized by the American domestic terrorist and neo-Nazi David Lane. On his flak jacket was a symbol commonly used by the Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian neo-Nazi paramilitary organization. --- We Once Fought Jihadists. Now We Battle White Supremacists., Feb 11 2020 Defenders of the Ukrainian Azov Battalion, which the F.B.I. calls a paramilitary unit notorious for its association with neo-Nazi ideology, accuse us of being part of a Kremlin campaign to demonize the group. --- Why Vladimir Putin Invokes Nazis to Justify His Invasion of Ukraine, Mar 17 2022 Facebook last week said it was making an exception to its anti-extremism policies to allow praise for Ukraines far-right Azov Battalion military unit, strictly in the context of defending Ukraine, or in their role as part of the Ukraine National Guard. --- From Battered Mariupol Steel Plant, Fighters Share Desperate Videos to Push Out Story, Apr 29 2022 These scenes are from videos shared online in recent days by the Azov regiment, a unit in the Ukrainian military, which says they were taken in the mazelike bunkers beneath the sprawling Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine. --- It is not that Azov has de-radicalized over time. It has in fact grown more extreme. Azov has infiltrated other organizations, especially some units of the Ukrainian regular military, the national guard, the police and the internal secret security organization SBU. Azov is by far not the only fascist (para-)military organization in Ukraine. There is the Aidar battalion, the Right Sector, the C-14 'youth' organization of the fascist Svoboda party as well as a dozen other such organization. These groups are not only not prohibited as they should be but get encouraged and partially financed by the Ukrainian government. The infiltration of the security services and government has dangerous consequences for the Ukrainian public. Over the years many 'western' media have correctly reported about the Ukrainian fascists. Here is an incomplete collection (h/t Antispin): Next to those and many more media reports there are some detailed ones from various organization which document the war crimes Azov and groups like it have committed in Ukraine. In 2015 the Foundation for the Study of Democracy published a report about the War crimes of the armed forces and security forces of Ukraine: torture and inhumane treatment. In 2018 the Human Rights Platform "Uspishna Varta" wrote in a report about the Ministry of Internal Affairs and General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine: The existence of paramilitary groups within a number of far-right parties and nationalist organizations, which is expressly prohibited by Article 37 of the Constitution of Ukraine, is of high concern. As a part of the party "National Corpus" (earlier "Azov") the paramilitary division "National Druzhina" operates, which held a public march in the center of Kiev in February 2018. The activities of this organization are not only not suppressed by representatives of law enforcement bodies, but are openly encouraged by the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. 28% of all violations of political rights and freedoms recorded by the human rights platform "Uspishna Varta" in April-August 2018 involved right-wing radical organizations, primarily C14, as well as "National Druzhina", "Bratstvo", "Right Sector", etc. The OHCHR documented 22 cases of discrimination, hate speech, and/or violence directed at persons belonging to minorities or those holding alternative, special social, or political opinions between 16 February and 15 May. At the same time, in 21 cases violence was committed by members of ultra-right groups, who appear to have acted with impunity. The police and the State Prosecutor's office did not prevent acts of violence, did not properly characterize them as hate crimes, did not effectively investigate discriminatory crimes, and did not prosecute the perpetrators, which violates the right to equally not be discriminated against in view of the law and leads to an atmosphere of impunity and a lack of justice for victims. All this is well know. Over the years 'western' media have warned of growing fascism in Ukraine. While fascist parties get few votes in Ukraine they are in fact very powerful. They own the streets, have the guns and kill politicians who do not do what Azov and other fascist groups say. They can act with impunity. Amnesty International has documented some of the crimes committed by fascist groups in Ukraine: Human Rights Watch has a long list of reports on Ukraine. While some blame eastern separatists and Russia many others point to violence from the fascist far-right. Currently a main Azov unit is sitting in the basement of the Azovstal metalworks in Mariupol surrounded by Russian troops. It claims to have civilian hostages and refuse to surrender. To whitewash them now just because they have gotten themselves into this situation, as the NYT obviously does, is not justified. Update: As one commentator snarks: #Putin's latest failure: Western media's de-nazification of #Ukraine much faster and more thorough than #Russia's Posted by b on April 30, 2022 at 14:58 UTC | Permalink Comments next page This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate After more than six months of work, ExxonMobil has received certification for production from its Poker Lake facilities in southeastern New Mexico. The multinational giant said this week approximately 200 million cubic feet per day of natural gas produced from Poker Lake have been independently certified and received the top grade of A for methane emissions management from MiQ, an independent non-profit validator. The process involved field visits, site inspections and reviews of the data quality coming from Poker Lake, Rick Cannon, production manager in ExxonMobils Carlsbad, New Mexico, office, told the Reporter-Telegram by telephone. They look at our programs and how were actually using the tools we put in place to reduce emissions, he said. Lara Owens, director of science and technology at MiQ, told the Reporter-Telegram she has spent 18 months helping develop the standards applied in the certification process. If you had asked me 18 months ago, I would be amazed that it would be so widely accepted, she said. She added it has been accepted not only by oil and gas producers but by buyers and those who use the data. This is what producers have been trying to demonstrate, she said of producers efforts to quantify and certify their emissions reductions efforts. Certification provides the answer to the question, Where does my gas come from? she added. Owens said putting together the standards and devising the concept of performance standards gives producers ownership of where the standards are applied. They do have the best perspective on how to manage emissions, she said. That is especially important in the Permian Basin, she said, because so much of the regions emissions come from just a few sources. If we dont work with producers, we lose that opportunity. The Permian Basin is the best opportunity because there is such a diverse group of operators. ExxonMobil is the first company to achieve certification for natural gas production associated with oil, Cannon noted. It is significant ExxonMobil got such a high grade for the gas associated with oil production because it is such a challenge, especially in the Permian Basin, given the nature of how operators develop crude and natural gas production at the same time. Operators, she said, may not need to pursue A grades immediately. We say make a performance plan, she explained. Receive a C grade and take three years to make improvements. See that as an opportunity to differentiate future production. That can result in different prices for the different certifications and she said the hope is producers will take the money earned from differentiated prices back into emissions reduction efforts. She sees rising demand from the midstream sector, which is responsible for transporting the natural gas to various destinations like Japan, Korea or Europe, each of which could have their own standards for the natural gas they buy. Cannon said ExxonMobil pursued certification because its something customers are demanding. Already, he said, the company is working with Xcel Energy, which will utilize the natural gas to generate power for homes, schools and businesses in southeastern New Mexico. Xcels Texas-based operations, which serve the Panhandle and South Plains regions of Texas and eastern and southeastern New Mexico, is an electricity-only utility while Xcels other companies provide electricity and retail natural gas service to their customers. Natural gas-fueled electricity accounts for roughly a third of the power the company provides its New Mexico and Texas customers. David Hudson, president of Xcel Energy-New Mexico and Texas, told the Reporter-Telegram by email that The purchase of Certified Natural Gas from ExxonMobil is a significant step in our plans to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 on our natural gas system. This is the second contract for Certified Gas Xcel has signed, the first being with Crestone Peak Resources in Colorado and certified by Project Canary. We will continue efforts to purchase Certified Natural Gas as new opportunities present themselves. He added that the Certified Natural Gas being purchased from ExxonMobil will fuel Xcels power plants in a region where it has reduced carbon emissions by more than 55 percent since 2005. Next for the ExxonMobil, Cannon said, is to achieve certification for natural gas production from its Appalachian and Haynesville facilities, which are unconventional operations similar to the Permian Basin. One value of receiving certification is the way investors look at the company, or insurers look at the company, Owens said. For Permian Basin producers especially, because theyre under such pressure to disclose emissions to stakeholders, our value is in more accurate measurements and validation of how operators are dealing with emissions, she said. LVIV, Ukraine (AP) Hollywood actress and U.N. humanitarian Angelina Jolie made a surprise visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Saturday, the Lviv regional governor said on Telegram. According to Maksym Kozytskyy, Jolie who has been a UNHCR Special Envoy for Refugees since 2011 had come to speak with displaced people who have found refuge in Lviv, including children undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station in early April. Exchange Club of Midland honorees The following students were honored at a meeting of the Exchange Club in April. Early College High School at Midland College students sign... In April, the senior class from Early College High School at Midland College signed academic... STATE GOLF ROUNDUP: Trinitys Escamilla in 2nd at state tourney Trinity senior Ali Escamilla is tied for second place after the first round of the TAPPS 4A State... Several Greenwood athletes sign with colleges Eight Greenwood students were celebrated during a college signing ceremony Monday at the... JC GOLF: Talented, deep Chaps squad takes aim at national title Not many NJCAA mens golf programs can be confident about their chances of winning a national... Midland Christian announces top-2 students Midland Christian School announced the class of 2022 valedictorian and salutatorian. HS BASEBALL/SOFTBALL: Updated area playoff pairings Updated area playoff pairings for HS baseball and HS softball. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) A prison official from Alabama is missing after escorting an inmate to a courthouse for a hearing. The Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post Saturday that Assistant Director of Corrections Vicky White disappeared while escorting an inmate being held on capital murder charges. The inmate is also missing. On Saturday morning, Sheriff Rick Singleton confirmed the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, FBI, and U.S. Marshals are assisting in the investigation. White, 56, who's been with the department for 16 years, left the detention center with inmate Casey White on Friday morning and neither has been seen since. The pair are not related. The vehicle they were traveling in when they left the detention center was discovered at a nearby shopping center parking lot, according to the sheriff's office. White, 38, was being held on capital murder charges in the 2015 death of Connie Ridgeway. He confessed to the slaying in 2020 while in state prison for other crimes, WHNT-TV reported. At a news conference Friday, Singleton said Vicky White, armed with a 9mm, left the detention center with the inmate around 9:41 a.m. headed to the courthouse for what she said was a mental health evaluation for Casey. She was alone with the inmate, which the sheriff said was in direct violation of department policy. Our policy is for any inmate with those kinds of charges to have two sworn deputies escort them. And that did not happen, Singleton said. Singleton also said there was no mental health evaluation for the inmate scheduled at the courthouse. White also told co-workers she had a doctors appointment scheduled, which was confirmed but the office said the deputy never showed. Officials said no one realized the two were missing until 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Deputies tried to contact Vicky White but her phone repeatedly went to voicemail. Singleton said his department was aggressively investigating the incident and would be looking into previous interaction between the two to see if something else was going on. Singleton said his department was shocked and that it was obviously a possibility that the corrections officer helped him escape. Singleton told news outlets that Vicky White had turned in her retirement papers the day before she went missing. Regardless of her involvement, the sheriff acknowledged she could very well be in danger. Although some groups have resumed meetings, others schedules may have changed because of pandemic restrictions. It is recommended you contact the group in advance to verify details. Any changes in meeting schedules can be emailed to JJCsocial@myjournalcourier.com. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS 217-370-4002 Jacksonville locations: First Baptist Church, 1701 Mound Ave. Wheelchair-accessible. Club HOW, 638 S. Church St. Monday Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW. Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church. Bowen Group. Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Tuesday Open discussion, noon at Club HOW. Womens open meeting, 5:30 p.m., First Christian Churchs Fireside Room. VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Main and Washington streets. ROODHOUSE: Closed discussion, 12-step/12 traditions, 8 p.m. at Grace Center, 114 W. Palm St. Wednesday Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Thursday Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW. Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Newcomers Group. Friday Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. TGIF Group. Closed discussion, 5:15 p.m., Big Book Study at Club HOW. VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 401 E. Broadway Ave. Saturday Open speaker, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Open meeting, noon at Club HOW. Sunday Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. 12 & 12 Group. Closed discussion, 10 a.m. at Club HOW. (Second Sunday is open) SPRINGFIELD: AA for Women, 10 a.m. at Discovery Club, 313 W. Cook St. AL-ANON Meetings are nonsmoking and open to anyone. The only requirement is that there be a problem of alcohol with a loved one or friend. 217-248-6434. Wednesday Al-Anon, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church, 331 E. State St. (use Morgan Street entrance). Thursday Al-Anon, noon at First Presbyterian Church, 870 W. College Ave. (open meeting). NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS All meetings are nonsmoking. Not affiliated with any religious organization. Jacksonville locations: First Christian Church, 2106 S. Main St. (enter through far southeast door). 217-883-1975. Lutheran Church for the Deaf, 104 Finley St. (enter through back door). 217-883-1975. Wednesday Open discussion group, 8 p.m. at Lutheran Church for the Deaf. Friday Open discussion group, 7:30 p.m. at First Christian Church. OTHER MEETINGS Monday Hope Lives On support group for mothers who have lost children to suicide, 7 p.m., Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, 155 W. Morton Ave. Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. at Faith Tabernacle, 571 Sandusky St. Use side entrance to church hall. PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. in the basement of Subway in Pittsfield. 1-800-323-1388. Tuesday Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary, 7 a.m. Holiday Inn Express meeting room, South Jacksonville. 217-243-6895. Dementia Caregiver support group, 2-3 p.m., free virtual event. Call 800-272-3900 to register, which is required. Hosted by the Springfield office of the Alzheimers Association Illinois. American Legion Post 279, first Tuesday of every month, 7 p.m. at 903 W. Superior Ave. Wednesday ROODHOUSE: Women with Hearts of Love (WWHOL), 6-7 p.m. at House of Restoration, 208 W. Franklin St. 217-602-1670. Thursday Jacksonville Area Chess Club, 6-9 p.m. at Jacksonville Public Library. 217-370-0882. Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, noon at Hamiltons. WHITE HALL: Addicts Victorious, teens 5:30-6:30 p.m.; adults 7-8 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of New Life Church, 626 Curtis St. Friday Jacksonville Rotary Club, noon at Hamiltons. PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 6 p.m. at Assembly of God, 575 Piper St. 800-323-1388. Saturday Jacksonville Amateur Radio Societys Net, 9 p.m. Transmitted on K9JX repeater. K9JX.com. Compiled by Angela Bauer This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on U.S. Route 66 in Joliet is not a cheap trick despite taking root in one. The idea kind of crept in over time, said Ron Romero, the museums founder and executive director. I had been to Cleveland (Ohio) a few times, Nashville (Tennessee) a few times. One of the things that pushed me over was that Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick had an exhibit in Rockford, which is Cheap Tricks hometown. People came from overseas to Rockford to see the exhibit. Thats just one band, Romero said, noting that it made him wonder what the response would be if a museum was dedicated to all Illinois music. Despite the name being rock and roll, we honor and preserve all genres of music. Romero and others got together and, in 2019, bought a building at 9 W. Cass St. in Joliet. Since then, weve been renovating the building, he said. We all know what happened in 2020; it slowed us down a bit. Were not a development company, were not millionaires. This is all grass-roots. The effort has received really nice community support in Joliet, Romero said, with contractors frequently donating their time to work on the building. The building was built in 1930, he said. Its as solid as can be, all cement. Its listed as a fireproof building. But even though its built like a tank, were having to replace the elevator and make other upgrades. The current push is to get the first floor of the 25,000-square-foot building finished and open, after which they will finish the second and third floors, Romero said. When exactly that will happen remains unclear. Opening in 2020 would have been good, Romero said. ... Wed like to be open with this as soon as possible. Were going to shoot for this year and see how we do, depending on funding. Funding also is grass-roots, with 700 charter members from 30 states and three countries now, Romero said. Memberships keep us afloat. We have donors who donate every month. We have an online store where we sell shirts, all sorts of things. Were able to pay the mortgage and electric and gas and keep moving forward. Weve also had a lot of in-kind donations. While they work toward an opening, Romero and his board of directors also work on the details. We have design people on our board of directors, he said. The first floor is based on the blues. We had to have a place to start this story. I chose blues because blues is where everything kind of started with rock music. The plan is for the second floor to hold the majority of their other exhibits, with the third floor dedicated to an Illinois music hall of fame. Because were opening the first floor and the lower level first, it will have a little bit of everything, Romero said. As we finish the second and third floors, well move everything into the appropriate places. Thats not a bad thing, he said. We want to do that because we want people not to come once and say Ive been here but to (want to come back). We want it to be dynamic and changing. The plan also includes offering music lessons and courses on music business. Theres a small performance stage on the lower level that will allow for smaller concerts as part of those educational offerings. Part of our mission here is beyond the history part of it, Romero said. We want to honor and preserve history, but its also a teaching museum. Were building a facility for teaching, not just music but music publishing (and other aspects of the industry, such as lighting and sound). Theres a lot of money to be made in this industry, and not necessarily as a rock star. Classes run for six, 10 or 12 weeks, with a performance at the end, he said. Our teachers are people who have real-world experience, who have toured, played with bands, Romero said. Theyre not just teaching instruments. They have a good background in performance. While organizers wait for the building to be completed, theyre not waiting to establish an Illinois music hall of fame. They inducted their Inaugural Class what was supposed to have been the Class of 2020 but didnt happen until 2021. That first class included Chicago, Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon, The Ides of March, Muddy Waters, The Buckinghams, Buddy Guy, Chess Records, Larry Lujack, WLS-AM radio, Dick Biondi, and The Thirsty Whale. The recently announced Class of 2022 includes Styx, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, Dan Fogelberg and New Colony Six. Styx member Dennis DeYoung also will be inducted separate from Styx as a songwriter, as will Jim Peterik. Non-performance inductees include DJ John Records Landecker, WXRT-FM, Gary Liozzo and Mercury Records. Chosen by a vote of the museums charter members, the latest class will be inducted during a ceremony and concert June 5 at Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet. Doors will open at 4 p.m. with the show at 5 p.m. Tickets, which are available through Ticketmaster, are $48.50, $58.50 and $68.50. For more about the museum, go online to RoadtoRock.org. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Illinois is slated to become one of a handful of states to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Restaurant Meals Program later this spring, allowing specific qualifying SNAP households to utilize their SNAP benefits to purchase hot meals at participating restaurants. Currently, just six states allow SNAP benefits, colloquially known as food stamps, to be used at restaurants, including Arizona, California, Maryland, Michigan, Rhode Island and Virginia. The Missouri Senate passed legislation Thursday that would allow more than 182,000 households in the state to use SNAP benefits at restaurants. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JERUSALEM (AP) The Israeli military on Saturday said it has arrested a pair of Palestinian assailants who allegedly shot and killed a security guard at the entrance of a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The detention followed a manhunt that was launched shortly after the attack late Friday. Israeli soldiers, special forces, and border police took part in the detention and seizure of weapons from the two suspects, who it said were seized in the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan. The fresh attack, combined with the death of a Palestinian man elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, could further fuel tensions that have soared over the past two months. A string of Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have left 15 Israelis dead, while at least 27 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces in recent weeks. The security guard was shot outside Ariel, a major settlement in the northern West Bank, late Friday night by a pair of assailants in a car, the army said. It said the guard stood in front of another guard who was with him, saving her life. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed condolences to the family of the security guard. In a statement after the arrest of the suspects, he said no terrorist can evade us. In Gaza, the leader of the territorys Hamas rulers Yehiyeh Sinwar called for stepping up attacks against Israeli targets in the West Bank, saying the real battle arena is there. In a speech, he saluted the attackers who killed the guard. Israeli forces on Saturday set up checkpoints and were conducting searches for the attackers in the area, the army said. It said it arrested two purported members of the Hamas militant group, but there was no immediate indication that the men were involved in the attack. Hamas praised the killing of the guard but stopped short of claiming responsibility for the shooting. In a separate incident, Israeli troops shot and killed a 27-year-old Palestinian man in Azoun village near the town of Qalqilya early Saturday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The army said it had opened fire after a group of suspects threw firebombs toward the soldiers. Tensions have been heightened in recent weeks by Palestinian shooting attacks in Israeli cities, an Israeli military crackdown in the northern West Bank, where some of the attackers came from, and recurring confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli police around the most sensitive religious site in Jerusalem. The site contains the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, and increasing numbers of Palestinians go there to pray during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The hilltop compound is also the holiest site for Jews, who call it the Temple Mount because it was where the biblical Temples were situated. The site is a frequent flashpoint of tensions, and violence there last year helped spark an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza militants. Sinwar, the Hamas leader, said more visits by religious Jewish groups to the hilltop compound and ensuing clashes between Palestinians and police forces protecting the visitors could lead to a new round of cross-border violence in Gaza. All the factions of resistance in the Gaza Strip must be prepared and be on alert, Sinwar said, suggesting that tension in Jerusalem will further heighten after the end of the Ramadan month, with more visits by Jews expected. In recent weeks, Israeli police and Palestinians have clashed there on a number of occasions, including Friday morning. Israeli authorities accuse Hamas of inciting violence and say security forces were forced to intervene to halt stone-throwing. The Palestinians say the presence of Israeli police at the site, and regular visits by increasing numbers of nationalist and religious Jews, are a violation of decades-old informal arrangements governing the site. The visits were halted last week for the last 10 days of Ramadan, which concludes this weekend. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg had a bounce in his step as he made his way from house to house in search of voters on a cold spring afternoon. But when people recognized him, it wasn't for reasons hed anticipated when he announced his run last year. Some had seen news reports from Feb. 14, when a man showed up at Greenberg's campaign headquarters and fired multiple rounds at the candidate and his staff, who barricaded the door with tables and chairs. No one was hit, but a bullet grazed Greenberg's sweater. A local social justice activist was charged in the attempted shooting. Now Greenberg has resumed his campaign in a city roiled by racial tension, a spike in gun violence and deep misgivings many harbor about the Louisville police department. Two years ago, this city of roughly 600,000 was known primarily as the home of the Kentucky Derby, bourbon whiskey and Muhammad Ali. Then a botched police raid in March 2020 left Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, dead in her own apartment at the hands of white police officers. Her name was plastered on T-shirts and magazines. It swept across social media and resounded in city streets as thousands marched nationwide, demanding justice. And her death still reverberates in local politics. Not long after the attempt on Greenberg's life, the only officer criminally charged for his actions in the Taylor raid was acquitted by a Kentucky jury, leaving many with a sense that the justice system had fallen short. The suspect in Greenberg's shooting, Quintez Brown, 21, was also on the May 17 ballot, a candidate for metro council. Now hes in federal custody, charged with state and federal crimes that could put him away for the rest of his life. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Brown, who is Black, was released two days after the shooting when the Louisville Community Bail Fund paid his $100,000 bond. Republican minority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell took to the floor of the U.S. Senate almost immediately, calling Brown's release jaw-dropping" and suggesting that it reflected badly on his political rivals on the left. But the blowback from Brown's release crossed partisan lines. Charles Booker, a Louisville Democrat running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Rand Paul, insisted that anyone who has been arrested for attempted murder and is feared to be a harm to themselves and others should be in custody. Now finding himself at the center of that uproar, Greenberg speaks cautiously about the attempt on his life but doesn't hesitate to draw connections to his campaign. I believe its made me a stronger person who can hopefully work with others more effectively to make Louisville safer, he explained. He's back to normal campaign activities, but with added security. He also vows to address the concerns of Black voters by increasing transparency and accountability if elected. I share their frustrations, he said. Im not interested in any more studies. We all know what the problems are here in Louisville. One of Greenberg's opponents, Shameka Parrish-Wright, has her own connection to Louisville's troubled recent past. She trails Greenberg in fundraising, but as she makes her way around Louisville's predominantly Black West End, some residents recognize her, too. After Taylor's shooting, Parrish-Wright joined monthslong protests in downtown Jefferson Square Park, where she became a voice for protesters. I want to be the change I seek, she said of her mayoral bid. Many of the Black voters she's talked to doubt that any mayor can deliver on their promises. They also resent that no one has been charged for Taylors death, while the white men who killed Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd have been convicted of murder. Parrish-Wright worries that some voters might conflate her actions as an activist with Browns or the group that funded his release. She said she didn't know Brown very well but hopes he gets the mental health resources he needs. If elected, Parrish-Wright would join a growing group of Black female mayors in cities like New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Representation in the mayors seat, she said, could restore faith in a city where nearly half of Kentucky's Black population lives. The state legislature is dominated by white Republicans, and while there's a Democratic governor, the city often finds itself at odds with the Capitol in Frankfort. Greenberg and Parrish-Wright are among eight Democratic candidates on the primary ballot. The contenders have plied voters with plans for economic development and other matters, but public safety and policing are never far from the conversation. The primary winner will be heavily favored in the general election come November, because Democrats outnumber Republicans by a wide margin. The next mayor will be called on to lead the city through a complicated period, and leaving the past behind won't be easy. Louisville's police department remains under federal investigation, and many activists want to be heard. The two-year lockdown during the pandemic has left empty storefronts and office buildings downtown. There are lots of people who feel discouraged because we have had two of the worst years, for many of us, in our lifetime. We're exhausted," said Sadiqa Reynolds, president and CEO of the Louisville Urban League. Reynolds, who endorsed another Black candidate for mayor, the Rev. Tim Findley Jr., said the task facing the winner will be formidable and patience is wearing thin. Its not enough to create good programs; you actually have to be able and have a desire to change the structures," she said. The current system we have its just not working fast enough." ___ Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The following are being sought on arrest warrants, according to various sheriffs departments. The addresses listed are the last known addresses provided by the warrants and may be outdated. Micheal W. Rogers, 43, of 416 Bessie St., Rushville, is being sought on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on a possession of methamphetamine charge. He is a white male standing 6 foot 2 and weighing 190 pounds. He has blond hair and blue eyes. Jeremy T. Greenwood, 28, of 914 E. Lafayette Ave. is being sought on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on charges of domestic battery and driving while license is suspended. He is a white male standing 6 foot 1 and weighing 145 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes. Morgan County Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS A 12-year-old girl was cited on a charge of disorderly conduct at 1 p.m. Friday after getting into an altercation with another student at Jacksonville Middle School, 664 Lincoln Ave. A 16-year-old boy was arrested at 9:02 a.m. Friday on a disorderly conduct charge after being accused of assaulting a staff member and throwing property around at Garrison Alternative School, 936 W. Michigan Ave. Two boys, ages 14 and 16, were cited on charges of disorderly conduct at 10:42 a.m. Thursday for fighting at Lafayette Academy, 409 Hardin Ave. Jessie M. Crosby, 39, of 127 Diamond Court was arrested at 4:18 a.m. Thursday on a domestic battery charge. VANDALISM Someone broke into a vacant residence in the 900 block of Sheffield Lane in the past month and caused about $5,000 damage to the interior, according to a report filed at 2:50 p.m. Friday. Pike County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Tabitha L. Mulford, 45, of Nebo was arrested at 4:18 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop at North Monroe and East Perry streets in Pittsfield. Dustin L. Henderson, 38, of Louisiana, Missouri, was arrested at 6:38 p.m. Monday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence of drugs, and having no valid drivers license after a traffic stop on Davis Street near Pittsfield Street in Milton. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer A smart thermostat can turn up the heat in your home before you roll out of bed. A smart speaker can play your favorite podcasts with a voice command. A smart lightbulb can be turned on or off from across the room. But smart-home devices arent just about convenience. Because some of them can help keep your home safe and secure, they could also earn you a discount on your homeowners insurance. NerdWallet reached out to a dozen insurance companies and found that most of them offer discounts to homeowners with smart-home devices designed to prevent water damage, fire or theft. In our research, we found companies advertising homeowners insurance discounts up to 13%, depending on the device and where you live. Among the companies we surveyed, the smart devices most commonly eligible for discounts were water leak sensors, security cameras and smoke detectors. However, insurers like Farmers and Lemonade also offer savings for smart locks, while Amica and Farmers give discounts for motion sensors. If you already own a smart-home device, ask your carrier whether youre eligible for a discount. Some insurers have partnered with smart-home technology companies to make the devices more affordable or even provide them for free. For example, State Farm policyholders in most states can sign up for three years of free Ting service. Ting provides a plug-in that monitors your home for electrical problems that could cause fires. Hippo, a homeowners insurance startup, gives policyholders in eligible states free smart home-monitoring kits from partners such as Kangaroo and SimpliSafe. As long as the policyholder installs the devices and keeps them active, they can save up to 13% on their homeowners insurance. Amica policyholders can save when buying select smart-home devices from Moen, Guardian or Kangaroo, while Nationwide offers nearly 50% off the purchase of Notion smart sensors. These savings are in addition to the homeowners insurance discounts the companies will give you once you install the devices. Insurance companies offer discounts for smart-home devices because the technology can help catch problems early, potentially preventing expensive claims. Say you have a smart water sensor next to your water heater, and the appliance springs a leak. The device could sound an audible alarm and send an alert to your phone, enabling you to take immediate action. (Some devices even have an automatic water shut-off feature.) Without the sensor, you could end up filing a claim, paying a big deductible and having contractors in your basement cleaning up damage, says Brett Sobol, senior growth initiatives lead at Hippo. But with the sensor, the damage might be so limited that you wouldnt need to make a claim at all. The best experience is one where theres no claim, says Sobol. The cost of smart-home technology can add up quickly. If you want to invest in a protective device but arent sure which ones are worth the money, consider your homes unique risks, says Karen Collins, assistant vice president of personal lines at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. For instance, if your home has older plumbing, water sensors might be worth buying, Collins says. But if you live in a neighborhood with high crime rates, your money might be better spent on a home security system. For many homeowners, water sensors are a good bet, according to Sobol. Water damage is by far the most common claim that smart-home devices can help prevent, Sobol says. Putting sensors in bathrooms, in basements and under appliances can (keep) small claims from turning into big ones. Ask your insurer whether the devices youre considering would qualify you for a homeowners insurance discount. Depending on the amount of the discount and the cost of the devices, they might pay for themselves within a few years. Keep in mind that the benefits of smart-home technology could go beyond insurance savings. Investing in smart-home technology can offer customers peace of mind, Sobol says, knowing that their home is better protected. EXPLAINER: How China is using metal barriers to fight COVID View Photo TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Several districts in Shanghai put up metal barriers last weekend as part of the citys battle against a COVID-19 outbreak, in a move that drew protests and anger from some residents. Workers in white head-to-toe protective gear erected mesh wire fences and metal sheets to block off roads, residential communities and even the entrances of some apartment buildings. A majority of the citys 25 million residents had already been prevented from leaving their homes during a month-long lockdown, though some neighborhoods have since opened up. The barriers are deployed to ensure control over movement and often leave only a small entrance that can be easily guarded. IS THE USE OF METAL FENCING OR BARRIERS NEW? The barriers are new to Shanghai but have been deployed throughout the pandemic in other cities across China. For example, early in 2020, some neighborhood committees the lowest rung of local government erected metal sheets and fences in parts of Beijing to control access points to homes. Wuhan, where the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in December 2019, also erected metal barriers across the city. How they have been deployed varies. Sometimes the government sets up fencing around entire neighborhood blocks, leaving just one or two entrances. In other cases, they build fences in front of individual residential complexes. The fencing has been widely deployed in border regions as well, including in Suifenhe, a city in the northeast that borders Russia. The metal barriers there block off entire streets. WHY DID PEOPLE PROTEST IN SHANGHAI? Shanghai had not erected metal barriers on a wide scale during the past two years of the pandemic, priding itself on more targeted measures that did not rely on lockdowns. That changed in the latest outbreak, which is driven by the highly transmissible omicron BA.2 variant. Central authorities enforced a lockdown for the entire city that prevented people from putting even one foot out the door, according to a widely propagated slogan. Many Shanghai residents were upset about barriers blocking the entrances to their apartment buildings and some angry citizens circulated videos online showing protests. In one video verified by the AP, residents leaving a building in Shanghais Xuhui district broke down a mesh fence barricade at the front entrance and went angrily looking for the security guard they believed to be responsible for putting it up. Shanghai is using a tiered system in which neighborhoods are divided into three categories based on the risk of transmission. Those in the first category face the strictest COVID-19 controls and are the main target of the barriers. However, some neighborhood officials in Shanghai put up barriers in areas that arent part of the strictest category. One resident called the police to protest the sealing off of roads near his apartment building, saying his residence wasnt part of the first category. He and two other residents in his building complex tried to stop the workers from erecting the metal barriers, but they were stopped by a worker in the neighborhood committee. The police officer told the residents they had no right to leave the apartment, according to the mans account, which he posted on WeChat. This deep, deep feeling of powerlessness. Who can tell me: Is there any hope for this place? he wrote. He declined to be named. WILL THEY BE TAKEN DOWN? In some instances, residents have been successful in their protests. At one apartment complex in Shanghais Putuo district, residents fiercely protested after the residential committee put a U-lock on the door to their building on April 16. It was very sudden, without any notice, and it wasnt just the building. Every place was blocked off below. It blocked off any escape path, said one Shanghai resident who asked to be identified only by her last name, Zhang. If there was any accident or fire, everyones sure to die. Residents in the building called the police as well as the citys hotline. The residential committee relented and put tape across the door instead, but warned residents that destruction of the tape would bring legal consequences, according to a notice the committee sent to residents that Zhang showed to the AP. In Beijing, many barriers were removed after the city went without a major outbreak during the past two years. Now, however, residential complexes with positive cases are once again being barricaded. - Associated Press researcher Chen Si contributed to this report from Shanghai. By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press Ukrainians plead for Mariupol rescue; Russian advance crawls View Photo KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian forces fought village by village Saturday to hold back a Russian advance through the countrys east, while the United Nations worked to broker a civilian evacuation from the last defensive stronghold in the bombed-out ruins of the port city of Mariupol. An estimated 100,000 civilians remain in the city, and up to 1,000 are living beneath a sprawling Soviet-era steel plant, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has not said how many fighters are also in the plant, the only part of Mariupol not occupied by Russian forces, but Russia put the number at about 2,000. Russian state media outlets reported Saturday that 25 civilians had been evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks, though there was no confirmation from the U.N. Russias RIA Novosti news agency said 19 adults and six children were brought out, but gave no further details. A top official with the Azov Regiment, the Ukrainian unit defending the plant, said 20 civilians were evacuated during a cease-fire, though it was not clear if he was referring to the same group as the Russian news reports. These are women and children, Sviatoslav Palamar said in a video posted on the regiments Telegram channel. He also called for the evacuation of the wounded: We dont know why they are not taken away and their evacuation to the territory controlled by Ukraine is not being discussed. Video and images from inside the plant, shared with The Associated Press by two Ukrainian women who said their husbands are among the fighters refusing to surrender there, showed unidentified men with stained bandages; others had open wounds or amputated limbs. A skeleton medical staff was treating at least 600 wounded people, said the women, who identified their husbands as members of the Azov Regiment of Ukraines National Guard. Some of the wounds were rotting with gangrene, they said. In the video the men said that they eat just once daily and share as little as 1.5 liters (50 ounces) of water a day among four people, and that supplies inside the besieged facility are depleted. One shirtless man appeared to be in pain as he described his wounds: two broken ribs, a punctured lung and a dislocated arm that was hanging on the flesh. I want to tell everyone who sees this: If you will not stop this here, in Ukraine, it will go further, to Europe, he said. AP could not independently verify the date and location of the video, which the women said was taken in the last week in the maze of corridors and bunkers beneath the plant. The women urged that Ukrainian fighters also be evacuated alongside civilians, warning they could be tortured and executed if captured. The lives of soldiers matter too, Yuliia Fedusiuk told AP in Rome. In his nightly video address late Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian to urge Russian troops not to fight in Ukraine, saying even their generals expect that thousands more of them will die. The president accused Moscow of recruiting new soldiers with little motivation and little combat experience so that units gutted early in the war can be thrown back into battle. Every Russian soldier can still save his own life, Zelenskyy said. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land. In other developments: Ukrainian Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotsky said in televised remarks that Russian forces have seized hundreds of thousands of tons of grain in territory under their control. Ukraine is a major grain producer, and the invasion has pushed up world prices and raised concerns about shortages. A Russian rocket attack destroyed the airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-most populous city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said. The bodies of three men were found buried in a forest near the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the head of Kyivs regional police force said. The men, whose bodies were found Friday, had been tortured before they were shot in the head, Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. Ukrainian officials have alleged that retreating Russian troops carried out mass killings of civilians in Bucha. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators talk almost every day. However, he told Chinese state news agency Xinhua, progress has not been easy. Two buses sent to evacuate residents from the eastern town of Popasna were fired upon, and contact with the organizers was lost, Mayor Nikolai Khanatov said: We know that (the buses) reached the town and then came under fire from an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group. Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in eastern Ukraine has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Also, both Ukraine and Moscow-backed rebels have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone. But Western military analysts suggested that the offensive in the Donbas region, which includes Mariupol, was going much slower than planned. So far, Russian troops and the separatists appeared to have made only minor gains in the month since Moscow said it would focus its military strength in the east. Numerically, Russias military manpower vastly exceeds Ukraines. In the days before the war began, Western intelligence estimated Russia had positioned near the border as many as 190,000 troops; Ukraines standing military totals about 200,000, spread throughout the country. Yet, in part because of the tenacity of the Ukrainian resistance, the U.S. believes the Russians are at least several days behind where they wanted to be as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east, said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the American militarys assessment. With plenty of firepower still in reserve, Russias offensive still could intensify and overrun the Ukrainians. Overall the Russian army has an estimated 900,000 active-duty personnel. Russia also has a much larger air force and navy. Hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance has flowed into Ukraine since the war began, but Russias vast armories mean Ukraines needs are nearly inexhaustible. Mariupol officials have described dire shortages of food, water and medicine. U.N. humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu said the world organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv, but he could not provide details of the ongoing evacuation effort because of the complexity and fluidity of the operation. There is, right now, ongoing, high-level engagements with all the governments, Russia and Ukraine, to make sure that you can save civilians and support the evacuation of civilians from the plant, Abreu told AP. He would not confirm video posted on social media purportedly showing U.N.-marked vehicles in Mariupol. Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling. ___ Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell and Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Trisha Thompson in Rome and AP staff around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine By MSTYSLAV CHERNOV and YESICA FISCH Associated Press For Ukrainian Model UN students, hopes dim for diplomacy View Photo NEW YORK (AP) For nearly a week in April, Mariia Pachenko took a respite from her studies in besieged Ukraine to share its plight with fellow college students in New York. Soon after, the 18-year-old faced a wrenching decision: Return to her war-torn country or wait out the conflict as hopes for a diplomatic remedy dimmed by the day. Pachenko and a handful of other Ukrainian students recounted the wars human toll and the perilous trip through Russian-occupied territories to make it to the National Model United Nations conference, relishing the opportunity to foster communication between young people across the world because its so important to share ideas, to express your thoughts on the relevant political issues and to try to find the solutions. But despite urgent calls to end the Russian invasion, diplomacy has made little progress in the real world. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Moscow and Kyiv to take whatever urgent steps to stop the fighting, but the lack of dialogue between the two governments has been disconcerting for Pachenko now in France for the foreseeable future and her peers in the widening diaspora of Ukrainians fleeing bombs, tanks and violence. They harbor little hope that diplomacy will prevail anytime soon. The United Nations as an organization needs to be reformed. It has no power no practical power in the real world, said participant Olha Tolmachova, who has returned to her town in western Ukraine, which, for now, has been spared the Russian onslaught. Guterres spent nearly two hours in a one-on-one meeting Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by a Thursday meeting with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While the Russians rebuffed his appeal to halt fighting, the U.N. said Putin did agree in principle to the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross participation in evacuating civilians from Mariupol. Artemy Kalinovsky, a faculty member of Temple Universitys Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy, said theyre rightfully skeptical. The U.N. can highlight the ravages of war and serve as a platform for serious discussions, Kalinovsky said. But in the end, he said, I dont think theres anything that the U.N. can do because one of the belligerents or the aggressors in this case is a member of the Security Council and can veto anything that could serve to end this conflict. As the students conference was ongoing, the Kremlin simply withdrew altogether from the U.N. Human Rights Council after the 193-member General Assembly where there are no vetoes voted to suspend Russia. Planned many months beforehand, the war was not part of the Model U.N. conferences central agenda. And there were no Russian universities taking part because of visa problems and U.S. travel rules. But the conflict wafted through as the Ukrainian delegation used the event as an informal podium from which to plead for continued dialogue and attention. Amid all the geopolitics are the more than 5 million individual stories of those who have fled Ukraine since February. Feelings of guilt have followed Larysa Haivoronskas decision to delay her return. She recalls how the walls shook as the bombs fell in the distance back home. Russian jets streaked overhead and helicopters thwacked ominously. Now outside Chicago, Haivoronska last spoke to her mother nearly a week ago. Bombing damage has disrupted power lines. Without phone and internet services, her eastern hometown of Kupyansk-Vuzlovyy has been disconnected from the outside world. The only thing they want is for me to be safe. Thats why they told me I need to stay here, the 22-year-old said, sobbing. I dont want to be safe if theyre not safe. I told my mom that if something happens to them, I will come back and go to army or do whatever. Because I dont care about my life if something happened to them. With Kalinovskys help, Haivoronska was recently admitted to a doctorate program in political science at Temple, but vows to return to Ukraine. We have to not only physically rebuild, like the roads, the houses, but we also need to rebuild our international systems and we have to rebuild the whole political system, she said. The students adviser, Halyna Protsyk, has returned to Lviv, and worries about the toll on the young people her country desperately needs to return. They need to make sure that our country still functions in every sphere, she said during her visit to New York, and my mission is to make sure that higher education still performs high quality standards. Those who have left Ukraine continue their studies online, much as they did during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Some plan to enroll in new universities. Pachenko said its been difficult to stay away. Bombs have destroyed the bridges outside her town southeast of Lviv, cutting it off from shipments of food and medicine. She say its difficult to live in a constant stress so she tries not to overwhelm herself with information. But she still tracks daily updates on her phone. Friends and family alert her to the latest air sirens. She worries her mother will ignore the warnings to take cover. If she were home, she could force her mother to run to the shelters. And its been hard to leave a place where so many memories still reside, Pachenko said. Im young, and I understand that my life and my safety are much more important than some memories, she said. And I want to make more memories in my life. And thats why I want to stay safe. Acknowledging that some did hold out hope for a peaceful solution, she nonetheless thinks it was a mistake for anyone to believe that diplomacy could stop Putin after eight years of fighting since Moscows annexation of Crimea from further encroachment. The hope now lies in a quick end to the war, the students adviser said. The biggest challenge for us, Protsyk said, will be to bring back our youth to Ukraine after we got our victory. That outcome though, the Ukrainians acknowledged, remains uncertain. ___ Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer contributed from the United Nations. By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press Live updates l Zelenskyy urges Russian troops not to fight View Photo KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian in his nightly video address to urge Russian soldiers not to fight in Ukraine, saying even their generals expected that thousands of them would die. He said Russia has been recruiting new troops with little motivation and little combat experience for the units that were gutted during the early weeks of the war so these units can be thrown back into battle. He said Russian commanders fully understand that thousands of them will die and thousands more will be wounded in the coming weeks. The Russian commanders are lying to their soldiers when they tell them they can expect to be held seriously responsible for refusing to fight and then also dont tell them, for example, that the Russian army is preparing additional refrigerator trucks for storing the bodies. They dont tell them about the new losses the generals expect, Zelenskyy said late Saturday. Every Russian soldier can still save his own life. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land, he said. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukrainian forces fight Russias grinding advance in eastern Donbas region Wives of Mariupol defenders appeal for soldiers evacuation from final holdout Some Ukrainians go back across front line toward homes, despite dangers Ukrainian women learn how to clear land mines at course in Kosovo Angelina Jolie makes surprise Ukraine visit, meets children Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: STOCKHOLM Sweden says a Russian military plane has violated Swedish airspace. The incident happened late Friday in the Baltic Sea near the island of Bornholm. In a statement Saturday, the Swedish Armed Forces said a Russian AN-30 propeller plane flew toward Swedish airspace and briefly entered it before leaving the area. The Swedish Air Force scrambled fighter jets which photographed the Russian plane. Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told Swedish public radio that the violation was unacceptable and unprofessional. In a similar incident in early March four Russian warplanes violated Swedish airspace over the Baltic Sea. Sweden and neighboring Finland are both considering NATO membership following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has warned that such a move would have consequences, without giving specifics. ___ LONDON Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the progress of the U.N. effort to evacuate people from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol and offered the U.K.s continued economic and humanitarian support during a talk Saturday with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskky. The prime minister reiterated that he is more committed than ever to reinforcing Ukraine and ensuring (Russian President Vladimir) Putin fails, noting how hard the Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom, Johnsons Downing Street office said. He confirmed that the UK will continue to provide additional military aid to give the Ukrainians the equipment they needed to defend themselves, the statement said. The United Nations has been attempting to broker an evacuation in the port city where some 100,000 civilians remain. Up to 1,000 civilians are living beneath a Soviet-era steel plant in Mariupol, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has not said how many fighters are also in the plant, but the Russians put the number at about 2,000. ___ A Russian rocket attack destroyed an airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-largest city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said Saturday. In a Telegram post, Ukraines Operational Command South said there was no way that the Odesa runway could be used as a result of the rocket attack. Local authorities urged residents of the area to shelter in place as Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing army sources, reported that several explosions were heard in Odesa. Odesas regional governor said that the rocket was fired from Russian-occupied Crimea. Maksym Marchenko said there were no reports of any injuries. Russian forces have embarked on a major military operation to seize significant parts of southern and eastern Ukraine, the countrys industrial heartland, and capture the countrys Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukraines national grid operator says it has has restored reliable power supply in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, around the site of the 1986 nuclear reactor disaster. In the afternoon, the last necessary 330 kV power transmission line was put into operation, the state-owned Ukrenergo wrote in a Telegram post Saturday. According to the same post, Ukrenergo also restored another 330 kV line in the northern Kyiv region last night, helping stabilize the energy supply in the capital. It said the reconstruction of further transmission lines in and around Kyiv remains underway. ___ KYIV The mayor of the eastern Ukrainian town of Popasna said in a video interview that two buses headed to the town to evacuate residents had been fired upon and that contact with the drivers had been lost. Yesterday we evacuated 31 people from Popasna. Many more people were waiting; for that reason we dispatched two more buses to the evacuation point, Mayor Mykola Khanatov said in an interview posted on the Telegram channel of Serhiy Haidai, the Ukrainian governor of the eastern Luhansk region. We know that (the buses) reached the town and then came under fire from an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group, Khanatov said. There is no contact with people who were inside the vehicles and were organizing the evacuation. Russian forces have embarked on a major military operation to seize significant parts of southern and eastern Ukraine, the countrys industrial heartland. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Another mass grave has been found in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the scene of alleged mass executions of civilians before its recapture by Ukrainian forces in early March, the head of Kyivs regional police force said Saturday. On April 29, a pit with the bodies of three men was found in the Bucha district, regional police chief Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. The victims were tortured for a lengthy period of time. Bullet wounds were found on the extremities of their bodies. In the end, each of the men was shot through the ear. This is another mass burial made by the occupiers in the Bucha district, the long-suffering district where more than a thousand civilians have been killed and tortured, Nebytov added. According to Nebytovs post, the burial site was found in the forest near the village of Myrotske, 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of the town of Bucha. Nebytov said the three bodies were being sent for a forensic examination, following a preliminary inspection by the Kyiv regional police. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Seven Ukrainian soldiers and seven civilians have been released in a prisoner swap Saturday with Russia, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on social media. Were bringing home 14 of our people: seven military personnel and seven civilians,Vereshchuk wrote on Facebook and Telegram. To me, this exchange is special: one of the female soldiers is five months pregnant. As of Saturday afternoon, the swap had not been confirmed by official Russian sources. ___ NEW YORK Prices for Russian credit default swaps insurance contracts that protect an investor against a default plunged sharply overnight after Moscow used its precious foreign currency reserves to make a last-minute debt payment on Friday. The cost for a five-year credit default swap on Russian debt was $5.84 million to protect $10 million in debt. That price was just about half the price on Thursday, which at roughly $11 million for $10 million in debt protection was a signal that investors were certain of a Russian default. Despite the insurance contract plunge, investors remain largely convinced that Russia will eventually default on its debts for the first time since 1917. The major ratings agencies Standard & Poors and Moodys have declared Russia is in selective default on its obligations and earlier this week, the governing body over CDS contracts declared Russia in default. ___ Ukraine evacuated more people Saturday in the eastern town of Lyman in the fiercely fought-over region of Donetsk, where at least half the residents have fled Russian shelling since the start of the war. About 20 mostly elderly people boarded a minivan amid the sounds of outgoing artillery and explosions in the distance. All the shops in the almost-empty town were closed and those who decided to remain rely on aid distributed by groups including the Ukrainian Red Cross. Those who remain say they are either too old, dont know where to go or dont want to leave their homes unattended. They seek shelter in their basements whenever the shelling starts. Meanwhile, in Dobropillya, further to the west, Russian shelling hit the town on Saturday, damaging buildings and slightly injuring seven people including three children, according to authorities. Ukraines deputy agriculture minister says Russian forces are seizing vast amounts of grain in territory they hold, while its president says the war-torn country is facing fuel shortages. Today, there are confirmed facts that several hundred thousand tons of grain in total were taken out of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, minister Taras Vysotsky told Ukrainian television on Saturday. Ukraine is one of the worlds major grain producers and the Russian invasion has curtailed exports, pushing up world grain prices and raising concerns about severe grain shortages in importing countries. Ukraine is also facing fuel shortages as Russia destroys its fuel infrastructure and blocks its ports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday night. Fuel shortages have been reported in Kyiv, Dnipro and other cities. Vehicles can be seen lining up at gas stations and drivers in most places can purchase only 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of fuel at a time. Zelenskyy promised that officials would find a fuel supply system within a week or two to prevent a deficit but called it a difficult task after the refinery at Kremenchuk was hit by a Russian missile. But, Zelenskyy said, there are no immediate solutions. ___ PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron has conveyed to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy his wish to actively work to re-establish the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine during his second mandate, in coordination with allies, the presidential Elysee Palace says. Macron assured Zelenskyy in their hourlong conversation Saturday that military material and humanitarian assistance would keep flowing to Ukraine, the Elysee said. France has so far sent 615 tons of equipment and aid, including generators for hospitals, ambulances and food. France has been coy about its contribution in defensive weapons, but Macron recently mentioned Milan anti-tank missiles and a delivery of truck-mounted Caesar cannons among consequential equipment. This support will continue to strengthen, the French president told Zelenskyy, according to the Elysee. Macron was re-elected president of France six days ago. During his first term, Macron held numerous conversations with both Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin since Russias invasion Feb. 24. ___ LVIV, Ukraine Russias foreign minister says Moscow has evacuated over 1 million people from Ukraine since the war there began. The comments Saturday by Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua come as Ukraine has accused Moscow of forcefully sending Ukrainians out of the country. Lavrov said that figure included more than 300 Chinese civilians. Lavrov offered no evidence to support his claim in the interview. Lavrov also said that negotiations continue between Russia and Ukraine almost every day. However, he cautioned that progress has not been easy. Lavrov in part blamed the bellicose rhetoric and inflammatory actions of Western supporters of the Kyiv regime for disrupting the talks. However, Russian state TV nightly has had guests who suggest that Moscow use nuclear weapons in the conflict. ___ LVIV, Ukraine The British military believes Russian forces in Ukraine are likely suffering from weakened morale. The British Defense Ministry made that assessment in a tweet Saturday as part of a daily report it provides on Russias war on Kyiv. It says Russia still faces considerable challenges in fighting. The British military believes Russian forces have been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in northeast Ukraine. It offered no information on how it arrived at this assessment. However, analysts believe Russian forces that failed to take Kyiv at the start of the war have been redeployed without the time needed to properly rearm and restaff. The British believe Russia hopes to reorganize its effort and shorten supply lines. The ministry added: A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localized improvements. ___ WASHINGTON A senior U.S. defense official said Friday the Russian offensive is going much slower than planned in part because of the strength of the Ukrainian resistance. We also assess that because of this slow and uneven progress, again, without perfect knowledge of every aspect of the Russian plan, we do believe and assess that they are behind schedule in what they were trying to accomplish in the Donbas, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the U.S. militarys assessment. He said the U.S. believes the Russians are at least several days behind where they wanted to be as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east. As the troops try to move north out of Mariupol so they can advance on Ukrainian forces from the south, their progress has been slow and uneven, and certainly not decisive, in any event, the official said. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to destroy the Donbas and all who live there. The constant brutal bombardments, the constant Russian strikes on infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to empty this territory of all people. Therefore, the defense of our land, the defense of our people, is literally a fight for life, he said late Friday in his nightly video address to the nation. He said the cities and towns of the Donbas will survive only if Ukraine remains standing. If the Russian invaders are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones. As they did with Mariupol. Zelenskyy said Mariupol, once one of the most developed cities in the region, was now a Russian concentration camp among the ruins. In Kharkiv, a major city to the north, the situation was brutal but Ukrainian troops and intelligence agents have had important tactical successes, he said without elaborating. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said about 20% of the citys residential buildings have been so badly damaged that it will be impossible to restore them. Zelenskyy said rescuers were still going through the rubble in Kyiv after Thursdays missile strikes. He expressed his condolences to the family of Vira Hyrych, who was killed in the bombardment. He said she was the 23rd journalist killed in the war. ___ DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appears to have dismissed the need for the United Nations to help secure humanitarian corridors out of Ukraines besieged cities, striking a tough line a day after the U.N. chief toured war-wracked Kyiv with that very aim. As an interviewer at Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV tried to ask Lavrov about U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians, Lavrov cut him off. There is no need. I know, I know, an irritated Lavrov said. There is no need for anybody to provide help to open humanitarian corridors. There is only one problem humanitarian corridors are being ignored by Ukrainian ultra-nationals, he said. We appreciate the interest of the secretary-general to be helpful, he added. (We have) explained what is the mechanism for them to monitor how the humanitarian corridors are announced. During the hourlong interview, Lavrov also accused the West of sabotaging Russias peace talks with Ukraine. He claimed that thorny negotiations in Istanbul last month had been progressing on issues of Russian territorial claims and security guarantees until Ukrainian diplomats backtracked at the behest of the West. We are stuck because of their desire to play games all the time, Lavrov said. Because of the instructions they get Washington, from London, from some other capitals, not to accelerate the negotiations. When asked about the risks of war spilling into neighboring Moldova after a series of explosions rattled a breakaway border region within the country, Lavrov struck an ominous tone. Moldova should worry about their own future, he said. Because theyre being pulled into NATO. By The Associated Press Wood piles to be burned in Yosemite National Park May 3-6-2022 View Photo Yosemite, CA Smoke may be visible in the skies above Yosemite National Park next week. The woodpiles will be set ablaze during daylight hours near the Yosemite Elementary School, beginning Monday, May 3, and running through Friday, May 6th. Park Fire Management relayed that burn days will be determined by the best smoke dispersion and weather parameters. The piles, seen in the image box photo, were constructed by the Calaveras Healthy Impact Product Solutions (CHIPS) crew, made up of local tribal members. The goal is to restore California black oak groves in the Yosemite Valley. Fire managers noted that black oak is a cultural keystone species for the parks seven affiliated tribes: North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California, Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians, Kutzadikaa Mono Lake Indian Community, Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony, Bishop Paiute Tribe, and the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation. They added that groves in the Yosemite Valley were planted, tended, burned, and harvested by tribal members for centuries. The park has invited tribal members to help burn the piles. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to extend the U.N. political mission in Libya for three months, with the United States and Britain accusing Russia of blocking a longer and more substantive mandate that would include promoting reconciliation of the countrys rival governments now claiming power. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow insisted on a three-month extension to pressure U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urgently appoint a new special representative to head the mission, known as UNSMIL. The former U.N. special envoy, Jan Kubis, resigned on Nov. 23 after 10 months on the job. Nebenzia said in the absence of a new envoy, the U.N. mission has been unable to provide substantial support for the political process in Libya for more than six months. He blamed some unidentified members of the Security Council who he claimed are not ready to accept a scenario where UNSMIL is guided by an African representative, saying their opposition is non-constructive and a manifestation of neo-colonialism. Britains U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward, who oversaw negotiations on the resolution, said after the vote that Russia has once again isolated itself by not joining consensus with the 14 other members of the council who supported a one-year substantive mandate. U.S. deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis said a short mandate severely complicates the U.N.s ability to recruit a new head of for the mission and creates uncertainty for the Libyan people and their leaders over the Security Councils commitment to Libya. DeLaurentis also criticized Russia for eliminating critical language on reconciliation and security sector reform which the councils three African members were pushing to include in the resolution adopted Friday. The oil-rich North African nation plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. It then became divided between rival governments one in the east, backed by military commander Khalifa Hifter, and a U.N.-supported administration in the capital Tripoli. Each side is supported by different militias and foreign powers. In April 2019, Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. His campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the U.N.-supported government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries. An October 2020 cease-fire agreement led to an agreement on a transitional government in early February 2021, and elections scheduled for last Dec. 24 which werent held. The countrys east-based House of Representatives named a new prime minister, former interior minister Fathi Bashagha, to lead a new interim government in February. The lawmakers claimed the mandate of interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who is based in the capital, Tripoli, expired when the election failed to take place. But Dbeibah insists he will remain prime minister until elections are held. Week-long talks between the rival sides in the Egyptian capital ended on April 19 without an agreement on constitutional arrangements for elections. After Kubis resigned, Guterres appointed American diplomat Stephanie Williams, a fluent Arabic speaker who served as deputy U.N. special representative in Libya from 2018-2020 as his special adviser and sent her to Tripoli. She oversaw the agreements on the cease-fire and transitional government and told reporters after the recent meeting of the rivals in Cairo that they agreed to reconvene in May. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq replied that he expects Williams, whose contract is set to expire, to continue in her role until we have any further notice to give you. Gabons U.N. Ambassador Michel Biang read a statement on behalf of his country, Ghana and Kenya, saying the widening divisions in Libya are unfolding at a crucial juncture that demands unified Security Council action to make progress toward a sustainable peace that the Libyan people are craving for. The three African council members called on Libyas rival parties to settle their differences politically, bearing in mind that the military option will not provide a sustainable solution to the root causes of this crisis. They denounced foreign interference in Libya, demanded the synchronized withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries, and called on the U.N., the African Union and international partners to support a national dialogue and reconciliation in the country. Biang stressed that since the situation in Libya mainly affects the countrys African neighbors, Africans should be involved in the search for a solution and the next U.N. special envoy should be an African. Norways deputy U.N. ambassador Trine Heimerback said the councils failure to agree on a substantive mandate not only sends an unfortunate signal to the Libyan people but also to the whole region, stressing UNSMILs pivotal role in supporting Libyas political process and contribution to the countrys stability. By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press Justice Dept files a challenge to Alabama transgender law View Photo MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday challenged an Alabama law making it a felony for doctors to treat transgender people under age 19 with puberty-blockers and hormones to help affirm their new gender identity. The departments motion seeks to intervene in an ongoing lawsuit challenging the law as unconstitutional and seeking to block it from taking effect on May 8. The action comes after the department sent a letter to all 50 state attorneys general warning that blocking transgender and nonbinary youth from receiving gender-affirming care could be an infringement of federal constitutional protections. Doctors and others would face up to 10 years in prison for violating the Alabama law. Trans youth and parents have said Alabama is trying to ban what they consider necessary, and sometimes life-saving care for them. The law discriminates against transgender minors by unjustifiably denying them access to certain forms of medically necessary care, the complaint states. As a result of S.B. 184, medical professionals, parents, and minors old enough to make their own medical decisions are forced to choose between forgoing medically necessary procedures and treatments or facing criminal prosecution. Alabama Republicans who supported the law have maintained it is needed to protect children. A spokeswoman for Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said, we are prepared to defend our Alabama values and this legislation. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Friday that the Biden Administration has chosen to prioritize leftist politics at the expense of Alabamas children. As we will show in this case, DOJs assertion that these treatments are medically necessary is ideologically-driven disinformation. The science and common sense are on Alabamas side. We will win this fight to protect our children, Marshall said in a statement. State lawyers in an initial court appearance last week argued the science of the treatments is in doubt and thus the state has a role in regulation. Marshall said there is a growing body of evidence that using experimental drugs on vulnerable children suffering from gender dysphoria will lead to significant, lifelong harm. Doctors who provide the treatments and medical groups said the treatments follow evidence-based accepted standards of care. As the effective date of the law draws closer, some Alabama parents with trans kids say they feel that their children are being exploited for political gain in a region that can already feel unwelcoming. LGBTQ have always been a part of our community, but were silenced into hiding and beaten down by the Bible Belt, said Pamela Northington, the mother of a trans teen boy. She said that telling kids they have to wait is just adding years to their struggle. The emotional state of the youth in transition is already in a heightened state because of the bullying, and the fear of not being accepted. I fear that for some of them, it may become tragic. U.S. District Judge Liles Burke has scheduled a May 5 hearing on a request to stop Alabama officials from enforcing the law while the court challenge goes forward. Sarah Warbelow, legal director for the Human Rights Campaign an LGBTQ advocacy group said they are encouraged to see the Department of Justice weigh in on this law that so severely interferes in the lives of Alabama families. Alabama is among several states with Republican-controlled legislatures that have advanced bills regarding transgender youth and LGBTQ issues. The Alabama law is the furthest reaching and the first to criminalize the treatments. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had ordered the states child welfare agency to investigate as abuse reports of gender-confirming care for kids. Arkansas also banned gender-affirming medications, but that law has been blocked from taking effect. By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press Mike Kemp/Getty Images/Tetra images RF Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been extended again for the month of May. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is expected to provide $317.9 million in emergency SNAP benefits to be distributed to recipients accounts by the end of the month, according to a news release from Governor Greg Abbotts office. TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) A plan to create special self-governing zones for foreign investors in Honduras has been thrown into limbo with the new government's repeal of a law many criticized as surrendering sovereignty. The zones were inspired by libertarian and free-market thinkers as a way to draw foreign investment to the impoverished country. They not only were free from import and export taxes, but could set up their own internal forms of government, as well as courts, security forces, schools and even social security systems. They were authorized by a constitutional amendment and an enabling law passed in 2013. Critics were worried that the zones could become nearly independent statelets and President Xiomara Castro, who took office in January, campaigned against the law. On Monday, she signed a measure passed by Honduras' Congress to repeal it though the permission for the zones still remains in the constitution. The zones known as ZEDEs in Spanish had been promoted by her predecessor as president, Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was extradited to the United States on April 21 to face drug trafficking and weapons charges. Castro called the repeal historic and said Honduras was recovering its sovereignty. Her administration said it did not want to destroy what had already been built, but that changes were coming. We are going to work hand-in-hand to do things in a responsible way because we also dont want to try to destroy what has been built, said Rodolfo Pastor, a member of Castros cabinet. With those that already (exist) there is going to be dialogue because autonomous zones are not going to be allowed. He said a committee would be formed to work with the three existing zones. Perhaps the most ambitious is a planned 58-acre development called Prospera on the Caribbean island of Roatan promoted by American libertarians with plans for modernistic buildings drawn up by Zaha Hadid Architects. Prospera's backers issued a statement just prior to the repeal vote saying they intend to proceed confidently with plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars and to create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs in Honduras in reliance upon its acquired rights under the ZEDE framework. For the State of Honduras to deny these rights would plainly violate its obligations under international and domestic law based on well-established legal principles, the statement said. After the law was repealed, Prospera's president, Mississippi state Rep. Joel Bomgar, said Honduras has a brighter future with Prospera in it. All it takes is for Honduras to honor its international commitments, he said. Prospera came to Honduras with the best intentions to invest and generate opportunities, based on legal commitments made by each party, and this intention and commitments remain. Another zone, a sprawling agro-industrial park called Orquidea near the southern city of Choluteca, is advancing as well, but is more prosaic. It features rows upon rows of massive greenhouses producing peppers and tomatoes for export. Right now we are all in limbo, but the important thing is to listen to the government to see how the process they are doing can be supported, said Guillermo Pena Panting, Orquidea Groups technical secretary. We have to have an open talk to see what (the government) is willing to do or create, because what we want is to continue contributing to the economy and developing what weve been doing in a serious and responsible way, he added. Part of the uncertainty is due to the fact that authorization for the ZEDEs remains in the constitution even though the law under which they operate has been repealed. The Congress and Castro have moved to strip that language from the constitution, but that would require a second vote by a new Congress next year. The companies that are functioning will have to continue working, because constitutionally they continue existing, said constitutional lawyer Juan Carlos Barrientos. But now nobody is going to come to invest in a useless thing, because without a law, no one is going to risk investing here. Political analyst Raul Pineda Alvarado said the now-repealed law was the more controversial part of the legal framework. That organic law had provisions that went beyond the constitutional reform, Pineda said, with privileges that were not in the constitution itself. The law had said the zones must comply with most Honduran constitutional principles and international human rights agreements, but critics argued they basically created a separate state within a state, undermining the countrys sovereignty. A 21-member best practices committee was created to oversee and help regulate the zones with an eye toward creating a business friendly environment. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, wrote Wednesday that there was no way for the Honduran government to end the ZEDEs overnight. And if it pursues the long unwinding of the initiative, investors have a number of legal mechanisms at their disposal. The Castro governments support for the repeal of ZEDEs will likely deter future investment in Honduras certainly in ZEDEs, but also investment outside of the ZEDE framework and risks turning some of the criticisms leveled by ZEDE opponents regarding job creation into self-fulfilling prophecies, the analysis said. Meanwhile, the United Nations Office of the High Commission for Human Rights in Honduras applauded Castros cancellation of the zones. Last year, it had warned that the ZEDEs could mean serious risks to compliance with the general obligation of the Honduran state to respect and guarantee the free and full exercise of the rights of all residents without discrimination. __ AP writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report. Four men working with the reality television show "Cheaters" have been indicted on criminal charges related to a filmed confrontation between a woman and her estranged husband over her relationship with a Fort Worth police captain. On Thursday, a Tarrant County grand jury indicted "Cheaters" host Joey Greco, 45, and Hunter Carson, 29, the episode's director, on charges of assault with bodily injury, unlawful restraint and hindering apprehension. Walter Earl Woods, 36, and Thomas Daniel Gibbons, 19, security guards contracted by the television show, were indicted on charges of assault with bodily injury and unlawful restraint. All the charges are Class A misdemeanors, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Bobby Goldstein, creator and executive producer of Dallas-based "Cheaters," called the charges "just nuts." The four men indicted did not return messages left through Goldstein. With the TV crew of about a dozen nearby, Rafael Gutierrez confronted Maria Gutierrez in May after a private investigator had filmed her and Capt. Duane Paul in an unmarked city vehicle at a park on three occasions. The indictments allege that all four men were a party to an assault on Maria Gutierrez when one of the security guards hit her in the leg with his own leg as he tried to restrain her. At a news conference in May, Goldstein said that when his crew accompanied Rafael Gutierrez to the fitness center where Maria Gutierrez worked they didn't know there was a protective order against him preventing contact with his estranged wife. At the time, Rafael Gutierrez was awaiting trial on accusations that he had assaulted Maria Gutierrez twice in February. He was later arrested for violating the protective order _ a third-degree felony because he is also accused of assaulting her there. The indictments also charge that Greco and Carson hindered apprehension by providing Rafael Gutierrez with a means of leaving the scene before officers arrived. Fort Worth police investigated Paul's actions and he was suspended for 90 days and demoted from captain. "Cheaters" airs on the WB Network ___ Information from: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, http://www.star-telegram.com Changes to impound fees, implementation of surrender fees, changing the amount of time a rescue can be held in the shelter and changing volunteer guidelines those are a few suggestions shared this week with the Plainview City Council regarding the operation of the local animal shelter. The council created an Animal Services Task Force in 2019 to evaluate policies and operations of Animal Control and the Animal Shelter. The task force was meant to be temporary and was to dissolve after a year following a presentation to the council regarding its findings. COVID-19 delayed the timeline and the task force presented to council during a regular meeting Tuesday night. The findings were shared by Assistant City Manager Jeff Johnston on behalf of the Task Force. They presented suggestions on a wide range of shelter-related topics, including recommended changes to the citys animal control ordinance and the topics already mentioned here. For example, the Task Force suggested raising impound fees from $25 to $50 for owners first time impounds within a one-year period. Second-time impounds would increase from $50 to $75 and it would cost $100 compared to $60 to retrieve an impounded animal for a third time in a one-year period. If the animal isnt fixed, the Task Force suggests an extra fee of $200. The goal of those fees is to encourage people to spay and neuter their animals. Councilman Larry Williams said the fees seem too high. Rather than emptying the shelter, he believes those fees will create the opposite effect. I agree with what youre doing here. I dont think its affordable, he said. Then I have this other concern. What do we do about a senior citizen who has an animal who is mostly in the house all the time? If that little dog or cat gets away, were on a fixed income, Im just saying, just something to think about. This is pretty pricey for the citizens of Plainview. I think youre going to get a crowded shelter. Council woman Susan Blackerby, also Mayor Pro-Tem, said she agrees its pricey but said it could be a solution to a habitual problem of irresponsible pet ownership. Johnston mentioned the discussion of a low-cost spay/neuter program to combat that problem as well. A few minutes later, Mayor Charles Starnes reminded those present that council was simply listening to the report from the Task Force. No actions were taken from the report. It was presented as more of an informational item as the city moves forward to figure out what happens next with its animal control program. The lengthy report also included a portion focused on creating a new, more modern animal shelter. Mike Barnard, a representative of Shelters of America, joined the meeting virtually to speak to that topic. He also shared a few statistics for Plainview and the Lubbock region. Plainview had a population of about 19,793 in 2020, he said. A citys animal intake is typically 2% to 3% of its human population making Plainviews estimated intake 6.22%. And its projected to increase, he said. He shared some ideas and price points for shelter designs that could better accommodate those numbers. Estimated total project costs to build a shelter, furnish and staff could range anywhere between $1.1 to $2 million, according to Barnards presentation. Following the meeting, City Manager Jeffrey Snyder emphasized again that the presentation was informative only. The Council voted unanimously to accept the presentation but will now look at the information merely as a suggestion, not a set plan of action. Council member Norma Juarez was absent. Any real action on the shelter is still months away, noted Mayor Starnes after the vote. Chavis Barron for MySA Pearl businesses are looking for new employees to join their teams. A job fair with opportunities ranging from entry level to managerial is planned at the mixed-use development on Wednesday, May 4. From noon to 5 p.m., restaurants and businesses including Best Quality Daughter, Ladino, Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, Food Hall, and Park Bar will be on hand to meet with potential employees. The job fair will take place on the second floor of the Culinary Institute of America, which is on the Pearl property. Click here to read the full article. UPDATED: Singer and television star Naomi Judd, famous for nearly four decades as the matriarch of the country music duo the Judds, died Saturday at 76. No cause of death was immediately given, although in a statement daughters Wynonna Judd and Ashley Judd attributed their mothers death to the disease of mental illness. Today we sisters experienced a tragedy, the statement said, according to the Associated Press. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory. A statement from Naomi Judds publicist said that her husband of 32 years, Larry Strickland, will not be making any further statements. Naomi Judds family request privacy during this heartbreaking time. No additional information will be released at this time. The announcement came the day before the Judds were set to be formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame at a medallion ceremony in Nashville. The ceremony will go ahead, with Wynonna expected to attend, according to a statement sent to Variety by a rep for the Hall. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum joins family and fans in grieving the sudden loss of Naomi Judd, the statement reads. Following the wishes of the Judd family, the museum will move forward with the Medallion Ceremony on Sunday, May 1, with Wynonna planning on being in attendance. In addition to The Judds, Eddie Bayers, Ray Charles and Pete Drake will be formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Public red carpet arrivals are cancelled. The Judds had also recently announced a farewell tour, the first by Naomi and Wynonna in more than a decade. The short, 10-date tour, which was being produced by Sandbox Live and Live Nation, was to commence Sept. 30 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and wrap up Oct. 28 at Nashvilles Bridgestone Arena. What Im looking forward to most is celebrating Judd music with the fans, said Wynonna in a statement when the tour was announced. Mom and I have had quite the journey over the last 38 years, and the fans have been with us through it all. This tour is a celebration for them. Three of the arena shows, including the Nashville finale, had sold out, according to the Judds social media. The Judds sang on the CMT Music Awards telecast and walked the red carpet just this month (see photo, below). The show aired live on CBS April 11, the same day the duo announced the reunion/goodbye tour. As a duo, the Judds had remained mostly dormant in recent decades, with periodic reunions. They parted for the first time after doing what was billed as a final show in 1991, at a time when Naomi Judd had been diagnosed with Hepatitis C. Following that, Wynonna embarked on a successful career as a solo artist while her mother raised awareness about the disease. They reunited for the Power to Change Tour at the turn of the millennium. Naomi Judd published nine books, the most recent of which was the memoir River of Time: My Descent Into Depression and How I Emerged With Hope, released in 2016. Other titles included Naomis Guide to Aging Gratefully: Being Your Best for the Rest of Your Life (2007), Naomis Breakthrough Guide: 20 Choices to Transform Your Life (2004) and several childrens books. In the 1980s, the Judds had an unbroken string of eight straight No. 1 country singles, including Why Not Me and Mama Hes Crazy as their breakout smashes in 1983, followed by such hits as Girls Night Out, Grandpa (Tell Me Bout the Good Old Days) and Rockin With the Rhythm of the Rain. Their last charting single was Stuck in Love in 2000. They had not released an album of original material as a duo since Love Can Build a Bridge in 1990, but their streak of 80s singles continued to be popular on country radio to the present day. The duo won the CMA Awards best duo/group category from 1985-91, winning nine CMAs altogether. Their eight Academy of Country Music Awards included being named top vocal duo from 1984 through 1990. They won five Grammys during that period as well, including best country song for Love Can Build a Bridge. Judd became a popular television personality outside of the singing limelight, as a 2003-2004 stint as a judge on Star Search led to her own talk show, Naomis New Morning, which lasted for two seasons on the Hallmark Channel. Other series appearances included Can You Duet? on CMT and My Cooking Rules on Fox, and acting gigs in the TV movies The Killing Game and A Holiday Romance and the theatrical feature More American Graffiti. Diana Ellen Judd was born January 11, 1946 in Ashland, Kentucky. She often spoke of raising Wynonna and Ashley as a single parent following her divorce from their father, Michael Ciminella. She attended nursing school at the College of Marin, in California, with the intention of eventually becoming an MD. I was going to use my RN degree to support myself and put myself through med school, she said in a 1995 interview. I had this romantic notion of working with people in Appalachia, my people. But then when Wynonna and I started singing together she so desperately need to have a new direction in life it quickly became obvious that that was what we were meant to do. In a 2016 interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America to promote her memoir, she said that childhood sexual abuse had factored into depression she characterized as extreme and so deep and so completely debilitating and life-threatening. Judd told Roberts, I had to realize that, in a way, I had to parent myself. We all have this inner child, and I needed, for the first time in my life, to realize that I got a raw deal, OK, now Im a big girl. Put on your big girl pants and deal with it. She spoke about being a little estranged at that time from Wynonna, whom she said bore the brunt of all of the mistakes I made Weve been through a lot of therapy together From the day I knew she existed, it was the two of us against the world and then through the decades we kind of grew up together, cause it was really just the two of us. And Im always tellin her, If Id known better, I would have done better. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Houston chef Evelyn Garcia made an introspective comment on the ninth episode of this season's "Top Chef" that gets at the heart of why cooking is more than just technical proficiency. "I feel like as a chef it's our job to educate [people] about our history and our culture," Garcia said in a confessional. When a group of talented chefs comes together to compete on a show like "Top Chef,'' it's a given that they will make delicious and beautiful food. Less obvious from a viewer's perspective are the ways food evokes sense memories and a connection to stories that bring the past into the present. This latest episode brought meaningful food and an important part of Houston history to the forefront. As a primer to their Elimination challenge, the seven remaining cheftestants were led on a tour of Freedmen's Town in Fourth Ward by Zion Escobar, the executive director of the Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy. What is now a small stretch of homes and a park on the site of the former Bethel Church was once a bustling community started by nearly 1,000 formerly enslaved Black Texans. Following June 19, 1865now celebrated as Juneteenthfreed Black families, led by "father of Black Houston" Jack Yates, traveled from plantations south and southwest of Houston and created Freedmens Town. Over the years, Freedmen's Town became the backbone of Houston's Black community as homes, churches, businesses and restaurants were added. Starting in the 1930s, city development began to encroach on Fourth Ward, despite its importance as a historic and cultural center, to make room for a new City Hall and the Gulf Freeway, among other projects. In time, more land and buildings would be lost and Black residents would move or be displaced to other parts of Houston. Today, there's a renewed push to revitalize, preserve and protect Freedmen's Town through the conservancy, and community efforts like the recently established Freedmen's Town Farmers' Market aiming to combat the neighborhood's food desert status. David Moir/Bravo "Top Chef" brought a further spotlight to Houston's Black history and present. Flanked by guest judges chefs Dawn Burrell of Houston and Kwame Onwuachi, host Padma Lakshmi asked the cheftestants to create "a dish that speaks to your soul" for a Freedmens Town Conservancy fundraising event at the Bethel Baptist Chapel Church, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. (Those who wish to donate to the conservancy can do so on its website.) To set the tone for the challenge, before heading off to shop for groceries, the chefs enjoyed a lunch prepared by This Is It Soul Food, a Black-owned Houston institution founded in 1959 known for yams, braised oxtails, chitlins, barbecue ribs and biscuits. All of the cheftestants channeled their mothers and grandmothers to create their own dishes for the fundraiser. Jae Jung was crowned the winner for her "Mama Kim's" flaked cod with Korean sweet potatoes, kimchi and shrimp bisque, while Luke Kalpin packed his knives over his dry meatballs. Hometown chef Garcia chose sopesa fried masa dish with savory toppingsin honor of her grandmother. She made the dough with Maseca and beet puree to give them a stunning magenta color, then topped them with pureed black beans, charred pineapple pico, salsa verde and chorizo made from her mothers recipe. "Top Chef" alumna Nyesha Arrington was impressed. "That may be a top for me today," she said. Judge Gail Simmons said Garcia "clearly took her roots, this memory, this comfort food and just worked a little bit of chef magic in there." Actor Kendrick Sampson of Issa Rae's HBO show "Insecure," one of many notable guests at the star-studded fundraiser, also praised Garcia's dish as a favorite. Mayor Sylvester Turner made an appearance, alongside Houston City Councilwoman Abby Kamin. Though viewers didn't get a comment from him about Garcia's dish, he did greet the judges with some words about the importance of the neighborhood. "I'm just excited to be working with the Freedmen's Town Conservancy to make sure we hold onto it, we restore it, and we breathe life into it," Mayor Turner said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) May 27, 2016, was the day that Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's marriage went from private misery to public, career-killing spectacle. Heard, who had just filed for divorce, arrived at a Los Angeles courthouse that day to seek a temporary restraining order, showing up with a clear mark on her face, which she said Depp inflicted during a fight six days prior. Photographers captured the scene, and the allegations became tabloid fodder across the globe. Depp says he never hit her, and now he's suing Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court. On Wednesday, jurors in the case heard from police officers who responded to the couple's penthouse immediately after the fight. None of the officers saw the red mark that was so prominent six days later. Officer Tyler Hadden, one of the officers who responded to the couple's penthouse apartment on May 21, 2016, said Heard refused to talk to officers and had no signs of an injury, although he acknowledged she'd been crying and was red-faced. Just because I see a female with pink cheeks and pink eyes doesn't mean something happened, he said in a recorded deposition played for jurors Wednesday. Depp had already left the penthouse by the time officers arrived. Officers said they had no idea who Heard was, or that she was married to Depp. He said neither Heard nor anyone at the penthouse complex was willing to tell him or the other officers who Heard's husband was. Jurors heard similar testimony Tuesday from an officer who accompanied Hadden to the penthouse. An officer who made a follow-up visit that night, William Gatlin, testified Wednesday that he saw no injuries either, though he acknowledged that his visit was brief and he got no closer than 10 feet (3 meters) from Heard. He said his check was a perfunctory one because it appeared that the call was just a duplicate to the one that Hadden had already responded to. The jury saw bodycam video of Gatlin's response, which was less than two minutes. Heard could only be seen at a distance. Heard's lawyers, in their questions, have suggested that Heard could have covered her injuries with makeup, because at that point she still wanted to protect Depp. They also asked officers why they didn't investigate a potential case of domestic violence more thoroughly. The officers' testimony is some of Depp's best evidence that Heard contrived the allegations against her ex-husband. It complements earlier testimony from witnesses who say they saw Heard and her sister practicing fake punches in the days after the attack. It's far from definitive, though. Heard's lawyers have yet to put on their case, and some of her friends say they were at the penthouse when Depp allegedly attacked her. And even if jurors were to conclude that Depp never assaulted his wife on May 21, they have heard evidence of other alleged assaults before and during the couple's brief marriage. Depp sued Heard for libel after she wrote an op-ed piece piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. The article doesnt mention Depp by name, but his lawyers say the article defames him nevertheless because it's a clear reference to the highly publicized allegations Heard made when she filed for divorce in 2016 and obtained a temporary restraining order as well. Jurors also heard recorded testimony Wednesday from Christian Carino, an agent who represented Depp and Heard and was friends with both. He said he believes the abuse allegations scuttled Depp's participation in a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film, but he did not pin the loss of that film specifically on Heard's 2018 op-ed piece. Heard's lawyers told jurors in opening statements that there must be proof that the Post article specifically damaged Depp's reputation for him to prevail in a libel case. Carino also testified that Heard twice tried to reconcile with Depp, even after she filed for divorce once in 2016 and again in 2017. At one point in 2016 he brokered a meeting between Heard and a reluctant Depp that ended in a fight. He also testified briefly about Heard's subsequent relationship with tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. Heard texted Carino in 2017 professing sadness about her breakup with Musk. Carino seemed incredulous, and texted in response to Heard, You told me a thousand times you were just filling space. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Wednesday, less than two days after completing a flight chartered by millionaires. Its the first NASA crew comprised equally of men and women, including the first Black woman making a long-term spaceflight, Jessica Watkins. This is one of the most diversified, I think, crews that weve had in a really, really long time," said NASA's space operations mission chief Kathy Lueders. The astronauts arrived at the space station Wednesday night, just 16 hours after a predawn liftoff from Kennedy Space Center that thrilled spectators. Anyone who saw it realized what a beautiful launch it was, Lueders told reporters. After an express flight comparable to traveling from New York to Singapore, the crew will move in for a five-month stay. SpaceX has now launched five crews for NASA and two private trips in just under two years. Elon Musk's company is having an especially busy few weeks: It just finished taking three businessmen to and from the space station as NASAs first private guests. A week after the new crew arrives, the three Americans and German theyre replacing will return to Earth in their own SpaceX capsule. Three Russians also live at the space station. Both SpaceX and NASA officials stressed they're taking it one step at a time to ensure safety. The private mission that concluded Monday encountered no major problems, they said, although high wind delayed the splashdown for a week. SpaceX Launch Control wished the astronauts good luck and Godspeed moments before the Falcon rocket blasted off with the capsule, named Freedom by its crew. Our heartfelt thank you to every one of you that made this possible. Now let Falcon roar and Freedom ring, radioed NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, the commander. Minutes later, their recycled booster had landed on an ocean platform and their capsule was safely orbiting Earth. It was a great ride, he said. The SpaceX capsules are fully automated which opens the space gates to a broader clientele and they're designed to accommodate a wider range of body sizes. At the same time, NASA and the European Space Agency have been pushing for more female astronauts. While two Black women visited the space station during the shuttle era, neither moved in for a lengthy stay. Watkins, a geologist who is on NASAs short list for a moon-landing mission in the years ahead, sees her mission as an important milestone, I think, both for the agency and for the country." She credits supportive family and mentors including Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space in 1992 for ultimately being able to live my dream. Also cheering Watkins on was another geologist: Apollo 17's Harrison Schmitt, who walked on the moon in 1972. She invited the retired astronaut to the launch, along with his wife. We sort of consider ourselves the Jessica team," he said, chuckling. Those of us who rode the Saturn V into space are a little bit jaded about the smaller rockets," Schmitt said after the SpaceX liftoff. But still, it really was something and on board was a geologist ... I hope it will stand her in good stead for being part of one of the Artemis crews that go to the moon." Like Watkins, NASA astronaut and test pilot Bob Hines is making his first spaceflight. It's the second visit for Lindgren, a physician, and the European Space Agencys lone female astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti, a former Italian Air Force fighter pilot. Cristoforetti turned 45 on Tuesday, so she really celebrates and is very happy with a big smile in the capsule, said the European Space Agency's director general, Josef Aschbacher. She's really a role model and she's doing an enormously fabulous job on doing exactly that. The just-completed private flight was NASA's first dip into space tourism after years of opposition. The space agency said the three people who paid $55 million each to visit the space station blended in while doing experiments and educational outreach. They were accompanied by a former NASA astronaut employed by Houston-based Axiom Space, which arranged the flight. The International Space Station is not a vacation spot. Its not an amusement park. It is an international laboratory, and they absolutely understood and respected that purpose, said NASA flight director Zeb Scoville. NASA also hired Boeing to ferry astronauts after retiring the shuttles. The company will take another shot next month at getting an empty crew capsule to the space station, after software and other problems fouled a 2019 test flight and prevented a redo last summer. ___ 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. Yves here. Its a welcome development, but not exactly a surprise, to see that young Starbucks staffers are leading its union charge. Generally speaking, teens and young adults have provided a lot of energy and muscle to change efforts. Many, including many of our readers, have pointed out how student debt has served as a brutally effective form of social control by making it effectively impossible for young borrowers to buck the system via protesting. They cant risk an arrest which could result in job loss and/or a ding on their record that would greatly reduce their employment opportunities. Separately, both observation and common sense say that Starbucks workers skew young. Being on your feet all day doing any kind of short order work is taxing. By Sonali Kolhatkar, the founder, host and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali, a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations and a writing fellow for the Economy for All project at the Independent Media Institute. Produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute At only 19 years old, Joe Thompson is one of the youngest lead organizers with Starbucks Workers United(SWU), the umbrella organization at the forefront of one of the most exciting labor successes of the last few years. Thompson, who started working at the coffee chain at age 16, told me in a recent interview, Starbucks likes to claim its super-progressive, and a lot of workers there are, but were the ones actually holding Starbucks accountable to that standard. The very first Starbucks location to successfully unionize was in Buffalo, New York, where a vote was held only last December. Since then, dozens more locations have voted to join SWUwhose parent company is Workers United, an affiliate of SEIUand more than 200 other locations have filed for union elections. Thompson, who uses they/them pronouns, and who describes their background as working-class Hispanic, lives in Santa Cruz, California, and works there as a shift supervisor at the first Starbucks in the state to petition for a union. That vote is expected to take place in May, and it will be a bellwether for union organizing at Starbucks cafes across California. The nations most populous state has lagged behind New York, Virginia, Massachusetts and Arizona on unionizing efforts at Starbucks primarily because, as per Thompson, California does have better working conditions than a lot of other states. The statewide minimum wage in California is $15 an hour, which is more than twice the federal minimum wage. Thompson also cites better workplace protections in California compared to other states. The lesson here for anti-union forces is that poor wages and working conditions can prompt union activity. Unions are needed precisely because pro-corporate politicians have resisted raising the minimum wage and have weakened labor rights for decades. Additionally, workers at Californias Starbucks locations wanted to see what Buffalo could accomplish before petitioning for a union, said Thompson. After watching them win their vote, then we really started to organize. Its no wonder that Starbucks worked so hard to stop organizers from successfully unionizing in Buffalo, flying in external managers and holding captive-audience meetings with CEO and founder Howard Schultz. The company was rightfully worried about the domino effect of a successful union vote triggering similar efforts elsewhere. It seems as though the standard anti-union corporate playbook may have reached its limit as workers across the United States are seeing the benefits of labor organizing in the face of undignified work, meager pay, unpredictable hours, little to no benefits and few rights. One of the most effective corporate anti-union tactics has been to disparage unions for charging fees (monthly or annual dues) to finance their protection of workers. Indeed, union dues were the entire basis of the Republican-led effort to pass so-called right-to-work laws in states around the country. It was also the central theme around which the online retail giant Amazon discouraged workers from organizing, saying instead that they could do it without dues. But this tactic failed in the face of SWUs organizing. Before a union goes public, were inoculating our organizers, said Thompson. Were telling them, heres exactly what Starbucks is going to say; heres why its wrong. The union uses creative graphics via social media to explain how union dues are a perfectly reasonable price for collective bargaining rights that yield better working conditions. Were using Discord and other technology really to get workers engaged and to keep them there, said Thompson. The unions overall messaging is savvy and effective, and it remains one step ahead of the company. For example, Starbucks refers to its employees not as workers but as partners, a slick PR term that implies a level playing field with the boss. But, weaponizing this wordplay against the company, SWU counters that only through the power of a union can workers truly be partners with their employer. Partners becoming partners has become a central theme of its organizing strategy. Another aspect of the successful unionizing streak that may have caught Starbucks off guard is that most workers are relatively young and extremely cognizant of the social and political conditions under which they have come of age. Theyre all young people who are growing up during the Bernie Sanders era, said Thompson. The same fearmongering against unions that may have worked with older Americans appears not to be working against these younger workers. Were recognizing that we have power together, and young people are so fed up with not only their workplaces but with a lot of other things too, said Thompson. Among those things is the existential threat of climate change. Being young right now, we dont have a solid future ahead of us, said Thompson, who volunteered for Sanders presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020, and said that their fellow Starbucks workers are asking ourselves, what are we going to do to stand up and fight back against these corporations that are not only polluting the earth but also not paying us a living wage? The simplest answer is to unionize, said Thompson. It is simple. And that elegant idea is a countervailing force to corporate power that businesses like Starbucks have been dreading since their inception. The company is already facing a lawsuit from the National Labor Relations Board for illegally retaliating against workers over their union organizing activity. So overt is the companys anti-union position that CEO Schultz recently announced that he was considering new benefits for workers, but only for those who did not join the union. Thompson said, that is clear union-related retaliation against organizing; its unlawful. If Schultz goes through with such a step, Thompson promises that SWU will sue the company for unfair labor practices. He is a bully disconnected from his workers, said Thompson of Schultz. Although the Starbucks unionizing efforts have been wildly successful over a short period of time, voting to join a union is only the firstand easieststep. The hard part comes during contract talks where the nuts and bolts of workers demands will be negotiated. For example, Starbucks baristas are tipped workers and those whose wages do not have to meet minimum wage standards because they are expected to earn tips to compensate, resulting in the possibility of taking home appallingly low paychecks. But the company still refuses to allow customers to pay tips via credit carda major issue that workers plan on raising during contract negotiations. Given the geographic diversity of the companys locations, contract negotiations could be unique to each state and even cafe. Thompson explained that in California where they are based, the unions statewide organizing committee is currently putting together an action plan of the sort of contract that workers in the state want to negotiate, including the specific type of benefits they need. That plan will form the floor of a contract that each unionized store in California will start from in their negotiations with Starbucks, adding on demands specific to each store as needed. Thompsons Santa Cruz-based cafe, for example, will be including a demand for a security guard on its premises. Not content with helping to lead a historic union organizing movement, Thompson is also running for office for a seat on the California State Assembly representing District 28 and is the youngest person to do so. Their campaign website says, Joe knows what its like to not know when youre gonna be able to eat your next meal and how it feels to be left behind by a system that allows for the rich to get vastly richer while the rest of us continue hard work for starvation wages. Anyone can unionize, said Thompson, who remains optimistic even in the face of multiple dire crises facing young people like them. Young workers are recognizing that we need to do something to protect ourselves and to fight for our values The world we are living in is falling apart. And we can change that. Yves here. Reader DLG, Reality Czar, suggested that we re-run this April 2021 post by Raul Ilargi Meijer, which we had crossposted back then. It shows that what was to come as far as the West, Ukraine, and Russia were concerned was visible in broad contoursif you were paying attention. Some additional detail: it was in 2008 that NATO made what amounted to an invitation to Ukraine and Georgia to join, despite the objections of France and Germany (mind you, Im not up on the term of art for the NATO welcome mat, so informed readers are encouraged to provide that and other relevant details). The Russo-Georgia war in 2008 and the exile of former president Mikheil Saakashvili in 2013 put kibosh on Georgia following through. Note that Saakashvili resurfaced in Ukraine, sacrificing his Georgia citizenship to become a Ukrainian, as governor of the Odessa oblast in 2015 and 2016. Note also that in 2019, Ukraine under president Petro Poroshenko amended its constitution to commit it to joining NATO. By Raul Ilargi Meijer, editor of Automatic Earth. Originally published at Automatic Earth on April 21, 2021 Joe Biden declares a national emergency, calls Putin a killer, slaps more sanctions on Russia, for which he has his Foreign Secretary Antony Blinken declare that Today, we announced actions to hold the Russian Government to account for the SolarWinds intrusion, reports of bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, and attempts to interfere in the 2020 U.S. elections, and then invites Putin for a summit. For the SolarWinds intrusion, the US has never provided any evidence at all, the Russian bounties story was -finally- fully debunked well before Blinken made his statement -which makes him look very incompetent-, and the election interference narrative is by now just too dumb to even get into. No evidence for it whatsoever after 2 years of the Mueller investigation, but now Putins at it again? Who did he want to win, then? Trump again, after apparently not even trying in 2016? Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky states that his country should urgently be made a full member of both NATO and the EU, and has his own proxy, Ukraines ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, solemnly claim that not just The only possibility for this [to prevent alleged invasion plans] is for Ukraine to finally become a NATO member, but also that Ukraine has no other choice: either we are part of an alliance such as NATO and are doing our part to make this Europe stronger, or we have the only option to arm by ourselves, and maybe think about nuclear status again. And then Zelensky invites Putin for a summit. In the Donbass, no less. These people are all as insincere as they possibly could be, but they trust that this doesnt matter anymore. The western media have been planting the Putin is a monster seeds in their readers and viewers for many years now, and critical thought has long since left the building. Yes, that is the ultimate effect of whats called propaganda, and as long as the sheeple victims dont recognize it as such, it works like a charm. Ive been wondering for a long time why Boris Yeltsin appointed Putin as his successor in 1999, and I cant find much information on it. Yeltsin was a US asset, and sold out his country to the CIA and a bunch of CIA-asset homegrown oligarchs. Ive always suspected that when Yeltsin left, he felt a lot of regret for what he had done to Russia, and that maybe appointing Putin was his way to try and make up for that. I see people saying that Yeltsin thought Putin was pliable, but I think perhaps he knew exactly how Putin thought. A detail: remember that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, male life expectancy for a period of time feel from a very steep cliff. And nothing Yeltsin did provided a solution to that crisis. Then, in August 1999, he appointed Putin as his prime minister, and didnt leave a year later as planned, but 4 months later, in December. His chief of staff, Valentin Yumashev , who had hired Putin as his deputy in 1997, wrote his resignation speech: Mr Yumashev was entrusted with writing Yeltsins resignation speech. It was a hard speech to write. It was clear the text would go down in history. The message was important. Thats why I wrote the famous line Forgive me. Russians had suffered such shock and stress during the 1990s. Yeltsin had to speak about this. Back to today. All economic -and other- sanctions against Russia since Putin first became president have led to one thing only: the country has dramatically increased its self-sufficiency. And in the process has upgraded its weapons arsenal to a level that no western country even comes close to, including the US, for maybe 10% of what the same US has spent on its own arsenal. Russias latest generation of hypersonic missiles, against which no country has any defense, are far superior to what anybody else possesses. When they said recently they could take out a specific building in Kyiv if they wanted, they were not exaggerating. So yeah, look for Biden and Blinken and NATO et al to soon start using that superiority as a reason to incite more war vs Moscow. A war they could never win, but thats not the point any longer. One might argue of course that it never was after the advent of nuclear weapons. The whole point of NATO today, its raison detre, is that it can create chaos wherever it goes and looks. Its no longer capable of defending anyone from the Russian threat, but then that threat hasnt been there for many years. And NATO wants to continue existing, as does the Pentagon, and Boeing and Raytheon, its all about money, so they have to make up a threat, aided by their media brethren. Thats why you see, from time to time, reports about Putin having yet another person poisoned, why governments in countries like the UK and Germany go along with the narrative, and why media in all other vassal states parrot these stories. In that vein, the story this week out of Czechia, which expelled 18 Russian diplomats, kind of sets a new standard in absolute nonsense. The Czech organised crime squad (NCOZ) said it was looking for two men using Russian passports in relation to the explosions. The passports bear the names of Alexander Petrov, born in 1979, and Ruslan Boshirov, born in 1978, and their holders are also wanted in Britain in connection with Skripals poisoning in Salisbury. Mark Ames reaction to this on Twitter is so good, Im not going to try to beat him to it: : If I understand this right, apparently GRU thought itd be smart to use the same 2 spies to carry out 2 separate deadly operations in NATOland 2014 bombing in Czech Rep, 2018 Skripal poisoning using exact same aliases & fake passports in both operations. Now that the west has lost its military superiority, all thats left for it to claim is some sort of intelligence superiority, so it portrays Russians as really dumb people. Putin tries to poison one person after another, invariably people who are no threat to him at all, with the deadliest poisons on the planet, and fails time and again. Navalny is a US asset who gets 2% max of votes in a poll, Skripal is a former military intel officer who was allowed to go to the UK after being exposed as a double-agent (!), but they fit the 20+ year old narrative of Putin as Pol Pot. Stories. They are all that counts. Reality, not so much. Bernays and Goebbels are having a ton of fun in their own private hells. So how will the Ukraine episode be resolved? Not easy. Making the worlds 2nd-most corrupt country a full member of NATO is out of the question, Russia will never accept that. Which is why the west is pushing it. Ukraine with nukes is even more preposterous, if that is possible (hard call). Dmitry Orlov suggested a solution the other day about which I have major question marks, but hes Russian and Im not, so take a look: Putins Ukrainian Judo The answer, I believe, is obvious: evacuation. There are around 3.2 million residents in Donetsk Peoples Republic and 1.4 million in Lugansk Peoples Republic, for a total of some 4.6 million residents. This may seem like a huge number, but its moderate by the scale of World War II evacuations. Keep in mind that Russia has already absorbed over a million Ukrainian migrants and refugees without much of a problem. Also, Russia is currently experiencing a major labor shortage, and an infusion of able-bodied Russians would be most welcome. Domestically, the evacuation would likely be quite popular: Russia is doing right by its own people by pulling them out of harms way. The patriotic base would be energized and the already very active Russian volunteer movement would swing into action to assist the Emergencies Ministry in helping move and resettle the evacuees. The elections that are to take place later this year would turn into a nationwide welcoming party for several million new voters. The Donbass evacuation could pave the way for other waves of repatriation that are likely to follow. There are some 20 million Russians scattered throughout the world, and as the world outside Russia plunges deeper and deeper into resource scarcity they too will want to come home. While they may presently be reluctant to do so, seeing the positive example of how the Donbass evacuees are treated could help change their minds. The negative optics of surrendering territory can be countered by not surrendering any territory. As a guarantor of the Minsk Agreements, Russia must refuse to surrender the Donbass to the Ukrainian government until it fulfills the terms of these agreements, which it has shown no intention of doing for seven years now and which it has recently repudiated altogether. [..] The West would be left with the following status quo. The Donbass is empty of residents but off-limits to them or to the Ukrainians. The evacuation would in no sense change the standing or the negotiating position of the evacuees and their representatives vis-a-vis the Minsk agreements, locking this situation in place until Kiev undertakes constitutional reform, becomes a federation and grants full autonomy to Donbass, or until the Ukrainian state ceases to exist and is partitioned. The Ukraine would be unable to join NATO (a pipe dream which it has stupidly voted into its constitution) since this would violate the NATO charter, given that it does not control its own territory. Further sanctions against Russia would become even more difficult to justify, since it would be untenable to accuse it of aggression for undertaking a humanitarian mission to protect its own citizens or for carrying out its responsibilities as a guarantor of the Minsk agreements. The Donbass would remain as a stalker zone roamed by Russian battlefield robots sniping Ukrainian marauders, with the odd busload of schoolchildren there on a field trip to lay flowers on the graves of their ancestors. Its ruined Soviet-era buildings, not made any newer by three decades of Ukrainian abuse and neglect, will bear silent witness to the perpetual ignominy of the failed Ukrainian state. Dmitry suggests 4.6 million people leave the Donbass so peace may be restored. But most of those people grew up there, and so did their families. And largely peacefully so, until the US and NATO, John McCain and Victoria Nuland and Geoffrey Pyatt, tried to take over Ukraine. Why should Russia, instead of protecting these people where they live, migrate them and protect them in Russia? Anyone ask for their own opinion? There would be a giant empty piece of land where they once lived, in a kind of demilitarized zone? And what then? Nobody in Ukraine would come up with the idea to move into the empty land? And if they did, Russia would have to shoot them from Russian territory? I sort of see the reasoning of course, but not all of it. It only seems to work if you see Russia, and the Russians in the Donbass, as the aggressors. Were they? Are they? Russia only sprung into action when the west tried to take away their sole warm water port, Sevastopol in Crimea. An election was held, and 97% of mostly Russians voted to be part of Russia. Yeah, that upset NATO and the other usual suspects, but that doesnt make Russia an aggressor. Russia has no reason to invade Ukraine. They dont need even more territory, theyre already by far the largest nation on earth. Moreover, they dont have the military to occupy large swaths of land. They only have the capacity to protect their own. Thing is, they really got that down. So the only thing NATO can do, in its quest to prove it has reason to exist, is to create chaos, as I said before. But there is a problem with consciously creating chaos between nuclear powers, instead of maintaining communication channels, as the US and USSR always did during the Cold War. Do we all understand this means we are in a worse situation today than back then? That all those expulsions of diplomats only make the situation worse? And that some fool could actually fire a nuclear missile because of that? Me, Im not so sure anymore. Between the Covid virus and the US cancel culture, there are not that many western people paying attention to warmongers and NATO aka warheads. Not a good idea. (Natural News) The United States (US) and 60 partner countries, including the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Australia, and members of the European Union (EU), have signed a sweeping Declaration for the Future of the Internet which commits to bolstering resilience to disinformation and misinformation and somehow upholding free speech rights while also censoring harmful content. (Article by Tom Parker republished from ReclaimTheNet.org) The White House framed the declaration as something that supports freedom and privacy by focusing on its commitments to protect human rights, the free flow of information, and privacy. The EU put out similar talking points and claimed that those who signed the declaration support a future internet thats open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure. However, the commitments in the declaration are vague and often conflicting. For example, the declaration makes multiple commitments to upholding freedom of expression yet also commits to bolstering resilience to disinformation and misinformation. It also contains the seemingly contradictory commitment of ensuring the right to freedom of expression is protected when governments and platforms censor content that they deem to be harmful. Furthermore, many of the governments that signed this declaration are currently pushing sweeping online censorship laws or openly supporting online censorship. For example, just a few days ago, the Biden administration called for private companies to censor online misinformation the latest of many similar calls. The EU also recently passed its Digital Services Act (DSA) which contains requirements to censor hate speech and misinformation. Some government officials, including Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne and UK Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) Secretary of State Nadine Dorries, even mentioned their countrys online censorship laws during the live launch of this Declaration for the Future of the Internet. The vision outlined in this declaration aligns very well with the many initiatives we are working on here in Canada, including our Digital Charter, Champagne said. Canadas Digital Charter was launched in 2019 and threatens platforms with meaningful financial consequences if they fail to fight online hate and disinformation. I am enormously encouraged to see online safety is a key principle of that declaration, Dorries said. As the UKs Digital Secretary, doing more to protect people online is one of my main priorities and last month, I was proud to introduce a groundbreaking Online Safety Bill to the UK Parliament that will make the internet safer for everyone. The UKs Online Safety Bill will give the government sweeping censorship powers, censor some legal but harmful content, and criminalize harmful and false communications. Like the commitments to freedom of expression, the declarations commitments to privacy are also being made by governments that engage in or allow mass surveillance. For example, the EU is allowing the linking of face recognition databases to create a mega surveillance system. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently boosted its social media surveillance technology. And the outgoing London Metropolitan police commissioner recently congratulated herself on extending the surveillance state. While the current signatories of this declaration are governments, the White House plans to work with the private sector, international organizations, the technical community, academia and civil society, and other relevant stakeholders worldwide to promote, foster, and achieve the shared vision of this Declaration for the Future of the Internet. Big Tech companies such as Facebook and Google have already welcomed this declaration. Its great to see countries coming together today to launch the Declaration for the Future of the Internet (DFI), Googles Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Karan Bhatia, wrote in a blog post. We are committed to partnering with governments and civil society through the Declaration to disrupt disinformation campaigns and foreign malign activity, while ensuring people around the world are able to access trustworthy information. Google and its video-sharing platform YouTube have used the term misinformation to justify the mass censorship of content. Additionally, Bhatias commitment to ensuring access to trustworthy information echoes YouTubes commitment to boosting authoritative sources a practice that creates a huge disparity between mainstream media outlets and independent creators and results in mainstream media outlets being artificially boosted by as much as 20x. This Declaration is an important signal from some of the worlds leading democracies, Nick Clegg, the President of Global Affairs at Facebooks parent company Meta, tweeted. The only way to preserve and enhance the best of the open internet, prevent it from fragmenting further and protect human rights in the digital space is by working together. While Cleggs statement focuses on the open internet and protecting human rights, Meta also mass censors content on its platforms and plans to continue this censorship in its metaverse. And despite the declarations commitment to privacy, both Google and Metas businesses rely heavily on surveilling users to serve targeted ads. The current list of countries that have endorsed this Declaration for the Future of the Internet includes Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, the European Commission, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, North Macedonia, Palau, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, the United States, Ukraine, and Uruguay. The declaration isnt legally binding but is intended to be used as a reference for public policy makers, as well as citizens, businesses, and civil society organizations. The signatories also intend to translate its principles into concrete policies and actions; and, work together to promote this vision globally. Read more at: ReclaimTheNet.org (Natural News) If our governing systems were still functional, the makeup of Congress would be a lot different. Lawmakers and officials who work on the taxpayers dime would be far less corrupt and far more responsive to we the people. Take the Justice Department, for instance: It is a lie every time the attorney general says the department is independent and not beholden in any way to the current administration. The AG is literally appointed by the president; he or she works directly for the head of the Executive Branch. To say that that person is not aligned with or responsive to the whims of the president is a blatant falsehood. As such, who gets investigated and charged with crimes and who does not is entirely political. And to prove that point, all we need to do is look at the current administration. To be honest, Joe Biden should never have been elected president. Hes corrupt, his son is dirty, his entire family is dirty, and most of the mainstream media ignored that in order to allow him to be installed in the White House to deny Donald Trump a well-earned second term. If our country had a functional justice system, these people would have been arrested and charged years ago. Now, another piece of evidence has surfaced to reinforce all of this. According to the UKs Daily Mail: Joe Biden agreed to pay son Hunters legal fees for his deal with a Chinese government-controlled company, emails reveal. The revelation ties the president even closer to Hunters overseas business dealings and makes his previous claims that he never discussed them with his son, even less plausible. Joe was able to pay the bills after earning millions of dollars through his and his wifes companies after he left office as vice president. Some of the waves of money came from speaking engagements, book deals, and so forth, the paper added. But according to Joe Bidens financial filings, he declared nearly $7 million more in income on his tax returns than he claimed in government transparency filings according to an analysis by the outlet. And while some of the difference is accounted for by taking into account first lady Jill Bidens salaries and other sums that are not required to be reported, that still leaves some $5.2 million earned by Joe Biden that is not listed in transparency documents. Where did it come from? The missing millions combined with emails on Hunters abandoned laptop suggesting Joe would have a 10 percent share in Hunters blockbuster deal with the Chinese raise a troubling question: Did Joe Biden receive money from the foreign venture? DailyMail.com noted in its report. The evidence is damning. For instance, in January 2019 Hunter Bidens assistant, Katie Dodge, noted in an email to Linda Shapero, a bookkeeper, as well as Biden aide Richard Ruffner, that Joe Biden agreed to pay his sons bills amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. I spoke with Hunter today regarding his bills. It is my understanding that Hunts dad will cover these bills in the short-term as Hunter transitions in his career, Dodge wrote, attaching a spreadsheet listing bills totaling $737,130.61. One item on the list mentions $28,000 in legal fees pertaining to the restructuring of a Hunter Biden joint venture with the ChiCom-controlled Bank of China. The spreadsheet listed the bill as Faegre Baker Daniels: BHR Restructuring costing $28,382, noting further that it was due ASAP. BHR (Bohai Harvest RST) is a private equity firm and one of Hunters two major Chinese business ventures. The joint venture was co-owned by the state-controlled Bank of China, the Daily Mail reported, adding: Hunters personal attorney, George Mesires, is a partner at Faegre Baker Daniels, now called Faegre Drinker. Meanwhile, Hunter Biden has reportedly been under federal investigation for a number of issues (since 2019) including alleged tax fraud and failing to register as a foreign agent, both of which are serious felonies that would result in jail time if he were convicted. This brings us back to our original point: If we had a functional justice system, he would have at least been arrested and charged by now. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The Journal of Hepatology has published a new study confirming that Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines are, in fact, triggering severe autoimmune hepatitis in children. Fauci Flu shots elicit a distinct T cell-dominant immune-mediated hepatitis, also known as liver inflammation, through a unique pathomechanism associated with jab-induced, antigen-specific, tissue-resident immunity requiring systemic immunosuppression. Entitled, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination can elicit a CD8 T-cell dominant hepatitis, the study was released just days after the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert about hepatitis outbreaks in children. The government of the United Kingdom also announced that it is launching an urgent investigation into a hepatitis outbreak in British children. Officials say that the disease is not linked to any of the common viruses that normally cause liver inflammation, which really only leaves one other explanation: covid injections. On April 15 2022, the World Health Organization issued a global alert about a new form of severe acute Hepatitis with an unknown aetiology (cause) affecting previously healthy children in the UK over the last month, reported the Daily Expose. Cases have also been notified in Spain and Ireland. Tests have excluded all previously known Hepatitis viruses. As of April 25, the same type of hepatitis infections in children have now been identified in at least 12 different countries, with the majority of cases occurring in the UK. At least 169 cases had been reported by this date, and 17 children had required a liver transplant, the Expose revealed. Sadly, as of 25th April, 1 child had unfortunately lost their life. Injecting your children for covid is a form of child abuse Again, there are many reasons why hepatitis forms, including several viral infections common in children. But all of these other reasons have been ruled out, which only leaves the vaccine as the culprit. An earlier study also confirmed that the Pfizer-BioNTech injection is, in fact, causing hepatitis. This further shows that the outbreaks are a product of the shots and not something else. Had these children never gotten injected or boosted, they would not now have hepatitis, in other words. Their poor health outcomes are a direct result of getting jabbed, which their parents were told would keep them safe against disease. Contrary to what the experts long claimed, the contents of the injections do not remain localized at the injection site. They spread to all parts of the body for at least 48 hours, and likely much longer, causing untold damage to systems of the body. The largest concentration of Pfizers covid injection was observed in the liver, with 16 percent of the administered dose remaining there after two complete days. In animals that received the BNT162b2 injection, reversible hepatic effects were observed, including enlarged liver, vacuolation, increased gamma-glutamyl transferase (?GT) levels, and increased levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase, the Expose further reveals about Pfizers mRNA (messenger RNA) shot. According to the researchers transient hepatic effects induced by LNP delivery systems have been reported previously. In the new study, a 52-year-old male who was injected with Pfizer presented bimodal episodes of acute hepatitis, each occurring 2-3 weeks after injection. Imaging mass cytometry for special immune profiling was performed on liver biopsy tissue, and flow cytometry was performed to dissect CD8 T cell phenotypes in order to identify covid-specific and EBV-specific T cells longitudinally. In Laymans terms, what the scientists discovered is that liver inflammation (hepatitis) can occur in some individuals after vaccination and shares some typical features with autoimmune liver disease, the Expose explains. This is caused by highly activated T cells (also called T lymphocyte, a type of leukocyte [white blood cell] that is an essential part of the immune system) accumulating in the different areas of the liver. The latest news about covid injections can be found at Vaccines.news. Sources for this article include: DailyExpose.uk NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Now that people are no longer willing to accept being put back into lockdown due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), the globalists are planning to use other excuses including the so-called climate crisis. This is according to Greg Reese of InfoWars, who warned about the possibility during an episode of his segment, Reese Report. Reese claimed that, before people are forced to stay in their homes, the government will likely adopt a variety of measures to make venturing out a burden. This includes the possibility of instituting a carbon tax, which would make using a vehicle that runs on fossil fuels much more expensive. (Related: Here come the CLIMATE LOCKDOWNS: World agency demands locking down cities to achieve climate goals.) The government might even try to force people back into lockdown using the World Health Organization, which is about to be given international authority over pandemic response. Reese explained that this means it will no longer just give governments toothless recommendations on how to deal with disease outbreaks. If the proposal is passed, it could have full executive authority to do what it wants under the guise of pandemic control. They know that we will ignore their destruction of America so long as they feed us distractions to ruminate over on social media, just as they are doing now, warned Reese. They want to make you stay inside your home and die quietly, peacefully, where no one notices. Many of you may doubt that they will get away with any of this, but our actions say differently, he continued. Our actions suggest that they can do it again. Reese concluded by warning that so long as the government provides the people with legal outlets from which they can vent their frustrations, such as social media platforms, the government will be able to lock people down in their homes with ease. Climate lockdowns an increasing possibility Of all the possible excuses Reese mentioned the government may use, one of the likeliest is the climate crisis. The signs that the government might use a so-called climate emergency to institute a climate lockdown were already present as early as 2020. The noxious idea is that we are at yet another tipping point, and that unless government radically seizes centralized control of the economy, it will be shutdown time, wrote Wesley J. Smith for the National Review back in September 2020, explaining the potential rationale for a climate lockdown. Under such a climate lockdown, the government would grant itself the ability to limit or outright ban the use of private vehicles and the consumption of red meat, seeing these as the biggest culprits of harmful emissions. In Feb. 2022, Kristin Tate, writing for The Hill, noted that calls for extreme government measures to be enacted in the name of saving the environment are already in the parlance of influential organizations and figures. In November 2020, the Red Cross proclaimed that climate change is a bigger threat than COVID and should be confronted with the same urgency,' wrote Tate. Bill Gates recently demanded dramatic measures to prevent climate change, claiming it will be worse than the pandemic. Despite millions of people having died from COVID, former governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney last year predicted that climate deaths will dwarf those of the pandemic. More recently, on April 26, the International Energy Agency called for the governments of the world to mandate lockdowns and to temporarily ban the use of private cars in cities to reduce oil consumption so that they could meet their climate goals. Political leaders have learned that fear prompts the public to accept dramatic curtailing of freedoms for vague promises of safety they must realize the incredible power at their fingertips, wrote Tate. COVID gave the government mouse a cookie, and power-hungry officials and bureaucrats can utilize the precedents of the past two years to institute a much longer, more comprehensive lockdown. Learn more about alarmist attempts to scare people with the so-called climate crisis at ClimateAlarmism.news. Watch this clip from the Reese Report as host Greg Reese talks about the coming carbon taxes and climate lockdowns. This video is from the Excellent Podcasts & Real News channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: CLIMATE LOCKDOWN: Globalists are exploiting oil price spikes to push for greater population control with 10-point plan that includes bans on travel. Kennedy Hall: Climate change and COVID pandemic are tools of control by global elites. Climate lockdown: UCL professor advocating lockdowns to combat climate change. Sources include: Brighteon.com NationalReview.com TheHill.com NeonNettle.com (Natural News) Children have had no voice or vote, regarding their potential Covid vaccination. Children depend entirely on their parents to make a well-informed and wise decision. Ethically, experimental pharmaceutical products, particularly experimental vaccines that have been rushed into use before adequate testing for safety could be completed, must not be administered to anyone, particularly children, without adequate informed consent. Dr. Robert Rennebohm (Article by Rhoda Wilson republished from DailyExpose.uk) In March Dr. Robert Rennebohm, an American paediatrician with nearly 50 years of experience, penned an extensive open letter to parents and paediatricians regarding Covid vaccinations for children. At the end of his 119-page letter, he lists over 1,000 references almost all of which have either been published in peer-reviewed medical journals or submitted as pre-prints for publication. Just before the list of references, he has included links to several helpful educational video interviews and video presentations. Parents, I apologise for the length of this Letter Much is at stake. So, for the sake of your child and all children, please consider taking the time to read this Letter. If you dont have time, consider reading just the Summary shorter version of this open letter, Dr. Rennebohm wrote. Paediatricians are legally and morally required to honour the principle of Informed Consent and make certain that parents are sufficiently informed before they (the parents) agree to have their children vaccinated. The information and concerns explained in this Open Letter represent the kind of information needed for a parent to make a well-informed decision before granting consent for vaccination of their child. An Open Letter to Parents and Pediatricians Regarding Covid Vaccination, Dr. Robert Rennebohm, March 2022 The following are excerpts taken from the summary section, pages 7 to 18, of Dr. Rennebohms Open Letter. Introduction Two contradictory views on Covid vaccination have been expressed: a prevailing narrative get vaccinated, immediately! Vaccination is our way out of the pandemic, and an alternative narrative stop the Covid vaccination campaign immediately! Covid vaccination is dangerous and makes the pandemic worse. Unfortunately, there has been little or no healthy scientific dialogue between proponents of the two narratives, despite repeated pleas for such from leaders of the alternative narrative. This Open Letter is intended to help parents and paediatricians to better understand the science behind the conflicting narratives and decide on the best course of action regarding Covid vaccination of children. This Letter seeks to: clarify the science behind Covid vaccination issues; facilitate healthy, inclusive dialogue; and, bring people together to jointly determine what would be best for children and humanity as a whole. Overview of the Human Immune System The immune system can be divided into two major compartmentsthe mucosal immune system and the systemic immune system. Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi has helpfully referred to these two compartments as the Air Force (mucosal compartment) and the Navy (systemic compartment). The Air Force is based in the mucosa and submucosa (the space underneath the mucosal lining) of the respiratory tract, the GI tract, and the mucosa/submucosa of other mucous membrane-lined organs (e.g., bladder, uterus, etc.). The Navy is based (has bases) throughout the rest of the bodyin lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, blood circulation, within solid organs, etc. Both the Air Force and the Navy have an innate immunity division and an acquired (adaptive) immunity division. Read more: Prof. Sucharit Bhakdi: The Vaccines Do Not Work and The Fear Is They Will Cause a Massive Self-To-Self Attack When the SARS-CoV-2 virus invades a person, the human immune system potentially uses all of its multiple dimensionsboth its mucosal immune system (the Air Force) and its systemic immune system (the Navy), both of which have an innate immunity division and an acquired immunity divisionto quickly subdue the virus (initially by innate immunity troops of the Air Force) and create robust, durable, multi-dimensional acquired immunity to protect the person from future invasion by that virus. In comparison, the Covid vaccines provide uni-dimensional training of the systemic immune system and little, if any, training of the mucosal immune system. There is a legitimate concern that the current Covid vaccines could be interfering with innate immunity and detrimentally disrupting the flow and optimal function of the natural human immune ecosystem. Effects of a Respiratory Pandemic Without a Vaccine When a respiratory viral pandemic like the Covid pandemic is not treated with a vaccine (which was the case during the first year of the Covid pandemic, when no Covid vaccine was available), a considerable percentage of the population (primarily people under age 60, who are out and about) eventually become infected with the virus (the SARS-CoV-2 virus in this pandemic). The most vulnerable, including the elderly, must be carefully protected from exposure to the virus. Those who do become infected need to be proactively treated (much more promptly and aggressively than has been the case throughout the Covid pandemic). Those who become infected (and recover) develop robust naturally acquired sterilising immunity that contributes to increasing development of herd immunity. The natural course of a respiratory virus pandemic is one of gradual resolution, usually over a period of months, and this resolution is largely due to increasing development of robust sterilising herd immunity. It is important to understand that herd immunity via natural infection is far superior to herd immunity attempted via mass vaccination with a sub-optimal (non-sterilising) vaccine in the midst of an active pandemic. Herd immunity cannot be achieved through mass vaccination with a sub-optimal (non-sterilising) vaccine. And, in fact, such vaccination interferes with the development of herd immunity. Effects of a Respiratory Pandemic Treated Primarily with a Vaccine The current Covid pandemic has been primarily managed with the roll-out of a rapid, mass vaccination campaign (across all age groups), using sub-optimal (non-sterilising) uni-dimensional vaccines (directed at only the spike protein), in the midst of the active pandemic and in the midst of considerable lockdown measures. According to many experienced virologists/vaccinologists, a mass vaccination campaign using a sub-optimal (non-sterilising) vaccine in the midst of a pandemic is a recipe for disaster. Because: When a person who has been vaccinated with a sub-optimal vaccine is subsequently exposed to the virus, the vaccine does not prevent the virus from entering cells, replicating in those cells, and spreading to other people. When the virus replicates in the vaccinated persons cells, new mutations develop, and under the pressure of the mass vaccination campaign and the added pressure of lockdown measures, the mutated variants that will be successful. Covid mass vaccination will inevitably result in predominant variants with increased vaccine resistance and increased transmissibility. The mass vaccination campaign might eventually generate a predominant variant that is intrinsically more virulent (deadly) than any of its predecessorsan intrinsically more virulent variant that could be harmful to everyone, including children, regardless of vaccination status. Covid illness may become more life-threatening because of vaccine-induced ADE (antibody-dependent enhancement). Dr. Geert Vanden Bossche, a leading proponent of the alternative narrative, disagrees that this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. On the contrary, he views it as a pandemic that has become prolonged and more dangerous because of the mass vaccination campaign. Furthermore, he worries that it is the vaccinated people who are becoming the most likely spreaders of the virusbecause the vaccine allows the vaccine-resistant variant to enter their cells and replicate, while the vaccine might indirectly make them less symptomatic, even asymptomatic, which results in their possibly being unwitting asymptomatic spreaders. Dr. Vanden Bossche thinks it is a huge mistake to continue the current Covid mass vaccination campaign. He strongly urges that we stop vaccinating before it is too late. According to the alternative narrative, the total cumulative numbers of Covid hospitalisations, Covid ICU admissions, and Covid deaths during the Covid pandemic (from the beginning of the pandemic through January 2022) would have been lower if the pandemic had not been treated with the mass vaccination campaign and, instead, had been managed. Other Concerns About the Covid Vaccines, Adverse Events In addition to concerns that current mass vaccination is driving the development of more transmissible and potentially more lethal strains, may be harming natural innate immune function (particularly in children), and is interfering with the development of sterilising herd immunity, many scientists and physicians are deeply concerned that the Covid vaccines are unsafe in other important ways causing unacceptable short- and long-term side effects for individuals. For example myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents and young adults; lethal clotting and devastating neurologic side effects in adults. References at the end of Dr. Rennebohms Open Letter include 757 articles in the medical literature that report serious side effects of Covid vaccinations (reference nos. 271-1028). This represents an alarming and unprecedented number of reports of adverse effects of a new pharmaceutical product. The VAERS data also reveal an alarming number of severe adverse reactions and deaths associated with the Covid vaccines. Problems With the Covid PCR Test and Covid Data The prevailing narrative (its data, its conclusions, and its policies) has been fundamentally based on the use of the Covid PCR test. A positive Covid PCR test at a Ct (cycle threshold) greater than 30 is likely to represent either a false positive (commonly) or detection of a tiny amount of dead virus. Many of such people have not, in fact, had Covid, and if they have had Covid, they are no longer infectious. Even when a Covid PCR test is positive at a low Ct value, this does not assure that the patient definitely has Covid. The most accurate test for confirmation of Covid is genomic sequencing. Since the beginning of the pandemic, confirmed diagnoses of Covid should have been based on genomic sequencing, not on PCR testing. By basing data collection on the Covid PCR test CDC and State Health Departments have generated scientifically unsound data. Data collection has been based on scientifically unsound criteria for the designation of Covid cases, Covid hospitalisations, and Covid deaths. The prevailing narrative has not been based on proper conduct of science. This has been a huge and fundamental problem throughout the pandemic. Efficacy of the Vaccines Proponents of the alternative narrative are concerned that the Covid vaccines are not nearly as effective as initially and subsequently claimed by their manufacturers. Covid vaccines are sub-optimal (non-sterilising) and uni-dimensional; only partially train the systemic immune system; have little or no effect on the mucosal immune system; may be interfering with normal immune function, and drive the appearance and predominance of viral variants that escape the vaccinal antibodies and become increasingly transmissible and potentially more lethal. Several studies suggest that the Covid vaccines actually increase the risk of Covid infection and Covid death during the 5 weeks after the first dose; then there is temporary and modest protection (at best) for a matter of only weeks or a few months; then there appears to be a negative effect (increased susceptibility to Covid infection); and it is likely that Boosters will prove to provide only transient benefit, which is likely due to brief non-specific stimulation of natural immunity. Furthermore, there is legitimate concern that vaccine-induced ADE phenomena might be increasing disease severity and death in vaccinated people when they subsequently become infected; and there is some evidence that vaccinated people may be more likely to spread the virus than are the unvaccinated (because the vaccines may actually facilitate viral entry into cells). Conclusions In section 10 of his Open Letter summary, pages 16 to 18, Dr. Rennebohm lists his conclusions. If you are very short of time this may be a good place to start. His final two concluding points state: For the sake of our children, grandchildren, and all of humanity, we have an individual and collective social responsibility to call for an immediate and complete halt to the current Covid vaccination campaign, on a scientific basis alone, until an appropriate Covid Commission is convened to thoroughly and accurately evaluate the Covid situation. In the meantime, current scientific evidence strongly suggests that to participate in the continuation of the Covid vaccination campaign to promote it, to remain silent about it, or to personally receive further Covid vaccination is to contribute to the harm of children and humanity, as well as harm to oneself. Morally, ethically, and scientifically, we have a social responsibility to call for at least temporary cessation of the Covid vaccination campaign. Such a call is an unselfish, science-based act of courage and social responsibility, behind which all of humanity (whether currently unvaccinated or already vaccinated) can confidently unite, to the mutual support and the emotional, social, and health benefit of all. You can read and download the full Open Letter to Parents and Paediatricians Regarding Covid Vaccination for sharing with medical professionals and others HERE. Dr. Rennebohm has written 21 articles covering most aspects of Covid including one titled A Call for an Independent International Covid Commission. You can find all his articles HERE. Further resources: Dr. Philip McMillan: Informal discussion with Dr. Geert Vanden Bosch & Dr. Rob Rennebohm, 14 April 2022 (61 mins), watch HERE First recorded discussion between Geert and Rob regarding the Open Letter, Vejon Covid-19 Review Read more at: DailyExpose.uk A day after clamping a 24-hour curfew in Punjab's Patiala's town after police had to fire into the air following a massive clash between members of the Shiv Sena and pro-Khalistan sword-bearing sympathisers outside the Kali Mata temple, the state government on Saturday transferred top police officials. Also to prevent spread of rumours, the government ordered shutdown of mobile internet services and SMS services in Patiala district on Saturday. On directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the government transferred the Inspector General of Police (Patiala range), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and the Superintendent of Police (SP), an official statement said. A spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said Mukhwinder Singh Chinna has been appointed as new Inspector General, while Deepak Parik and Wazir Singh have been appointed as new the SSP and the SP, respectively. Witnesses told the police that Nihangs, who gathered in front of the Dukh Niwaran Sahib gurdwara on Friday to oppose the Khalistan 'Murdabad March' of the Shiv Sena, marched towards the shrine, raising pro-Khalistan slogans. A police officer was injured while trying to stop the Nihangs, the police said. Harish Singla, the executive president of the Shiv Sena, led the anti-separatist march from Arya Samaj Chowk to Kali Devi Temple. They were raising slogans against Khalistan. "The Shiv Sena will never allow Khalistan to be formed in Punjab or anywhere in India," said Singla. He also said that chief of the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannu had given the call to mark the Khalistan foundation day on April 29. Meanwhile, to mark protest over the incident Hindu outfits observed a shutdown in Patiala on Saturday. (Natural News) Vladimir Putin is threatening to use nukes again. If Russia ultimately decides to conduct a surprise first strike, are you living near a location that is likely to get nuked? Many people assume that the vast majority of the U.S. population would immediately die if a nuclear war erupts, but that isnt true. It has been estimated that only about 20 percent of the U.S. population would be wiped out right away, more would die later on from radiation exposure, but the vast majority of the population would actually die from starvation during the subsequent weeks and months due to the nuclear winter that would stretch on for at least a couple of years. So if a nuclear war does happen, you will need enough food for yourself, your family and everyone that will be depending upon you for as long as you plan to stay alive. (Article by Michael republished from TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com) In recent weeks, our politicians and the experts on the cable news channels have been assuring us over and over again that the risk of nuclear war is very low and that Vladimir Putin is bluffing when he threatens to use nuclear weapons. Of course Putin wasnt exactly bluffing about invading Ukraine, was he? Considering his track record, I believe that we should take Putins threats deadly seriously, and he just publicly threatened to use nuclear weapons against anyone that interferes in the war in Ukraine If someone intends to interfere in what is going on from the outside they must know that constitutes an unacceptable strategic threat to Russia. They must know that our response to counter strikes will be lightning fast. Fast, he said. We have all the weapons we need for this. No one else can brag about these weapons, and we wont brag about them. But we will use them. Though Putin did not mention nuclear weapons directly, he was almost certainly referring to Russias new Sarmat 2 nuclear missile which was tested for the first time just days ago and that he boasted is unlike any other weapon in the world. Obviously, that threat was directed at the United States, because we are intervening in the war in Ukraine more than anyone else. As I have stated before, there are no winners in a nuclear war, but whichever side decides to strike first will have the best chance of surviving a nuclear war. If the Russians ultimately determine that a direct military conflict with the United States is inevitable, they may decide that it is best to hit us before we can hit them. When that day arrives, you will want to be as far away from prime strategic targets as you possibly can. At the top of that list would be all of the military facilities where our nuclear weapons are located Naval Base Kitsap (Washington) Malstrom Air Force Base (Montana) Nellis Air Force Base (Nevada) Warren Air Force Base (Colorado and Wyoming) Minot Air Force Base (North Dakota) Pantex plant (Texas) Whiteman Air Force Base (Missouri) Barksdale Air Force Base (Louisiana) Naval Submarine Base (Georgia) In addition, there are approximately 400 active nuclear missile silos that are spread across five states. The following comes from the Washington Post About 400 of those missiles remain active and ready to launch at a few seconds notice in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska. They are located on bison preserves and Indian reservations. They sit across from a national forest, behind a rodeo grandstand, down the road from a one-room schoolhouse, and on dozens of private farms like the one belonging to the Butchers, who have lived for 60 years with a nuclear missile as their closest neighbor. Secondly, you will want to be far away from any U.S. military bases, because they will be prime targets as well. The following public domain map of major U.S. Air Force bases comes from Wikimedia Commons And this map of major U.S. Navy bases that was originally created by a user named Orionist also comes from Wikimedia Commons The list of U.S. Army bases in the United States is exceedingly long, but you can find the major ones right here. In addition to military targets, the Russians would also likely strike major population centers, particularly those that have political or financial significance such as Washington D.C. and New York City. Sadly, many of those that are not killed by the initial strike will wish that they were dead. Because the nuclear winter that would follow would be absolutely horrifying. One study that was conducted in 2019 determined that temperatures in Iowa would stay below zero degrees Celsius for 730 days in a row A subsequent study, published in 2019, looked at a comparable but slightly lower 150 Tg atmospheric soot injection following an equivalent scale nuclear war. The devastation causes so much smoke that only 30-40 percent of sunlight reaches the Earths surface for the subsequent six months. A massive drop in temperature follows, with the weather staying below freezing throughout the subsequent Northern Hemisphere summer. In Iowa, for example, the model shows temperatures staying below 0C for 730 days straight. There is no growing season. This is a true nuclear winter. Because very little could be grown during this time, the vast majority of the population would soon be dead as a result of famine By this time, most of Earths human population will be long dead. The worlds food production would crash by more than 90 percent, causing global famine that would kill billions by starvation. In most countries less than a quarter of the population survives by the end of year two in this scenario. Global fish stocks are decimated and the ozone layer collapses. So can you understand why I am so passionate about avoiding a nuclear war? A nuclear war would mean the end of civilization as we know it today, and so we must not allow one to happen. But our leaders seem determined to drag us into one anyway. Every escalation brings us one step closer to nuclear annihilation, and both sides continue to escalate matters with each passing day. Read more at: TheEconomicCollapseBlog.com (Natural News) Veteran pro-life activist Randall Terry exposed abortionists and their corruption during a conversation with Rebecca Terrell, senior editor for the New American. Terry shared how he got involved with anti-abortion activists Lauren Handy and Terrisa Bukovinac. Both women are involved in the activist group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising. Bukovinac is the groups founder and executive director, while Handy serves as its director of activism. We were supposed to be together traveling around West Virginia to try and get [Sen. Joe] Manchin (D-WV) to vote against confirming [Ketanji Brown] Jackson to the Supreme Court because shes a lunatic left-winger. What happened was that most of the people that were supposed to travel with me either got arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or they were friends and family of those arrested, he said. According to an April 6 report by Terrell, Handy was one of nine individuals indicted by the FBI for a sit-in demonstration they staged at the Washington Surgi-Clinic back in October 2020. They were charged with conspiracy against civil rights and violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994. Handy, Bukovinac and other activists later recovered 115 bodies of aborted babies inside a sealed biohazard box from the Washington, D.C.-based clinic. They gave 110 of the aborted babies a proper funeral and burial and turned over five late-term babies to authorities on suspicion that their abortions violated federal law. When the ladies found the babies, they contacted the local authorities and said Weve got five late-term [aborted] babies. The local police talked to the FBI and they said: Wait a minute, one of these is the same people that weve got the indictment. Lets pick them all up. So they scooped them all up, recounted Terry. (Related: FBI now protecting child murderers by arresting whistleblowers who point them out.) The veteran pro-life activist pointed out that had the anti-abortion activists failed to recover the bodies, they would have been incinerated to generate electricity for the city of Baltimore. People in the Baltimore area need to know that [their] homes are being warmed by the bodies of these babies being burned. They burn these babies to make heat and electricity for the people in Maryland, he said. Terry denounces Dr. Cesare Santangelo as a despicable baby killer Terry also denounced Dr. Cesare Santangelo, the owner of Washington Surgi-Clinic, for his murder of innocent babies. He had strong words for the abortionist, describing him as a vile, despicable human and a murderer of babies and late-term babies. What Santangelo has done is a crime against God. Its a crime against man, and its probably a federal crime under the Born Alive Infant Protection Act and the partial birth abortion ban, he said. The veteran activist also compared Santangelo to convicted abortionist Kermit Gosnell. The disgraced Pennsylvania doctor was sentenced to three life terms in 2013 for killing three late-term babies born alive. The sentences offered with no possibility of parole came as a consequence of Gosnells deal with prosecutors to avoid capital punishment. Gosnell killed late-term babies in Philadelphia and was ultimately prosecuted for murder. Hes behind bars for the rest of his life. I believe Santangelo is cut from the same cloth. He is a demon-possessed demoniac murderer of innocent human beings, he told Terrell. Terry also took jabs at mainstream media outlets for turning a blind eye on the issue, if not vilifying the anti-abortion activists that exposed the despicable practice. Theyre trying to say that Lauren [Handy] and Terrisa [Bukovinac] are somehow the villains in this. Itd be like the journalists from Atlanta saying that the abolitionists were the villains for speaking out against slavery, he remarked. People in America would be so outraged if Fox News, MSNBC and ABC showed the five babies that were recovered from Santangelos murder mill. There would be such an outcry for this man to be prosecuted and for this abominable practice to be ended [that] it would become deafening. But because of the silence and the collaboration of these members of the press, nothing is changing. Visit Abortions.news for more stories about the abortion industry and the corruption inside it. Watch the conversation between Randall Terry and Rebecca Terrell of the New American below. This video is from The New American channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Race-based aborted baby-parts operations reminiscent of Kermit Gosnell scandal. WHO calls for widespread removal of abortion restrictions, end to criminalization. Disgusting: Late-term abortionist offers patients cuddle time with their dead babies before trashing them. The same group that murders babies with abortion mills now claims to offer transgender hormone treatments for gender-confused youth. Sources include: Brighteon.com TheNewAmerican.com TheGuardian.com (Natural News) Wisconsin resident Scott Schara believes hospital homicide by means of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) death protocols disguised as treatments is part of a genocidal agenda. He has strong reason to believe so as his 19-year-old daughter Grace had been victimized by it. Schara told LifeSiteNews that he has devoted more than 500 hours of research to investigating the death of his daughter while she was hospitalized for COVID-19. At least 100 doctors and health care professionals have called her death murder, he said. The bereaved father claimed that a death cocktail of three sedative drugs administered to Grace on Oct. 13, 2021 led to her demise. She had already received maximum doses of the sedative drug Precedex when she was administered lorazepam twice, one in the morning and another just before evening. To make matters worse, Grace was given two milligrams of morphine through an IV push. Lorazepam can increase the risk of serious or life-threatening breathing problems, sedation or coma if used along with other sedative medications. Meanwhile, the package insert for morphine warns that it can slow or stop breathing resulting in death, especially when combined with other sedative medications. According to an anonymous doctor who analyzed Graces case, each of these [medicines] on their own Precedex, lorazepam and morphine have an increased risk of serious or life-threatening breathing problems and cardiac arrest, and theres an additive effect when used in combination. The doctor added: To use them like they did in a person with a diagnosis of acute respiratory distress is beyond believable as to intention. Furthermore, Schara claimed that an alleged Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order was used by the hospital staff as an excuse not to reverse the morphine dosage to her. Under state law, DNR orders must be signed in writing by the family and a bracelet given to the DNR patient. The law also permits guardians of DNR patients to rescind the order by informing hospital staff to revive the patient. Schara adamantly insisted that they never signed any statement regarding Grace being DNR and that she did not wear any DNR bracelet. The first time we knew Grace was labeled DNR was when we were screaming for the nurses to do something and reverse the morphine given to [her]. Their response, Shes DNR, was their excuse for not helping her. They stood outside her door instead; there was also an armed guard outside the room, he recounted. (Related: Dr. Ardis reveals hospitals COVID death protocol to Jeff and Shady Brighteon.TV.) Hospital that killed Grace refuses to own up to its mistakes According to Schara, hospital staff at the St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, Wisconsin where Grace died have refused to meet with the Scharas to discuss the familys assessment of her death. Before going public, the family submitted a detailed summary, with supporting research, to the hospital with a request to meet with the CEO and the doctor involved. The hospital response was a refusal to meet, he wrote. Schara suspects that Graces death was ultimately motivated by hospital profit. On the morning of her death, the doctor in charge of her had been insisting that she be put on a ventilator for the fifth time, which he refused. At this point, Schara said the hospital decided to dispose of her in favor of better paying patients. Furthermore, he posits that if an elderly or disabled patient refuses ventilation, administering end of life medications is a standard procedure. Hospitals receiving COVID-19 death benefits of $13,000 per patient appeared to bolster Scharas claim. But beneath the surface, Schara sees the possibility of St. Elizabeth Hospital killing Grace who has Down syndrome as part of a bigger genocidal agenda. The bereaved father asked: Are hospitals exterminating the disabled and elderly at the governments instruction, because non-contributing members of society are expensive to keep around? He further probed this claim in his tribute website for Grace, citing several instances during their stay in the hospital. Twenty of the 22 doctors reports about Grace mentioned Down syndrome with specific literal comments included. Schara added that only one doctor interacted with Grace, with the rest apparently thinking she was stupid. Schara concluded: Were these measures taken out of convenience for hospital staff or part of a larger agenda? HospitalHomicide.com has more stories about COVID-19 hospital protocols killing patients. Watch Scott Schara sharing his experience with lawyer and Brighteon.TV host Tom Renz on Lawfare with Tom Renz. This video is from the BrighteonTV channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Father forced to leave hospital, witness daughters death on FaceTime all due to outrageous covid restrictions. Grieving father reveals how hospital COVID protocols led to maltreatment and death of his disabled daughter. Dr. Jane Ruby: Nurses that stayed in hospitals allowed COVID death protocol to remain Brighteon.TV. Hospital homicide: Wisconsin medical facility REFUSED to revive patient despite instructions to do so. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com OurAmazingGrace.net Brighteon.com (Natural News) The U.K. government and the European Union are warning Elon Musk that he must keep Twitter accountable to their laws by regulating speech online. Musks $44 billion acquisition of the massive social media platform has caused an uproar, as the Big Tech billionaire and entrepreneur has called himself a free speech absolutist and has vowed to turn Twitter into a haven for free speech. Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, said Musk, who also expressed his wish to make the platform more transparent. But this notion has come under fire, especially from the governments of Europe. The conservative-led government in the United Kingdom, in particular, is worried that the takeover may get in the way of Britains plans to expand its ability to censor speech online. (Related: Elon Musks Twitter purchase prompts conservatives to tweet previously censored messages as new censorship test for the platform.) Regardless of ownership, all social media platforms must be responsible, warned a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson. That includes protecting users from harm on their sites. It is too early to say what if any changes will be made to how Twitter operates. It remains an important tool. Its used by world leaders, and we will continue to work with them to make sure it continues to improve, the spokesman added. The British government is concerned that Musks takeover of Twitter might make it difficult to enforce its Online Safety Bill. This bill, brought before the House of Commons last month by the ruling Conservative Party, is intended to give the government more power to tackle supposed online harms. This bill will force social media giants like Twitter to pre-emptively remove content that the British government considers harmful, regardless of whether or not the speech is legal. This includes instances of online bullying and the use of racist language. The Online Safety Bill would also force social media platforms to be placed at the mercy of the Office of Communications, the countrys main media regulator. Companies who refuse to self-censor so-called hateful speech on their platforms after the passage of the bill will be subject to fines of up to 10 percent of their global turnover. The top executives of these platforms will also be sanctioned and would also be eligible to serve time in jail if they continue to refuse to abide by the terms of the bill. Free speech is not free at all, could cost Musk billions of euros A similar situation is developing in the European Union. The 27-nation blocs Digital Services Act would require tech companies like Twitter, Facebook and Google to do more to police content the EU deems illegal or face up to billions of euros worth of fines. Social media users in the EU would be allowed to flag illegal content in an easy and effective way so that social media platforms can easily remove the supposedly illegal content. The Digital Services Act is supposed to protect people from being exposed to commercial scams or the promotion of terrorism, but this process can easily be abused. Be it cars or social media, any company operating in Europe needs to comply with our rules regardless of their shareholding, wrote European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton on his Twitter account. Mr. Musk knows this well. He is familiar with European rules on automotive, and will quickly adapt to the Digital Services Act. Speaking to the Financial Times, Breton added: We welcome everyone. We are open but on our conditions. At least we know what to tell him: Elon, there are rules. You are welcome, but these are our rules. Its not your rules which will apply here.' Breton warned that if Musk wants to keep operating Twitter in Europe as soon as he takes over, the platform will have to meet the EUs standards for content moderation, freedom of speech, transparency in rules, open algorithms and other obligations, including what to do when Twitter becomes host to content with hate speech, harassment and revenge porn. If [Twitter] does not comply with our laws, there are sanctions six percent of the revenue and, if they continue, banned from operating in Europe, said Breton. In response to the EU and the U.K., Musk tweeted: The extreme antibody reaction from those who fear free speech says it all. But then Musk clarified his position by stating that he will adhere to regulations regarding online content. By free speech, I simply mean that which matches the law. I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law, he wrote. If people want less free speech, they will ask the government to pass laws to that effect. Therefore, going beyond the law is contrary to the will of the people. Find more stories about online censorship at Censorship.news. Watch this video from InfoWars showing the best responses from liberal and mainstream media outlets about Elon Musks takeover of Twitter. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Libtards freak after Elon Musk buys Twitter, claim they will leave platform in droves. How Elon Musk can Make Twitter GREAT Again (plus other news, war is a racket, Chinas supply chain collapse is engineered). HE DID IT: Twitter accepts Elon Musks buyout offer of $43 billion as he vows to return platform to free speech forum. Left-wing media, extremists tell the truth for a change: They want censorship and they are attacking Elon Musk to prove it. Rep. Jim Banks presses Elon Musk to overhaul Twitter; platform must reverse course & protect freedom. Sources include: DailyExpose.uk Breitbart.com TheTimes.co.uk TheGuardian.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) A veteran movie actor from Hong Kong was found dead in his isolation quarters while undergoing mandatory Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine. Kenneth Tsang, 86, was found dead in his hotel room in Hong Kongs Tsim Sha Tsui district on April 27. The actor, whose career spanned more than half a century, was undergoing the citys required quarantine for COVID-19. Tsang was required to undergo a mandatory isolation period after he returned from a Singapore trip two days earlier on April 25. Tsang was discovered unconscious in his room after he failed to respond to health care workers conducting daily checks. The veteran actor was pronounced dead at the scene. According to local media, Tsang had tested negative for COVID-19 and had no underlying medical conditions. The Shanghai-born Tsang obtained an architecture degree at the University of California, Berkeley but opted to focus on the silver screen. He made his acting debut in 1955 and had 20 movies under his belt in 1969 alone. Tsang became a regular leading man in several detective and kung fu films as the years passed. The veteran actor made his Hollywood debut in the 1998 film The Replacement Killers alongside fellow movie star Chow Yun-Fat. He subsequently acted in the 2001 film Rush Hour 2 alongside Jackie Chan and the 2002 film Die Another Day, with Pierce Brosnan playing the role of James Bond. Under current Hong Kong rules, travelers from overseas like Tsang are required to undergo a mandatory quarantine period of up to 14 days. This quarantine must be done at a designated hotel at isolating travelers own expense. The former British territory had been dealing with a surge in COVID-19 cases since January of this year, driven mainly by the more infectious yet milder omicron variant. Hong Kong reported 430 new COVID-19 infections on April 27, an increase of 83 from the previous day. (Related: World Alternative Media host slams Hong Kong for forcing people into camps based on nonexistent omicron cases Brighteon.TV.) Strict COVID-19 restrictions had been put in place, but had also been slightly relaxed. As of April 21, restaurants were allowed to operate until 10 p.m. with four customers to a table. Beauty parlors, gyms, theme parks, cinemas and other leisure establishments were allowed to reopen albeit with a 50 percent capacity. Residents of HK apartments stand up against order to send them to quarantine camps Almost a year before Tsangs death, residents in several Hong Kong apartment complexes resisted plans by health authorities to isolate them in quarantine camps. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported in May 2021 that dozens of residents were allowed to quarantine themselves in their homes. More than 4,900 occupants of the Royalton I apartment in Pok Fu Lam and an apartment block at the Caribbean Coast complex in Tung Chung signed a petition to permit them to stay home. The Caribbean Coast petitioners argued that they were losing income, the health of elderly residents were affected and students were unable to take university admission exams. We are not disputing the quarantine request. We just want to be allowed to do so from where we feel the safest: in our homes, said Royalton I resident Jonathan Cummings. He added that Hong Kong health authorities told residents who refused to leave the building that they would be allowed to stay. According to Cummings, around half of the 30 households at Royalton I opted to stay. University of Hong Kong clinical associate professor Dr. Christian Fang Xinshuo voiced out his disappointment toward the mandatory quarantine. He said two of his neighbors were loaded on a bus toward the quarantine camp and eight of his neighbors were on another one. Its a nuisance to residents and a waste of resources to transfer so many people to quarantine centers. Why not seal off the building so everyone can stay inside their homes? This could help prevent cross-infection during transfer, Fang told SCMP. Pandemic.news has more stories about mandatory COVID-19 quarantine in Hong Kong. Watch this SCMP report below about the quarantine experience in the special administrative region. This video is from the BishopInternational channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Cruise ship quarantined in Hong Kong over coronavirus as 30 crew members test positive and city infection rate climbs. Passengers on Delhi to Hong Kong flight TEST POSITIVE for the coronavirus despite testing negative before flying. Lobby group urges Hong Kong to rethink zero-COVID policy that threatens to cripple its status as financial hub. Hong Kong residents stand up against plan to send them to coronavirus prison camps. Sources include: HollywoodReporter.com FoxNews.com SCMP.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) It was only a matter of time before billionaire eugenicist Bill Gates discovered that he could capitalize on funding new vaccines for diseases that he himself caused in the first place with his earlier injections. The disease he is going after now is polio vaccine-caused polio, just to be clear and his cure is another new injection currently in development. In order to eradicate the scourge of jab-induced polio throughout the third world, which he largely triggered by mass-vaccinating poor people with polio shots for the past 15 years, Gates is funding the creation of another one that will supposedly reverse that damage. Billions of dollars were already spent to eradicate polio in the developing world, and now billions more are being spent to eradicate their side effects, which ironically enough include polio itself. A report from NPR blames the rise of polio on oral vaccines that contain the live virus. In the United States and other Western countries, an inactivated virus is used. The claim is that oral vaccines with the live virus are inexpensive and confer lifelong immunity. But how can this be the case when the shots themselves are causing people to contract polio? This is NPRs answer: Those whove been immunized with live virus can shed it in their stool, which can then spread through sewage in places with poor sanitation. If the virus stays weak, it can expose the unvaccinated to polio and give them immunity. But if it mutates and regains virulence, someone who isnt vaccinated can become sick with vaccine-derived polio after contact with the contaminated wastewater. Gatess new polio vaccine received emergency use authorization from the World Health Organization There are currently 25 different countries reporting cases of vaccine-caused polio, and public health officials are refusing to acknowledge the connection to the jabs. Instead, they are pushing more vaccines, though these ones are being tweaked to supposedly make reactivation less likely. Ananda Bandyopadhyay, deputy director for polio at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, says three independent modifications have been done to the vaccine to make it safer and less likely to cause polio. The researchers tweaked the virus so that it has to accumulate more mutations to become virulent and has a harder time amassing those mutations, writes Baxter Dmitry for Newspunch. For example, theyve altered the polymerase, one of the key enzymes responsible for introducing mutations, reducing its ability to mix and match genes from different viruses. The new vaccine from Gates is already available under emergency use authorization by the World Health Organization (WHO). It just has not yet received full approval, much like Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, which means it is still technically in development. Since March of 2021, 265 million doses of it have been administered to children across 14 countries, most of them in Africa. Vaccine-caused polio is rampant throughout Africa because that is where Gates has focused much of his attention over the years. The power-mad troll just wont stop, wrote someone at Newspunch about Gatess sick obsession with injecting people. I cant wait to read the headline that hes dead. Little Billy Gates peddling his poison in the name of global health,' wrote another. Whats sad is that people still buy into it. In Natural News, someone pointed out that polio vaccines of all varieties were never the miracle cure that they were touted to be. It was all a lie propagated by Julian Huxley and UNESCO, this person added. Julian Huxleys brother Aldus wrote about the plan to poison humanity with medicines A Brave New World, I wonder where he got the idea from? More related news about Bill Gates and his vaccine endeavors can be found at Genocide.news. Sources include: Newspunch.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Left-wing counter-revolutionary politicians continue claiming that letting even dangerous suspects out of jail with electronic monitors is safe and humane, but in fact, it is neither, as evidenced by the idiocy taking place in the crumbling city of Chicago. In recent months, Democrats who run the state enacted a pair of laws regarding electronic monitoring as part of an overall criminal justice reform push which, to the left, is code language for going soft on criminals of color. Heres how it now works in the Land of Lincoln: Defendants who are being electronically monitored have up to 48 hours to be away from their places of residence before they can legally be considered absconded. So, in theory, that means the defendant would have a two-day start on law enforcement if they were trying to evade jail. That makes no sense except to left-wing Democratic lunatics who put politics ahead of public safety as an instinct. But theres more; the second law actually allows defendants being electronically monitored to leave their homes, where they are supposed to remain, twice each week, according to Law Enforcement Today, so they can go to a store and/or do other routine things. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart Says There Are Serious Flaws In System With Murder Suspects Being Out On Electronic Monitoring https://t.co/FM6j2I80Fu pic.twitter.com/Cg2HQeyhEU CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) January 11, 2022 While to some, electronic monitoring sounds good, even with the new laws listed above, opponents point to several different examples of when alleged criminals on electronic monitoring have gone on to commit new crimes, Law Enforcement Today notes, adding: One example occurred recently when Chicago Police were patrolling on January 12th when they saw a vehicle run a stop sign. As officers moved to stop the vehicle, who police later identified as Xavier Davison, got out and tried to walk away. As officers moved in and looked inside the vehicle he was driving, they saw a firearm in plain view. Police discovered that Davison had been released on electronic monitoring awaiting trial for attempted murder dating back to December 2018. Also, Davison was already a convicted felon, so he wasnt allowed to have a gun for any reason. Davison appeared before Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz for the new charges, which included violating the terms of his release. She ordered that he be remanded to custody without bail for violating the terms of release over the attempted murder charge, but she set bail at $200,000 for the new gun charge which made no sense. There are more examples of how this bizarre system is failing. A month after being ordered to stay in the house on electronic monitoring for a felony gun case, cops allegedly found him in his car with a gun, $3,700, and a Tupperware of cocaine. But he didnt break Illinois new electronic monitoring rules.https://t.co/g3dU9rVUTX CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) January 8, 2022 Just four weeks after a judge ordered Jorge Aguilar to stay in his house on electronic monitoring to await trial on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Chicago police allegedly found him reclining in his car with a handgun on the floor and a Tupperware containing 50 grams of cocaine on his passenger seat, CWB Chicago reported earlier his month. There was also $3,700 cash in his glove box. But Aguilar, 27, wont be charged with escaping from electronic monitoring because he wasnt out of his house for more than two days, the outlet added. Instead of keeping him locked up, however, a Cook County judge again ordered him released on GPS monitoring and ordered him to stay in his residence pending court dates. He wont, of course though hell be back before two days are up. Democrats are literally bringing our society to the brink of collapse, and yet, for some reason, far too many Americans keep putting them in power. Sources include: LawEnforcementToday.com CWBChicago.com (Natural News) Responses from mainstream media figures attending a disinformation symposium last week sponsored by the University of Chicago tell us everything we need to know about how complicit they were in covering up damning revelations of Biden family corruption found on a laptop belonging to first son Hunter Biden in the weeks before the 2020 election. Readers will remember that, in mid-October, the New York Post began publishing a series of stories containing bombshell details surrounding Hunter Bidens business deals with Ukrainians, the wife of a Moscow mayor, and China. The Post also revealed evidence that Joe Biden had lied when he claimed that he knew nothing about his sons deals and in fact, according to emails found on the laptop, Joe Biden was having his bills paid by his son and was getting financial kickbacks from his sons deals since he was making them thanks to his dads connections with the upper echelons of our government. But of course, the rest of the mainstream media was all-in for Biden because they loathed President Donald Trump in an unprecedented and unnatural way, so those outlets first ignored the revelations, then hid under the cover of a letter signed by 51 intelligence community officials who claimed, without evidence, that the materials on the laptop were likely planted by (wait for it) Russia. Fast-forward to the present day. In recent weeks, however, some of those same outlets CNN, the Washington Post, The New York Times, and others have not only verified that the contents of Hunters laptop are genuine, but theyve also begun reporting new details about Biden family corruption, almost as if the deep state has decided its time to cut the dementia president loose. And yet, that hasnt stopped some mainstream media elitists from engaging in denial, like The Atlantics Ann Applebaum, a former member of the Washington Posts editorial board. At the universitys Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy conference, last week, she was confronted with a question about the Hunter Biden laptop, and her response was instructive. Freshman student Daniel Schmidt asked Applebaum about the laptop: So, in 2020, you wrote those outside the Fox News bubble do not, of course, need to learn any of the stuff about Hunter Biden, referring to his laptop, of course. A poll later found out that if voters knew about the contents of the laptop, 16 percent of Joe Biden voters wouldve acted differently. Of course, we know a few weeks ago The New York Times confirmed that the content is real. Do you think the media acted inappropriately when they instantly dismissed Hunter Bidens laptop as Russia disinformation and what can we learn from that in ensuring that what we label as disinformation is truly disinformation and not reality? he asked. My problem with Hunter Bidens laptop I think is totally irrelevant, Applebaum said. I mean its not whether its disinformation or, I mean, I didnt think the 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, that would be my problem with that as a main news story. Not interesting? A presidential candidates son who is doing business with shady foreign governments and potential adversaries in a way that could compromise the eventual president wasnt interesting to her? Of course, the Hunter Biden laptop contents were a major news story. Of course, it is a big deal if a president is compromised. But not if hes the son of a presidential candidate you prefer. Also, as noted by The National Pulse, Applebaum once acted as an apologist for now-convicted child rapist Roman Polanski, who was accused of raping a 13-year-old amongst other charges including rape by use of drugs, perversion, and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor. In a 400-word piece published by the Washington Post in 2009 headlined, The Outrageous Arrest of Roman Polanski, Applebaum claimed that the fact that a U.S. judge wants to keep pursuing this case after so many decades was bizarre. She went on to say that he had paid for the crime in many, many ways including in notoriety, in lawyers fees, in professional stigma. For the record, Polanski took a plea bargain by pleading guilty to having intercourse with a minor, then fled the U.S. to avoid being imprisoned. And he has been accused by multiple women (who were just girls at the time between the ages of 9 and 16) of rape, sexual abuse and other sexual crimes. Hes a monster, in other words. And Applebaum is disgusting. Sources include: DailyWire.com TheNationalPulse.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) For decades, The New American, a pro-liberty, pro-free markets, pro-Constitution magazine has been providing outstanding coverage of the days top political, social and cultural issues from an America-first standpoint, long before that phrase became a winning campaign slogan for Donald Trump. And for more than a year, the outlet has been posting similarly informative, highly entertaining video reports, interviews and other content on the worlds preeminent free speech video-hosting platform, Brighteon.com, and is definitely worth checking out if youre tired of the same old tired pabulum from other content creators. Here are just a few examples of some of the most recent content posted on site: In a video posted Jan. 13, senior editor Alex Newman interviewed Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) who, like former President Donald Trump, has come under withering assault by Democrats and Republicans. The Republican establishment teamed up with Democrats, the far-left media, and the globalist movement to destroy U.S. Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) for his effective opposition to globalism and his defense of American sovereignty, unborn babies, and Western civilization, among other things, according to a summary of the video. Now, though, it is clear there is in fact a swamp of multinational corporations allied with politicians working to create a global corporate systemand many Republicans leaders are fully onboard. Check out the interview on Brighteon. The New American radio host Ben Armstrong interviewed vaccine freedom champion Robert F. Kennedy this week as well, in which they discussed: Vaccine passports change your freedom to a privilege. Freedom is no longer a right, it must be earned, by obeying tyrants. Watch it on Brighteon as well. Host Daniel Natal recently noted in a video post that Sen. Ted Cruz was taken to task by Fox News host Tucker Carlson after the Texas Republican appeared to refer to Americans exercising their First Amendment rights on Jan. 6, 2020, as domestic terrorists. Cruz referred to the Constitutional right to petition the government for grievances as a terrorist act and framed American citizens as dangerous subversives. He was taken to task by Tucker Carlson. But what were the mechanisms behind Cruzs actions? Find out what Natal concludes. Another Alex Newman show features super lawyer Brad Dacus of the Pacific Justice Institute, a legal organization with a nationwide network of public-interest attorneys who take on First Amendment cases as they pertain to religious freedom and liberty. Dacus made a recent appearance with Newman to talk about his organizations successful effortsincluding at the U.S. Supreme Courtto protect Christians, churches, and others against anti-freedom COVID policies by government at all levels. Dacus team won a string of key victories by litigating strategically, including by showing the Supreme Court that churches were facing worse treatment than abortion clinics and marijuana stores, a summary of the show said, adding that the PJI is now focusing on battling the Biden regimes COVID vaccine mandate. Watch that show for yourself on Brighteon. Heather Hobbs debuted a show called Unsilenced this month, and the inaugural episode focused on why she is vehemently pro-life. Like many women in America, I grew up pro-choice, believing it was my body, my choice. It wasnt until I became pregnant from rape at 19 that things began to change for me. In three of my four pregnancies, doctors told me to abort. They told me I would only ever see my rapists face when I looked at my daughter, she notes in a show summary. They told me that keeping my son meant certain death for me due to medical complications. In my third pregnancy, doctors told me to abort because my son had a 0% chance to make it out outside the womb. Learn Hobbs full story. Check out The New American channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Brighteon.com NaturalNews.com AT SEA: This hand out photo from the U.S. Navy show Signalman 2nd Class Diver Harlold Bickford, a mammal handler from Commander Task Unit (CTU-55.4.3), brushing the teeth of a bottlenose dolphin in the well deck aboard the USS Gunston Hall March 17, 2003 in the Arabian Gulf. CTU-55.4.3 is a multinational team consisting of Naval Special Clearance Team-One, Fleet Diving Unit Three from the United Kingdom, Clearance Dive Team from Australia, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units Six and Eight (EODMU-6 and EODMU-8). These units are conducting deep and shallow water mine counter measure operations to clear shipping lanes for humanitarian relief. CTU-55.4.3 and USS Gunston Hall are currently forward deployed conducting missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the multinational coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and end the regime of Saddam Hussein. (Photo : Photo by Brien Aho/U.S. Navy/Getty Images) According to aerial pictures, Russia reportedly mobilized a battalion of dolphins to guard their Black Mediterranean military station. Russia's Dolphin Army In the official statement provided by the US Military Institute (USNI), they claimed that Russia erected two dolphin kennels near the entryway to the Sevastopol Gulf royal navy facility in February, during the time of the February 24 invasion of Ukraine. The dolphins are claimed to protect Russia's largest and by far most significant military facility in the Black Sea. The port of Sevastopol is located to the south of Crimea, something that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Although the vessels stationed there are out of earshot of Ukrainian projectiles, they are particularly vulnerable to submerged strikes. As per the USNI, the dolphins are doing it to avoid this from occurring. The sea creatures were most certainly taught to patrol the warships and conduct counter-diver activities, according to the Observatory. As stated in recent report from media site NewsWeek, dolphins were chosen for this purpose because they are among the finest advanced environmental ultrasonic systems recognized by experts. This implies they are adept at spotting explosives and other potentially hazardous things on the bottom. Because technological ultrasonic devices are hardly equal for dolphins' innate sensitivities, they were used in combat activities over the ages. Throughout 1959, the United States Navy has been grooming dolphins for strategic purposes. Once the United States When the Naval Aquatic Mammal Operation was initially formed, many aquatic species such as dolphins, stingray, sharks, tortoises, as well as maritime fowl were evaluated to determine how useful they might be. The Military subsequently opted on two animals for the position: dolphins as well as California sea lions. The US Navy's dolphins are utilized for the comparable goals as their Russian predecessors: to identify explosives as well as potentially dangerous things near coastlines, as per The Guardian. The dolphins are even taught to glide near navy ships as they move from one location to another. For numerous periods, the U.S. The Navy's marine mammal program was secret, sparking considerable suspicions that the creatures were being utilized as destructive munitions. According to the show, these allegations are false. Also read: Footage of Stunning New Species of Deep-Sea Jellyfish Captured in Monterey Bay Aquarium U.S. and Russia: First to Start Dolphin Army Initiative The United States and Russia were among the earliest to mobilize one such force accompanying their military forces, and various governments now have established identical initiatives. Russia's continues the strongest visible, attracting the most publicity. According to the USNI, new satellite photographs weren't the only evidence that Russia is boosting its exploitation of strategic sea creatures. In current history, Russia has used sea creatures in various activities. Furthermore, Forbes also issued an update regarding the topic and on the death of a dolphin taken by Russian soldiers following the invasion of Crimea four years ago that drew international awareness to Russia's dolphin operation in 2018. According to a Ukrainian authority, the dolphins embarked on strike to protest following the seizure, denying nourishment from their Russian masters. The Russian military is likewise thought to deploy beluga whales in its missions. In 2019, rumors from Norway stated that one was reportedly discovered with a Russian leash and a GoPro equipment. Related article: 7 Disturbing Facts That Reveal the Mean Side of Dolphins Indian Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane retired on Saturday after 42 years in service. He was presented the Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns on the occasion of relinquishing the appointment of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). Before that he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who held a meeting with General Naravane earlier in the day, said: "Had a wonderful meeting with the Army Chief, General MM Naravane, who is going to retire today after serving the nation for 42 years. His contributions as a military leader has strengthened India's defence capabilities and preparedness. I wish him success in his future endeavours." General Naravane along with his wife Veena Naravane, also called on President Ram Nath Kovind and First Lady Savita Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Naravane was responsible for ensuring the highest standard of operational preparedness amid stand off with China in Eastern Ladakh. Immediately after he took over as COAS in 2019, India and China were engaged in a face off at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh where the Indian Army lost 20 soliders. Gen Naravane was commissioned into the 7th Battalion, the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment, in June 1980. He had commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Kashmir, served in the Assam Rifles and has been part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka during 'Operation Pawan'. VENTURA, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 19: In an aerial view, the Pacific Ocean and coastline are seen on April 19, 2022 in Ventura, California. Sea levels along coastlines in the U.S. will rise up to one foot by the year 2050, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The two main causes for sea level rise are ocean water expansion as it warms and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Earth Day is April 22. (Photo : Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) More than 70 percent of the world's wonders are composed of water, yet so little has been explored in this unknown world. The number of mysteries residing beneath the vast ocean is unimaginable that only those mysteries themselves can tell. An "alien world" within our own and a place of adventure, Vox tells ocean mysteries that even scientists haven't solved yet. Vicki Ferrini, senior research scientist at Columbia University told the website that so much about how the planet works is basically preserved in this "sort of underwater museum." Not only is it a source of mystery, but also a place of adventure. "How could you not be excited about it?" Ferrini said of ocean exploration. According to the scientist, all the things we learn by investigating the unknown watery realm has brought us to "unexplainable" adventure but only as far as a human can venture. Equally, if not more exciting, underwater encounters are as interesting as space exploration because it's here in the same planet that we're on. Let's Dive In! From the sea's surface, down the deep, here are 5 ocean mysteries uncovered among countless discoveries: 1. Where plastic pollution hides in the ocean. While plastic is being manufactured on land, it ends up getting dumped in the sea. However, as to where all those plastics float off, scientists have yet to figure it out. "Ninety-nine percent of all the plastic is missing," oceanographer Erik van Sebille said. "We have dark plastic. Like the astronomers have dark matter and dark energy, we oceanographers, we don't have an idea where most of the plastic in our ocean is. We've lost it." 2. Whales getting stranded on beaches. A study published in Scientific Reports shows that whale strandings have been occurring more often in coastal areas worldwide. Are humans to blame? The answer may not be absolute, but it is no denying that humans are great factors to the ocean's current environmental condition, although it is untold how these animals are impacted nor exactly how humans are harming them. 3. Humans and octopus are friends? A 2020 documentary evidenced a caring relationship between humans and octopuses, although it is unsure if the friendship was genuine from the octopus's perspective. "It's like interstellar travel," science writer Ferris Jabr said. "It's like the closest we can come to that kind of alien contact moment." 4. Fishes in the ocean's twilight zone. Diving beneath the ocean where light doesn't reach could make your view completely fade, but this region of the ocean called the mesopelagic, or the "twilight zone" is extremely important. The dark ocean plays a large role in regulating the climate for more fishes to thrive. "It's remote. It's deep. It's dark. It's elusive. It's temperamental," said Andone Lavery, an acoustician at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 5. Only 20 percent of the ocean floor has been mapped. The ocean may appear bottomless now, but what has been actually mapped out is only 20 percent of the seafloor. Every time explorers go down to the bottom of the ocean, they are potentially seeing things no human has ever laid eyes on. Also read: Footage of Stunning New Species of Deep-Sea Jellyfish Captured in Monterey Bay Aquarium Curiosity Doesn't Stop To date, more people have been to Apollo missions to the moon than to the deepest part of the deepest trench in the ocean. Yet, what's there to explore doesn't just stop at the bottom of the sea, but also what lies beneath it. Humans have never really directly observed what's beneath the seabed, but every mission to pull up a piece of the Earth's mantle could sow a new field of science and help rewrite the planet's history. Related article: Strict Welfare Rules to be Extended to Crabs and Lobsters in Scientific Experiments TO GO WITH AFP STORY IN SPANISH Baby green turtles (Chelonia mydas agassizii) from the Pacific Ocean are released into the sea by members of the Guatemalan governments National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) in the beach of Zipacate, some 170 km south of Guatemala City on October 10, 2008. Guatemalan governments National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) released 240 baby turtles to the Ocean Pacific as part of a conservation project to save them from the dangerous hand of the man. This kind of turtle is in danger of extinction. (Photo : Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images) Catastrophic declines in biodiversity are increasingly observed worldwide due to climate change. The Earth's species, among others, have been greatly affected by this menace and in fear of being lost. According to the first major global assessment of the world's species, at least one in every five species of reptiles are at brink of extinction, including more than half of turtles and crocodiles. Science Alert reports that more than 20% of the cold-blooded animals could face extinction. Meanwhile, more than 40 percent of amphibians, 25 percent of mammals, and 13 percent of birds are in the same jeopardy. Until now, scientists cannot comprehensively map out the proportion of reptiles in danger, but a new global assessment published in the journal Nature reveals that at least 1,829 - 21 percent - of 10,196 reptile species were either vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. Crocodiles and turtles among the Most At-Risk Species Researchers evaluated 10,196 reptile species based on the criteria from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species and find that the number of species seen as being threatened was "overwhelming". "Now we know the threats facing each reptile species, the global community can take the next step and invest in turning around the often too under-appreciated and severe biodiversity crisis," said co-author Neil Cox, who manages the IUCN-Conservation International Biodiversity Assessment Unit and co-led the study. Around 58 percent and 50 percent of those assessed found to be under threat were crocodiles and turtles, respectively. According to Cox, this was mostly due to "over-exploitation and persecution." Crocodiles are killed for their meat and removed from human settlements, while turtles are targeted by the pet trade and used for traditional medicine. Also read: Strict Welfare Rules to be Extended to Crabs and Lobsters in Scientific Experiments Species "Close to Extinction" The climate threat includes well-known species of the fearsome king cobra to be at risk of extinction, in fact "very close", according to Cox at a press briefing on the research. "It's a real iconic species in Asia and it's such a shame that even widespread species such as this are really suffering and in decline." Cox added that logging and deliberate attacks by humans were among the biggest threats to the snake. Co-leader of the study Bruce Young said that threatened reptiles were largely found concentrated in Southeast Asia, Western Africa, northern Madagascar, the Northern Andes and the Caribbean. On the other hand, reptiles restricted to arid habitats such as deserts, grasslands, and savannas "are significantly less threatened" than those in forest habitats, Young explained. Alongside the direct threat posed by climate change to 10 percent of the reptiles are agriculture, logging, invasive species and urban development. This estimate does not yet include the longer-term threats of sea level rise, or indirect climate-driven dangers like diseases. The reptile assessment involving hundreds of scientists around the world took around 15 years to complete due to insufficient funds. Researchers hope this will help spark international action to fight biodiversity loss. "Reptiles, to many people, are not charismatic. And there's just been a lot more focus on some of the more furry or feathery species of vertebrates for conservation," Young said. However, through their assessment efforts, they hope to advertise the importance of these creatures. "They're part of the tree of life, just like any other and equally deserving of attention," Young noted. Related article: Mexico Has Identified Six New Kinds of Small Frogs According to Researchers A European garden spider sits in its net on August 22, 2014 in Berlin. The spider's varieties are common across Europe and North America. (Photo : Photo credit: WOLFGANG KUMM/DPA/AFP via Getty Images) The tiny species of communal orb-weaving spider Philoponella prominens has to abruptly retreat after mating with a female partner, or it will become its post-sex snack, literally. P. prominens are social spiders that live in communities - up to 215 - to build connecting webs, according to a study published in the journal Current Biology. However, soon after they mate, they hurl themselves away from their partner as fast as they could to avoid being eaten, Science Alert reports. While other spider species such as the redback practice sexual cannibalism, this is the first evidence of a spider species using superfast actions to get away from female spiders after fornication to not end up being eaten. Sexual Cannibalism in Philoponella prominens Male Spiders Researchers examined 155 successful spider matings in the lab, and found that 152 male spiders were able to "catapult themselves to safety", CNN reported. On the other hand, the other three met an unfortunate "cut-throat fate", as they captured, killed, and consumed by the female. "Their sensing capability to danger is low, or they have been exhausted during mating, or just could not perform the catapult," said study author Shichang Zhang, an associate professor at Hubei University in China. When researchers attempted to physically stop the additional 30 male spiders from "catapulting", they, too, fell prey to their partners. "These results clearly indicate that the catapulting behavior is an obligatory component of the male mating repertoire and a strategy to avoid the females' attempts at post-mating sexual cannibalism," the authors wrote. Using high-resolution, high-speed cameras, researchers show how males of this species escape from their sexual predator by compressing their front legs against the female, then rapidly pushing off to release hydraulic pressure, reaching speeds of up to 34.5 inches per second (88 centimeters per second) to get away. The study also found that both legs were necessary for successful mating. "I think it is mainly to escape the female, catapulting and spinning make it difficult for the females to catch it," Zhang said, noting that arachnids could also spin up to 469 revolutions per second while leaping away to avoid sexual cannibalism. Also read: Sphynx Cat Used as "Breeding Machine" To Give Birth to 71 Kittens Finally Rescued Female Spiders Select the Sperm Going to another perspective, female spiders only select a sperm from a brave heart. After developing and evolving this "impressive acrobatic escape" of male orb-weaving spider, they will sometimes mate six times with the same female, climbing up, copulating, and bouncing off again until it ejaculates without being killed. Sometimes, he will even lose a few legs in the process. Researchers suspect this is an abseiling strategy of male spiders so their partner will take their sperm, some kind of sexual selection test to assess whether the males are worthy reproductive partners, Zhang said. "Females may use this behavior to judge the quality of a male during mating," explains animal behaviorist Zhang. "If a male could not perform catapulting, then kill it, and if a male could perform it multiple times, then accept its sperm." Zhang would like to determine in future research whether there is a correlation between the catapulting ability of a male Philoponella prominens and its ability to reproduce. Related article: Strict Welfare Rules to be Extended to Crabs and Lobsters in Scientific Experiments Seals lay on a beach on Fildes peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica on February 1, 2018. - Glaciers that melt before your eyes, marine species that appear in areas where they previously didn't exist: in Antarctica, climate change already has visible consequences for which scientists are trying to find a response and perhaps solutions for the changes that the rest of the planet can expect. (Photo : Photo by MATHILDE BELLENGER/AFP via Getty Images) The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has issued a global "sand crisis" warning. Because of rising urbanization and population growth, worldwide demand for sand, which is used to make popular materials like glass and concrete, has grown throughout time. Sands Sand is the most extensively utilized natural resource after freshwater. It is an essential component of many building goods, such as concrete, asphalt, and glass, and is critical in today's society. The UN estimates that the building sector extracts and consumes up to 40 billion tonnes of sand per year. To put that in perspective, this is the equivalent of 18 kg of sand every day per person in the world, according to a new study. A sand wall 27 meters wide and 27 meters high may be built across the world every year. Sand is used for building nearly all houses, skyscrapers, highways, trains, and even detergents and cosmetics, and demand has skyrocketed in the last two decades. Around half of the yearly quantity is utilized in concrete. Huge development projects in China and India have fueled demand. China is said to absorb more than half of the world's concrete supply. It used more concrete between 2011 and 2014 than the United States did over the whole twentieth century. Also Read: Urban Expansion May Spell Extinction to More than 850 Species Rising Demands Demand is projected to remain steady. By 2050, it is expected that two-thirds of humankind will live in cities. By the middle of the century, India's sand demand, which is second only to China's, is predicted to rise from 1.32 billion to 1.7 billion people. Since the 1960s, Singapore has extended its land area by 20% by importing enormous coastal sand from Malaysia and Singapore. Hong Kong has reclaimed land in some areas, and Dubai has undertaken substantial development projects. Running Out? According to a new UNEP assessment, we could create an 88-foot-wide and high wall around the world with the quantity of sand used in a year. Despite being the second 'most consumed resource after water, its usage is virtually uncontrolled, according to Reuters, with the UNEP warning that we're using it more quickly than the natural mechanism. "We need to dramatically transform the way we manufacture, build, and consume products, infrastructures, and services to achieve sustainable development," Pascal Peduzzi, UNEP's program coordinator for the study, said in a statement. "Our sand resources are finite, and we must make judicious use." Sand is also necessary for the existence of many different kinds of plants and animals. Hence its overexploitation adds to biodiversity loss. Peduzzi made it plain that time is of the essence. "We can escape a disaster and move toward a circular economy if we can handle how to manage the world's most exploited solid resource," he continued. Look for Alternatives As a result, the UNEP advises that suitable alternatives, such as crushed rock or other mining wastes, be incentivized. According to the research, a central body or organization should be formed to keep track of our worldwide consumption of sand. Last year, ecologist Aurora Torres of the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Belgium told Reuters, "This isn't a significant problem for simply particular regions." "Sand is a vital resource for all countries." < Related Article: Earth Day 2022: Celebrating the Planet Amidst Various Environmental Crisis For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Plants have nothing on soil microorganisms, which can fix carbon at a rate 20 times quicker. An enzyme that 'juggles' reaction components is the key. Scientists want to improve this technique for manufacturing CO2 fuels, medicines, and other goods. Soil microbial on artificial photosynthesis Plants rely on a process known as carbon fixation to survive, which involves converting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into carbon-rich proteins. That is the entire purpose of photosynthesis, and it is a key component of the massively interconnected system that cycles carbon via plants, animals, microorganisms, and the atmosphere to maintain life on Earth. The carbon-fixing champions, however, are soil bacteria rather than plants, as per ScienceDaily. Some bacterial enzymes perform a critical stage in carbon fixation 20 times quicker than plant enzymes, and understanding how they do so might aid scientists in developing artificial photosynthesis methods to convert greenhouse gases into fuels, fertilizers, medicines, and other items. A group of scientists from the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Germany's Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, the DOE's Joint Genome Institute (JGI), and the Chile's University of Concepcion has discovered how a microbial enzyme molecular device that helps facilitate chemical reactions revs up to complete the above feat. Instead of catching carbon dioxide molecules and connecting them to proteins one at a time, they discovered that this enzyme is made up of pairs of molecules that work together to get the job done faster, much like the hands of a juggler who simultaneously throws and catches balls. Each enzyme pair has one member open wide to capture a set of reaction materials, while the other closes over its acquired ingredients and performs the carbon-fixing reaction; they then exchange positions in a continuous cycle. The scientists revealed that a single area of molecular "glue" keeps each pair of enzyme hands together so that they may alternate opening and shutting in a coordinated manner. Read more: New Study Reveals This Rare Soil Microbe Can Serve as a Potential Antibiotic Could artificial photosynthesis be the holy grail of renewables? A process called photosynthesis is through which plants transform carbon dioxide and water into glucose using the energy of the sun, as per GreenBiz. For years, scientists have been attempting to mimic the process, with the final product being electricity rather than glucose, and they have had some remarkable triumphs, although all in the lab. Earlier this year, the United States The Department of Energy pledged to fund for artificial photosynthesis research of up to $100 million over five years. Photosynthesis, a tarp, and tanks of catalysts may sound far-fetched, but experts and the Department of Energy appear to believe it might become another weapon in our armory against climate change. That, and the ongoing improvement of solar cells. A group of experts from around the world has claimed a breakthrough in thin solar cells. Their thin-film cell was 25% as efficient as a regular solar cell. This would make the new cell ideal for roof installations and other solar systems for buildings, but it also represents a trend: developing solar cells as thin as possible in order to maximize their adaptability. If artificial photosynthesis were to take off, it will undoubtedly profit from the current trend in solar cells. It would also benefit from developing energy storage technologies, such as hydrogen storage. It is a challenging undertaking to coordinate so many fields of research, but the shared aim might make it all work in the end. Within our lifetime, we may witness a society controlled by renewable energy, harnessing the power of the sun in all of its forms emission-free, of course. Related article: Artificial Photosynthesis May Solve Carbon Emission Problem A massive ocean circulation that carries heat across the world and helps govern weather patterns in the North Atlantic appears to be slowing down. In fact, according to new studies, it is at its lowest point in the previous 1,000 years. The critical question is whether climate change is to blame for the slowdown. Is it merely a natural occurrence? For the time being, experts believe it's a combination of the two. Climate Change's Role According to a new study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, the current is slowing, and climate change likely has a modest role. However, the current behavior is still within its usual patterns. To put it another way, the climate change signal hasn't yet pushed the current past its historically "normal" behavior. According to primary research author Mojib Latif, a scientist at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel in Germany, natural variability "essentially exceeds" the signal from human-caused warming. Nonetheless, this is likely to alter in the future. Climate models predict that the current will continue to slow due to human-caused global warming. If the planet continues to warm, the current's behavior will ultimately push it beyond natural fluctuation into new territory. Scientific Discussions Scientific disagreement continues over how fast that process will unfold and how significant the slowdown will be. However, this is a significant question. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, is a massive liquid conveyor belt transports heat between the equator and the Arctic. As a result, it's mostly to blame for the warm weather that much of the North Atlantic area, including Europe and the eastern United States, has experienced. If the current continues to slow, weather patterns in the midlatitudes may be disrupted. Parts of the North Atlantic may chill, while places south of the United States may warm. The East Coast might become warmer. Some evidence shows that these processes are already underway. Also Read: Critics Claim that "Blue Acceleration" May Potentially Supercharge Ocean Exploitation Evidence of the AMOC Slowing Several recent studies have revealed that the AMOC is slowing. According to some studies, it has deteriorated for at least 150 years. Still, the most accurate and direct observations of the AMOC's flow date back almost 20 years, when scientists began deploying large networks of unique ocean sensors across the region. This makes it difficult to compare the AMOC's present activity to its prior behavior, making it impossible to establish if the current slowdowns are part of a natural pattern. Possible Solutions Scientists have devised several solutions to the problem. Several research studies have utilized long-buried sediment samples recovered from the ocean floor. Chemical information regarding ocean conditions hundreds of years ago can be found in these materials. The new research draws on historical data on sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic dating back to 1900. Because variations in the AMOC's flow may have various effects on ocean temperatures across the area, these data can aid scientists in determining how the current has evolved over time. They also combined historical investigations with climate model simulations to better understand the causes of variations in the AMOC. According to the study, there is a signal from human-caused global warming. Climate change is influencing the AMOC's behavior in some way. According to Latif, it's "a type of fingerprint" of human-caused warming. However, for the time being, natural variability has a greater impact. The AMOC tends to fluctuate over time, and its present activity is still within natural boundaries. Point to Consider As Latif pointed out, this isn't to say that the current isn't slowing or that global warming isn't a factor. The stream is certainly slackening. And, even if it's still within natural limits, climate change's effect is growing in the background. "All models forecast a dramatic slowdown of the circulation as greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in the atmosphere," he added. It's simply a matter of time before that signal becomes the driving force behind the current. If not now, then sometime in the future, as long as the globe continues to warm. In an email to E&E News, Stefan Rahmstorf, an ocean specialist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, said the study's conclusions are "completely compatible" with other recent research on the AMOC's slowdown. Although Rahmstorf was not engaged in the latest analysis, he has written numerous vital publications on the deteriorating AMOC in recent years. He stated that there is substantial evidence for human-caused warming having at least some effect. This includes the "fingerprint" of climate change discovered in new research published this week. Climate models indicate a slowdown in reaction to greenhouse gas emissions and the trend that looks most dramatic in the previous millennium. According to Latif, the study also emphasizes the significance of continuing direct monitoring in the Atlantic. Installing and maintaining ocean sensors is costly, and they require ongoing financing. However, they are the most effective means for scientists to track what is occurring to the AMOC over time. "All of this has to be kept up," Latif remarked. "The bottom line is that." Related Article: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt Against Global Warming Remain High Despite Pressing Evidence For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Magma transfer beneath the seabed is identified as the reason in a distant place using a combination of geophysical approaches. Volcanoes may be discovered even off the coast of Antarctica. In 2020, a swarm of more than 85,000 earthquakes was recorded at the deep-sea volcano Orca, inactive for a long time, a quake that had never been seen before in this location. An international team's work published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment shows that such phenomena may be observed and described in astonishing detail even in such distant and poorly instrumented places. Collaboration The study, coordinated by Simone Cesca of the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) Potsdam, included researchers from Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United States. They utilized seismological, geodetic, and remote sensing techniques to figure out how the swarm quake was triggered by the fast transport of magma from the Earth's mantle near the crust-mantle boundary, virtually the surface. Also Read: Long Quiet Volcano Showed Activity As Alaska Cruise Season Begins Earthquake Swarms Swarm quakes are more common in volcanically active areas. As a result, fluid movement in the Earth's crust is the reason. Orca seamount is a massive undersea shield volcano with a base diameter of around 11 kilometers and roughly 900 meters above the seafloor. It is southwest of Argentina's southern point in the Bransfield Strait, an ocean waterway between the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. "Previously, seismicity in this area was mild. However, a strong seismic swarm began in August 2020, with over 85,000 earthquakes occurring less than a year. Simone Cesca, a scientist in GFZ's Section 2.1 Earthquake and Volcano Physics and primary author of the recently released paper, said, "It constitutes the biggest seismic unrest ever recorded there." On adjoining King George Island, a lateral ground displacement of more than ten centimeters and a modest uplift of roughly one centimeter coincided with the swarm. Cesca collaborated on this research with colleagues from the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) and the University of Bologna (Italy), the Polish Academy of Sciences, Leibniz University Hannover, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the University of Potsdam. The difficulty was that the isolated location had few traditional seismological sensors, with only two seismic and two GNSS stations (ground stations of the Global Navigation Satellite System, which measure ground displacement). Intensive Review The researchers then reviewed data from more seismic stations and data from InSAR satellites, which employ radar interferometry to assess ground displacements to recreate the chronology and evolution of the unrest and discover its source. To appropriately understand the data, it was necessary to simulate the occurrences using a variety of geophysical approaches. The researchers pushed back the start of the disturbance to August 10, 2020, and expanded the initial global seismic collection from 128 to over 85,000 incidents. Before fading, the swarm peaked with two major earthquakes on October 2 (Mw 5.9) and November 6 (Mw 6.0), 2020. Seismic activity has considerably diminished by February 2021. Because seismic processes alone cannot explain the observed severe surface deformation on King George Island, the scientists identified a magma intrusion, or the migration of a greater volume of magma, as the primary source of the swarm quake. Geodetic data may be used to validate the presence of a volumetric magma intrusion independently. From its beginning, seismicity migrated upward and then laterally: deeper, clustered earthquakes are thought to be the result of vertical magma propagation from a reservoir in the upper mantle or at the crust-mantle boundary, whereas shallower, crustal earthquakes extend NE-SW, triggered on top of the laterally growing magma dike, which reaches a length of about 20 kilometers. Continous Activity After nearly three months of steady activity, seismicity dropped sharply by mid-November, coinciding with the occurrence of the series' strongest earthquakes, measuring Mw 6.0. The termination of the swarm can be explained by the reduction of pressure in the magma dike that occurs when a big fault slips and might indicate the date of a seabed eruption that has yet to be confirmed by other evidence. The scientists assessed the volume of the Bransfield magmatic intrusion to be between 0.26-0.56 km3 using GNSS and InSAR data. This is also the greatest magmatic disturbance in Antarctica that has ever been geophysically observed. Insight "Our study represents a new successful investigation of seismo-volcanic unrest at a remote location on Earth. Simone Cesca concludes that the combined application of seismology, geodesy, and remote sensing techniques is used to understand earthquake processes and magma transport in poorly instrumented areas," Simone Cesca concludes. This is one of the few occasions when geophysical techniques may be used to witness magma intrusion into the shallow crust from the upper mantle or crust-mantle boundary - a fast transport of magma from the mantle to virtually the surface that takes only a few days." Related Article: Climate Change Has Significantly Altered the Way This California Volcano 'Breathes' For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! On Friday, severe weather erupted in Kansas as a destructive tornado ripped through a tiny community, slinging debris in all directions. Nearly 1,000 structures were damaged or destroyed, according to officials. Violent Tornado On Friday evening, a violent tornado slammed Andover, Kansas, leaving a trail of wreckage and knocking out electricity for hundreds, although just a few casualties were recorded. Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer recorded dramatic footage of the twister from numerous viewpoints. The tornado can be seen whirling and collecting intensity in one video filmed from the ground. It lofted debris into the air, smashing across the little suburb about 15 miles east of Wichita. According to Timmer, the tornado grew so quickly that it traveled "from 10 [mph] to 300 [mph] in seconds." From kilometers away, the tornado could be seen. Ali Davis, an AccuWeather Lead Storm Warning Meteorologist in Wichita, captured the twister from her front porch. Officials claimed at a news briefing on Saturday morning that the acute epidemic in Andover had resulted in zero deaths and four injuries, all of which were deemed mild. One person was harmed while escaping, another was hit by debris, and two more were hurt while reacting to the site. "We're still apprehensive about those places in the fire district that we haven't...searched yet," Andover County Fire Chief Chad Russell said at a news conference on Saturday morning. "That's our first focus, and that's where the teams are right now." Also Read: Powerful Storms to Bring Extreme Weather to Kansas Storm Because of the tornado's extensive route, Russell said the hunt for casualties began in Sedgwick County and continued into Butler County, following the storm's full path. Roads leading into the city were closed before midnight CDT, according to the Andover Police Department, while emergency services worked to clear debris, evaluate the damage, and reconnect power lines. Many of the roads were free by Saturday morning. Highway 54 remained blocked, according to Russell, since power lines were still down on the route. Leaving Destruction on its Path Russell also revealed that 966 structures were in the tornado's path. However, the precise number of those that were damaged is yet unknown. The Dr. Jim Farha YMCA facility in Andover was one of the structures that incurred considerable damage. Some structures were completely torn from their foundations. Another news conference was set for Saturday at noon central time, with more details on the scope of the devastation and recovery activities expected. Andover was devastated by a tornado that was part of a bigger storm of severe weather that passed over the country's heartland late Friday. "An area of low pressure that formed in central Kansas earlier on Friday fueled the storms from the afternoon through the evening from Kansas and Nebraska to Oklahoma and Missouri," noted AccuWeather Meteorologist Joseph Bauer. According to various Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri accounts, heavy thunderstorms damaged countless houses and businesses late Friday. The storms brought hail the size of grapefruits and devastating winds and tornadoes. As motorists waited motionless in their cars, listening to hail pummel the outside in Norfolk, Nebraska, footage showed hail covering the roads. Early Saturday morning, there were 14 tornado reports, about 130 wind reports, and over 85 hail reports. Around 7 p.m. central time, a flurry of storm reports, including four preliminary tornado reports, were reported to the local National Weather Service (NWS) office. Power Outage It was a little after 11 p.m. According to poweroutage.us, over 23,000 people in Kansas were without power at 5 p.m. CDT Friday. According to a local news organization, Butler County accounted for nearly 11,000 of the 23,000 complaints. Thankfully, by 6 a.m. As technicians worked carefully to restore electricity, outages across the state progressively decreased to around 3,000 by CDT on Saturday. On Friday afternoon near Wichita, Kansas, AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist Timothy Richards took film of the tornado from afar, just west of where it had touched down. Assessing the Situation The NWS Wichita office is conducting damage surveys on Saturday morning to assess the storm damage and establish the severity of the tornadoes that slammed the region. "Normally, these drylines from farther west in Kansas and Oklahoma in the spring," Bauer explained, "but on Friday, the dryline formed right on Wichita's doorstep, resulting in very intense storms in the evening." Related Article: Exposure to Major Disasters Can Cause Long-Term Mental Health Problems For more climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Whatever the exact relationship between Hutus and Tutsis, there are no accounts of serious conflict between them prior to colonisation. by Ben Gliniecki Fifty years ago, on 29 April 1972, violence between Hutus and Tutsis broke out in Burundi. This was the latest round of ethnic conflict in the African Great Lakes region, and marked the beginning of a genocide of up to 300,000 people. Western imperialism bears direct responsibility for the horrors of the spring of 1972. They didnt lift a finger to stop it, and in some cases, they actively supported it. Today, while western imperialists cry crocodile tears over Ukraine, they bury the history of the far greater abominations they perpetrated just 50 years ago. After Lumumbas party won the parliamentary elections in Congo, the country declared independence and the Belgian imperialists felt their profits slipping away / Image: public domain The events of 1972 were a legacy of colonialism. The territory known as Rwanda-Urundi was colonised by Germany in 1899, at the height of western colonisation on the African continent. Germany had only emerged as a unified nation state 30 years previously, and its empire was limited to whatever the older imperialist powers hadnt already snapped up. Fifteen years prior to Germanys colonisation of Rwanda-Urundi, for example, the Belgian King Leopold II had taken personal ownership over the larger and more profitable neighbouring Congo. The growing tensions between the imperialist powers over how the world should be divided up led to the First World War in 1914. And in 1916, Belgian troops from Congo overran the Germans in Rwanda-Urundi, seizing control of the territory. Belgian rule was confirmed by the Treaty of Versailles and a League of Nations mandate in 1922. Divide and rule Belgian rule in Rwanda-Urundi was every bit as brutal as in Congo. The imperialists introduced coffee as a cash crop, which was cultivated by forced labour and exported back to Europe. Farmers were made to grow a certain number of coffee trees each, enforced by onerous legislation and heavy taxes. But imposing their domination over the population was no easy task for the imperialists. Prior to colonisation, social cohesion in this region had been strong, and in 1884, its armies succeeded in defeating an army of slave traders. To secure their control, the Belgian ruling class had to use the tried-and-tested method of imperialism: divide and rule. They applied such methods in a particularly pitiless and disruptive way. The two major social groupings in Rwanda-Urundi were the Hutus and Tutsis, the former comprising around 85% of the population, and the latter 15%. There were differences between these groups, but there was much continuity between them too. Neither had a traditional claim to authority, although Tutsis were disproportionately in positions of authority. Neither conferred a superior social status. The relationship between the two groups was a complex one, with regional divisions and socio-economic status also playing a part. Whatever the exact relationship between Hutus and Tutsis, there are no accounts of serious conflict between them prior to colonisation. The Belgian colonisers decided to consolidate their rule by pitting the two groups against each other. They introduced racism to achieve this. In the 1920s, the Belgians brought over scientists to measure skull sizes and other biological traits of the population. On the basis of this so-called research, they claimed that Tutsis had larger heads, were taller, and had lighter skin, and that this gave them a superior racial status. They based themselves on the racist and now totally discredited Hamitic hypothesis, advanced by the British explorer John Hanning Speke. In 1863, he argued that the Tutsis were descended from the biblical figure Ham, and were therefore a branch of the Caucasian race that had migrated from the north of Africa. With lighter skin than the darker-skinned Negroids who populated sub-Saharan Africa, they were placed higher on the racial hierarchy used to justify the horrific crimes of colonialism. From the early 1930s, ethnic identity was listed on the paperwork of every person, and ID cards were issued to distinguish between Tutsis and Hutus who, contrary to the claims of the race scientists, could not be distinguished based on appearances. The Belgian rulers began excluding Hutus from positions of power, and promoting the Tutsi minority as the sole instrument through which to implement their rule. By 1929, 20% of regional chiefs were Hutus, and by 1945 the figure was 0%. At the beginning of the 1950s, 31 out of 33 members of the Conseil Superieur du Pays were Tutsi, as were 544 out of 559 regional sub-chiefs. Hutus were excluded from education and condemned to a lifetime of forced manual labour on the coffee plantations. The only alternative open to them was taking holy orders at one of the subsidised Catholic seminaries. The Groupe Scolaire school was established by the Belgian colonial administration in 1929. This was a school through which the population could achieve a measure of education and status under the colonial regime. It was fiercely biassed against Hutus. In 1949, of every 100 students who enrolled at the school that year, just 14 were Hutus. For three decades, the Belgian imperialists reinforced and deepened the artificial racial divide they had created between Hutus and Tutsis. They destroyed the internal cohesion that had characterised Hutu-Tutsi society prior to colonisation. They whipped up fear, division, and hatred to secure coffee for the European market. What kind of independence? By the late 1950s, the ground was shaking beneath Belgian imperialism. Independence for the colonies was becoming an inevitability. Pan-African ideas in particular were unifying the Wests colonial subjects against imperialism. This threatened to undermine the Belgians methods of divide and rule by which they had maintained their dominance. Independence was coming. The only question was: what kind of independence would be gained by the colonial countries? Events in Congo showed what the imperialists were willing to do to avoid the wrong kind of independence. In 1958, Patrice Lumumba and others, who had been building support for Pan-African ideas in Congo for years, founded the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC). This was a pro-independence party with no particular ethnic base, and mass support throughout the country. Among other things, the MNC promoted the nationalisation of key economic infrastructure, which would take it out of the hands of foreign multinationals, providing real independence for the Congolese masses. After Lumumbas party won the parliamentary elections in June 1960, the country declared independence and the Belgian imperialists felt their profits slipping away. They therefore encouraged and facilitated mutinies in the army, and the secession of the wealthiest parts of the country. This created a political crisis. The Belgian and US imperialists seized the opportunity to assassinate Lumumba and engineer a coup to replace him with someone they could rely on to allow them to continue plundering the country. Meanwhile, over the border in Rwanda, the Belgian ruling class were making good use of the ethnic divisions they had built over many years to prevent a Lumumba-style figure emerging at all. In 1957, the Belgian colonialists and the Catholic Church (who until this point had supported Tutsi oppression of Hutus) encouraged Gregoire Kayibanda to found the Hutu Social Movement in Rwanda and to write the Hutu Manifesto. The manifesto called for the double liberation of the Hutu people: from the white colonialists and from Tutsi oppressors. The Belgian colonialists had ruled for decades through the Tutsi minority. But they now cynically calculated that after independence, it would be the Hutus who would take power through elections by sheer weight of numbers. They therefore switched their allegiance and incited the Hutus against the Tutsis. The imperialists deliberately tied the question of race and ethnicity to the question of independence. This allowed them to cut across any Lumumba-style Pan-Africanism. Thus, they calculated, divide-and-rule tactics would continue to keep the country open to imperialist looting even after independence. In late 1959, a Hutu uprising against the Tutsis broke out in Rwanda. The Belgian Governor of Rwanda-Urundi, Jean-Paul Harroy, placed Rwanda under military rule, in the person of the Belgian Colonel Logiest. Logiest announced that the duty of the Belgians was to favour the Hutu element and disfavour the Tutsi element. The Belgian imperialists effectively declared war on the Tutsis. The Belgians and the Hutus destroyed thousands of homes. Tutsi chiefs were unceremoniously removed and replaced by Hutus. Up to 100,000 Tutsis were murdered, with an estimated 336,000 fleeing the country. In the middle of 1960, with anti-Tutsi violence still ongoing, the Belgians organised elections which were overwhelmingly won by the militarised Hutu party, Parmehutu, with Kayibanda at its head. Satisfied that the country was sufficiently divided, the Belgians granted full independence to Rwanda in July 1962. Discrimination, oppression and violence against the Tutsis continued with Belgian support. Belgium also maintained significant economic interests in the country. In 1963, the first Yaounde Convention was signed establishing a free market between the EEC, which included Belgium, and 18 African ex-colonial states, which included Rwanda. For Belgian imperialism, this was the right kind of independence. Imperialist violence Although Rwanda-Urundi was administered as one territory, the imperialists increasingly treated it as two distinct entities: Rwanda and Burundi. They were formally separated in 1960. This re-established the two separate kingdoms, which had existed prior to colonisation. But by 1960, separation was also a useful aid to the Belgian policy of divide and rule. Burundi had its own independence leaders. Louis Rwagasore was a Tutsi, educated in Belgium, who became a prominent nationalist leader. Like Lumumbas MNC, his party, the Union for National Progress (UPRONA), appealed to people from different regions and ethnicities. Rwagasore was a threat to Belgian imperialist interests, just as Lumumba had been. His national unity independence threatened to offer an alternative to the frenzied ethnic hatred tearing Rwanda apart. The Belgians could not afford to have Hutus and Tutsis united, because then their combined fire would be turned against the imperialists. The Belgian colonialists put Rwagasore under house arrest in 1960, but under pressure eventually released him. His party, UPRONA, won a crushing majority in the 1961 elections in Burundi. Of the UPRONA members elected, 25 were Tutsis, 22 were Hutus, and four were of mixed parentage. Rwagasore was overcoming the ethnic divide cultivated by Belgian imperialism for decades, and he was resisting being pushed down the path taken in Rwanda. On 28 September 1961, Rwagasore became Prime Minister of Burundi. Two weeks later he was assassinated at the instigation of Governor Harroy and other figures in the Belgian administration. The political void and massive instability this assassination created was the opportunity the imperialists needed to stoke further tensions between Tutsis and Hutus. They were helped in this by the massive influx of Tutsi refugees fleeing to Burundi in order to escape the violence in Rwanda. UPRONA began degenerating into a Tutsi supremacist party. The Burundian Tutsis increasingly looked with fear at a potential Belgium-Hutu alliance of the kind which had overthrown and massacred Tutsis in Rwanda in 1959. UPRONAs raison detre became preventing the repetition of such events in Burundi, which it attempted to do through brutal oppression of the Hutu population. A legacy of instability and violence It was in this context that Burundi gained independence from Belgium in 1962. Decades of colonial rule had created a region with violent instability and ethnic divisions. This continued and intensified throughout the 1960s. In 1963, the king of Burundi appointed a Hutu Prime Minister, who was assassinated by a Tutsi in 1965. Parliamentary elections in May 1965 led to a Hutu majority, but the king appointed a Tutsi as Prime Minister. The kings attempt at a balancing act between Hutus and Tutsis only succeeded in alienating and radicalising both groups. As a result, in October 1965 the Hutu-dominated police force launched a coup attempt, which failed. In reprisal, the Tutsi-dominated army purged Hutus from its ranks and launched a coup of its own in July 1966, which was successful. In the coup of July 1966, the king was deposed and replaced by his teenage son. In November of that same year, the new king was deposed by another coup, carried out by the Tutsi-dominated army under Michel Micombero. Genocide The growing tensions between Hutus and Tutsis, which had been set in motion by the imperialists, were reaching boiling point by the beginning of the 1970s. The result was the Burundian genocide of 1972. On 29 April 1972, coordinated attacks were carried out by Hutus against Tutsis across the country. Around 2,000 men, women and children were killed in indiscriminate violence. Micomberos Tutsi military dictatorship responded by unleashing a genocide against the Hutu population of Burundi. The four Hutu government ministers were killed. 131 Hutu army officers were murdered, along with 500 rank-and-file Hutu soldiers, 2,000 civil servants, a dozen Hutu priests, and thousands of Protestant Hutu pastors. In Bururi, the centre of the Hutu uprising, the army began systematically killing Hutus. In the major cities of Bujumbura, Gitega, and Ngozi, all skilled Hutu workers and intellectuals of any kind were loaded onto trucks and either shot or beaten to death, and their bodies thrown into mass graves. At the University of Bujumbura and in the schools and colleges, Tutsi students were incited to attack their Hutu classmates. Many were beaten to death. Soldiers appeared in classrooms to read out lists of names of Hutu students who would be taken away and never seen or heard from again. One third of university students disappeared in this way. Armed bands of Tutsis marauded through residential areas and took Hutus away at gunpoint by the lorryload. Excavators and bulldozers were busy every night for six weeks digging mass graves. All in all, as many as 300,000 Hutus were massacred in Burundi in the spring of 1972. A similar number were displaced while trying to escape the violence. As a proportion of the population, this would be the equivalent of 5.5 million dead in Britain today, with the same number displaced. This unimaginable horror was the direct result of the crimes of Western imperialism. Imperialist indifference Were we to take the Wests hue and cry over Ukraine in recent weeks at face value, we would presumably have to conclude that the western imperialists have always intervened on the side of peace and justice wherever the need has arisen. But 50 years ago, when genocide was being perpetrated in Burundi, none of these powers lifted a finger. In 1972, the USA was the largest purchaser of Burundian coffee, which accounted for 80% of all of Burundis foreign exchange earnings. At the time, the USA was internationally pressured to use this economic leverage to force the Tutsi regime to stop the genocide. The US imperialists refused. As far as US imperialism was concerned, as long as neither Hutus nor Tutsis aligned themselves with the Soviet Union, they could go on killing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians with impunity. The United Nations sent a grand total of five people to Burundi to investigate the genocide. Needless to say, they achieved nothing. So passive was the UN that the government even requisitioned its trucks and used them to carry out the killings. Land rovers marked UNICEF were being used to transport Hutus to their deaths, while the UN stood idly by. According to observers, one of the Western officials in the Burundian capital after 1972 to be held in highest regard by the regime was Marcel Latour, the head of the UN Development Programme in the country. The UN has always been a tool of imperialism. As long as the imperialists didnt care what was happening in Burundi, the UN wasnt interested either. And the Tutsi regime was very grateful. The only imperialist power to raise concerns over the genocide was Belgium, because it was the Belgians Hutu allies who were being massacred. In expressing their concerns, the Belgian imperialists were attempting to navigate the conflict with one eye on their Rwandan interests. But another section of Belgian businessmen who operated in Burundi werent happy with the intervention of the Belgian government. For this section of the Belgian ruling class, any amount of violence between Hutu and Tutsi was acceptable as long as they and their business interests werent kicked out of the country. These capitalists therefore put pressure on the Belgian ambassador to Burundi to tone down his protests about the genocide to preserve their business interests. And this pressure had an effect. The most despicable role, however, was played by French imperialism. The French ruling class saw the genocide against the Belgian-backed Hutus as a chance to expand their own sphere of influence in Africa at the expense of Belgian imperialism. Under the cover of the Societe de Transports Aeriens du Burundi, France supplied the Tutsi regime with military assistants and pilots. One observer explained: French military assistants flew the regimes helicopters. This airborne was crucial in routing out the rebels in the southFrenchmen were holding the helicopters steady while Burundi soldiers were machine-gunning Hutu rebels out of the side windows. Alongside the head of the UN Development Programme, the only other Western official to be well regarded by the regime after 1972 was Henri Bernard, the French Ambassador. French imperialism clearly had some success in carving out a sphere of influence for itself in Burundi in 1972 at a cost of 300,000 lives. Learn from history and fight for the future Violence between Hutus and Tutsis continued long after 1972, and still continues to this day. The Rwandan genocide of 1994, and the wars and ongoing conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo trace their roots back to the same source. Fifty years on from the genocide of 1972, Marxists should continue to expose the crimes and hypocrisy of imperialism. Nothing has fundamentally changed. This is still how imperialism operates today. Belgian imperialism in Rwanda and Burundi also has a lot to teach us about where racism comes from, and how it is deliberately used by the capitalist class to divide and rule the exploited masses. Figures like Lumumba in Congo showed the potential that exists for these tactics to be beaten. The histories of Rwanda and Burundi show what can happen if they are not. Lenin said that capitalism is horror without end. The horror of the 1972 Burundian genocide reminds us of the justice and urgency of the fight against capitalism and imperialism, and for a socialist society. Pakistani President Arif Alvi signs a condolence book for the victims of a terrorist attack at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 30, 2022. A shuttle passenger van of the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi was attacked on Tuesday, which has left three Chinese teachers killed. (Xinhua/Jiang Chao) ISLAMABAD, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan will thwart any attempt to undermine its relations with China, Pakistani President Arif Alvi said here on Saturday, after a terrorist attack killed three Chinese nationals in Karachi earlier this week. A shuttle passenger van of the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi was attacked on Tuesday, which has left three Chinese teachers killed. During his visit to the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad, the president expressed condolences to the Chinese side over the deaths of the teachers, and strongly condemned the attack, saying that Pakistan will spare no effort to fight against terrorism and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in the country. The victims were friendly ambassadors who promoted people-to-people exchanges between Pakistan and China, he said, adding that the terrorists aimed at damaging the Pakistan-China friendship and the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Pakistan's development and the corridor construction cannot be achieved without the support of China, an "iron brother" of Pakistan, the president stressed. Pang Chunxue, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, thanked Alvi for his visit, and said that China strongly condemns the terrorist attack and has asked the Pakistani side to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. China will join hands with Pakistan to ensure the safety of the Chinese citizens, projects and institutions in Pakistan, combat terrorism and promote regional peace and stability, she added. Starbucks Workers United is racking up victorious union votes in one branch after another of the iconic American coffee chain. A young California-based worker-organizer explains why this organizing campaign is different. by Sonali Kolhatkar At only 19 years old, Joe Thompson is one of the youngest lead organizers with Starbucks Workers United (SWU), the umbrella organization at the forefront of one of the most exciting labor successes of the last few years. Thompson, who started working at the coffee chain at age 16, told me in a recent interview, Starbucks likes to claim its super-progressive, and a lot of workers there are, but were the ones actually holding Starbucks accountable to that standard. The very first Starbucks location to successfully unionize was in Buffalo, New York, where a vote was held only last December. Since then, dozens more locations have voted to join SWUwhose parent company is Workers United, an affiliate of SEIUand more than 200 other locations have filed for union elections. Thompson, who uses they/them pronouns, and who describes their background as working-class Hispanic, lives in Santa Cruz, California, and works there as a shift supervisor at the first Starbucks in the state to petition for a union. That vote is expected to take place in May, and it will be a bellwether for union organizing at Starbucks cafes across California. The nations most populous state has lagged behind New York, Virginia, Massachusetts and Arizona on unionizing efforts at Starbucks primarily because, as per Thompson, California does have better working conditions than a lot of other states. The statewide minimum wage in California is $15 an hour, which is more than twice the federal minimum wage. Thompson also cites better workplace protections in California compared to other states. The lesson here for anti-union forces is that poor wages and working conditions can prompt union activity. Unions are needed precisely because pro-corporate politicians have resisted raising the minimum wage and have weakened labor rights for decades. Additionally, workers at Californias Starbucks locations wanted to see what Buffalo could accomplish before petitioning for a union, said Thompson. After watching them win their vote, then we really started to organize. Its no wonder that Starbucks worked so hard to stop organizers from successfully unionizing in Buffalo, flying in external managers and holding captive-audience meetings with CEO and founder Howard Schultz. The company was rightfully worried about the domino effect of a successful union vote triggering similar efforts elsewhere. It seems as though the standard anti-union corporate playbook may have reached its limit as workers across the United States are seeing the benefits of labor organizing in the face of undignified work, meager pay, unpredictable hours, little to no benefits and few rights. One of the most effective corporate anti-union tactics has been to disparage unions for charging fees (monthly or annual dues) to finance their protection of workers. Indeed, union dues were the entire basis of the Republican-led effort to pass so-called right-to-work laws in states around the country. It was also the central theme around which the online retail giant Amazon discouraged workers from organizing, saying instead that they could do it without dues. But this tactic failed in the face of SWUs organizing. Before a union goes public, were inoculating our organizers, said Thompson. Were telling them, heres exactly what Starbucks is going to say; heres why its wrong. The union uses creative graphics via social media to explain how union dues are a perfectly reasonable price for collective bargaining rights that yield better working conditions. Were using Discord and other technology really to get workers engaged and to keep them there, said Thompson. The unions overall messaging is savvy and effective, and it remains one step ahead of the company. For example, Starbucks refers to its employees not as workers but as partners, a slick PR term that implies a level playing field with the boss. But, weaponizing this wordplay against the company, SWU counters that only through the power of a union can workers truly be partners with their employer. Partners becoming partners has become a central theme of its organizing strategy. Another aspect of the successful unionizing streak that may have caught Starbucks off guard is that most workers are relatively young and extremely cognizant of the social and political conditions under which they have come of age. Theyre all young people who are growing up during the Bernie Sanders era, said Thompson. The same fearmongering against unions that may have worked with older Americans appears not to be working against these younger workers. Were recognizing that we have power together, and young people are so fed up with not only their workplaces but with a lot of other things too, said Thompson. Among those things is the existential threat of climate change. Being young right now, we dont have a solid future ahead of us, said Thompson, who volunteered for Sanders presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020, and said that their fellow Starbucks workers are asking ourselves, what are we going to do to stand up and fight back against these corporations that are not only polluting the earth but also not paying us a living wage? The simplest answer is to unionize, said Thompson. It is simple. And that elegant idea is a countervailing force to corporate power that businesses like Starbucks have been dreading since their inception. The company is already facing a lawsuit from the National Labor Relations Board for illegally retaliating against workers over their union organizing activity. So overt is the companys anti-union position that CEO Schultz recently announced that he was considering new benefits for workers, but only for those who did not join the union. Thompson said, that is clear union-related retaliation against organizing; its unlawful. If Schultz goes through with such a step, Thompson promises that SWU will sue the company for unfair labor practices. He is a bully disconnected from his workers, said Thompson of Schultz. Although the Starbucks unionizing efforts have been wildly successful over a short period of time, voting to join a union is only the firstand easieststep. The hard part comes during contract talks where the nuts and bolts of workers demands will be negotiated. For example, Starbucks baristas are tipped workers and those whose wages do not have to meet minimum wage standards because they are expected to earn tips to compensate, resulting in the possibility of taking home appallingly low paychecks. But the company still refuses to allow customers to pay tips via credit carda major issue that workers plan on raising during contract negotiations. Given the geographic diversity of the companys locations, contract negotiations could be unique to each state and even cafe. Thompson explained that in California where they are based, the unions statewide organizing committee is currently putting together an action plan of the sort of contract that workers in the state want to negotiate, including the specific type of benefits they need. That plan will form the floor of a contract that each unionized store in California will start from in their negotiations with Starbucks, adding on demands specific to each store as needed. Thompsons Santa Cruz-based cafe, for example, will be including a demand for a security guard on its premises. Not content with helping to lead a historic union organizing movement, Thompson is also running for office for a seat on the California State Assembly representing District 28 and is the youngest person to do so. Their campaign website says, Joe knows what its like to not know when youre gonna be able to eat your next meal and how it feels to be left behind by a system that allows for the rich to get vastly richer while the rest of us continue hard work for starvation wages. Anyone can unionize, said Thompson, who remains optimistic even in the face of multiple dire crises facing young people like them. Young workers are recognizing that we need to do something to protect ourselves and to fight for our values The world we are living in is falling apart. And we can change that. This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute. Sonali Kolhatkar is the founder, host and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali, a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. She is a writing fellow for the Economy for All project at the Independent Media Institute. Champaign, IL (61820) Today A few clouds early, otherwise mostly sunny. High around 90F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy in the evening followed by scattered thunderstorms after midnight. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Champaign, IL (61820) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Friedrichshafen, Germany to host the 45th International Amateur Radio Exhibition After a 2-year break, amateur radio fans will reunite on Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from June 24-26, 2022, for HAM RADIO -- the 45th International Amateur Radio Exhibition. Planning for Europe's largest amateur radio exhibition is under way, and this year's theme is "Seeing Friends Again." While amateurs were able to stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) Chairman Christian Entsfellner, DL3MBG, said, "This is exactly what we have been missing over the past 2 years." He further explained, "Despite all the difficulties, this demonstrates how valuable and helpful the amateur radio operator community is. It is high time for personal contact again -- with due attention to the safety of each individual, of course." Project Manager Petra Rathgeber added, "Together with our exhibitors and partners, we are looking forward to a long-awaited get-together with the international amateur radio industry." ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio will be among the participating International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-societies exhibiting at the convention. The contingent representing ARRL to greet international visitors and to network with representatives of other national ham radio societies will include ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR; CEO David Minster, NA2AA; Director of Operations Bob Naumann, W5OV, and Director of Public Relations and Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. ARRL will offer DXCC card checking at its stand -- a service that's very popular within the international ham radio community. More information on 2022 HAM RADIO can be found at www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.com. Source: http://www.arrl.org/news/friedrichshafen-germany-to-host-the-45th-international-amateur-radio-exhibition (Newser) Kevin Larson was a churchgoing Eagle Scout and honors student with dreams of becoming a fighter pilot. He received his officers commission in 2012, but by then, the Air Force didnt need airplane pilots, it needed drone pilots. Larson was disappointed, according to a story in the New York Times by Dave Philipps, but he settled in and did his job, completing some 650 combat missions and launching 188 deadly airstrikes from 2013 to 2018. All the details of Larsons missions are classified, and because drone pilots arent considered combat troops, he did not receive the psychiatric resources, recovery periods, and other benefits offered to deployed troops. Instead, per the Times, he was treated as an ordinary office worker. What started as a tightly controlled operation in the wake of 9/11 has steadily expanded, especially after the Obama and Trump administrations loosened the rules of engagement. Times investigations show that over time, the rules meant to protect civilians broke down and the number of innocent people killed in Americas air wars grew to be far larger than the Pentagon would publicly admit," writes Philipps. The USAF is working to provide more support for drone crews now, but for manyincluding Larsonits too late. After a breakdown and a bust for psychedelic drugs, which he used for self-medication, Larson was convicted in military court on multiple charges. Fearing a jail sentence, he fled into the wilderness, andwith police drones searching overheadhe shot himself. Per the Times, on Larsons military file under Combat Service" is the word "none." (Read the full story.) (Newser) It was a joyful, if unlikely, meeting Wednesday in Stoughton, Mass., as a woman from the Boston suburb of Quincy was reunited with the Yorkshire terrier that had been stolen outside of her home 11 years ago. Boston 25 notes that Rex, who used to live with his owner, Marzena Niejadlik, and her mom in Dorchester, disappeared in 2011 when he escaped from their home and was grabbed off the street by someone. Niejadlik, who tells WCVB she'd adopted Rex to help comfort her mother and herself after her brother had died, searched in vain for their dog, posting fliers and filing a police report. Eventually, the search ended, and Niejadlik thought she'd never see Rex againuntil Wednesday, when Stoughton Animal Control Officer Michelle Carlos got a call about a seemingly lost dog wandering around in Stoughton. What Carlos found was an emaciated, hungry pooch that also happened to have a microchip, which enabled officials to track down a stunned Niejadlik, who still had the same phone number she'd had in 2011. "I really, really hoped that one day we would receive this call, but we were kind of like losing hope after 10 years," she tells WESH. Niejadlik, who headed over to the Stoughton Police Department to retrieve Rex, has since moved to Quincy and now has 9-year-old twins Gabriel and Victoria. The twins weren't alive when Rex vanished, but they've heard plenty of stories about him. "It was very exciting to have him back, especially that it was a long time [ago when he disappeared]," Victoria tells Boston 25. "I wasn't even alive. Two years before I was alive." WCVB notes that no one knows how Rex ended up in Stoughton, a good half-hour drive from Dorchester, but Niejadlik and her family are just happy to have him back. Rex, for his part, had a "great night at their home and loved meeting her kids," Stoughton police said. He was "treated to a day of beauty and all is right in the world." Especially poignant is the fact that Rex's arrival comes two months after another of Niejadlik's brothers died. "We got him after the first tragedy, and now hes back after the second one to help us deal with this loss," she tells Boston 25. Officials, meanwhile, say the case underscores the importance of getting your pets microchipped. "Most of the time, they don't have a chip, which is sad, because they can't tell where they live or where they came from," Carlos says. (Read more uplifting news stories.) (Newser) Donald Trump's legal team continues to try to get him out of being held in contempt of court, but on Friday, a New York judge wasn't biting. On Monday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron held the former president in contempt and ordered him to pay a $10,000-a-day fine until he complied with a subpoena to provide relevant documents regarding the Trump Organization, part of a civil investigation being led by New York Attorney General Letitia James. By Wednesday, Trump had signed an affidavit claiming he didn't think he had the documents being sought, instead directing the court to go get them directly from the Trump Organizationhis attempt to purge the contempt finding and accompanying fine, per Reuters. On Friday, Engoron shook his head at the affidavit. "He's Donald Trump, the most famous real estate developer in the world, arguably," Engoron said. "I am surprised he doesn't seem to have any documents; they're all with the organization." Engoron, who noted Trump's affidavit seemed to be signed in his signature Sharpie, pointed out that at the very least, he expected to see some Post-its submitted, as Trump is "famous for Post-its. When he wants something done, he puts a Post-it on something. I don't think we've received any Post-its." Engoron brought up the sticky notes because Trump Organization general counsel Alan Garten had testified Trump uses them to communicate with employees, according to court records. Trump attorney Alina Habba pushed back on that, saying, "You can fine us for 10 months but you're not going to get any more documents from Donald Trump. He doesn't have the documents that you want." Lawyers for James penned a letter to Engoron requesting he keep the contempt finding in place until more comprehensive searches are done for the documents, which they say should include searches of all Trump's mobile phones, all properties where he has a personal home or office, storage facilities, and "all electronic devices issued by the Trump Organization to Trump's executive assistants," per CNBC. Engoron said Friday he's keeping the contempt finding in place for now, noting Trump's affidavit "is completely devoid of any useful detail," such as where he kept his files and how they were stored. Habba says she'll continue to appeal the contempt order and fine. (Read more Donald Trump stories.) (Newser) There's a new accusation included in the amended lawsuit brought by Gabby Petito's family against the parents of her alleged killer, fiance Brian Laundrie. Per the Hill, the complaint by Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt now claims that Chris and Roberta Laundrie knew of Gabby's death, and likely where her body was, when they went on a camping trip with their son after Brian Laundrie had returned home from his road trip with Gabby but before she'd been reported missing. "They went on vacation knowing that Brian Laundrie had murdered Gabrielle Petito, it is believed that they knew where her body was located, and further knew that Gabrielle Petito's parents were attempting to locate her," the amended suit reads, per NBC News. The outlet notes that the modified complaint "offered little support for the vacation claim, although there is time to submit evidence." The change to the suit came about partly because a Florida district court judge earlier this year told the Petitos there was a "procedural deficiency" in the original filing that needed to be amended, though NBC notes "such revisions are not unusual in civil court." WFLA lists other amendments made to the lawsuit, including the Petitos' slam of a statement that the Laundries made on Sept. 14, before Gabby's body was found in Wyoming. In that statement, the Laundries said, "It is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is reunited with her family." The Petitos now call that statement "beyond outrageous," as they claim the Laundries well knew Gabby would never be coming home because their son had murdered her. A jury trial regarding the lawsuit is set to start in August 2023. (Read more Gabby Petito stories.) Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Rain and snow in the morning. A few rain showers in the afternoon - otherwise, mostly cloudy. High near 45F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 28F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Cloudy with rain and snow early changing to all rain and becoming intermittent late. High 44F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 28F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The moon-sighting panel will convene today evening to receive news and testimonies about the birth of the new crescent, of the month of Shawwal for the year 1443 Hijri, signaling the advent of Eid Al Fitr. The panel will meet at the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) headquarters on Saturday evening, it was announced. The SCIA urged the public who sights the new Shawwal crescent to contact the moon-sighting panel. The sighting of the moon signifies the end of Ramadan, the ninth month on the lunar-based calendar. In the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is followed by the month of Shawwal. The first three days of the month are celebrated as Eid Al Fitr. The council wished the Kingdom of Bahrain and its loyal people further security, progress and prosperity, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, supported by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com A 38-year-old Indian expatriate woman jumped to her death from the ninth floor of the apartment building, where she was living with her husband and child. Sources told The Daily Tribune that the woman committed the act following a quarrel with her husband. Police have begun investigations into the incident and more details were unavailable before the press time. The Daily Tribune earlier published a report quoting an Indian minister that 180 Indian expatriates committed suicide in the Kingdom since 2014. The details were revealed by V Muraleedharan, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, in his response to a member of Indian Parliament. Over 600 Indian nationals allegedly committed suicide in the UAE while the number stands at 545 for Kuwait. More than 300 Indian expatriates committed suicide in Saudi Arabia during the same period while the number was 123 for Oman. According to sociological researcher Al Ansari, majority of suicide victims in the Kingdom were male, young, single or divorced, unemployed and with a low education level. The majority of victims had chronic mental disorders, mainly schizophrenia, depression and substance abuse. The most notable environmental risks were reported to be family problems, family history of suicidal behaviour, and financial and relationship problems. The sociodemographic and clinical risk profile in Bahrain differs from other developed and developing countries, he explained in one of the research papers. Earlier, speaking to The Daily Tribune, a social worker linked many suicides to debt traps in which many Indian expatriates have fallen. Due to poor financial situations, many have fallen prey to loan sharks, who file police cases against them upon delaying the payments with huge interests. Loan sharks obtain travel bans against these victims by presenting signed cheque leaves and promissory notes before courts. Unable to meet their family members for a very long would definitely create a mental depression in these victims, most often leading to suicides. Controlling loan sharks would certainly reduce the number of suicides committed by Indian nationals in Bahrain. He said disputes within the family along with inherent psychological disorders were also the reasons behind increasing number of suicides. According to Indian government sources, 162 Indian nationals are being sentenced in the Kingdom for various offences and among them thirteen are facing life sentences. As many as 8,278 Indian prisoners, including undertrials, are lodged in foreign prisons at present, with 156 of them serving life sentences. The Indian minister said that the government attaches the highest priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indians in foreign countries, including those in prisons there. Indian missions and posts abroad remain vigilant and closely monitor the situations of Indian nationals and their welfare, the minister pointed out. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), every year, almost one million people die from suicides and 20 times more people attempt suicide; a global mortality rate of 16 per 100,000, or one death every 40 seconds and one attempt every three seconds, on average. Various studies reveal that rates of suicide have greatly increased among youth, and youth are now the group at highest risk in one-third of the developed and developing countries. The WHO points out that the emerging phenomenon of cyber-suicide in the internet era is a further cause for concern; also because the use of new methods of suicide are associated with epidemic increases in overall suicide rates. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Staff Reporter In light of growing tendency of consumers to carry out their shopping online, a cyber security expert has urged the shoppers to exercise caution against scammers. Yaqoob Al Awadhi, an information technology expert, stated that Eid Al Fitr holidays witness a growth in online shopping, which necessitates better consumer understanding of how to purchase safely as well as safeguarding himself from the threats that this type of shopping involves. Mr Al Awadhi emphasised the need for the users understanding of how to protect his bank account and credit card information, as well as the importance of not using it on untrustworthy websites and retailers. He said that while the Central Bank of Bahrain, as well as Bahrains banks and financial institutions, adhere to the highest international standards in terms of protecting users data, no one can safeguard a user who deliberately reveals personal information to hackers. Mr Al Awadhi recommended replacing the ATM card with a credit card for any online transactions owing to the difficulties of retrieving the debited amounts if the purchase procedure is not completed for any reason. He affirmed the need for the cardholder who issues sub-cards to members of his family to track his activities, such as withdrawals of funds from the card, to verify that these activities are legitimate and not carried out by unknown individuals. Verifying the store data and tax number, as well as ensuring that the lock icon found on the left of the browsers address bar, are all ways to validate the online stores reliability and security. In addition to non-technical measures, such as examining the stores customer reviews and ratings through social networking sites and making a limited purchase for the first time to be able to evaluate the services of the online store such as the delivery, quality of the product, and the possibility of returning the product. Also, we advise users to stay away of fake online offers, Mr Al Awadhi added. Mr Al Awadhi also stressed the necessity of keeping the operating system, installed apps, browsers, and anti-virus software up to date to improve security. This is in addition to avoiding opening suspicious emails or opening suspicious links. The users also should use strong and complicated passwords, and should be careful when giving out personal and banking information, or when using public internet networks, and informing the relevant authorities when any problem occurs, he added. Earlier, The Daily Tribune published a report about more victims of online payment transfer scams taking to social media platforms to air their woes. It is learnt that fraudsters have been targeting victims by making calls or sending SMSs. My husband got a call saying its a security verification from the online fund transfer app. He followed the steps told by the lady who called him. And to our bad luck all the money from the account has gone, Suneetha Ratheesh posted on social media. Ailefo Afatsuom Rasan, another victim, posted: My husband got scammed and he lost BD1,000 from his account. We have filed a complaint with the CID department. The published article also carried the plight of one Bangladeshi national, one Pakistani national and an Indian businessman, who together lost nearly BD1,500 to the scammers. Cyber security experts have always been highlighting the need to protect Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and online transactions from scammers in light of increasing online payments. They include not responding to calls and text messages from strangers along with putting up different passwords on different accounts and UPI apps. The Central Bank of Bahrain, many a time, has carried out campaigns and circulated messages alerting over the possibility of falling victims to online fraudsters. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Embassy of India hosted the open house yesterday between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm where Ambassador Piyush Srivastava spoke directly to the Indian community at the Embassy to address their urgent and non-routine consular and employment issues. Mr Srivastava expressed his happiness on holding physical open house after a long gap. The mission has been holding virtual open house due to covid protocol so far. Ambassador informed the community about the mega Indo-Bahrain Cultural Festival being organised by the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam under patronage of the Embassy, which will be held from May 3 to 14 May, 2022 as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Bahrain. He also informed them about the visit of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of ISHA Foundation to Bahrain for raising global consciousness on save soil event. Ambassador urged community members to participate in the event. Most of the cases which were raised in the last open house have been successfully resolved. These included some of the long pending and complicated cases. Travel ban case of Mr. Cyril Thomas is now closed, the embassy said in a press release issued. The case of two fishermen who were stuck in Bahrain as their passports were with held by their sponsor has also been resolved through the Embassys intervention, it added. The case of Ms. Smitha (pregnant with three children and husband) who had been subject to several travel bans was also resolved. The embassy assisted in providing Emergency certificate and tickets to distressed people through ICWF. The open house was held in positive atmosphere. The community members particularly the labourers and workers brought their specific non routine consular issues in front of the Embassys consular team lead by Ambassador for which solutions were provided at the forum itself. The Embassy looks forward to next open house in physical format. Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways is restoring the world's largest passenger planes for its connection to Hawaii starting in July, after the double-decker jets stopped regular flights more than two years ago. The Airbus A380s will resume service from Narita International Airport near Tokyo to Honolulu, ANA President and CEO Shinichi Inoue told reporters Friday. The planes will depart twice weekly, on Fridays and Saturdays, July 1 through Oct. 29. ANA's A380s, which seat over 500 people each, are known for their exterior sea turtle designs since the animals are venerated in Hawaii. The planes are nicknamed the "FLYING HONU," using the Hawaiian word for sea turtle. The airline, the main subsidiary of ANA Holdings, received the first A380 in May 2019 and the second unit a month later. The third jet arrived in October 2021. But because of the pandemic, the A380 has not been in regular service since March 2020. ANA decided to bring the "FLYING HONU" back into service after an increase in bookings to Honolulu. Thanks to vaccines and other interventions, Hawaii's COVID-19 infection rates are under control. The carrier also operates three regular round-trip flights weekly connecting Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Honolulu. That frequency rises to four in May and five in July. Subways in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv stopped operations following the launch of attacks by Russian troops. Stations, as deep as 105 meters underground, became temporary bomb shelters as citizens brought in blankets and tents to protect themselves from Russia's threat of nuclear attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with CNN that "all of the countries of the world" should be prepared for the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use nuclear weapons in his war on Ukraine. The war has shown the international community that any country can suddenly become a field of battle. Japan, located next to Russia, China and North Korea, is no exception. Subway systems in Japan are among the most advanced in the world, and people ride them more often than in most other countries. The systems are still growing, and in many major cities are connected to underground shopping malls, maximizing the use of space in crowded urban areas. But whether Japanese can use them as shelters is open to question. Most subway stations in Japan are unsuitable as shelters because they lie at a shallow depth. "Tokyo has only a limited number of facilities that can be safe shelters, such as stations on the Toei Oedo Line that lie more than 40 meters underground," said Mitsuru Fukuda, professor of risk management at Nihon University. Facilities designated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for use as shelters in case Japan is attacked include no subway stations. Although some other local governments, such as the prefecture of Osaka, do include subway stations among their designated shelters, none are deeper than 30 meters. In short, Japan does not have subways running as deep under the ground as those in Ukraine. In the 2017 election for the House of Representatives, the governing Liberal Democratic Party adopted the first-ever campaign pledge to "secure emergency shelters by making use of existing underground space in addition to the reinforcement of underground shelters." But momentum toward the prompt construction of underground facilities resistant to blasts from nuclear and other explosions has failed to grow. ...continue reading This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PARIS (AP) Soon after his victory was announced, French President Emmanuel Macron took the stage to the sound of the European Unions anthem, the Ode to Joy. The symbolism was strong: The 44-year-old centrist's election to a second term bolsters his standing as a senior player in Europe. Macron is now expected to push for strengthening the 27-nation bloc and throw all his weight behind efforts to put an end to the war in Ukraine. In his victory speech Sunday evening, he thanked the majority of French voters who chose him and vowed to lead a project for a stronger Europe. Europe is a framework for peace and stability. Its our safer asset for today and tomorrow, he said at a campaign rally in Strasbourg, home to the European Parliament. Europe is whats protecting us from crisis and war. Angela Merkels departure in December after 16 years as Germanys chancellor, in addition to the United Kingdoms exit from the bloc in 2020, positioned Macron to play a dominant role in the EU, where the Franco-German relationship is key. Boosted by his victory, Macron figures to be in the spotlight when he pays an expected visit to Berlin in the coming days to meet with new Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who has had a low-profile debut on the international stage. French presidents traditionally make their first post-election trip abroad to Germany as a celebration of the countries friendship after multiple wars. Ukraine will be at the top of the agenda for the encounter with Scholz, whose spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, praised Macrons victory over far-right, nationalist rival Marine Le Pen as a good day for Europe. Hebestreit added: The French people made a good choice. France holds the rotating presidency of the European Council until June 30. Macron is scheduled to make a speech on Europe on May 9 in Strasbourg. At some point, he may also travel to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Macron has long advocated for the EU to take more responsibility for its own defense, something he sees as complementary to the NATO alliance, and Russias invasion of Ukraine has only further strengthened that argument. His victory "means the pursuit of an ambitious project for Europe, said Tara Varma, who heads the Paris office of the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank. He will be advocating to double down on the European sovereignty agenda: on tech, on defense, on fighting economic coercion, she said. Varma added that an upcoming conference on the Western Balkans to be organized in June will provide an opportunity to start rethinking the EUs enlargement policy. Georgina Wright, director of the Europe Program at the Paris-based think tank Institut Montaigne, said that Europe will obviously continue to be a key and central pillar to Macron's mandate. I suspect he wants to go further and faster than he has in the past five years." However, he may encounter tricky discussions ahead, she said. The introduction of a bloc-wide minimum wage, a carbon tax on imports and fiscal reform are among the main policies France wants to promote. France also wants to accelerate talks on a stalled overhaul of the EU's asylum system. To achieve such progress on touchy topics, Macron will need to seek international consensus among his counterparts. His challenge would be to get others to follow him, Wright said. "He really needs to get Germany on board. But challenges loom. The leaders of Hungary and Poland, at loggerheads with Brussels over their rule of law standards, have expressed strong disagreement with Macron in the past. Tensions with Britain over the post-Brexit deal and migrants crossing the English Channel, meanwhile, are unlikely to calm down. Macron wont have everything his own way, said Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform. Some Central and Eastern European member states will oppose French policies, the British will remain a headache and the Germans may thwart some French ideas. Areas of Franco-German divergence include key topics such as energy strategy. Macron is pushing to promote nuclear power as a way of becoming greener and more energy-independent, while Scholz's government plans to shut down Germanys last nuclear plants this year. Germany is also expected to oppose a French proposal involving the use of shared EU debt for an investment plan aimed at coping with the impact of the war in Ukraine. The proposal is modeled on the unprecedented plan launched to get the bloc through the COVID-19 pandemic. Macron may find a key ally in Italian Premier Mario Draghi, who has been pushing for tighter ties with Paris, including a pact signed with Macron in Rome last fall that was meant to establish Italy and France as the new motor of EU cooperation. In congratulatory remarks following Macron's reelection, Draghi emphasized the role of both countries, working side by side with all of the other partners to construct a stronger EU. ___ Colleen Barry in Milan, and Geir Moulson in Berlin, contributed to this report. ___ Follow the APs coverage of the French election at https://apnews.com/hub/french-election-2022 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) A South Korean army captain and a businessman have been arrested and indicted for allegedly stealing military secrets under the direction of a North Korean spy who lured them with cryptocurrency, Seoul officials said Thursday. Both have been formally charged with violating South Koreas anti-Pyongyang national security law, though authorities havent established the whereabouts of the North Korean spy, police and prosecutors said. The army captain allegedly passed login information of a military-run computerized command and control system to the North Korean spy, the prosecutors office said in a statement. Police said the captain received a cryptocurrency worth 48 million won ($37,710) from the spy. The 38-year-old businessman, who runs a virtual asset management firm, allegedly gave the captain a wrist watch with a hidden camera to support his intelligence stealing, though he ended up using his smartphone, police said. The businessman also faces a charge that he tried to use a USB-style hacking device to obtain bigger military secrets in a possible collaboration with the army captain after getting $600,000 in the form of cryptocurrency from the spy, according to a statement provided by the Korean National Police Agency. It accused the businessman of offering financial rewards to another military officer in exchange for confidential information but that officer rejected his proposal. Police said the businessman first came to know the North Korea spy in an online cryptocurrency community six years ago and talked with him on the phone. Police said the spy separately approached the army captain. They said both South Koreans knew they were communicating with a spy from North Korea. Its the first time for South Korea to detect a North Korean espionage attempt to get a South Korean military officer and a civilian to work together to obtain sensitive information, according to the police statement. South Korea's military on Thursday confirmed the arrest of the captain, saying it will sternly deal with any attempt to undermine national security. The two Koreas remain divided along the worlds most heavily fortified border since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. At the height of Cold War rivalry, both Koreas routinely sent agents and spies to each others territory through the border, but no such incident have been reported in recent years. BRANFORD Police have identified the three people who were found dead in a crash off Hosley Avenue on Thursday morning. The driver was identified as Megan Nicole Povilaitis, 17, of East Haven. Two brothers were passengers in the car Anthony Dudchik, 20, of East Haddam, and Robert Dudchik, 22, of East Haven, according to the Branford Police Department. Tom Dudchik / Contributed Photo Robert and Anthony Dudchik are the sons of the host of WTNH News 8s Capitol Report, Tom Dudchik, and his wife, Nora. Tom Dudchik and his wife adopted Robert and Anthony from the Department of Children and Families in 2007. They left us too soon yesterday, he said in a statement. We cherish the 15 years they were with us. Tom Dudchik / Contributed Photo Today there are countless children who are waiting to be adopted, he added. Please make one of them your forever family, even if it may not be forever. For more information on adoption in Connecticut, visit https://portal.ct.gov/DCF/CTFosterAdopt/adoption. Gov. Ned Lamont asked Connecticut to Please keep Tom, Nora, and the greater Dudchik family in your prayers as they deal with this unimaginable loss. State Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, said he got to know Robert Dudchik over the last year while he was a flight attendant for Avelo Airlines at Tweed New Haven Airport. He was a great young man, said Scanlon, executive director of the airport. His dream was to be a flight attendant and we loved having him as part of our airport family because he was one of those rare people who always had a positive attitude, took extra care to go the extra mile for customers and clearly took such pride in the work he was doing. We are heartbroken by his sudden passing and will deeply miss him here at Tweed, Scanlon added. U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said his heart is breaking for the Dudchik and Povilaitis families. Just devastating, he said in a tweet Friday evening. Everyone in Connecticut is pulling for you. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal echoed similar sentiments. Our hearts go out to the Dudchik & Povilaitis families, he said in a tweet. There are no words were all with you. Police said the preliminary investigation indicates that Povilaitis failed to negotiate a curve in the road while traveling at an excessive speed. A person driving in the area called authorities around 6:35 a.m. Thursday about a crashed car off the roadway. The caller did not see the crash take place, police said. We recognize the impact a loss of this magnitude will have on families, friends and our community now and in the future, the police department said in a statement Thursday. Members of the Branford police and fire departments and the First Selectmans Office extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of those involved. The police department is encouraging anyone who may need counseling services to reach out to their police social worker, Danielle Suraci, at 203-481-4241. The Branford Police Department and the South Central Regional Traffic Squad are investigating the crash. Anyone with information related to this incident can contact Sgt. Christopher Romanello at 203-481-4241. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW MILFORD When New Milford High School Principal Raymond Manka announced plans to leave his post, the districts superintendent was blamed for his planned departure and that of about 10 other administrators who have left the schools since she took charge. However, education officials say outside factors, largely the stressors COVID-19 has put on school staff, have led educators across the region and state to retire or seek other jobs, sometimes outside of education. We know that the last couple of years have been very difficult for school staff, including for superintendents and administrators, as well as teachers and others due to the COVID crisis, said Robert Rader, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. New Milford, where Manka ultimately rescinded his resignation, isnt the only school district in the area to see turnover. Brookfield schools are working to fill a few administrative vacancies. Superintendents in Newtown and New Fairfield plan to retire at the end of the school year, while Region 12s school chief also plans to leave her position due to her familys move to Arizona. Other local school districts faced these challenges last year. Danburys superintendent retired at the end of last June, and its school finance staff left, which had ripple effects on the city and schools audit this year. Over last summer, Easton, Redding and Region 9 school districts had to fill 24 vacant positions, including its superintendent, four principals, and director of finance and operations. COVID factors School districts have long faced turnover, but COVID heightened those challenges, said Glenn Lungarini, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools. Theres more pressure on educators to ensure that students are performing well academically and fairing well mentally, he said. A lot certainly has to do with the stress of what is experienced with the education profession today, he said. And I think some of it has to do with resources and interactions with the school community, so theres a number of factors that come into play. New Milford Superintendent Alisha DiCorpo said the pandemic led people across the country to leave their positions because they wanted a better work-life balance, to reduce their commute or to work from home. In some cases, educators may have pursued new positions available through federal COVID-19 relief that school districts received, she said. The education field in particular has been hit hard, due to the pandemic, she said in an email. New Fairfield Superintendent Pat Cosentino said the challenges that COVID brought factored into her decision to retire after 38 years in education. When you get to a certain age and youre able to retire and youre exhausted like I am, like all of my colleagues are, you just give it a second thought, she said. I do think the pandemic has really given people another reason to seriously think about retiring or changing careers or jobs. Navigating full remote learning in spring 2020 and then hybrid mode the following year made it hard for educators, Cosentino said. Then districts dealt with mask debates this school year. Everything is an issue, she said. That drains the energy out of you, so teachers, administrators are just exhausted. The district has a good amount of staff retiring, but hasnt had many administrators leave, she said. With more educators looking for a change, New Fairfield has seen more applicants for some jobs, Cosentino said. For example, the district received three candidates in a day for a high school physics teacher, a position thats typically tough to hire for, she said. It just shows you people out there are looking and thinking and putting their toe in the water to see whats out there, she said. Other factors Jason McKinnon, superintendent in Easton, Redding and Region 9, said COVID had minimal effect on staff leaving the district. Individuals reaching retirement age was the biggest factor, he said in an email. He added that personnel matters lead to changes, but superintendents cant disclose why those people leave. Bethel schools have had little administrative turnover in recent years, although the districts finance director is retiring at the end of the academic year, Superintendent Christine Carver said. However, staff and teachers typically leave because theyre moving or seeking higher pay or a higher position, she said. Ridgefield Superintendent Susie Da Silva noted that school districts have faced challenges like this prior to COVID. Retirements and resignations ebb and flow based on factors like compensation and retirement incentives, she said. When she became superintendent in January 2020, she had to fill three vacant principal positions due to retirements. For many superintendents, I think the reality is that you walk into a community already seeing retirements and resignations on the table, she said. Before Da Silva, Ridgefield went through seven superintendent leadership changes in four years. Leadership changes sometimes trickle down. Consistency for faculty matters, Da Silva said. Knowing somebody is going to be here a while makes a difference to them. Prior to DiCorpo, New Milford had four permanent and interim superintendents since 2016. Officials said sometimes educators will leave for higher-paying positions, although Lungarini said he doesnt hear about this as much from principals and assistant principals. At this level and with most of the teachers Ive spoken to, there is a true passion for working with kids and doing what is right for kids, he said. Recruitment and retention The resignations and retirements mean districts must focus on recruiting and retaining staff. Districts are trying to recruit teachers of color, which should lead to more administrators of color, Rader said. He noted the state has made it easier for educators who are certified in other states to work in Connecticut. A new agreement affecting educators from 11 nearby states, D.C. and Puerto Rico went into effect in April. That will also be a help since certification issues from out-of-state candidates has long been an issue in the state, Rader said. New Fairfield has hired from within to fill vacancies, Cosentino. An elementary school principal has been promoted to fill the spot of the retiring middle school principal. Cosentino expects to hire from within for a principal who will oversee both elementary schools. You spend a lot of time and energy and resources training your staff, making sure that they support the vision and mission of the district, and if they're good enough, and our people are, and ready for that next step, I like to hire from within, she said. School districts that foster growth in their staff and build positive connections with families often do a better job in retaining them, Lungarini said. When we keep a focus on building strong relationships from our professional staff down through our students and throughout the school community, that's where we tend to find where individuals are motivated and more engaged and we have deeper levels of learning throughout the education system, he said. Supporting educators mental health can also help to retain staff, Rader said. I know that board members are concerned about the hard emotional and mental issues that have been existent in society, in particular since COVID, and have made sure that their mental health programs are available for those who need it, both staff and students, he said. Even without COVID, school districts would have faced these challenges, Rader said. Demographic changes mean there are fewer young people, and overall the state is losing population. Over the long term, boards will continue to have to deal with these issues, Rader said. We have all heard about how difficult it is to become a teacher, how difficult the work is, and when there are opportunities in the private sector, our students, and even our candidates, may not want to work in the schools. Its a difficult job. Sandra Diamond Fox contributed to this report. The Region 12 school board has begun searching for a new superintendent after Megan Bennett announced shell be leaving the position to move out of state. Bennetts last day on the job will be June 30. A search committee has been formed and Board of Education Chairman Gregory J. Cava said the goal is to have a replacement hired in time to take over on July 1. Bennett said she loves her job, but her husband took a job in Arizona as the vice president of Honeywell, and its an opportunity that as a family we couldnt pass up. I am not leaving because of anything that has to do with the jo b or anything that has to do with dealing with COVID-19, Bennett said. I had every intention to stay on as superintendent in Region 12. I hope my successor knows what kind of special opportunity it is to work here with these special teachers, students and administrators. But literally, its all about the love I have for my husband. Cava said Bennett made a huge impact in her four years in Region 12, a school district that serves Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington, and her move to step down was a bit of a surprise. I was surprised she is leaving, we didnt expect it, Cava said. She has been a wonderful superintendent for these kids. When she first came here there were delays in getting state funding for the Agriscience program. She did tremendous work getting the funding we needed. The agriscience program offers Agricultural Science and Technology Education programs that are state funded. It prepares students for college and careers in fields such as animal science, agricultural mechanics, aquaculture, biotechnology, food science, and marine technology. In addition to students from Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington, the program accepts students from Bethel, Bethlehem, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Sherman and Woodbury. Under her watch Booth Free School is ranked No. 1 in the state and Washington School has a high ranking as well, Cava said. We are also one of the few schools to have its own planetarium. Unfortunately, it has needed some work, has been shuttered and used primarily for storage. The planetarium became another project for Megan. She worked hard to get it open. Right now its under construction and will be a digital state-of-the-art planetarium. Unfortunately she wont be here to see it in operation because we wont be able to use it until the fall. For Bennett, there are many memories that stick out when it comes to her time at Region 12. The growth and success of the Region 12 Agriscience program and being able to get through the COVID-19 pandemic are among them. The district is starting to stabilize when it comes to COVID-19, we are getting to some sense of normalcy and that is good to see, Bennett said. Right now, its so emotional for me and its breaking my heart. I will miss the job and everything that goes with it. TOWNSEND, Tenn. (AP) Zeb Boshears is proud of all he knows about fish, but even he learned a few things Thursday morning when he and his classmates received a very hands-on lesson beside the Little River in Townsend. Since last September students in Heritage High Schools Comprehensive Development Classroom have been feeding rainbow trout being raised in a tank. Its been a good responsibility, said special education teacher Keperly Camet. When 200 rainbow trout eggs arrived last fall, science teacher David Wietlisbach took a microscope from the lab to the CDC classroom for a close look. Since the students had just finished a lesson on the planets, Camet said, the fish egg reminded them of Mars. They can actually see the embryo inside the egg, Wietlisbach explained. With the orange eye spot, he said, to me it almost looks like Jupiter. The 10 CDC students took turns feeding the fish every morning, while Wietlisbachs students monitored tank conditions, testing for chemicals and changing water or making adjustments when needed. To keep the tank from being too crowded Wietlisbach released some fish earlier, but this week it was time to place the 80 or so remaining fry in the river. Because not all of Camets students could walk to the waters edge, they went to the Special Peoples Park in Townsend, which has a wheelchair ramp. A section from a previous hydroponic agriculture setup at the HHS greenhouse became a water slide for students to pour the fish down into the water. Seated later at picnic tables the students had an opportunity to see and even touch many of the species of fish that also live in the Little River, with help from Matt Kulp, supervisory fish biologist for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The students felt the teeth inside a trout, the hard cartilage a stoneroller uses to scrape algae off rocks and the tongue of a redline darter. Kulp also showed them the differences among a saffron shiner, which he explained looks like it wears lipstick; a telescope shiner, which has large eyes; and the Tennessee shiner, with a triangle mark. They held a banded sculpin too. When Kulp asked the students to name their favorite fish, Zeb replied, My favorite fish was ... Im going to say all of them. I love to eat them too, he added. Explaining that those fish would be the neighbors in the Little River of the fish they raised, Kulp told them, Thats why weve got to keep the river clean. The Trout in the Classroom project, sponsored locally by the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited, teaches students not only about fish but the watershed too. Charity Rutter, one of the volunteers with LRCTU helping Thursday, added to the lesson with the story of Franny the Fish. As Rutter read a story of pollutants the fish encounters, the students poured simulated items into a clear plastic bin of water with a metal fish. For example, chocolate sprinkles substituted for manure, rice for fertilizer and an antacid tablet for fizzing toxic waste. As the water became more polluted, Rutter asked the students, Would you want to swim in that water? Do you want to eat fish out of that water? The water that comes out of our kitchen sinks comes out of this river, she explained. Finally Wietlesbach showed them some of the insects the fish they helped raise would be eating now, including a mayfly, stonefly and baby dragonfly. One of the ways you can tell if the water is clean is by the insects you find in the water, the teacher explained. Hey, little buddy, Zeb said as a stonefly crawled on his hand. Before the students headed off for lunch, Zeb assured the Trout Unlimited volunteers, Ill be here next year. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ROME (AP) Two Ukrainian women whose husbands are defending a besieged steel plant in the southern city of Mariupol are calling for any evacuation of civilians to also include soldiers, saying they fear the troops will be tortured and killed if left behind and captured by Russian forces. The lives of soldiers matter too. We cant only talk about civilians, said Yuliia Fedusiuk, 29, the wife of Arseniy Fedusiuk, a member of the Azov Regiment in Mariupol. She and Kateryna Prokopenko, whose husband, Denys Prokopenko, is the Azov commander, made their appeal in Rome on Friday for international assistance to evacuate the Azovstal plant, the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the strategic and now bombed-out port city. An estimated 2,000 Ukrainian defenders and 1,000 civilians are holed up in the plant's vast underground network of bunkers, which are able to withstand airstrikes. But conditions there have grown more dire, with food, water and medicine running out, after Russian forces dropped bunker busters and other munitions in recent days. The United Nations has said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on arranging evacuations from the plant during a meeting this week in Moscow, with the U.N. and International Committee of the Red Cross involved. But the discussions as reported by the U.N. concerned civilians, not combatants. Speaking in English, Prokopenko, 27, called for a Dunkirk-style mission, a reference to the 1940 World War II maritime operation in which hundreds of boats were launched to rescue over 330,000 British and Allied troops surrounded by German forces on the beaches of northern France. We can do this extraction operation ... which will save our soldiers, our civilians, our kids, she said. We need to do this right now, because people every hour, every second are dying. The women said 600 of the soldiers are wounded, with some suffering from gangrene. Video and images they shared with The Associated Press showed wounded men with stained bandages in need of changing; others had open wounds or amputated limbs. The women said the images were taken sometime in the past week. The AP could not independently verify the date and location of the footage. The men, who are not identified, say they eat just once a day and share as little as 1.5 liters (50 ounces) of water a day among four. Supplies inside the blockaded plant are depleting, they say. One shirtless man spoke in obvious pain as he described his wounds: two broken ribs, a punctured lung and a dislocated arm that was hanging on the flesh. Another said he stepped on a mine that was dropped from a helicopter, leaving him with an open fracture in his leg. A military doctor who appears on the video identified herself as an anesthesiologist treating the wounded at the Azovstal plant. She said she was working with a small team of doctors in extremely hard conditions, under constant bombardment. Our resources are extremely limited. Guys are literally dying before our eyes because we dont have any possibility to evacuate them. There is no way to treat them properly," she said. She appealed for the evacuation of the wounded soldiers, along with the trapped civilians. We just ask, we beg, to give at least the slightest chance to save the life of these fighters. They deserve it," she said. The Azov Regiment has its roots in the Azov Battalion, which was formed in 2014 by far-right activists at the start of the conflict in the east between Ukraine and Moscow-backed separatists, and which has elicited criticism for its tactics. Fedusiuk said she and Prokopenko were seeking help from Europe, the United States and international organizations to find a diplomatic resolution to the Azovstal standoff. And she said the troops would never surrender to Russian capture. We dont know any Azov soldier who came (back) alive from Russian soldiers, from 2014, so they will be tortured and killed, Fedusiuk said. "We know that definitely, so it is not an option for them. ___ Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed. ___ Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. MONTREAL, April 29, 2022 /CNW/ - The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Quebec Lieutenant, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, and Ms. Nathalie Roy, Minister of Culture and Communications, announce $26,645,740 in funding for the creation of PHI Contemporain, a new cultural institution in the heart of Old Montreal. The work will include restoring a number of heritage buildings, including the Pierre Du Calvet and Louis-Viger houses, as well as constructing a new building on vacant land. As important witnesses to our history, these buildings are located in the site patrimonial de Montreal, which was declared a heritage site in 1964. This site is the cradle of the current economic and cultural metropolis of Quebec. This territory retains the traces of its evolution, from the small colonial town until today. By showcasing these buildings, the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada are pursuing their efforts aimed at bringing our built heritage to life. In addition to production, dialogue and research spaces, PHI Contemporain will offer suitable venues to host exhibitions and art through new immersive media. Through this cultural and architectural project, PHI will be accessible to a greater number of visitors and will enhance the cultural offering in the Montreal area. The initiative will allow artists and artisans, from here and elsewhere, to exhibit their works, for the benefit of Quebecers and tourists. In the context of this project, the Government of Quebec is investing more than $13.3 million. The Government of Canada is also investing over $13.3 million through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. Quotes "Investing in infrastructure projects such as the expansion of the PHI Center helps promote our culture within our communities! The project will give even more people the chance to experience culture, discover the art of tomorrow, and have our local talent touch the hearts of those who visit us. Culture is what brings us together, and this project is both a tribute to the past and a step into the future." The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Quebec Lieutenant, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities "With this major investment, we are giving new impetus to an establishment that promotes Quebec culture in the world while bringing to life magnificent buildings that bear witness to our history. This demonstrates, once again, that our government remains firmly committed to promoting our artists, our heritage and our culture!" Ms. Nathalie Roy, Minister of Culture and Communications "PHI Contemporain is a rare and exciting opportunity for us to continue our commitment to the relevance of art in daily life by providing expanded spaces for gathering, meeting, and living with evolving artistic practices here and around the world." Phoebe Greenberg, founder and creative director of PHI "The new project will provide a space of the highest architectural quality that will allow PHI to sustain its offer on several levels (cultural, technological, environmental, social and economic), while making a significant contribution to civic life for both neighborhood residents and for visitors from elsewhere in Quebec, Canada and abroad." Eric Albert, CEO of PHI Quick facts Under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), the federal government plans to invest over $7.5 billion in Quebec between 2018 and 2028 for projects focused on community, cultural and recreational infrastructure, green infrastructure, public transit, and infrastructure in rural and northern communities. Infrastructure Program (ICIP), the federal government plans to invest over in between 2018 and 2028 for projects focused on community, cultural and recreational infrastructure, green infrastructure, public transit, and infrastructure in rural and northern communities. Quebec's Ministere de la Culture et des Communications is implementing the cultural infrastructure sub-stream of the ICIP, which has an envelope of $100 million : $50 million from the federal government and $50 million from Quebec , for improving the quality and accessibility of the province's cultural infrastructure. Related links Investing in Canada Plan Project Map Federal investments in Quebec infrastructure projects Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn Website: Infrastructure Canada SOURCE Infrastructure Canada For further information: Jean-Sebastien Comeau, Press Secretary and Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, 343-574-8116, [email protected]; Maxime Roy, Director of Communications, Minister of Culture and Communications, 581-989-6037; Media relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Media relations team, Ministere de la Culture et des Communications, [email protected], 418-380-2388 The major fire that erupted at the Bhalswa dump site on Tuesday had not completely died out The major fire that erupted at the Bhalswa dump site on Tuesday had not completely died out. As it continues to exhale the hazardous air in the surrounding area, flames can still be seen erupting from the site. So far, the Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) has summoned the North Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on May 4 to explain how it is preventing hazardous vapours from entering the homes of citizens living near the Bhalswa waste. Residents have alerted the Commission that hazardous fumes from the fire have entered their homes, endangering the health of all residents, particularly women and children in the region. The Delhi government fined the North Delhi Municipal Corporation Rs 50 lakh earlier on Thursday in connection with the fire. The report was submitted to the Delhi Environment Minister by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). According to the report, a matter of negligence on the part of the MCD has surfaced. On the basis of the investigation report, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai slapped a fine on DPCC. According to officials with the Delhi Fire Service, smoke was noticed on Tuesday, which quickly developed into a large fire. Residents living near the Bhalswa landfill in Delhi have reported respiratory problems as a result of the incident. As per the agency, the firm started remitting the money in 2015 and has remitted an amount equivalent to Rs 5,551.27 cr till date in the guise of royalty to three foreign-based entities. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday informed that it has seized funds worth around Rs 5,551 cr of Xiaomi Technology India Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China-based Xiaomi group, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The agency says the seizure has been made in connection with illegal remittances made by the firm in February this year. As per the agency, the firm started remitting the money in 2015 and has remitted an amount equivalent to Rs 5,551.27 cr till date in the guise of royalty to three foreign-based entities which include one Xiaomi group. The ED stated, Such huge amounts in the name of Royalties were remitted on the instructions of their Chinese parent group entities. The amount remitted to other two US-based unrelated entities were also for the ultimate benefit of the Xiaomi group entities. The central agency added, Xiaomi India has not availed any service from the three foreign-based entities to whom such amounts have been transferred. Under the cover of various unrelated documentary facade created amongst the group entities, the company remitted this amount in the guise of royalty abroad which constitutes a violation of Section 4 of the FEMA. Xiaomi India also provided misleading information to the banks while remitting the money abroad, added the ED. S Jaishankar met Bhutan's King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck during his three-day visit to Bangladesh and Bhutan to discuss bilateral ties S Jaishankar met Bhutans King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck during his three-day visit to Bangladesh and Bhutan. Following the meeting, Jaishankar praised the Kings vision for the countrys transformation and said it was a significant factor in establishing the unique connection with India. Jaishankar took to Twitter to say, It is an honour to be received by His Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck of Bhutan. The direction of our unique cooperation is shaped by his vision of Bhutan being transformed. Privileged to be received by His Majesty the King of Bhutan. His vision of transforming Bhutan shapes the direction of our unique partnership. pic.twitter.com/BL2OBI5Ebu Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 29, 2022 S Jaishankar, the Indian External Affairs Minister, met with Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering and addressed the present global situation as well as bilateral collaboration between the two countries. During the meeting, Jaishankar updated the Prime Minister on the bilateral cooperation and partnership developments. On Friday, the EAM landed in Bhutan for an official visit. Jaishankar also presented Bhutan with the 12th batch of medical supplies as a gift. He also dedicated three projects to the people of Bhutan when he launched. According to the official statement, India and Bhutan have a unique and long-standing bilateral relationship marked by greatest trust, goodwill, and mutual understanding. Since March 2020, Jaishankar is Bhutans first high-level foreign visitor. The two sides will discuss all areas of mutual importance during the visit, including upcoming high-level meetings, economic development, and hydropower cooperation. Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka on April 28 to begin a three-day visit to Bangladesh and Bhutan. Jaishankars visit to Bangladesh is notable because it is his first since March 2021. During his official visit to Bangladesh, Jaishankar met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and communicated Prime Minister Narendra Modis invitation to her to visit India later this year. EAM Jaishankar also discussed bilateral, regional, and international topics of mutual interest with Bangladeshs Prime Minister. Members of the Sikh delegation that met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Friday lauded his governments efforts to safeguard the interests of the Sikh community. Dr Sarabjit Kaur Sohal, President of Punjab Sahitya Academy said that the Sikh community appreciated the things the Prime Minister has done for them. He was quoted as saying, We really liked the Sadbhawna atmosphere. During the event, the good things that the Sikh community has done also came to the fore. The Sikhs liked the things that PM Modi has done for the community, especially the Kartarpur Sahib corridor and the event organised at the Red Fort on the Parkash Purab of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji. NP Singh, CEO of Sony, expressed his gratitude to PM Modi for organizing the event and for inspiring the Sikh community to keep contributing toward nation-building. Singh stated, I would like to thank PM Modi that he allowed us to organise this sadbhawna event. Sikhs from across the world came here. It always feels good to meet him. His talks are inspiring. What he said at the end was very inspirational. We all got the inspiration that the labour with which we have been indulged in nation-building, if we continue to do so, India will not be behind any country. Peter Virdee, a social leader, said that PM Modi has ensured justice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots after 30 years. I was shocked by the amount of contribution that PM Modi has done for Sikhs. We are very grateful. 1984 is a very sensitive issue for the NRI Sikhs. PM Modi provided justice after 30 years for the families. It is an honour to be here, stated Virdee. Boxer Simranjit Kaur Baath stated that the Sikh community will reciprocate PM Modi with the same love that he has for the community. It can be called a historic moment that we from the Sikh community have come together from various sections. The work that PM Modi has done for the Sikhs from 2014 till today, has not been done by any Prime Minister. It feels good to see love in his heart for us. We will reciprocate him with love. The internet blackout will remain in place till 6 pm today. The clashes broke out near the Kali Devi Temple on Friday afternoon as members of an "anti-Khalistan" march organised by Shiv Sena's state unit working president Harish Singla faced physical confrontation by an alleged pro-Khalistan group. The administration temporarily suspended mobile internet services in Punjabs Patiala on Saturday, a day after clashes broke out between anti-Khalistan and pro-Khalistan groups in the city. Three senior police officials have also been transferred in view of the incident. Inspector-General of Police (IG) Patiala range, Rakesh Aggarwal, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Patiala, Nanak Singh and Superintendent of Police (SP) Harpal Singh have been handed transfer orders on Chief Minister Bhagwant Manns direction, according to the CMO. The official order declaring the suspension of mobile internet services read, there is likelihood of tension, annoyance, obstruction or injury to persons, danger to human life and property, disturbance of public peace and tranquillity within the limits of district Patiala due to the recent law and order events. The internet blackout will remain in place till 6 pm today. The order stated, (i) Mobile internet services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA) (ii) all SMS services and (iii) all dongle services etc. provided on mobile networks except voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of the District of Patiala from 9:30 am to 6 pm on April 30. A curfew was imposed in the district on Friday that remained in effect till 6 am today. The clashes broke out near the Kali Devi Temple on Friday afternoon as members of an anti-Khalistan march organised by Shiv Senas state unit working president Harish Singla faced physical confrontation by an alleged pro-Khalistan group. In the aftermath of the clashes, Harish Singla was expelled from Shiv Sena. Singla was later arrested in connection with the incident which left four persons injured. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has ordered a probe into the clash and said that strict action will be taken against those behind the violence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the opening session of the joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts today, which will be held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the opening session of the joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts today, which will be held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. He will also speak to the crowd. Justice NV Ramana, the Chief Justice of India, and Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju will also speak at the conference. The Joint Conference, according to the Prime Ministers office, is an opportunity for the administration and judiciary to join together to build frameworks for simple and convenient delivery of justice and to explore initiatives needed to overcome the systems issues. According to the official statement, Since then, the government has taken several measures under the e-Courts Mission Mode Project to improve infrastructure and integrate digital technology into court proceedings. On Friday, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana presided over the 39th meeting of Chief Justices of Indias High Courts. CJI Ramana emphasized the subject of vacancies, saying, We were able to fill 126 vacancies in various High Courts in less than a year because of our combined efforts. We anticipate another 50 appointments. Because of your unwavering support and dedication to the University, we may be able to accomplish this extraordinary milestone. CJI Ramana has asked the Chief Justices of the High Courts to send the names of those who should be elevated as soon as possible. He also expresses satisfaction with some of the High Courts responses, which he describes as very encouraging. The first Chief Justices Conference was held in November 1953, and there have been a total of 38 since then. The most recent Conference took place in 2016. Following the proposal of CJI Ramana, both the Chief Justices conference and the joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices are being held after a six-year hiatus. After MP Raghav Chadha alleged a coal scarcity and guaranteed that there is no cause for panic, Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), claiming the party has a "history of lying" After MP Raghav Chadha alleged a coal scarcity and guaranteed that there is no cause for panic, Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), claiming the party has a history of lying. Union Coal Minister stated that AAPs new leader, Raghav Chadha is close to Punjabs so-called super Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal. Emphasizing it further, he stated that AAP party has a history of lying; they have never seen me but claim to have done so, spreading lies in my name. Earlier in the day, Chadha criticised the Centre over the countrys coal crisis, claiming that just one or two days of residual coal supply exist in over 16 states, including Punjab. The AAP-led Delhi government raised concern on Thursday over a probable coal shortage in power plants that supply electricity to the national capital and wrote a letter to the Centre requesting it secure adequate coal supply. According to the Delhi government, the Dadri-II power plant only had a days worth of stock left, while the Unchahar power plant only had two days worth of supplies. However, Joshi further stated that 11 units of the Dadri and Unchahar power plants are operating at full capacity, with a stock of 2.3 lakh tonnes (of coal) that is supplied on a daily basis. Coal businesses have roughly 73 million tonnes of coal on hand, while thermal power plants have 21.5 million tonnes of coal on hand. Joshi emphasised that the issue is being monitored by the central government, stressing that there is no reason to panic as whatever 7-10 day stock we have left around the country is being replenished on a regular basis. In hopes of shedding the states image as the tailpipe of America, Connecticut lawmakers on Friday passed sweeping legislation to electrify thousands of cars, trucks and buses in little more than a decade, sending the measure to Gov. Ned Lamont for his likely signature. The House voted 95-52 along party lines to advance Senate Bill 4, overcoming opposition from Republicans who argued that it would saddle consumers with higher costs of everything from cars to groceries, while having the potential to overwhelm the regions power grid. Democrats who suffered defeat last year with the failure of their plans to join a regional climate pact rejected those arguments, saying time is running out to drastically lower the states carbon emissions. Were not moving too fast, we might be moving too slow, said state Rep. Roland Lemar, D-New Haven, one of the lead sponsors of the bill as chair of the Transportation Committee. We have to move now. The legislation came into its final form earlier this week, when Lamonts proposal to adopt Californias emissions standards on medium- and heavy-duty trucks was rolled into a larger Democratic bill known as the Connecticut Clean Air Act, which requires the state to convert its fleet of roughly 3,600 cars and light-duty trucks to electric models by 2030, and set targets further out for the conversion to zero-emission buses used for schools and transportation. In order to coax residents and other entities into making their own switch to electric, the bill would expand the states electric vehicle rebate program, which for the first time will be made available to businesses and municipalities. It also mandates that newly built state facilities and school construction projects include a minimum number of parking spaces with electric vehicle charging infrastructure. To sweeten the deal for some, lawmakers included $15 million in vouchers to help businesses purchase more expensive trucks that comply with the new California standards, as well as $20 million in grants to help school districts purchase carbon-free school buses, which would be mandated statewide by 2035. The choice is clear: Adopting the California framework and the other great initiatives in this bill will be another important step toward cleaner air and better health outcomes for all residents, particularly those who live in our cities and along our transportation corridors, and also gets us headed back in the right direction on our greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, Lamont said in a statement Friday night. Lamont said he looks forward to signing this important bill. Even with the legislations broad incentives, Republicans argued the bill would sharply raise costs on local businesses that rely on fleets of trucks to deliver their products and services. One analysis by the Connecticut Business Industry Association estimated the additional cost of the California-compliant engines was as much as $57,000 for each vehicle. People get rich off of these types of policies, said House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford. The people that suffer are Main Street, the businesses that have to absorb all of the mandates that are put down on them, and theres no real analysis of the returns. The passage of Senate Bill 4 came less than a day after state lawmakers gave final approval to legislation codifying Lamonts goal of producing 100 percent of the states power from zero-carbon sources by 2040. Environmental activists quickly hailed the passage of both bills, which they said were needed in tandem to address the states two largest sources of carbon emissions. This has been a banner week for climate policy in Connecticut. Capped off with the passage of the Clean Air Act, this session will go down in history as a strong statement of our states values and commitment to providing a cleaner, healthier, more viable future for generations to come, Connecticut League of Conservation Voters Executive Director Lori Brown said in a statement. A separate bill that would allow for direct electric car sales from manufacturers without dealerships in Connecticut is pending in the state Senate. While Connecticut has seen some success reducing emissions through the closure or retro-fitting of aging coal and oil facilities, emissions from vehicle exhausts remain the states single-largest source of carbon dioxide, and have grown even higher in recent years. Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency sought to classify four counties in the state as being in severe noncompliance with federal limits on smog-forming ozone. Lawmakers also sought to point out that the cities of New Haven and Hartford have some of the highest rates of asthma in the nation. While much of Connecticuts polluted air is blown in from states to the west, Democrats argued throughout this week that they should set a leading example to encourage other state and federal lawmakers to set stricter emission standards across the country. Already, they noted, neighboring leaders in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts have joined in adopting Californias truck emission standards. Connecticut already uses Californias standards for cars and light-duty trucks. We also have to be really attentive to the long-term costs of inaction, said House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford. What happens to the cost of food when wildfires burn across California? What happens to the cost of food when in Americas bread basket theres increasing and more vicious, catastrophic flooding? What are the costs to shoreline cities and towns as they see rising sea levels? What are the costs to our air quality? Legislative staff were unable to determine an overall price tag for the bill, writing in a fiscal analysis that the Department of Administrative Services could simply refuse to make the needed shift to electric vehicles if it proved to be cost prohibitive. If that were to happen, the agency would have to submit annual reports to lawmakers about their failure to meet the laws requirements. State Rep. Holly Cheeseman, R-East Lyme, called the lack of cost figures on the states electric fleet conversion remarkably disingenuous, and provided her own estimate $230 million though it did not appear to factor in any of the money that state government routinely spends to replace older vehicles. In the private sector, the legislation proposes to pay for the increased subsidies for electric vehicles by transferring all of the clean air fees currently charged on vehicle registrations about $8 million a year to the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate program, a policy that drew even some Republican support. The legislation also reformed the CHEAPR program by giving priority to low-income applicants and those in marginalized communities. In addition, it created a new Right to Charge that allows renters and condo residents to install charging stations at their own cost, while also making such upgrades exempt from property taxes. Another $75 million in bonding is included in the bill to upgrade traffic lights to reduce traffic and idling a provision that Democrats repeatedly noted enjoys bipartisan support. DEAR ABBY: I'm a widow in a new relationship. I was molested for years by an older sibling. When my behavior became troublesome skipping school, becoming antisocial I was sent to a reform school for several years. The sibling was sent into the army. When I was released from the school, I drifted into worse relationships and into the sex trade. I got out of that after six months. I've always felt like a "good girl," but the past haunts me. I used to talk about the abuse constantly. It was always in the back of my mind. It still pops up on a regular basis, but I have not told my new partner. A friend once told me that people don't need to know everything about you, and I believe that. Some folks blamed me for the abuse, although it started before I was 8. Sometimes I feel I should tell my partner, as it does affect my behavior I have low self-esteem, etc. I've had counseling, but it didn't help me. When I confronted my abuser years later, he told me it was my problem. Do I need to share this to be completely honest about who I am? I have never felt "normal." It's as if I'm carrying a dreaded secret. Any advice? GOOD GIRL IN WASHINGTON DEAR GOOD GIRL: What you suffered as a child was not your fault. You needed counseling then, not blame. Because you didn't receive it at that time, it isn't surprising your problems followed you wherever you went. Not knowing your partner, I cannot decide for you whether you should reveal your history to him. I can, however, strongly recommend that you contact the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). When you do, you will be talking with a trained counselor who can guide you. Nothing you confide will be a shock to that person, and you may be put in touch with help in your local area. The RAINN website is rainn.org and its toll-free phone number is 800-656-4673. Please don't wait to reach out. Everything is confidential. DEAR ABBY: My close friend, "Lizzy," broke up with her boyfriend six weeks ago. At first, she was very depressed about it, but she has gradually gotten over him. A few days ago, Lizzy's ex-boyfriend asked me out. I really wanted to say yes, but I decided to ask her first if it was OK. When I did, she flipped out and told me she wouldn't be my friend anymore if I did. I've known Lizzy for four years, and I don't want to lose her friendship. A day later, I found out from another friend of mine that Lizzy was dating my twin brother. She never asked me if I was OK with that, let alone informed me that they had feelings for each other. Does this give me the right to date Lizzy's ex? BREAKING GIRL CODE IN ALABAMA DEAR BREAKING: I think so. But don't do it without first clearing the air with her, because if things work out with your twin brother, you are likely to be seeing a lot of Lizzy in the future. DEAR ABBY: A few months ago, I offered to help a longtime friend with some landscaping. The area to be landscaped is tiny. I was concerned a professional landscaper would overcharge her. She contacted a landscaper anyway not to hire him, but to pick his brain. When he arrived, it was obvious he didn't want the job, and she didn't offer it to him. She took me up on my offer. She then procrastinated for a couple of months, during which time I got busy on other projects. But I carved out time for her, and we sat down to look at her project. She confessed she had no experience with landscaping and plant selection, and she needed my help with that, too. After she pooh-poohed the most viable suggestions I offered, we proceeded to look at plants LOTS of plants none of which she liked. After a few frustrating hours, she mentioned she'd just plant what she had originally thought about planting. I told her if she did that, she did not need my help. She told me I needed to be more patient, and had she known I wouldn't help her she would have hired the landscaper after all. (It wasn't true. She never had any intention of hiring him.) I told her she needed to be more decisive, and even though she had told me she needed my experience, she wasn't accepting of it. She also couldn't see that she had wasted hours of my time. We've barely spoken since. So, am I in the wrong here? GREEN THUMB IN TEXAS DEAR GREEN THUMB: No, you are not in the wrong. No good deed goes unpunished. Consider yourself lucky that you have barely spoken since. And then do not broach the subject again unless you want to experience more frustration. DEAR ABBY: I am the activities director at a nursing/rehabilitation home in Montana. My residents and I want you to know how much we enjoy your column. We read it every day and discuss what kind of advice we would give to your letter writers. Your column is a highlight of our afternoons. We would also like to remind your readers that there are plenty of homes like ours, filled with people like us. We would appreciate and benefit from being acknowledged by our communities, not just during holidays, but all year long. These homes are full of your grandparents, parents and other family members and friends. Our community has always been loving and supportive toward us. We hope homes in other locations are as fortunate as we are. Thank you for your column. We look forward to more! FAITHFUL RESIDENT, DEER LODGE, MT DEAR RESIDENT: Thank you for your kind words and thoughtful letter. I'm pleased your residents enjoy support from the good citizens of your community; it says nice things about the folks in Montana. I know my column is discussed around many breakfast tables and water coolers because it's a sure-fire conversation generator. That's the reason it is popular in many nursing homes and rehab facilities. I hope more readers will find time to visit the residents in these homes, not only for the joy it will bring to them, but also to avail yourselves of the wealth of experience these individuals have acquired during their long lifetimes. While visitors are plentiful during the holidays, they are very quiet at other times. I drive a Tesla. It is the best car I have ever owned. But I do not like the move Elon Musk has made to buy Twitter. My concern and problem with Musks purchase of Twitter is about concentrated economic power that easily is transformed into anti-democratic political power. The concentration of wealth in America is worse today than it was right before the Sherman Anti-Trust Act was passed in 1890. The Sherman Act was a democratic response to the growing economic power of the robber barons that emerged after the Civil War when the United States was experiencing an economic transformation driven by new modes of transportation, communication and consumer products. The men who controlled steel, railroads, finance, oil and shipping paid no federal income taxes on their vast income and wealth even after the Sherman Act. The federal income tax did not begin until 1913. These men and their closely held companies used their economic power to buy political power, controlling state legislators, mayors, congressmen, senators and even presidents. The first major cases brought under the Sherman Act did not occur until the United States v. Standard Oil, Rockefellers giant oil monopoly in 1911. The case ended up in the Supreme Court, which ruled that Standard Oil had restrained trade resulting in higher prices, reduced quantities and reduced quality. The remedy was to break up Rockefellers company. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall in his opinion said the following: All who recall the condition of the country in 1890 will remember that there was everywhere, among the people generally, a deep feeling of unrest. The nation had been rid of human slavery, fortunately, as all now feel but the conviction was universal that the country was in real danger from another kind of slavery sought to be fastened on the American people; namely, the slavery that would result from aggregations of capital in the hands of a few individuals and corporations controlling, for their own profit and advantage exclusively, the entire business of the country, including the production and sale of the necessaries of life. Such a danger was thought to be then imminent, and all felt that it must be met firmly and by such statutory regulations as would adequately protect the people against oppression and wrong. Congress, therefore, took up the matter and gave the whole subject the fullest consideration. I think the country is now in the real danger Justice Marshall wrote about over 100 years ago. Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem. That solution is to tax wealth and enforce the Sherman Act. The federal government should first eliminate the cap on Social Security taxes, which now is at $147,000 per year. It makes no sense to limit this tax to pay for the support of Americas senior citizens, many of whom live near or below poverty on their Social Security income. While Social Security effectively lifts over 16 million seniors out of poverty, 9 percent of Americans over 65 still live below the official poverty line. All these people could be lifted out of poverty with the elimination of the Social Security income limit. Secondly, our tax rates need to be increased on all income from all sources. Currently the tax rates on incomes range from 10 percent on incomes under $20,550 for married couples to 37 percent on married couples earning $647,850 or more. We need more brackets. There should be a bracket for $1 million to $10 million; from $10 million to $50 million; and for over $50 million. And those rates should be greater each step along the way. My suggestion is that the minimum tax on incomes over $50 million be 50 percent. We also need to revamp our estate taxes, or what critics call death taxes. Why should wealth so easily be passed from one generation to the next? Capitalism works best when entrepreneurs and innovators have a chance to develop. Concentrated wealth that is passed down from generation to generation encourages political shenanigans, not economic growth. No American should be allowed to pass down more than $50 million to their heirs in total. Any wealth over that should be taxed away and spent on the general welfare of society that allowed for that wealth generation in the first place. I can hear the screams from Greenwich in my basement in Trumbull. You are recommending killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. I would only ask that the makers of this argument explain to me and most Americans why $50 million is not enough to leave as a legacy. If we had a tax system that made economic sense, we could avoid the problem of Elon Musk and his fellow American oligarchs owning key companies in already highly concentrated industries. We know we have a problem when the average American can name the dominant companies in cellular communication, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, automotive, social media, and computers. The American economy can be even more powerful than it is if we do not allow concentrated wealth, concentrated power and concentrated industries. The federal government should not allow Musk to buy Twitter, and this industry needs to be broken up, just as Standard Oil of New Jersey was in 1911. Fred McKinney is the co-founder of BJM Solutions, an economic consulting firm that conducts public and private research since 1999, and is the emeritus director of the Peoples Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Quinnipiac University. Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has revealed that he would abide by whatever decision the All Progressives Congress, APC... Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has revealed that he would abide by whatever decision the All Progressives Congress, APC, take in terms of who emerges as the partys presidential candidate. Amaechi is one of the APC presidential candidates who would battle for the sole ticket during the presidential primaries next week. The former Rivers Governor expressed his loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC during a consultative meeting with executives, delegates and other party faithful at the Rivers State APC Secretariat on Friday. The Minister said that it was sad that many politicians do not understand the concept of loyalty. He explained that being loyal does not translate to only favourable moments when someone is chosen as the party candidate. The former Governor said that loyalty means that one follows his or her leaders and surrenders to their leadership. Those who are disloyal, I wish them well, those who want to do whatever they want to do, I wish them well, Amaechi said. The emergence of Former Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State as the preferred aspirants for the Peoples... The emergence of Former Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State as the preferred aspirants for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket has failed to achieve the desired outcome of presenting a united front against the ruling APC. Messrs Saraki and Mohammed, alongside Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Hayatu-Deen had resolved to go into the consensus arrangement to reduce the number of aspirants going into the battle for the ticket. After weeks of moving around the country, the consensus arrangement, brokered by the former Military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida and announced by Ango Abdullahi, selected the two aspirants but was rejected by both Mr Tambuwal and Mr Hayatu-Deen. Mr Tambuwa, who had earlier expressed optimism in the arrangement, was the first to back out after the duo of Saraki and Mohammed emerged from the process. He had said, So far, I am the frontline aspirant, our thinking, our prayer and hope is that the consensus will go my way. The Sokoto State Governor had in a statement by his spokesperson, Nicholas Msheliza, said the consensus talks collapsed, hence, all the parties involved had unanimously agreed that the talk was not progressing and the statement should have been to announce the collapse, not the emergence of any candidate. The same position was maintained by Hayatudeen, whose campaign office issued a statement, accusing the brokers of working towards a preconceived outcome. Noting that it was designed to achieve a preconceived outcome. Recently, Hayatudeen, while appearing on Arise TV, said Mr Saraki reneged on the agreement reached by the four aspirants that the consensus arrangement is not working. The business tycoon said the other aspirants were shocked by the announcement by the NEF Aside from the division in the party, the consensus arrangement is also affecting the Northern Elders Forum, as Mr Ango had to clarify that the consensus was not by NEF, but rather, a personal task, done on behalf of Mr Babangida. Similarly, the NEF Director (Publicity and Advocacy), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, had in a statement on Sunday distanced the group from the endorsement of both Saraki and Mohammed. Mr Baba-Ahmed said the former President (Babangida) requested Prof Ango in his capacity to design and manage a process that could improve a consensus agreement among the four aspirants. Adding that the entire process did not involve the NEF as a group and is not a product of the group. Northern aspirants using consensus to cover clamour for power rotation The decision to embark on a consensus arrangement was conceived amid the clamour by southern leaders for power to be zoned to the south after 8years of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is from Katsina State. Messrs Tambuwa, Saraki and Mohamed, had on different occasions argued against rotation to the south. For Mr Tambuwal, his argument has been that the party should win the election first, before considering rotation, while Mr Mohammed argued on the basis that since Mr Buhari is a member of the APC, hence, the PDP is not obliged to zone its ticket to the south. Despite moving across the country, the consensus arrangement appears to be a regional arrangement, except from Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who abstained from the arrangement, all the participants are from the North. The consensus arrangement by the northern aspirants bear similarities with the 2010 consensus arrangement done by the Adamu Ciroma led 17-wisemen from the Northern Political Leaders Forum which produced Mr Atiku as the consensus aspirant. The former Vice President was picked ahead of Mr Saraki, Mr Babangida and former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau. Mr Atiku subsequently lost to Goodluck Jonathan at the PDP primary. The 2010 arrangement was as a result of the clamour by Northern Politicians, who felt that the death of Umar Yaradua disrupted the rotation arrangement and called for a northern candidate to complete Yaraduas tenure. It was a regional calculation. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has been very vocal against the need for consensus arrangement, he even mocked them in several speeches while he was touring the country. What seems to be clear, however, is that the Northern Consensus arrangement has failed to produce a candidate and has further divided the party and the north. Some unidentified gunmen on Saturday attacked soldiers at a checkpoint in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State. Sources sai... Some unidentified gunmen on Saturday attacked soldiers at a checkpoint in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State. Sources said the gunmen wielded automatic riffles, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, just as they came in their numbers. They reportedly arrived at the checkpoint which was manned by soldiers and started shooting at them, causing the soldiers to reciprocate in a bid to save themselves. The source said the gunmen came in exotic automobiles numbering about four, suspected to have been snatched from unsuspecting members of the public for their nefarious operations. They confronted the soldiers for over 10 minutes, causing residents of the area to scamper for safety, and after a long shooting match, the men overpowered the soldiers, and they had to withdraw. The men did not cover their faces, and they were shouting on top of their voices, asking that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, be released. We saw them, some people even tried to make videos, but everyone was afraid not to be spotted and shot, the source said. Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the incident, while also condemning it as an attack on the nation. DSP Toochukwu Ikenga who spoke to newsmen said: Generally speaking, any attack on any security agent is a threat to the soul of a nation. Yes, there was a shooting incident at a checkpoint in Agulu but the information is still sketchy. Locally reported news and sports Stay Current with What's Happening Get the most of NNY360, register today! By providing your email address, you consent to receive emails and special offers from NNY360.com In early March 2022, a group of Grand Gedeh County citizens, the Grand Gedeh County Senior Citizens Grievance Committee, submitted a petition to the Countys superintendent, Hon. Kai Farley, requesting him to meet with them to address their concerns. The committee is headed by Mr. Charles Gaye Breeze and includes the leaders of the 15 different sections that constitute the county residing in Zwedru. Their petition contained ten specific issues that they wanted the superintendent to address, including, among other things, the lack of reliable power supply in Zwedru; the presence of foreigners in Grand Gedeh Countys forests engaging in farming and gold mining operations; benefits accruing to the county from the gold mining operations; reporting on the management and investment of county development funds; and management of the countys road construction equipment. Not being able to meet with the superintendent, the group reportedly submitted its grievances to the President of Liberia, asking him to relieve the superintendent of his commission. Two press statements were issued recently reacting to the Committees petition to the President: one by the group United Grand Gedeans for Sustainable Peace and Development condemning the petition, and the other by the group Concerned Grand Gedeh Citizens in the Diaspora supporting the petition. I am issuing this press statement today to indicate my unqualified support for the issues raised in the Grand Gedeh County Senior Citizens Grievance Committees petition. As a former Grand Gedeh County senatorial candidate, I feel it is important that our people know at all times where I stand on issues that affect the welfare of the county and its people. The issues raised in the Grand Gedeh County Senior Citizens Grievance Committees petition are some of the issues that I have been raising now for quite some, including during my 2020 senatorial campaign. I, therefore, welcome the partnership of the Committee in this effort, calling attention to the unacceptable management of our county. The county needs all of its sons and daughters of genuine patriotic sentiments to join in this effort. That is why I am today calling on all those who aspire to lead our people, including those who contested for legislative positions during past elections, including in particular the 2020 mid-term senatorial election, as well as those who are now planning to contest in 2023, to let their voices be heard on the very critical issues that the Grand Gedeh County Senior Citizens Grievance Committee raised in its petition. The countys aspiring leaders cannot pontificate about advancing the Countys interests only at election times and then go into hibernation when the election seasons end or wait for their opinions to be sought before speaking out on issues critical to the countys development. I am also calling on the countys Legislative Caucus, under its new leadership, to let our people know where it stands on the issues the Committee raised. Under its past leaderships, the Caucus did not always serve the best interests of the county, often paying deaf ear and blind eye to critical issues that hampered the development of the county. Some members of the Caucus have even been privately accused of being the hidden hands behind some of the mismanagement issues in the county. There is no better way for the new leadership to demonstrate its preparedness to bring light and positive energy to the work of the Caucus than to let our people know now where it stands on the Grand Gedeh County Senior Citizens Grievance Committees petition, which simply formally cataloged long-standing grievances. Grand Gedeh Countys true patriots must work together to usher in the county a new day of accountability. The countys current leadership, headed by the superintendent as the President of Liberias Vice-gerent, must expeditiously and formally address the issues raised by the Grand Gedeh County Senior Citizens Grievance Committee and others, including me. These issues are critical to the development and wellbeing of the county, and include, in particular: The presence of foreigners in Grand Gedeh Countys forests who are engaged in gold mining and agricultural activities; The benefits that accrue to the county from the many gold mining operations scattered around the county, as well as the environmental damage mitigations that the county is promoting/advocating; Public disclosure of all funds that accrue to the county from the several logging companies operating in the county as part of their social responsibility obligations; Why, shamefully, reliable power supply is not available in Zwedru, the county capital, and why towns along the route of the power transmission line from Toe Town to Zwedru do not have access to power supply, when the countys neighbor to the north, Nimba County, with which Grand Gedeh County shares the same source of power supply, is able to provide power 24/7 to its cities and towns along the route of the countys power transmission line; Why there is no pipe-borne water in Zwedru for several years now when the government, through the African Development Bank, invested almost one million United States Dollars not long ago to rehabilitate the Zwedru water supply system; Why Zwedru is in such a neglected state, with many of its streets eroded and impassable, herds of livestock roaming its streets and neighborhoods, and the city center so unsightly; Full disclosures on all issues surrounding the countys road construction equipment, including in particular why it was leased to a private firm working in Sinoe County; proceeds from the lease; and documentary confirmation of the conditions of the equipment at the time of procurementwhether used or new; Efforts are being exerted, either through the use of the countys road construction equipment or through lobbying with the national government, to rehabilitate the section of the Monrovia-Zwedru Highway from the Cestos River to Zwedru. To be clear, some of the above problems predate the current county administration. However, the administration has been in power now long enough to have addressed even those issues or at least provided information that would have facilitated their resolution. My standing in the county today compels me to make this call for action on the current county leadership. The raising of issues concerning the proper management of Grand Gedeh County often irritates the relevant authorities because they view the exercise of this vital civic duty as a personal affront. This view of things frequently leads to shouting matches between those, like the Grand Gedeh County Senior Citizens Grievance Committee in this instance, who are seeking answers, and those in authority to whom the questions are addressed. This posture only muddles the water and causes the real issues to get lost in the noise. I am, therefore, calling on all those who, like me, are calling on our leaders to account for their stewardship of the offices they hold, to remain resolute and persistent in their calls for answers and actions, but civil in their engagements. We must, at all times, resist the temptation to reduce our discourses to personal attacks and name-calling which only create unnecessary factions and divert attention and energies from the real issues. William G. Nyanue Former Senatorial Candidate Grand Gedeh County The public is asked to join artists for Stand with Ukraine, a silent art auction of donated artwork and raffles to be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 15 at Lowry, Dunham, Case and Vivien, 2001 First St. in Slidell. There will be music, wine and light fare. Admission is free. "This is a person-to-person, artist-to-artist effort," said Charlotte Collins, director of the Olde Towne Arts Commission. Collins met Ukrainian artist Oksana Fogg at the recent Arts Evening held in Slidell. "Her art was fabulous, mostly landscapes," Collins said. While they were talking, Fogg's mother called from Ukraine, and Collins learned that any money raised from the sale of Fogg's artwork was being sent back to her elderly parents, family members and others who are helping with hospitals and orphanages. Collins said Fogg's parents are too old to evacuate, and her father is blind. Her brother, who has five children, is helping take care of them. "They no longer say 'good night' on the phone because there are no good nights. They say, 'until tomorrow,'" Collins said. "It broke my heart." Collins' immediate family responded with assistance, but she wanted to do more. "I want to show Oksana what a big heart people have and the generosity of the community." "Artists are going to want to help artists," and the idea of Stand for Ukraine was born. Collins has hosted an art-making session at her family home on Bayou Liberty and planned the art auction. She calls it "unleashing the power of art for healing" and hopes local businesses will step up to donate gift certificates and items to be raffled throughout the event. Fogg is working on a painting of the marsh she enjoys near her family's fishing camp in Slidell. She is as inspired by nature as she is with the hope that each piece of art she creates will help provide needed support to her family in Ukraine. "Little things all help," to benefit family members in Ukraine who are baking bread and knitting socks to help their neighbors. "Any money we collect will go to Ukraine." Artists can bring pieces they wish to donate by May 10 to Lowry, Dunham, Case and Vivien Insurance so they can be processed and prepared for display and auction. Bids will close at 6 p.m. and the highest bidder and raffle winners need not be present to win. Food and wine have been donated for the event. Collins said one of the special items donated by a local Ukrainian teacher for the raffle is a handmade crochet wine holder with a rare bottle of wine from Ukraine. "One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit the family," Collins said. "I am thankful for Oksana giving me a way to directly help." A separate fundraiser on May 25 in New Orleans is also being spearheaded by another local artist, Slidell resident Paul Mauffray, a world-renowned conductor who was touring the Czech and Slovak Republics, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Kazakhstan and Russia when the pandemic hit. He returned to his hometown and has been rebuilding his professional career in America, but the 1987 Slidell High School and NOCCA New Orleans Center for Creative Arts graduate was moved when he learned of three musicians affected by the conflict in their homeland. "If I had a magic genie to grant me three wishes, I would use each wish to help the families of three Ukrainian musicians who are valued members of the Louisiana music community," he said. Violinist Iuliia Akers, a Mandeville resident and recent Baton Rouge Symphony member, also has family in Ukraine, as does Liliia Oliinyk, who teaches piano at NOCCA. Violinist Yaroslav Rudnytsky is a member of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra who was in Ukraine visiting family when he caught COVID-19. He wants to get his wife and parents safely out of the country. Three Wishes for Ukraine will be held at 7:30 p.m. May 25 at the Capital on Baronne, 210 Baronne St. in New Orleans. Mauffray set up a GoFundMe site to raise money to pay a stipend to musicians who will travel to the event to perform. "The thing I know to contribute is music to bring people together." His goal is to raise $10,000 to be split between the three musicians. For information on Stand with Ukraine, email Collins at charlottelowrycollins@gmail.com or call (404) 784-6880. For information on Three Wishes for Ukraine, visit https://gofund.me/9d666f4f. Jack and Phil Rizzuto opened a pizza joint on the West Bank, but what their customers clamored for was beef. They opened Rizzutos Pizzeria on a busy stretch of Belle Chasse Highway near Terry Parkway last spring. Although Hurricane Ida was the catalyst for the shift from pizza to Rizzuto's Ristorante & Chop House in Gretna, the real reason for the change was customer demand. The family, whose octogenarian patriarch got into the bar business when he was 16, sold Amici Ristorante & Bar on Magazine Street and Creole Carre on Bourbon Street to take over the Tony Angellos space in Lakeview. We had never had a white tablecloth kind of place, so when Tony decided to retire, we figured lets give it a try, Jack Rizzuto says. Its been great from the start. Rizzuto's Ristorante & Chop House What Rizzutos Ristorante & Chop House Where 2020A Belle Chasse Highway, Gretna, (504) 766-8081; gretna.rizzutosristorante.com When Dinner Tue.-Sat. How Dine-in only Check it out Steaks and classic Italian dishes in Gretna The original Rizzuto's Ristorante & Chop House will celebrate its fifth anniversary on June 30. It actually managed to thrive during the pandemic thanks to takeout orders, ample indoor space for socially distanced seating and an added large patio for outdoor dining. When Ida hit, the Lakeview restaurant took a foot and a half of water and most of the staff was relocated to the West Bank restaurant while repairs were made. Working under executive chef Jason Caronna, the kitchen started running specials such as a steak night and adding a crab cake, made from just lump crabmeat and seasonings. Wed sell 100 steaks, Jack Rizzuto says. People kept asking for their favorite menu items from the other store. Those dishes included eggplant Valentina, a stack of breaded eggplant thats a throwback to Tony Angellos popular eggplant Tina. The Lakeview restaurant also offers a popular bruciuluni, a stuffed sirloin thats based on the Rizzutos Sicilian grandmothers recipe. When it was time to move the staff back to Lakeview, customers were vocal about wanting a steakhouse of their own. The problem was, we didnt have enough staff, Phil Rizzuto says. It took some time and training, but the newly conceived Gretna Rizzuto's Ristorante & Chop House opened in March. Diners still cant get the bruciuluni at the 60-seater. The kitchen is too small for a couple of the dishes, says Jack Rizzuto, but most of the Lakeview menu is available in Gretna. Everything from the bread and pasta to the pastries to their grandmothers red sauce recipe is made in-house. Italian specialties are half the reason to visit Rizzutos. Dishes include veal or chicken parmesan and piccata and rigatoni wagyu Bolognese made with San Marzano tomatoes. Shrimp fra diavolo features a zippy tomato cream sauce filled with local shrimp. Steaks sizzling with butter are the other reason to reserve a spot in Gretna. Beef lovers will swoon over the spinalis cut, offered in 10-ounce ($50) and 14-ounce ($68) portions. The prized marbled cap of the rib-eye, also called a deckle steak, delivers intense beefy flavor with a tender bite. Cutting the beef that way leaves the Delmonico behind, and that piece is used in everything from the surf and turf topped with a jumbo lump crab cake to a premium house-ground burger patty, available in Lakeview. Filet mignon and New York strips round out the options. Chef Brandon Robinson opened Hype Eatz at St. Roch Market Brandon Robinson discusses learning to cook, becoming interested in Caribbean dishes and what's next for Hype Eatz. To start a meal, the meatball served with ricotta, marinara and fresh basil is big enough to share, although diners might not want to give up half. Theres a bracing toss of red and golden beets, Marcona almonds and feta in a Steens sugarcane vinaigrette and a garlicky Caesar that pays homage to the classic salad. Giuseppe Forsetta, a newly hired chef from Catania in Sicily, will bring more Sicilian soul to the table. The dining room is spiffed up, with booths swapped out for tables and a color scheme of midnight blue and cream. The Rizzutos plan to add lunch service. For us, the food was the easy part, Jack Rizzuto says. We knew we wanted to serve the kind of food we ate growing up. We needed somebody who could make it pretty, and Jason (Caronna) is good at that. Hes also Italian. What an old man can see sitting down, a boy cannot imagine even if he climbs to the top of the tallest tree, my grandfather will whisper to me in our native Gola as he swings in his hammock, forked between two kola nut trees in our home village, Kamay Town in Rural Montserrado. The forest holds many secrets, but it only reveals them to those with the discipline and commitment to earn its trust, he continues. The memories of my ears ringing from the echoing drumbeats of the harvest festivities as we kids looked on in awe as the ceremonial mask dancers transformed into Yhay-fieh and Gbae-tu, mesmerizing the crowd with their magical renditions, bellowing fires from their mouths and heads, spinning the dust as if to awaken the ancestors! The women sing and dance in one accord in celebration of a successful harvest. There is still that nostalgic feeling from my childhood where common sense was so common! Oh, how I long for those days when Liberia had meaning and common sense, respect for established norms, and immediate punishment for offenders who dared to challenge the ancestral spirits. Society was maintained in a structured and constitutionally balanced way to serve all and not just a select few. Where have our senses gone? There is now a total disintegration of the family unit and all we held dear, a disregard for the teachings of the elders; we have sidelined every custom and tradition that held our society together! Liberians have allowed unsolicited, defiled outside influence to distort everything sacred our entire society has fallen apart. Nothing of value carries any weight including the most important of them all: THE RULE OF LAW! Liberia has become a lawless society mainly because we continue to give power to vagrants and kleptocrats. We shun upright and accomplished men but give positions of trust to criminals and murderers. Virtues such as integrity, loyalty, diligence, chastity, prudence, fidelity, etcetera are no longer encouraged but rather these traits have become abstract concepts far from the appreciative understanding of nearly all in the country! The clergy is no exception. In fact, so-called Men of God are more egregious than most! The population spends its productive hours in quasi churches/mosques waiting for miracles from vain men masquerading as pastors/imams! Our entire society has been turned on its head because criminal politicians are placed in positions of trust by mostly gullible voters who sell their votes for rice but remain hungry when these greedy politicians are dishing up the countrys resources! Where is our common sense? Incompetence is now misconstrued as leadership, 95% of you are unemployed, airport and seaports are barely operational with a total collapse of nearly every governmental institution, yet you sit feeling sorry for yourselves. Wheres your Ellen Johnson Sirleaf thunderous fist pump? The legislature and the entire government rob and keep you in bone-crushing poverty, and yet you sit shivering under your leaky tin roof shack and claiming to leave it to God while your children die from hunger and disease. News flash: God will not descend from the Heavens in all His glory to come to solve your problems after He has given you dominion (God-like powers) over all things on earth. Where is your God-given vengeance? Know that everything rises and falls on leadership, especially presidential leadership in a unitary state such as ours national command is not a childs plaything. One cannot make a babbling idiot your king and expect the fruits of leadership. Liberians must open their eyes and employ their God-given common sense if they want any future separate from what we currently have.People cannot make crucial national decisions entirely based on feelings, religion, tribe, and liquor table affiliations. Granting someone the authority to execute in your name must be weighed with full consideration of the totality of the issues including the persons capacity to deliver that which society seeks; his past experiences and whether or not s/he has a proven track record of delivering at a high level, have they shown that they understand the essence of leadership and how to employ those tenets to get the desired results, what is this persons socioeconomic standing in society and whether or not he gained that standing in observance of the highest, integrity standards? Use your common sense to gauge who you give power to it is a matter of life and death!Your poverty-stricken lot in this life will not change until you come to a full realization that for society to work and bear the fruits of development, i.e., clean water, adequate sanitation, quality healthcare, proper shelter and stable family units, national infrastructure, etc., it must be guided by certain strict standards with the rule of law being the centerpiece! None of this is possible unless the people aggressively force the issue using every political means available to them. Stand on Article I of the Liberian Constitution as your guarantor. There is no other way.Common sense compels you to do things rationally if the intent is to get rational outcomes. But understand this one cardinal issue: logical outcomes do not usually come about simply because it is a part of a leaders job responsibilities, or simply because you wished it so such outcomes are forced by the pressure and will of the people. There is a greater duty after voting; the people cannot negate this responsibility and still expect the change they desire. It doesnt work that way. Every developed country had to force the issue; we too must do likewise if we also want the results others are getting.The people must bring to bear unrelenting pressure on officials to actualize a national vision that serves all. Liberians, especially those over the age of 21, must get involved wholeheartedly with a national purpose and put on the full armor of political agitation to drive the growth and developmental agenda of the society. Put everything on the line to see this come to fruition, yes, including your lives and the lives of all those who stand in your way of a higher standard of living for you and your children. This must be non-negotiable! Dynamically confront and neutralize those who try to undercut the peoples agenda.The people must ALWAYS ensure that their leaders fear them; always making that angst real, present, and uncompromising. This dread must be routinely manifested in removals and exclusion from political office, forfeiture of properties, imprisonments with hard labor, and judicial executions if this is what is required to build a society that serves all. Anything short of this, you will continue to experience the outcomes you presently see in Liberia: a lawless society, uncontrollable and celebrated corruption, pillaging of a nation, innocent murders, child rape, countless injustices from government officials with full impunity! Why havent the people gotten angry? Where is common sense?Re-center your national aspirations and create a balanced leadership structure that serves all society should not be about one person who controls our collective resources and occasionally drops crumbs and behaves as though hes doing the people a favor. The people must end this wickedness by whatever constitutional means available to them.Push for equitability in the system and ensure the lions share of our resources do not continue to go to multi-national corporations that circumvent our corrupt system to avoid paying taxes and get our raw materials on the cheap, corrupt officials who facilitate this theft and their family members who are the direct beneficiaries of all this looting that disadvantages over 95% of the country! The people must pay attention, use their common sense, or forever remain in their current deplorable state. Common sense can only benefit you if you use it in a united, but wholesome way. Never make your push about an individual, but rather for our collective wellbeing.Moreover, remember no government official gives you anything that is not already yours youre given a penny for every thousand he steals from you not because he wants to help you but simply to keep you pacified so he can continue his stealing in peace and without hindrance. To gauge this, compare their lives before and their lives after taking political office. The better their lives (the more they steal from you) the poorer you become. There is a direct correlation between their theft and your socio-economic condition.Embrace your compatriots in the diaspora without limitations and rediscover our customs and traditions and have a higher degree of reverence for who we are lets realigned the constitution to common sense and see the laws truly enforced without fear or favor. We must revert to who we truly are and lay a new societal foundation where common sense becomes common again.Know that you live in a very rich country and none of you should be living like zogos (vulnerable without hope) in one of the most blessed places on earth! Seize the moment and demand what is truly yours: life, true freedom, and your God-given rights to be happy, self-actualize, and totally dominate all forty-three thousand square miles of our territory, from the skies above to our waters and everything under our feet! You have a fundamental right to be secured in all your glory in your own country, and if your leadership cannot provide that security, youre under a constitutional mandate to immediately replaced such government. You must categorically refuse to be only servants in your own country. We must selfishly guard what is ours and let it benefit us in a way that brings us the joys in this life, not the one after.Your kleptocratic leaders have led you to believe that living on less than two dollars per day is normal in The Digital Age, and you have been convinced that that is the best they can do! Youve been lied to. You live in a country that is one of the richest in the world, yet we die from basic illness, have almost no electricity, and can barely eat a full square meal per day! Imagine in all this darkness and chaos, each of Liberias five million citizens light a candle and shine a spotlight with the combined illumination of us all. We could literally light up the country and eradicate all that is keeping us from developing. Given the resources our country has been endowed with and with the right leader, strict adherence to a modern constitution, aggressive enforcement of the laws, and proper planning, the average Liberian could be living on nothing less than US$30,000 per year in 25 years! This income will continue to rise as we solidify the government institutions that guide the process.All we must do now is to forcefully demand what is rightfully ours with all our might and without equivocation. Always keep this in mind however, all powers to bring about the change we need are vested in us! Exercise those power at your will and pleasure, use your collective common sense and see Liberia transformed right before your very eyes. Ensure common sense always guides your decisions and not superficial, political emotions. Investigators suspect the mass shooting outside the Balcony Bar stemmed from a months-long dispute between one group of people and a rival they targeted as he left the lounge, a New Orleans police source said Saturday. Six people were wounded there Friday night when a motorist sprayed bullets into the crowd, drawing return fire from some customers. One of the wounded customers was identified by the police source as Nairobi Davis, 23, who had been a suspect in an Oct. 6 double homicide and, two months later, survived an attempt on his life. Davis and the other Balcony victims, four women and another man, were struck by bullets in the lower part of the body and taken to a hospital. It was at least the 11th mass shooting in New Orleans in the past 10 years, underscoring how indiscrimate gunfire intended for one person can injury many others. The police source said Davis and some associates were leaving the Balcony, 3201 Magazine St., at about 10:15 p.m. when his rivals, in a vehicle, spotted him and opened fire. Customers said a black car was the origin of about 50 gunshots, clearly intended for one person at the business, and the police source said Davis' associates returned fire. At least two women in the crowd were hit in the leg, and one of the women's bones was sticking out of her leg from the gunshot wound, a bystander said. A Balcony employee said someone used a bar towel to apply pressure to a victim's bullet-torn leg. "They said, 'I never knew blood was so red,'" he recalled. The bar employee, who asked not to be identified, said it had been a typical Friday night crowd, mostly local residents and college students. As the first shots erupted, everyone was a bit confused, he said, recalling how his mind processed the unfolding violence: "Gunshots or fireworks?" he said. "Floor. Friends? OK. Outside. Blood. Lady shot. Belt on leg. Police." Another woman was walking from another bar to the Balcony when she heard gunshots. She said she quickly grabbed her friends, out-of-town visitors who suspected only fireworks, and they all ran the other direction to hide behind a metal trash bin. "I didn't know if they were coming back to finish up the job," she said of the shooters. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Inside the Balcony, customers said they weren't allowed to leave until authorities arrived. Emergency Medical Services took the four women victims, ages 35, 34, 32 and 23, to a hospital. Davis and the other male victim, 27, made it to a hospital on their own. Their conditions were not known Saturday. Once paramedics got the injured off the scene, the Balcony employee said, it was time to pay attention to himself, with a visit to the sink and the bar: "Wash blood off hands. Whiskey times 10," he said. Davis, for a time, was a suspect in the Oct. 6 killings of two construction workers outside a church at Annunciation and General Taylor streets. Two other workers were wounded in an exchange of gunfire with people who ambushed them from a silver pickup truck. Police blamed a tit-for-tat fued between two groups, one of which included Davis, who was wounded in the shoulder. Later, Davis was released on bond, prosecutors dropped the charges against him on March 15, according to court records. On Dec. 26, Davis survived what investigators suspect was an attempt on his life, the police source said. A white or silver pickup truck, one associated with Davis, was seen near the intersection of General De Gaulle Boulevard and Hendee Street in Algiers when somebody opened fire, killing a 7-year-old girl who was riding in another vehicle with her mother and sister. The Police Department asked that anyone with information on the Balcony Bar shooting call 6th District detectives at (504) 658-6060 or call anonymously to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans Inc. at (504) 822-1111. Emma Discher and Gabriella Killett contributed to this report. Officials in three New Orleans area parishes are asking voters to approve new taxes Saturday. Sales taxes for the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office and St. Tammany district attorney's office, and a property tax to expand early childhood education in New Orleans, are the highest-profile measures on the fairly thin ballot. Some Jefferson voters also will decide whether to levy a 25-mill property tax for Fire Protection District No. 5. Elsewhere, there are tax renewals in Jefferson for the School Board, a road lighting district and a fire protection district, bond issues in St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes and a runoff for the 1st District seat on the Kenner City Council. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. See the complete ballot. Voter turnout isnt expected to be particularly high. If you get 15%, I think it would be good, Jefferson Registrar of Voters Dennis DiMarco said. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up DiMarco said Jefferson Sheriff Joe Lopinto III has done a good job of getting voters out to support his tax proposal. And he thinks the public school system employees will come out to support the half-cent sales tax that officials say brings in about $58 million annually. New taxes sought Lopinto is seeking a 7-mill tax that would generate about $28 million annually to fund raises for deputies and other employees and for other purposes. The sheriff has said lagging salaries hamper the agency's ability to recruit and retain employees. The tax would be for 10 years. In St. Tammany Parish, District Attorney Warren Montgomery is asking voters for a new, 1/7th-cent sales tax for 10 years to cover the costs of criminal prosecutions. This is a modified version of a sales tax that St. Tammany voters have shot down four previous times for the DAs office, the courthouse and the parish jail. This money, projected at $7.9 million annually, would be only for the district attorney's office in St. Tammany Parish. In New Orleans, voters are asked to approve a 5-mill tax dedicated to child care and early childhood education. The revenue, estimated at $21.2 million in the first year of the 20-year tax, would help low-income families cover day care costs for children. In Kenner, Dee Dunn and David Weathersby are meeting in a runoff for the 1st District post on the City Council. It is the final council office to be decided in the spring municipal elections. Throughout its long history, the Yazidi community has been subjected to more than 74 genocidal attacks (Farman), in an attempt to strike the roots of the kurds. The Yazidis are considered an ancient component in the Middle East, who were able to preserve a large part of the societal culture in the region, amidst continuous attacks, especially by the Turkish state and its collaborators at the present time from governments of countries and political parties in neighboring countries and regions, including the "Kazemi government, and the Democratic Party Kurdistan PDK". The politician and member of the Yazidi House in the Al-Jazira region - Al-Hasakah branch, Mahmoud Maami says that the history of the Yazidi community is deep-rooted in the Middle East, and it has not been spared the campaigns of extermination. Maami asserts that the Ottomans most exposed the Yazidis to danger and death, and the Turkish state in its current form is completing this within the scheme to eliminate the Kurdish people, with the participation of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. The government of Mustafa Al-Kazemi, with the participation of the KDP, through its army, since last March, has built a wall separating Rojava and Sengal district, in implementation of the Turkish state's agendas. This coincides at a time when the Iraqi army is intensifying its deployment in Shingal district after attacking military points belonging to the district Resistance Units and Asayish Ezidkhan, and with a joint attack launched by the Turkish occupation and the KDP on the legitimate defense areas. He said: in the light of all that is being subjected to the Kurdish regions, led by the Yazidis, calls on the international community to stand in the face of the genocide of the Yazidis, form a committee to protect the rights of the Yazidis in the Middle East, stressing, The exposure of the Yazidi community to massacres and exterminations, will expose all components of Kurdistan to demise, and that the goal of the wall, and attacks on legitimate defense zones in this context." Nalin Rasho, a civil activist in the Yazidi House, mentioned the massacres of the Yazidis, and said: "In 2014, we were massacred by ISIS after the Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK) and the Iraqi army abandoned Shingal." And she continued, "Today, the Kurdistan Democratic Party continues the line of treachery through its participation in the Turkish occupation's conspiracies and its occupation policy and the extermination of the peoples of Kurdistan in general and the Yazidi community in particular." Nalin Rasho called for the protection of the Yazidi community and its ancient culture in the Middle East, stressing, "Eliminating the culture of the Yazidi community means eliminating the identity of the Kurdish people." A ANHA Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the worlds largest aluminium smelter ex-China, today (April 30) set new records in safety as it surpassed 25 million safe working-hours without lost time injury (LTI) for the first time in the history of its commercial operations. This milestone came alongside exceeding 25 million metric tonnes (MT) in overall production since the Company began its operations in 1971, said a statement from Alba. Commenting on the performance, CEO Ali Al Baqali said: "Alba is the author of its own destiny. Achieving 25 million-milestone, in both Safety and Production, allowed us to sign up in history books for our Golden Jubilee of Operations." "Safety and production are mutually inclusive, and these numbers reflect that our strong Safety culture is behind our productivity performance. All our endeavours safety campaigns, hours, visits and lectures embody our belief that Safety comes first, no matter what," stated Al Baqali. "I thank our people, employees and contractors personnel, for going above and beyond to deliver first-class results amidst the Covid-19 crisis," he added. The company marked this occasion with a small celebration at the Oasis Hall attended by companys executives, management and employees from different departments. Air compressor manufacturer Sullair said it has reached carbon neutrality at its Michigan City campus. Its parent company, the Japan-based Hitatchi Group Company, aims to become carbon-neutral company-wide by 2023. The company has been investing in reducing CO2 emissions, including by transitioning to 100% renewable energy and adopting a carbon offset program. "Sustainability is both at the core of our strategy and a driver of our business," said John Randall, president and CEO of Sullair. "Customers and businesses are increasingly making a conscious effort to buy products and services that help promote sustainability, assist the environment, and reduce the impact of climate change. By establishing this long-term climate roadmap and taking immediate action, we aim to fully play our part in the fight against climate change." Sullair aims to upgrade 1,110 fluorescent lights at its factories in Michigan City. They will be switched to high-efficiency LED lighting, reducing CO2 by 350 tons. The company plans to upgrade its 40-year-old HVAC equipment to a new variable refrigerate flow HVAC system that will reduce CO2 by 605 tons each year. It will install 80 pace note devices in Michigan City to monitor each piece of equipment's energy usage. It's also going to use Renewable Energy Credits to power its Michigan City campus with renewable energy sources, such as wind. The company also has committed to offset 28,000 mtCO2e through 2025, or the equivalent of 69,501,756 miles driven by the average car, or the amount sequestered by 189 acres of forest per year. Its carbon credits will reforest about 21,298 hectares as part of the Guanare Forest Plantations on Degraded Grasslands Under Extensive Grazing project in Uruguay. Reforesting land now grazed by beef cattle is expected to reduce CO2 by 127,000 tons per year. Each company has a unique approach to sustainability, and we applaud Sullair for its thoughtful approach and leadership, said Michael Kasbar, chairman and CEO of World Fuel Services Corporation. Our experts at World Kinect developed a tailored carbon offset solution that enables Sullair to make immediate progress towards their long-term sustainability goals. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CROWN POINT A Lake Criminal Court judge sentenced a man Friday to 130 years in prison for waking two teenagers from a sleep in fall 2020 and executing them over a missing handgun. Judge Salvador Vasquez said the lengthy sentence meant Alvino S. "Vino" Amaya, 37, likely will die in prison. "In a case like this, my conscience tells me you deserve all of this," the judge said. "You really do." A jury found Amaya guilty in March of two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of 18-year-old Elijah Robinson and his friend Maxwell Kroll, 17, on Oct. 16, 2020, in the boys' home in the 3900 block of West 51st Avenue in Calumet Township. Both died from gunshots wounds to the head. Vasquez sentenced Amaya to two consecutive 60-year sentences for the murder of each teen, plus another 10 years for a firearm enhancement. "Your character is horrible and violent," Vasquez said. "Through this sentence, there is no chance that you should see any kind of freedom." Amaya's co-defendant, Dawn "Mama D" Carden, 43, pleaded guilty to helping him hide the murder weapon. She could face up to 12 years in prison if Vasquez accepts her plea agreement. Kroll's sister, Jasmine Dunfee, said he was an amazing, smart kid who had a bright future. He and Robinson had been friends since kindergarten and had an unbreakable bond, she said. "I felt like I lost two brothers that day," said Dunfee, who added she and Kroll lost both of their parents. "I've been through a lot of things, but this broke me." Robinson's mother, Brandi Kibler, said her son was a beautiful boy and a good kid. "He was always so sweet and funny," she said. "He was always trying to make people laugh." Kibler said she was such a terrible state of shock after learning of her son's murder, it was difficult to find the words to tell other family members. "When the pain hits, it's unbearable," she said. "The panic attacks never stop. The pain never stops." Robinson's sister, Natalie Robinson, said Elijah Robinson was her best friend. "When I had to call my mother and tell her my brother was dead, that's when I lost all the happiness I ever had," she said. "I will never get that image out of my head." According to testimony at trial, Natalie Robinson found her brother and Kroll dead in a bedroom they shared after going to their home to check on them. Jonathan Robinson, Elijah Robinson's father, said it was difficult to find words to explain how his son's murder affected the family. "He was a caring son, a loving big brother, a great-grandson, a cousin and a friend," Jonathan Robinson said. "Not a day goes by that I don't think about Elijah and all the memories we made," he said. "I would give anything to hear his voice or see him smile again." Elijah Robinson and Kroll are gone all because of a gun, which probably cost only a few hundred dollars, he said. "It's hard to imagine the terror these two boys had to endure," he said. Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Jacquelyn Altpeter said Amaya previously had been convicted of attacking another man as he lay in bed, beating him so severely he suffered several facial fractures. "The defendant clearly executed both boys," she said. "That is a real-life nightmare that both those boys went through." She asked for a sentence of 130 years. Amaya declined to make a statement. Defense attorney Steven Mullins said his job was to protect Amaya's rights and asked Vasquez to appoint an appellate public defender. Several of Amaya's family members attended his sentencing and continued to support him, Mullins said. Mullins asked for a concurrent sentence of 55 years on each murder count, plus five more years for the firearm enhancement. A concurrent sentence was justified because the killings stemmed from the same events, he said. Vasquez said a concurrent sentence would be improper. Amaya served a prison sentence, came out and was convicted of two misdemeanors, and failed at probation, he said. The intent of the criminal justice system is to rehabilitate defendants, but Amaya's prior cases had "absolutely no effect" on his criminal behavior, the judge said. Vasquez said he could find nothing in Amaya's background that warranted any leniency. He granted the defense's request to appoint a public defender for a possible appeal. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Primary Election Day nearly is here! Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday for Northwest Indiana Democrats and Republicans to pick the candidates they want representing their political party on this year's general election ballot. In Lake and LaPorte counties, voters must identify their preferred political party and cast their primary ballot at their local precinct voting site. Voters easily can find their designated polling place by logging into their registration record on IndianaVoters.com. Porter County, on the other hand, has switched to vote centers that allow voters to mark their party's primary ballot at any of the nearly four dozen polling sites in the county. A shared electronic voter check-in system used at all polling places, similar to early voting, ensures no voter casts more than one ballot. Early voting also still is available from 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday in Lake and Porter counties, and from 8 a.m. to noon Monday in LaPorte County. There are 11 early voting sites in Lake County, seven in Porter County and four in LaPorte County. Under Indiana law, both early and Election Day voters are required to show photo identification to obtain a ballot. Individuals also must have registered to vote by April 4 to participate in the primary election. Voters who have any kind of difficulties at the polls should speak with a poll worker before leaving the voting site, or contact their county's elections office. If the problem is not satisfactorily resolved, voters can call the national, nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE to get answers to their voting questions or seek additional assistance. There are plenty of exciting election contests this year on both the Republican and Democratic primary ballots, including a seven-candidate battle for the GOP nomination for a chance to represent Northwest Indiana in the U.S. House. Jennifer-Ruth Green, of Crown Point, and former LaPorte Mayor Blair Milo repeatedly have slugged each other in cable television ads and mailers over who is most conservative, while Mark Leyva, of Highland, who has won the 1st Congressional District's Republican nomination eight times since 2002, is pitching himself as the "anti-establishment" "America First" candidate. Meanwhile, Democrats living in the 1st Indiana Senate District of Highland, Griffith, Dyer, Schererville, St. John and southwestern Merrillville must decide whether to make state Sen. Michael Griffin, D-Highland, their party's nominee, or opt instead for Highland veterans advocate Martin Del Rio to succeed retired state Sen. Frank Mrvan, D-Hammond. A similar choice is facing Democrats living in the 4th Senate District of northern Porter County and northwest LaPorte County. State Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, is competing for a full term in the Senate after succeeding retired state Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, against Deb Chubb, of Michiana Shores, an attorney, activist and member of the Michigan City Schools Board; Todd Connor, of Michigan City, a business owner and veterans entrepreneurship advocate; and Ron Meer, the mayor of Michigan City from 2012 to 2019. Similar intraparty battles for a variety of state, county, township and local offices also are on the Democratic and Republican ballots in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties. In addition, voters in Griffith and Valparaiso will find a ballot question asking whether they favor or oppose increasing local property taxes to maintain school district operations and stave off potential increases in student class sizes. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. VALPARAISO Firefighters continued battling a "pretty devastating" blaze late into the night Friday on Valparaiso University's campus. There had been no major collapses of the Art and Psychology building, 1003 Campus Drive South, as of 9 p.m. However, roof siding began to break off. Valparaiso Fire Department Lt. Robert Schulte said at 9 p.m. he expected the blaze to continue as it approached its fifth full hour from the initial 911 call. Schulte said around 4:30 p.m. someone inside the building reported they smelled smoke but did not see any fire. Sophomore Ethan Decatur said he was walking along the south side of the building when the windows in the north side suddenly exploded. I just heard them break, he said. He checked at the front entrance to make sure everyone was out of the building, he said. Flames were visible from the roof and heavy smoke billowed from the structure. Firefighters arrived to find flames coming from the broken windows along the northeast corner. Crews confirmed nobody was inside and began to attack the fire, finding flames throughout the length of the building in the attic. Due to dangerous conditions, the firefighters were evacuated to douse the fire from the exterior. Schulte said the problem is being compounded by chemicals such as acetylene, acetone, paints, paint thinner and other chemicals inside the building. The windows had been breached so plenty of oxygen was getting in and there were plenty of things for the fire to feed off of, he said. The fire had everything it needed to burn down the building unfortunately. The fire was contained and did not spread to any surrounding structures, Schulte said. Crews wet down other buildings in an effort to prevent them from catching fire throughout the battle, Schulte said. "We have no other details to provide at this time except that we are working closely with local fire departments as they work to extinguish the fire," a spokesperson for Valparaiso University said. "As always, the safety of our students, faculty, and staff is our top priority. We would also like to express our gratitude to the Valparaiso Fire Department and Valparaiso Police Department. Aimee Tomasek, an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Visual Arts, said all of the kilns were removed from the building last year. As Tomasek and others watched, a new plume of black smoke suddenly rose from the building. Jane Lohmeyer, an adjunct instructor in the same department, said no art classes were scheduled in the building Friday. However, the painting studio the room with the broken windows contained students art works, she said. It was all of the stuff they were finishing up this semester, she said. As Lohmeyer, who teaches jewelry making, watched fire burn through the buildings roof, she said she felt pretty devastated. Her students bring their work home, but their tools and Lohmeyers personal equipment was inside, she said. Schulte said there were no injuries and the cause of the fire will be investigated by Valparaiso Fire Department and the Indiana State Fire Marshal. Valparaiso Fire Department was aided by firefighters from Chesterton, Morgan Township, Washington Township, Union Township, in addition to Valparaiso Police Department and Valparaiso University police. Check back at nwi.com as the story develops. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Anna Ortiz Night Crime/Breaking News Reporter Anna Ortiz is the breaking news/crime reporter for The Times, covering crime, politics, courts and investigative news. She is a graduate of Ball State University with a major in journalism and minor in anthropology. 219-933-4194, anna.ortiz@nwi.com Follow Anna Ortiz 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 Family dogs match their movements to those of the children they live with, according to a poignant new study of young people and their pets. In the study, pet dogs moved when their accompanying children did and remained still when they stopped, a physical synchrony that often signals emotional bonding. The family canines also tended to stay close by and to orient themselves in the same directions as the kids, a further indication of social engagement and attentiveness that could have implications for the emotional development of both dogs and youngsters, as well as for the safety of the interactions between them. The results add to the growing evidence that how people and other creatures move depends to a surprising extent on who they are with, and that social connections can be shaped and strengthened by shared activity. The findings also raise practical questions about how children and dogs can best learn to read each others body language, and how family pets might help to encourage children to move more or best serve as a source of emotional support. The idea that being around others influences how we move is not new. Past research shows that romantic couples tend unconsciously to synchronize their walking pace to a much greater extent than strangers do and that men often speed up when walking with other men, even if the new pace is not physiologically comfortable for them. In the same way, moving together seems to build familiarity, even if it did not exist before. People who take up dancing together, for instance, often express greater closeness and cohesion afterward. Moving in tandem seems to generate intangible, intimate bonds. What makes Anais run and run? Thats the question slyly teased in Anais in Love, a French romance about a womans winding voyage toward self-discovery. Much like Anais herself, the contours of that journey at first seem transparently obvious: Shes young, self-absorbed, exceedingly restless, and she just needs to get her act together. Yet while all this frenetic motion can seem mildly charming (just like her), it can also be exasperating (also like her), which makes Anais and this movie more intriguing than they initially appear. The first time you see the fast-moving Anais (Anais Demoustier in a mercurial, full-bodied performance), shes a colorful blur sprinting toward her Paris apartment, the camera and soundtrack racing with her. A grad student, Anais is behind in the rent and rushing to meet her landlord. She has an explanation, of course, and, as her bewildered landlord encourages her to pay up, Anais scurries about the flat, detailing her problems, changing her clothes and installing a fire alarm, a portend of conflagrations to come. Words fly as does Anais, who within minutes has dashed out, having tested the patience of landlord and viewer alike. The writer-director Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet, making her feature debut, handles the opener with economy, confidence, light comedy and a feel for choreographed chaos. Even so, as Anais continued to sprint and scurry, I crankily scribbled in my notes that the filmmaker was testing our patience with this chick. I was right, though not exactly. What took a while to grasp is that it isnt necessary to like Anais. Whats crucial is that you stick with her, that you listen to what she says and doesnt say, that you look beneath the skittishness to get a handle on what drives this woman that you see her for who she is. Anais in Love seems straightforward. It looks clear and bright, and moves as briskly as its protagonist, with the editing and lively music doing more conspicuous work than the discreet cinematography. Bourgeois-Tacquet is working within an early 21st-century realist Euro-art-film idiom, and the world she creates is familiar, precise and attractive. There isnt a point or plot, or so it seems, just loosely strung together scenes in which Anais zips here and there, visiting people and places. As she does, Anais emerges piecemeal in conversations and in her good and bad choices, a fragmentation that encourages you to fit the whirring parts together. A man looks at cardboard gravestones with the names of victims of opioid abuse outside the courthouse where the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy took place in White Plains, N.Y., in 2021. Their plans were bold, with no room for devastation. They would leave their hometown and journey 6,500 miles to New York City together and take jobs, any kind, that allowed them to send money back to family. Eventually, they would return to enjoy grandchildren whose college funds they had helped provide, whose futures would burn bright. GuiYing Ma and her husband, Zhanxin Gao, had ventured out of their city of Fushun, in northeastern China, only a handful of times. But in 2017, the couple, at 56 years old, decided to apply for visas in hopes of making the kind of money that was out of their reach in China. They went on to build a modest life of service in New York until a shocking attack tore them apart. Written by Dana Goldstein and Stephanie Saul | Narrated by Dana Goldstein Then as I made more money and more friends, I graduated to renting in Palm Springs, then to Provincetown on the very tip of Cape Cod and finally to the most exclusive: Fire Island Pines, the out-of-the-way vacation spot on Long Island. These places are regarded as aspirational for many L.G.B.T.Q. people not only because they are beautiful, but because there are so few places in the world where you can just let your hair down and be yourself. So, when the world turned upside down and everything seemed to no longer make sense, I escaped to Fire Island to hide. As I was running down the wooden walkways of the Pines, I passed Black Lives Matter signs and began to feel the heat inside me grow. A question kept rattling inside my head Id never really considered before: If these places love Black people so much, why do none of us live here? Fire Island isnt a big place. There about 650 homes and about 300 residents year-round in the Pines, meaning an entire apartment building in New York City could house the community that lives there. Next door is Cherry Grove, a smaller and more economically accessible area of the island that is known to have more women. Fire Island is in Suffolk County, where Black residents make up less than 9 percent of the population. So exactly how many Black people own homes there? I didnt know too many people of color at all, Alejandro Varela, 42, author of The Town of Babylon, said of other homeowners who are of color. I didnt even feel comfortable asking. He wanted a lot and he gave a lot, said Mr. Nunn, who recalled Mr. Talleys 2 a.m. phone calls and utterly blunt questions. Among them: When are you getting married? Do you have any baby mamas? By being, as Ms. Wintour put it, impeccably self-created, it was sometimes easy to lose sight of his serious scholarship. Numerous speakers recalled his extraordinary grasp of world history, his encyclopedic knowledge of fashion, and the boom of him speaking in absolutely perfect French. (He got his undergraduate degree in French literature from North Carolina Central University, then got a masters in it at Brown.) Starting with Diana Vreeland, whom he apprenticed for at the Costume Institute, Mr. Talley was always helping a diva, yet he remained one himself. He was great at playing the victim when he didnt get what he wanted and turned out to be enormously resilient if he didnt get it. Not for nothing did Naomi Campbell say in her speech that what she really learned from Mr. Talley was how to pick up the phone and get what I wanted. He was also the sort of friend, said Marc Jacobs, whose approval and validation were sought out. There were costs involved with being the only one. Mr. Talleys romantic life became nearly nonexistent, blunted perhaps by an outsize devotion to frocks and the very real threat of AIDS, and he turned increasingly to food. I was always someone who was kicking to be healthy, and he was always someone who was kicking to eat, said Bethann Hardison, another speaker. Serious health complications ensued. LONDON Theres mighty, and then theres Mark Rylance in Jerusalem, a performance so powerfully connected to its part that it feels almost superhuman. Thats as it should be for a play about a larger-than-life character named Johnny Byron, who demands an entirely fearless actor, and has one in Rylance. None of this will surprise those familiar with this play by Jez Butterworth, which premiered with Rylance in the lead role at the Royal Court here in 2009; two years later, it transferred to Broadway and won Rylance the second of three Tony Awards. In a thrilling revival that opened Thursday at the Apollo Theater (running through Aug. 7), everything feels enriched by time. Now 62, Rylance is considerably older than a man described in the text as about 50. But such is this actors boundless energy and enthusiasm that you can imagine him returning to the role again and again: Johnny defies all conventions, including those of age, and so does a wildly versatile actor who approaches this societal rebel as a kindred spirit. The creative team, headed by Ian Rickson, the most empathic of directors, is the same as it was in 2009. To this runs credit, it is no museum piece coasting on past kudos, but a vital experience with a revitalizing effect. Standing ovations are commonplace here these days, but the one at Wednesdays final preview possessed a singular fervor that had Rylance jumping up and down with childlike glee at the curtain call. The woman said that Mr. von Ehlinger had put his hand between her legs, and she closed her legs, shortly before she cut her testimony short, the newspaper reported. Because Mr. von Ehlingers lawyer could not cross-examine her, Judge Michael Reardon told the jury to strike her testimony. I cant do this, the woman said as she walked out. After the verdict was read on Friday, deputies handcuffed Mr. von Ehlinger and escorted him from the courtroom. The woman, who testified before Idahos House Ethics and Policy Committee in April 2021, told the House assistant sergeant-at-arms on March 11 that Mr. von Ehlinger had sexually assaulted her after they had dinner at a Boise restaurant two days earlier, according to one of her lawyers. Instead of taking her back to her car, the lawyer said, Mr. von Ehlinger, who is from Lewiston, drove her back to his apartment and raped her. Jon Cox, a lawyer for Mr. von Ehlinger, who has denied the allegations, did not immediately respond to an email and phone message on Friday. During his opening statement on Tuesday, Mr. Cox characterized the episode as a consensual encounter between two people who did not have a working relationship; the woman had interned for another lawmaker. Erika Birch, a lawyer for the woman, could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday. In November, a Republican Idaho lawmaker who had shared the personal information of the woman online after she accused Mr. von Ehlinger was formally censured by the states House of Representatives. Our entire family is simply distraught, and we have no idea how to continue, the posting said. A Ukrainian Defense Ministry official said on Friday that three foreigners an American, a Briton and a Dane had been killed fighting for the Ukrainian Armys International Legion. The official did not provide their names for the record and asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak about them publicly. Any foreigners fighting for that branch of the army are effectively part of Ukraines military because they receive government salaries and are required to sign contracts. Mr. Cancels mother, Rebecca Cabrera, told CNN that he was working with a private military contracting company, but on Friday, his uncle said the family did not know the name of the company and had not been contacted by any contractor after his death. According to the Marine Corps, Willy Joseph Cancel Jr. spent nearly four years in the Marine Corps and received a bad conduct discharge, leaving the service as a private in November after serving time in the brig for an undisclosed criminal offense. The State Department said on Friday that it was aware of the reports of Mr. Cancels death and would provide consular assistance to his family. Out of respect to the family during this very difficult time, we dont have anything further to announce, said Jalina Porter, a department spokeswoman. We also do want to reiterate that U.S. citizens should not travel to Ukraine during this active armed conflict. It is a very dangerous situation, she added, saying that U.S. citizens in Ukraine were being singled out by Russian government security officials, and that U.S. citizens in Ukraine should depart immediately, if it is safe to do so using commercial or privately available ground transportation options. Despite dire conditions at the Azovstal steel plant, the Ukrainian militarys last foothold in the key port city of Mariupol, civilians continue to arrive seeking shelter from Russias offensive, according to fighters there. Maj. Serhiy Volyna, the acting commander of a Ukrainian Marine unit defending the plant, told The New York Times in a telephone interview on Friday that there were few places left in the city for residents to flee. There are various shelters that were used by civilians which have been destroyed, he said. These people come to us. Russia views capturing Mariupol as crucial to its aim of securing a land bridge along Ukraines south to connect Crimea to the Donbas, and its forces have been shelling the plant relentlessly. The plant has become the last refuge for thousands of trapped Ukrainian fighters and civilians. Efforts to establish safe evacuation corridors have been repeatedly foiled by Russias continued shelling, and there is little food left inside. Its been two years since Normal People, the series adapted from Sally Rooneys novel of the same name, debuted on Hulu. Depending on how warped your perception of time is lately, that may feel like it was just last week. Or perhaps the experience of watching the show glimmers in your memory like a relic from another lifetime. Im of the persuasion that its been just long enough that Im ready for another Rooney adaptation, so Ive been eagerly anticipating Conversations With Friends, which arrives on May 15. If that seems far away, you can indulge any hankering for drama this weekend with the first episode of the four-part Masterpiece: Ridley Road, about a Jewish hairdresser who infiltrates a neo-Nazi group in 1960s London. Or skip the drama and try Showtimes I Love That For You, starring Saturday Night Live alums Vanessa Bayer and Molly Shannon as hosts on a home shopping network. The second season of the comedy series Ziwe premieres this weekend on Showtime as well. Continuing in the comedy vein, Mike Myers plays multiple characters in the Netflix limited series The Pentaverate, a spinoff of his 1993 film So I Married an Axe Murderer, premiering Thursday (May 5, naturally). It also stars Keegan-Michael Key, Ken Jeong, Debi Mazar and Jennifer Saunders. And Hacks is back for Season 2 on HBO Max on May 12. (More grist for those of us marveling at the elastic nature of pandemic time: Hacks debuted a year ago.) The absorbing documentary series The Staircase, about the writer Michael Petersons trial in his wifes death, is getting the dramatization treatment on HBO Max starting Thursday. Colin Firth and Toni Collette play the couple, but Im most interested to see Parker Posey portray the prosecutor Freda Black, who was an outsized character in the documentary. Candy, another true-crime tale, starring Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey, arrives on Hulu on May 9. In a speech last week, Janet L. Yellen, the Treasury secretary, said the pandemic and the war had revealed that American supply chains, while efficient, were neither secure nor resilient. While cautioning against a fully protectionist direction, she said the United States should work to reorient its trade relationships toward a large group of trusted partners, even if it meant somewhat higher costs for businesses and consumers. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director general of the World Trade Organization, said in a speech on Wednesday that the war had justifiably added to questions about economic interdependence. But she urged countries not to draw the wrong conclusions about the global trading system, saying it had helped drive global growth and provided countries with important goods even during the pandemic. While it is true that global supply chains can be prone to disruptions, trade is also a source of resilience, she said. The W.T.O. has argued against export bans since the early days of the pandemic, when countries including the United States began throwing up restrictions on exporting masks and medical goods and removed them only gradually. Now, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered a similar wave of bans focused on food. Its like deja vu all over again, Mr. Evenett said. Protectionist measures have cascaded from country to country in a manner that is particularly evident when it comes to wheat. Russia and Ukraine export more than a quarter of the worlds wheat, feeding billions of people in the form of bread, pasta and packaged foods. Mr. Evenett said the current wave of trade barriers on wheat had begun as the wars protagonists, Russia and Belarus, clamped down on exports. The countries that lie along a major trading route for Ukrainian wheat, including Moldova, Serbia and Hungary, then began restricting their wheat exports. Finally, major importers with food security concerns, like Lebanon, Algeria and Egypt, put their own bans into effect. The Rev. Kyunglim Shin Lee, vice president for International Relations at the Wesley Theological Seminary, poses for a portrait in the chapel at the Seminary in Washington. The cross-contamination incident is unacceptable, he said, period. About 60 million additional doses were found to be contaminated in June. Fuad El-Hibri was born on March 2, 1958, in Hildesheim, Germany, the son of Elizabeth (Trunk) El-Hibri, a homemaker, and Ibrahim El-Hibri, an engineer and entrepreneur. He grew up in Lebanon and Germany and graduated from Stanford University in 1980 with a degree in economics. He received a masters degree in public and private management from the Yale School of Management in 1982. Mr. El-Hibri began his career with Citicorp in Saudi Arabia and later worked for the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton in Indonesia. After returning to the United States, he started a business that helped national telecom companies upgrade their networks in Russia, Venezuela and El Salvador. In the 1990s, he advised the Saudi Arabian government on its efforts to buy millions of doses of an anthrax vaccine. That experience seeded the idea for what became Emergent BioSolutions. He co-founded the company, originally called BioPort, in 1998. He and his partners, including William J. Crowe, a former admiral, soon won a bid to buy a disused government laboratory in Lansing, Mich., and upgrade it to produce anthrax vaccines for the U.S. military. The company changed its name to Emergent BioSolutions in 2004. It went public in 2006. Night after night on Fox, Tucker Carlson weaponizes his viewers fears and grievances to create what may be the most racist show in the history of cable news. It is also, by some measures, the most successful. With singular influence reaching far beyond Fox and the viewers who tune in to his show Mr. Carlson has filled the vacuum left by Donald J. Trump, championing the former presidents most ardent followers and some of their most extreme views. As fervently as he has raced to the defense of the Jan. 6 rioters, so has he sown doubt and suspicion around immigrants, Black Lives Matter protesters or Covid-19 vaccines. A New York Times examination of Mr. Carlsons career, including interviews with dozens of friends and former colleagues, and an analysis of more than 1,100 episodes of his Fox program, shows how he has grown increasingly sympathetic to the nativist currents coursing through U.S. politics, and how intertwined his rise has been with the transformations of his network and of American conservatism. Here are some key takeaways from American Nationalist, The Timess three-part series on Mr. Carlson. Years of talking points from the far-right fringe Last spring, Mr. Carlson caused an uproar when he promoted on air the notion of the great replacement a racist conspiracy theory, once relegated to the far-right fringe, that Western elites are importing obedient immigrant voters to disempower the native-born. The Anti-Defamation League called for his firing, noting that such thinking had helped fuel a string of terrorist attacks. Connecticut lawmakers approved a bill late Friday night that takes direct aim at states that have passed aggressive anti-abortion laws as the country prepares for a Supreme Court ruling this summer that could weaken or overturn the constitutional right to abortion enshrined in Roe v. Wade. The Connecticut bill, which Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, has said he intends to sign, would expand the field of people who can perform certain types of abortions beyond doctors, to include nurse-midwives, physician assistants and other medical professionals. And in what lawmakers said could be a model for other states seeking to safeguard abortion rights, the law would also shield abortion providers and patients from lawsuits initiated by states that have banned or plan to ban abortion, even outside their own borders. The law would protect a provider in Connecticut who administers an abortion that is legal in the state to a resident of a different state where the procedure is illegal, by prohibiting Connecticut authorities from cooperating with investigative requests or extradition orders from the patients home state. The law would also allow people who are sued over their role in providing an abortion to countersue in Connecticut court, and to recoup legal fees and other costs if they win. To the Editor: Re How to Make Sense of the New L.G.B.T.Q. Culture War, by Ross Douthat (column, Sunday Review, April 17): Im sure there are instances of kids for whom their trans status may be a phase or motivated by external forces. But there are many well-documented instances where from an early age the kid knows theyve been misgendered. I am awed by the bravery of their parents, especially those from very conservative backgrounds, who have sacrificed so much out of the love only parents can have to help save their kids, as, notably, the conservative governor of Utah eloquently recognized in denouncing an anti-transgender bill. We must not allow these most vulnerable among us to become collateral damage to anyones culture wars from the left or the right. Accepting being trans for these kids and their families is never a default, go-to position. It is traumatic and really hard and they wish it on no one. These kids and their fiercely protective parents want no part of these culture wars. They only want to survive and to hope for a future. Helping ensure this is about limiting government interference and respecting the family. Michael Klein Darien, Conn. To the Editor: I do not usually agree with Ross Douthat, but I applaud his recent measured article on the L.G.B.T.Q. culture war. As a feminist, a progressive and a longtime Democrat, I despair about the recent trends in the transgender rights movement, primarily for two reasons. Twitters board had reached the end of the road. It was April 24. Ten days earlier, Elon Musk, the worlds richest man, had made an unsolicited bid to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share. Alarmed by the out-of-the-blue proposal and uncertain if the offer was for real, the social media company had adopted a poison pill, a defensive maneuver to stop Mr. Musk from accumulating more of its shares. But by that Sunday, Twitter was running out of choices. Mr. Musk had lined up financing for his offer and was needling the company with his tweets. And after hours of discussions and reviewing Twitters plans and finances, the questions the 11 board members were wrestling with could the company be worth more than $54.20 a share? would any other bidder emerge? were all leading to one dissatisfying answer: No. Less than 24 hours later, the blockbuster $44 billion deal was announced. What Ill tell you is that based on the analysis and the perception of risk, certainty and value, the board unanimously decided the offer from Elon represented the best value for our shareholders, Bret Taylor, Twitters chairman, told the companys more than 7,000 employees on Monday in a call that The New York Times listened to. A central mystery of Mr. Musks acquisition of Twitter is how the companys board went from installing a poison pill to agreeing to sell to him in just 11 days. In most megadeals, the adoption of a poison pill leads to a protracted fight. The tactic is a clear signal that a company intends to battle. Negotiations then drag out. Sometimes buyers walk away. The Army Corps of Engineers found the first cannon in February 2021, as it worked on a $973 million project to deepen a 40-mile stretch of the Savannah River. The engineers had to temporarily stop dredging after they found the first three cannons, and they brought in sonar equipment and divers to search for and recover the others buried under the sediment. Conditions did not cooperate. Divers worked with little to no visibility in the river water, and sonar failed to detect the last of the cannons which were found only after dredging resumed this year. To date the cannons, researchers considered their size and looked at structural details such as the placement of trunnions and bolts, hoping to figure out where they were made and compare them to existing weapons records. Ms. Farmer said that they initially thought the first cannon might have been from a sunken Civil War ship, the C.S.S. Georgia. That seemed less likely after the two other cannons were found, because the corps had already done an extensive excavation of that wreck. Researchers who examined the cannons later confirmed that the guns were not from that ship. Ms. Farmer said at least four of the cannons were 70 inches long and were more than likely manufactured in France. The other 15 are about 60 inches long and were built for heavy use, but researchers have not been able to find similar cannons in any historical records. This story is very much still developing, there is still a lot to learn from the artifacts and through the conservation process, Ms. Farmer said. For now, the cannons are sitting in troughs lined with plastic and filled with fresh water, to better preserve them until they are sent to a conservation lab. Unexploded ordinance technicians have also confirmed that the cannons are not a safety concern, though the water baths provide an extra layer of protection. A Michigan man accused of attempting to intimidate Black Lives Matter supporters by leaving nooses and threatening notes in his community and making racist threats in phone calls has been charged with hate crimes, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday. The man, Kenneth Pilon, 61, faces six counts of interfering with federally protected activities after racist notes were found in Saginaw, Mich., and racist calls were made to Starbucks stores in the summer of 2020, prosecutors said in court filings in the U.S. Eastern District of Michigan. The threats described by prosecutors targeted people who wore T-shirts promoting Black Lives Matter, the racial justice movement that saw a surge in support after George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. Mr. Pilons lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday. Prosecutors said that between late June and mid-July 2020, Mr. Pilon left five nooses with handwritten notes that said, An accessory to be worn with your BLM T-shirt. Happy Protesting! They were left in parking lots, inside a vehicle and in a beverage cooler inside a 7-Eleven, prosecutors said. Though Officer White and Mr. White have the same surname, they are not related, officials said. The authorities said they were investigating whether there had ever been a relationship between the two. On Sunday, Sheriff Singleton described an apparently contradictory set of circumstances: Officer White, he said, almost certainly helped Mr. White escape, yet she had been one of the most respected and senior figures at the jail. On Friday morning, she told the booking officer that she would take Mr. White to his appointment and then seek medical assistance for herself because she was feeling ill, the sheriff said. But Officer White did not go to a medical appointment either. It was all bogus, Sheriff Singleton said. That leads us to believe that she was involved. Mr. White, who was charged with two counts of capital murder in 2020 for a murder-for-hire slaying, should have had two deputies with him at all times, the sheriff said. That includes during transportation to the courthouse, which was a three-minute drive away. She was alone, which was a strict violation of policy, he said on Friday. Officer Whites duties included scheduling the transportation of inmates to appear in court and arranging for them to be escorted by armed deputies in other words, her job was to implement the policy that she apparently violated. A second woman has publicly accused Charles W. Herbster, the Republican candidate for governor in Nebraska endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump, of groping her at a 2019 Republican fund-raising dinner. Elizabeth Todsen said Mr. Herbster grabbed her at the dinner in Omaha and said details of the incident reported earlier this month by the Nebraska Examiner were correct. For years I have struggled with an experience I had with Charles W. Herbster, she said in a statement issued by her lawyer. At a political event in 2019, Herbster sexually groped me while greeting my table. The allegations against Mr. Herbster, a millionaire agribusiness executive who is largely self-funding his campaign, have roiled the often polite world of Nebraska politics ahead of the states May 10 primary. The longtime Trump ally has adopted the former presidents playbook in responding to the allegations, forcefully denying them, suing his first public accuser, a state senator, and tying her to his political rivals. These young people do not qualify for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Created by executive action during the Obama administration, the DACA program protects from deportation about 650,000 youths, or Dreamers, who were brought into the United States and have remained without legal status. Because the program requires applicants to be undocumented, it does not offer those with legal status a way to stay. A comprehensive immigration overhaul is highly unlikely to pass a deadlocked Congress in a midterm election year. The Biden administration has been under increasing pressure as a Trump-era public health order, known as Title 42, is set to be lifted in late May, a move that is expected to create a surge of migration across the southwestern border. A bipartisan group of senators restarted immigration discussions on Thursday to try to identify stand-alone proposals that would have the support of both parties. When asked on Thursday whether the administration which is updating DACA was considering extending protections to documented youths, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, told the House Judiciary Committee that the department did not plan to do so. Its focus was to fortify the existing DACA program and shift responsibility for documented youths to Congress, he said, adding that their situation spoke to the imperative to pass immigration reform. In interviews, more than a dozen people who lived in the United States on temporary visas from a young age described their struggles with anxiety and the financial burden of navigating how to remain in the country they considered home. They are urging the Biden administration, if it will not provide a path to citizenship, to offer a way for them to legally remain in the country. Mr. Ganesans son, Niranjan Barathimohan, is able to stay in the United States until November only because immigration officials extended his dependent visa. Mr. Barathimohan, a student at the University of Texas at Dallas, will have to go to Singapore, where he was born, to apply for a student visa that will allow him to return and finish his degree. COLUMBUS, Ohio Republicans running for the seat of Ohios retiring senator, Rob Portman, appear determined to bury the soft-spoken country-club bonhomie that was once a hallmark of the party in this state, and replace it with the pugilistic brand of conservatism owned by Donald J. Trump and now amplified by the new band of Buckeye bomb throwers. The race descended into a brutal slugfest as the leading candidates, the author-turned-venture capitalist J.D. Vance, the former state treasurer Josh Mandel and a self-funded businessman, Mike Gibbons, entered the final weekend before Tuesdays primaries accusing one another of being insufficiently right-wing or disloyal to the man in Mar-a-Lago. Ohio used to be known for the quiet conservatism of the states celebrated former senator George Voinovich and its current governor, Mike DeWine; for the Merlot-swilling happy-warrior days of the former House speaker John A. Boehner; for the moderation of John Kasich, a two-term governor; and for the free-trade, free-market ideology of Mr. Portman himself. Instead, affections for such Ohio leaders are now being weaponized in broadsides from the candidates and advertisements by their allies as evidence that rivals are paying only lip service to Mr. Trump and his angry populism. Already, the governor has mobilized thousands of National Guard troops to sit at border posts, and ordered safety inspections of trucks coming from Mexico, disrupting international trade. He has overseen construction of 20 miles of new border fencing, repurposed certain state prisons to hold migrants charged with trespassing, poured money into border towns for law enforcement and paid for buses to take willing migrants from Texas to Washington, D.C. The Biden administration has been dismissive of Mr. Abbotts actions on the border, at times calling them a political stunt, and has not taken steps to intervene, despite calls from Texas Democrats to do so. Any attempt by Texas to enforce federal immigration laws would almost certainly end up in court. Even as Mr. Abbott has directed more than $3 billion to border security, and approved an additional $500 million on Friday, he has little to show for it beyond drug seizures and arrest figures. The overlapping state actions have not held back the rush of arrivals. Federal agents recorded nearly 129,000 crossings into Texas in March, about 11,000 more than during the same month last year, when Mr. Abbott began the effort known as Operation Lone Star. The biggest increase occurred in an area of the border that includes Eagle Pass, a sun-faded city of 28,000 people, numerous stray cats and dogs and few resources to spare. Costs have been mounting. Just maintaining the National Guard deployment through the summer will require another $531 million, state officials said this month. A 22-year-old soldier assigned to the mission drowned last week while attempting to rescue two migrants in swift water. And now officials in Texas are bracing for an even larger influx of migrants, who are expected to come when the Biden administration ends a pandemic policy of turning back many asylum seekers under the public health rule known as Title 42. In fact, according to Maines Labor Department, Lewistons unemployment rate has generally tracked that of the rest of the state, and the city has experienced neither a significant drop nor a surge in economic growth since the first Somalis arrived. And economists broadly reject Mr. Carlsons central argument that immigration to the United States drives down wages for low-skilled workers nationwide, as he said in a 2019 segment. As one review of the relevant literature put it, Decades of research have provided little support for the claim that immigrants depress wages by competing with native workers. Immigrants compete for jobs but also help generate new ones, not only by raising demand for goods and services but also by helping fill out workplaces as they expand to hire native-born workers with different skills. While some studies have found that earlier waves of low-skill immigration may have had short-term impacts on the wages of one relatively small group high school dropouts other studies have found small to zero effects, as a landmark analysis by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine stated in 2017. But as televised theater, the formula works. Mr. Carlson reliably draws more than three million viewers. When he defended the idea of demographic replacement on a different Fox show in April, the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights group, called for his firing, noting that the same concept had helped fuel a string of terrorist attacks, including the 2018 mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. But when Mr. Carlson ran a clip of his comments on his own prime-time show a few days later, according to Nielsen data, the segment got 14 percent more viewers in the advertiser-sweet demo of 24- to 54-year-olds than Mr. Carlsons average for the year. Every cable network cares about ratings, but none more so than Fox, whose post-Ailes slogan stresses neither fairness nor balance but sheer audience dominance: Most Watched, Most Trusted. And at Fox, according to former employees, no host scrutinizes his ratings more closely than Mr. Carlson. He learned how to succeed on television, in part, by failing there. Unhumble Beginnings The talk-show host who rails against immigrants and the tech barons of a new Gilded Age is himself the descendant of a German immigrant who became one of the great ranching barons of the old Gilded Age. Henry Miller landed in New York in 1850 and built a successful butcher business in San Francisco; along with a partner, he went on to assemble a land empire spanning three states. They obtained some parcels simply by bribing government officials. Others were wrung from cash-poor Mexican Californians who, following the Mexican-American War, now lived in a newly expanded United States and couldnt afford to defend their old Mexican land grants in court against speculators like Mr. Carlsons ancestor. Through the early 20th century, Mr. Millers land and cattle empire was utterly dependent on immigrant labor, said David Igler, a historian at the University of California, Irvine, and author of a history of the Miller empire. Over the years, the Miller fortune dispersed, as great fortunes often do, into a fractious array of family branches. Mr. Carlsons mother, Lisa McNear Lombardi, was born to a third-generation Miller heiress, debuted in San Francisco society and met Richard Carlson, a successful local television journalist, in the 1960s. They eloped to Reno, Nev., in 1967; Tucker McNear Carlson was born two years later, followed by his brother, Buckley. The family moved to the Los Angeles area, where Richard Carlson took a job at the local ABC affiliate, but the Carlsons marriage grew rocky and the station fired him a few years later. In early 1976, he moved to San Diego to take a new television job. The boys went with him according to court records, their parents had agreed it would be temporary and commuted to Los Angeles on weekends while he and Lisa tried to work out their differences. But a few months later, just days after the boys returned from a Hawaii vacation with their mother, Richard began divorce proceedings and sought full custody of the children. In court filings, Lisa Carlson claimed he had blindsided her and left her virtually penniless. The couple separated and began fighting over custody and spousal support. Mr. Carlson alleged that his wife had repeated difficulties with abuse of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and amphetamines, and that he had grown concerned about both her mental state and her treatment of the boys. On at least one occasion, he asserted, the boys had walked off the plane in San Diego without shoes; the mothers own family members, he said, had urged him not to let her see the children unsupervised. He won custody when Tucker was 8, at a hearing Lisa did not attend: According to court records, she had left the country. She eventually settled in France, never to see her sons again. A few years later, Richard Carlson married Patricia Swanson, an heiress to the frozen-food fortune, who adopted both boys. For many years, Tucker Carlson was tight-lipped about the rupture. In a New Yorker profile in 2017, not long after his show debuted, he described his mothers departure as a totally bizarre situation which I never talk about, because it was actually not really part of my life at all. But as controversy and criticism engulfed his show, Mr. Carlson began to describe his early life in darker tones, painting the California of his youth as a countercultural dystopia and his mother as abusive and erratic. In 2019, speaking on a podcast with the right-leaning comedian Adam Carolla, Mr. Carlson said his mother had forced drugs on her children. She was like, doing real drugs around us when we were little, and getting us to do it, and just like being a nut case, Mr. Carlson said. By his account, his mother made clear to her two young sons that she had little affection for them. When you realize your own mother doesnt like you, when she says that, its like, oh gosh, he told Mr. Carolla, adding that he felt all kinds of rage about it. MANDATAH VILLAGE, Afghanistan It was nearly 3 a.m. in the mountainous borderlands of eastern Afghanistan when a deafening thud jolted Qudratullah awake. Confused, he staggered to the doorway of his mud brick home, looked outside and froze. Thick plumes of black smoke and dust filled the air. The front of the modest house where his relatives lived was a pile of rubble. His 3-year-old nephew stood in the yard, sobbing. Behind him, four more children were sprawled across the pale earth, their lifeless frames soaked in blood. Qudratullah ran toward them, he said. Then another blast struck. His village, Mandatah, was one of four in eastern Afghanistan hit this month by Pakistani airstrikes, Afghan officials said, killing at least 45 people, including 20 children. Among them were 27 of Qudratullahs relatives an almost incomprehensible loss. Qudratullah, 18, who like many in Afghanistan goes by only one name, lost his 16-year-old wife, who was crushed beneath a pile of rubble in the second airstrike. His older brother, who survived, lost all four of his daughters, all under 11. The plan for the renovation is in advanced stages, Chief Daniels said, though negotiations are still underway for additional funding of about 30 million Canadian dollars. The often ill-defined concept of land back has become the focus of a lot of Indigenous people in recent years. Many Indigenous people define it as when governments return land or crown land, as it is commonly called to the First Nations and other Indigenous groups. Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, the acting head of the department of Indigenous studies at the University of Manitoba, said that the Bay project would not truly qualify as land back unless the federal government formally recognized the store as an urban reserve, or sovereign Indigenous territory. But he nevertheless praised the project, known as Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn, which he has not been involved in. Its a fantastic initiative, he said. People should be very proud. Professor Sinclair said that the project would benefit more than just Indigenous people, arguing that it would also be a boon to Winnipeg and its struggling downtown. Indigenous peoples will be reoccupying a space that is of important historical value to us, he told me, but they will also be cleaning up a mess that a big company left behind. First the coronavirus, then the war. Just as the pandemic caused shortages of essential items, Russias invasion of Ukraine has disrupted important food supplies, driving up prices of staples like cooking oil in supermarkets around the world. Before the war, Ukraine was the worlds largest exporter of sunflower oil. The conflict has now paralyzed harvests and left many nations with limited stocks of edible oil and soaring prices for whats left worsening a food crisis in East Africa and leading to export restrictions in Indonesia. Some shoppers, most recently in Britain, are being limited in their purchases of cooking oils, as supermarkets and restaurants adjust to the climbing costs. Supply chains, already disrupted by Covid-19, have been further complicated by the war in Ukraine, which is causing shortages in some ingredients like sunflower oil and raising the price of substitute ingredients, said Kate Halliwell, the chief scientific officer of the Food and Drink Federation, which represents Britains largest manufacturing sector. Manufacturers are doing all they can to keep costs down, but inevitably some will have to be passed to consumers, she said. Russia is calling in troops based in its far east to join the battle in Ukraine, the Ukrainian military high command said on Saturday, as Moscow seeks to reinforce its war-fighting force amid heavy losses and signs that its drive to seize eastern Ukraine has stalled. Adding to the sense that both sides appeared to be girding for a war of attrition, Ukrainians on Saturday lined up at gas stations across the country as the government struggled to deal with a fuel shortage caused by Russian attacks on oil infrastructure. Queues and rising prices at gas stations are seen in many regions of our country, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said Friday in his nightly address. The occupiers are deliberately destroying the infrastructure for the production, supply and storage of fuel. He said a Russian blockade of Ukrainian seaports meant that replacement stocks could not come in by tanker. The war has also paralyzed grain harvests in Ukraine, known as Europes breadbasket, disrupting global food supplies and worsening a food crisis in East Africa. CARRICKFERGUS, Northern Ireland The sun was setting over the tidy, red brick homes in a Protestant neighborhood outside Belfast when two candidates for Northern Irelands legislature came to knock on doors on a recent evening. It might as well have been setting on the pro-unionist dreams of the residents. Its changed times now, said Brian Gow, 69, as he contemplated the growing odds that the Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein, would win the most seats in parliamentary elections on Thursday. That would represent an extraordinary coming-of-age for a political party that many outside Ireland still associate with years of paramilitary violence. It would also be a momentous shift in Northern Ireland, one that could upend the power-sharing arrangements that have kept a fragile peace for two decades. Yet for all of the freighted symbolism, Mr. Gow and his wife, Alison, greeted the prospect of a Sinn Fein victory with relative equanimity. The first flurry of diplomats decamped from Kyiv in mid-February, well before shells began slamming into and around the historic city. The next wave of embassies packed up and left Ukraines capital a few weeks later, when the war began in earnest, moving their operations west and away from the fighting. Through it all, the Vaticans diplomatic mission stayed put. In recent weeks, with Russian troops in broad retreat from the region, dozens of embassies have reopened in the city or announced plans to return. The United States said this week it would reopens its embassy. Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the Holy Sees ambassador to Ukraine, said that as long as there was a city standing, he would stay. Without the consular workload of a typical embassy or the political or economic interests of a secular state, the considerations were different for the nunciature, as the Vaticans diplomatic mission is known. Bishops and priests, they stay with the people. I stay with the people because its part of my identity, he said in a phone interview. KYIV, Ukraine A fuel depot in Russia burst into flames, moments after surveillance video captured the bright streaks of rockets fired from low-flying helicopters. A fire broke out at a military research institute near Moscow. Additional fuel tanks have exploded. These and other similar attacks in Russia have been some of the most intriguing, and opaque, military developments in the last month of the war. If carried out by Ukraine, they represent acts of once nearly unimaginable audacity; one of them prompted the first air raid siren on Russian soil since World War II. Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out the helicopter strike and military analysts have suggested that Ukrainian sabotage is very likely responsible for the other fires. Ukraine, for its part, has made no official admissions but instead has winked at the possibility of its involvement, with one official suggesting the fires were just Russias bad karma. Now, a senior Ukrainian official has described in the clearest terms yet his governments policy on strikes inside Russia, calling it one of strategic ambiguity. It was the Scythian gold that Ms. Ibrahimova was most worried about. She and other staff members secretly hid it and some other historic artifacts in cardboard boxes, stashing the boxes in a dank cellar where they didnt think anyone would find it. We knew that any second someone could come into the museum with a weapon, she said. So they worked fast, she said, because the collection is priceless. In mid-March, Ms. Ibrahimova said Russian troops burst into her house with assault rifles, threw a black hood over her head and kidnapped her. After several hours of intense questioning, they let her go. Two weeks later she left Melitopol for an area not under Russian control. But on Wednesday, she received a call from a caretaker at the museum. The caretaker said Russian soldiers, along with intelligence officers and a Russian-speaking man in a white lab coat, had come to her house in the morning and ordered her, at gunpoint, to go with them to the museum. They commanded her to take them to the Scythian gold. The caretaker refused, Ms. Ibrahimova said. But the man in the white coat found the boxes anyway with the help of a Ukrainian, Evgeny Gorlachev, who was appointed by the Russian military as the museums new director, she said. A Russian crew filmed part of the robbery. We hid everything but somehow they found it, she said. What was stolen: at least 198 gold items, including ornaments in the form of flowers; gold plates; rare old weapons; 300-year-old silver coins; and special medals. She said many of the gold artifacts had been given to the Scythians by the Greeks. In an interview on Russian television, Mr. Gorlachev said the gold artifacts are of great cultural value for the entire former Soviet Union and that the previous administrators of the museum spent a lot of effort and energy to hide them. About 20 women and children have been evacuated from Mariupols embattled Azovstal steel plant, according to a Ukrainian commander in the factory and Russian state media. The news came amid United Nations-backed efforts to broker a cease-fire to allow hundreds of trapped civilians and Ukrainian fighters to escape the factory, the last bastion of resistance in the besieged city of Mariupol. In a video posted to Telegram, Capt. Svyatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of the Azov regiment at the plant, said that after hours of waiting, an evacuation convoy had arrived at an agreed location on Saturday to bring civilians from the ruins of the plant to a safe place. He added that he hoped they would be brought to Zaporizhzhia, a city to the northwest that remains in Ukrainian control. He told The New York Times that evacuation efforts would continue on Sunday if the Russians dont start shooting again. The steel plant, a sprawling complex with a mazelike system of bunkers beneath it, has served as a shelter for unknown numbers of people for weeks, as Russian forces shelled and closed in on Mariupol. On that recent afternoon, Nisreen had forgotten to put on her prayer ring before she left her home in Beersheba, in southern Israel. But as she made her way through the Old Citys streets, a woman was handing out dates and prayer rings. Nisreen took one. If I dont have the ring, I use the prayer beads, said Nisreen, who often keeps prayer beads in her backpack as a backup. And if I dont have the prayer beads, I just use my fingers. As children, many Muslims are taught to recite religious praises on their hands, using the creases on their fingers. Some still prefer that, to emulate the Prophet Muhammad, who is said to have used his fingers. Many Muslims still favor prayer beads which are often about 100 beads long but can be even longer and the older faithful often keep their beads constantly in hand. But it can be hard to remember the total. Enter the prayer counters. If you wanted to say 1,000 praises, it is hard to keep track, said Ahmad Natsha, 35, who was working at his friends store on the edge of the Aqsa Mosque compound on a recent day. Some would buy 10 prayer beads and use each one to keep track, he said, but its much easier with the counter. Ibtihal Ahmad, 60, agrees. There is peace of mind, she said. I know at the end of the day how many praises I have said. NewsVoir 04 Feb 2022 Ahead of the World NTD Day on January 30, global leaders convened today to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the London.. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a public service broadcaster, headquartered at Broadcasting House in Westminster, London. It is the world's oldest national broadcaster, and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees, employing over 22,000 staff in total, of whom more than 19,000 are in public sector broadcasting. The total number of BBC staff amounts to 35,402 including part-time, flexible, and fixed-contract staff. The Ukrainian president said Russian attacks in the eastern region are making Donbas "uninhabitable." Moscow had avoided defaulting on foreign debts by making last-minute dollar payments. Follow DW for the latest. A curfew is imposed and thousands of police and soldiers are deployed to restore "peace and order". 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who on Friday promised to restore peace in the city, has ordered the transfer of the Inspector General of Police. Russia's mission to take control of the Donbas has gone slower than anticipated, Western officials say. Mariupol remains in dire condition. Updates. Hundreds of people were arriving in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv after being evacuated from the nearby village of Ruska Lozova. The village had been under Russian occupation for more than a month. With classes held remotely following Russia's invasion, one school in western Ukraine has become a shelter for internally displaced people. They have come from some of the areas worst affected by the war. The US and France promised continuing support to Ukraine to help the country fight the Russian invasion. Hollywood actress and United Nations special human rights envoy Angelina Jolie made a surprise visit to Lviv, in western Ukraine, on Saturday. But a UN spokesperson says she wasn't in the city on official business but in her "personal capacity." Former National MP Simon Bridges is heading to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce once he leaves Parliament next week. Bridges has been tight-lipped about his role since announcing he was leaving Parliament in March, but the Weekend... Palestinian assailants shot and killed a security guard at the entrance of a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank late on Friday, the Israeli military said. Trying to prevent drug traffickers from hiding cocaine in cargo containers at Ecuador's main port of Guayaquil is becoming an increasingly expensive headache for police and exporters alike. FanReviews 14 Apr 2022 Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) is a successful businesswoman and heiress to a conglomerate in South Korea. One day while paragliding, she.. An American citizen was killed while fighting alongside the Ukrainian military, according to his family. He is believed to be the first American to be killed while fighting in the war in Ukraine. Opalesque Industry Update - A strategic move to establish local specialist capability and expand further in the Asia-Pacific region ICG is delighted to announce that it has hired a dedicated team to invest in Asia-Pacific real estate equity and debt, focusing on mid-to-upper-market transactions, corporate-led deals, and special situations. This move further underlines the firm's strategic ambitions to expand its overall footprint in the region. The new team of four, based in Singapore and Sydney, will be led by David Kim and Stephen Tang, who will become Managing Directors and Co-Heads of Real Estate, Asia-Pacific. David and Stephen are joined by Rohan Neville and Isaac Leo. The team all previously worked together at ARA Private Funds. Commenting on the ambition for this new business Krysto Nikolic, Global Head of Real Estate said: "We are delighted to welcome David, Stephen, Rohan and Isaac to ICG. The team has an excellent track record of investing and business building in Asia-Pacific and we are excited about the opportunity for growth in the region as we continue to build the capabilities of ICG Real Estate in line with our global ambitions across the wider firm." David Kim, Co-Head of Real Estate Asia-Pacific commented: "ICG has a long-standing reputation for delivering excellent investment performance as well as high standards of service to its clients. I am delighted to be joining the team and to help build further on the firm's global footprint." Stephen Tang, Co-Head of Real Estate Asia Pacific added: "I am thrilled to be joining ICG at this exciting stage, as the group looks to grow its global real estate business and substantially increase its presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Asia-Pacific represents one of the largest growth markets in the world and I look forward to contributing to ICG's global ambitions as we expand our investment activities in the region." David and Stephen both have over 23 years of real estate industry experience. At ARA, David was the CEO of Private Funds overseeing investments in real estate opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to ARA, David was a Managing Director and the COO of Blackstone's real estate business based in Hong Kong, responsible for portfolio management. Stephen was the Head of Value Add & Opportunistic Real Estate of ARA Private Funds and oversaw investment and asset management activities. In addition, he was the lead portfolio manager for ARA's flagship Asia Real Estate Partners Fund series. Prior to joining ARA, Stephen worked in the private equity real estate divisions at JP Morgan Asset Management and Morgan Stanley respectively, where he focused primarily on leading opportunistic strategies around the Asia-Pacific region. Rohan Neville joins as a Director and has more than 14 years'experience in the real estate and fund management industry throughout Australia and New Zealand, having been involved in over AUD 1.9 billion worth of real estate transactions. At ARA, Rohan was the Head of Investments and Asset Management for Australia, responsible for investment activities and asset management. He will be based in ICG's Sydney office. Isaac Leo joins as a Principal and has over nine years of experience in the private equity real estate industry. At ARA, he was a Manager in the Private Funds unit, responsible for acquisitions, deal execution and asset management. ICG's Real Estate business currently manages more than $7 billion of assets in private debt and private equity investments. Lee Townships contentious recall election is one example of a larger trend that has been growing in Michigan for the past decade. Lee Township will hold a recall election for Trustee Darla Rippee and Supervisor Kristy Gustafson on Tuesday, May 3. This recall election is one of 26 ongoing, or completed, in Michigan in 2022. According to Ballotpedia, a database for U.S. elections, the number of recall campaigns in Michigan has increased in recent years, particularly since the mid to late 2000s. These are small municipalities range from village councils to township boards as well as school boards. According to Ballotpedia, Michigan and Oregon created the rights of recall in 1908, making them the first two states to adopt statewide recall procedures. Recall petitions in Michigan must first be filed with the appropriate county boards or commissions, which hold hearings to determine whether the reasons for the petitions are "clear." To get a recall on the ballot, a petition must include a number of valid signatures equal to 25% of the number of voters who participated in the last general election for governor in the electoral district of the potentially recalled official. Organizations like the Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan Township Association do not track the number recall elections of their members. However, Chris Johnson, General Counsel at Michigan Municipal League, said the threat of recalls has certainly risen, with a huge percentage increase in the number of recall elections. However, despite the increase in the number of these elections, Johnson thinks recall elections are still relatively rare. Every once in a while, people get charged up enough to file a petition, and very often that just sort of fizzles out, Johnson said. So, the actual number of recall elections throughout the state from my perspective is fairly low. Michael Selden, director of member information services for the Michigan Township Association, also said the threats of recall have increased but is not sure about the number of actual elections. He said the state's recall law is better now than before 2012. Recall elections used to leave vacancies when an official was voted out, Selden said, followed by a process to fill these vacancies. This led to situations where a person filled a vacancy that voters liked even less. Today the official being recalled runs in another election against other candidates voters can choose from. Johnson himself went through a recall election when he was mayor of Northville. The recall petition stemmed from the city wanting to merge its dispatch and lockup services with a neighboring township. That decision would have saved his constituents money, but it sparked a flurry of complaints and misinformation. Some people were saying that dispatchers would respond to a cat stuck in a tree in the township before responding to an assault in the city, something Johnson said was obviously false. His recall never made it past the petition stage after people realized how much money the city could save, he said. However, Johnson also said there are genuine reasons people might need to recall their elected officials. A recall election is "the ultimate check" on elected officials, he added. Selden said there are no other ways to remove township officials from office other than term expirations and recalls. While sometime these recalls start merely from political differences, he said there should be something in place to remove those who are not doing a good job. The relatively low 25% threshold of petition signatures - a couple of hundred residents can launch the recall of an elected official elected by thousands of residents - is also not a concern to Selden. I think there is value in having that number achievable, Selden said. If you did increase that, well now those elected officials could look at it and say, It is harder to get me out, so maybe I am going to do more of my own thing than do what the residents want me to do, because it is that much harder to get me out. Whether the threshold of getting a recall going should be increased for decreased, Johnson said it is a matter of opinion as to how difficult people want to make it to recall a public official. How long do you have to wait to correct that problem? Johnson said. There might be one or two people, or maybe the majority of the council. But if the whole community feels that this particular council was spending way too much and will (the municipality will) be in debt for the next 30 years, you might want to remedy the problem earlier than later. It really is a matter of perspective. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) of Michigan is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The organization, which advances gender equity for women, is marking the occasion at its annual conference from April 29-30 in Midland. The event will include a reception on Friday night, with the annual meeting and conference set to take place on Saturday, both at The H Hotel. This will be the AAUW of Michigans first conference since 2019. Amy Shamroe, AAUW of Michigan program vice president and convention chairperson, explained that AAUW has transitioned to offer programs and social opportunities online, but members have missed the personal interactions. This conference will be a valuable opportunity for AAUW members to get together, said Shamroe. Midland was originally chosen for the conferences location in 2020. Even though that years conference was cancelled, as well as the following year's conference, Midland remained the primary choice for the event due to the good relationships that the event organizers had with Midlanders. As an organization, people know our work, but they dont know who we are, said Shamroe. We see this celebration in Midland as a great way to show off a little of who we are and bring everybody together to celebrate that. The conference will include a panel discussion about women in the workplace, with special attention given to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their roles. Speakers will include Danielle Atkinson, founder of Mothering Justice; Sheila Blair, an organizational psychologist; and Julia Brown, board chair of AAUW. Midland Mayor Maureen Donker will provide opening remarks. Shamroe estimates about 17 branches across Michigan will be represented at the conference. Weve got people coming from as far away as Iron Mountain, as close as Midland, and everywhere in between, Shamroe said. On Friday, AAUW of Michigan will present the Golden Recognition award to AAUW members who have been part of the organization for 50 or more years. Eighty-six women will be recognized, including 17 from the Midland branch. The Midland women who will be honored include Mary Lou Angelotti, Ruth Blair, Betty Chenoweth, Christine Dunn, Eileen Finzel, Marjorie Haskell, Cathy Heng, Carol Hoerneman-Plaush, Betty Ann Huntress, Mary Sydney Matuska, Alice Morgan, Pam Murchison, Sharon Salinger, Carol Sarnacke, Nan Skochdopole, Jane Wirth and Laura Young. We are very excited to be celebrating 100 years of AAUW in Michigan, said Shamroe. The AAUW has included members who have shaped Michigan locally and statewide. Honoring that legacy and gathering everybody together to reflect on that is exciting. For more information about AAUW and the Midland chapter, visit midland-mi.aauw.net/ This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Set in North Carolina in 1773, Season 6 of Starz's "Outlander," based on Diana Gabaldon's book "A Breath of Snow and Ashes," continues the tale of Scottish heartthrob Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and time-traveling healer Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) as they face the American Revolutionary War as backcountry settlers. But though Season 6 is set in a period that will be familiar, in broad strokes, to U.S. audiences, "Outlander" also introduces a number of lesser-known details from 18th-century American history. Showrunner Matthew Roberts says it takes an average of six weeks to research and prepare for filming, and another six weeks to film. All of that preproduction work goes into learning, researching and consulting with experts about the different cultures they're portraying in each episode. Native Americans are a particular focus this season. Roberts explains that much of the research was into understanding mannerisms and body language. To cite one example, "We learned that the Cherokee don't point with their fingers," he said. "They wouldn't ever do that, so we said (to the actors) don't do that." But Fraser's Ridge itself about 20 miles or three nights on horseback from Wilmington, N.C., production designer Mike Gunn imagines is fiction, though many Scottish settlers came to Salisbury and Wilmington in this period, according to Danielle Berrow, a writer and historical consultant on "Outlander." "There are things that are just absolute facts, and we tried to portray them that way," said Roberts. "But we're not making a documentary. This is 100% fiction." Plus, he acknowledges, certain aspects of history aren't knowable, such as the comportment of real historical figures like William Tyron, who served as governor of both North Carolina and New York, or George Washington. "We have no idea what George Washington sounded like or acted like. It's our fictional portrayal of him," Roberts said. What was Freemasonry, and was it common in the 18th century? Though Freemasonry wasn't a religion, per se, Berrow explains that to be a Freemason, one had to believe in "a supreme being." One of the world's oldest fraternal organizations, the Freemasons' origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Freemasonry was banned by the Catholic Church in 1738. "Some of the founding fathers have various associations, or at least are rumored to have associations, to be Freemasons," said Berrow. She elaborated that sometimes it's difficult to get an idea of exactly how many people were involved in these Masonic ceremonies "because of the secrecy around it." The opening scene of Season 6 flashes back to 1752 to show Jamie's involvement in the order, as he is given a leadership position while in Ardsmuir prison. After Jamie is named a Freemason by the prison governor, tension rises between him and the devout Protestant Tom Christie, played by Mark Lewis Jones. The plot portrays Jamie's all-too-cunning way of finding peace within the divided Catholic and Protestant prisoners in an attempt to control the narrative. As the story transports viewers to the episode's present-day of 1773, religious tension arises once again between Jamie and Christie, as Christie settles in Fraser's Ridge and tries to build a church. Jamie quickly readjusts Christie's expectations and suggests that the church instead be a meeting house a nod to the Old South Meeting House where participants in that year's Boston Tea Party met to fan the flames of American revolutionary fervor. What's with all the glass? Jamie and Claire's house on Fraser's Ridge features colorful furniture and vivid wall drawings common aspects of living lavishly in the 1770s. But elegant glass designs stand out this season: beakers, distilling apparatus and bewitching ornamentation on the main houses' doors and windows. Gunn explains that he wanted to allow himself artistic license, given that Jamie and Claire are well funded and Claire kens the future. Knowing the limited resources and technology available to Claire, however, the production tried to stay within historically accurate parameters of innovation and design. "We normally have the freedom (of) Claire's knowledge of the future that she could bring back," said Gunn. Glass, a rare commodity at the time, is an indication of wealth. But windows and beakers aren't the only elements that tease at the plot for this season. Sand clocks, known as hourglasses, are another key motif. Even though hourglasses were invented in the 8th century, "Outlander" has never featured them in previous seasons. This season, however, Claire is seen with an hourglass on multiple occasions to measure her "ether naps." Gunn said that hourglasses became a way to nudge the fans toward the "sense of time running out.". "The winter's coming, the bad things are coming," he said. Wait, what's an 'ether nap'? Season 6 highlights an innovative time for the Frasers. Claire discovers ether, an inhaled anesthetic, 73 years before its official discovery in real life . Ether, which can be dangerous if overused, is administered through a variety of methods. Gunn explains that in the 1700s, the most common way would be by applying the ether to a piece of cloth, then placing the cloth over the nose and mouth. But because of her background as a combat nurse during World War II, Claire knows about another method: the Ferguson face mask. The designer opted to combine Claire's knowledge with the limited resources that were available to her. "We wanted something a little bit more sexy, a little bit more exciting than just a cloth," said Gunn. Because ether carries a similar consistency to alcohol, Gunn and his team also had to work out a way to show Claire's intricate process of distilling the chemical. "We had to work out how she would capture it, and then contain it," he said. "And we designed props to have it dripping into the glass beaker. We worked on the physics about how it would stay there and not evaporate." And Claire isn't the only innovator this season: Brianna Fraser (Sophie Skelton) invents safety matches. (In reality, safety matches were invented about 53 years later by John Walker, a British pharmacist.) The word "matches" goes back to the early medieval period. Berrow explains that a lot of people are surprised that a more primitive version of matches existed for that long: "It was sulfur-dipped little sticks," she said. "These 18th century characters are used to using fire on a daily basis, and they must be lighting it somehow. But there are obviously little bits of modern convenience that our characters can maybe help within the show," she added. Brianna's underrated invention, likely to be underrated by modern audiences as well, transforms an onerous chore into a simple task with the stroke of a match. How accurate is the series' depiction of Anglo-Indigenous relations? For viewers wondering if Ian Murray's acceptance into the Mohawk tribe in which he receives face markings with a fishbone dipped in pigments is based on real events: Yes, it is, says Berrow, who explains that such ceremonies, if not common, did take place. "I thought that was incredibly moving, especially given the traumas that these people have historically been through, and the fact that they have been colonized and forced to convert to Christianity," said Berrow. "It's really interesting to hear about the sort of ceremonies of acceptance and how appearance plays a big part." Ian's storyline, which culminates in the Mohawk chief telling him, "Every drop of white blood has been washed from your veins," is adapted from one of the first settlers in the colonies, Captain James Smith. Smith, who described the experience in his diary, was adopted by the Mohawk and underwent a similar ceremony, even down to the language that was used. The message, according to Berrow, is, "You become one of us, we love you as one of our own." The series also accurately captures the position of the Cherokee in the American revolution through a fictionalized version of Alexander Cameron, a Scottish settler who was commissioned by the British to act as a British Indian agent. Cameron lived among the Cherokees for almost 15 years as they switched allegiances between the British Army and the American colonists, ultimately siding with Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War. . Berrow explained that many high school textbooks don't teach the full complexity of the American Revolution especially Native Americans' strategic engagement in conflicts among European powers and settlers in order to achieve their own political ends. "The British are the bad guys," she said of the popular understanding of this period. "How could they (the Cherokee and Mohawks) be aligned with them?" "Outlander" tries to portray a more accurate version of the conflict in which each population is pursuing the course it believes serves its interests best, which was no less true of the Mohawk and Cherokee than it was of the British and Americans. Season 6 has only six episodes, marking a shorter-than-usual "Outlander." But dinna fash, Roberts confirms that the "Droughtlander" will be brief, with Season 7's 16 episodes just around the corner. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned again that the North could preemptively use its nuclear weapons if threatened, as he praised his top army officials for a massive military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, this week. Kim expressed firm will to continue developing his nuclear-armed military so that it could preemptively and thoroughly contain and frustrate all dangerous attempts and threatening moves, including ever-escalating nuclear threats from hostile forces, if necessary, the Norths official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday. KCNA said Kim called his military officials to praise their work during Mondays parade, where the North showcased the biggest weapons in its nuclear arsenal, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the U.S. homeland. The North also rolled out a variety of shorter-range solid-fuel missiles designed to be fired from land vehicles or submarines, which pose a growing threat to South Korea and Japan. KCNA didnt say when Kim's meeting with military brass took place. The parade marking the 90th anniversary of North Koreas army came as Kim revives nuclear brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of his country as a nuclear power and remove crippling economic sanctions. Speaking to thousands of troops and spectators mobilized for the parade, Kim vowed to develop his nuclear forces at the fastest possible speed and threatened to use them if provoked. He said his nuclear weapons would never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent in situations where the North faces external threats to its fundamental interests. Kims comments suggested he would continue a provocative run in weapons testing to dial up the pressure on Washington and Seoul. South Korea will inaugurate a new conservative government in May that could take a harder line on Pyongyang following the engagement polices of outgoing liberal President Moon Jae-in that produced few results. Kims threat to use his nuclear forces to protect his country's ambiguously defined fundamental interests possibly portends an escalatory nuclear doctrine that could pose greater concern for South Korea, Japan and the United States, experts say. North Korea has conducted 13 rounds of weapons launches so far this year, including its first full-range test of an ICBM since 2017, while Kim exploits a favorable environment to push forward its weapons program as the U.N. Security Council remains divided and effectively paralyzed over Russias war in Ukraine. There are also signs that North Korea is rebuilding tunnels at a nuclear testing ground that was last active in 2017. Some experts say the North may try to conduct a new test sometime between the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol on May 10 and his planned summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on May 21 to maximize its political effect. U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter said the United States was aware of reports that North Korea could be preparing to conduct a nuclear test, which she said would be deeply destabilizing for the region and undermine the global non-proliferation regime, We urge the DPRK to refrain from further destabilizing activity and instead engage in serious and sustained dialogue, she said, referring to North Korea by its formal name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Kims recent remarks followed a fiery statement released by his powerful sister earlier this month in which she blasted South Koreas defense minister for touting preemptive strike capabilities against the North. She said her countrys nuclear forces would annihilate the Souths conventional forces if provoked. Yoon, during his campaign, also talked about enhancing the Souths preemptive strike capabilities and missile defenses. He also vowed to strengthen South Korea's defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States. While Kims collection of ICBMs has grabbed much international attention, North Korea since 2019 has also been expanding its arsenal of short-range solid-fuel missiles threatening South Korea. The North describes some of those missiles as tactical weapons, which experts say communicates a threat to arm them with smaller battlefield nuclear bombs and proactively use them during conventional warfare to blunt the stronger conventional forces of South Korea and the United States. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in the South. North Korea may use its next nuclear test to claim that it has acquired the ability to build a small nuclear warhead to fit on those missiles or other weapons it recently tested, including a purported hypersonic missile and a long-range cruise missile, analysts say. Smaller warheads would also be necessary for the Norths pursuit of a multi-warhead ICBM. Solid-fueled missiles are easier to hide, move and launch quickly, making them less vulnerable to a preemptive strike, said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seouls Ewha Womans University. Taken together with ambitions for tactical nuclear warheads, submarine-based launch capabilities, and more sophisticated ICBMs, Pyongyang is not simply looking to deter an attack. Its goals extend to outrunning South Korea in an arms race and coercing the United States to reduce sanctions enforcement and security cooperation with Seoul, Easley added. Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled since 2019 because of disagreements over a potential easing of U.S.-led sanctions in exchange for North Korean disarmament steps. Kim has stuck to his goals of simultaneously developing nuclear weapons and the countrys dismal economy in the face of international pressure and has shown no willingness to fully surrender a nuclear arsenal he sees as his biggest guarantee of survival. MSU Extension of Midland County and cooperating parent educators sponsor the Parents Corner. Send submissions to Midland County MSU Extension Educator, Lisa Treiber, 220 W. Ellsworth St., Midland, MI 48640. Dump Your Drugs. Turn in your unused or expired medication for safe disposal. This drive-through event includes sharps. There is potential for four out of 10 people visiting a home to look through the medicine cabinet. It is important to properly dispose of unused medication to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. Take advantage of the Annual Dump Your Drugs event and properly dispose of unused or expired medication. Visit Midlands Law Enforcement Center, 2727 Rodd St. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on April 30. If you cant make it on April 30, check local pharmacies or visit the Law Enforcement Center during regular operating hours. Food Safety Q & A. MSU Extension offers a weekly 30-minute informational program about food preservation. A short presentation will be shared focusing on the featured topic, leaving plenty of time for Q & A. The next session is: Its Getting Green. Join in on this quick free presentation at 1 p.m. May 2. To register, visit events.anr.msu.edu/Foodsafetyspring2022/ Investigating Food with Science. Each week at 4 p.m., youth will explore the aspects of cooking as an experiment and baking as a science. A kid-friendly recipe or experiment demonstration will be presented for youth to try at home with an adults assistance. The following week, youth can share their experiences or pictures. All sessions will be presented via Zoom. The May 2 topic will be Magic Fire Extinguisher! To register, visit events.anr.msu.edu/IFWSwinter2022/ Any questions should be directed to Kellie Jordan jorda136@msu.edu Nature Play! Its time to play outdoors at 10-11 a.m. May 3 at Chippewa Nature Center. Whether were making pies in the mud kitchen, pretending to be animals, lounging in hammocks or creating nature art, this hour of play is sure to engage everyone. Caregivers must remain with children during this program and are encouraged to actively play alongside the children in their care. This program will be facilitated by a CNC staff member. Meet in The Woods Nature Play Area near Arbury Trail. This program is designed for ages 2-10 with an adult. Visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org to learn more. Preserving MI Harvest Series. Michigan State University Extension will be offering a series of food preservation classes online; these free classes will be offered at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursdays. The topic on May 5 will be "Condiments." These sessions will not be recorded, they will only be offered live. Supporting materials will be emailed to all participants after each broadcast. Join in the fun, sign up for one, some or all these educational sessions. There is time at the end of each program to ask questions. To register, visit events.anr.msu.edu/PreservingMIHarvestSpring/ Story Hour. Come spend an hour learning about natureat 9:30-10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m.-12 p.m. May 7 at Chippewa Nature Center. The hour will include a story, crafts, and other age-appropriate activities. Dress for the weather. Dress for the weather for this outdoor program. For more information, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org. Midland County Prescription for Health in American Sign Language. This course is being offered in American Sign Language, delivered by MSU Extension. Attend a free six-lesson workshop focused on nutrition and shopping at the farmers market. For every lesson you complete, participants will receive $10 in vouchers to be used at the Midland Area Farmers Market. Learn about the farmers, food and food assistance available at the Midland area Farmers Market and build confidence in shopping there. This group will meet at 10-11 a.m. every other Wednesday, May 11 July 20. Participants will meet at the Midland Area Farmers Market, 825 E. Main St., Midland. There is no fee to attend this class. For more information or to register for this program, contact Sandy Graham at sgraham@msu.edu or by Videophone at 248-381-3101. Safe Food = Healthy Kids. MSU Extension is offering a three-hour online training for childcare providers with the Safe Food = Healthy Kids (SFHK) program, 6-9 p.m. May 18. Learn the best practices for food safety to keep the children in your care safe. Food safety education topics discussed in the class include proper cleaning and sanitizing, cooking, storing food, as well as personal hygiene and more. SFHK is an approved training for Great Start to Quality, so this class will count toward annual training hours. Class is facilitated by MSU Extension Food Safety Educators. To register, visit events.anr.msu.edu/SFHKWinterSpring22/ This is a free program, participants must attend the whole session to receive their training hours. Photo provided by Senior Services Senior Services of Midland is offering "Powerful Tools for Caregivers," an evidence-based program designed to provide caregivers with the powerful tools they need to successfully manage their loved ones care. The program takes place on Wednesdays, May 4-June 8 from 12:30-2 p.m. at Trailside Center, 4700 Dublin Avenue. Family members who assist in the care of a loved one tend to spend themselves until there is little left. In this program, caregivers develop a wealth of self-care tools to reduce personal stress, change negative self-talk, communicate their needs to other family members and healthcare providers, deal with difficult feelings and make tough caregiving decisions. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Willow Labyrinth and Creative Spirit Center will debut a new indoor labyrinth for this years World Labyrinth Day, May 7. Karen Price, who has the labyrinths at The Best of Times Farm at 720 Port Crescent Street near Port Austin, said the building housing the new labyrinth took a couple of months to complete, which she found shocking that it came together so quickly given supply shortages. A friend of hers from Vermont, who is a professional labyrinth builder, painted it on the floor of the indoor space. With Michigan weather as it is, we wanted an option to walk a labyrinth inside, Price said. Its painted on the floor so people can walk that. Someone in a wheelchair can roll through and enjoy the benefits of walking a labyrinth. According to the Labyrinth Society, a labyrinth is a meandering path, often unicursal, with a singular path leading to a center. They are an ancient archetype dating back 4,000 years or more, used symbolically, as a walking meditation, a site of rituals or ceremonies, or tools for psychological and spiritual transformation. More News Port Austin labyrinth offers a space to meditate, find peace No changes have been made to the outdoor labyrinth, though a bonfire area has been added for different kinds of activities there. Price also plans to offer classes that help boost peoples creativity and spirituality. We want to make use of the whole property, Price said. Well still a small goat farm. People still want to see the animals. Whereas the outdoor labyrinth used to be open just for the spring, summer, and early fall, the indoor one can be open all year. Price already has plans for an event called Mommy and Me tea with Mrs. Claus during the Christmas season. Later this year, the center will host walks during the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays to remember veterans and fallen troops, a blessing of bikes where kids can have their bikes looked at, made sure they are secure, and blessed, a helmet giveaway, a butterfly release, and full moon walks. As described by the Labyrinth Society, World Labyrinth Day is an annual event to provide worldwide action to walk as one at 1 local time to create a rolling wave of peaceful energy across the globe. People on every continent will walk a labyrinth, meditate, or pray for people, for personal, and for environmental issues, Price said. The idea is people coming together regardless of differences in politics or what country you are from and focusing on the greater good. While the outdoor labyrinth is always open for people to walk, the indoor one can only be walked during events or by appointment. We have people come constantly, Price said. Even when we dont have an open sign, people will stop by. More information about the labyrinths can be found at either www.bestoftimesfarm.com or by calling Price at 989-971-8555. The Republican old guard is finally mounting a counter offensive to bring the Michigan party back to its traditional conservative roots and head off an attempt by former President Donald Trump to tilt Michigan's presidential nominating process in his favor. A number of Michigans largest and most loyal GOP donors, known as the Michigan Opportunity Alliance (MOA), are pooling their money to support candidates who stand for good government and fiscal conservatism. Many of the candidates they're backing are incumbents who face challenges in the August primary from candidates endorsed by Trump. The alliance includes roughly 50 of the states wealthiest individuals and is led by former state party Chair Bobby Schostak and west Michigan businessman Doug DeVos. They wouldn't discuss their activities publicly. But those familiar with what the alliance is doing say it's a return to a pre-Trump initiative to elect competent politicians more interested in problem solving than politics. "It's more of a confederation than an organized group," says Greg McNeilly, chief operating officer of the Windquest Group, the Grand Rapids investment company owned by Dick and Betsy DeVos. "They've been together since 2014 and engage politically when they see a need. They've been quiet the last two election cycles, but are active this year on behalf of candidates they believe will move the state forward." Collectively, this group and their families have given millions of dollars to Republican causes and many have held leadership positions in the party in the past. They are the power brokers who helped bring former Govs. John Engler and Rick Snyder to office, secured a Republican majority on the Supreme Court in the early 2000s and passed ballot initiatives changing the tax code and limiting the reach of labor unions. But they've been largely dormant recently as the GOP demanded 100% loyalty to Trump as the price of admission. MOA members once controlled Republican politics in the state, but saw both their influence and interest wane during the Trump years. When they've given money in recent cycles, it's mostly been to individual candidates, and not to the state party. "I've been more selective," says David Nicholson of Grosse Pointe, whose family once ranked among the largest Michigan GOP donors. "I'm not giving to the state party. I'm supporting fiscal conservatives and good government candidates on an individual basis." The alliance mobilized this spring in part to organize and fundraise on behalf of 10 to 15 Republican legislative candidates, many of them incumbents, who are being targeted to further the political ambitions of Matt and Meshawn Maddock. Meshawn Maddock is the state GOP co-chair and a Trump confidante. Matt Maddock is a state representative from Milford who wants to be the next speaker of the House. The incumbents on their hit list refused to support Matt Maddock's power grab. So the couple recruited a slate of candidates to challenge them including the father of their daughter's fiance and got Trump to endorse them. It was a sleazy move, and one that helped lead to the expulsion this week of Matt Maddock from the House GOP caucus. It also broke with the tradition of party officials remaining neutral in partisan primaries. And that was a last straw for the big donors who had done little up to now but shake their heads as the state GOP lost any claim to being a legitimate political party in Michigan. The donors, mostly from west and southeast Michigan, are said to be giving generously, and all of the contributions will be publicly disclosed. No dark money is involved. It's funding that in the past likely would have gone to the state party to support operations and fund Republican candidates in the general election. There's another motivation at work as well, and one perhaps even more important than saving rational and competent GOP lawmakers. The MOA has also told donors it is concerned Trump would like the Michigan GOP to switch from awarding its presidential nominating delegates via an open primary to a closed caucus or convention. That would give party operatives greater control over the process and, if the current leadership make-up holds, assure him Michigan's delegates in 2024. While those familiar with the MOA insist its mission is not to derail Trump, but rather to uphold conservative values, the alliance represents the first real hope of returning the Michigan Republican Party to the mainstream of American politics. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Paducah, KY (42003) Today Sunny to partly cloudy. Near record high temperatures. High 89F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Photo: (Photo : Getty images ) A young child in Australia was hospitalized for eating a deadly cap mushroom, prompting health officials to warn Canberrans not to pick or eat wild mushrooms as they might be picking the deadly variety. Australia has more than 15,000 species of fungi, 8,000 of which are macrofungi. Death cap mushrooms are the most common among dangerous mushrooms. Death Cap Mushroom According to Health Cleveland, mushroom harvesters must watch out for the Amanita genus, especially Amanita phalliodes aptly called "death cap" mushrooms as these group of mushrooms are the most common lethal mushrooms. It has toxic compounds called amatoxins that cause liver damage. The mushrooms are white with umbrella-shaped tops and a cup at the base of their stem. For the untrained eye, the mushroom does not look dangerous and it might also taste good. People who gets Amanita mushroom poisoning do not have poisoning symptoms until six to 24 hours after digestion. In other poisonous mushrooms, digestive symptoms appear as early as 20 minutes after the mushrooms are consumed, and symptoms pass after the irritant is expelled. Symptoms of Amanita mushroom poisoning include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Some patients at the hospital experience low blood pressure. After an initial phase of digestive symptoms, the patient would recover for two to three days. The liver and kidney failure would eventually relapse, leading to massive bleeding and death. Read Also: 3 Subtle Danger Signs that Could Save Women's Lives Treatment for dead cap mushroom poisoning As per Slate, there are no specific drugs that can treat Amanita mushroom poisoning so doctors treat it with aggressive hydration by giving IV fluids. According to Slate, there is an experimental drug that has shown promise in blocking liver cells from absorbing the poison. The drug is an extract of the milk thistle plant called silibinin. Although the drug has not been approved yet by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S., the doctors may use it with special permission. Doctors warn that although some patients fully recover from the mushroom poisoning, others would need a liver transplant. Following the recent dead cap mushroom poisoning incident, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Chief Health Officer, Dr. Kerryn Coleman, warned the community against touching wild mushrooms with bare hands and to make sure that children and animals are kept away from them, 9News Australia reports. Dr. Aanchal Kapoor, a critical care physician, said that people should not consume wild mushrooms unless it is identified by an expert. Washing or cooking poisonous mushrooms does not make it less dangerous so if in doubt if the mushroom is safe or edible, throw it out. He suggests sticking to mushrooms sold in groceries and specialty stores for good measure. Experts also suggest cases of mushroom poisoning require immediate medical attention as the chances of survival increase when the treatment is given early. Warning on death cap mushrooms The mushroom resembles edible mushrooms but even a small amount of the deadly mushroom can be lethal. Mushroom experts also warn that it remains deadly even when cooked. Death cap mushrooms are found across Australia and are often found under oak trees. Related Article: COVID-19 Measures: Children in Shanghai Wearing Hazmats and Segregation from Parents Shock the World Photo: (Photo : RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images) At least three overpaid school employees have come out to the press to reveal that they received a letter from an Alabama school district ordering them to repay $22,000 to $33,000 due to years of miscalculation of their wages. Per WBRC, the third overpaid school employee, who received the letter from Chilton County Schools, works as a bus driver. Alabama Educator's Association (AEA) representative, Tracy LeSieur, said that the worker received the notice of overpayment in January 2022 before the school cafeteria lunch manager, Christie Payne, the first employee, who went to the press, got hers in early April. The second employee is Shellie Smith, a former school nurse who became a teacher. Despite years of work, they all had no idea of the miscalculations in their wages. Read Also: Alabama Foster Mom Denied Adoption Because of Her Secular Beliefs Overpaid School Employees Offered Payment Plans Payne owed Chilton County Schools $23,465.40 in overpayment for the last six years. The school district explained that, following her promotion, she was given a salary that was supposed to be for another worker. The lunch manager was given options for a payment plan. She could agree to a monthly payment of $325.91 for 72 months, a yearly payment of $3,910.90 for six years, or a lumpsum payment. LeSieur said that Payne has not yet agreed to a payment term, despite being given just days to make arrangements with the school district. Payne's letter stated that she would be charged an interest amounting to $254 if she didn't pay the money back. So, she brought her case to the AEA, where a legal team was tasked to review the discrepancies. A woman who works for Chilton County Schools received this letter saying she was overpaid since the 2016/2017 school year and has to pay back $23,465. @abc3340 pic.twitter.com/iVFLld1pqc Valerie Bell (@vbell_reports) April 22, 2022 On the other hand, Smith owed the school $32,958 in overpayment and had a four-year payment plan, according to Al.Com. As with Payne, her salary after her promotion to a teacher was miscalculated beginning in 2018. Before this, she worked as a school nurse for 12 years. Smith is also the wife of Chris Smith, a school board member, who will be sitting at the meetings with Chilton County's Superintendent Jason Griffin to discuss these overpayment cases. The board is due to reconvene in May following a break. The bus driver, whose name was not revealed by CBS 42, said he was overpaid $10,182. He has been working for the school district for two decades. However, unlike Payne and Smith, the bus driver wasn't given a specific time frame to make arrangements with the school district. He has not responded to the school but brought his case also to the AEA. He is refusing to pay as this was not their mistake. Chilton County Schools: No Comment A notice on the official site of the Chilton County Schools stated that there would be no comments on these specific cases. The school district also said they are mandated to "recoup any overpayments" under the board's policy and the law. Meanwhile, LeSieur advised other employees of the school district to check if their paychecks match up. The AEA is not aware if there are more employees with similar cases, as of press time. Related Article: Texas School District Allows Teachers Armed With Guns in School With Community's Support This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Apple's CFO Luca Maestri stated during Apple's Financial Conference Call on Thursday: "We grew in each of our product categories except iPad, which remains significantly supply constrained throughout the quarter." Maestri later added that "iPad revenue was $7.6 billion, down 2% year over year (YoY) due to continued supply constraints." While revenue was down 2% YoY, a new report by IDC shows that Apple's Yoy growth was down 4.6%. Although Apple was slightly down from Q1 2021, iPad shipments were still industry leading with 12.1 million units shipped compared to second place Samsung with 8.1 million units shipped, as per IDC's chart below. (Click on image to Enlarge) The IDC report failed to provide an iPad device breakdown to help us understand the successes within the product mix. Overall, the IDC report states that worldwide tablet shipments reached 38.4 million units during the first quarter of 2022 (1Q22), posting a decline of 3.9% year over year as demand slowed. Aggressive purchasing of devices in 2020 and 2021 led many users to hold onto their recently purchased tablets. The report further noted that Chinese smartphone vendors realme, OPPO and Xiaomi are now entering the "emerging markets' tablet sector and while shipment volumes are low, they're expected to continue to grow over time that could affect market players like Samsung and Amazon. "These vendors will take advantage of their existing channel presence to build an ecosystem where consumers possess multiple products of the same brand, just like Apple," according to Anuroopa Nataraj, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. For more on this report that also covers Chromebook statistics, read the full IDC report. Chromebook shipments pale in comparison to those of tablets. For instance, Lenovo was the number one Chromebook vendor in Q1 with 1.2 million units sold. That's approximately 10% of Apple's iPad shipments for the quarter. In fact, the entire Chromebook market in total shipped 5.1 million units in Q1 which is less than half of iPad Shipments for the quarter. The Bank of Ghana has warned the public against transacting business with a cryptocurrency investment scheme called Sidicoin. The Central Bank said neither the scheme nor its promoters had obtained the required approval to operate in the banking and payment services sector. The general public is advised to exercise caution with regards to trading in cryptocurrencies and other unregulated investment schemes, the Bank said in a statement issued on Wednesday. The statement said the Central Bank had taken note of the impending launch of a cryptocurrency investment scheme named SIDICOIN. Further to previous notices issued by Bank of Ghana on such schemes, in particular Notice NO. BG/GOV/SEC/2018/02, Bank of Ghana underscores the fact that such schemes are not regulated under any law in Ghana, it said The Bank further cautioned all regulated institutions including banks, specialised deposit-taking institutions, dedicated electronic money issuers and payment service providers to desist from facilitating cryptocurrency transactions and unlicensed investment schemes, through their platforms or agent outlets. Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video GROHE has joined WorldSkills International, a global platform to raise the profile and recognition of skilled people, as its newest Global Partner. GROHE first supported the skill competition, Plumbing and Heating, in WorldSkills Kazan 2019. Now as a Global Partner, GROHE will extend its support to WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 and as a Global Industry Partner. We are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with WorldSkills. Professional skills are critical for the sanitary industry. Together we can demonstrate what impact skilled professionals can have today and for the more sustainable future that we all strive for, said Jonas Brennwald, Leader, LIXIL EMENA. GROHE is joining the global skills community of industry, education, and government partners to raise the profile of young skilled professionals around the world, said David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International. You are supporting the increase in abilities, status, and economic prospects of young people. With you, our Global Partners, we are creating a more inclusive, sustainable, and innovative future through skills. After three years since the first contact with WorldSkills, we are more than happy to join forces internationally and support young people with our expertise and in-depth knowledge of the sanitary industry, said Timo Kurz, Leader GIVE Program and WorldSkills, LIXIL EMENA. This new partnership is part of GROHEs efforts to address the shortage of skilled installers in the sanitary industry. Its GROHE Installer Vocational Training and Education (GIVE) Program is collaborating with over 40 institutions offering plumbing training across the EMENA region. To help improve training facilities, GROHE sets up a fully functioning training environment where students can benefit from the brands vast expertise. GIVE supports schools in creating a uniform approach with modern equipment, training material and a written examination that sets new industry standards. Even after students have completed their GROHE training, they will receive assistance with job placements or even a work experience program at one of GROHEs industry partners. WorldSkills builds confidence, empowers communities and helps to fuel economies. They inspire young people to develop a passion for skills and pursuing excellence, through competitions and promotions. Furthermore, they help develop skills through global training standards, benchmarking systems, and enhancing industry engagement. They influence industry, government, and educators through cooperation and research building a global platform of skills for all. GROHE joins 23 other WorldSkills Global Partners and 85 Member countries and regions committed to helping young people change their lives, and the fortunes of their communities and countries through skills. Learn more about WorldSkills. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanaians and all users of electronic payment platforms will from Sunday, May 1, start paying a 1. 50 percent charge on transactions exceeding a cumulative amount of GHS100 a day. The charges will be on Mobile Money (MoMo) payments, bank transfers, merchant payments, and inward remittances at the time of transfer. The implementation of the Electronic Transfer Levy Act, 2022 (Act 1075), Ghanas newly introduced revenue generation mechanism, received presidential assent on March 31, after it was passed by Parliament on Tuesday, March 29, despite the Minority side staging a walkout. Banks, including Fidelity, OmniBSIC, GCB have started issuing statements to customers that it would instantly apply the 1.50 levy, effective Sunday. In a message to customers on Friday, April 29, Fidelity Bank said: Dear valued customer, effective May 1, 2022, E-Levy will apply to instant electronic transactions. OmniBSIC also said: Dear valued customer, please be informed that effective May 1, 2022, the E-Levy will be charged on electronic transfers. The move, the government said was to enhance revenue mobilisation by broadening the tax base and widening the tax net to include a large portion of the population that remains untaxed. It is to also help increase Ghanas tax-to-GDP ratio from approximately 12.5 percent in 2021 to 20 percent by 2024. It is expected that the E-Levy will give the country a revenue of GHS6.9 billion by the close of the 2022 financial year. The Government has indicated that proceeds from the E-Levy would be used to help tackle the challenges of high youth unemployment, support the provision of digital infrastructure and cyber security, road infrastructure, and entrepreneurship (particularly, the YouStart initiative). The countrys revenue collection and implementing Agency of the levy, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has explained that the levy would be applied on the value (amount) of transfer above GHS100 on a daily basis per person. That is, after GHS100 a day cumulative transfer, the E-Levy would be applied. This include Mobile Money (MoMo) transfers done between wallets on the same electronic money issuer. In this case, when an individual sends money from a MTN MoMo wallet to another persons MTN MoMo wallet exceeding the GHS100 per day threshold, the levy would be applied. Again, the levy would be applicable to transfers from a wallet on one electronic money issuer to a recipient on another electronic money issue. For example, sending money from your MTN MoMo wallet to another persons AirtelTigo cash wallet. Similarly, the levy will cover transfers from bank accounts to mobile money accounts, just as done for transfers from mobile money accounts to bank accounts. Transactions exempted from the payment of the levy On the other hand, the levy does not apply to a cumulative transfer of GHS100 per day made by the same person involving MoMo. Transfers between accounts owned by the same person, for example, a transfer from Kojos Tigo wallet to his MTN wallet or from his CBG bank account to his GCB bank account or from his savings account to his current or investment account would not attract the levy. Again, any payment of taxes, fees or charges made to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) or Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDA) using the Ghana.gov platform or any other Government of Ghana designated payment system will equally not attract the levy. Apart from this, clearing of cheques by the banks and specialised deposit taking institutions (SDIs) such as the savings and loans companies, will also not attract the levy. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Two gangsters who stormed a house at Kpogedi-Zongo, near Aflao in the Volta Region and shot a man after their bid to steal three motorbikes failed, were on Wednesday sentenced to a total of 40 years imprisonment by the Aflao Circuit Court. The convicts are Atitso Korshie, 23 and Wisdom Dzeke, 25. They pleaded not guilty. However, the court, presided over by Joseph Ofosu, found them guilty of robbery, causing harm and possession of firearms without lawful authority. Each of them will serve 20 years behind bars in hard labour. Chief Inspector Bob Wuda, who represented the republic, told the court that the incident took place at about 2:00 a.m. on September 24, 2020. The prosecution said the two were among four thugs armed with machetes and a pistol who attacked the house that night. The court also heard that the gangsters held four occupants of the house hostage, amidst firing of guns into the roof of the house. The prosecution said the robbers seized the cellular phones of their hostages, including an amount of GH250. Arrest The ensuing noise at the robbery scene attracted neighbours to the house, prompting three of the robbers to flee leaving behind Korshie who was armed with a gun. It was when the neighbours pounced on Korshie to retrieve the gun from him that he shot at one of the occupants of the house in the thigh, said the prosecution. The victim was rushed to Saint Anthony at Dzodze where he received treatment, the court was further told. The prosecution said after Korshie was handed over to the police, he mentioned Dzeke and two others, believed to be Togolese as his accomplices. The three went into hiding but Dzeke was later arrested following a tip-off. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nasara Coordinator of the Sissala-West Constituency is in stable condition at the Upper West Regional Hospital following injuries he sustained after he was attacked at Gwollu in the Upper West Region. The Coordinator, Musah Iddrisu Walaika, 45, was butchered by some unknown assailants, numbering about 10 at Gwollu. He sustained serious wounds all over his body with his left hand almost severed. Police investigate The Upper West Regional Police Command is currently investigating the attack on Mr Walaika. Two suspects, Tora Kangjewu, 30 and Vallesin Bayuka, 39, all based at Gwollu, are currently in custody assisting the police in the investigations. Confirming the incident, the Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Peter Ndekugri, said the police personnel at Gwollu received a distress call around 10 p.m. last Monday that a helpless young man was being attacked with cutlasses and sticks. He said the caller also indicated that the victim was lying in a pool of blood at the Hospital Junction, a suburb of Gwollu. He said when the police rushed to the scene, the assailants fled. Mr Ndekugri said the victim was subsequently conveyed to the District Hospital and later referred to the regional hospital at Wa. He said the police have intensified their search for the assailants to face the full rigours of the law. He appealed to members of the public with relevant information on the case to contact the police. Background Iddrisu Walaika has been the NASARA Coordinator of the area since 2009 and was seeking re-election in the forthcoming Constituency Executive Elections slated for April 30, this year. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari has issued a warning to diplomats against interference in the forthcoming elections. The warning was made during an Iftar dinner with diplomats on Thursday at the president's residence in the capital, Abuja. Presidential elections are scheduled for February 2023. "As Nigeria goes through this trajectory, I urge our friends in the global community, represented by you the diplomatic corps, to adopt a positive role that reinforces the doctrine of respect for our internal affairs and respect for facts and devoid of preconceived notions and bias," Mr Buhari is quoted as saying in a statement. He also vowed to crack down on electoral fraud. "Those planning to rig the forthcoming elections should think twice because I intend to resolutely protect and defend the sacred will of the Nigerian people, to be expressed through the ballot box," he said. Mr Buhari's second term ends in May 2023 and he is not eligible for re-election. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A British-born terrorist of Ghanaian descent, Alexander Kotey has been sentenced to life by a federal judge in Virginia, United States of America. Alexander Kotey, was sentenced by a federal Judge, Thomas Selby Ellis at Alexandria District Court in Virginia on Friday, April 29, 2022 The 38-year-old was condemned to life imprisonment for his central role in the kidnap, torture, and killing of western hostages who were held by the Islamic State in Syria. He was a member of a brutal ISIS cell of Britons called the IS Beatles, a nickname given to them by their victims due to their accent. The group, which included ringleader Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, El Shafee Elsheikh, and Alexander Kotey, was responsible for the murders of a number of hostages in the mid-2010s. The convict pleaded guilty to multiple charges against him in September 2021, guaranteeing he would spend the rest of his life behind bars. It is widely reported that, during the sentencing on Friday April 29, 2022, British and American families read statements describing their shattered lives. Alexander Kotey sat quietly and listened to parents and siblings recount their horror before and after the deaths of their loved ones whom he was directly involved in slaying. According to news.sky.com, he showed no emotions as he was handed eight life sentences for his crime. He admitted to being directly involved in the detention and hostage-taking of four Americans in 2012 and 2013 who had traveled to Syria as journalists or to provide humanitarian aid and died in Islamic State custody as well as inflicting torture on hostages, including waterboarding and electric shocks with a stun gun. Meanwhile, the leader of the group, Mohammed Emwazi was killed in a drone strike in 2015. Source: Ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Alexander Akwasi Acquah, a Member of Parliament(MP) for the Akim Oda constituency has rebuked the US Department of State for poking its nose into the affairs of the nation. "Dont we know what happens in the US? Or you're a big brother so we cant talk about them? We need to come together and expose reports like this; theyre not credible . . . cant we write reports better than this?" he said. Human Rights report The US Department of State's human rights report on Ghana has generated some form of controversy in the country. The lengthy report titled "2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ghana" according to some critics has painted a negative picture of Ghana's judiciary as it alleged the Judicial officials tend to be corrupt. The report read; "While the constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, the judiciary was subject to unlawful influence and corruption. Judicial officials reportedly accepted bribes to expedite or postpone cases, lose records, or issue favorable rulings for the payer of the bribe. A judicial complaints unit within the Ministry of Justice headed by a retired Supreme Court justice addressed complaints from the public, such as unfair treatment by a court or judge, unlawful arrest or detention, missing trial dockets, delayed trials and rendering of judgments, and bribery of judges. The government generally respected court orders." It also touched on other areas of Ghana's economy, one of such is respect for the integrity of persons. The US report stated that, "there were a few reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. Offices charged with investigating security force killings include the Special Investigations Branch of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Police Professional Standards Bureau. On June 26, unidentified perpetrators beat #FixTheCountry movement supporter and social activist Ibrahim Kaaka Muhammed in Ejura, Ashanti Region. On June 28, he died in the hospital from his injuries." Ghana's human rights President Contributing to a panel discussion on UTV's 'Adekye Nsroma' programme, the Akim Oda MP said Ghana already has a Human rights lawyer and advocate as a President, hence we don't need "a cut and paste report". "What criteria did they use . . . it looks like they only cut and paste; painting Ghana black, but we know our President is a human rights advocate," he indicated. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A leading member of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Bright Akwetey, has stated that the internal challenges confronting the party are under control. There is no challenge or problem that cannot be solved. In order to win, we need harmony and togetherness, so we will deal with everything, he said. Speaking with journalists at a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of the Founder of the party and Ghanas first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, in Accra last Wednesday, Mr Akwetey said the party would deal with the challenges and come out stronger. I want to also say that anything going on is a constitutional issue and we will deal with it as such. The revival of the party is paramount to us and in the end, the CPP will stand tall, he said. Context The CPP had been embroiled in some confusion after three members of the party, the first Vice-Chairperson, Onzy Nkrumah; the General Secretary, Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah and the partys Youth Organiser, Osei Kofi Acquah, were interdicted by the central committee of the party chaired by its Chairperson, Nana Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong-Kumankumah. But a counter-central committee (CC) meeting chaired by Emmanuel Ogbojor, second Vice National Chairperson with seven of the elected executive members present, as well as 11 of the regional chairpersons and chairpersons of other committees of the CPP, overturned that decision. It also asked Nana Sarpong-Kumankumah to step aside to enable the party to hold a rerun of the election held on August 22, 2020 between her and the first runner-up in the chairmanship race, Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim. But in a counter statement issued by the partys Council of Elders, it dissociated itself from the meeting and described it as an unlawful meeting. It said the meeting was an attempt to sow seeds of confusion within the party. The said meeting, by our reckoning and the constitution of the party, is unlawful, it said in a statement signed by the councils secretary, Islam Subiri Isah. The statement said the Council of Elders, pursuant to the mandate granted under Article 68 of the CPP constitution, viewed with concern the recent events engaged in by certain members of the CPP. However, the General Secretary of the CPP, Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah, in a rebuttal of the councils statement, insisted that the said CC meeting was lawful and properly constituted. Erasing Mr Akwetey said there were attempts by some unscrupulous people to erase the name of Dr. Nkrumah and his achievements from the history of Ghana. He said the party would not allow it to happen. There has been an attempt to erase Dr Nkrumah from history but that will not fly. Why should that happen? The African struggle has not ended. What Dr Nkrumah stood and fought for has not been achieved, so why would we want to take him out of Ghanas history? I will not allow that and the party will not allow that either, he said. Funeral On her part, Nana Yaa Jantuah said plans were in place for the party to give Dr Nkrumah a befitting funeral which would take place in November, this year. "A befitting funeral he did not get; a restless soul which needs to rest is the bane of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. It is on this premise that the CPP and like-minded people in the diaspora and on the African Continent would organise a befitting funeral for Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, she noted. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, has called for reforms in party financing in the countrys democratic dispensation. He described as dangerous the rise of unbridled financial expenditure in both intra-party competition and national elections and emphasised the need to address the problems of political party financing. He made the call at the inauguration of the Prof. Mike Oquaye Centre for Constitutional Studies at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra last Tuesday. Concerns Prof. Oquaye, who is a constitutional scholar, said areas that needed to be examined included limitations on money to be expended during party primaries since the Constitution required that the internal management of the affairs of political parties should be in accordance with democratic principles. The reforms, he said, must, therefore, provide against vote-buying. At the national level, he said the screws must be tightened on the financial accountability of political parties with sanctions provided for and applied. Third, state funding of political parties needs a reconsideration. The process must be just and equitable to all political parties. But it cannot be a shield of mere survival for parasitic political parties which spring up on the eve of elections only to collect state largesse, he stated. Prof. Oquaye, who is also a former Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, said the principles to qualify and all relevant controls must be clearly identified together with appropriate offences and principles. He explained that the constitutional process must be inextricably linked with good governance and development in the country. We should seriously re-examine our governance as a people so that wherever a lacuna is found, we tighten the constitutional screws to achieve desired goals, he said. Citing the membership of MPs as board members of public corporations, he said although no provision specifically provided against that, it is clearly a case of conflict of interest as those who are to hold public corporations accountable are themselves members of the boards of such institutions. That, he added, flouted the principles of probity and accountability under the Constitution. To avoid all doubts, a constitutional mandate should be provided to prohibit this. Then no one can blame the President, he stated. Prof. Oquaye, who is also a former Ghana High Commissioner to India, said constitutionalism must beget good governance; and good governance must manifest, reflect and echo the glory of constitutionalism. Reforms He recalled the Constitutional Review Commission set up under late President Prof. John Evans Atta Mills to revisit the Constitution and come out with recommendations for improvement. Since then, floods of water have flowed under the bridge and this is a call to revisit constitutional issues which touch and concern the republic. Prof. Oquaye said the exercise proposed was not to rewrite the whole Constitution but to study and recommend areas where appropriate amendments, additions and subtractions may be made to strengthen the process towards democratisation, good governance, the rule of law, equity, justice and development in the republic. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A former New Patriotic Party(NPP) Parliamentary aspirant for Subin constituency, Villey Acheampong, has vehemently denied defrauding a businessman of GHc 700,000 in the sale of a house to the latter. Defraud By Pretence The businessman named Solomon Kwabi, a resident at Teshie in the Greater Accra Region, had expressed interest in buying a six-bedroom house displayed by the accused person, Valley Acheampong, selling at GHc 820,000. Solomon Kwabi is said to have paid an upfront of GHc 700,000 to Villey Acheampong and, afterward, requested the documents of the house to be made available to him, then he adds the remaining amount to complete his purchase of the house. But, according to the complainant, Mr. Acheampong failed to hand over the documents, so called for a refund of his money leading to a legal battle with the leaser. The complainant, Solomon Kwabi, reportedly filed a case with the Accra Circuit Court and Villey Acheampong was arrested and arraigned before the court on a charge of defrauding by pretence. A publication on radiogoldlive.com dated April 28, 2022 also indicated that Villey Acheampong is currently in Police custody for failing to meet a GHc 700,000 bail conditions. "In Court on Wednesday, April 27, the prosecutor ASP E. Nyamekye told the Court that, the Accused is still in custody because he has not met his bail conditions . . . counsel for the accused person, Lawyer Simon Animeley wanted a bail variation. But, the court said, he should apply formally to the High Court if he wants bail variation for his client. The case has been adjourned to May 19, 2022, for a case management conference," the publication stated. Rejoinder Setting the record straight, Villey Acheampong disclosed that all that has been published about him is an absolute falsehood. According to him, he wasn't given the opportunity to share his side of the story as his accuser hastily hopped to the media to make claims against him. In an interview with Peacefmonline.com to feed the general public with the factual details of the issue, Mr. Acheampong stated categorically that he hasn't defrauded any person and that the truth is he indeed offered a house on sale to Mr. Kwabi for the said amount. He explained that he offered the house for GHc 900,000 but after Solomon Kwabi paid GHc 720,000, he made a request for the house documents stating that the agreed amount is GHc 820,000 instead of the initial price of GHc 900,000. A misunderstanding broke out between him and the buyer and after back and forth arguments, the latter called for refund of his money of which Mr. Acheampong agreed to pay back the amount. He admits it was an honest business gone bad but what is shocking to him is media reports purporting he is a fraudster. Mr. Acheampong stressed he has no intention of defrauding nor keeping the money to himself. To him, his accuser has resorted to character assassination in attempt to debase his reputation, hence using the media to peddle lies about him. "We did business. Misunderstanding broke up about the price we bargained and he asked for refund. After 3 years of installment payment", an almost teary Villey Acheampong said and showed Whatsapp chats proving him refunding the money to the complainant, Solomon Kwabi. In a separate interview on Purefmonline.com, the accused stated; "I'm a real estate developer, sold a proprety to a friend way back in 2019 for which he has been paying in instalments. Suddenly, in 2022, he declined interest in the property and requested his money. I informed him to exercise patience while I sell the property and pay back. Before then, I had paid part of an amount he requested. The next thing I knew the matter was in court. Before the suit, he had early on requested for GHC 20k which I paid. After, I gave him 50000 cedis in court the same day." "Why would anyone want to tow this line just to disgrace a fellow?...Where, in this case, do I stand to defraud?", he queried, adding "it's my property and not stolen property and it's not as if I have gone into hiding". He also emphasized it is untrue that he is in Police custody for failing to meet bail conditions. "Look at this publication that was made yesterday. Now, they say I have been denied bail and I'm still in Police custody whereas I have been talking with you since last week and even this morning. So, why will these people keep saying all these lies?'', Valley Acheampong wondered as he continued to render his account to Peacefmonline.com. Mr. Acheampong is therefore calling on the pubic to ignore all publications and rumors of him defrauding someone and asserts he is a genuine person who's unfortunately had a bad transaction like in every normal business deal and is honestly refunding the money to settle this dispute amicably. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, has proposed that Members of Parliament (MPs) should not hold ministerial positions. According to Prof. Mike Oquaye, MPs playing dual roles fail to be effective in the execution of their parliamentary duties. Delivering a keynote address at the launch of Prof. Oquaye Centre for Constitutional Studies in Accra on Tuesday, April 26, the former Speaker stated that the appointment of Ministers from Parliament weakens the Legislative House. "The Presidents powers are legion. He has overwhelming powers of appointment and patronage. He is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Fountain of Mercy, and Fountain of Honor. Particular reference must be made to the legislature where Article 78 (i) mandates that the President should appoint majority of ministers from parliament. The general observation is that this has weakened parliament. MPs look forward to becoming Ministers. "Those who are not appointed as Ministers once their party is in power feel left out. In some cases, disappointed constituents vote against such MPs at primaries contributing to the huge attrition rate of MPs. The legislative work of parliament suffers because this is the second attraction to an MPs Oversight Responsibility and Accountability. They become ineffective as majority of MPs bend to the Executive praying that MPs fortune will smile on them," he argued. Prof. Mike Oquaye appealed to the Government of Ghana to revisit the 1979 Constitution and apply its provision that prohibits an MP from becoming a Minister. He expressed worry that "MPs/Ministers hardly have time for legislative work thus affecting the qualitative performance of Ministers/MPs". He added; "One tragedy of our system is that although a vote of censure against Ministers is provided for (Article 82- Clause 5), nonetheless, a Vote of Censure cannot remove the minister because the discretion rests with the President whether to remove or not to remove such Minister. Under the 1979 Constitution, no MP could also be a minister. We need to revisit this in order to strengthen the position of the MPs. Also, a Vote of censure would necessarily lead to the removal of a Minister." About Prof. Oquaye Centre The Prof. Oquaye Centre for Constitutional Studies has been established by the Institute of Economic Affairs to undertake a thorough study on proposals for review of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. It aims at broadening the understanding and application of constitutionalism at all levels of governance and daily lives of Ghanaians and translating the Constitution to the simplest terms and local languages to be taught in schools, churches, mosques and civil society. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Charles Owusu, a former Progressive People's Party (PPP) member, has called on the Ghana Police Service to conduct thorough investigations into the arrest of two men who posed as Police officers at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) constituency elections. Two men, John Essel Baah and Enoch Kwame Bosompem, clad in Police uniforms were arrested at Okaikoi South constituency during the elections on Thursday, April 28, 2022, creating an impression that they were security personnel. There were agitations at the voting centre in the constituency after some members alleged that about 400 names had been removed from the register. Four delegates were reportedly arrested for obstructing the elections. John Essel Baah and Enoch Kwame Bosompem, according to a Police statement, were spotted at the Okaikoi South Constituency where the voting was taking place but we would like to emphatically state that the two suspects are not Police Officers. Meanwhile, they are in custody as the investigation continues. We wish to assure the public that they will be taken through the due process of the law, the Police concluded. Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Charles Owusu implored the Police to ensure the necessary punitive action is taken against the suspects. "I think, by now, National Security should have issued a statement and sacked those people . . . It amazes and scares me that if whatever security organizations they belong to and I'm not sure they are private security, but if they are, the Police investigations must come out for us to see and shouldn't be hidden," he demanded. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Award-winning Rapper and "Made In Ghana" Ambassador, Okyeame Kwame has shared a profound message on Facebook offering a deeper insight into religion and why he thinks humans are better off without religion. The evergreen rapper and philosopher also provided a distinction between knowing God and believing in God while maintaining strongly he is not an atheist. The post he made reads; Sunday reflection Im not an Atheist, I just question everything, A few weeks ago someone commented under one of my reflections saying you dont believe in God why do you say God should bless Sadhguru? My response was very simple, I have never said or written anywhere that I dont believe in God. Of course, the debate went on and on and people called me all sorts of names including Atheist. How can you call me an Atheist when at least twice every week Im on social media saying God should bless someone? I think I know where the problem is coming from, I once wrote that we should rather know God and not just believe God. Knowing is absolute but belief is unsure. If I tell my wife I believe I love her, she might slap me, but if I say I know I love you, you know the rest. In court testimony, If I say I believe I witnessed the action, the judge might lock me up for contempt but I know what happened is a testimony. Saying I believe there is God and I know there is God are two separate things. God is a German word that means force. So when I say God bless you, what I mean is, may the force of the universe bless you. I guess the conflict is in which force? the Jewish force, the Arabian force, the African force, the European force, the Akan force, the Ewe force or the Universal force? Religion has divided man into groups based on history, culture, traditions and ideologies. This division has created false loyalty or loyalties to our individual groups based on our identity and the power of the God that the group fears and worships. Due to this, man is blinded to the oneness and the universality of God. Most thinkers agree with the Akans that there is only one God, (Onyame Kro Pon). Since the spirit behind the universe is not an object, then it stand to reason that it cannot be counted. So why are we fighting over who has the best God? No matter which religion one belongs to, I think it is safe to say that one of the key characters of this force is love and where is the presence of this love when we keep dividing ourselves into groups, sects and religions? Is the Buddhist not preaching love to all ? Is the Muslim not doing same? Didnt Christ say the greatest is love? Are the Africans not preaching Ubuntu ( I am because you are)?. If the answer is yes, then why do we allow ancient ideologies to divide us in 2022? I know there is God. I interact with it everyday. It is in me, it is in you, it is in the cow, the snake, rock and in everything visible and invisible. I deal with God everyday, because I deal with you everyday. As much as I try ,I know I will only feel God ( force) and not See God .So you are the God I serve and if I cant forgive and be kind to you, I must shut up about the invisible force. My questions Is your God different from mine ? Will a loving God be happy that His/Her children fight over who He loves Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Media, Brands And Culture Expert, King Kwasi Kyei Darkwah (KKD) has condemned the governments decision to pay Neutrality Allowance to Public Sector Workers. There has been some form of disputations in recent times over the issue of the Political Neutrality Allowance following the strike by some Public Sector Workers under the Civil and Local Government Service Staff, CLOGSAG since Thursday, April 21st, 2022. The Political Neutrality Allowance is an allowance to be paid to Civil and Local Government Workers to remain neutral in discharging their duties without engaging in partisanship. Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show with Thelma Tackie, King Kwasi Kyei Darkwah hammered home on the point made by the Actor, Oscar Provencal showing displeasure in the reason for such allowance to be paid to workers. Who are the people who accepted this? We have to ensure that those people do not serve in any office in government for at least 15 years. Its stupidity, he professed. Such allowance if implemented would raise a lot of allowance requests by other working groups, as some have arguably stated, to caution the government. He has asked that, is it necessary to pay someone a neutrality allowance for doing what is expected of him? Why are we asking to be paid neutrality allowance to do what is in the Constitution? It is in the Constitution that when you work in the Civil Service, youll be neutral, he asserted. Further with his viewpoint, he said that people want to be called leaders and bosses, but in reality, they have been appointed to serve and the eagerness to give them some recognition and accolade without them doing what is expected of them, makes them behave the way they do. We have elected them to serve us, not to Lord over uspay you a neutrality allowance for doing your job? Then every citizen needs to be paid that too, he said brusquely. Source: Gbcghanaonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Conservative member of Parliament Leona Alleslev announces her candidacy for the Conservative leadership during a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. Alleslev says she has failed to raise the thousands of dollars needed to make it as a candidate in the party's leadership race. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Sebastin Kolman of Los Angeles, California will lead 21 more survivors into Sundays final day of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Sycuan Showdown Series $1,100 Main Event with a massive 584,000 chips. Hell be joined by a whos who of the MSPT as Rob Wazwaz (310,000), DJ Buckley (188,000), and Rich Alsup (136,000) all bagged to join the nine survivors from Day 1a. A large part of Kolmans stack came courtesy of a huge miscue by Jeffrey Jordan who ran his pair of nines preflop into Kolmans kings after moving all-in for over 70 big blinds effective. Kolman never looked back and continued to grow his stack right until the end of the night. Alsup looked to be cruising into Day 2 until the second to last level when his pocket aces were cracked by David Avinas pocket queens, leaving him with just 10 big blinds. The MSPT Hall of Famer battled back to bag a healthy 136,000, while Avina did not survive the day. Alsups may not have been the best comeback story of the day though, as Thuy (TK) Kawano fought back from just over 10,000 chips midway through the day to find herself a bag with 109,000 chips at the end of the night. Other big stacks heading to Day 2 included Ulisese Liaina (492,000), Stephen S. ODwyer (344,000), and Andres Moran (328,000). Sycuan Showdown Series Main Event Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts RANK PLAYER COUNTRY CHIP COUNT 1 Sebastin Kolman United States 584,000 2 Ulisese Liaina American Samoa 492,000 3 Stephen S. ODwyer United States 344,000 4 Andres Moran Mexico 328,000 5 Rob Wazwaz United States 310,000 6 David Mann United States 278,000 7 Rich Lanes United States 254,000 8 Abdulkadir Bulle Canada 198,000 9 DJ Buckley United States 188,000 10 Genefredo Legaspi United States 186,000 The second of three opening flights drew a field of 182 players, adding to the 79 who fired on Day 1a. With 261 entries already, and Day 1c Saturday expected to draw a huge field, the $300,000 guarantee is now guaranteed to be shattered. Among those that will need that final chance on Day 1c after busting this flight are WSOP bracelet winners Adam Friedman, Jim Collopy, and Justin Lapka, along with MSPT Sycuan January Main Event champion Gianluca Pace. Theyll have their shot Saturday at 3 pm and PokerNews will be there for all the action, so be sure to join us then. MSPT Showdown Series Remaining Schedule Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Emily Williams is a business reporter at The Post and Courier, covering tourism and aerospace. She also writes the Business Headlines newsletter and co-hosts the weekly news podcast Understand SC. The S.C. Department of Education will provide $14.5 million to three groups supporting summer and after-school programs in the state. The money comes from federal emergency relief funds the state received, much of which is slated to help address learning loss that students experienced during the pandemic. The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to creating statewide after-school programs, will receive $12 million to expand summer and after-school programs in districts and community organizations, according to an April 19 press release from the education department. "By working with the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance, we can grow proven programs and create new ones that will serve our students and their families now and into the future," Superintendent Molly Spearman said in the release. The Department of Education estimates the money will help serve 45 organizations and 4,000 students in its first year. As part of the partnership, SCAA will offer grant opportunities to help school districts and community organizations with their after-school programs. Those that receive the grants will get professional development and other support services. "There is no doubt the pandemic has impacted student learning and their families, but assisting students who have been affected the most requires extensive support from local and state partnerships," Zelda Waymer, president and CEO of the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance, said in the press release. Sign up for our Education Lab newsletter. Email Sign Up! During the pandemic, K-12 students across the nation experienced academic setbacks because their learning was disrupted. In South Carolina, about 43 percent of students met or exceeded expectations in English Language arts, and approximately 37 percent did the same in mathematics during the 2020-21 school year, according to Department of Education report card data. The number is down from about 45 percent meeting or exceeding expectations in both English and math during the 2018-19 school year. Across the nation, educators found that these academic downturns were more substantial for students of color or low-income students. The other two groups that received funds were the Columbia Urban League, a nonprofit that supports financial stability and racial inclusion in communities, and Wings for Kids, a nonprofit that works with educators on social emotional learning. Columbia Urban League was given $1 million to help support parent programs, and Wings for Kids received $1.5 million to put toward afterschool programs. Donate to our Investigative Fund to support journalism like this Our public service and investigative reporting is among the most important work we do. Its also the most expensive reporting we do. We cant do it without your support. Donate Now The S.C. Department of Education will provide $14.5 million to three groups supporting summer and after-school programs in the state. The money comes from federal emergency relief funds the state received, much of which is slated to help address learning loss that students experienced during the pandemic. The South Carolina Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to creating statewide after-school programs, will receive $12 million to expand summer and after-school programs in districts and community organizations, according to an April 19 press release from the education department. "By working with the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance, we can grow proven programs and create new ones that will serve our students and their families now and into the future," Superintendent Molly Spearman said in the release. The Department of Education estimates the money will help serve 45 organizations and 4,000 students in its first year. As part of the partnership, SCAA will offer grant opportunities to help school districts and community organizations with their after-school programs. Those that receive the grants will get professional development and other support services. "There is no doubt the pandemic has impacted student learning and their families, but assisting students who have been affected the most requires extensive support from local and state partnerships," Zelda Waymer, president and CEO of the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance, said in the press release. During the pandemic, K-12 students across the nation experienced academic setbacks because their learning was disrupted. In South Carolina, about 43 percent of students met or exceeded expectations in English Language arts, and approximately 37 percent did the same in mathematics during the 2020-21 school year, according to Department of Education report card data. The number is down from about 45 percent meeting or exceeding expectations in both English and math during the 2018-19 school year. Across the nation, educators found that these academic downturns were more substantial for students of color or low-income students. The other two groups that received funds were the Columbia Urban League, a nonprofit that supports financial stability and racial inclusion in communities, and Wings for Kids, a nonprofit that works with educators on social emotional learning. Columbia Urban League was given $1 million to help support parent programs, and Wings for Kids received $1.5 million to put toward afterschool programs. Donate to our Investigative Fund to support journalism like this Our public service and investigative reporting is among the most important work we do. Its also the most expensive reporting we do. We cant do it without your support. Donate Now CONWAY Vanessa Ellerbe Wyche leader of NASA's spaceflight hub overseeing the astronaut corps, mission control center and International Space Station is coming back to her hometown to deliver the commencement address at Coastal Carolina University on May 7. Wyche became director of NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston in June 2021 after working with the space agency since 1989, including as flight manager for several space shuttle missions. Wyche said she was "humbled and honored" to deliver the CCU commencement address. "At NASAs Johnson Space Center, I have a front row seat to history, as Im privileged to lead more than 11,000 employees who work each day to dare, unite and explore and lead the world in human space exploration," Wyche said in a statement released by the space agency. "I plan to discuss NASAs missions and challenge the Chanticleer Class of 2022 to reach for the stars with their own next giant leap. Her projects at NASA include new planned manned moon missions that will lead to Mars exploration programs and put the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface as well as development of spacecraft for deep-space missions. She said her work with NASA includes building a foundation in schools by strengthening higher education and online classes to prepare a new generation "to code, calculate, design, and discover its way to a new era of American innovation." That work also includes supporting underrepresented communities in science and technology fields. Wyche is the first woman of color to direct the Johnson Space Center. Wyche grew up in Conway as the youngest of five children to two educators who encouraged her interests that included tap dancing, gymnastics and Girl Scouts. A grade school biology teacher saw her passion for science and offered motivation into what became her career. She graduated from Conway High School before heading to Clemson University where she received a bachelor's degree in engineering and a master's degree in bioengineering. Wyches sister, Sylvia Hickman, described the NASA leader as extremely smart, kind, creative and involved. Wyche volunteers with the local schools because she is a big advocate for kids, Hickman added. She participated in a lot of different activities when we were growing up everything from Girl Scouts to gymnastics to cheerleading to piano lessons. She was very, very well-rounded, Hickman said. Her son is an Eagle Scout, and Vanessa was the person who was there, helping him along the way not only for her son but for other Eagle Scouts as well." Hickman said her sister's organizational and leadership skills are impressive and not just when planning a space mission. When were planning something like a vacation, Vanessas the person that designates what you are going to do, and we all fall in line, she said. I am so blessed to have her as my sister, and I dont think God does anything unintentionally. Conway Mayor Barbara Jo Blain-Bellamy, the city's first Black mayor, said her family attended Cherry Hill Missionary Baptist Church together along with Wyche and her family. Ive known Vanessa since she was born and I watched her grow up, said Blain-Bellamy, who addressed CCU graduates in 2018. Both of her parents were educators. I knew that their children stood out as very bright and that the standards in their home were perhaps a step above those of typical households at the time. They saw books as an open door to all possibilities. Blain-Bellamy said she was in awe of how Wyche grew through NASA's ranks. I was surprised. Were talking about space science and this is something so different but as I think back, theres nothing about who this little girl appeared to be that would make me stunned about her accomplishments, the mayor said. She took the high road. She went big and she didnt go home. Blain-Bellamy thinks Wyches commencement speech will offer encouragement to young women. I think overall it will be a real humble presentation on what those possibilities are and the importance of those early steps enjoying books, for example, she said. CCU President Michael Benson said he was elated when he found out Wyche agreed to deliver the school's commencement address. I have followed NASA, space travel and the conquest of space since I was a kid, he told Post and Courier Myrtle Beach. I grew up in Dallas and everybody knows about the Johnson Space Center in Houston. To have someone from literally our own backyard that is now the director is astounding. Benson said he is pleased to have a key leader in a government agency that has long inspired so many students coming to campus. This sets us apart from a lot of other countries in terms of our commitment, what we are willing to invest and how it showcased the brilliance of so many people for so long and worked so hard," Benson said. "I would include Vanessa Wyche in that category. Shes been a part of science and technology at the forefront in so many ways. The residential house at 133 Cannon St. in Charlestons Cannonborough-Elliottborough neighborhood is painted a calming shade of light green. The two-story home has two covered porches, a triple-window and an old-fashioned lamp illuminating the front door. Next to the entryway is a plaque telling visitors the home won the prestigious Carolopolis Award in 2020 from the Preservation Society of Charleston given to exceptional projects that protect historic resources in Charleston and the Lowcountry. Six years ago, the house was termite-ridden and boarded up after suffering from nearly two decades of neglect because of a long-running standoff between the neighborhood association that wanted to save the home and property developers who wanted to tear the dilapidated building down. Local residents believed the building would remain in that state forever, until Tift Mitchell decided to purchase it in 2018. Mitchell was a real estate agent who had just started his own real estate brokerage and development group, Tift Properties. He had done small-scale renovation work helping friends and referral contacts fix up historic homes in the area, assisting them with navigating the various hurdles with the Charleston Board of Architectural Review and city zoning laws. But he wanted to work on larger projects. He purchased 131 Cannon St., a building next to the 133 property that was also run-down, for $737,000 with his own money in 2017. He bought the second property in 2018 for $560,000, sure that he could revitalize both buildings in a way that aligned with the neighborhoods preservation goals. Then COVID-19 hit. The standoff 133 Cannon St. was formerly owned by the downtown Charleston real estate developer Patterson Smith. He purchased the building in 2015 for about $350,000 with the intention of tearing it down and turning it into a small park. By then, the house had the lowest ranking on the citys scale of historically significant properties. A 2016 Post and Courier search of city property records found that the buildings rear was torn down in 1994, and that its upper porch was removed in 2007 because it was at risk of caving in. Smith told The Post and Courier in a 2016 interview he thought everyone would agree that the building needed to be torn down. But the neighborhood association came out against him. Since he couldnt remove the property, he simply walked away. He told The Post and Courier he planned to wrap a chain link fence around it and leave the falling-apart building as is, saying that one of his rights as a homeowner was to do nothing. Mitchell approached him shortly afterward and purchased the property. He hired Andrew Gould, an architect from the firm New World Byzantine that specializes in historical architecture. Together they decided it would be best to restore the two historic buildings and construct three new ones on the now-conjoined properties. By combining the two lots we changed the density requirements and could build more buildings on that piece of land, Mitchell said. Because it's so costly to do something like this, we wanted to spread out the cost of it. Mitchell met with the heads of the neighborhood association and got their plans approved by them before making any major changes. What helped was that Mitchell and Gould lived in the neighborhood and showed the association they were invested in giving back to the community. Their plan was to redesign parts of the two existing historical houses and turn them into residential properties that could be rented out. They also wanted to construct a building in between the two existing ones that would house Mitchells office on the bottom floor and have rental residential units on the top. Mitchell and Gould then planned to build two more residential rental properties in the backyard behind the existing building. The two had a silent partner who helped with construction costs. The pandemic hit when two buildings were completed and they had 70 percent occupancy. But by about May 2020 those two buildings had approximately 20 percent occupancy. All the money we saw coming in got canceled within two weeks, he said. The silent business partner told Mitchell to just trust his own judgment, and Mitchell went forward with the project. In 2021 the buildings, collectively called Wrens Nest, were completed. The 133 address had the original staircase from the 1800s as well as the original fireplace. The two houses in the back, which Mitchell calls brother and sister houses, are done in an architectural style more synonymous with New Orleans, with iron railings. Mitchells wife, Taylor Mitchell, did the interior designs for all the homes. They commissioned a local artist, Dos Bandidos, to create some paintings for all the homes that can be viewed throughout the properties. One thing that Mitchell said helped with the costs of the project was the abandoned building tax credit that he received. The tax credits are awarded as part of South Carolinas Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act and are offered as a way to promote the rehabilitation of eligible empty or underutilized buildings, according to the Municipal Association of South Carolinas website. Mitchell said these credits can be sold to another party to use on their tax returns. Mitchell has recently purchased an underutilized building at 114 Cannon St. that he intends to turn into a commercial property. He will work with the same architectural and design team on the upcoming project. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Accusations lodged in March by Guam Visitors Bureau President Carl Gutierrez against his agency's board are under review by the Guam Ethics Commission, but that's essentially all that can be said about the matter, according to ethics commission Executive Director Jesse Quenga. The commission did not discuss the issue during its meeting on March 31, as it was not part of the meeting agenda at the time. Quenga previously said that they would be scheduling another meeting to discuss the case. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. But the issue was not on the April 22 meeting agenda either, although there were a number of issues listed under "closed proceedings." These cases consisted of six issues that were part of the commission's March meeting agenda, plus four new cases. Quenga said he could not comment on whether the GVB matter was one of the "closed proceedings" cases. "The GVB matter is not one that can be discussed publicly while it is under review by the commission," Quenga told The Guam Daily Post. During the GVB meeting on March 24, Gutierrez accused GVB board members of violating the Open Government Law by meeting in private and of being unethical for voting on programs that benefit their businesses. He lodged another accusation during an April meeting, after a motion to approve a third-quarter marketing budget of $417,740 for the Taiwan market failed to pass. Gutierrez said he believed it was a "political thing" against Taiwan. GVB board director Akihiro Tani and others denied that was the case. Its been a few days since we checked in on one of President Bidens appearances and remarks. Yesterday the White House staged a Meeting with Inspectors General to Discuss his Long-Standing Commitment to Oversight, Accountability, and Transparency When Delivering Results for All Americans, as the caption on the White House video puts it. Biden spoke after several of those in attendance made remarks that he seemed to follow in a notebook in front of him. The White House transcript of Bidens remarks begins in medias res at about 7:30 of the video and omits the mind-numbing comments of those who spoke before Bidens own mind-numbing comments. Biden began with a walk down memory lane that set the theme of his remarks: When youre these are some of the the Recovery Act was about $900 billion and the President used to always President Obama used to like to always kid with me when he did the State of the Union message. Hed never tell me what he was going to say because I presided over the the joint session as Vice President. And when we it was a big gamble to decide we were going to spend $900 billion trying to get the economy back on its feet. And the President said, And, by the way, were going to make sure Im turning it over to Joe. And he started calling me Sheriff Joe. Well, the first thing I did was go to Earl Devaney and other inspectors general and said, Look, were going to need a lot of work here. Because, look, the one thing Ive learned and you did when you were the mayor and is that people expect us to do what we say, and they dont always get what they expect from elected officials. He seemed challenged to recall Obamas name, but more to the point: what was Biden talking about? Even students of ancient history may be challenged to recall the $900 billion to which Biden referred. Biden was alluding to the unnamed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that authorized stimulus spending to launch shovel-ready projects in the name of bringing back the good times. The pitch was shovel-ready, the projects not so much. It didnt take long for sentient observers to note the failure of the bill to perform as advertised. By 2010, despite, or perhaps because of, the supervision of Sheriff Joe, Obama acknowledged that theres no such thing as shovel-ready projects when it comes to public works. Michael Barone drew a slightly different lesson from the spending fiasco: The $787 billion stimulus package passed in February [Ed.: It turned out to be closer to $900 billion], we were told, would hold unemployment down to 8 percent. It reached 9.5 percent in June, and economists of all political stripes believe[d] it w[ould] rise further. Obama let congressional appropriators write the stimulus package, and they larded it with pet projects that w[ould]nt come on line for years. This was predictableand widely predicted. Obama let congressional appropriators write the stimulus package, and they larded it with pet projects that wont come on line for years. Immediate deficit dollars were channeled to state and local governments, to insulate public employee unions from the sharp edges of the recession. Obama might have set down markers to Congress, insisting that a larger share of funds be spent much sooner. He declined to do so. By 2012, Obama jocularly put it this way: Shovel-ready was not as shovel-ready as we expected. Yuk yuk. Where had you gone, Sheriff Joe? Our nation turned its lonely eyes to you. According to Biden speaking yesterday, however, that $900 billion bill was heralded as one of the most well-run programs in American history, in terms of size, scope, and did it do what it said it was going to do. Anthony Randazzos 2013 study of the act for Reason concluded Stimulus jobs vanish! Yesterdays show had a point. The point was that the gusher of federal spending Biden has unleashed will be well spent on dilapidated bridges and the like to achieve the advertised purpose. The history that Biden vaguely recalled at the outset of his remarks does not exactly support the proposition. Sheriff Joe, Whats past is prologue would be more like it. Quotable quote: No, Im not joking. I I really mean it. As Scott noted yesterday, the Department of Homeland Security has established a Disinformation Governance Board to combat misinformation ahead of the 2022 midterms. Administration spokespeople have widened the alleged portfolio of this group to include covid, election integrity, and much else. The announcement has been greeted with both outrage and ridicule. In a press conference earlier today, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took on the Disinformation Governance Board along with a broader indictment of the Biden administration. I think it is a good example of DeSantiss skill at communication: he talks in a way that everyone can understand, and just about everyone will agree with. The relevant discussion starts at 1:26 and winds up at 6:30: The Executive Director of Bidens Misinformation Governance Board is one Nina Jankowicz, an avowed free speech opponent and herself a peddler of disinformation as, for example, the absurd claim that Hunter Bidens business records were a Russian plant. She has been ridiculed on other grounds as well. For example, this performance, where she yearns to be rich, famous and powerful. A particularly striking lyric by Ms. Jankowicz goes, Who do I f*** to be famous and powerful? This was, in a way, prescient. Jankowicz has gone on the warpath against those who dare to criticize Kamala Harris. Denouncing those who have mocked Harris on social media, Jankowicz wrote: There is much worse, alleging that Vice-President Harris slept her way to the top. But that statement is true. It is not disputed that Harris was for years the very public illicit mistress of Willie Brown, Californias most powerful politician. Nor is it disputed that Brown greased Harriss path as she rose in California politics, to the point where she became a U.S. senator without ever being seriously tested. This is why Harris ascended all the way to the vice presidency before it was widely noticed that she possesses no perceptible political skills. Willie Brown, who knows his protege much better than the rest of us, publicly advised her not to accept the vice presidential nod. Given Joe Bidens decrepitude, there is a fair chance that Kamala Harris will be President of the United States. Our country, and frankly the Democratic Party, would be better off if her qualifications had been more openly debated. But that is the sort of conversation that the Biden administration and its press and social media allies want to foreclose. A final point: earlier today, the ridiculous Jen Psaki tried to defend the Disinformation Board on the ground that it was created during the Trump administration: Psaki said the boards efforts are part of a continuation of work that began at the Department of Homeland Security in 2020, under former President Trump. Asked by Heinrich how Jankowicz can serve as an effective board leader based on prior comments, which include public support for the Democratic Party and dismissal of the Hunter Biden laptop story, Psaki reiterated that the work began under the prior administration. For anyone whos critical of it, I didnt hear them being critical of the work under the former president, which is interesting to note contextually, Psaki said as she outlined a fact sheet released by the department that explains the boards mission. It would be fun to learn more about this. When during 2020 did the work of DHS begin? What exactly was that work, of which the current bureau is a continuation? Did Trump ever hear about it, whatever it was? Did the Trump administration ever appoint an Executive Director of a Disinformation Governance Board? (No.) Can you imagine the response from the Democratic Party press if President Trump had announced a Disinformation Governance Board to censor views that dissented from his administrations policies on illegal immigration, trade, and so on? No, really, I dont think we can imagine it. The Biden administration is so bad that it is tempting, from day to day, to think that it cant possibly get worse. The establishment of the Disinformation Governance Board and the appointment of Nina Jankowicz to run it are evidence that, however bad things seem, they can indeed get worse. And probably will. Popular Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has formed an advocacy group aimed at championing the rights of Fulani herders. Mr Gumi announced the creation of the group known as Nomadic Rights Concern (NORIC) during his Ramadan sermon at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna. He said it will bring attention to the abuses and violations of rights of Fulani herders. We found it worthwhile to establish Nomadic Rights Concern (NORIC) to be headed by Professor Umar Labbo. NORIC is supposed to be a channel whereby Nomads will have their complaints and agitation addressed to the right authorities. So many have complaints about the loss of family members. Others are in the prisons of security apparatus for many years without offence and trial in a competent court of justice. The organisation was established to address these fallouts, hopefully, nomads will follow the civil ways in addressing their grievances away from violence, its said that violence is the language of the unheard, Mr Gumi said. He said the nomads will channel their grievances to the NORIC, which will help them take legal means of getting redress. Emulate your colleague, drop your weapons Mr Gumi also used the sermon to appeal to armed bandits operating in the countrys Northwest region to accept peace and let go of their weapons. We appeal to you (the armed bandits) to fear God and take the path of peace. You should emulate one of you who have just unconstitutionally, released all captives under him, he repented and seek Gods forgiveness, Mr Gumi said. He did not state the name of the bandit leader he was referring to. On the Kaduna train attack, the cleric called on the gunmen to release all the captives and channel their grievances civilly. Before he created the organisation, Mr Gumi had visited some of the armed bandits and cattle herders in the forests in Zamfara and Niger states. He also took medical services to them and has been urging the Federal Government to grant them amnesty, as they did to the Niger Delta militants. The Ramadan lecture attracted thousands of in-person listeners and viewers on Facebook via Facebook Live. Meanwhile, during the lecture, Mr Gumi presented awards of excellence to the publisher of Desert Herald Newspaper, Tukur Mamu, and Ishaq Akintola, a professor, and the founder, of Muslims Right Concern, (MURIC). He said the duo had distinguished themselves in speaking up for the oppressed. Five people were feared killed on Friday when gunmen invaded Osumenyi Community in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigerias South-east. The incident reportedly occurred at about 8:30 p.m. Ikechukwu Enyi, a resident of the area, told PREMIUM TIMES that the gunmen opened fire on some persons drinking in a beer parlour. It happened around 8:30 p.m. They (gunmen) came to Uto Ndu beer parlour and started shooting people there, Mr Enyi said. He said the owner of the beer parlour, a woman, was among the people killed by the gunmen. I could not get so close to count the corpses, but they were up to five persons (that were killed), he said. Another resident, who asked not to be named, said the gunmen have been killing people in the area, but authorities appear to be silent. Some persons, who escaped, were seriously injured. Three to five persons were killed, but the casualty figure may increase, he said. PREMIUM TIMES saw a viral video clip of the incident, in which about three corpses were evacuated by some residents with a Sienna vehicle. Some family members of the victims were heard mourning the killing of their loved ones by the gunmen. My brothers I brag with, where are they, where are they now? a woman was heard lamenting as she cried. When contacted, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was not aware of the attack. I do not have such a report before me, Mr Ikenga told PREMIUM TIMES Saturday evening. Attacks by gunmen have increased in the South-east in recent times. The latest attack comes about a month after gunmen killed a security guard on duty during an attack on the local government headquarters. The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the South-east. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks. The separatist group is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria. The leader of the secessionist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for treason. Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has said that it was not easy aspiring to be president while serving as a state governor at the same time. Mr Mohammed said this while hosting the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), media chiefs, and Traders Artisans Association to a Ramadan fast break (Iftar), on Friday, at the Government House, Bauchi. He said that his move to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries ahead of the 2023 general election was to serve the best interest of Nigerians. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Northern PDP Elders Forum led by Ango Abdullahi, on April 23, endorsed former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and Mr Mohammed as the partys northern consensus presidential candidates. The forum said its decision was based on certain criteria adopted in assessing the four presidential hopefuls from the north who presented themselves for the exercise. Mr Mohammed said that, this Ramadan has been very beneficial, I apologised that I have not been able to do it the way I did it last year because I have had to run up and down trying to be president and at the same time trying to be governor. It is not easy to be in all places at the same time but I am doing it for you because we have to put Bauchi on the map. There are some more eminently qualified people to do governorship and presidency in Bauchi. We hid behind for too long and it is time for us to accept with humility and present ourselves so that we can provide services to this country. We are going to do it with humility and as democrats, whatever happens, it is to the glory of God. The governor, who decried spate of porosity in the states payroll, called on any civil servant who had not been paid his salaries to come forward for effective investigation and solution. Mr Mohammed said that his administration was working in collaboration with the NLC in the state to deal with the ghost worker syndrome. The labour union has really supported us. Today; we are proud, our local governments are paying their salaries on their own and in time without anybody saying he has been defaulted, he said. He said the government was working through the office of the states Head of Service and NLC, to address leakages in its payroll, and to ensure that everything is right. We have always said that if there is any person not being paid his salary, please, without arrogance, with all humility, let him come forward. We are ready to pay such a person. We are ready to look at the system because the payroll has been destroyed. So, nobody should blackmail us that we are not paying salaries. We are paying salaries along with gratuities, the governor said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by journalists, labour and trade union leaders in the state. (NAN) Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, would lead a team of personalities to the 2022 Alumni luncheon of the University of Lagos Faculty of Engineering Alumni Association. Dideolu Falobi, the national chairman of the University of Lagos Faculty of Engineering Alumni Association (UNILAGFEAA), said this in a statement. The two governors are alumni of the association. Gbenga Daniel, another alumnus of the association, will be the chairman of the occasion, according to Mr Falobi. The event will hold on May 5, 2022, at Raddison Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State by 10 a.m. Abimbola Akinajo, the managing director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), will deliver a lecture with the theme Lagos Mass Transit Project: The journey so far and Investment Opportunities. Mr Falobi said the event would hold under the auspices of the Special Projects Committee of the association, which has been saddled with the delivery of strategic projects identified by the faculty. He listed some of the projects to include the upgrade of existing laboratories and learning facilities and the extension of three office blocks which would provide 12 office spaces for lecturers. Others are the extension of four existing classroom blocks which will provide 116 classroom seats for students and a new two-level building that will comprise a Wi-Fi enabled study centre and 60-seater restaurant, among others. The statement called on all alumni of the engineering faculty of the university to be in attendance, emphasising that the event would be a veritable networking opportunity, a reunion, and an avenue to give back to alma mater. Abdulwaheed Akani, an Ibadan-based landlord on Friday, told a Mapo Grade A Customary Court in Ibadan that his tenants, Oluwatosin Ogunbadejo and Blessing Olapade, want to drive him to an early grave. Testifying, Mr Akani also alleged that Messrs Ogunbadejo (male) and Olapade (female) brutalised him in order to disobey laid down security rules in the neighbourhood. The petitioner, who was led in evidence by his counsel, A.B. Bello, said his two tenants on October 1, 2021, signed an agreement to be law-abiding. Due to the security challenges occasioned by cultism and armed robbery in our neighbourhood, in the agreement with the DPO of Sango police station, it was agreed that every tenant must lock his/her door by 10 p.m. However, the two respondents failed to keep to the rule. Ogunbadejo accused me of living the back door, which is next to his own room, open. Consequently, he entered my room and smashed a stool on my head. A female neighbour living nearby rushed in to rescue me, pleading with him to let me be, Mr Akani said. The landlord added that Mrs Olapade, the second respondent, was married to a police officer. Because she was married to a policeman, she had the guts to misbehave. I was attacked twice by the first respondent, he said. He said that he has had cause to report the matter at the Sango police station, but no action was taken. My lord, I pray the court to order the respondents to pay my medical bill, Mr Akani said. Mr Akani tendered all the videos, audio, and other exhibits of his alleged assault before the court. He also tendered all the medical bills from the private hospital and Adeoyo Maternity Hospital. The two respondents were, however, absent at the proceeding. The President of the Court, S.M. Akintayo, consequently ordered the summon of the respondents and witnesses. Mrs Akintayo adjourned the suit until June 7 for continuation of the trial. (NAN) The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has rejected the proposal that political parties should make drug integrity tests part of its screening requirements for aspirants seeking elective offices in the 2023 general election. The national chairman of IPAC, Yabagi Sani, said this in a statement. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had proposed that political parties should carry out drug tests on all aspirants seeking to contest political offices on their platforms. Mr Sani described the proposal as outrageous, outlandish, preposterous, despicable and deliberate attack on the sensibilities of lovers of democracy in Nigeria. The awkward proposal portrays politicians as drug addicts who must be certified fit to run for various elective offices by the agency. It is reprehensible and unacceptable, he said. Mr Sani demanded an apology from NDLEA. He advised the anti-narcotic agency to desist from impugning the character and integrity of politicians, including those contesting for president who are patriotic and highly respected. It is high time we begin to show regard for the nations political leaders as obtainable in other democracies. It is obvious that political parties activities are guided by the 1999 Constitution as amended, the Electoral Act 2022, INEC guidelines/regulations, and respective parties guidelines. There is no justification whatsoever for extra-constitutional requirements as proposed by the NDLEA. This is the position of the Supreme Court ahead of the contentious 2003 general election where it held that INEC had no power to impose nomination fees on aspirants vying for elective offices outside the requirements provided by the constitution. This is the clear position of the law and the position of IPAC for aspirants seeking political offices in the 2023 general elections. Mr Sani said the NDLEAs proposal would not distract political parties. He added that IPAC would continue to uphold democratic ideals, ethics, and ethos as parties jointly build a better, greater, and prosperous democratic society. IPAC strongly condemns drug abuse by misguided citizens and urges NDLEA to discharge its duties in tandem with the law establishing. (NAN) Political leaders in Agege Local Government on Saturday purchased nomination and expression of interest forms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly. The leaders, under the aegis of the Agege Leadership Council, unveiled the forms at the residence of the Agege APC Apex Leader, Safari Adaranijo. They said they contributed to raise the funds for the purchase of the forms. The APC fixed the cost of nomination and expression of interest forms for states houses of assembly at N2 million. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Obasa is currently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia performing the Umrah (lesser hajj). According to Mr Adaranijo, the effort is meant to urge Obasa to speak again as Speaker of the House and to express their love, support and appreciation to him for playing positive roles in the development and progress of Agege. He noted that Mr Obasas performance had made the constituency to witness unprecedented development. We, the leaders of APC in Agege and the entire members of the party in Agege, decided to get these forms for our Rt. Hon. Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, because hes a performer and we are lucky to have him. Talking about the bridge, roads in Agege, Obasa is excellent, thats partly why we, the leaders of APC, decided to get these forms for him. As speaker, he became chairman of the Conference of Speakers in Nigeria; when we look at legislative duties in Nigeria today, Lagos is number one Thats the reason why we want him to come and speak again the way he has been speaking good for Lagos State, Mr Adaranijo said. NAN reports that the APC leaders in the constituency were endorsing Mr Obasa to return to the House of Assembly in 2023 for a sixth term. The leaders applauded Mr Obasas contribution towards the development of Lagos State and reaffirmed their belief that he had the experience and the capacity to continue as the Speaker. Some of the leaders present at the event include the first Executive Chairman of Agege LGA, Gani Dada; former Assembly members Rotimi Adesina and Adebayo Ashimiu; as well as APC chairmen in Agege LGA and Orile-Agege LCDA, Tunde Azeez and Olaniyi Ojo, respectively. The council Chairmen of Agege and Orile-Agege, Ganiyu Egunjobi and Johnson Babatunde, respectively; a former Sole Administrator/Vice-Chairman of Agege, Gbenga Abiola; former party Chairman, Ayoni Shittu, and other party leaders were also present. (NAN) A presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chibuike Amaechi, has expressed his loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC in his bid to run for the office of the President of Nigeria. Mr Amaechi, who is also the nations transportation minister, spoke during a consultative meeting with executives, delegates and other party faithful at the Rivers State APC Secretariat on Friday, indicating that in his bid to become the President of Nigeria which he is thoroughly qualified for, he is neither desperate nor disloyal. Mr Amaechi explained: it is sad that many politicians do not understand the concept of loyalty. Loyalty is not when you are not chosen, you become disloyal, loyalty means you follow the man that leads you, that you have surrendered to his leadership. If you dont follow, it means you are not loyal, you are only benefitting from the man politically and economically. The day hes not able to give you that economic reality, is the day you become disloyal. Let me tell you something about loyalty. In 2007, we were in a meeting and somebody asked me if Dr. Peter Odili (former Governor of Rivers State) says you will not run for the office of governor, what will you do? I said I will surrender and support whoever he brings. We fought the battle for me to be Governor because Dr. Odili called me and said go to court, if not we had met as a group and said we would stand by his choice. But he called me and said go to court. I am a very loyal person, and those who are disloyal, I wish them well, those who want to do whatever they want to do, I wish them well. The opportunity will be given to everybody, we will run this presidential election, we will run, and I am loyal to the President and I am loyal to the Party. If the party says it is me, thank God. If the party says it is not me, whoever the party chooses, I will support. If the Party and President chooses anybody, I will support the person, if the party chooses me, I will be glad and say thank God, Mr Amaechi said. On his part, Chairman of the APC in Rivers State, Emeka Beke, assured Mr Amaechi of the partys support and votes in the presidential primaries. Sir, go home and sleep, Rivers delegates will vote for you, and I know my brothers who are statutory delegates will vote for you, because all of us seated here today from Rivers State have benefitted from you, from your leadership and this is the time to pay you back. We will stand with you. Let me use this opportunity to thank our brothers from other States, who have stood by our leader Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, I thank all of you. God Almighty will stand with you as you have chosen to stand by him. But one thing I will tell you is that our leader is a man of one word. When he says yes, his yes is yes, when he says no, his no is no, and I know that hes a man that will not forget all of you that stood by him. By the grace of God you will be the presidential flag bearer, I will be the chairman that will produce Mr President, I will be the Chairman that will produce Governor of Rivers State, he said. Mr Amaechi also visited the Paramount ruler of Rebisi Kingdom in Port Harcourt, Eze Victor Woluchem, who expressed delight over the Minister of Transportations decision to run for the office of President in 2023. Eze Woluchem said, You are our son in whom we are well pleased. On behalf of the traditional rulers here present, we welcome you to your home. This is not only your home, but it is also your pride and joy, because you once served here as a governor who looked out for Rivers people, your people. Your excellency, Rivers State loves you for a reason. Your developmental projects has impacted and continues to impact our people and are all over the State for people to see. I might not be able to enumerate all that you have done for this country. Nationally, as Minister of Transportation, you have put Nigeria on the map as a country with modern railway system, with modern Seaport and facilities to enhance our waterways and the industrialisation that comes with it. Indeed the history of this State will be incomplete without the mention of your name. Nigerians are excited over the likely possibility of a Rotimi Amaechi presidency. You are indeed a champion among equals, therefore there is no doubt that you are the right person to takeover the mantle of the leadership of this great nation come 2023, the Monarch said. RT HON. CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI MEDIA OFFICE APRIL 30, 2022 A non-governmental organisation, Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative, has expressed commitment towards achieving the domestication of the outcomes of Safe School Declaration in Kwara State. Speaking during the week at a briefing to mark the 2022 Global Action Week for Education (GAWE), the groups executive director, Abideen Olasupo, said a series of activities have lined up to drive the domestication and implementation of the declaration in the state. Mr Olasupo said the activities, which will be executed in partnership with the states education ministry, are being supported by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) and the Ford Foundation. The Nigerian government had ratified the Safe School Declaration in October 2021 during the fourth international conference on the Safe Schools Declaration which was held in Abuja, the national federal capital territory. Schools in Nigeria have in the past years witnessed several attacks, forcing the closures in some parts of the North-west and North-east, in particular. The schools in the South-east have also continued to suffer attacks by ethnic agitators, even as no schools open on Mondays in observance of sit-at-home order by the agitators. Demands Mr Olasupo has, therefore, called for the provision of more security in schools, safe and accessible learning environments for children in emergency situations, and regular training for teachers. He said: Let me at this point note that keeping our schools safe should not be seen as the duty of the government alone. We all have a role to play; community and religious leaders, security agencies, civil society organisations, people with special needs, parents, and community-based groups must all get involved. In matters of security, we are all stakeholders. We must assist security agencies with information and intelligence gathering, which is key to preventing some of these attacks on schools Pledge Mr Olasupo also pledged that his team will, as part of its project, embark on advocacy and awareness programmes as well as workshops for teachers and those he described as community champions. He said; As part of our programmes, we will hold an awareness programme on Safe Schools in 50 schools across the three senatorial districts of Kwara State. We shall also hold a community town hall meeting involving relevant stakeholders to discuss how to keep our schools safe. Additionally, we will organise workshops for teachers and community champions on the process of implementing minimum standards for safe schools, the roles of teachers and community members in safeguarding students, school emergency preparedness and response and evacuation drill. We will also distribute safety kits to schools in the state. He added that; The dPRC has through its Safe School CSO Movement supported 24 CSOs across the 6 geo-political zones with funding from Ford Foundation to conduct Safe School Declaration step-down activities and workshops. Safe School Initiative The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attacks reported that between 2015 and 2019, there were more than 11,000 reported attacks on educational facilities and/or students and education personnel, harming more than 22,000 students and educators in at least 93 countries. Nigeria has a fair share of these attacks on pupils and teachers mostly on school facilities. ALSO READ: Kwara governor signs N190 billion 2022 budget According to the Coalitions report, Nigeria has experienced over 100 attacks on its schools within this period. In response to deliberate attacks on schools and students in different parts of the world including Nigeria, the Nigerian government ratified the Safe School Declaration. The Declaration was a commitment from governments around the world to keep schools, students, and teachers safe in times of conflicts. It is also to ensure that learning activities continue to take place during armed conflicts. Quoting statistics of the violent attacks on schools in Nigeria, Mr Olasupo said; On 14th of April 2014, more than 200 school girls were abducted at a school in Chibok, Borno State. In February, 2018, Boko Haram insurgents attacked Government Girls Science and Technology College in Dapchi, Yobe State, where a large number of school girls were reported missing. Also, in December, 2020, over 300 school boys along with their teachers were kidnapped by bandits from Government Science School, Kankara in Katsina State. He said as of November 2021, UNICEF reported that at least 25 attacks on schools had been recorded in Nigeria in 2021 alone, with no fewer than 1,400 students abducted. Aside from the aforementioned cases, there have been many cases of reported attacks by gunmen on schools in Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger states, during which hundreds of students were abducted, he added. Advertisements He noted that the attacks have forced state governments to shut down schools, pushing thousands of children at risk of missing out on education. He said many children are also afraid of going back to school, thereby adding to the number of out-of-school children in the country. The number of out-of-school children in the country is already at 10.5 million, according to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe. Bala Muhammed, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Blueblood Veterinary Services on Saturday, called for adequate support from government, Development Partners, NGOs and individuals on animal health infrastructure and legislation. Mr Muhammed made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, in Abuja in commemoration of the World Veterinary Day (WVD). The Vet surgeon said the provision of adequate legislation and animal health infrastructural would address infrastructural gap, mental and physical burden challenging veterinarians in the country. NAN reports that WVD is commemorated annually on last Saturday of April and the theme for 2022 is Strengthening Veterinary Resilience. Mr Muhammed who is also the Vice-President, Governing Board of Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) said that veterinarians in the country needed proper tools and support to maintain their personal health and wellness, education, training, mentorship and collegiality. Veterinarians in Nigeria need proper tools and support to maintain their personal health and wellness. Healthy animals require healthy advocates. Not only veterinarians themselves but also government, NGOs and individuals need to support veterinary ventures that will ensure adequate legal framework, education, training, mentorship, and collegiality. Veterinary resilience assures effective handling of mental and physical burdens veterinarians face in their line of duty,he said. The CEO described the WVD as a day set aside to remember, mark and showcase the veterinary profession and practitioners contributions to the wellbeing and wellness of not only animals (their primary attention) but also man and the environment. Mr Muhammed said 2022 theme was aimed at reminding the global veterinary community to continue to be steadfast in holding on to one of the cardinal age-long characteristics expected of every veterinarian in the face of numerous challenges and difficult terrains. He said that those were numerous challenge and difficult terrains veterinarians had to navigate and wade through in the course of delivering their services to the animal and human populace. Mr Muhammed said the 2022 WVD set to be celebrated and showcase the efforts and preparedness of the veterinary professionals across the globe including Nigeria, in addressing these problems and making the world a better place for humans. He said veterinarians and allied professionals in the country would mark the day with series of programme and activities including workshops, seminars, among other programme and fun fare across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Mr Muhammed said those activities are also geared towards sensitising the general public on the roles of veterinarians in providing succor to the world The theme could not have come at a better time than now that the whole world and human race are confronted with a myriad of challenging such as socio-economic situations. Others are insecurity, terrorism/bioterrorism, high level of outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging transboundary and zoonotic diseases, climate change with attendant environmental degradation, Indiscriminate and largely uncontrollable animal and human movements seeking for better conditions; pastoralist-farmers crisis; animal rustling and other associated criminalities among others. If veterinarians are supported, properly trained, equipped and positioned they can provide needed solutions in solving these societal menaces, Muhammed said. He said the history of the WVD was dated back to 1863, when the first International Veterinary Convention (later renamed World Veterinary Convention) was held at Hamburg, Germany under the leadership of the famous Edinburgh Professor, John Gandi. The world veterinary convention had its 1959 meeting in Madrid, Spain and gave birth to the World Veterinary Association (WVA) In 2001 the WVA conceived the idea of having a day set aside every year to be marked as the WVD. This years celebration is the 21st edition of this great and important day for veterinarians and allied professionals Saudi Arabia has announced that Muslims in the country will celebrate the Eid-el-fitri on Monday. The Saudi Press Agency quoted Saudi Arabias Supreme Court as saying the Shawwal crescent was not sighted on Saturday and thus Ramadan continues on Sunday. Muslims worldwide fast from sunrise to sunset during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The sighting of the crescent moon on Saturday would have marked the end of Ramadan and the start of the next month of Shawwal. In Nigeria, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) asked Nigerian Muslims to look out for the crescent moon on Saturday. As of 6 p.m. Nigerian time, the NSCIA has not announced that the moon has been sighted anywhere in the country. Should the moon not be sighted on Saturday in Nigeria, then Muslims in the country will, like their Saudi counterpart, fast on Sunday and celebrate the Eid on Monday. The UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain also announced that the first day of Eid al-Fitr will be May 2, AlArabiya news network quoted the International Astronomical Center as saying on Twitter. Eid al-Fitr celebrations occur at the end of Ramadan which lasts 29 or 30 days based on when the crescent moon is sighted. Muslims follow a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months in a year of 354 or 355 days. your life is a reflection of your mind? You cannot be better than what you know. Life is made to thrive on knowledge. No nation, no organisation can thrive without high level knowledgeable people. When you speak, we know where you are coming from. If You Must Succeed In Life, You Must Invest In Your Mind The mind is a terrible thing to waste. If you must succeed in life, you must decide to invest into your mind. What you invest in your mind, you get back in life. Your life is a product of whats on your mind. Some people start out as nobodies and become rulers and kings, some others start as nobodies and unfortunately end up as nobodies. The expedient question to ask you now really is: Where are you? Are you okay with where you are? In case you want to know one of the top kept secrets of the very successful, start investing in your mind. Your Life Is a Reflection of Your Mind Do you know that your life is a reflection of your mind? You cannot be better than what you know. Life is made to thrive on knowledge. No nation, no organisation can thrive without high level knowledgeable people. When you speak, we know where you are coming from. I know people who started with nothing and made it real big, as in they became very successful, courtesy of their know-how. I have even seen people here in Nigeria who started life with no advantages, becoming very great, impactful and wealthy. I did a thorough search to know their secrets and discovered that they are constantly investing quality materials into their minds and the returns on the investment is wealth; they are most sought after because they have solutions to challenges everywhere they go. Anyone Can Become Very Valuable John Maxwell, the leadership expert, was in Nigeria several years ago. He spoke to three sets of people: top government officials, top corporate chieftains and the Christian community. By my estimation at the time, over N40 million was realised at the seminar for corporate chieftains. The gross sum made was not what got to me. What got to me was that if anyone became as valuable as John Maxwell, they will eventually command the same attention and following. John Maxwell as become so globally valuable now that people from all over the world go to get trained by him and get his franchise to start their motivational and consulting businesses. That is what becoming valuable means. What Will You Be Worth In Five Years And interestingly from my research, I discovered that anyone can become very valuable within five to ten years. You can be become very valuable if you so decide to. It takes a simple decision to start the journey. My dear friend, what will you be worth ten years from now? Dont just get older and flaunt your pictures on social media, get better, become more valuable. Either you are employed, self-employed or a business owner, you can be worth more than you are: knowledge doubles every five years but with the advent of information technology, it doubles faster. Not to become obsolete you must keep getting better. You can actually double your income within five to ten years, if only you decide to be worth more, you must decide to become more productive and offer real value. Why Is the Managing Director Making More Money Than the Messenger? Either you are employed, self-employed or a business owner, you can be worth more than you are: knowledge doubles every five years but with the advent of information technology, it doubles faster. Not to become obsolete you must keep getting better. You dont need to pursue wealth, just get better and see how better your life will become. Before you change your wardrobe, buy a new book. In fact, you should have a percentage set aside for your personal development on a monthly basis. I dont know what you are currently worth financially but I am confident that if you can keep improving, in a matter of time you will be worth more. Believe me, if you can improve your worth more than your present pay, you will soon be paid your real worth. Why is the managing director making more money than the messenger in the same organisation? The answer is value! Become better, increase your value. You will succeed! Yemi Adetayo, a success strategist and leadership expert, is also a corporate trainer, counseling/consulting psychologist and minister of the word. He can be reached at: counseloryemi@gmail.com. The Police Command in Kaduna State said on Saturday that it would deploy 10, 000 personnel to keep the peace during the workers day and Eid el -Fitr celebrations. The commands Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Jalige disclosed this in a statement. The command wishes to notify the general public that it has made adequate security arrangement to cover for both workers and Eid el-Fitr celebrations in the state. According to Mr Jalige, the personnel are drawn from the conventional, logistics, and tactical units of the command. He explained that the 10,000 personnel would cover worship centres, critical national infrastructures, markets, social and recreational centres, major highways, and other public places. The commands spokesperson said the states Commissioner of Police, Yekini Ayoku, had assured the public of their safety and urged them to warn their children and wards against the use of fireworks (Knock-out) as violators would face extant laws. The command has guaranteed all that it has dominated public spaces and urged them to go about their lawful activities without fear of any intimidation or harassment from any quarter, he said. He advised the public to quickly report any suspicious object(s) or movement of persons through the following emergency contacts: 07039675856 and 08075391105 for prompt response. The commissioner wished the Muslim faithful in the state a successful completion of this years Ramadan and happy Sallah celebration. He also urged them to as internalise the discipline and lessons learned during the holy month and to coexist peacefully with their neighbours for the progress of the state. (NAN) In the evening of Friday, February 25, the Fulani community in Orile Aiyetoro, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, was told that three of its members had been attacked where they were grazing their cattle. Those who rushed to the scene found many dead cows but none of the young herders. Two months after the incident, they remain missing. Earlier in January, some herders had been attacked around Agbede Aworo in Imeko Afon Local Government Area of the state. The Fulani community claimed six of its members were killed in that incident. However, in retaliation, the herders reportedly attacked Aworo, during which they destroyed many houses and killed several persons. Yet, accounts from the police and residents of Aworo showed that the residents were not even aware of the attack on the herders until after the reprisal attack. According to the police, the herders had a problem with another community, Imeko Afon, from where they fled to Aworo. However, the herders on their revenge mission attacked Aworo because that was where they had found the corpses of their members. In the last one year, several farmers and herders have been killed in Ogun State in clashes ignited by cattle grazing farmlands in agrarian communities While the farmers claimed that herders were brazenly destroying farms and threatening their lives, the herders said farmers were killing their kinsmen and their cattle. They added that farmers make outrageous claims whenever there was accidental encroachment of cattle into the farms. Farmers and herders now live in fear and frustration due to mutual distrust. Food crops and animal protein are now being produced in the state at the cost of human lives. For about two months, PREMIUM TIMES investigated the killings in Yewa North and Imeko Afon local governments. This reporter had extensive interviews with residents of the affected communities including farmers and herders, as well as security and government officials. Farmers and herders who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of the government to ensure that both parties coexist and practice their trades peacefully. Hotbed of Crisis Although the farmers/ herders conflict happen across Ogun State, Yewa North and Imeko Afon local government areas have become notorious for regular upheavals. Yewa North (formerly Egbado North), with headquarters in Aiyetoro, is in the western axis of the state. Bordering the Republic of Benin, it has the largest expanse of land in the state and a population of about 300,000. Imeko Afon has its headquarters in Imeko and is flanked by Oyo State, Abeokuta North, Yewa North and the Republic of Benin. It has an estimated population of 150,000. Both local government areas have a large group of Fulani settlers who are largely engaged in cattle rearing. Yewa North has the highest number of the settlers. The local government is also being fed by immigrants from the Republic of Benin, who cross the border to graze their cattle in the area. Security agencies and other stakeholders said the unique composition of the population of these local government areas, and their contrasting farming activities, account for the recurring conflicts which is almost becoming intractable. The secretary of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Ogun State, Abiodun Ogunjimi, described the area as the food basket of the state. He said that the conflict poses a serious threat to food security. The majority of our farmers have abandoned their farms for fear of molestation and insecurity. Frankly speaking, Yewa axis is the food basket of this state but they are no more on the farms and their children are no more in schools for fear of molestation, Mr Ogunjimi said. Inflamed Crisis The conflict had been a sore point in Ogun since 2000 but farmers said it has escalated since 2020. Community groups, such as Ketu Advancement Forum (KAF) and Ketu Community Development Council, listed some incidents in the earlier periods where farmers were killed in their farms. The slain victims include Adegbola Ajibiaran (Agbon-Ojodu, 2000), Ayinde Korole Korole (2002), Soji Aretola (2004), Oga Aja (Asa, 2006), Oga Ruth (Asa, 2006), Orisade (Igbonla, 2006), Adewale Adekunle (Asa, 2006), Dele Akintan(Ibeku, 2006) Joseph Oga (Igbonla, 2007), Moses Oga (Igbonla (2007), Ajana Ogunlana (Moro, 2007) and Abisekan Femi (Koomi, 2008). Others are: Femi Oladokun (Koomi, 2008), Sunday Idosu(Asa, 2008), Gbenga Durosinmi (Iboro, 2008), Yomi Akinola (Igan-Alade, 2011), Ogunjobi Dotun (Kodera, 2011), Ogunyomi Ige (Igan-Alade, 2011), Phillip Akan-an (Owode-Ketu, 2011), Amosun Olofinjin (Ogbon-Ojodu, 2012), Akinola Dayo Tunde (Agbon Ojodu, 2012) Semitan Agbaosi (Adesina Village, 2013), Opeita Ayo (Agbon Ojodu, 2017) and Olatunji Tangu Afolabi (Orisada, December 19, 2017). However, an eruption in February 2021 was a wakeup call for both the government and security agencies. The incident started in Oha Farm Settlement in Imeko Afon Local Government Area of the state when one Dele Awoniyi was murdered by suspected herders in the midnight of Saturday, February 6, 2021. Reactions immediately spread like wildfire to communities such as Owode-Ketu, Asa, Igboro and Agbon Ojodu, all in Yewa North. A total of 13 deaths were recorded and properties worth millions were destroyed in the mayhem. The government set up a peace and reconciliation committee to calm the warring groups. In spite of the peace efforts, the communities have had to sleep with opened eyes, as clashes occur without notices in different parts of the state between farmers and herders. Farmers bemoan attacks Cassava and maize are the major crop produced in Ogun State. The crops mature quickly and harvest is often tedious and slow, due to lack of mechanisation. Farmers complain that several hectares of ttheir farms are often grazed by cattle or set ablaze by their herders, resulting in huge losses for farmers. Coker Olumuyiwa, a graduate of Animal Science from the University of Ibadan, is a farmer at the Ogun State Model Farm Estate in Awowo. He took a PREMIUM TIMES reporter across his farm destroyed by herders. He recounted how in the dry season his three hectares of cassava farm was set on fire by herdsmen, destroying the crop that was nearing maturity. Advertisements According to Mr Olumuyiwa, the herders first grazed the farm before setting it on fire. The reason why they set it on fire is that the fresh grass that emerges after the fire is very nutritious for their cattle, especially with the harsh dry season, he said. He said he had taken a loan to fund the cultivation of the farm, but could not make the repayment because he lost the crops. Although officials of the microfinance bank, LAPO, came to see the damage, they could only give him more time to pay back the loan. The burnt cassava farm is regrowing especially with the coming of the raining season, but its yield and quality has been compromised. A female farmer, simply identified as Alice, was not so fortunate. She lost a hectare of cassava farm in which she invested N400,000. She has abandoned the farm to weeds. The Chairman of the farmers association, AFAN, in Yewa North, the worst affected area in Ogun State, Timothy Iweoba, spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on the plight of farmers in Aiyetoro. Most of our farmers have abandoned their farms for fear for their lives and for incessant losses due to herders attacks, he said. According to him, in January, farmers were attacked while harvesting their crops and when reports were made to the police, nothing was done to remedy the situation. He, however, noted that there had been no recent loss of lives on the part of farmers in Aiyetoro. He urged the government to implement the law on open grazing to avert further incursions by herders into farmlands. Fausat Oyekunle is the Chairperson of Women in Agriculture in the state. She lamented the losses suffered by women farmers. According to her, most women farmers are poor and could not repay the loans they received under the Anchor Borrowers programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after their farms were destroyed by herders. The Secretary, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Balogun Olufemi, said many members of the association also suffered losses in attacks by herders. He said farmers in all the local government areas of the state were affected. In Abeoukuta South, six hectares were destroyed and 42 hectares were destroyed in Awowo Farm Estate, he said. He said officials of the CBN were informed about the development as it concerns the loans involved but were helpless because the insurance policy they took does not cover destruction of farms by herders. But he said the insurance companies had promised to extend insurance cover to destruction of crops by herders. The Chairman of AFAN in the state, Adelola Kushimo, highlighted the challenges farmers were facing in the state. She said many farmers have been killed by herders. She said some women and their daughters were raped in their farms and many heactares of crops destroyed. She said there was no hope that the crisis would come to an end soon. Although the government set up a peace committee towards ending the crisis, farmers dismissed it as mere of politics, saying the attacks had been sustained in spite of it. Herders count losses Mr Ibrahim denies the allegations by farmers that herders were destroying farms and killing farmers in the state. He said there had been problems between farmers and herders, but the skirmishes have been deescalated. He said Fulani herders had only been defending themselves against attacks. He said MACBAN has lost over 50 herders and over 500 cows in the last two years in the two local governments. He said last year, at the height of the Sunday Igboho issue, the problem was intense, leading to fear and deaths. We have much problem in one local government area and that is Yewa North. They killed many Fulani herdsmen there. This year, they killed six persons. Three persons are still missing till now. They killed over 500 cows, he said. We dont know why our people were attacked because cows did not eat the crops or destroy farmlands. When they see herdsmen they will attack them, they will kill the cows and kill the herdsmen too. They will not only kill the herders, they will also cut off either his head or other parts of his body and take away. We think that the group called Agbekoya were responsible for the killing of the herdsmen. When they attack our herdsmen and we send the police to arrest them, they will kill the police. Mr Ibrahim alleged that in cases where cattle were seized for grazing farms, they often pay compensations and most times farmers claim between N200,000 and N300,000 in a farm that does not have up to N100,000 crops. Yusuf Muhammed is the Chairman of MACBAN in Yewa North. He surely has a lot to deal with, being at the epicenter of the clashes. He said in recent clashes that started in Iyana Agbede, Aworo, under Imeko, 1000 cows were slaughtered by residents of the area. On the 25th of February, 2022, they also attacked our herdsmen at Aiyetoro, in Orile. There they killed about 415 cows and we lost three persons there. These three persons are missing as we speak. We are yet to find them. We did not find their dead bodies, he said. We reported the matter to the police station and immediately, the DPO and other police officers went to the scene, but they were also attacked by armed men who also killed one Inspector of Police. They also destroyed the vehicle they took there. But Mr Iweoba, who leads the farmers association in Aiyetoro, denied that farmers were involved in the killings in Aiyetoro. While he admitted that there were attacks on the herders, he said the assailants were not farmers. Some people came from outside the country and attacked Fulani cows, but leaders of the farmers were arrested and other people, but it was people from outside that did that, Mr Iweoba said. We dont know anything about it. Four of our members are in Abuja now arrested. They dont know anything about it and we dont know what to do. They are not the ones who attacked the Fulani herdsmen. That very day, one of the farmers and police had a meeting. He was at the meeting that very day when that incident happened. A second person was in his office at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta while the incident took place. Even the report is there that the man was on duty that day. So they dont know anything about it. They just came and arrested them. The Serikin Fulani in Idofa, Muhammadu Jimoh, spoke to PREMIUM TIMES in their settlement in Idofa, Imeko Afon Local Government Area, and complained that although there had been calm in the areas where his people were herding cattle, they have been witnessing a series of attacks by farmers. The Serikin, who spoke in Yoruba, said cows were still being attacked in the area despite efforts to make peace. According to him, a grazing path was marked out for herders, but some farmers have refused to adhere to that. Even yesterday, a farmer still threw a machete at a cow and cut its neck, even when the cow did not enter into his farm in Idofa, he said. He also complained about how farmers have refused to allow cattle access to water, creating serious problems for the herders during the dry season. Traditional Rulers As First Responders Leaders of farming communities are the first to confront the issues. They are crisis managers but when it overwhelms them, they call in the security agencies. The Onidofa of Idofa, who spoke to our reporter in his palace, said the issues had been largely caused by migrating Bororo herders, who came in from the North. Whenever we are approaching the dry season, we call the farmers and the herders and urge them to avoid trouble, but the Bororos whenever they come in create problems and approach the farmlands, the traditional ruler said. He, however, maintained that the situation had been largely managed through dialogue between the groups. Contrary to reports, the Onidofa said there were no clashes within Idofa land, noting that the clashes had been occurring in the neigbouring communities. The Alawowo of Awowo, Abduljafar Tijani, also spoke of how he was grappling with the problem in his domain. He said he had to settle matters between herders and farmers regularly. Although he said there had not been recent loss of lives in the conflict, kidnapping by herders had come into play where people kidnapped had either died or were released after ransom was paid. Open Grazing and A New Law In keeping with the trend in South-west states, the Ogun State Government in September last year enacted a law to regulate animal grazing and ensure the establishment of cattle ranches in designated grazing areas of Ogun State. But instead of the law taking effect immediately, Governor Dapo Abiodun delayed the implementation by six months until March 31, 2022. Yet, PREMIUM TIMES can report that as of the fist week of April, there was no sign or any herald of a new law banning open grazing. Herders are aware of the law but have treated it as a joke, especially as the government has not provided any agrazing areas or ranches. The law stipulates a three-year jail term without an option of fine for anyone or group of persons who rear, herd or graze livestock in any part of the state, except within the permitted ranches. Anybody or group of persons, who rears cattle or livestock outside the permitted ranches after the commencement of the law also risks forfeiting such livestock or herds of cattle under their control to government. By the provisions of the law, the state government is expected to designate grazing areas or ranches where cattle breeders would confine their cattle. Such areas are expected to have governments inputs that would encourage the herders to stay there. Farmers are optimistic that the new law, if properly implemented, would go a long way to restrain the actors and ensure peace within the areas affected. The secretary of AFAN, Mr Ogunjimi, said the enforcement is expected to improve the security in the state. We are hoping that the state government will be proactive and implement the law holistically, so we can address the issue to a certain level, he said. The way out of this logjam is for the government to carve out a grazing area for the herders instead of allowing them to move around destroying farmlands. But the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the state thinks the law does not protect the interests of cattle breeders in the state. Abdulmumini Ibrahim is the state chairman of MACBAN in Ogun State. He told PREMIUM TIMES that the law contains provisions that would affect negatively the business of the herders. There will be problem. We dont have land, we have no grazing reserve, how are we going to feed the cows? This new law is beyond us because we dont know how the government intends to handle it, he continued. The problem is that when the government says it will do something, it will not do it. That is the problem. I dont have any other business than cattle rearing. Our forefathers and brothers and mothers were involved in the business. We dont have another business. If we dont have land, where are we going to and what are we going to do? Mr Ibrahim, on the other hand, urged the state government to create a grazing area with water sources and farming areas so that there would be peace between herders and farmers. But right now, there is no water, no land, he added. The Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Adeola Odedina, is the head of the committee set up to draw up modalities for the implementation of the anti-open grazing law. He told PREMIUM TIMES that the law would help stakeholders resolve the issues. He assured that the law will be implemented, but would not say from when, given that the period of grace had expired. We will try and provide the enabling environment for farming to thrive and it is all-inclusive, including the things you have mentioned, he said. He said stakeholders would be enlightened on the new law, so that they will know what to do and what not to do. What Security Agencies Are Doing Farmers and herders complained that the police have not been proactive in attending to their complaints. But the police denied this. Police spokesperson in Ogun State, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the police had developed a mediatory approach in resolving the matters, besides the deployment of community policing. We have also mandated all the Fulani leaders in every community to have a register so that whenever there are other herdsmen from other areas, they have to register them and know them so that if they use their cattle to graze somebodys farm, they will be able to identify them and bring them to book, he said. He blamed the recurring crisis on transit herders who come in from the Republic of Benin and underage herders. He however said there were arrests made with respect to the killings alleged by the Fulani community and investigations were ongoing to unravel the culprits. The Ogun State Security Network (Amotekun) has been involved in quelling the recent clashes. The Corps Commander, David Akinremi, a retired police commissioner, said although the anti-open grazing law was yet to be implemented, the corps was relying on the existing sections of the criminal law against malicious damage of property. He said once the six months grace period expires, the corps was prepared to commence enforcement of the law. For now we have been involved in mediation and reaching out to farmers and herders on the need to resolve issues peacefully, he said. We have encouraged farmers to form clusters and cooperatives and when they encounter armed herders they should call us. Farmers and other stakeholders are only hopeful that the new law banning open grazing would quench the inferno in Ogun State. As Mr Ogunjimi submitted, although cattle rearing is a private business, like other forms of farming, government needs to help herders to embrace the new form of livestock production at the initial stages. If this is done, we will be able to find peace in the long run, he said. (The Centre for Democracy and Development provided support for this report). Only subscribers with PAID Print or E-Edition subscriptions please enter here to gain access. If you are not already a Paid subscriber do not go through this portal. Please return to the subscription page to purchase one of our offers. Thank you! VANCOUVER, BC, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Kiaro Holdings Corp. ("Kiaro" or the "Company") (TSXV: KO) (OTC: KIARF), a national omni-channel cannabis retailer and wholesale distributor, is pleased to announce that it's common shares are now eligible for electronic clearing and settlement through the Depository Trust Company ("DTC") in the United States (USA). DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, a U.S. company that manages the electronic clearing and settlement of publicly traded companies. Securities that are eligible to be electronically cleared and settled though DTC are considered "DTC eligible". With an accelerated settlement period and reduced costs for investors and brokers, DTC eligibility is expected to simplify the process of trading and enhance liquidity of the Company's shares in the United States. Kiaro Holding Corp's common shares have been made eligible for book-entry delivery and depository services of the Depository trust Company to facilitate electronic settlement of transfers of its common shares in the United States. DTC eligibility will simplify the process of trading and is expected to enhance the liquidity of the Company's common shares on the OTC Markets where Kiaro Holdings Corp. trades under the symbol "KIARF". The company's shares will continue to trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange Venture (TSXV) under the symbol "KO". CEO, Daniel Petrov states, "We are pleased to have obtained our DTC eligibility. This eligibility will simplify the process of trading shares in the USA, which will be beneficial to Kiaro and our shareholders. With DTC eligibility, the increased accessibility and visibility is expected to attract greater investment and trading liquidity from American investors as our shares will be available to a broader range of investors as we continue to expand our business." Additionally, Kiaro announces today that Mr. Daniel Petrov, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, has advised the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") that he is taking a medical leave of absence, effective immediately. The Board and Mr. Petrov have agreed that during his absence the Company's current Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Eleanor Lynch, possesses the necessary skills and experience to act as the Company's interim Chief Executive Officer and Ms. Lynch has agreed to assume this interim role. The Board has the utmost confidence in Ms. Lynch and fully intends to provide her any support she requires during this interim period and wishes Daniel a speedy recovery. About Kiaro Holdings Corp. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Kiaro is an omni-channel cannabis retailer and distributor, with operations in Canada, Australia, and the United States. Kiaro has retail stores in operation across British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Ontario; a wholesale distribution division servicing Saskatchewan, and ecommerce sites in Canada, the US and Australia. With more than 70 years of collective retail and wholesale focused experience, Kiaro's leadership team has a proven track record of executing on acquisitions and financings, and moreover growing brands across North America. The Company plans to continue its growth trajectory through its consumer-centric retail, ecommerce, and wholesale distribution segments over the coming years. Eleanor Lynch Interim Chief Executive Officer 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. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include, among others, statements regarding the future plans, costs, objectives or performance of Kiaro, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In this news release, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: the use of proceeds of the Offering, overall growth of the Canadian cannabis market and retail opportunities, the award of new operating permits and licenses in various jurisdictions, the future trading price of the Common Shares, and the timing and amount of any dispositions of the Common Shares. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or management's good-faith belief with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond Kiaro's control. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those described in filing statement of the Company dated September 29, 2020, a copy of which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com , and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Furthermore, any forward looking information with respect to future expansion plans is subject to the qualification that management of Kiaro may decide, and the assumptions that any construction or conversion would not be cost prohibitive, required permits will be obtained and the labour, materials and equipment necessary to complete such construction or conversion will be available. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Kiaro does not intend, nor undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information contained in this news release to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except if required by applicable laws. SOURCE Kiaro Holdings Corp. ARLINGTON, Va., April 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Ridge Energy (SRE) and Cedar Ridge Community Church held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to celebrate the completion of a 2.5 MWdc community solar project in Montgomery County, Maryland. TurningPoint Energy developed the project under the State of Maryland's Community Solar Pilot Program. The array was built on Cedar Ridge Community Church's (CRCC) property and will provide hundreds of subscribed households with lower monthly energy costs. "As a community of hope we are delighted to devote 8 acres of our property to solar power," said Matthew Dyer, Lead Pastor at CRCC. "It's a practical and essential expression of our desire to play our part in creating a sustainable future for this beautiful planet we all love and depend upon. "We're proud to have partnered with CRCC and TurningPoint Energy and are excited to expand renewable energy access to low-income Marylanders" said Brian Dunn, Chief Operating Officer of SRE. "We also thank Councilman Hucker for his commitment to the legislation enabling this project's completion." "This community solar project is the culmination of an excellent partnership between the community and County" Councilmember Hucker said. "In 2018, I spearheaded ZTA 18-01 that allowed for larger solar projects like this one so we can better position ourselves to fight climate change and collectively reduce our carbon footprint." "CRCC's leadership in pursuing a low-income solar project on their property is a true testament to a faith organization's walking the talk as a steward of the environment. This innovative project is the first of its kind in Maryland and will serve as an example for years to come," said Salar Naini, Executive Vice President of Business Development at TurningPoint Energy. SRE owns the market share of Maryland's community solar projects (90 MWdc) operating under the state's Community Solar Pilot Program. Upon completion, their portfolio will power approximately 12,500 local homes and businesses. Nearly one-third of the projects will serve low-to-moderate income (LMI) customers, highlighting the industry's unique ability to provide renewable energy savings to Americans of all socioeconomic backgrounds. TurningPoint Energy is the leading greenfield developer in the Maryland Pilot Program since its inception in 2016 and will have 40 MWdc or projects in operation by the end of 2023. In addition, the company has pledged more than $186,000 in community investment across the State to worthy food pantries, emergency response service providers, schools, fire stations, and police stations as part of its national pledge to donate over $1,000,000 by 2023. About Summit Ridge Energy Launched in 2017, Summit Ridge Energy is the nation 's leading owner-operator of community solar assets. Through dedicated funding platforms, the team acquires pre-operational projects within the rapidly growing solar energy and battery storage sectors. With over 100 operating solar projects across markets, the team has established itself as a reliable and diligent industry partner. By 2023, SRE will have an additional 200 MW online serving over 100,000 residential and commercial customers. Learn more at srenergy.com . About TurningPoint Energy TurningPoint Energy is a clean energy development, advisory and investment company with solar development projects underway throughout the United States. Its principals have experience developing solar projects for utility and community solar clients totaling more than $2.5 billion in value over 1.1 GW of operating solar power plants throughout the United States within the last decade. TurningPoint Energy is a lean, privately held firm that adapts to its clients' needs and finds ways to invest in its clients and their communitiesat every turning point. For more information about TurningPoint Energy, visit https://turningpoint-energy.com . SOURCE Summit Ridge Energy HONG KONG, April 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DL Holdings announced on April 29 that the company signed an agreement with Harvest Global Capital Investments Limited (HGCI) to reach a strategic partnership. The two sides will start comprehensive cooperation to jointly expand capital market investment business, including but not limited to distribution, joint investment and warehouse strategy, and will focus on real estate, artificial intelligence, health care, carbon neutrality, green finance and ESG. Joseph Lang, executive director of DL Holdings group and CEO of DL Securities, said that "DL Holdings is a listed company that provides one-stop financial services for high-net-worth clients in Asia. The strategic cooperation with HGCI can achieve mutual benefit and increase more stable and high return investment opportunities for shareholders and investors." Li Jiewei, head of the investment department of HGCI, said that Harvest pursues an aggressive and stable investment philosophy and is committed to creating sustainable risk-adjusted returns to meet clients' investment objectives. He believes that the cooperation between the two sides will have more successful investment opportunities in the future. With rich experience, professional team, good reputation and strict risk control, DL Holdings provides HGCI with excellent capital market investment opportunities and post investment management services. Harvest Global Capital Investments 's comprehensive investment and research coverage can also provide DL Holdings with competitive and unique market information and views. According to the announcement, HGCI is licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong ("SFC") for Type 1 (dealing in securities), Type 4 (advising on securities) and Type 9 (asset management) regulated activities. Focusing on the strategy of "one kilometer before and after IPO", HGCI has achieved the business interaction between primary and secondary market by building a diversified business structure including private equity, cornerstone and anchor investment of listed companies, private placement, mergers and acquisitions, strategic investment of listed companies, mixed reform of state-owned enterprises, real estate investment and financing. DL Holdings is listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (1709. HK). DL Holdings' subsidiaries are licensed by SFC for Type 1, Type 4, Type 6 and Type 9 regulated activities, providing family offices, securities investment, asset management, diversified private equity funds and other services. Since its establishment, DL Holdings has been committed to discovering, cultivating and developing enterprises with excellent potential and great quality, focusing on the development of succession structure and global asset allocation for entrepreneurs' families, and successfully realizing the cross-cycle development of enterprises and the intergenerational transmission of family wealth. The assets under management and investment of DL Holdings has exceeded 3 billion USD. SOURCE DL Holdings BOGOTA, Colombia, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL;NYSE: EC) it received notification in the Resolution No. 315 of April 26, 2022 that it was being sanctioned for an amount equivalent to four thousand five hundred and fifty dollars (US $ 4,550) by the Agencia Nacional de Hridorcarburos (ANH by its Spanish acronym). The sanction is in connection with the presentation of the Report of Work Subsequent to Official Completion - Form 10CR related to Well RB 1237H. The ANH considered that the presentation of the Form was untimely, in accordance with the provision contained in article 40 of Resolution 181495 of 2009. Ecopetrol S.A., abides by and respects the decisions of the ANH; however, the company's actions have always been framed in compliance with current regulations, so it will use the appropriate legal actions to oppose to the decision before the competent courts. Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 17,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA's shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla - Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico), Brazil, and Mexico, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector. This press release contains business prospect statements, operating and financial result estimates, and statements related to Ecopetrol's growth prospects. These are all projections and, as such, they are based solely on the expectations of the managers regarding the future of the company and their continued access to capital to finance the company's business plan. The realization of said estimates in the future depends on the behavior of market conditions, regulations, competition, the performance of the Colombian economy and the industry, among other factors, and are consequently subject to change without prior notice. This release contains statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in future filings or press releases or orally, address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the Company's prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to fund the Company's business plan, among others. Consequently, changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our exploration, and production activities, market conditions, applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company's competitiveness and the performance of Colombia's economy and industry, to mention a few. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. For more information, please contact: Acting Head of Capital Markets Carolina Tovar Aragon Email: [email protected] Head of Corporate Communications Mauricio Tellez Email: [email protected] SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A. The two companies will join force to promote large scale implementation of autonomous driving SHANGHAI, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 29th, 2022, Hesai Technology, the world's leading lidar company, and WeRide, the world's leading L4 autonomous driving technology company, announced a new strategic cooperation agreement. According to the agreement, the two parties will promote the autonomous vehicle application of automotive grade, hybrid solid-state lidar, empowering scale deployment and commercial application of WeRide's autonomous driving technology. Tony Han, founder and CEO of WeRide, said: "Since the two parties reached strategic cooperation, Hesai has been one of our most trusted partners. WeRide's autonomous driving vehicle fleets have reached 15 cities globally to commence road testing and operation, covering smart mobility, smart logistics and smart environmental services. We firmly believe in the safe, reliable, and commercially viable implementation of autonomous driving technology, while Hesai's automotive grade, hybrid solid-state lidar represents a new trend in the development of AD sensing components. I believe this collaboration will further enhance the capability of our autonomous vehicles." As early as in 2019, Hesai's Pandar series lidars were integrated onto WeRide's first batch of hundred-unit Robotaxi fleets, successfully entering road testing and operation stage. Hesai's lidar products have also supported WeRide to commercialize China's first Robotaxi service to the public in Huangpu District, Guangzhou. The Robotaxi fleet has taxi operation permits and charges the same rate as any normal taxi in Guangzhou. The commercial operation has entered its third year of service. Hesai and WeRide's collaboration keeps evolving. Hesai's lidar sensors have been integrated into WeRide's new autonomous driving products including Mini Robobus, Robovan, and Robosweeper. Li Yifan, CEO of Hesai, said: "WeRide is an innovative global pioneer with leading autonomous driving technology and a comprehensive commercialization layout. We are glad to work with WeRide to accelerate their commercial application of autonomous driving technology through Hesai's newest hybrid solid-state lidar product AT128." As of January 2022, WeRide has reached over 10 million kilometers of autonomous driving on public roads, combining testing and operations with more than 300 AD vehicles. WeRide's fleets comprise Robotaxi, Robobus, Robovan, and Robosweeper, running in cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Boao in China, San Francisco in the US, and Abu Dhabi in UAE, being tested and operated daily. The automotive grade, hybrid solid-state lidar AT128 uses Hesai's self-proprietary chip technology, integrating 128 laser channels to achieve 1200x128 overall resolution and 200-meter detection range (at 10% reflectivity). It can effectively capture details of the objects within FOV to provide powerful perception capabilities for high level autonomous driving, further accelerating the iteration of autonomous driving algorithms. At the same time, the highly integrated transmit-receiver module and the stable scanning structure makes AT128 one of the most competitive and comprehensive lidars on the market. AT128 will be mass produced at Hesai's new manufacturing center Maxwell, which will commence operation in 2022 with a planned capacity of over 1 million units per year. About WeRide WeRide is a leading, commercial-stage global company that develops Level 4 autonomous driving technologies. WeRide aims to develop safe and reliable driverless solutions to make mobility and transportation safer, more affordable and accessible. It is the first technology company in the world that holds driverless test permits in both China and the U.S. WeRide has been a pioneer in accelerating the commercialization of autonomous technologies and services around the world. Through strategic alliances with leading OEMs, mobility and logistics service platforms, WeRide offers an all-rounded product mix of Robotaxi, Mini Robobus, Robovan and Robosweeper to provide services including smart mobility, smart freight and smart environmental services. Established in 2017, WeRide is headquartered in Guangzhou, China, and has expanded its R&D and operation centers to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Zhengzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, and Anqing, as well as San Francisco in the US. WeRide has formed partnerships with top-tier global OEMs including Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Yutong Group and GAC Group, etc. For more information, please visit: Website: www.weride.ai; Medium: https://werideai.medium.com/; twitter/LinkedIn/YouTube: WeRide.ai. About Hesai Technology Founded in 2014, Hesai Technology is a global leader in lidar technology for autonomous driving and ADAS. Its vision is to empower robotics and elevate lives through high-performance, reliable, and low-cost 3D sensors. Hesai has developed exceptional R&D capabilities, accumulating deep expertise in optics, mechanics, electronics, and software. The company has been granted hundreds of patents globally for its industry-leading technologies, in areas such as proprietary lidar chips, functional safety, and interference rejection. Hesai has won customers spanning over 70 cities in 30 countries and regions, including leading autonomous driving developers, OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and robotics companies. SOURCE Hesai Technology If you can dream it, you can make it. If you can make it, you can manufacture in Lorain County, Ohio. "We have the opportunity to make sure that when young people think about their career path, they think about going into advanced manufacturing to create things like microchips that move our economy forward," Walsh said. In her opening remarks, LCCC President Marcia J. Ballinger, Ph.D. said it was fitting to be holding the forum in the college's Campana Center for Ideation and Invention. "Inside the Campana Center is North America's first Super Fab, designated by the Fab Foundation out of MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms. We foster this philosophy: If you can dream it, you can make it. If you can make it, you can manufacture it. Right here. In Lorain County, Ohio in the United States," Dr. Ballinger said. During the forum, The Boeing Company announced it is awarding over $1.1 million toward the expansion of two advanced manufacturing workforce development initiatives developed by NextFlex. Spanning nine ecosystems, the funding will increase access to both the FlexFactor and Flex2Future programs for high school and college-aged students. LCCC has been a NextFlex partner since 2015 and was the first organization outside of San Jose, California to replicate FlexFactor. The outreach, recruitment and STEM education program familiarizes K-12 students with advanced manufacturing technology, entrepreneurship and the education and career pathways that can lead to a STEM career. "The program was a natural fit for Lorain County Community College given our nationally recognized strength in semiconductor and microelectronic manufacturing as well as entrepreneurship," said Dr. Ballinger. With support from the LCCC Foundation, the college launched the program in 2018 with 13 students in Elyria City Schools. Among LCCC's student participants to date, 39% are students of color, 70% are from underserved communities and 49% are young women.Since then, the program has expanded statewide to 13 community colleges and has reached nearly 3,000 Ohio students, providing more opportunities for diverse students to participate. The expansion of the program beyond Lorain County was made possible by a $5 million investment through the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program of the U.S. Department of Defense. "Today's visit by Secretary Walsh and announcement by The Boeing Company underscores the national importance of the FlexFactor program and its ability to provide equitable opportunities in STEM education, entrepreneurship and innovation," Dr. Ballinger said. "With dual enrollment and career technical education at LCCC, we are giving younger generations the opportunity to be immersed in learning experiences that expose students to the in-demand jobs of the future." SOURCE Lorain County Community College NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association celebrates yesterday's approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ravulizumab (Ultomiris) for the treatment of generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) in adults who test positive for the anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody. To date, Ultomiris is the third disease modifying drug approved to treat gMG. Ultomiris will be made available in the United States (US) and marketed by Alexion, the group within AstraZeneca focused on rare diseases. There is currently no cure for gMG. Recommended treatments for gMG include drugs that may alleviate symptoms, such as cholinesterase inhibitors, or treatments that may alter the disease course, such as immunosuppressive drugs or surgery (thymectomy). In Oct. 2017, eculizumab (marketed by Alexion as Soliris) became the first disease modifying drug approved by the FDA to treat gMG. Eculizumab was approved for adults living with the gMG subtype known as acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR ab+) gMG, which affects 80-90% of people with gMG. In Dec. 2021, efgartigimod (marketed by argenx as Vyvgart) became the second disease modifying drug approved in the US to treat adults with AChR ab+ gMG. With the current approval, adults with gMG have a new option in their therapeutic arsenal. "The approval of Ultomiris is an important step forward in treating gMG," said Dr. Sharon Hesterlee, Chief Research Officer for MDA. "This new drug, which was studied in 36 MDA Care Centers across the country, represents another option to meet the treatment needs of more people living with the disease and is another important milestone for the field of gMG research and drug development." gMG is an autoimmune disease of the neuromuscular junction. It is caused by autoreactive antibodies that destroy the communication between nerves and muscle, resulting in weakness of the skeletal muscles. Ultomiris is designed to target a component of the immune system (known as complement), which underlies many autoimmune disorders including gMG. Although treatment with Ultomiris will not cure gMG, it could lead to functional improvements that improve the daily life of individuals with gMG. Clinical trials support approval of Ultomiris The FDA based its decision to grant approval to ultomiris on the positive results of the CHAMPION-MG phase 3 trial (NCT03920293), which evaluated the safety and efficacy of Ultomiris in 175 adults with gMG living in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Japan. Ultomiris was generally well-tolerated in trial participants, with the most common adverse reactions being upper respiratory tract infection and diarrhea. The trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that Ultomiris treatment of people with (AChR-Ab+) gMG resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in symptom severity, as measured by the Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score. Improvements in secondary endpoints evaluating disease-related and quality-of-life measures were also seen. Data presented by the trial sponsors at the 2022 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting demonstrated that Ultomiris has some benefits over existing treatments; treatment every eight weeks has a long-lasting clinical benefit through 60 weeks of treatment, compared to treatment with Soliris every two weeks. After completing the CHAMPION-MG trial, all participants were eligible to receive Ultomiris in an open-label extension period of the study, which is ongoing. About Ultomiris Ultomiris works by inhibiting the C5 complement protein, which is a component of the body's immune system. In the context of gMG, uncontrolled activation of C5 and related complement proteins may cause the immune system to attack healthy cells in the body. Following an initial loading dose, Ultomiris is administered intravenously (in the vein) every eight weeks in adult patients. Ultomiris is also being evaluated for the treatment of people with other hematology and neurology disorders. To learn more about the approval of Ultomiris, read the company's press release . For more information about the CHAMPION-MG trial, visit ClinicalTrials.gov and enter "NCT03920293" into the search box. About the Muscular Dystrophy Association Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is the #1 voluntary health organization in the United States for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. For over 70 years, MDA has led the way in accelerating research, advancing care, and advocating for the support of our families. MDA's mission is to empower the people we serve to live longer, more independent lives. To learn more visit mda.org and follow MDA on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , TikTok , and LinkedIn . ### SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association WASHINGTON, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement by Jen Judson, President of the National Press Club and Gil Klein, President of the National Press Club Journalism Institute on the death of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Ukrainian language service journalist Vira Hyrych, who was killed in the Ukrainian capital after a Russian missile struck her residential building. "Once again, we heartbreakingly have to issue a statement mourning the loss of a courageous journalist working in Ukraine who was killed when a Russian missile hit her residential building. We join with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in mourning the loss of one of their journalists, Vira Hyrych, who worked since 2018 for the U.S. government-funded news organization's Ukrainian Service. Vira's body was found on April 29 after her building in Kyiv was hit by a Russian missile the night before, according to RFE/RL. There must be accountability for the murder of Vira as well as the deaths of the roughly dozen other foreign and Ukrainian journalists who have been killed in the two-month-old war that began when Russia invaded Ukraine." Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world. The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534 for the National Press Club SOURCE National Press Club At the hub of the new Center will be the College's cutting-edge Innovation Lab. Recently named the Arthur M. Blank Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Lab is open to all the College's liberal arts disciplines. For the past six years the technology rich Lab has been home to award winning, cross disciplinary creative projects and an incubator of exciting new entrepreneurial ventures. The Arthur Blank Innovation & Entrepreneurship Lab will also be home to the co-curricular activities of the Center for Black Entrepreneurship. The first new academic facility at Spelman in nearly 25 years, the CI&A will also be the first building located outside of the Spelman gates and will serve as what the College is calling its "front porch," opening the campus to the Atlanta University Center's Westside community. "The rapid convergence of art, technology, and entrepreneurship, with the liberal arts and sciences are beginning to yield new solutions to old challenges," said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman College. "This new facility will be a dynamic state-of-the-art learning environment that encourages disciplinary mastery in the arts and helps spur investments and foster growth in the local economy. The space will also open up opportunities for the community to experience arts and innovation on our campus." The concept for the Center for Innovation & the Arts began before Dr. Campbell's tenure as president when she was asked to consult the College on how to create integration among campus art programs. After coming out of retirement to take on the role of president in 2015, Dr. Campbell announced the formation of an [email protected] steering committee, led by Ayoka Chenzira, Ph.D., division chair for the arts. Shortly after, the College announced five new artistic major and minor courses of study, including documentary filmmaking, art history and curatorial studies, and hired new faculty to lead arts programs. Internationally renowned architecture practice Studio Gang was selected for their collaborative design approach and alignment with the College's vision. "The design grew out of the desire to support collaboration, innovation, and the creative processgiving Spelman women inspiring, state-of-the-art spaces to experiment and develop their work on the upper floors, and establishing a welcoming, active ground floor where they can share their creations with the wider community," said Studio Gang Founding Partner Jeanne Gang. "Architecturally, the center resonates with the historic campus through its earthy color, while visually creating a lightness through the use of lattice-like sunshades that protect from overheating while simultaneously expressing its lighter carbon footprint that is in line with the College's environmental leadership." With an expected completion date of 2024, the fully funded $86 million development will become home to cutting-edge collaborative programs including The Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab, Center for Black Entrepreneurship, The Spelman Museum of Art. To read more about the Center visit Spelman.edu/CIA. To view architectural renderings, visit studiogang.com/project/spelman Spelman Programs Housed in the Center for Innovation & the Arts Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab The hub of the new building will be the Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab, co-directed by Jerry Volcy, Ph.D., and Phillip Thompson. Formerly known as the Spelman Innovation Lab, the space is a campus-wide resource for entrepreneurial ideation, unconventional research, experimental pedagogy and exploratory play. In addition to cutting-edge technology tools, the Lab will work closely with the Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE), and the entrepreneurship minor in Spelman's Department of Economics to provide a host of rich co-curricular activities. Popular programs, like Spelpreneur, will live in the dynamic Lab where budding entrepreneurs and innovators across multiple disciplines will work together to create new ideas to solve old problems. Center for Black Entrepreneurship Powered by a two-year $10 million anchor grant from Bank of America and developed by the Black Economic Alliance Foundation, Spelman College, and Morehouse College, the Center for Black Entrepreneurship, is the first-ever academic center of its kind to produce, train, and support a new generation of Black entrepreneurial talent. AUC Art History and Curatorial Studies Collective Future curators, art historians, museum professionals and artists all come together through the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective. Housed within the Department of Art & Visual Culture at Spelman College, this innovative program aims to shape the future of the art world and position the Atlanta University Center as the leading incubator of African American professionals in these fields. IMB Center for Quantum Computing According to a 2021 Pew Research Center report, Black workers only make up 9% of all STEM jobs in the U.S. a number that has remained flat since 2016. In an effort to shift STEM statistics among African American women, Spelman College recently joined the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center's Southeast region. With Spelman's membership, the center now includes 24 HBCUs across the U.S., and six schools in the Southeast region. The Center for Quantum Computing will focus on quantum hardware, education, and fundamental research. Institute for the Study of Gender Identity and Social Justice With the Mellon Foundation grant, the new institute will provide intensive faculty training and summer curriculum workshops on ways to incorporate gender and sexuality studies across disciplines. The goal of the institute, which will be managed through the Spelman Women's Research and Resource Center, is to expose students and faculty to scholarships that challenge the way they see and know the world. The Spelman College Museum of Fine Art A vital resource for the Spelman community and beyond since it opened in 1996, The Spelman College Museum of Fine Art plays a significant role in encouraging the intellectual growth and development of students. Working collaboratively with departments including Art & Visual Culture, Anthropology and Sociology, the African Diaspora and the World Program, Women's Studies, English, and many others, the Museum heightens pedagogical learning, integrates object-based learning into the academic curriculum, and fosters a lifelong and interdisciplinary engagement with visual art. The Museum has a growing reputation for presenting projects that are bold, daring, and mission-focused and expands art offerings in Atlanta, the region, and beyond. While the Museum is a site for teaching and learning, it is open to the public and welcomes audiences beyond the Spelman community SOURCE Spelman College Srinagar, April 30 : Nineteen people, including 15 tourists, were injured in an alleged attack by stray dogs in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar city. Locals said 19 persons were injured when a pack of stray dogs attacked them in Dalgate area of Srinagar city on Friday evening. "The injured included 15 tourists and 4 locals. All the injured were shifted to hospital," local eye witnesses said. Doctors at the city's SMHS hospital confirmed that 10 people with dog bites reported at the hospital. Dalgate area on the bank of the Dal Lake is the hub of tourist activity in Srinagar city. People have appealed the authorities to act against the increasing stray dog menace in the city. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Moscow, April 30 : Russia has barred entry to the country for nine individuals from Iceland, three from Greenland, three from the Faroe Islands and 16 from Norway in a retaliatory move, the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The countermeasures were taken in response to the decisions made by Iceland, Norway and the Danish autonomies of Greenland and the Faroe Islands to join the European Union's sanctions against Russia, the Ministry added on Friday. The reciprocal measures were taken in relation to a number of parliamentarians, government members, business, media and academic representatives as well as public figures, who have actively "promoted anti-Russian rhetoric," and have participated in the implementation of anti-Russian policies, it said. The individuals will be added to Russia's stop-list, and prohibited from entering the country, Xinhua news agency reported. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Bucharest, April 30 : Visiting Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov has said the gas interconnector between Bulgaria and Greece will be completed by June 30. "I am convinced that in June the works will be physically completed," Petkov told a joint press conference with his Romanian counterpart Nicolae Ciuca after their official meeting on Friday. Ciuca said "we will have gas on this interconnector," most likely this autumn, following a period of testing and verification after the pipeline, which is expected to break the monopoly of Russian gas on the Bulgarian market, is constructed, Xinhua news agency reported. "It is important through both quantity, as well as for the possibility of ensuring the traffic of gas from both South-to-North, as well as from North-to-South," he added. The Romanian Prime Minister said the interruption of gas supply from Russia is a problem that affects not only Romania and Bulgaria, but other countries in the region and in Europe. A regional meeting of Energy Ministers has been scheduled for May 5 in Sofia, which will include ministers from Azerbaijan and Turkey, countries that have the potential to secure gas supplies, according to Ciuca. The Russian gas supplier Gazprom announced earlier on Wednesday that it was fully stopping its gas deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria, due to the two European Union member states' "failure to pay in rubles". Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War New Delhi, April 30 : "What was the one major difference between the cameras of yesteryears and today, which has had a major impact on how we photograph?" When Aditya Arya asks this question to visitors at the Museo Camera's booth at the ongoing India Art Fair in the national capital, multiple long answers emerge from different people. After listening to everybody, he simply says -- "the delete button". "Museums don't trade in the things, they don't sell anything but educate people. We are beyond galleries. We are about the education and the history of photographic art. We do not trade in artefact but are interested in engagement. Before the pandemic hit, several hundred school children would visit the museum every day. As things get better, we would like to reach out to more people," Arya, Founder Director of Gurugram-based 'Museo Camera: Centre For Photographic Arts' which boasts of Asia's largest collection of cameras, tells IANS. For him, engagement with the public implies history, the history of art, photography and many related genres like Photojournalism. In a country that has very few private museums unlike the west, Arya says that museums have always been made by people with deep pockets. "Well, in my case, my father was a Professor at DU, and I have never worked a regular job. Whatever is in the museum has been collected slowly during my freelance years out of passion. Frankly, it's not about what all is owned by the museum, but the history behind the story of photography -- these are thoughts that need to be collected." Stressing that he would like to introduce the young to the kind of photography that existed before the 'delete' button appeared on cameras, he says, "That was the time when you paid absolute attention to all factors -- you were forced to create perfect images as rolls were limited. Now a hundred shots of the same scenario can be taken and the best one selected. In fact, we worked with several major schools in NCR and taught them how to create prints." Arya feels that the need of the hour is to teach the young 'how to see'. "Art appreciation is an important component of school education abroad. You do not have to make students artists, but in order to ensure that they learn how to appreciate the arts, why not take them on a journey they will cherish for a lifetime? Ever since we started, this has been an important part of our programming." In a world that will now have to learn to live with the pandemic, he feels that the years spent practising this art have made him ready for any eventuality, and improvisation has become second nature. "We belong to a time where we had to carry film cameras and could take limited shots. A photographer can be successful only if he understands the uncertainties of life. The mind is always working." Considering the fact that the pandemic hit just five months after the museum was inaugurated, Arya is currently busy addressing different aspects of the mammoth institution. "It took a serious hit during the pandemic and we are now taking several measures for making up lost time." Quito, April 30 : Peruvian President Pedro Castillo arrived in the southern Ecuadorian city of Loja to join his Ecuadorian counterpart Guillermo Lasso to co-chair the 14th Binational Cabinet meeting between the two countries. Castillo arrrived in Ecuador on Friday morning. The General Secretariat of Communication of the Ecuadorian Presidency said on its Twitter account that the Peruvian President was received at a local airport near the border city by Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguin. In the city, Castillo and Lasso are scheduled to preside over the 14th Ecuador-Peru Binational Cabinet to analyse issues of common interest and projects in various areas in the border area between the two countries, Xinhua news agency reported. Informed sources said the meeting will address issues of border security, defence, cooperation, trade, energy, among others. The Binational Cabinet is a platform for dialogue established by the two South American countries in 2007. This will be the first time that Lasso and Castillo preside over a Binational Cabinet, an annual event to evaluate the progress in delivering commitments and draw new roadmaps for resolving issues of mutual interest. Participating in the bilateral event are Ministers from the two neighbouring countries. Speaking at the inauguration, the Ecuadorian President said, "This day will be a great opportunity to continue promoting our common agenda on priority issues of benefit to both nations, particularly those related to the border area." Lasso said the Covid-19 pandemic had affected the economies of the region in a "dramatic way" and that it is crucial to seek joint solutions at this time of social and economic recovery. Participants in the meeting often discuss social and cultural issues in addition to production, trade, investment and tourism, infrastructure and connectivity. Security and defence issues will also be discussed in addition to environment, energy and mining. "On border security, I am sure that we agree on strengthening our fight against organised crime, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, arms and explosives and emphasising the fight against illegal mining," the Ecuadorian President added. The Peruvian President said Peru and Ecuador share multiple interests that stem from a long common border and grapple with drug trafficking, illegal mining, inequalities and poverty. London, April 30 : A cloud of uncertainty confronts Northern Ireland, one of the four constituents comprising the UK, as it goes to the polls to elect 90 members to its regional Assembly on May 5. This, because Sinn Fein, a party identified as representing the minority Catholic community, is tipped to become the largest single party in the House, beating the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which historically enjoys the support of Protestants, the majority population in the region. After decades of bad blood and violence between Protestants and Catholics, a historic peace accord arrived at Easter in 1998, known as the Good Friday Agreement, which ushered comparative reconciliation and calm in a part of Britain separated from the remainder of the British Isles by the Irish Sea and having a land border with the Catholic dominated Republic of Ireland to its south. Protestant political parties fiercely loyal to the UK and their Catholic counterparts equally committed to independence from the UK and merger with the Republic of Ireland, accepted the principle of power sharing, with the position of First Minister going to the party with the highest number of seats in the Assembly; and that of Deputy First Minister allocated to the party with the second highest number of seats. Thus far, the First Minister has been from the DUP and the Deputy First Minister from Sinn Fein. The delicate balance could be endangered if as opinion polls are indicating Sinn Fein, the political arm of the anti-British separatist Irish Republican Army, now dormant but entirely defunct, wins more seats than the DUP in the Assembly. The Belfast Telegraph on Friday published a LucidTalk survey, which forecast 26 per cent of votes for Sinn Fein and 20 per cent to the DUP. A third pro-British, pro-Protestant party, the Ulster Unionist Party, could secure around 13 per cent of votes and the Traditional Unionist Voice, of the same genre, attracting 9 per cent. On the other side, a pro-Republic of Ireland, pro-Catholic force, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), might muster around 11 per cent. In effect, the Unionists as they are called could cumulatively obtain about 42 per cent of electoral support; while Sinn Fein and SDLP, labelled nationalists or republicans, could muster about 37 per cent. Both the Protestant and Catholic groups, though, lack coordination between themselves, thereby neither being able to reach a consensus within themselves on an First Minister candidate. So, the rule that the largest party in the Assembly is entitled to have the First Minister will apply. "The DUP has repeatedly refused to say if it would accept filling the role of deputy first minister if pushed into second place," reported the Guardian. Indeed, if it resists nominating a person as Deputy First Minister, government formation would become virtually impossible. Such a state of affairs has in the past been a recipe for lawlessness. DUP's core backers who remain uncompromisingly opposed to Sinn Fein find propping up a government led by Sinn Fein unacceptable. It is assessed by analysts that DUP's plummeted popularity has been caused by it endorsing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, which includes the Northern Ireland Protocol. This has cut adrift Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK as an economic entity so as to maintain the non-negotiable condition of an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland mandated in the Good Friday Agreement. The Northern Irish people loyal to Britain are not only affronted by this economic estrangement, but their business are experiencing delays and distress from checks on movement of goods between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain and consequent shortages and a sharp increase in prices of essential items. The campaign by parties who swear by the British union has been that if Sinn Fein emerges as the largest single party it will push for unification with the South, in an attempt to spread fear among voters allergic to such an idea. But the US, which brokered the Good Friday Agreement and is adamant about adherence to it, is unlikely to allow a change in the status quo. President Joe Biden himself of Irish Catholic origin is likely to ensure Sinn Fein doesn't rock the boat. Meanwhile, one of the outcomes of the upcoming election could be the slight rise of the neutral Alliance party, which could command 16 per cent of votes, without, however, making a decisive difference to Northern Ireland's age-old polarised politics. Seoul, April 30 : North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stressed the need to bolster the country's military power to "pre-emptively and thoroughly contain" nuclear threats from hostile forces, Pyongyang's state media reported on Saturday. He met top military commanders who organised a massive street parade in Pyongyang earlier this week, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a report. Kim was quoted as calling on his military commanders to maintain the "absolute superiority" of the armed forces and constantly develop in order to "pre-emptively and thoroughly contain and frustrate all dangerous attempts and threatening moves, including ever-escalating nuclear threats from hostile forces, if necessary", Yonhap News Agency cited the KCNA report as saying. He emphasised that the "tremendous offensive power and the overwhelming military muscle" that can't be beaten is the "lifeline" for security guarantee in the current world where a force clashes with another fiercely and strength is needed to preserve "dignity, rights and interests", the report added. Kim also called on the military leaders to "boldly open up a new stage of development" of the armed forces during the meeting held at the office building of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee in Pyongyang. The KCNA did not specify the date of the event. The parade was held in the North's capital Monday to celebrate the 90th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA), during which strategic weapons including the Hwangsong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile and a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) were showcased. At the parade, Kim vowed to further strengthen his regime's nuclear capabilities and warned any forces that seek to violate the "fundamental interests" of the North will be met with the country's nuclear forces. Chennai, April 30 : K. Annamalai, the BJP's Tamil Nadu state president, will embark on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka, a trip deemed as a calculated political move by the party to improve its fortunes in the state. According to Annamalai, the visit to the island nation which is currently facing its worst-ever economic crisis, comes on an invitation by the Ceylon Workers Congress. While speaking to IANS, he said: "I am leaving for a four-day trip to Sri Lanka and would meet lawmakers, NGO representatives and political leaders. I will present a report on the situation in the island nation to Union Home Minister Amit Shahji and BJP president J.P. Nadda." The Ceylon Workers Congress has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending financial support to the tune of $1 billion to the island nation. In a statement, it said: "We the people of Indian origin would like to honour him for his commitment to support us. We are planning this occasion along with the May Day celebrations on May 1 in the country which was visited by the Prime Minister in 2017 and addressed the people of Indian origin and also promised 10,000 houses the construction of which is taking now." The BJP is trying to make its presence felt in Tamil Nadu and with a political alliance with the AIADMK, the party has gained momentum in state politics. Chandigarh, April 30 : A day after clamping a 24-hour curfew in Punjab's Patiala's town after police had to fire into the air following a massive clash between members of the Shiv Sena and pro-Khalistan sword-bearing sympathisers outside the Kali Mata temple, the state government on Saturday transferred top police officials. Also to prevent spread of rumours, the government ordered shutdown of mobile internet services and SMS services in Patiala district on Saturday. On directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the government transferred the Inspector General of Police (Patiala range), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and the Superintendent of Police (SP), an official statement said. A spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said Mukhwinder Singh Chinna has been appointed as new Inspector General, while Deepak Parik and Wazir Singh have been appointed as new the SSP and the SP, respectively. Witnesses told the police that Nihangs, who gathered in front of the Dukh Niwaran Sahib gurdwara on Friday to oppose the Khalistan 'Murdabad March' of the Shiv Sena, marched towards the shrine, raising pro-Khalistan slogans. A police officer was injured while trying to stop the Nihangs, the police said. Harish Singla, the executive president of the Shiv Sena, led the anti-separatist march from Arya Samaj Chowk to Kali Devi Temple. They were raising slogans against Khalistan. "The Shiv Sena will never allow Khalistan to be formed in Punjab or anywhere in India," said Singla. He also said that chief of the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannu had given the call to mark the Khalistan foundation day on April 29. Meanwhile, to mark protest over the incident Hindu outfits observed a shutdown in Patiala on Saturday. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Quito, April 30 : Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso has declared a state of emergency for 60 days in the coastal provinces of Guayas, Esmeraldas and Manabi, which have been plagued by delinquency and criminality related to drug trafficking. Lasso announced the measure on Friday in a message broadcast live by the General Secretariat of Communication of the Presidency, reports Xinhua news agency. "By executive decree I have declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Guayas, Manabi and Esmeraldas, effective as of midnight today," said the President. A curfew will be in force from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in urban areas of the three provinces, where organised and transnational crime associated with drug trafficking has been rampant, leading to acts of violence. Under the state of emergency, 9,000 uniformed personnel -- 4,000 from the National Police and 5,000 from the Armed Forces -- are to be deployed to restore peace and order. "We are going to take the fight against criminals to the very territory where they try to hide," Lasso said, adding that the peace of Ecuadorans "will never be sacrificed to anyone's dirty business". Since taking office, Lasso has launched a frontal fight against drug mafias, which are blamed for the increase in crime and insecurity in recent months across the country. The wave of violence has engulfed Ecuadoran prisons since 2021. Last year alone, over 300 inmates were killed in prison riots in this South American country. New York, April 30 : A team of researchers has developed a smartphone app that could allow people to screen for Alzheimer's disease, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other neurological diseases and disorders, by recording closeups of their eyes. The app uses a near-infrared camera, which is built into newer smartphones for facial recognition, along with a regular selfie camera to track how a person's pupil changes in size. These pupil measurements could be used to assess a person's cognitive condition, indicated the study, to be presented at the ACM Computer Human Interaction Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2022). "While there is still a lot of work to be done, I am excited about the potential for using this technology to bring neurological screening out of clinical lab settings and into homes," said researcher Colin Barry from the University of California, San Diego. Pupil size can provide information about a person's neurological functions, recent research has shown. For example, pupil size increases when a person performs a difficult cognitive task or hears an unexpected sound. The app uses a smartphone's near-infrared camera to detect a person's pupil. In the near-infrared spectrum, the pupil can be easily differentiated from the iris, even in eyes with darker iris colours. This enables the app to calculate pupil size with sub-millimeter accuracy across various eye colours. The app also uses a colour picture taken by the smartphone's selfie camera to capture the stereoscopic distance between the smartphone and the user. The app then uses this distance to convert the pupil size from the near-infrared image into millimeter units. The researchers worked with older adult participants to design a simple app interface that allows users to self-administer pupil response tests. This interface included voice commands, image-based instructions, and a cheap, plastic scope to direct the user to place their eye within the view of the smartphone camera. Bengaluru, April 30 : The health department in Bengaluru is on high alert after the city reported more than 100 Covid-19 cases on a daily basis since the last seven days. Fresh Covid cases were reported from Bellandur, Hagadur, Varthur, HSR Layout, Doddanekkundi and Koramangala, localities which have high density populations especially software professionals. Major IT companies are also located in these areas. Bengaluru is in second place in terms of infections in the country and the infection rate is 0.09 per cent and fatality rate is zero. In the last 24 hours, the Bengaluru Urban district reported 127 new infections, which increased the number of active cases to 1,667. Authorities have asked the management of malls, cinema halls, hotels and restaurants to follow Covid guidelines strictly. It has been made mandatory to allow entry only to persons who have got two doses of vaccination. The authorities have also asked to monitor the movements of foreigners and persons who come from other states which are reporting a high number of cases. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has deputed marshals in crowded places to monitor and ensure adherence to Covid guidelines. Meanwhile, the Karnataka health department has expressed concerns over the progress of administration of Covid booster doses. On January 10, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had kickstarted the exercise to vaccinate 7 lakh frontline workers, 6 lakh health workers and 8.60 lakh persons above the age of 60 years with the booster shots. Four months down the line, the achievement is not satisfactory in terms of administering a booster dose. As per the guideline for booster dose, persons who have completed nine months after second dose are eligible. However,the booster dose has been administered to 16.68 lakh persons so far, according to the department. The state government has appealed people to pay and get the booster dose. It is being given free for frontline workers and persons above 60 years of age. Majority of people are waiting for the government to arrange free booster shots. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Islamabad, April 30 : Shari Baloch, a 31-year-old mother of two, reportedly became the first woman to carry out a suicide bombing for the secular, ethnic Baloch rebels seeking independence for Pakistans largest and resource-rich province of Balochistan. She killed three Chinese citizens and their Pakistani driver in front of the Confucius Institute in Karachi on April 26, RFE/RL reported. The attack raised questions about what motivated an educated, happily married, middle-class woman to blow herself up. Many in Pakistan wonder whether the attack signifies a new direction for the two-decade-old Baloch insurgency that is locked in a violent stalemate with Islamabad, the report said. Kiyya Baloch, an exiled journalist covering Balochistan, says the first attack by a female suicide bomber heralds the possibility of similar attacks in the future. "It is a paradigm shift because until recently, the Baloch nationalists prided themselves in being secular and opposed to the kind of radicalization that results in extreme violent acts such as this one," he said. Kiyya Baloch says a wide-ranging Pakistani crackdown that has included military operations, forced disappearances, and even extrajudicial killings of the insurgency's supporters fuels extreme desperation among those affected by the abduction or killing of their loved ones, RFE/RL reported. "Both the state and the Baluch insurgents have adopted extreme positions," he told RFE/RL. "The state appears unwilling to give up its security-centric approach to Balochistan as it continues to prop up an artificial political leadership (in the region). On the other hand, the insurgents have been radicalised to an extent that they are now resorting to suicide bombings." Since 2000, Baloch rebel groups have been engaged in conflict with the Pakistani security forces in the vast southwestern province bordering Afghanistan and Iran and hemmed in by the Arabian Sea. Islamabad blames the rebels for attacks on government forces, installations, immigrants, and labourers from the eastern Punjab Province and even pro-Islamabad Baluch figures. Baloch nationalists and human rights watchdogs accuse Pakistani security forces of grave human rights violations by adopting harsh methods such as forced disappearances and killings to crush the insurgency. Continuing violence during the past two decades has transformed the insurgency. It began as a tribal rebellion but has evolved into a handful of shadowy groups now attracting educated, middle-class Baloch professionals, the report said. Hyderabad, April 30 : Telangana Industries and Information Technology Minister K. T. Rama Rao has clarified that his remarks about Andhra Pradesh were not meant to hurt anyone. "It appears that an innocuous comment that I had made at a meeting may have caused some unintentional pain to my friends in Andhra Pradesh," KTR tweeted. "I enjoy a great brotherly equation with AP CM Jagan Garu & wish that the state prospers under his leadership," he wrote. KTR's comments at a property show of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) in Hyderabad on Friday had evoked strong reaction from several ministers in Andhra Pradesh. They had condemned KTR for the remarks and asked him to withdraw the same. While highlighting how the basic infrastructure has significantly improved in Hyderabad over the last seven years, KTR had said people appreciate the value of this when they visit other states. In an apparent reference to Andhra Pradesh, he said his friend, who went to a neighbouring state to celebrate Sankranti at his native place, shared with him his experience during the stay. KTR said the friend told him that he stayed in the village for four days, there was no electricity, no drinking water while roads were in bad condition. "He also suggested that I arrange a few buses and send people from here to the neighbouring state as then only they will realise the value of the work being done by the government in Telangana," said KTR, who is son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. "If you feel this is an exaggeration, you may go to the neighbouring state, then only you will appreciate us more," he added. Andhra Pradesh's Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana was quick to hit back at KTR. Botsa Satyanarayana stated that he personally experienced power cuts during his stay in Hyderabad and claimed that he had to use a generator at home. He said it was not proper on part of a responsible minister to speak like that about a neighbouring state and asked him to withdraw the remarks. Kochi, April 30 : While actor-producer Vijay Babu, who is facing rape charges registered by the Kerala police, has allegedly fled to Dubai, the probe authorities are mulling steps to see if his passport can be cancelled, to get his custody to interrogate him. In a related development, the actors body AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes) in which Vijay Babu is an office bearer, is meeting in Kochi on Sunday to discuss the issue. The police suspect that he has is presently in the UAE. According to Kochi Police Commissioner C.H. Nagaraju, there was no laxity on the part of the probe team, which allowed him to escape. He also said that if required, they might even travel abroad to take him into custody. "The complaint was received on April 22 and a case was registered. What he should do is to appear before the probe team. We have already served a notice at his house. A decision will be taken to see what can be done," said Nagaraju. Meanwhile, the High Court after hearing his anticipatory bail plea on Friday, posted the case to be heard after the summer recess. On Thursday, the police issued a lookout notice for the actor in connection with the rape case, which means if he lands at any port of entry in the country, he could be arrested. In his anticipatory bail petition, Babu had claimed that the actress was trying to blackmail him. The actor said he has all the evidence, including chat messages between him and the complainant, to prove his innocence and is ready to submit it before the court too. Babu, according to the police, is on the run after a female colleague, hailing from Kozhikode, filed a complaint in Ernakulam on April 22 that she was raped and beaten up by him a few times at a flat in Kochi. Soon after the news surfaced, Babu appeared live on his social media handle on Wednesday, claiming that he was the "real victim" in this case, adding that he would take appropriate legal steps against the complainant, whom he also named. The police apart from her complaint, have registered a second case against the actor for disclosing the name of the complainant. The victim also alleged that the actor got her intoxicated before sexually abusing her. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chennai, April 30 : Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Saturday said the stoppage of production at two car plants in the state is a major concern. Panneerselvam, also the AIADMK Coordinator, was referring to the decision of Nissan Motor India to stop production of Datsun car models and Ford Motor Company's earlier announcement of closing down its plant near here. The Franco-Japanese joint venture Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd near Chennai manufactures cars for Renault India and Nissan Motor India. Nissan Motor India recently announced its decision to stop production of the Datsun model and added that it would be selling spares and also provide the warranty support to the model owners. This is not the first time that Nissan Motor India has stopped production of slow moving models. Earlier it had stopped rolling out the Micra, Evalia, Terrano models. "The Sunny model is being made for export markets and not for domestic market," a worker at Renault Nissan Automotive India told IANS on the condition of anonymity. According to the official, the plant rolls out Nissan's Magnite and Kicks models and Renault's Kwid, Triber and Kiger models. The official said there is good demand for Magnite and the semiconductor shortage had slowed down its production. It is not known whether there will be any positive rub off effect in terms of higher production at the plant here due to French company Renault's decision to suspend operations at its Moscow plant, the worker said. Renault announced its decision to suspend operations at its Moscow plant after the Russian military operation in Ukraine. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Agra, April 30 : With a No Objection Certificate (NOC) received from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), the decks have now been cleared for siting a rubber check dam 1.5 km downstream of the Taj Mahal. Divisional commissioner and chairman of the Taj Trapezium Zone, S Gupta, said that all the required clearances has now been received and work could begin shortly. The Archaeological Survey of India, the Central Water Commission, and other statutory bodies have already cleared the project. The Yamuna barrage project, whose foundation stone was laid twice by former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister ND Tiwari and ex- Governor Romesh Bhandari, has been hanging fire for over three decades. The Yogi Adityanath government has already cleared the Rs 350 crore project to be sited at Nagla Prema. However, instead of a regular barrage, the state irrigation department has opted for a rubber check dam, which will have unique features. Members of the River Connect Campaign said: "We had been campaigning hard for over a decade, the Almighty has answered our prayers." Environmentalist Devashish Bhattacharya said: "The rubber check dam, after tapping 90 odd drains that open into the urban segment of the river, will go a long way to revive a dying river. All the Mughal monuments along the Yamuna's bank need moisture for safety and aesthetic appeal. Water in the river will drastically bring down the air pollution level in the city, as also help raise the water table in the city. In future, it would be possible to ferry tourists in boats from the Taj Mahal to Etmauddaula or Ram Bagh." Green activists like Pandit Jugal Kishore, Deepak Rajput, Chaturbhuj Tiwari, Nidhi Pathak welcomed the development and hoped that the construction work would soon begin. "It is now for the nine BJP legislators and three MPs to follow up and speed up the project so that the cost component remains under control," Nandan Shrotriya, priest of the Sri Mathuradheesh temple, said. However, activists have demanded that the government agencies undertake a massive desilting and dredging operation to scoop out pollutants from the river bed, before the barrage construction work begins. A rubber check dam is usually built on a firm RCC foundation with inflated balloons holding back the flow of water. The air filled balloons can be deflated to let out surplus water, when required. "The costs are lower and the time taken is also much less than the normal barrage," a retired civil engineer said. It's a flexible rubber structure that can be inflated for water conservation, flood control, and to regulate the flow of the river. The balloons can be deflated to flush out sand deposits. The first rubber dam of India is in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh over the Jhanjhavathi river. Kerala too has a couple of similar dams. However, what is not technically clear is whether the proposed rubber dam on the Yamuna would be technically feasible and succeed in fulfilling the objectives. Ramallah, April 30 : A 27-year-old Palestinian was killed and three others were injured during clashes with by Israeli soldiers near the West Bank city of Qalqilya, authorities said on Saturday. Yahia Odwan was killed during clashes that broke out late Friday night in the village of Azoon, Xinhua news agency quoted the Palestinian Ministry of Health as saying. Although Israeli authorities were yet to comment on the incident, the Jewish state's media said that Odwan is a former prisoner who was recently released from an Israeli jail. He tried to carry out an attack against the soldiers in the area, who then chased his car and opened fire on it. The killing of Odwan coincided with a shooting attack carried out by Palestinian gunmen near the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the West Bank, Israeli media reported. An Israeli security guard was killed, and soldiers and security services have launched a massive hunt for the suspects. Mumbai, April 30 : Spaghetti Western is one genre that India cinema hasn't expored much. The upcoming Anil Kapoor and Harshvarrdhan Kapoor-starrer 'Thar' aims to serve a delectable spaghetti treat peppered with thrill and suspense. Although the film finds itself in the umbrella of western genre, the milieu of the story is very much Indian as it brings together the local elements of Rajasthan infused with promising performances. In a recent conversation, IANS spoke with Harshvarrdhan, and the debutant director Raj Singh Chaudhary, who has earlier swayed the audience with his work as an actor in the Anurag Kashyap directorial 'Gulaal'. Revealing how the story was conceived and was eventually materialised, Raj shares, "As a writer and a storyteller, I wanted to say something. However, the story that I wanted to tell was meant to be unique. Since, I love western films, I have incorporated ideas from the west however with an essence after the local culture of Rajasthan. More importantly, we have shot the film or told the story in such a way that no one could say that it is a western film as it is entirely shot in Rajasthan." Shedding light on his character, Harshvarrdhan calls it, "very intriguing in nature" as it "has a lot of emotions held within". He says, "The film is very much of a character driven film. What I can see about the character is that he is someone who has come from the outside world to this place in Rajasthan." Commenting on the biggest challenge that he faced while portraying this character, Harshvarrdhan mentions, "As an actor my biggest challenge was to portray his emotions without expressing a lot in terms of words so it became a lot more about concentration and building the backstory for the character and deriving thought process from that back story. I have worked on my breathing and observation process while I spoke with people and looked into their eyes." He adds, "The interesting thing about this character is that the character is going around things in his own emotional stage and things around him are happening normally. As compared to 'AK vs AK' or 'Ray' where I had to play more extroverted characters which were more expressive, this one is very quiet." The character that has come out on screen derives its strength from association of Raj and Harsh as actor-director duo. Raj says, "I and Harshvardhan Vipul jammed and it was the material which demanded such a character and the character is as much as his as much it is mine." He continues, "When I wrote the first draft of this film, 'Mirzya' trailer had just been released. He was also shooting with Vikram (Vikram Motwane, for 'Bhavesh Joshi Superhero'). I had a lot of discussions with him as I understood him as a human being and who he is. Overall it is more of a combined effort of both of us ever since the scripting stage." For Harsh, who is also producing the film along with his father Anil Kapoor, 'Thar' has been a steep learning curve. The actor states, "It has been a great learning experience for me especially playing the character of Siddharth where he talks to someone about something but he is thinking about something completely different. I had to be honest with myself about the pattern and once you're honest with that piece of acting for a long time it shows on your face and that is something that I have learnt to build up that concentration, focus and discipline." For Raj, being at the helm of affairs for the first time came with a lot of logistical challenges, "The biggest challenge were the locations. I was adamant about the location that I wanted to shoot in. For instance, when the line producer showed me the image of the village where Harshvarrdhan walks in the trailer, that location was an 800-year old structure with no roads and in the middle of nowhere. We also had to build roads to get there to the location. The challenge was really to make it viable for production and for us to shoot there." The director ends the conversation on a praising note for his actor, "I feel that Harsh was very good in films like 'Bhavesh Joshi' and 'Ray' but I think 'Thar' is about Harsh's coming-of-age as an actor. Looking at him through the monitor, I felt that he has just blossomed into an amazing actor." 'Thar', produced by Anil Kapoor Films and Communication Network, also stars Fatima Sana Shaikh, Jitendra Joshi, Akshay Oberoi, Satish Kaushik and Mukti Mohan, and is set to stream on Netflix from May 6. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text San Francisco, April 30 : With the aim to improve security and privacy, tech giant Microsoft is adding a free built-in virtual private network (VPN) service to its Edge browser, the company's support page has revealed. Edge Secure Network will encrypt users' web traffic directly from Microsoft Edge, which will help prevent user's internet service providers from collecting their browsing data like details about which websites they visit. This feature also encrypts internet connection to help protect data from online threats like hackers. "Online entities can use your location and IP address for profiling and sending you targeted ads. Microsoft Edge Secure Network lets you browse with a virtual IP address that masks your IP and replaces your geolocation with a similar regional address to make it more difficult for online trackers to follow you as you browse," the company said in a blogpost. Users can get 1GB of free data every month when they sign into Microsoft Edge with their Microsoft Account. Earlier this week, the tech giant released an update in which users will be able to download Microsoft teams from its online store that comes built into Windows. New Delhi, April 30 : On the lines of Urban Meteorological Services for Delhi-NCR, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday announced to start similar services for 50 cities in a year's time. Speaking about the urban heat island effect and how advance warnings about the local area weather conditions vis-A-vis urban landscape can help people be better prepared in their own areas, IMD director general (Meteorology) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, "IMD had started Urban Meteorological Services for Delhi that gives localised readings. We plan to start similar service for 50 more stations in one year." This will help the authorities concerned and the general public to take informed decisions and suitable measures for weather and air quality related events. The IMD plans to start these services first for metro cities Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru in the first phase and then the remaining capital cities. "We hope we are able to launch these all in this coming year," he said. For now, like Delhi, it would be available only as a web portal and only later, there would be an App for it as part of the modified Mausam App that the IMD currently has. On July 30, 2021, the Urban Meteorological Services for Delhi-NCR was launched to provide an integrated Early Warning System through a web portal and an App. It provides current weather observations, current air quality observations, weather forecast, air quality forecast, district-wise weather warnings and a Nowcast (forecast applicable for next three hours) too. The real time weather (Temperature, Relative Humidity, Rainfall, Wind Speed and Wind Direction) and air quality information (PM10, PM2.5, Ozone and Air Quality Index) are collected from monitoring stations of different institutions in Delhi and NCR and presented in a graphical form in the webpage so that hotspots can be identified easily. London, April 30 : Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to declare an "all-out war" on Ukraine "within days" to enable Moscow to launch a general mobilisation of the population, according to Russian sources and Western officials. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what Putin called a "special military operation" to "demilitarise and de-nazify" Ukraine and barred the use of the word "war", thinking it would be over in a few weeks, The Daily Mail reported. However, army chiefs, frustrated that the invasion has now stretched into the third week, have called on the President to declare war which would enable a mass mobilisation of Russian troops and an escalation in the conflict. Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that Putin might use Russia's victory day parade on May 9 to announce the mass mobilisation of his reserves for a final push in Ukraine. It comes as former NATO chief Richard Sherriff warned the West must "gear itself up" for a "worst case scenario" war with Russia in Ukraine. A Russian military source told the Telepgraph: "The military are outraged that the blitz on Kiev has failed. People in the army are seeking payback for failures of the past and they want to go further in Ukraine." Earlier this week, the Russian military was said to be furious that Putin had downsized the invasion of Ukraine and called for a new escalation of the conflict. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Islamabad, April 30 : Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates discussed Islamabad's commitment to polio eradication and the Covid-19 situation in the country in a telephone call, the military's media affairs wing said. In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Gates appreciated the army for supporting the country's polio drive and ensuring proper reach and coverage, Dawn news reported. The army chief responded that polio eradication was a national cause, adding that "credit goes to all involved in the process". Gates also appreciated Pakistan's success in combating the pandemic despite resource constraints. For his part, Bajwa attributed it to a "true national response" executed through the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). The COAS appreciated Gates' efforts towards polio eradication and the Covid response and assured the philanthropist of continued cooperation, according to the statement. Earlier this year, Gates had visited Pakistan for the first time and held meetings with the then-prime minister, the president and other national and provincial leaders. He had also attended a luncheon and a ceremony to confer on him one of the country's highest civil awards. President Arif Alvi had conferred the Hilal-i-Pakistan on Gates in recognition of his philanthropic services for humanity, eradication of polio and betterment of the people of Pakistan. Jakarta, April 30 : Indonesian President Joko Widodo said his country has invited both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the G20 summit in November. "Indonesia is ready to contribute to the peace effort," Xinhua news agency quoted Widodo as saying in a virtual press conference. "Indonesia wants to unite the G20. Do not let there be a split. Peace and stability are the keys to the world economic development." The G20, he said, plays a catalyst role in the recovery of the world economy, adding that he had telephone conversations with both leaders of Russia and Ukraine this week. On Thursday, Widodo and Putin discussed issues of Russian-Indonesian cooperation and various aspects of the activities of G20 in a phone conversation. In a conversation with Zelensky on Wednesday, Widodo turned down a request for arms from the Ukrainian President, saying that Indonesia is ready to provide humanitarian assistance. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Amaravati, April 30 : Police in Andhra Pradesh's Sri Sathya Sai district on Saturday arrested the headmaster of a government school for alleged involvement in leaking Class 10 examination paper, taking the number of teachers arrested for malpractices to 10. Vijay Kumar, head master of a high school at Nalla Cheruvu, was arrested for leaking the paper while discharging his duties as chief superintendent Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination at Gandlapenta. Prima facie, the investigations revealed that the headmaster sent a copy of English question paper through WhatsApp on Friday. Police were questioning him. The SSC exams began across the state on Wednesday and for a third consecutive day on Friday, there have been reports of malpractices. Question papers of Telugu and Hindi were also leaked on the first two days in Kurnool and Chittoor district. Police arrested 12 people including nine teachers. A teacher working with a corporate school was also held. The English paper was leaked eight minutes after the examination began Friday morning. The paper was allegedly posted on a WhatsApp group of a leader of a political party in Obuladevaracheruvu of Sri Sathya Sai district. As the word spread, the District Education Officer launched a probe. It was found that Srinivas Rao, a junior assistant working in MPDO office in Nalla Cheuvu posted the question paper in the WhatsApp group. After tracing the location of Srinivas Rao's cell phone, the officials reached Gandlapenta and began search at Gandlapenta zilla parishad high school and surroundings. They seized the cell phones of Vijay Kumar and water boy Naresh. The investigations by DEO and police revealed that Vijay Kumar clicked pictures of the exam paper on his mobile phone and sent it to Srinivas Rao. Police said they had colluded with a private school management to leak the paper. The question paper leak at Nandikotkur in Nandyal district also created a flutter. Senior officials of the education department and police started an investigation at a government school. They questioned the chief examiner and other officials. Since 'Ashika' was written on the hand of the person holding the question paper, the officials checked 274 students and questioned a couple of suspects. The DEO later said the paper was not leaked from the school. Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana had said on Friday that some people were trying to spread misinformation to malign the government. He said there was no paper leak in Nandyal district while an investigation was on in the alleged paper leak in Sri Sathya Sai district. More than six lakh students are appearing in SSC exams at 3,776 exam centres. Following the incidents of the first three days, authorities stepped up vigilance at the exam centres. New Delhi, April 30 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Saturday that it has seized Rs 5,551.27 crore of Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited lying in the bank accounts under the provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), in connection with the illegal outward remittances made by the company. On March 3, the Income Tax Department had said that it conducted raids against Chinese firms, which deal in telecom products, and learnt that the companies were involved in tax evasion through fake receipts. The I-T Department had detected suppression of income of Rs 400 crore at that time. The raids were conducted in the second week of February across India, including the National Capital Region (NCR). The searches had revealed that the Chinese firms had made inflated payments against receipt of technical services from its related parties outside India. The assessee company could not justify the genuineness of obtaining such alleged technical services in lieu of which payment was made, as also the basis of determination of consideration for the same. The search action had further revealed that the firms had manipulated its books of account to reduce its taxable income in India through creation of various provisions for expenses, such as provisions for obsolescence, provisions for warranty, doubtful debts and advances etc., which have little or no financial rationale. During the investigation, the groups had failed to provide any substantial and appropriate justification for such claims. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Kolkata, April 30 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit West Bengal for three days and is expected to boost the BJP functionaries in the state in the backdrop of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Shah will arrive in Kolkata on the night of May 4. On May 5, he will first go to Hingalganj in the North 24 Parganas district and attend a function of the Border Security Force (BSF). From there he will head to Siliguri in North Bengal's Darjeeling district and address a public rally at Railway Institute Ground. There is also a possibility of the Home Minister having a meeting with the representatives of different political and non-political organisations based out of Darjeeling on May 5. On May 6, he will go to the adjacent Cooch Behar district of North Bengal and attend a government programme in Tinbigha. He will return to Kolkata on May 6 afternoon and is expected to hold meetings with the top BJP leaders from the state and then fly back to Delhi the same day. This will be Shah's first visit to the state after the party's defeat in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls. Since then, the party's performance in by-elections and municipal polls has been pathetic. The party even lost the by-poll for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, which it had won in 2019 by a margin of around two lakh votes. In many cases, Left Front candidates secured the second position in vote share percentage leaving the BJP in the third position. "It is crucial to retain all the 18 Lok Sabha seats that we won in 2019 in the coming 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well. But the current situation is very grim and we hope that the Home Minister gives us a definite message and throws some light on how to improve our organisational structure and functioning in the state," a member of the BJP's state committee in West Bengal, who did not wish to be named, told IANS. BJP's national vice-president and party MP, Dilip Ghosh, said that although the main purpose of Shah's visit is to attend official programmes, he will also hold meetings with the party leaders from the state. Bengaluru, April 30 : Karnataka police have cracked the sensational murder case of 54-year-old woman entrepreneur in Bengaluru with the arrest of three persons on Saturday. Sunitha, an e-commerce industrialist, was murdered on March 31. Varthur police, who took up the case after finding the decomposed body of the woman in a house, have arrested the accused persons. The arrested were identified as Kiran (27), a person known to Sunitha, auto driver Imran and carpenter Venkatesh. Sunitha used to live with her physically-challenged brother in Bengaluru. Her parents live in Mysuru and brother is settled in the US. Kiran got to know that Sunitha was rich and he befriended her in a short time. She introduced Kiran to her family, saying that he is like a son to her. She wanted to move to a house which has lift service for the movement of her physically-challenged cousin brother. When Kiran got to know that she was carrying Rs 15 lakh cash with her for taking a house on lease, he planned to kill and rob the money. He took her to a house in Kacharakanahalli on the outskirts of the city. As planned, other accused, who were already inside the house, brutally murdered her. After the murder, the accused went to Goa to have a good time, police said. Since Sunitha's phone was ringing, her family members did not bother to file a complaint. Later, they lodged a missing complaint with Malleshwaram police station. Police was able to track her body as the phone was on. The case was later investigated by Varhur police. Police said that none of the family members had suspected Kiran's hand in the crime. Mumbai, April 30 : Ahead of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday named its National Executive member Preeti Sharma-Menon, a corporate honcho-turned-politician as the president of Mumbai unit. Making the formal announcement, AAP National General Secretary Pankaj Gupta said the party will contest the BMC polls under her leadership. In her 3-decade long career in the business, Sharma-Menon, 53, launched the first-ever all-women driven services for women, Vira Cabs. Born in Chembur, she attended the Loreto Convent School, and later completed her BA in English Literature from the University of Mumbai in 1990. In 2011, she plunged into the India Against Corruption movement in Mumbai, was the first AAP state Secretary and remained the party's face in Maharashtra for the past nearly a decade. Sharma-Menon took up the crusade against corrupt leaders in the state from different parties including former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Eknath Khadse, Pankaja Munde, Vinod Tawde, Arjun Khotkar and realtor Avinash Bhosale among others. She has also been active in other social-environmental issues like the Save Aarey Movement, launched the AAP Covid Helpline in the second lockdown and other campaigns. Sharma-Menon said she humbly accepted the responsibility and thanked AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for giving her the opportunity as Mumbai is her 'janmabhoomi' and 'karmabhoomi'. AAP Mumbai Working President Ruben Mascarenhas welcomed the announcement saying she always stood for the right and the party would contest all the 236 BMC seats under her leadership. "The AAP is a beacon of hope and a vehicle for transformative social change. It not just the alternative but the solution. Mumbaikars have long suffered due to mis-governance and neglect. We will leave no stone unturned to bring Kejriwal's model of good governance for Mumbai," assured Sharma-Menon. Chennai, April 30 : Actress Shamna Kasim, who is better known as Poorna to Tamil audiences, has paid a rich tribute to dance, saying dance has been her oxygen and means everything to her. Taking to Instagram to post a video clip which in reality was a compilation of some of her dance performances on the occasion of the International Dance Day, Poorna said, "Dance has been my oxygen to me. It means everything to me !!!! My first love has always been dance. It was the first step in my life to really take something seriously." The actress, who is known to love dancing big time, also went on to say, "It's been my passion, my love and everything for me... I really hope and wish that my dreams of dance should always get fulfilled." The actress will next be seen in director Mysskin's horror flick, 'Pisasu 2, in which actress Andrea Jeremiah plays the lead. Thiruvananthapuram, April 30 : As things stand, in the conflict between Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) chairman B. Ashok, and CPI-M backed KSEB Officers' Association led by its president M.G. Suresh Kumar, the former had the last laugh, with the transferred officials taking up their post on Saturday. The standoff between the two is now almost a month-old and now it seems Ashok is in control of the situation. Power Minister K. Krishnankutty on Saturday dismissed all the bickering as "nothing but what at times happens in a family". "We all have seen at times in families there are difference of opinion and after a while, things cool down and the family is back as one," said Krishnankutty, whose support for Ashok was the key that worked to tame these otherwise brash union leaders. Putting a brave face, Kumar who joined at his new posting said all three of us have decided to join where we have been transferred. "Talks will continue and we are expecting things to end," said Kumar. Ashok who is also the president of the Kerala IAS officers Association, right from the time the tiff began, has been putting his foot down, and none of the arm twisting tactics which was hitherto very effectively used by the CPI-M backed KSEB Association made any impact, as he first suspended a lady engineer, then suspended Kumar and his deputy and after being reinstated, all the three were transferred to distant places. So now with all the three joining at places where they have been asked to join, a round of discussion is now slated to take place in the presence of Krishnankutty on May 5. Mumbai, April 30 : Actor Kaaranvir Bohra recently appeared on the reality show 'Lock Upp', is all set for his first-ever South project. Produced by legendary Rajinikanth's wife Latha,his next is a music video directed by Prerna Arora. The actor will be seen opposite Rimi Sen and shooting for the same will begin on May 1 in Chennai. Kaaranvir shared: "I am very honored to be part of this music video for various reasons. Firstly, it's being produced by Smt. Latha Rajinikanth ji, Secondly, this whole project is for a very noble cause. And thirdly, I get to be directed by Prerna Arora." The actor further expressed his desire to do a South project: "I've been wanting to do something in the South for a very long time. And this project happened. It is a Hindi song but the label is well known in South India. It will be released all over the country and I am very excited about it. I am looking forward to meeting Latha Ma'am and being associated with this project," he concluded. Mumbai, April 30 : Popular actress Shweta Tiwari along with 'Patiala Babes' fame Sourabh Raaj Jain, have flown off to Dubai to shoot a music video. Sourabh said: "It's an innocent story of love and I think for me the way he loves is a love rarely seen in this day and age. The definition of love and relationship has changed over time and the intricacies of it are beautifully going to be shown in this song." On his working experience with Shweta, he shared: "And of course I am looking forward to working with Shweta ji who I have already shared screen space with in 'Khatron ke Khiladi' and with our recent web series together our camaraderie has only increased." "The song itself is beautiful and the first time I heard it, I remember telling myself this one can be on repeat mode in my car. And that's the kind of content I love being a part of, one that has a shelf life of a lifetime," added Sourabh. Sourabh has done varied roles on television and been a part of popular shows like 'Remix', 'Mahabharat', 'Mahakali', 'Chandrugupta Maurya'. He has done reality shows such as 'Nach Baliye' and 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' last season. Chennai, April 30 : National Award winning director Seenu Ramasamy has heaped praises on director Parthiban's upcoming film, 'Iravin Nizhal', calling it a 'lighthouse to Tamil cinema'. Taking to Twitter, Seenu Ramasamy wrote in Tamil, "It is the first Asian Tamil film without an editor. It is the first non-linear single shot film in which actor Parthiban himself acts and also directs others. 'Iravin Nizhal' is historical pride and a light house to Tamil cinema." Seenu Ramasamy isn't the only one who has praised Parthiban's film 'Iravin Nizhal', which is the world's first non-linear single shot film. Director Obeli Krishna, who is now directing actor Simbu's next film 'Paththu Thala' too had words of praise for Parthiban's film. He tweeted, "Fortunate to watch Parthiban sir's 'Iravin Nizhal'. No words to praise his art and dedication. A R Rahman sir's BGM gives life and engagement. Loved Arthur Wilson's camera and art direction. Big salute to the team. It's going to be curriculum for film makers, real single shot movie." Mumbai, April 30 : All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has decided to relinquish Chennai Super Kings captaincy and requested MS Dhoni to lead the side again, the franchise announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old, Dhoni has accepted to lead CSK in the larger interest and to allow Jadeja to focus on his game. Notably, Jadeja has struggled to perform with both bat and ball in the IPL 2022. "Ravindra Jadeja has decided to relinquish captaincy to focus and concentrate more on his game and has requested MS Dhoni to lead CSK," the franchise said in a statement. "MS Dhoni has accepted to lead CSK in the larger interest and to allow Jadeja to focus on his game," it added. Four-time champions CSK have won only two out of their eight games and are at the ninth spot in the points table. Latest updates on IPL 2022 Beijing, April 30 : Key enterprises like SAIC Motor, US electric carmaker Tesla and semiconductor makers like SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor have resumed 80-90 per cent of their production in Shanghai which is under Covid lockdowns, The Global Times reported on Saturday. Companies on Shanghai's initial whitelist have resumed over 80 per cent of their production while chip makers now maintain over 90 per cent production. China has established a "whitelist" approach to support the resumption of work for key companies and minimise the impact of Covid-19 on the supply chain. "By now, Shanghai's whitelist authorises a total of 1,854 companies to resume work," the report said, quoting officials. To help workers return to their workplaces, Shanghai has issues digital pass cards that carry personal information like identity, company and a negative Covid test result, "with shuttle buses transporting them to their companies under closed-loop management". The city has so far issued over 10,000 such cards and another 30,000 more workers have returned to their posts via other measures, the report mentioned. The ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns in China are set to make a huge dent in Apple revenue for the April-June quarter as the company has indicated up to $8 billion loss in sales. In Shanghai, 31 companies run production facilities that supply to Apple. According to reports, some Apple suppliers have reopened facilities in bubble-like environments where workers are staying inside the premises. Apple's biggest supplier Foxconn has kept production going at its biggest iPhone-assembly plant in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou. In Shanghai's outbreak, nearly all victims have been elderly, unvaccinated residents with underlying health problems, according to Chinese officials. Mumbai, April 30 : Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis was happy to see his predecessor and key batter Virat Kohli hit some sort of form, but pointed out their inability to add 10-15 more runs to their total as the reason for their six-wicket defeat to Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022 on Saturday. Electing to bat in what was their first afternoon match in this edition of the IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore rode on half-centuries by Kohli (58) and Rajat Patidar (52) and their 99-run partnership for the second wicket to reach 117/2 at the end of the 15th over. With Kohli still in the middle, Royal Challengers were hoping to reach a 180-plus score. But Gujarat Titans bowled well to restrict them to 170/6. Chasing 171 for victory, Gujarat with the help of an unbeaten 79-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Rahul Tewatia (43*) and David Miller (39*), reached 174/4 for a comfortable six-wicket win. "It was a huge step in the right direction to get a solid 50. You want one of your top 4 to get the 70s in the future, so it's good," du Plessis said of Kohli's knock. However, he rued that the other batters could not capitalise on the base built by Kohli and Patidar. "We tried to get 175-180. They bowled well in the middle and kept us down. We started well with the ball but they played under pressure really well as they are in the tournament," du Plessis said after the match. Reaching 170 was quite morale-boosting for Royal Challengers as they had batted very poorly in their previous two matches -- bundled out for 68 by Sunrisers Hyderabad and for 115 by Rajasthan Royals. "After two bad performances with the bat, coming back was good. But the bowlers being taken down by good batting took it their way," said du Plessis. Latest updates on IPL 2022 New Delhi, April 30 : Several parts of the country including the national capital is reeling under an intense heat wave these days which can lead to heat stroke and other health issues, experts said. According to health experts, extreme heat events can trigger a variety of heat stress conditions, such as heat stroke, as well as cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. "Delhi is through a spell of heat wave right now, and one must understand that it could be lethal also as it could create various kinds of problems," said Dr Rohan Krishnan of ESI Hospital, told IANS. Krishnan said that three categories of people are more prone to get affected with this intense heat wave. "Firstly, young adults and children below the age of 13 can easily get affected by this heat wave because of loss of fluid in the body. Secondly, elderly people of 60 plus population due to the hormonal secretions which has to occur to counteract the extreme heat outside. Thirdly, those people who are having multiple comorbidities or who are under medication or cancer patients. These types of people need to take extra care and attention during this heat wave," Krishnan told IANS. He said that extreme heat can lead to the Hyperthermia which is high body temperature without any symptoms of cough and cold or any infection but it can leads to dehydration, loss of appetite, vomitting, nausea and various other kinds of health problems. Apart from hyperthermia, the doctor said, it also can create dermatitise, heat edema, heat stroke and hypotension. To avoid such health problems during the heat wave, Dr Krishnan advised to drink a lot of water as sweating is the main reason of water loss in the body. He advised to avoid drinking cold water after entering indoors from the outside environment as it can also lead to throat infection and resultantly, during the ongoing rising Covid cases, any kind of throat infection and irritation can make a person more prone to Covid infection. "We have to counter-check the water intake. At least 4-6 litres of water is required daily in summer. When you come from outside during the heat wave, you should not drink lots of cold water because it can lead to throat infection and in this Covid situation any kind of throat infection and irritation can make you more prone Covid infection. The maximum heat prevails between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., so you must avoid going outside during the day time," he said. Kiev, April 30 : Russian soldiers are so eager to flee the war in Ukraine that they are ready to put shrapnel into their bodies, according to conversations intercepted by the Security Service of Ukraine. In one intercepted conversation, a Russian soldier tells his girlfriend or wife that he is ready to break his arm or knock a piece of shrapnel into his leg with a "hammer" so that he would be sent home and will receive compensation for his injuries, Ukrayinska Pravda reported. The girl replies that then it would be better to shoot himself in the leg. The guy denies this: "I'd have to use a crossbow. That's impossible!" In another recording, a militant of the so-called "DPR" (self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic) says that the Russians are refusing en masse to go on the offensive near Chornobaivka, causing panic in various ranks of their allies from the occupied territories of Donetsk region. The Russian special services were preparing provocations and riots in Odesa, together with criminal connections, for the anniversary of the tragic events of 2 May, 2014, Ukrayinska Pravda reported. Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police said: "According to the department's staff, the Russian special services, through criminals under their control, were intending to de-stabilise the situation in the region by inciting riots, organising mass protests and riots that could undermine statehood and overthrow Ukraine's state system." Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Dharamsala, April 30 : The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has welcomed the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' visit to China and other regions, which is "foreseen to take place" in May. The announcement comes three-and-a-half years after the High Commissioner publicly called upon China to allow unrestricted access to regions for the first time in September 2018. The CTA said in a statement that it believes the visit to East Turkestan would go a long way in ameliorating the human rights situation in East Turkistan and addressing the genuine grievances of the Uyghur people. The deplorable situation in the Uyghur region must be condemned in the strongest possible terms, it said. However, sidelining Tibet during the upcoming visit in the face of ever-growing expansionist China will pose a risk and challenge the holistic approach to address human rights violations being committed by China, the statement said. China's invasion, occupation and 'misguided' policies in Tibet over the years have resulted in severe human rights violations for the Tibetan people on many levels and in different aspects of their lives. Due to the existing repressive atmosphere and an absence of civic space in Tibet, at least 158 known Tibetans have resorted to tragic self-immolation protests calling for more freedom in Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet. Over two million Tibetan nomads have been forcibly removed from ancestral nomadic lands in the name of "development" and "poverty alleviation", the CTA said. The Tibetan language has been systematically replaced by Mandarin and Tibetan medium schools have been forcibly shut down, it said. The continued enforced disappearance of Tibet's 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is a cause of great concern for not only Tibetans, but for the entire Tibetan Buddhist followers around the world, said a post on the CAT website. The recent joint communication by a group of six UN Special Procedures mandate holders to China over the arrest, detention and enforced disappearance of Tibetan writer Lobsang Lhundup, musician Lhundrup Drakpa and Tibetan teacher Rinchen Kyi, which demonstrate the challenges faced by Tibetans on a daily basis, in particular Tibetans who are engaged in the protection and promotion of Tibetan language, culture and traditions, or for merely expressing their views about Chinese policies being implemented in Tibet. The situation in Tibet, as per the CTA, has been worsening day by day, resulting in the slow death of Tibet's traditional culture and national identity. Therefore, a meaningful assessment of the situation in Tibet by the High Commissioner is a critical need of the hour and this can happen only with a visit to Tibet. "We are deeply dismayed by UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet's lack of responsiveness to our earlier appeal letter and the perceived obscurity surrounding the impending visit thereby contesting the credibility of the office of High Commission. In contrast with the predecessors, the High Commissioner's silence on China's human rights abuses in Tibet is deeply concerning," said Norzin Dolma, Minister for the Department of Information and International Relations, CTA. "The High Commissioner must be publicly accountable for the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' (OHCHR) observation and assessment of the human rights situation in Tibet and indicate efforts being taken by the office to mitigate the repressive and rapidly deteriorating situation in Tibet. It is more pressing than ever to send the right signal of hope for human rights and freedom in Tibet and other regions being suppressed by China. "Therefore, we reiterate our appeal to the UN High Commissioner to ensure that the upcoming visit to the oppressed regions in China must be credible, substantive and unfettered including a visit to Tibet," Dolma added. London, April 30 : Beijing residents must prove they are Covid negative to enter public spaces in a major tightening of restrictions in the Chinese capital, BBC reported. It is not clear how long the new measures will last, but the announcement comes as the city begins a five-day public holiday. Proof of a negative Covid test will also be required to board public transports from May 5. China is battling a resurgence in Covid cases. In contrast to many other countries, China is pursuing a zero-Covid strategy with the aim of eradicating the virus from the country completely. But the measures, such as strict lockdowns, have led to rare shows of public anger against the authorities. Beijing's new rules come days after the city launched mass testing for its millions of residents following a spike in cases. All dining in restaurants will also be halted between 1 and 4 May, with people being asked to cook at home, BBC reported. The city has reported 295 new cases since 22 April. Of these, 123 cases were found in the Chaoyang, Beijing's most populous district, which is now set for three rounds of mass testing. Earlier this month residents rushed to stock up essential supplies and long queues were seen outside supermarkets and shops, despite government assurances there is sufficient food. New Delhi, April 30 : Chief Justice N.V. Ramana on Saturday said that chief ministers of various state governments have assured that adequate security will be provided at court complexes across the country. The Chief Justice along with Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju was briefing the press on developments in the meeting held with chief ministers and chief justices of high courts. The Chief Justice, while responding to a query on breach in security at court complexes, said: "I have raised that issue with chief ministers. They assured that they will provide adequate security... in Jammu and Kashmir there is a system, two level protection system, which we suggested for other courts also." On the aspect of use of local language in courts, Rijiju said as a matter of policy, the government will give importance to use of local languages in judiciary and as well as education, especially technical education, which is only in English in the country. "It is a process which requires wider consultation with the judiciary... languages in the court, not only in argument but for order and judgment, will require approval from the Chief Justice of India. So that is why it needs a wider consultation," said Rijiju. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for use of local languages in courts, saying that it will increase the confidence of common citizens in the justice system and they will feel more connected to it. The Chief Justice, on aspect of usage of local language in courts, said, "This is a very serious issue, the problem is the demands for implementation of regional language, particularly in Tamil Nadu, some politician mentioned about Gujarat also but I am not sure. Tamil Nadu particularly wants to implement a regional language." Justice Ramana added that earlier a request came in 2014, when he joined the Supreme Court, which was rejected by the full court and after that there has been concrete proposal before the apex court so far. He added that there are a lot of hurdles and hiccups in the implementation of regional languages, the reason is that some judges are not familiar with the local language, as they come from another state. Justice Ramana added that currently there is no technology to translate the entire court record into local language, though Artificial Intelligence (AI) was used but it did not materialize. "One day, we cannot implement a reform... slowly over a period of time it will happen," added the Chief Justice. Rijiju said a resolution passed in chief justices' conference to create a National Judicial Infrastructure Development Authority was received with reservations by some chief ministers. "One of the resolutions (in the chief justices' conference) passed, was to create a National Judicial Infrastructure Development Authority. For that, some of the CMs could not agree with the present setup," he said. Rijiju added, however, an agreement was reached that a body would be created at the state level with chief ministers and chief justices or their nominees on board for the infrastructure development. He further added, "I'm happy the CMs and Chief Justice have agreed that the body will be created at the state level with their involvement." Earlier during the day, the Chief Justice said: "To standardize and improve judicial infrastructure, I have been focusing on the creation of special purpose vehicles, namely, the National Judicial Infrastructure Authority and the State Judicial Infrastructure Authorities in the lines of NALSA and SLSAs. He added, "The time has come to move on from the present ad-hoc committees to a more streamlined, accountable and organised structure. The proposed authorities will have representation from all the stakeholders. It must, however, be acknowledged that it is the judiciary which understands best its own needs and requirements." New Delhi, April 30 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Saturday that Haryana and Punjab have demanded the setting up of a separate high court for both the states and both would duly send their proposals to the Union Home Ministry. While interacting with the media after attending the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts here, Khattar said the demand for setting up a separate high court for Haryana has been made in the joint conference. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also demanded the setting up of a separate high court for Punjab, said Khattar. At the conference, the Haryana Chief Minister demanded setting up of a separate high court for Chandigarh also. Khattar said that Haryana has also demanded that the selection of judicial officers should be done through the Haryana Public Service Commission. Currently, the selection process of judicial officers in Haryana is being done by the high court. The Chief Minister informed that detailed discussions on a total of seven pivotal agendas were made during the conference. Panaji, April 30 : The police in Goa on Saturday arrested a person from Lucknow who posed as an Intelligence Bureau (IB) Officer and duped a person residing in North Goa of Rs 7 lakh on the pretext of providing a job the complainant's son in the Bureau. The accused has been identified as Abhishek Giri (32) from Uttar Pradesh. "Abhishek Giri became friendly with the complainant, impersonated himself as an intelligence officer and induced the complainant to pay Rs 7 lakh over the pretext of providing a job to his son in Intelligence Bureau. Further, the accused person absconded in November 2021 and since then was on the run," a statement by the Goa Police said. The arrest, based on the complaint of the victim Vishant Rajpurohit was carried out after maintaining technical surveillance on the accused's mobile phone. "Our team simultaneously maintained technical surveillance during which the accused person was found to be changing phone numbers and his place of stay in Uttar Pradesh," the statement said. The accused was eventually arrested from Sarojini Nagar in Lucknow, Goa Police said. San Francisco, April 30 : Amid fear of mass exodus from Twitter, employees have grilled its CEO Parag Agrawal about their uncertain future once Elon Musk takes over. According to The Guardian, executives told the company that they "would monitor staff attrition daily, but it was too soon to tell how the buyout deal with Musk would affect staff retention". In a town hall meeting on Friday, the employees demanded answers from Agrawal as to how the company is planning to handle an "anticipated mass exodus prompted by Musk". "I'm tired of hearing about shareholder value and fiduciary duty. What are your honest thoughts about the very high likelihood that many employees will not have jobs after the deal closes," one Twitter employee asked Agrawal. Agrawal replied that he believes "the future Twitter organisation will continue to care about its impact on the world and its customers". Tesla CEO Musk has reportedly lined up a new CEO to take over from Agrawal. The name of Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who had quit in November last year to focus on his financial payments company Block, is doing the rounds as the next CEO. Musk, who has made a successful bid to acquire Twitter for $44 billion, will not make decisions on job cuts until he actually takes ownership of the micro-blogging platform. Agrawal had earlier told employees that there would be "no layoffs at this time". However, according to reports, one area where Musk may make job cuts is the company's policy department. Musk's displeasure was reflected in his criticism of Twitter's policy head Vijaya Gadde earlier this week, over censoring exclusive stories related to US President Joe Biden's son Hunter's laptop in the wake of the Capitol Hill violence. Guwahati, April 30 : Gujarat's Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani, who was granted bail by the District Sessions court in Assam's Barpeta on Friday, said on Saturday that he was arrested by the Assam police "following instructions from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO)". Mevani, while addressing a grand reception accorded by the Assam Congress in Guwahati, said that after PMO's instructions, Assam Police went to Gujarat to arrest him following his appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge people to maintain peace and harmony after the communal violence in Gujarat. "After bringing me to Assam and following my bail from the Kokrajhar court, the Assam Police again cowardly arrested me by making a lady police officer a scapegoat. After arresting a Gujarat MLA, problems of unemployment, electricity, farmers and other backward people of Assam would not be solved, this should be realised by the people of Assam," said Mevani, who is also the Convener of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch. He said that the Assam Police's "rampant extra judicial killing" must be stopped and people must agitate against such "barbaric acts". He said: "The RSS people earlier said to throw away the Indian constitution to the sea. From the RSS and BJP, we can not expect democratic actions. They are destroying everything in the country." Assam state Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah said that the Assam Police must apologise to the people of Gujarat for arresting their MLA on a fake case. The District Sessions court in Assam's Barpeta on Friday granted bail to Mevani, who was first arrested by the Assam police on April 20 in Gujarat in connection with an "objectionable" tweet against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 41-year-old legislator, who was elected from the Vadgam Assembly constituency, was arrested by the Assam police on April 20 (from Gujarat) and taken to Kokrajhar district the next day. The Barpeta police arrested him again on April 25 soon after the Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Kokrajhar district granted his bail.Mevani was sent to five-day police custody by Barpeta's chief judicial magistrate on April 26 on charges of "voluntarily causing hurt", "criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty" and "force on a woman cop intending to outrage her modesty". Meanwhile, the Congress organised a series of demonstrations across Assam since last week against the "undemocratic arrest" of Mevani, who had earlier pledged outside support to the party. The Gujarat legislator was arrested in his home state on April 20 following a complaint filed against him by an Assam BJP leader seeking action against Mevani under the IT Act. Mevani had earlier alleged that his arrest is a deep-rooted conspiracy by the BJP and RSS. "They (BJP and RSS) are doing this to tarnish my image and are doing this systematically. They did it to Rohit Vemula, they did it to Chandrasekhar Azad, and now they are targeting me," he had told the media. New Delhi, April 30 : Flipkart has registered an FIR in Delhi against unknown persons for storing narcotic substances in packages by counterfeiting Flipkarts trademark, logo and copyright. In the FIR, Flipkart said that it learnt from media reports that on April 28-29, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) conducted raids in Jamia Nagar, Delhi. It was reported that during the raid, 50 kg of high quality heroin, 47 kg of suspected narcotics and Rs 30 lakh of drug money in cash and other incriminating documents were recovered by the NCB from unknown accused persons. Flipkart said such unknown accused persons are aiding and abetting in the commission of punishable offences by impersonating Flipkart and harming its reputation. It said that as a responsible and law abiding company, whenever Flipkart has come to know of any illegal or unlawful activity, legal action has been taken with the help of law enforcement agencies in different parts of the country. Flipkart has asked Delhi Police to conduct a detailed investigation as the offences are cognisable and non-bailable in nature. "Therefore it is imperative that immediate action is taken to prevent such anti-social elements engaged in criminal activities to protect the public large at large," Flipkart said in the FIR. New Delhi, April 30 : The national capital on Saturday recorded 1,520 fresh Covid cases in the last 24 hours -- a marginal decline against 1,607 Covid cases reported on the previous day. The fresh infections have taken the overall caseload to 18,83,075. The Covid positivity rate in the city has reached 5.10 per cent. Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours, one Covid related death has also been reported, taking the death toll in the city to 26,175. The Covid fatality rate in capital city stands at 1.39 per cent, as per the health bulletin. The number of active Covid cases in the city has also surged to 5,716. With 1,412 patients recovering in the last 24 hours, the total number of recoveries has gone to 18,51,184. The number of Covid patients being treated in home isolation has also risen to 4,044. The number of Covid containment zones stand at 769 in the city. Meanwhile, a total of 29,775 new tests -- 20,116 RT-PCR and 9,659 Rapid Antigen -- were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 3,78,54,580. Also, 40,132 vaccines were administered in the last 24 hours in the national capital which includes 5,605 as first dose, 20,384 vaccines as second dose, and 14,143 vaccines as precautions doses. The cumulative beneficiaries vaccinated so far stands at 3,34,41,371, according to the health bulletin on Saturday evening. New Delhi, April 30 : After April roasted large swathes of India, creating a record of 122 years, May will bring in a mixed bag -- continued heat for northwest, west and central India and normal to above normal rainfall over most parts of India. The third heatwave since March, leading to the longest dry period of about 65 days since February 25, has meant that average maximum temperature for April (till April 28) for northwest and central India was the highest in the last 122 years, India Meteorological Department (IMD) data showed. The average all-India temperature (maximum & mean) recorded in April (till April 28) was the fourth highest at 35.05-degree Celsius in the last 122 years. Earlier, March 2022 was the hottest in 122 years for all India and northwest India. The average maximum temperature was 35.90-degree Celsius and 37.78-degree Celsius, respectively, for northwest and central India. In simple terms, the temperatures (maximum, minimum & mean) were above normal over most parts of northwest and central India while temperatures were below normal over the southern peninsula and northeast India. There were six western disturbances in April that have had an impact on northwest India, but most of them were feeble and dry and hence did not bring any significant rain to the plains. However, even when northwest and central India were reeling under scorching sun, the entire northeast, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and some parts of Karnataka were receiving heavy to very heavy rainfall. "In May, above normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of west-central and northwest India, and northern parts of northeast India. Normal to below normal maximum temperatures are likely over the remaining parts of the country," IMD Director General (Meteorology), Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, told a media conference. While presenting the summary for April and outlook for May, Mohapatra said, "During May, above normal minimum temperatures are likely over most parts of northwest, central, east and northeast India. Normal to below normal minimum temperatures are likely over the south peninsular India and few pockets of extreme northwest India." The rainfall in May averaged over the country is most likely to be above normal (more than 109 per cent of the Long Period Average). "Normal to above normal rainfall is likely over most parts of India, except some parts of northwest India and some parts of northeast India as well as extreme southeast peninsula where it is likely to be below normal," Mohapatra said. Conditions that have an influence on the Indian climate -- La Nina and Indian Ocean Dipole -- are being monitored by the IMD on a regular basis, he said, adding, "Currently, La Nina conditions are prevailing over the equatorial Pacific region and these are likely to continue throughout the forecast period. Also, at present, neutral IOD conditions are present over the Indian Ocean and the negative IOD conditions are likely to develop towards the beginning of June." Bengaluru, April 30 : The Karnataka government announced on Saturday that it would take entire responsibility of rehabilitation of a victim of acid attack. The shocking incident took place on Thursday when a 24-year-old woman sustained serious injuries after her stalker allegedly threw acid on her. The police have arrested the parents and brother of the accused Nagesh, who is still absconding. Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar paid a visit to the Siant John's hospital on Saturady where the victim is being treated. "The entire cost of treatment will be borne by the state government, including the expense of skin transplantation," he said. The minister also provided Rs 5 lakh compensation personally. "The government will ensure that the accused gets maximum sentence after expeditious trial in a fast-track court. The message has to reach the anti-social elements. The victim has suffered 35 per cent burn injuries and she is being treated in the ICU," he said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had called up his brother Ramesh Babu after carrying out the acid attack. Later, they locked their house in Bengaluru and fled. New Delhi, April 30 : Will BJP announce fresh elections in Gujarat after dissolving the Gujarat Assembly next week, asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a tweet on Saturday as the BJP leadership from the state met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. With Gujarat set to go to the polls later this year, the top BJP leadership from the state on Saturday held a meeting with Prime Minister Modi in Delhi. Taking a swipe at the meeting, Kejriwal asked if the BJP will dissolve the Gujarat Assembly next week and announce elections in the state. "Is the BJP going to announce fresh elections in Gujarat after dissolving the Gujarat Assembly next week? Are they so scared of AAP," Kejriwal tweeted. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, state minister Rajendra Trivedi, and principal secretary K. Kailashnathan were present at the meeting with Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. After sweeping the polls in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party is preparing to contest all seats in the Gujarat elections. Kejriwal is set to leave for Gujarat for a two-day visit on Sunday. New Delhi, April 30 : A man accused of raping two minor girls has been apprehended here after a brief exchange of fire with the police in outer north Delhi, officials said on Saturday. A police officer said Kamal Malhotra a.k.a. Cheenu along with his aide Raju had allegedly raped two sisters -- one 14, and another 6, on Friday. The elder sister is said to be mentally unsound, and cannot speak properly. On Saturday, Cheenu was spotted at a park near Samaypur Badli metro station. When the police had asked him to surrender, he had opened fire. "In retaliation, we also opened fire following which he suffered a bullet injury and was caught," the police said. A country-made pistol and a live cartridge were recovered from him. Raju is still on the run. Dhaka, May 1 : Outraged with "serving beef" to Hindu attendees of an Iftar event hosted by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the pro liberation BNP leaders seeking anonymity have said that they love to stay with the party and its ally, but not with pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami or any such party. Jamaat-e-Islami have tried to restore the "Pakistan military-fundamentalist model of radical Islam" but failed, they asserted. BNP, the Opposition party in Bangladesh allegedly hosted non-Muslim community members with beef at an iftar event. The incident has sparked a sharp criticism on social media. The Sylhet unit of BNP arranged the iftar party, attended by at least 20 leaders and activists from the Hindu community on Thursday. All the plates were served with traditional items alongside beef while no exception was made even for the Hindu attendees. Outraged at the insensitivity, local unit Hindu participants from the party took to Facebook to condemn the organisers. "In absence any separate arrangement, I, like 20 other Hindu colleagues, had to watch all the Muslim leaders and activists breaking their fasts," wrote Muntu Nath, a local leader of an affiliated body of BNP, summing up his anger for being invited at the event. Terming such an arrangement "a farce" with the colleagues from other community leaders, Kanak Kanti Das, a local leader of BNP's student body, wrote "you enjoyed your iftar and we (Hindu invitees) were simply looking at it". Without offering any apology, BNP Sylhet district leaders later acknowledged the "mishap" as some activists on social media questioned the motive behind it . Drawing on BNP's long standing role as central to the country's Islamic ecosystem, some analysts raised BNP Jamaat's proven track record of systematically attacking the minorities. Media personalities also that said the military rulers who had taken over and ruled Bangladesh for 15 years legitimised the pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami, introduced constitutional amendments that undermined the country's secular democratic polity, and finally declared Islam as the state religion of Bangladesh. Even during last rule of the BNP, back from 2001 to 2006, the emergence of Tarique Rahman as the de facto leader of the party emboldened the Islamists in a systematic land grabbing from Hindus let alone attack on temples and businesses and rape of Hindu girls. Even while in Opposition, BNP has been accused of aiding Jamaat in perpetrating biggest attacks on Hindus centering war crimes trials. Afterwards, in other major incidents of attacks on Hindus including the recent attacks on Durga puja, involvement of the BNP Jamaat backed people had been blamed by the Awami League leaders. Aries: During this week, Venus will move into Aries, which is a time to improve your health and beauty. See More Taurus: The transit of Venus will enter Aries, making you read spiritual and philosophical texts. See More Gemini: The transit of Venus will enter Aries, and this is a very important time for friendships and collective projects. See More Cancer: The transit of Venus will enter Aries, which will impact your career. See More Leo: The transit of Venus will enter Aries, bringing a lot of focus on foreign collaborations. See More Virgo: The transit of Venus through Aries will impact your financial matters and partnerships. See More Libra: Your ruler Venus will move into Aries, which will impact your relationships. See More Scorpio: The transit of Venus will impact the sixth house of work and colleagues. See More Sagittarius: The transit of Venus will impact the fifth house of creative projects and your ventures. See More Capricorn: The transit of Venus through Aries will impact your home, indicating some important events at home. See More Aquarius: The transit of Venus through Aries will ignite the third house of communication and media. See More Pisces: Martian transit through Pisces will impact your personal and professional life. See More Kiev, May 1 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he had discussed defensive support for Ukraine with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The two sides talked about the situation on the battlefield and the blocked city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, Zelensky said on Twitter, adding necessary diplomatic efforts to achieve peace was another topic of the conversation. Earlier on Saturday, the Ukrainian leader said he had discussed defense cooperation in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Xinhua news agency reported. The participating restaurants in the spring promotion for Albarino wines of Rias Baixas are as follows: Fiola Miami; A16 San Francisco; Estadio Charleston; and Estadio Washington, DC. Click here to review the range of Albarino selections available to sample this spring and find out more about the growers behind these popular white wines. Known for their elegant white wines, D.O. Rias Baixas occupies a lush green corridor of northwest Spain on the cool, Atlantic coast, an area known as Galicia that is the original birthplace of the Albarino variety. Ample rainfall makes it tough to ripen reds but suits the native Albarino grapes to perfection. The wines are crisp, light, and fresh, with hints of sea spray and minerality, and a well-balanced acidity that make them a perfect pairing for many dishes. Beverage Director Daniel Bishop of Fiola in Miami is one of the many sommelier fans of Albarino and is featuring them this spring at the Coral Gables hot spot. Bishop likes the freshness, acidity, and brightness of the wines, with the salinity and citrus notes. Bishop recommends Albarino with the classic crudo and raw bar selection at Fiola, a nod to the renowned seafood from Galician waters. Beverage Director Brandon Underwood of Estadio Charleston also appreciates the versatility and refreshing oceanic brightness of Albarino. Like many around town, Underwood finds that Albarino wines are at home in Charleston, which shares an Atlantic coastline and a lively Spanish food scene with the Rias Baixas region. A true people pleaser of a wine, Albarino is complex, aromatic and tasty. The wines pair beautifully with the Spanish menu at Estadio Charleston and Estadio DC but are equally well-matched with the coal-fired pizza at A16 in San Francisco, known for their gold standard Neapolitan method and family-friendly atmosphere. To request more information about the wines of D.O. Rias Baixas, including samples, please contact Javier Serrano at javier@gregoryvine.com. View the complete list of participating Rias Baixas wines here. About D.O. Rias Baixas Denomination of Origin (D.O.) Rias Baixas is renowned for the Albarino grape, an indigenous variety that produces some of the worlds foremost white wines. Located in the Galicia region of northwestern Spain, the D.O. was formally established in 1988. Albarino has always been the flagship of this coastal Atlantic region. In Rias Baixas unique climate, Albarino shares the same mineral-rich soils and cool climate as the worlds leading white wine regions, including Loire Valley, New Zealand and the Rhine. The USA is Rias Baixas most important export market and demand continues to grow. Click here for more information about the Albarino wines from Rias Baixas and follow us on Instagram at @riasbaixaswines. Premier Radiology Services With a shared commitment to providing high-quality medical care and an exceptional patient experience, Premier will help us meet the growing demand for radiology interpretations, said Mike Kosuth, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer-East at Concentra. Premier Radiology Services (Premier), a U.S.-based teleradiology provider, today announced a long-term contract extension with Concentra, the nations largest occupational medicine provider, to help meet the growing demand for rapid and reliable radiology interpretations for occupational and urgent care patients. Premier delivers high-quality and timely reads enabling clinicians to more quickly see and deliver results for all services, including NIOSH B-reads, TB-screenings, pre-employment screenings, cardiac screenings, age of injury analyses, and musculoskeletal and general Ultrasound interpretations. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to partner with Premier Radiology Services, said Mike Kosuth, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer-East at Concentra. With a shared commitment to providing high-quality medical care and an exceptional patient experience, Premier will help us meet the growing demand for radiology interpretations. This partnership leverages the strength of two industry leaders to continue to serve the evolving needs of employers and their employees. Flexible and scalable integration is key for teleradiologists working with large organizations like Concentra, ensuring speed in receiving the radiology exams, timely results reporting, and a coordinated and collaborative care plan for patients. Scalability is an absolute requirement for a business like ours, as we are processing thousands of patient scans per day, said Drew Gaudet, Co-Founder of Premier Radiology Services. Our highly-adaptable technological integrations ensure that the appropriate resources are always available whatever the demand. This flexibility helps us quickly and efficiently start our occupational health patients on a focused directive of care, instead of thinking about technology. The strategic technology investments the teleradiology company made have propelled Premier Radiology Services rapid growth. Radiology is an ever-evolving industry, and we focus on working with technology partners who understand what is needed to support teleradiology workflows and serve organizations like Concentra as expeditiously and effectively as possible, said Ryan Furlough, CTO at Premier Radiology. This approach allows Premier to work with providers like Concentra with highly customized workflows through DICOM scripting and HL7 integration. Premier Radiology Services looks forward to meeting visitors and learning about their needs at Booth 105 at UCA2022. To learn more about Concentra, visit http://www.concentra.com ### About Premier Radiology Services Teleradiology Solution Founded in 2006, Premier Radiology Services is one of the top independent teleradiology solutions in the United States. Formed by bringing together U.S. Board-certified, fellowship-trained teleradiologists and cutting-edge technology, Premier serves healthcare providers and patients by solving the gaps and inefficiencies that have long been persistent in the field of radiology. Premiers teleradiology solution is an efficient, secure, and highly accurate system for reliable readings. With Premiers continuity of care, and less than one-hour average turnaround times, doctors can deliver direction of care quickly to patients. To find out more visit our website at http://www.pradiology.com About Concentra Concentra, a division of Select Medical, is a leading health care company focused on improving the health of Americas workforce, one patient at a time. More than 11,000 Concentra colleagues provide occupational medicine, urgent care, physical therapy, and wellness services from more than 500 medical centers and 130 onsite medical facilities nationwide. To learn more, visit http://www.concentra.com. New Hampshire has a new resource to get small business owners the business advising and technical assistance they needfor free. New Hampshires Community Navigator Program has launched the website http://www.nhcommunitynavigator.org to make it easier for entrepreneurs and business owners from traditionally underserved communities to access key business resources, such as business counseling, marketing, and access to capital. The website is not only a portal to resources, but it will also connect these microenterprises, cooperatives, and businesses in the early stages of development to community partners that are focused on connecting with underserved communities. The Community Navigator Program is the next evolution for New Hampshire's small business development ecosystem, said Katherine Easterly Martey, Executive Director of the Community Development Finance Authority. These resources will support our collective efforts to break down barriers to accessing resources for small business owners and entrepreneurs to help them grow. The Community Navigator Program is an American Rescue Plan initiative designed to reduce barriers that underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs often face when trying to recover, grow, or start their businesses. The Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) was awarded a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration to launch the program and is one of 51 grantees selected from more than 700 submissions nationwide. CDFA will serve as the statewide hub for implementation, working alongside established microenterprise technical assistance providers covering each region of the state, New Hampshires SBA office, statewide training and language-access partners, and on-the-ground community partners to achieve the goals of the program. Addressing Barriers to Business Success Here in New Hampshire, small businesses are the engine of our economy. Investment in business development for very small businessesthose with five or fewer employeescan be a way to increase opportunities for full-time employment, increased wages, and wealth-building for low- and moderate-income business owners and their families. The Community Navigator Program directly targets the barriers encountered by socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses by enabling regional partners to focus on reaching out to small businesses that are owned by historically vulnerable community members, specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); immigrants and refugees; veterans; women; disabled, formerly incarcerated, and LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people. The program also seeks to build on what works, using previous program strengths and resources to proactively support communities of high need and potential that traditional economic development efforts have been unable to successfully connect with capital and technical assistance in the past. Building a successful small business requires strong community relationships and access to capital with the help of friends and family, said Easterly Martey. Community members impacted by intergenerational poverty and the racial wealth gap are unfortunately faced with barriers that diminish their access to these types of resources and networks. These inequities in small business development and asset building are diminishing a small business potential. It is critical in this moment that we take the opportunity to break down these barriers through the Community Navigator Program. To this end, the programs website is designed to not only provide information about resources, but to directly connect business owners to people who can help. Site visitors can reach partner programs immediately by clicking the Access Resources button at the top of the page and providing their email address. They will also find information about the program and the services offered. Building on Community Partnerships The program builds on years of CDFAs investment in microenterprises throughout New Hampshire. In the past two years, CDFA has offered technical assistance through community partners, including more than $2.6 million in federal Community Development Block Grants. Another $1.3 million in Community Development Block Grant funding has been allocated to microenterprise support in 2022. To maximize the reach of the program, partner organizations around the state are ready to help small businesses and entrepreneurs. These key regional partners include: Investing in local organizations and understanding the needs of businesses around the state goes a long way in earning the trust and building relationships with businesses in traditionally underserved communities, said Easterly Martey. This pilot program will enable our regional partners to better reach and meet the needs of those who have traditionally lacked access. To learn more about New Hampshires program, reach out to a partner organization, and sign up for news and updates, visit http://www.nhcommunitynavigator.org. For more information on resources available to New Hampshire nonprofits, municipalities and businesses through CDFAs programs, visit http://www.nhcdfa.org. About the Community Development Finance Authority The Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) is a statewide nonprofit public authority focused on maximizing the value and impact of community development, economic development and clean energy initiatives throughout New Hampshire. The organization leverages a variety of financial and technical resources, including the competitive deployment of grant, loan and equity programs. Those resources include New Hampshire state tax credits, federal Community Development Block Grant resources and the CDFA Clean Energy Fund. For more information about CDFA and its programs visit http://www.nhcdfa.org or call 603-226-2170. Esteemed venture capitalist and philanthropist Robert Zangrillo held a Closing Party for Miami Tech Week on Saturday, April 23rd at his home. The tech event was hosted by Dragon Global, Mr. Zangrillos Venture Capital firm, along with 137 Ventures and 305 Ventures. The Closing Party for Miami Tech Week brought together 1,000 of the top founders and venture capitalists from Miami, Austin, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, and New York. The goal of the event was to demonstrate leadership in the Miami community by supporting the build of a Tech Campus at the Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church in partnership with Magic City Innovation District and delivering more than 5,000 Empowerment Backpacks, including a Mentorship Program to 14 to 18-year-old teenagers in Miami. There was over $200,000 raised for this initiative to educate and train the next generation of technologists. Donors included CEO of Dragon Global Bob Zangrillo, CEO of Sun Capital Partners Marc Leder, Space Entrepreneur Marc Bell, Co-Founder at Arc Institute Patrick Hsu, General Partner at Founders Fund Keith Rabois, Chairman and CEO of iHeart Media Bob Pittman, Angel Investor George Bousis, Attorney Bruce Weil, CEO of Genesis10 Harley Lippman, Co-Founder of Tune.FM Andrew Antar, Co-Founder at Scale AI Lucy Guo, and American filmmaker Michael Flanagan, amongst others. "I believe it is critical to be an active leader in Miami and to ensure I can help mobilize the venture capital, technology, cryptocurrency, and real estate communities to give back by building a tech campus and distributing global empowerment backpacks and mentorship programs to the teenagers of Miami," said Bob Zangrillo. The Zangrillo Family Foundation matched Marc Leders $50,000 donation as the charity event ended up raising approximately $200,000 and 1 million JAMS Tokens were donated by Tune.FM. NCWIT has worked with Apple for more than ten years, and Apples DEI team has consistently innovated on ways to improve gender equity in tech, NCWIT President and CTO Terry Hogan said. NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) is proud to announce that ten members of the AiC Community have each been awarded an Apple Scholars Program scholarship. In addition to the $15,000 scholarship, each winner will receive a technology package and exclusive participation in an immersion event with Apple. NCWIT AiC is one of ten organizations that collaborated with Apple to identify a total of 100 Apple Scholars for the initiative's first cohort. The AiC awardees, all of whom are currently seniors in high school, were selected based on their achievements in the Aspirations in Computing program, their intention to pursue studies in computing or engineering after completing high school, and their potential to benefit from the Apple Scholars experience. NCWIT has worked with Apple for more than ten years, and Apples DEI team has consistently innovated on ways to improve gender equity in tech, NCWIT President and CTO Terry Hogan said. The Apple Scholars program will be a game-changer for participants, and NCWIT is honored to be a partner in selecting scholars from the Aspirations in Computing community. About Aspirations in Computing: NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) provides encouragement, enables persistence, opens doors, and changes lives for women, genderqueer, and non-binary people in technology from K-12 through career. The entire Aspirations in Computing program platform is supported generously by NCWIT Lifetime Partner Apple. Learn more about the scholarship recipients below: Alline Ayala is intrigued by technology and optimistic about its role in society. Besides her curiosity about technology, Alline enjoys creating art by sculpting with clay. She has had several accomplishments in both the art and STEM fields, including winning a scholarship for her performance in the National Cyber Scholarship Competition. Alline plans to pursue computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity in college, with a goal of helping to defend against today's digital threats. Paridhi (Pari) Latawa is a senior at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas. She is interested in exploring the intersection between technology and biology, specifically genetics. She enjoys competing in Science Olympiad and playing the viola. Pari is the founder and executive director of SparkED, an organization that aims to equip youth with resources to educate, empower, and enable them to make informed decisions about their career and life. Mahati Manda is a senior at Basis Independent Silicon Valley High School. She is the creator of Notecademy.com, a note-sharing web application. Her eagerness to help others motivated her to establish the California Funbotics Chapter, which strives to provide quality STEM education to underrepresented students. At school, she is president of the National Art Honors Society, president of the Girls Who Code Club, and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. Maria Pham is a senior at John B. Connally High School. She began her coding journey in sixth grade, participating in code.org's Hour of Code and playing video games such as Halo and Skyrim. She has continued her interest in coding by taking AP computer science classes in high school, and she is also pursuing other STEM-related classes, including physics, chemistry, calculus, and engineering. She hopes to major in computer science in college. Jessica Shoemaker is a high school senior from Austin, Texas. Jessica started a competitive computer science club and has helped lead the team to numerous victories over the years. As Mu Alpha Theta President, she also leads the advanced math efforts at her school. Jessica is a four-time AIME qualifier, and has risen to USA Computing Olympiad Gold level. Jessica expects to study computer science in college and to discover what opportunities that opens up for her. Rakshinee Sreekanth is a senior at Westwood High School. Last year, she planned and hosted a district-wide event called HERStory Makers to promote women in STEM. This year, she founded Tech Starters, a STEM and business project-based organization that seeks to introduce young individuals to the real product development workplace within high school itself. Rakshinee hopes to pursue a career in data science, where she can combine her love for analytical programming with innovative business decision-making. Angelina Urabe Chavez learned to code websites in the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program. In the UC Santa Cruz Girls in Engineering program, she worked with a team of young girls on a robotics project. During her internship at Digital NEST, Angelina helped to plan a workshop for youth to bring awareness of, and develop solutions to, the underrepresentation of Latinx people in tech. She hopes to pursue a career as a full stack engineer. Annika Viswesh, a senior at Palo Alto Senior High School and a 2021 Simons Summer Research Program Fellow, is passionate about scientific innovation, service, and advocacy for equity and diversity in STEM. Annika has held research internships at University of California, San Francisco, Stanford University, and Stony Brook University. She founded an organization called Jobs of Tomorrow to encourage underrepresented students to pursue STEM and to empower them to see themselves as future STEM leaders. Darlina Williams is a senior at Pacific Collegiate School in Santa Cruz, California. Last summer, she interned at Almost Human Media, where she developed a user interface for an interactive tool that allows users to re-imagine water usage in Los Angeles. Darlina plans to pursue a degree in computer science, work as a software engineer for a few years, and then earn an MBA, with a goal of founding a company that develops sustainable technology. Chloe Yan, a senior at Burlingame High School, is passionate about technology. She is the executive director for Girl Genius, an international nonprofit that empowers girls in STEAM worldwide through magazines, videos, and events. She also co-founded CS Hands-On to develop an interactive curriculum that equalizes computer science education for the next generation of coders. Her future plans include attending college as a computer science major and pursuing opportunities that utilize technology for social good. EMC Precision is honored to receive this recognition as a best-in-class employer from Gallagher, said Bob Graney, Chief Operating Officer. It demonstrates to employees, applicants, and customers how were committed to a holistic wellness approach. EMC Precision has been named a Best-In-Class Employer after scoring in the top quartile of midsize employers (100-999 full-time employees) who participated in Gallaghers 2021 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey. EMC Precision was recognized as an organization that provides innovative solutions for creating organizational structures, workplace policies, and total rewards, which inclusively engages and motivates its employees. EMC Precision is honored to receive this recognition as a best-in-class employer from Gallagher, said Bob Graney, Chief Operating Officer. It demonstrates to employees, applicants, and customers how were committed to a holistic wellness approach. It is important to me personally to provide the best options to our employees. This recognition is another step toward achieving our goal of having the best employees, in the best job theyve ever had, at the best place they have ever worked, added Jeff Ohlemacher, CEO. A Best-in-Class organization, EMC Precision was assigned points based on their relative performance in seven categories including planning horizons for the benefits and compensation strategies, the turnover rate for full-time equivalents (FTEs), completion of a workforce engagement survey, use of an HR technology strategy and its level of sophistication and health plan premium increases or decreases at the most recent renewal. Only 11% of the over 4,000 organizations that participated in the Gallagher survey earned the Best-In-Class designation. EMC Precision takes a proactive and structured approach to planning, developing, and implementing comprehensive benefits and HR programs, said William F. Ziebell, CEO of Gallaghers Benefits & HR Consulting Division. In doing so, EMC Precision is able to develop a winning formula to attract, reward, and retain the right talent and position the company as a destination employer. About EMC Precision Founded & headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, with an additional facility in Sheridan, IN, EMC Precision provides complex parts in low to mid-volume quantities, expertly machined since 1925. EMC provides a turn-on-a-dime response to customers' urgent needs. EMC Precision's constant pursuit of excellence in precision machined parts is grounded in values of integrity, teamwork, and service to all stakeholders. For more information, visit http://www.emcprecision.com About the Best-in-Class Benchmarking Analysis Gallaghers Best-in-Class Benchmarking Analysis profiles statistically significant attributes of top-performing midsize (100-999 FTEs) and large employers (1,000 or more FTEs). Data from Gallaghers 2021 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey was interpreted to identify participants that excel in optimizing employee and organizational wellbeing. To learn more about the report and the qualifying criteria, download the Best-in-Class Benchmarking Analysis: http://ajg.com/Best-in-Class-2021 About Gallagher Gallagher (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management, and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 68 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. "At Edible, we offer a variety of treats that can put a smile on her face and make her feel extra love on her day, said Angela Johnson, Vice President of Innovation and Merchandising for Edible. Mothers Day is coming up on Sunday, May 8, 2022 and Edible, the world's largest franchisor of fresh fruit arrangements and other sweet treats, has a delightfully delicious deal to show appreciation for our leading ladies. Just in time for the holiday, Edible is offering a special deal on their Mothers Day Chocolate and Cheesecake Platter. From now through May 6, customers may purchase the platter for 20% off the regular price. To receive the discount, customers must use the code PICKUP20. The offer is good only for pickup orders. Gift giving can sometimes be challenging, especially for someone as special as our moms. At Edible, we offer a variety of treats that can put a smile on her face and make her feel extra love on her day, said Angela Johnson, Vice President of Innovation and Merchandising for Edible. Were thrilled to make this holiday even sweeter with a special deal on our Mothers Day Chocolate and Cheesecake Platter. The Mothers Day Chocolate and Cheesecake Platter features Edibles rose vanilla white chocolate-dipped strawberries semisweet chocolate dipped strawberries, Gertrude Hawk Peanut Butter Cups, Gertrude Hawk Jordan Crackers, Gertrude Hawk Caramel Pecan Patties, and cheesecake with whipped frosting and fresh strawberries. The 20% off discount on the platter is available through May 6 and is valid only for pickup. Edible makes it easy to give gifts with great taste for Mothers Day and many other occasions from birthdays to graduations to thank yous and more. Their product selections include fresh fruit arrangements, chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate dipped fruit, cookies, and an assortment of other treats and gifts. They offer convenient pickup at local stores or delivery, where available. Gifts may also be complemented with greeting cards, balloons, flowers and other ways to wow someones day. Visit http://www.ediblearrangements.com to find the Edible nearest to you and order your sweet gift for pickup. Image Link: Mothers Day Chocolate and Cheesecake Platter: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t3vqwwzmvvbkv24/AADwrHjF8JRYzTX5iTFJT_g1a?dl=0 About Edible Brands Edible Brands is the parent company of Edible, the world's largest franchisor of stores offering fresh fruit snacks, dipped treats, and fruit arrangements with over 1,000 locations worldwide. Since its founding in 1999, the company has been recognized as an industry leader, ranking first in its category in Entrepreneur magazine's annual "Franchise 500," Entrepreneur's Top 40 of "Fastest Growing Franchises'' and "America's Top Global Franchises" as well as being included among the "Inc. 5000" list of the fastest growing privately held companies. Edible's fresh fruit arrangements, chocolate Dipped Fruit, fresh fruit smoothies, fresh produce boxes and other treats can be ordered through any local Edible store or online at edible.com. Edible has franchise opportunities available in a number of key markets in the United States and Canada. For more information about owning an Edible please visit ediblefranchise.com. Cooking oil could be used to make paint The pressure cooker doesnt let steam out; it just keeps building up pressure, and when you do that, the properties of water change." Michael Timko, WPI Professor of Chemical Engineering. Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have discovered a new method to turn used cooking oil into chemicals that could be made into paint or, potentially, into plastic products. The discovery could help lessen reliance on petroleum and find a renewable alternative to it. The study was recently published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. Until now, used cooking oil had mostly been treated as waste, with a fraction used to produce biodiesel fuel. Now the WPI team has expanded that work to an alternative technology. The innovation comes from the use of the catalyst ZSM-5, a different type of catalyst than had been used in past research. The team started with palmitic acid, a saturated fat common in cooking oils and found naturally in olive, soybean, sunflower, and palm oils, and other natural products such as dairy and meat, as well as many skincare products. The researchers then added the catalyst and a small amount of water to the mixture. When you combine nano-scale catalysts and water, you get a sweet spot where you have a more rapid conversion and selectivity for these chemicals, said Michael Timko, professor of chemical engineering. They then turned up the heatbringing the mixture to 400 degrees Celsius. The team used another common kitchen itema pressure cookerto keep the water from escaping the mixture by turning it into steam. The pressure cooker doesnt let steam out; it just keeps building up pressure, and when you do that, the properties of water change, said Timko. The interaction between the catalyst and the pressurized water promotes formation of industrial chemicals known as one-ring aromatics. Other components, such as pigments, are then added to the mixture, to make the paint. The study originally began as a WPI undergraduate students Major Qualifying Project, the culmination of the universitys project-based education. Now, the research is getting closer to being available for real-world applications. The next steps for this project include evaluating the technology in a continuous process, as well incorporating cooking oil that has been used in the cooking process, rather than using a model compound. Researchers from the University of Massachusetts, Syracuse University, Zoex Corporation, and the University of Bath (United Kingdom) contributed to the study, which was also partially funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to Syracuse University. Together with the nearly 1,000 other community colleges across the country, Kalamazoo Valley celebrated Community College Month during April. To wrap up the month, the college received a Special Tribute from the State of Michigan. The Special Tribute, signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, State Senator Sean McCann (20th District), State Senator Julie Rogers (16th District), State Representative Christine Morse (61st District), State Representative Matt Hall (63rd District) and State Representative Beth Griffin (66th District), acknowledges the state-of-the art training and educational experiences the college has provided to students through Southwest Michigan since 1966. McCann delivered the Special Tribute to Kalamazoo Valley President L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D., in recognition of Community College Month. Community College Month is an opportunity to demonstrate not only that community colleges, like Kalamazoo Valley, should be the first choice of many college-bound students, but also why community colleges are first-class institutions that are vital to our local and state economies. This month-long campaign is designed to improve awareness about the economic, academic and equity advantages of attending community colleges and to break the stigma associated with public two-year colleges. Community colleges are a uniquely American educational model designed to guarantee access to affordable, high-quality higher education for all. They serve as an onramp to bachelors, masters and higher-level degrees for many students and particularly for the most demographically and socioeconomically diverse students. Established in 1966, Kalamazoo Valley Community College offers certificate programs in more than 50 areas of study and associate degrees in 60 others. These include business, healthcare, human and public service, and technical occupations, culinary arts and brewing training. It has four Kalamazoo, Mich., locations, including the Texas Township Campus, the Groves Campus, the Arcadia Commons Campus and the Bronson Healthy Living Campus. Classes are available during the day, evening, online and weekends. For more information Linda Depta Executive Director of KVCC Foundation & Director of Development 269.488.4821 or ldepta@kvcc.edu Ive always been super sentimental, Jamie Ford says via Zoom, from his art-filled office in Great Falls, Mont., as his two dogs noisily play at his feet. I was emo before emo was a term. There are literary writers who find love stories pedantic, but Im not that person. Ive tried writing stories that arent love stories, but they just want to be there, so I shamelessly lean into it. Ford is the author of three historical novels, including Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, his bestselling 2009 debut about a Chinese American widower looking back at the boyhood bond he forged in 1940s Seattle with a Japanese girl who was sent to an internment camp. His books, according to his publisher, Atria, have sold more than 1.8 million copies in the U.S. and have been translated into 35 languages. Fords fourth novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, is out in August and is his first book with Atria. The novel is also his first foray into speculative fiction. It concerns seven generations of womenall fictional descendants of Afong Moy, a real 19th-century figure, believed to be the first Chinese woman to come to America, who for years was exhibited at sideshows to paying crowds. In alternating chapters, Ford follows Afong Moys fictional descendantsamong them a nurse serving with the Flying Tigers (a group of volunteer American pilots created to fight the Japanese invasion of China) in the 1940s and a Seattle poet in 2045while exploring themes of inherited trauma, ancestral pain, and love. Historical fiction has always been my home base, Ford says, but I got bored there. I wanted to write speculative fiction. To blend the two in an enjoyable way, that was my goal. But coming up with the right story wasnt easy. I was floundering in the worst possible way. To call it writers block would be generous. A creative breakthrough came in 2019 while Ford was researching epigenetics. When it comes to genetics, we think of inherited traitshair or eye color, things that are observable, he explains. But epigenetics has opened the discussion that we possibly inherit behavioral and psychological traits that impact how we react to pain, to other people, to love. My book is about inherited trauma, but its also redemptive and hopeful. I call it my epigenetic love story. Fords agent, Kristin Nelson, says, If you look at any Jamie Ford book, theres a love story at its core. Thats his brand. He embraces it. His writing has an emotional connective quality, and it transcends whatever genre hes working in. Born in Eureka, Calif., in 1968, Ford grew up in Seattle, a creative kid who cried at movies. What kind of a kid was I? He smiles. I can sum it up in one sentence: my parents sent me to poetry camp. His mother was white, from the Ozarks, and his father was Chinese American. The surname Ford comes from his great-grandfather, mining pioneer Min Chung, who changed his name to William Ford after he arrived from China in 1865. Its like someone coming from Pakistan and changing his name to Chuck Norris, Ford says. It helped Americanize him to his neighbors, and it helped him buy property. Being Chinese American has deeply informed Fords work. It wasnt until my dad died, when I was 31, that I really felt disconnected with the Chinese side of my family, he explains. I dove into doing research, almost as therapy, to better understand my dad and grandfather, to deal with the regret of not having asked them enough questions when they were alive. Writing from a Chinese American perspective, not only am I exploring my history and sharing some perhaps untold stories but Im feeling comfortable in my own skin, which took me decades to arrive at. Atria publisher Libby McGuire says, A persons desire for connection, and wanting to be known and understoodthats the thread that runs through Jamies books. His new novel has a scope thats beyond anything hes written before. I see it as the next step in his career. Fords editor Lindsay Sagnette adds, The book is a leap for Jamie in the best way. He spent a lot of time researching it, and the beauty is you cant feel thatits not analytical or clinical. Theres nothing cool about Jamie. Its all heart. Im a self-taught writer, Ford says. I have a two-year degree in design from the Art Institute of Seattlea school that doesnt exist anymore. I dont have a literary MFA pedigree. I feel self-conscious at times, but I do have an understanding of who I am and what Im capable of. I consider myself to be in the compassion creation business. I have no problem reading about car crashes and asteroid collisions, but those arent the stories I choose to tell. Fords wife, a nurse and educator, is his faithfuland toughfirst reader. She was reading Tom Clancy in third grade, Ford says. Shes a dynamic reader, and super honest. I need someone to tell me when it sucks. When she doesnt read my stuff, I feel naked. The pair met at a library and wed in 2008the second marriage for both. Between them, they have six kids from their first marriages. Now in their 20s, the kids include a tattoo artist and a musician. Were a Brady Bunch family, Ford quips. Ford has been living in Great Falls for over two decades. Temperatures can be brutal (its -22 F on the day of our talk), but he doesnt mind. Im most productive when the weathers cold. If I were near a beach I might be distracted. Its affordable, too. Its like living in the 1970s as far as cost of living. If I lived in the Bay Area, Id have to give blood to buy shoes. When Ford was younger, he dreamed of writing full-time, and the success of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, which spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list, afforded him the opportunity. But having the financial means to write full-time didnt make writing a great second book, and a third, less challenging. You would think, you had this big hit and everythings easy, but its not, Ford says. If you climb Mt. Everest, the mountain doesnt get shorter every time you climb it again. But when you accomplish something you werent sure you could accomplish, that feels good. As the conversation winds down, Ford gets an unexpected knock on the door. Its his neighbor, returning one of his dogs, which escaped through a dog door. With his mischievous pet safely back inside, Ford considers whats next. Hed like to try his hand at more speculative fiction, perhaps another story set over multiple time periods, with multiple points of view. If Ive learned to juggle three flaming chainsaws, I want to learn to juggle four, he says. I may lose fingers, but Ill give it a shot. Elaine Szewczyks writing has appeared in McSweeneys and other publications. Shes the author of the novel Im with Stupid. In his fifth novel, The Great Man Theory (Bloomsbury, July), Teddy Wayne creates an unforgettable character: an aggrieved curmudgeon who, fed up with current politics and culture, implements a wildly dramatic plan to be heard and set things right. Paul is divorced, aging out of the quinoa-and-chickpea-salad coffee shop demographic at forty-six, teaching at a third-rate private college in Manhattan, and writing a book titled The Luddite Manifesto: How the Age of Screens Is a Fatal Distraction. Instead of being given a tenure-track position as expected, hes downgraded to adjunct professor and is reduced to moving in with his mother and moonlighting as a rideshare driver. He wants his daughter, Mabel, to have a better world, but at 12, she, too, is starting to find him tedious. Pauls plan begins with the seduction of Lauren, the producer of a right-wing TV talk show, by masquerading as a conservative professor. In her apartment one evening, he pictures her coming home close to midnight four days a week... her constant companions one domineering man on television and, at home, a pack of querulous women also onscreen. She had money, she had a high-status (if reprehensible) job, she had friends, she had looksbut it was a life void of authenticity and meaning, cold and desolate. With this observation, he contemplates leaving her and giving up his mission, realizing that it was unlikely to succeed, and this arrangement with Lauren under false pretenses not only made him feel morally compromised, it was depressing. But once more, his carnal desire surprised and even disheartened him. Wayne calls Paul a distorted version of mea character you like but are also a little repelled by. My last three books had characters with qualities that repelled. I think Paul is the most likable; he alienates the reader but also makes claims on his sympathy. Its a moral gray zone. Wayne considers the thematic similarities in his books: alienation, masculinity, the media landscape. But, he adds, I always try to have different settings so the character feels like a different star in the constellation. The character of Paul is the touchstone of the novel. As Bloomsbury senior editor Daniel Loedel says, Paul is so distinctly Paul, but he has an everyman quality. Its easy to put yourself in his shoes, easy to feel his anger. His mishaps are both funny and sad. Loedel inherited The Great Man Theory from thenBloomsbury editorial director Liese Mayer, who closed the deal for North American rights in March 2021. When she left that May, Loedel says, I raised my hand. I loved the concept of the book and felt it was a perfect match. Loedel was an assistant at Simon & Schuster when Waynes novel The Love Song of Jonny Valentine was published there in 2013, and he remembers it as the book everyone was excited about. He saw the manuscript for The Great Man Theory in summer 2021. It was in great shapeso good we moved up the publication date. Teddy is a workhorse, he adds. Hes a writer whos bold, grappling with big ideas, culture, identity, how we think of ourselves in the world. In this book, he doesnt go for the culture of today, but the cultural toll on one person in the culture. Paul is dislikable, likable, relatable; he pulls at your heartstring. Hes Don Quixoteish. Wayne started writing The Great Man Theory in August 2019. His fourth novel, The Apartment, had been published by Bloomsbury in 2020. I had a one-year-old and another child arriving, so I wrote quickly and had a first draft in three months, he says. I revised it during the pandemic. As for the classic write what you know, I think write what obsesses you is more accurate. I was obsessed with the Trump administration, but I didnt want to write a sanctimonious novel, a takedown. I wanted it to be nuanced. Ultimately, I just try to have fun. Wayne calls Loedel a superb editor, adding, We had a few rounds back and forth, but I read each book 100 times, to make each sentence count, until Im sick of it. But then I realize no one else is going to read it 104 times, so theres a better chance they will like it! He notes that its difficult to have personal projects when the world is crumbling, and hes been evaluating his priorities the last two years. My having children informed the book, he says, explaining that Pauls anger is fueled by concern for his daughter. Hes a writer whos bold, grappling with big ideas, culture, identity, how we think of ourselves in the world. Daniel Loedel Jim Rutman of Sterling Lord Literistic tells me that Wayne was looking for an agent around the time of Jonny Valentine. I was introduced to this extraordinary layered voice that Teddy renders regardless of the actual character, Rutman says. Valentine, for instance, is a preteen pop star. Teddy has this amazing gift to create these textured, complex characters that can be pitiable, objectionable, but you still want things to turn out well for them. In The Great Man Theory, the character is confronting his irrelevance in the culture. Paul sees himself as the lone purveyor of an honest way of looking at the world. Hes out of step with the culture and proud of it, but we recognize the ways hes socially ill-equipped. Wayne writes of Paul, Hed always considered himself less superficial than other men, not swayed by physical beauty alone, certainly not by money or status. But, as they had missionary sex, he was powerfully aroused by Laurens taut body... by her erroneous exaltation of his position within the academy... and most shamefully, by what her job was. As Rutman says, The Great Man Theory is male weakness laid bare. We like that. In Texas, libraries are a political battleground. On the same day that the Texas Library Association convened its annual convention in person for the first time since 2019, attendees learned that residents of Llano, a rural county outside Austin, were fighting back against efforts by Republican politicians to censor local libraries. It was, perhaps, a sweeter irony that the TLAs conference, which ran April 2528, was held in Fort Worth, in the district of state representative Matt Kraus. Kraus started a campaign to ban books in Texas last October, when he sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency asking school districts to investigate the presence of more than 850 diverse and inclusive books in school libraries. Remarking on the news from Llano, Darryl Tocker, executive director of the Tocker Foundation, the states most prominent charity involved in supporting rural public libraries, told PW, Its wrong what is happening in public libraries. Theres no other word for it. The TLA was positioned in clear opposition to Krauss stance. Not only did the conference open on Monday night with a keynote speech by Alyssa Edwards, a celebrity drag queen (which itself attracted a smattering of protestors), but it was followed Tuesday morning by Ibram X. Kendi, in conversation with Roosevelt Weeks, discussing his work, including his forthcoming book How to Raise an Antiracist. The more you understand and appreciate other cultures, the more you understand and appreciate your own, Kendi said at the event. One fan of Kendis appearance was Donya Craddock, co-owner of The Dock Bookshop, a Black-owned bookstore in Fort Worth. I think he just taps into peoples unconscious mind, and it triggers people to say hey, I want to learn and read more. Craddock was selling books at the show and said business was steady. She added that librarians in general were good customers and were especially eager for more middle grade fiction and graphic novels for diverse readers. In fact, the topic of DEI was front and center at the show and was the dominant theme of most panels, with many focusing on how librarians can audit their existing collections and then augment them to cater to a wider range of patrons. Marina Tristan, assistant director and marketing supervisor at Arte Publico Press, said that there was strong interest in bilingual Spanish-English childrens books. It has been a growing category for us,especially as librarians are becoming more aware of the huge unserved demand out there for the books, she said. School librarians remain the primary audience for TLA vendors and exhibitors, which ranged from conglomerates like Penguin Random House and HarperCollins to smaller regional publishers like Dexterity of Nashville, as well as local organizations, such as the Writers League of Texas and Authors Marketing International, both based in Austin. Its just great to be back among friends and colleagues again, said Carmen Abrego, who works in communications at the Houston Public Library. I missed seeing my people so much. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/29/2022 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Memphis Smith appears to have confirmed her split from husband Hamza Moknii by labeling herself a "single mom" on social media.Memphis, a 35-year-old nurse practitioner from Muskegon, MI, took to Instagram on Wednesday and posted a video of herself dancing while pumping breast milk for the baby she welcomed with Hamza, a 28-year-old from Kairouan, Tunisia."LET'S TALK ABOUT IT!! Ladies share your tips with one another! Open Forum! NO NEGATIVITY or you will be BLOCKED. Breastfeeding/breast pumping mamas!!" Memphis wrote."It doesn't STOP because we work, it doesn't STOP so we can sleep and it definitely doesn't STOP so we can play! #breastfeeding #breastfeedingmom #breastfeedingjourney #breastfeedingworkingmom #pumpingmom #breastpumping #allmoms #newmomlife #singlemomlife #healthyhabits #breastfeedingawareness #postpartum."Memphis noticeably included "single mom life" as one of her hashtags.The hashtag appears to confirm recent rumors that Memphis is "single" and she and Hamza have parted ways."Keep doing YOU mamas," Memphis added in a comment on her post.Breakup rumors began to swirl last month when Memphis and Hamza stopped following each other on Instagram and Memphis also deleted all photos she had with him.And on March 13, Memphis posted an image that read, "Never love a man so much that you ignore the truth about him."In the caption, Memphis vented, "Love is not only a word...but an action. Love shouldn't cause pain, hurt, stress, insecurities, anguish, trauma, or self-doubt. Real Authentic Love doesn't hurt...instead it is supposed to HEAL. LOVE is HEALING. NOT CONDITIONAL!"And then Memphis began publicly feuding with Hamza's sister Rawia Moknii on social media in early April.Rawia told fans on her Instagram Story that Memphis doesn't treat Hamza well, and then Memphis lamented on her own Instagram account how she was "exhausted" by Rawia making "bad remarks" about her, according to In Touch Weekly.Rawia also posted screenshots of an alleged text-message thread she had with her sister-in-law on April 15, showing that Rawia and Hamza were upset about Memphis' close relationship with her ex-husband, Justin Sandoval, the father of her six-year-old son.Memphis reportedly explained to Rawia how she needed Justin to watch her kids sometimes and Hamza should "be happy" because without Justin's help, she never would have been able to travel to Tunisia to begin with.Rawia allegedly replied in support of her brother, "He [understands] your situation but he can't hide his [feelings] that he [feels] jealous when you be [sic] in your ex-husband house.""Well, he does not need to be with me then," Memphis countered, suggesting she and Hamza were maybe still together but fighting.Later that evening, Rawia reportedly unleashed her thoughts on the situation via Instagram Stories."I think it's time to talk about the truth and what my brother went through. Trying to make someone look bad and lying to them is inhumane. Every word I say I have proof," she claimed."The first thing I will explain is why Hamza wants to MOVE with his wife and the kids to another city, and you can find out the answer. I just want you to expose other people's lies."She reportedly added of Memphis, "You are just trying to show your good side (it doesn't exist) but your reality is worse. You want to play the victim but you are a cheat and your mask will fall soon."Hamza then took to his own Instagram Story after the argument, according to In Touch."When a person can no longer control you, they will try to control how [others] see you. These lies will feel unfair, but stay above it, trusting that other people will eventually see the truth just like you did," Hamza wrote.But Memphis fired back with the following: "I do not have to defend their lies anymore! I did not benefit from anything at all from them so."Memphis continued in her Instagram Story: "The problem is they will show what they think will keep their story line going and fill their pockets! After dealing with them NOTHING surprises me! Sad to say but true!!"Based on his other recent Instagram postings, Hamza appears to have been staying in Chicago, IL for at least the last several weeks.After being single for four years and dating around quite a bit, Memphis met Hamza, whom she thought was very "special" eight months prior to filming : Before the 90 Days.Memphis is a single mom to a 13-year-old daughter named Kennedi, whom she welcomed from a relationship that took place 14 years ago, as well as her son with ex-husband Justin.On the spinoff's fifth season, Memphis' trip to Tunisia was documented, and she and Hamza were shown meeting in-person and overcoming a language barrier as well as some adversity.It took some time for Memphis -- who grew up in the foster care system -- to win over Hamza's mother and sister on the series, and Hamza was angry to learn Memphis had spent four nights at her ex-husband's house towards the beginning of Memphis and Hamza's romance.Hamza also reluctantly agreed to sign a postnuptial agreement to make his new wife happy.But the couple relied on love to get them through challenges, and Memphis finally felt like she had become a part of Hamza's family, who welcomed her with open arms once she and Hamza tied the knot."In my heart, I do feel like I'm making the right decision. Hamza gives me a sense of family that I don't think I've ever really felt, and I deserve it," Memphis said on the series. "But ultimately, I don't know what to expect in the future. I just hope and pray I'm not making the wrong decision."During Memphis and Hamza's honeymoon, Memphis revealed she was pregnant.And on the Tell-All special that aired earlier this month, Hamza had moved to the United States and he and Memphis were still together. Hamza apparently missed the birth of his baby but was happy to be in America with his wife and child.Memphis and Hamza were spotted filming -- presumably for a future season of a spinoff like : Happily Ever After -- in Michigan with their new baby in March, but that's also when the split speculation sparked.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! The Met Gala will return next week. ADVERTISEMENT The event, formally known at the Costume Institute Benefit, will take place Monday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The annual gala raises funds for the Costume Institute. The high-profile event is known for its celebrity guest list and fashions on the red carpet. This year's theme is "In America: An Anthology of Fashion," inspired by the Costume Institute exhibition of the same name. The dress code is "gilded glamour." Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Regina King and Lin-Manuel Miranda will host this year's gala with co-chairs Anna Wintour, Tom Ford and Adam Mosseri. Here's the details for the 2022 Met Gala: When The Met Gala is typically scheduled for the first Monday in May. This year's event will follow tradition by taking place Monday, May 2. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Who Celebrity couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds will host the gala with actress Regina King and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, fashion designer Tom Ford and Instagram head Adam Mosseri will return as co-chairs. Guest lists are not publicly announced but past attendees include Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Kristen Stewart and Lil Nas X. What The 2022 gala is inspired by the "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" exhibit at the Costume Institute, which opens May 5. The dress code is "gilded glamour," a reference to the Gilded Age in American history. The Gilded Age was a period of rapid industrialization and economic growth in the 19th century. Outfits are expected to feature gold, ruffles, velvet, tulle, corsets, bustles and other embellishments. The Costume Institute hosted a smaller event in September that was inspired by the exhibit "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion." How to watch Vogue will live-stream the event on its website and social media pages beginning at 6 p.m. EST. E! will also air the Live from E!: The 2022 Met Gala red carpet at 6 p.m. In March 2021, Senate Bill 202 was passed and set new laws for voting in Georgia. With the primary elections for state and federal offices coming up on May 24 and the general elections in November, the bill created a few restrictions that worry voters. Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass. Pregnant woman sentenced for drugged driving; she might be out of jail by the time baby is born PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Oregon State Police say they arrested a 30-year-old Winnetka, California, man who led them on a wild chase in a stolen ambulance. Troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 near Portland on Friday night, KPTV reported. The driver started to run, but returned and stole the Woodburn ambulance that had responded. HOUSTON (AP) A jury on Friday convicted a man of capital murder for the 2018 death of a 7-year-old Black girl in a drive-by shooting that her family initially believed was racially motivated. Following the jurys guilty verdict, Larry Woodruffe, 27, was given an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole. Woodruffe was one of two men charged with killing Jazmine Barnes on Dec. 30, 2018, as she and her family drove to a grocery store in Houston. The other man, Eric Black Jr., 23, pleaded guilty last month as part of an agreement with prosecutors that reduced his charge to murder. He is awaiting sentencing. Prosecutors say Woodruffe and Black mistakenly thought they were firing at rival drug dealers when they shot at the girl and her family. The death of little Jazmine Barnes devastated our entire community, and everyone connected to this case worked very long and very hard to ensure her killers were brought to justice, said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. Jazmine's family had described the shooter as a white man driving a red pickup truck, prompting concerns that her death was a hate crime. The Harris County Sheriffs Office circulated a composite sketch based on the family's description, but a later tip implicated Woodruffe and Black, who are both African American. Authorities said they believed the familys initial description of the shooter was sincere and the man in the red truck was likely a bystander who left the scene. The girls killing prompted an outpouring of support for her family from celebrities and ordinary people across the country. Sharon Hospital / Contributed photo SHARON Sharon Hospital will hold an in-person community roundtable discussion from 5-6 p.m., May 12, at the Falls Village Fire Department, 188 US 7 South in Falls Village. Community members are encouraged to join the open forum to ask questions and provide feedback on the facilitys transformative plans, announced in September 2021. Space is limited to 20 people. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to extend the U.N. political mission in Libya for three months, with the United States and Britain accusing Russia of blocking a longer and more substantive mandate that would include promoting reconciliation of the countrys rival governments now claiming power. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow insisted on a three-month extension to pressure U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urgently appoint a new special representative to head the mission, known as UNSMIL. The former U.N. special envoy, Jan Kubis, resigned on Nov. 23 after 10 months on the job. Nebenzia said in the absence of a new envoy, the U.N. mission has been unable to provide substantial support for the political process in Libya for more than six months. He blamed some unidentified members of the Security Council who he claimed are not ready to accept a scenario where UNSMIL is guided by an African representative, saying their opposition is non-constructive and a manifestation of neo-colonialism. Britain's U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward, who oversaw negotiations on the resolution, said after the vote that Russia has once again isolated itself by not joining consensus with the 14 other members of the council who supported a one-year substantive mandate. U.S. deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis said a short mandate severely complicates the U.N.s ability to recruit a new head of for the mission and creates uncertainty for the Libyan people and their leaders over the Security Councils commitment to Libya. DeLaurentis also criticized Russia for eliminating critical language on reconciliation and security sector reform which the councils three African members were pushing to include in the resolution adopted Friday. The oil-rich North African nation plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. It then became divided between rival governments one in the east, backed by military commander Khalifa Hifter, and a U.N.-supported administration in the capital Tripoli. Each side is supported by different militias and foreign powers. In April 2019, Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. His campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the U.N.-supported government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries. An October 2020 cease-fire agreement led to an agreement on a transitional government in early February 2021, and elections scheduled for last Dec. 24 which werent held. The countrys east-based House of Representatives named a new prime minister, former interior minister Fathi Bashagha, to lead a new interim government in February. The lawmakers claimed the mandate of interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who is based in the capital, Tripoli, expired when the election failed to take place. But Dbeibah insists he will remain prime minister until elections are held. Week-long talks between the rival sides in the Egyptian capital ended on April 19 without an agreement on constitutional arrangements for elections. After Kubis resigned, Guterres appointed American diplomat Stephanie Williams, a fluent Arabic speaker who served as deputy U.N. special representative in Libya from 2018-2020 as his special adviser and sent her to Tripoli. She oversaw the agreements on the cease-fire and transitional government and told reporters after the recent meeting of the rivals in Cairo that they agreed to reconvene in May. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq replied that he expects Williams, whose contract is set to expire, to continue in her role until we have any further notice to give you. Gabons U.N. Ambassador Michel Biang read a statement on behalf of his country, Ghana and Kenya, saying the widening divisions in Libya are unfolding at a crucial juncture that demands unified Security Council action to make progress toward a sustainable peace that the Libyan people are craving for. The three African council members called on Libyas rival parties to settle their differences politically, bearing in mind that the military option will not provide a sustainable solution to the root causes of this crisis. They denounced foreign interference in Libya, demanded the synchronized withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries, and called on the U.N., the African Union and international partners to support a national dialogue and reconciliation in the country. Biang stressed that since the situation in Libya mainly affects the countrys African neighbors, Africans should be involved in the search for a solution and the next U.N. special envoy should be an African. Norways deputy U.N. ambassador Trine Heimerback said the councils failure to agree on a substantive mandate not only sends an unfortunate signal to the Libyan people but also to the whole region, stressing UNSMILs pivotal role in supporting Libyas political process and contribution to the countrys stability. Washington says Putin has no right to join the summit after invading Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (C) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (second from left) attend a joint news conference after a Normandy-format summit in Paris, Dec. 9, 2019. Indonesia has asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be a guest at the G-20 summit, President Joko Jokowi Widodo said Friday, belatedly confirming an invitation to the war-torn European nations leader that the United States had urged him to extend. The Indonesian president also said that Vladimir Putin, the leader of G-20 member Russia whose military invaded Ukraine in February, had agreed to attend the same summit in Bali in mid-November, although the Kremlin had not confirmed his participation. Indonesia hold this years presidency of the grouping of the worlds top 20 economies. We know that the G-20 plays the role of catalyst in the global economic recovery and the two things are affecting the global economic recovery in a major way: COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, Jokowi said in a speech broadcast on YouTube. It is in this context that I invited President Zelenskyy to attend the G-20 summit, he said of his call Wednesday with the Ukrainian president. Meanwhile in Washington on Friday, the Pentagons press secretary said that Putin absolutely shouldnt be welcomed at the G-20 summit. He isolated Russia by his own actions and should continue to be isolated by the international community ... [as one of the] consequences of his actions in Ukraine, John Kirby told CNN. A day earlier, when asked whether President Joe Biden would attend the G-20 summit were Putin to attend as well, a White House spokeswoman indicated that a decision had yet to be made. [T]he President has been clear about his view: This shouldnt be business as usual, and that Russia should not be a part of this, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. But, again, [the G-20 summit] six months away; we dont even have confirmation of these reports [about Putins attendance]. So Im certainly not going to get into a hypothetical in this case. Southeast Asia analyst Derek J. Grossman said Indonesias invitation to Ukraine reflected its stated foreign policy. The nonaligned path in action, the senior defense analyst at the Rand Corp., a U.S. think-tank, said on Twitter. Ukraine is not a G-20 member, but Indonesia, as the holder of the groups presidency, can invite leaders of non-member countries as guests. Zelenskyy on Wednesday pre-empted Indonesia by announcing via Twitter that Jokowi had invited him to the summit. His attendance at the G-20 summit would depend mainly on the situation in the battlefield, Vysotskyi Taras, a senior Ukrainian government official, was quoted by Reuters as saying on Thursday. War must be stopped immediately Jokowi, however, said he had turned down a request by Zelenskyy that Indonesia send weapons to Ukraine. I reaffirmed [to Zelenskyy] that in line with our constitution and our independent and active foreign policy, we cannot send arms support to other countries, but we are prepared to send humanitarian aid, Jokowi said. The Indonesian leader also said he had called for an end to the war, in his telephone conversation with Putin on Thursday. It should be underlined that the war must be stopped immediately and peace negotiations be given a chance. Indonesia is ready to contribute to achieving that goal, Jokowi said. President Putin expressed gratitude for the invitation to the G-20 summit and said that he would attend, he added. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would prepare for the summit but did not say whether Putin would go to Bali. Putin wished success for the Indonesian G-20 presidency and assured that Russia will do everything necessary and everything possible to contribute to it, Peskov was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency TASS. But, Peskov said, it is premature to talk about any other modalities of our participation. Last month, President Biden said Ukraine should be able to participate in the G-20 summit, if the grouping did not expel Russia, the country that invaded its smaller neighbor and former Soviet socialist republic next-door on Feb. 24. Washington went a step farther on April 6, saying that it would boycott some of the groups meetings if Russian officials attended, which it then did later in the month. On April 20, several nations, including Ukraine and the United States, walked out when Russian officials addressed a G-20 meeting convened by Indonesia in Washington. Indonesia had invited all members, including Russia, to attend the groups meeting of finance ministers and central bank chiefs that day. Shailaja Neelakantan in Washington contributed to this report for BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called on China's young people to get behind the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in a recent visit to a university reminiscent of the Mao era, as "little red books" of his personal brand of ideology made an appearance in Guangxi. In an speech to staff and students, Xi said young people should: "Unswervingly obey the party, follow its direction, and strive to grow into heirs of the era worthy of the important task of national rejuvenation." The visit came ahead of the anniversary of a century-old student-led May Fourth Movement (1919) previously lauded by Xi for its "patriotic spirit." The 100-year-old student-led movement was sparked by popular anger at the Treaty of Versailles and the concession of a huge tract of Chinese territory to Japan. Describing the country's youth as the "oar," and Xi's Chinese Dream slogan as the "sail," Xi appeared to encourage young people to travel the country, as they did during the decade of political turmoil instigated by Mao and now known as the Cultural Revolution. "Measure the motherland with your footsteps, discover the spirit of China with your eyes, listen to the voice of the people with your ears, and sense the pulse of the times with your hearts," Xi told them, calling for "creative transformation and innovative development" stemming from traditional Chinese culture. Yet, as he spoke, tens of millions of people remained under a grueling COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai and other Chinese cities, while Xi addressed students without wearing a mask. The visit came after authorities in the southwestern region of Guangxi announced the publication of a Mao Zedong-style "little red book" of Xi's political ideology, an indication of the growing personality cult Xi is seeking to build around himself, analysts said. Chen Lee-fu, vice president of the Taiwan Professors Association, leaders of dictatorial regimes, including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian president Vladimir Putin, rarely wear masks, believing that it is detrimental to their strongman image, and makes them look like a patient. Decorative plates and cups featuring images of Chinese President Xi Jinping are seen in front of a plate featuring late communist leader Mao Zedong (top L) at a souvenir store next to Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Feb. 27, 2018. Credit: AFP 'Red gene' However, all of Xi's entourage were masked, Chen said, sending the message that the country's leader would be protected from COVID-19, which is currently ripping across the country. State news agency Xinhua said the visit was significant because Renmin University, also known as the People's University, was the first to be founded by the CCP. Xi's visit on the eve of was to emphasize that the university must inherit the "red gene," and cultivate the next generation of socialists, the agency said. Taiwan-based dissident Gong Yujian said the CCP, for all its idealization of the May Fourth Movement, wouldn't tolerate any kind of actual protest by young people in real life. "The CCP won power through rebellion, so no it fears a popular rebellion more than anything," Gong said. "There are people in Shanghai openly calling for the overthrow of the CCP and of Xi Jinping, but the real threat is the secondary disaster and casualties caused by the inhumane lockdowns, in which people have lost their lives." "Only rioting will make Xi Jinping feel any real fear," he said, speaking as teams of workers continued to put up steel fences blocking major thoroughfares in Shanghai, and walling people into their buildings. Chen said Xi is currently seeking to build a groundswell of public support ahead of the CCP's 20th Party Congress later this year, at which he will seek an unprecedented third term in office. But he said there are key differences between Xi and his late predecessor, Mao Zedong. "Back then, Mao Zedong called for the elimination of traditional Chinese bureaucracy and elite politics," Chen said. "He gave young people a plan: to overthrow everything, and start over from scratch." "The big dream of young people in the Mao era was to surpass Britain and catch up to the United States." China's President Xi Jinping with a face mask is displayed as people visit an exhibition about Chinas fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus, Jan. 15, 2021. Credit: AFP Xi's Red Guards Chen said the plan was unlikely to work for Xi, despite his recent calls for Chinese economic output to surpass that of the United States this year. "They have lived through the good years before Trump and Xi Jinping, before the conflict between the US and China," Chen said. "This is the generation of Alibaba, of free trade and studying overseas." "Now studying overseas isn't an option, Belt and Road projects are failing, the whole country is under pandemic lockdown, and even expressing an opinion online can get you deleted or harassed," he said. "All of this has happened in the last two or three years." "The students know very well that Xi Jinping's growing power has entailed reductions to their power and freedoms, so there is no way they will truly support him," Chen said. "How can China imagine it will displace the United States when all the cities are locked down and there's no food to eat ... foreign capital is leaving, and there are no jobs." He added: "Chinese universities are no longer places to nurture intellectuals and independent thought. They are the cradle of the CCP ... places for Xi Jinping to cultivate his own army of Red Guards." Sweden-based Zhang Yu, secretary-general of the Independent Chinese PEN Association, said the reappearance of the little red books in Guangxi are evidence of a nationwide propaganda campaign encouraging the cult of personality around Xi ahead of the 20th Party Congress. "With this mass propaganda movement in Guangxi, they are stepping up the praise of Xi and his so-called ideology in China ahead of the 20th Party Congress," Zhang told RFA. "They absolutely want to try to recreate the collective hysteria of the Cultural Revolution [1966-1976]." "The nightmare, it seems, has begun." Zhang said the move comes despite a ban on personality cults in the CCP charter, inserted after the fall of the Gang of Four and the death of Mao in 1976. Books by Chinese President Xi Jinping are set out on display at a booth at the annual Hong Kong Book Fair in Hong Kong , July 17, 2021. Credit: AFP Little red book Fellow independent PEN member Zhao Dongji said in an open letter of protest to the the CCP's disciplinary arm that Guangxi party secretary Liu Ning had breached the party charter, calling for an investigation. Repeated attempts to call Liu, Guangxi officials and Zhao were unsuccessful at the time of writing. The propaganda department of the Nanning municipal party committee in Guangxi did not respond to a request for comment. New York-based activist Hu Ping said Guangxi was likely only a dry run for the little red book, which he said he expects to see rolled out nationwide in the coming months. "Guangxi must be loyal to the leader, further enhance the cult of personality around Xi Jinping and create immortals, as well as plagiarizing Mao's little red book," Hu told RFA. "By the 20th Party Congress, other regions will launch similar movements to further deify Xi Jinping ... a lot of these practices are very similar to those of Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution," he said. But he said it's now hard to find true believers in Xi, his brand of political ideology, or in communism generally, among the crowds gathering to idolize him in public, unlike the Cultural Revolution. "What pithy quotes has Xi ever said that everyone remembers?" Hu said. "At least there was some degree of sincerity in the Mao era and in the personality cult around Mao." "Xi Jinping's personality cult relies on direct suppression [of dissent], and he is constantly putting out fires," he said. "It's ridiculous." Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Citizens scoff at the governments claim that North Korea is the worlds premier military power. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju attend a nighttime military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 26, 2022. Residents of Pyongyang who were forced to participate in a parade to mark the founding of North Koreas army this week waited for nearly an entire day before the event began, disrupting their work and leaving them exhausted, sources said Friday. On the evening of April 25, Pyongyang commemorated the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Peoples Revolutionary Army the predecessor to the Korean Peoples Army, formed when the country was founded in 1948 with an extravagant military parade, classified as a No. 1 event because it was presided over by the countrys leader, Kim Jong Un. A city official told RFAs Korean Service that tens of thousands of residents were forced to assemble well in advance of the event showcasing North Koreas most advanced military equipment, including tanks, armored vehicles, and the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, which Pyongyang claims to have successfully tested last month. From the dawn on the 25th, about 100,000 Pyongyang citizens waited at Kim Il Sung Square for 17 hours to make the military parade possible, said the official, noting that the start of the event was not made public until just before it began. They were all totally exhausted, he added. Sources told RFA that North Koreans have tried to avoid parade duty ever since Kim Jong Un came to power in 2011. The government has taken action to make sure parades are not sparsely attended, forcing them to practice watching or marching in the parade in the two months leading up to the actual event. Now the number of participants are assigned to each neighborhood watch unit and they are forcibly mobilized, the official said. Pyongyang citizens mobilized for the event are complaining that their livelihoods are being disrupted as they were not able to do business during the two-month military parade practice period. There are many residents who think that it is better to pay $30.00 per month to drop out of practice so they can work instead. Those marching in the parade also sacrifice much for the highly publicized propaganda event. The authorities conducted a two-month training session for middle school students selected for the balloon group, but during this period, the childrens grades are bound to drop, the official said. Security for the event meant that certain people were kept away from the parade, even those who might have enjoyed watching it, a Pyongyang resident told RFA. On the day of the event, the members of No.1 event department checked the list of general citizens who were not eligible to participate in the military parade by their residence. General citizens, such as elderly and younger children, who were excluded from participating in the event, gathered in a certain place by residence until the end of the parade and their movement was restricted, the resident said. Security agents with heavy firearms were stationed on the rooftop of an apartment building around the square, and strict security was maintained until the event was over I dont know what they are afraid of, the resident said. Citizens participating in the parade were instructed to wear black clothes to avoid being detected by satellites until just before the start of the ceremony, the official said. Sources said that authorities even blocked all mobile communications to ensure leader Kim Jong Uns security, without providing details about the perceived threat. At the order of the Supreme Guard Command escorting the leadership, the operation of the mobile phone base station in Pyongyang was stopped, and mobile phone calls from and to Pyongyang citizens were blocked, a second Pyongyang resident told RFA. Until now, whenever any No.1 events are held in Pyongyang, the event participants gathered at Kim Il Sung Square are inspected with metal detectors by members of the Ministry of State Security and are banned from possessing watches and mobile phones. It is the first time that the operation of the mobile phone base station has been stopped and the use of mobile phones in Pyongyang has been completely blocked, he said. Everyone involved in the parade was so unhappy about being selected to participate, including the soldiers, a stark contrast to the military parades of yesteryear when Kim Jong Uns father and grandfather ruled the country, the first Pyongyang resident said. During the Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il eras, soldiers who participated in military parades were given considerable benefits such as commendations, 15 days of vacation, and gifts like televisions for their homes, the first Pyongyang resident said. However, after Kim Jong Un came to power, the soldiers who participate in military parades are immediately returned to their military camp without any compensation. New weapons Despite the fanfare, North Koreans said that the parade did little to improve morale. North Korea showcased its most advanced military equipment during the parade, including its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, which it claims to have successfully tested last month. To drive the point home, authorities forced residents to attend two-hour lecture sessions to educate them about the weapons that appeared in the parade, a resident of the northwestern province of North Pyongan told RFA. The purpose of this intensive lecture is to promote North Koreas military power as the worlds strongest by showing off strategic and tactical weapons that appeared at the parade, and to calm the dissatisfaction of the people who are tired of living difficulties due to sanctions and the coronavirus, he said. The North Korean economy is still suffering from a pandemic caused two-year trade ban with China, as well as international nuclear sanctions. Residents mobilized for the lecture were skeptical about the speakers statement that we are standing tall as the worlds most powerful military power, the North Pyongan resident said. The lecture also promised an end to North Koreas economic misery, a resident of the city of Chongjin in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA. Residents did not hide their disappointment, saying that no one believed the authorities propaganda. Translated by Leejin J. Chung Written in English by Eugene Whong. The last Ukrainian fighters in the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the strategic port of Mariupol vowed on May 8 not to give up as they face a bloody final showdown with Russian invaders after the evacuation of civilians. "We will continue to fight as long as we are alive to repel the Russian occupiers," Captain Svyatoslav Palamar, a deputy commander of Ukraine's Azov Regiment, told an online news conference. 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. "We don't have much time. We are coming under intense shelling," Palamar said, pleading with the international community to help to evacuate wounded soldiers from the plant. Officials on both sides said the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal had been completed. Eight buses carrying 174 Mariupol civilians, including 40 evacuated from the steelworks, arrived in Ukrainian-controlled Zaporizhzhya on May 8, AFP reported. Azovstal, with an estimated 2,000 Ukrainian defenders holed up in its sprawling network of underground tunnels and bunkers, has achieved a symbolic value in the conflict, with the Russian forces seeking a celebratory win ahead of the Victory Day holiday on May 9. The conquering of Mariupol would also give Moscow a land bridge between the Crimean Peninsula, which it illegally annexed in 2014, and regions run by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told leaders of the Group of 7 (G7) countries on May 8 that 60 civilians died in the bombing of a school on May 7 in the eastern Luhansk region. "They were hiding from shelling in the building of a regular school, which was attacked by a Russian air strike," he said during a virtual meeting. Serhiy Hayday, the governor of the Luhansk region, told reporters earlier that Russian forces had bombed the school in Bilohorivka where about 90 people were sheltering, triggering a fire that engulfed the building. Hayday said 30 people were rescued from under the rubble. Bilohorivka is an urban settlement about 10 kilometers west of Lysychansk, which is under heavy Russian bombardment. Zelenskiy denounced Russia's heavy shelling in the east of the country, saying Russia has "forgotten everything that was important to the victors of World War II" a day before Moscow commemorates the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany. WATCH: In the first stage of the operation to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal steelworks, which is under attack by Russian forces in Mariupol, over 150 people were brought out by bus. Those who got out told harrowing stories on May 3 of bodies strewn around the plant. After Zelenskiy met with the G7 leaders, the group condemned Russias "unprovoked, unjustifiable, and illegal military aggression" against Ukraine and its "attempts to replace democratically elected Ukrainian local authorities with illegitimate ones." The G7 leaders commemorated the anniversary of the end of World War II by pledging to "spare no effort" to hold Putin and the architects "and accomplices of this aggression," including the regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka in Belarus, accountable for their actions. The leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States said Putin's actions "bring shame on Russia and the historical sacrifices of its people." The United States after the meeting announced sanctions against three Russian television stations and executives from Gazprombank along with a ban on Americans providing accounting and consulting services to Russians. Ahead of the virtual meeting, British officials announced an extra $1.6 billion in military aid for Ukraine. The funding includes 300 million pounds of military equipment promised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. This includes radar systems to target Russian artillery, GPS jamming equipment, and night-vision devices. Earlier in the day, Zelenskiy met with the president of the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, Baerbel Bas, who traveled to Kyiv by train, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced new weapons and equipment for Ukraine and new sanctions on Russian individuals and entities connected with the invasion. He also said the Canadian Embassy would reopen. Zelenskiy said securing the Bundestag's approval of heavy arms deliveries to help Ukraine fend off Russian attacks was one of his country's top priorities. The visit came after a major shift in German policy to send heavy weapons to Ukraine, including self-propelled howitzers and Gepard anti-aircraft systems, also known as the Cheetah system. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has faced increasing criticism over Germany not doing enough to help Ukraine amid Russia's invasion. But Scholz's government reversed course last month and pledged to export heavier weapons to Kyiv. On May 6, Zelenskiy called on Scholz to take a "powerful step" and visit Kyiv on May 9 -- the date that Russia commemorates as the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. There was no immediate word on whether Scholz had agreed. The German chancellor emphasized Germany's historical responsibility in supporting Ukraine against Russia's war in a televised speech he was to deliver to mark the anniversary. "We have learned a central lesson from our country's catastrophic history between 1933 and 1945," Scholz said, according to a transcript of the address quoted by dpa. "Freedom and security will triumph -- just as freedom and security triumphed over violence and dictatorship 77 years ago," he said. On the battlefront, Russia's Defense Ministry said on May 8 that it had destroyed a Ukrainian Navy ship near Odesa in an overnight missile strike. The ministry's statement added that Russian air defenses also shot down two Ukrainian SU-24 bombers and a Mi-24 helicopter over Snake Island in the Black Sea at night. The reports could not be independently verified. The head of Ukraine's regional military administration said Russian troops launched a series of missile strikes in the Odesa region during the day on May 8. According to Maxim Marchenko, the attacks took place beginning early in the day, and Ukrainian air-defense units shot down four missiles, but an apartment house was hit, wounding a young girl, and a substation was destroyed, knocking out power in six neighborhoods. On May 7, the Ukrainian military said it had destroyed a Russian landing ship near Snake Island, hitting it with an armed drone. There was no immediate comment from Russia. Russian forces launched a new offensive last month along most of Ukraine's eastern flank, with some of most intense attacks and shelling taking place recently around Popasna in the Luhansk region. There has also been fierce fighting around Popasna in recent days amid a sustained Russian assault, and Hayday said Ukrainian forces had been pulling back and that the town had been destroyed. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said his troops had taken control of most of the town. With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, and dpa A draft document prepared by top officials with Russias ruling political party calls for a new state named Southern Rus to be created from some regions of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces. News of the proposal, obtained by Schemes, an investigative project of RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service, comes as fighting rages in Ukraines eastern and southern regions, with Russian forces pressing an offensive on multiple fronts against fierce Ukrainian resistance. It also comes with Russian officials signaling an intention to stage referendums in parts of Ukraines Donetsk and Luhansk regions, much of which have been under the control of Russia-backed separatists for nearly eight years, as well as another region, Kherson. The vote would be aimed at uniting occupied regions with Russia, similar to what happened in Crimea in 2014. Just days before the February 24 invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk regions under separatist control as independent states; a declaration that Kyiv, and much of the rest of the world, dismissed. The draft document obtained by Schemes, titled The Manifesto Of The South Russian People's Council and dated April 16, does not specify which occupied territories would make up the new state of Southern Rus. The name Rus is derived from the name given to loosely organized lands in the 8th to 10th centuries that were first controlled by a kingdom in Kyiv, until power shifted to Moscow, leading to the creation of Russia. 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. But the manifesto declares that Ukraine lost legitimacy after the 2013-2014 Maidan revolution, which culminated in the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych. Russia has long tried to argue that the street protests were a coup detat, and that the government was taken over by Nazis and Banderites -- a reference to the 20th century Ukrainian nationalist leader, Stepan Bandera. In response to terror and the totalitarian imposition of the ideology of Nazism and Bandera by the former State of Ukraine, we, in the form of the South Russian People's Council, take power into our own hands and establish a new state of Southern Rus, the document says. We recognize the Russian language, as well as the Ukrainian dialect, as the native language and the language of interethnic communication, with the equality of all languages and nationalities, the text reads. The documents sketch for a new Southern Rus state echoes earlier language promoted by Putin and other top Kremlin officials, who called for the establishment of Novorossia -- another historical concept referring to lands, mainly in Ukraine, that were previously part of the Russian Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. "We are building our state on the basis of the understanding of the historical and genetic kinship and unity of the tripartite Russian nationality -- Ukrainians, Belarusians, and Russians -- fraternal friendship, and mutual assistance, the document states. 'Kherson Is Waiting For Liberation' Metadata for the word document identified by Schemes indicates that Roman Romanov, top official with United Russia, was either author of the document, or involved in its creation. United Russia is the Kremlin-affiliated party that dominates Russias parliament and the countrys political life. Officials who spoke to Schemes anonymously said the document was later passed to aides of Konstantin Malofeyev, a wealthy and influential Russian businessman who has been instrumental in financing and supporting separatist efforts in the Donbas for years. Malofeyev was sanctioned by the United States and the European Union in 2014 for his role in the annexation of Crimea. He was indicted in early April for trying to evade those sanctions. Neither Romanov nor United Russias secretary-general, Andrei Turchak, could be reached for comment by Schemes. Malofeyev refused to discuss the manifesto when contacted, and hung up the phone, saying he did not communicate with journalists. The online news site Meduza reported this week that the Kremlin was considering holding two referendums in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on May 14 and 15. Meduza said another referendum may also be staged in Kherson, a region that is just north of Crimea and is partially occupied by Russian forces. "Unfortunately, there have been rumors that the occupiers are preparing something [in Kherson] for the first days of May. Hennady Lahuta, the head of the regions military administration, told RFE/RL. Either a 'referendum' or whatever else you want to call it. I can only say this: the entire Kherson region is waiting for liberation. It is Ukrainian, he added. It wants to live in a united, peaceful, glorious, conjoined Ukraine. A Russian rocket attack destroyed an airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-largest city and a key Black Sea port, on April 30 as the country's president said it was hard to discuss peace amid public anger over alleged atrocities carried out by Russian troops, and Russia's foreign minister claimed that Western sanctions and arms shipments were impeding the talks. The comments by Ukrainian and Russian officials came as reports emerged that some civilians could be evacuated from the besieged southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol as Russia continued its offensive in Ukraine's east. Ukraines Operational Command South said late on April 30 that there was no way that the Odesa runway could be used as a result of the rocket attack. Odesas regional governor said that the rocket was fired from Russian-occupied Crimea. Maksym Marchenko said there were no reports of any injuries. Elsewhere, another mass grave was found in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the scene of alleged mass executions of civilians before its recapture by Ukrainian forces in early March, the head of Kyivs regional police force said on April 30. That came as Ukraine's deputy agriculture minister said Russian invading forces have stolen several hundred thousand tons of grain in territory they hold. Today, there are confirmed facts that several hundred thousand tons of grain in total were taken out of the Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Taras Vysotskiy told Ukrainian TV. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his latest televised address on April 29 that Kyiv's forces were making tactical gains in the region, while a senior U.S. defense official said the same day that stiff Ukrainian resistance was slowing Russia's Donbas offensive. Zelenskiy's office had earlier said that an operation was planned to get civilians out of the huge Azovstal steel plant, where some 2,000 Ukrainian fighters are holed up together with about 1,000 civilians. Later in the day, TASS reported that 25 civilians, including six children, had left the territory of the Azovstal steel plant. Later, Ukrainian soldiers inside the besieged plant were quoted by Western news agencies as saying a group of 20 civilians were set to leave the plant. "Twenty civilians, women and children... have been transferred to a suitable place and we hope that they will be evacuated to Zaporizhzhya, on territory controlled by Ukraine," said Svyatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov regiment. Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, located in the country's northeast, was reportedly targeted by mortar and artillery shelling on April 30. Zelenskiy said in his televised address the night before that Ukrainian forces had recaptured a strategically important village near the city and evacuated hundreds of civilians. The Ukrainian military said in its daily briefing on April 30 that the greatest enemy losses were taking place near Izyum, in the region of Kharkhiv bordering the Luhansk and Donetsk territories. Aleksandr Bogomaz, the governor of Bryansk in Russia, said air defenses had prevented a Ukrainian aircraft from entering the region, and as a result shelling had hit parts of an oil terminal, Russian news agencies reported. The governor of another Russian region, Kursk, said several shells were fired from the direction of Ukraine on April 30 at a checkpoint near its border. Roman Starovoit said in a video on his Telegram channel that there were no casualties or damage. Seven Ukrainian soldiers and seven civilians have been released in a prisoner swap Saturday with Russia, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said. Were bringing home 14 of our people: seven military personnel and seven civilians," Vereshchuk wrote on Facebook and Telegram. To me, this exchange is special: one of the female soldiers is five months pregnant. Zelenskiy told the nation on April 29 that the constant "brutal" bombardments on infrastructure and residential areas "show that Russia wants to empty [the Donbas region] of all people," and said that the "defense of our land, the defense of our people, is literally a fight for life." He said that if Russian forces, which invaded Ukraine unprovoked in late February and have been accused of carrying out war crimes against civilians, "are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stone." 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. Zelenskiy said that Mariupol, once one of the east's most developed cities, was now a "concentration camp among the ruins." Earlier the same day he told Polish journalists that Ukrainian people seek retribution for alleged atrocities by Russian troops, and "when that kind of attitude exists, it's hard to talk about things." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, has dismissed the need for the United Nations to help secure humanitarian corridors from besieged Ukrainian cities. He also called on the West to stop providing arms to Ukraine and said that "difficult" negotiations with Kyiv continue. Speaking to Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV on April 29, Lavrov said that he appreciated UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposals to help evacuate Ukrainian civilians from besieged cities, but that there is no need for anybody to provide help to open humanitarian corridors." Russia's Defense Ministry has confirmed that it had carried out an air strike on Kyiv during Guterres' visit to the Ukrainian capital on April 28, saying that "high-precision, long-range air-based weapons" were used in an attack it claimed had destroyed a missile-production facility in Kyiv. Journalist Vira Hyrych, who worked for RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, was among those killed when a missile hit her apartment. In comments published by China's official Xinhua news agency on April 30, Lavrov said that talks with Kyiv continue daily, with Moscow insisting on the "recognition of new geopolitical realities, the lifting of [Western] sanctions, and the status of the Russian language." Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have not met face to face since the end of March, with Russian troops accused of carrying out war crimes and Western nations tightening punitive sanctions against Moscow and increasing military aid to Kyiv. Lavrov told Xinhua that, if the United States and the Western NATO military alliance were "really interested in resolving the Ukraine crisis, then first of all, they should wake up and stop supplying the Kyiv regime with arms and ammunition." The Russian foreign minister also said that Russia, which has been hard-hit by punitive sanctions over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, could "retool" its economy to counter "unlawful hostilities." French President Emmanuel Macron told Zelenskiy during a call on April 30 that his country would step up military and humanitarian support for Ukraine. In Washington, Congress is preparing to consider U.S. President Joe Biden's request for $33 billion to support Ukraine, a massive jump in funding that includes over $20 billion for weapons, ammunition, and other military aid. A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on April 29 that, in the month since Moscow announced that it would focus its military efforts in Ukraine on the country's east, it had made minimal gains. In the assessment of the United States, the official said, the Russian military was at least several days behind where they wanted to be in its attempt to encircle Ukrainian troops. The official described Russian troops' efforts to move from Mariupol to advance on Ukrainian forces from the south as "slow and uneven and certainly not decisive." The British Defense Ministry, in its latest assessment, said that Russia had "been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in northeast Ukraine." However, British intelligence said that many of the units are "likely suffering from weakened morale" and "a lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass." Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week threatened unspecified retaliation for Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, while Lavrov said the West should not underestimate the elevated risks of nuclear conflict. Russia's invasion and heightened rhetoric has led to concerns that the war in Ukraine could spill into neighboring Moldova, whose separatist Transdniester region is backed by Moscow and hosts Russian forces. A series of recent blasts in Transdniester have led to accusations that Moscow is seeking to destabilize Moldova. When asked about the risk of war in Moldova during his April 29 interview with Al-Arabiya, Lavrov said that "Moldova should worry about its own future, suggesting that the country is "being pulled into NATO. With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters Dozens of swimmers kicked, paddled and floated away the hours Sunday at the Boys and Girls Club of San Dieguito in Solana Beach to raise money for the Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego. The Swim 24 Challenge Swim Relay, now in its fifth year, pitted 13 teams of 12 people against each other for a 24-hour race that began Saturday. The rules require at least one team member had to be in the pool the entire time. Corey McClelland, the volunteer CEO of the Prevent Drowning Foundation, said this years event raised more than $60,000, which is used to fund swim classes at schools in underprivileged San Diego neighborhoods. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for kids, he said. McClelland worked as a lifeguard for several years, and said he had participated in more than 1,000 rescues. Advertisement Debbi Levis, captain of the first place team from Bay Club Carmel Valley, said her team was there not just because it was a good cause they were also there to win. They split the team into four groups of three people, she said. Each group took a three-hour shift in the pool. This is our fifth year, she said. We have it down to a science. The four groups of three is the key. Randy LeRuth of team Unclutured swims the final minutes in The Swim 24Challenge at the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito on August 12, 2018. (K.C. Alfred/San Diego Union-Tribune) Allison Jackson captained the San Diego State University womens club water polo team, who came in third. She said she got involved last year, and that the cause was near and dear to her. This is such an important cause, she said. Its shameful how common it is for young children to lose their lives to drowning. Jackson came in second place for individual distance and said she was at the pool for the entire 24 hours. Well, I napped for about an hour and a half, she said. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an average of three children die every day due to drowning and recommends everyone learn the basics of swimming. McClelland noted that many children do not have the opportunity to swim or access to a pool. Students who graduate Prevent Drowning San Diegos program are taken to the beach for an ocean swim, he said. Not everyone was there to compete, however. In the Anything Goes category, swimmers could use fins and flotation devices. This gave some of the smallest swimmers a chance to take part in the relay. Were just here to support the cause, said Jolie Parker of Solana Beach. Her family was part of a team that included adults and children, including her two daughters aged 9 and 6. Its important for the kids. Natalie Espanol, front, and Charlie Hernandez swim during the final minutes of The Swim 24Challenge at the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito on August 12, 2018. (Photo by K.C. Alfred/San Diego Union-Tribune) Sonnet Richmond, a high school senior from Phoenix, swam for the San Diego Junior Lifeguards. Richmond, who said she had been scared of the ocean before joining the junior lifeguards six years ago, has plans to become a lifeguard next year. This is to fight childhood drowning, she said. Its so important for kids to be familiar with pools and the ocean. Beth Saunders, a swim instructor, swam for Team Uncultured, which she said finished in the middle of the pack. She said the camaraderie and team bonding was a big part of what she enjoyed about the event, but also said she was always looking to give back. The world is 70 percent water, she said. Once you get these kids swimming, its going to open a whole new world for them. The foundation also raises funds through the Ocean Beach Pier Jump, the next of which is Monday, Aug. 13. Tickets are available online and first-come, first-served at the pier. Contact Andrew Dyer via email or Twitter. For more than three decades, San Francisco Boatworks and the adjacent Ramp restaurant have survived as a bastion of saltiness in a fast-changing waterfront, a place where bottoms of vessels are painted, beer mugs drained and halibut fried up moments after being reeled in from the bay. That 36-year run, however, could be in jeopardy over a lease dispute between the Port of San Francisco and Arvind Patel, who owns both businesses. On March 11, the Port of San Francisco sent Patel a 30-day notice to cure lease default for the 100,000-square-foot property. Its the site of the citys only working boatyard as well as the Ramp, which over the years has morphed from bait shop and hot dog stand into a freewheeling waterfront joint known for Latin dance bands and after-work gatherings. The port contends that Patel owes $779,151 under the terms of a lease that requires him to pay a percentage of gross receipts of both businesses. It also claims Patels operations are not currently in good standing because of noise violations and a renovation of the restaurant, according to the port. Patel later obtained retroactive permits for the work. Photos by Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle The fight comes as pandemic-driven losses have decimated the ports budget, slashing revenues 40% from $173 million to $104 million. The agency is carrying $30 million in unpaid rent and has deferred $40 million in capital expenses. Patel doesnt deny that the money is owed under the terms of the month-to-month lease, which has been in place for 16 years. Like other businesses, he suffered losses during the pandemic and argues that the terms of the boatyard portion of the lease are nearly three times the market rate. He is proposing a partial payment plan while negotiating a new deal. In a statement, Randy Quezada, a port spokesperson, said the port is currently in negotiations with Patels group on a rent relief package as well as lease renewal. Since 2007, the Port has worked with them to address various permit and compliance issues and offered to bring their percentage rent rates closer to comparable retail tenants in the area, he said. However, because of their failure to correct these issues they are not currently in good standing and we have not been able to enter into a new lease agreement. Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle While the port has offered many tenants rent relief packages during the pandemic, it is also trying to recover revenue from businesses that are back up and running. The port is a self-sustaining enterprise agency, under its charter, meaning that it is supposed to spend only what it collects in revenue. In the case of the fight over these businesses, the port is trying to juggle two competing demands. On the one hand, it needs to make money off its property, but the agencys mission is to preserve maritime uses. However, those uses might not generate as much revenue as much as other kinds of businesses but are essential to the citys international reputation as picturesque town with an bustling waterfront. Under the terms of the lease, Patel pays the port 6.75% of sales from the restaurant and 8.75% from the boatyard. Patel says he has no problem with the restaurant rent but that the boatyard rent is more than double what it should be. Boatyards have margins of less than 10%, and most on the West Coast pay less than 3% of sales, according to a study San Francisco Boatworks did of boatyards. Its a dying business. Its difficult to find qualified workers and to charge enough to survive, he said. Patel moved to San Francisco in 1972 from London and started sailing in the bay. In 1990 he became a partner in the boatyard with a friend, the late Mike Denman. There is something about this place, funky as it is, that hits a nerve with people, he said. Its a waterfront dive. Its an everymans hangout. Lots of music and dance. Its an institution that, if its damaged or we lose it, we lose a tiny bit of what makes San Francisco San Francisco. About 500 boats are hauled out at San Francisco Boatworks every year fishing boats, police boats, fire boats and lots of recreational sailing vessels and cruising boats. With a boatyard closing in Redwood City a few years ago, the 90,000-square-foot yard is the only place on the Peninsula to haul out. You cant have boats in San Francisco without a place to repair them, said Patel. Its a totally essential service. Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle In a letter to the port, Patel pointed out that a much larger lease for a dry dock at Pier 70 called for rent that was 3.3% of sales, rather than the 8.75% he pays, and argued he has overpaid the port $2.4 million in excess of market rates in percentage rent for the maritime boatyard operation since 2006, an enormous effective windfall for the Port. 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. Patel proposed to pay about $182,000 in back rent and 6.7% in sales after January of this year. He said he would like to split the lease into two separate agreements, one for the restaurant and one for the shipyard. Patels business has not made a rent payment since March 2020, other than one check for $2,000, according to the port. It reported $6.7 million in sales for March 2020 through January 2022. Spokesperson Quezada said the port hopes to preserve both businesses. The Port understands the significant challenges that the pandemic has posed to our tenants but must treat all tenants equitably and cannot offer more support to (the Ramp and boatyard) than to others, he said. Boat restorer Allen Gross sees San Francisco Boatworks as a historic treasure and an essential business that must be maintained, even if it has to be subsidized by the city. Gross spent eight years at the shipyard restoring a 1889 cutter-rigged sloop called Folly, the second-oldest boat on the West Coast. Bronte Wittpenn / The Chronicle The icons of tourism are the boats on the bay, Fishermans Wharf, the Maritime Museum on Hyde Street Pier, said Gross. That is what people think about when they think of San Francisco. Without a boatyard you have no way to take care of the infrastructure of our image. Boatyards have been closing up and down the West Coast, he said. Its unlikely that another operator would come along if Patel is forced out. Here you have all of these boats on the bay which need to have work done on them, he said. A fisherman barely making it with his crab catch where is he going to go? Do you want that crab boat on Fishermans Wharf or not? J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com The 16-year-old girl who was found dead in San Franciscos South of Market area earlier this year was potentially being sexually assaulted around the time of her death, according to disturbing new details released in an autopsy report. The death of Victorria Moran-Hidalgo, a Stanislaus County teen who grew up in and out of the foster care system, was previously deemed suspicious and treated as a potential overdose. The autopsy report, obtained by The Chronicle through a public records request, confirmed that the death was caused by the multiple drugs in her system including fentanyl but investigators could not conclusively determine the manner in which she died. The overall findings are most consistent with a death caused by acute mixed drug intoxication, officials with the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner wrote in the report. However, given the uncertain circumstances in which her body was found, the manner of death is best classified as undetermined. San Francisco police declined to comment on the reports findings, citing an ongoing investigation. In the early morning hours of Feb. 18, the citys emergency services were dispatched to the area of 600 Minna St. on a report of an unresponsive female in the road, the medical examiners report states. The witness who called authorities said they had come upon the scene during the course of a potential sexual assault. When the passerby approached, the man who was with Moran-Hidalgo fled the scene, the report states. The passerby then noticed that the girl was unresponsive and administered Narcan a lifesaving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The girl did not regain consciousness, though, and was pronounced dead just after 7 a.m. 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. Officials at the medical examiners office noted that the girl was found partially undressed and in public view. They found no traumatic injuries, but noted some minor bruises on her legs and chest. The report additionally noted evidence of a previous gunshot wound, with examiners finding two copper-colored metallic projectile fragments in her calf. A toxicology report found alcohol and various drugs in her system, including fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Swabs taken by examiners detected no evidence of sperm. Anyone with information may call the SFPD Tip Line at 415-575-4444, or text TIP411. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy Getty Images/Getty Images A Concord man was sentenced to prison Friday after being found guilty in a 2019 hate crime case in which he made criminal threats on a gaming website about wanting to kill Jewish people. Ross Anthony Farca was found guilty in December of one misdemeanor hate crime and four felonies: two counts of criminal threats against investigating police officers, possession of an assault weapon, and the unlawful manufacturing of an assault weapon. He was sentenced Friday to five years and eight months, with one year to be served in Contra Costa County Jail and the remaining four years and eight months to be served in state prison, Contra Costa County district attorneys officials said in a statement. Cruise, a robot-taxi company based in San Francisco, could soon be the first in the state to offer paying customers rides in its autonomous vehicles without a backup driver at the wheel. Under a proposal issued Friday by the California Public Utilities Commission, state regulators would authorize Cruise, a driverless vehicle spin-off from General Motors, to expand on its existing services in San Francisco, allowing the company to charge passengers in its driverless robot-taxis for the first time. The proposal sets up Cruise to beat competitor Waymo in the race to offer paid robot-taxi rides in San Francisco. It could also shake up the the local ride-hailing market by providing a new, more seclusive option for the citys travelers after the pandemic made some people wary of riding in conventional taxis, Ubers, Lyfts and public transportation. The utilities commission is seeking public comment on the proposal and will vote on it no sooner than June 2. Approval of a fared service for our all-electric, autonomous ridehail service would move California forward in its leadership toward a safer, more sustainable, equitable, and accessible future of transportation, Prashanthi Raman, Cruises vice president of global government affairs, said in a statement. This step is encouraging progress for Cruise and our home state, and were looking forward to paving the future of transportation, safely, in coordination with our California regulators and our community. If its application to be the first participant in the states Autonomous Vehicle Passenger Service Driverless Deployment program is approved, Cruise will be able to offer paid passenger service on certain San Francisco streets outside of the downtown area between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., when congestion and pedestrian and bike traffic are low. Cruises driverless vehicles would not be allowed to exceed 30 miles per hour or operate under heavy rain or fog. The company would not be allowed to offer shared rides for passengers from different groups. Cruise would have to submit a new safety plan to the utilities commission in order to change those operations. Public comments on the utilities commissions proposal are due May 19. The proposal recognizes the need for continued data collection and stakeholder engagement as the AV program continues to scale and evolve, the utilities commission resolution states. To date, passenger service operations and therefore data collection have been limited, so it is difficult to quantify the safety risks relative to safety benefits of autonomous vehicles. Cruise was authorized in February to offer paid robot-taxi rides with a backup driver in the car. It applied to offer paid rides without a backup driver in November. Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, has been offering paid, driverless rides in Phoenix but not in California for almost two years. It has been providing rides with a backup driver to some San Franciscans since last summer. 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. Disability Rights California protested Cruises application on the grounds that it did not meet standards prescribed by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Several San Francisco agencies responded to Cruises application with concerns about Cruise vehicles double parking to drop off passengers and about the equity and accessibility of the companys proposed services, according to the utilities commission. Cruise responded to those concerns in December, asserting that the issues raised do not provide a basis for denial of or placement of limitations on Cruises proposed service, according to the utilities commission. Numerous groups have praised Cruise for operating an entirely electric vehicle fleet or for helping to improve the autonomy of elderly people and people with disabilities, allowing them to get around without having to rely on a more able-bodied person, according to the utilities commission. Andy Picon (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @andpicon SPRINGVILLE, Tulare County Dust kicked up from a fire-scarred forest floor as a dozen men shouldered bags of bright green seedlings they hoped would give rise to the largest trees in the world an ascent the workers will not live to see. The crew, trudging on a recent morning through the Mountain Home State Demonstration Forest on the west slope of the rugged southern Sierra Nevada, has an ambitious goal. In three weeks, it will plant 200,000 trees, many of them first-year giant sequoias. But the broader mission of the group, and a coalition it belongs to, is even more extraordinary, representing a test of human intervention in a natural world changed by human hands. The collection of foresters, scientists and land managers is trying to rebuild the ancient sequoia stands lost in Californias historic wildfires and ensure survival of the hallowed giants. These trees were on the landscape for 2,500 years, and then, in a 30-minute firestorm, they were gone, said Jim Kral, the forest manager who is overseeing restoration of the charred Mountain Home Grove, about 90 miles southeast of Fresno. These forests are cherished, and I think society wants the burned acres to be forested again, and were going to do everything in our power to do that. Over the past two years, fires destroyed nearly a fifth of the worlds sequoias, scientists estimate. The long-lived giants, which can soar to 300 feet tall and bulge 30 feet at their base, grow in only about 75 groves in the Sierra, mostly in an area bounded by Yosemite National Park on the north and Sequoia National Forest on the south. Once considered virtually immune to burning because of their thick bark and lofty canopy, the trees had never before seen such intense blazes. Driven by a climate warmed by the burning of fossil fuels as well as decades of misguided fire suppression that built up vegetation, the burns have been bigger, hotter and ultimately lethal for the titans. Acknowledging these causes, many forest managers feel compelled to step in. They worry not only about the loss of the sequoias as icons of the forest, but also about their capacity to soak up heat-trapping carbon and provide unique habitat for fishers, martens, owls and other rare wildlife. Its my preference to let systems recover on their own, said Christy Brigham, chief of resources management and science at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and one of the leaders in the coalition working to restore the fire-ravaged sequoias. But there are limited groves, and we know that nature is dynamic, and were applying a lot of new stressors today. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle State, federal, tribal and private land managers are now pursuing nearly a dozen sequoia reforestation projects across the Sierra. At Sequoia National Park, scientists plan to transport seedlings by helicopter into remote wilderness. At the Tule River Reservation, planting is expected to begin soon. The nonprofit Save the Redwoods League, on its private holdings, has already begun introducing trees. The project at the Mountain Home Grove, run by the states Cal Fire agency, is the first big venture to launch. While forest managers are optimistic their nascent efforts will help re-establish the trees, perhaps not today but in few hundred years, theyre not naive about the challenges. No one has ever grown sequoias in the wild at this scale and the methodology of re-engineering the forests is unproven. Some environmental groups are voicing opposition. Theres also the question of whether trees planted today, borne from seeds tendered by the giants of the past, will produce trees fit for tomorrows even warmer, drier climate. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle The 5,000-acre Mountain Home Grove, one the largest stands of sequoias, looks little like the lush, mythical forest it once was. In 2020, the SQF Complex fires ripped through, an outgrowth of the lightning-sparked Castle Fire, with flames so high and heat so fierce that the crowns of trees were toppled and the protective bark gutted. Unlike previous fires in the grove which werent fatal and thus provided the benefit of helping release sequoia seeds from cones and clearing the ground for seedlings this one left many areas essentially lifeless. With blackened, wobbly trunks at risk of collapse, the state forest remains closed to the public. Many of the giants that endured, some dating to the Roman Empire, sport crispy brown tops. The problem here, as in other groves that burned during Californias biggest-ever fire season two years ago, is that vast swaths of land didnt yield a new crop of sequoias. Instead, the sun-soaked soil stands to be taken over by grasslands, shrubs and oak trees. I think it would be irresponsible to leave the ground fallow and see what happens, said Kral, before climbing a hill where the shrubby ceanothus had already begun to emerge. Forest managers in the Sierra had hoped that even with so many dead sequoias as many as 10,600 mature trees across the range in 2020, then another roughly 3,000 in 2021 the conifers cones would have dropped enough seeds to produce the next generation of trees. Drought conditions, though, stunted reproduction last year, and scientists worry the same might happen this year. In many spots, seeds simply didnt germinate because there wasnt enough snow and cold during winter to help crack the shells. In other spots, sequoia seedlings sprouted in spring, sometimes in thick carpets, but summer proved too hot and dry for the young trees to hold on. At Sequoia National Forest and the jointly administered Sequoia National Monument, which border the Mountain Home Forest, 90% of seedlings within 10 groves that burned in the SQF Complex are estimated to have died. There was just no moisture and then the temperatures got unusually hot, and that just desiccated them, said Gretchen Fitzgerald, ecosystem staff officer for the national forest. While a multiyear drought like the one that is currently gripping California wouldnt have been a concern in the past, since mature trees offer a continuous source of seeds, many adults are no longer around to create the opportunity for offspring. This weekend, Fitzgerald was scheduled to lead a small planting at the Sequoia National Monuments burned Alder Creek Grove, home to the worlds fifth-largest sequoia. The project is the first of a handful of reforestation work planned by the U.S. Forest Service over the next two years. Hired at the start of last year to help re-establish the trees, Fitzgerald worries about the future of the sequoias, saying, Theres a lot thats new and different today. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Left: A giant sequoia cone. Right: A giant sequoia seedling planted next to a burned-out stump. Photos by Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle Top: A giant sequoia cone. Above: A giant sequoia seedling planted next to a burned-out stump. Photos by Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle In the Mountain Home Grove, not far from where the crew was putting in seedlings, a team of researchers was preparing for another planting, this one part of a pioneering effort to determine which trees will survive best in the changing climate. The team has been monitoring seedlings of giant sequoias, as well as four other conifers, sourced from seeds collected in different and often extreme environments across California. The experiment, marked by colored flags denoting tree types and seed origin, is only a year old, but the researchers hope to soon have insight into the optimal genetics for future trees and put that information into action. When youre talking about planting seeds now, you want them to be alive years from now, thousands of years from now in the case of a sequoia, said Sarah Bisbing, a forestry professor at the University of Nevada in Reno and head of the Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Experiment. With rapid climate change, planting local seed lots is not the most successful strategy. Generally, scientists expect trees from farther south and lower elevations, as well as those accustomed to greater variability in winter, to produce seeds most viable for the hotter, drier climate ahead. So far, foresters have not turned to genetics while rebuilding most of the sequoia groves, including Mountain Home. Seeds collected on site are primarily being used, and nothing is being planted outside the trees historical footprint. But this could change. Many of the land managers involved in the restoration efforts say theyre open to assisted gene flow, or moving seeds within the range of the tree, as well as assisted migration, moving seeds and trees to entirely new locations. This has become increasingly more accepted as we see firsthand the impacts of climate change, Bisbing said. But it is something that still borders on controversial. In Sequoia National Park, even the effort to introduce seedlings grown mostly from locally collected seeds is encountering opposition. Hundreds of letters have poured into park officials critical of the plan to fly 12,000 young sequoias by helicopter to the Board Camp Grove above the South Fork of the Kaweah River for planting. The area also burned in the SQF Complex. Opponents, which include conservation groups Wilderness Watch and Sequoia ForestKeeper, say such ecological manipulation is not suited to natural lands and wont be effective. The National Park Service, however, contends that without action, the 48-acre Board Camp Grove could cease to be a sequoia forest. Moreover, park officials maintain that humans are already tinkering with the fate of the wilderness. As isolated and undeveloped as Board Camp Grove is, it has witnessed a history of intervention in the form of wildfire suppression. More than 70 lightning-started blazes have been extinguished in the area by fire crews over the past 90 years, according to park figures. Brigham, the resources management chief, says the fires, if left to burn, could have cleared out flammable vegetation and made the trees more resilient to future flames. The reason the fire burned this way and damaged the grove, Brigham said, is human action. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle At the planting site in the Mountain Home Grove, the state-contracted forestry crew had put 11,000 seedlings in the ground by lunchtime, many of them giant sequoias. The crews formula for speed is to hustle up the mountainside with trees, use a tool known as a HoeDad to make a hole, insert the seedling, and then promptly repeat. The men planted ponderosa and sugar pine, also pieces of the areas original forest, alongside the sequoias. Once in the ground, the roughly 10-inch seedlings stood about 10 to 12 feet apart. The plan is to grow the trees in this array over a little less than 600 acres, and do it again next spring. In three or four years, its going to start looking green again, said crew foreman Roman Aguilar, as he stood on a high ridge where he could observe his workers slipping trees into the soil. Assuming no disastrous heat over the next few months and, with some luck, a little rain, the initial success rate of the sequoia seedlings could be 75% or higher. The trees are known to be stout and fast-growing, which explains why they blossom into the biggest living things on the planet. Going forward years and decades, many of the sequoias will die. At the Mountain Home Grove and other areas with new plantings, land managers intend to light intentional burns and manually thin trees to prevent overcrowding and boost forest health. The sequoias that are lost, though, will have served the purpose of muscling out other vegetation and helping establish a grove fit for their peers. Were going to be speeding a new forest going up by a few thousand years, forest manager Kral said of the planting and the follow-up stewardship. While Kral is confident in his restoration plan and expects the young trees to survive at least the near-term swings in climate his concern is another monstrous wildfire. Forests with smaller trees, and those lacking the diversity provided by unevenly aged trees, are generally a lot less robust. That leaves the Mountain Home Grove and other stands scheduled for restoration in the Sierra particularly vulnerable to burning. Thats the thing that scares me right now, Kral said. I hope my crystal ball is screwed up, but I think its reasonably foreseeable a fire is coming, and its going to be equally, if not more, damaging than the last one. I hope Im wrong. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander Nurses from Stanford and Lucile Packard Childrens hospitals who went on strike last week are set to return to work Tuesday after their union reached a tentative agreement on Friday with Stanford Health Care. The agreement, if ratified Sunday, will put an end to the nearly week-long strike that union members had overwhelmingly approved as they negotiated for raises, increased benefits and workplace improvements. Nurses said low pay and burnout have contributed to high turnover among some specialty nurse groups. Among their demands were higher nurse-to-patient ratios for safe staffing levels, as well as access to mental health counseling and student loan reimbursements. From day one of our contract negotiations, CRONA nurses have been unified in our goals of improving staffing and making our profession more sustainable, said Colleen Borges, a nurse at Packard hospital and president of the Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement, or CRONA, the union that represents roughly 5,000 Stanford nurses. We stood strong behind our demands for fair contracts that give us the resources and support we need to take care of ourselves, our families and our patients. We are proud to provide world-class patient care and are glad the hospitals have finally listened to us, Borges said in a statement. Stanford Health Care and CRONA tentatively agreed to a three-year contract that includes a 7% raise this year and a 5% increase in each of the next two years. The agreement includes provisions that would require staffing levels to be based on the amount of care needed by patients and would guarantee that nurses charged with caring for acute patients are able to take breaks for meals and rest. Some of those nurses will receive additional pay, CRONA said in a statement. The tentative deal also contains assurances of improved access to mental health treatment, an additional week of vacation, improved retiree medical benefits and student loan assistance. Stanford agreed to create a new response team for incidents of workplace violence, according to the union. Stanford officials had said that without a settlement, the striking nurses benefits and pay would be withheld starting Sunday. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. In a statement Saturday, Dale E. Betty, chief nurse executive and vice president of patient care services for Stanford Health Care, and Jesus Cepero, senior vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer for Stanford Childrens Health, said they were extremely pleased that a tentative deal had been reached. Pending ratification, we truly look forward to welcoming our colleagues back on Tuesday. The hospitals remained open during the week as nurses picketed outside, but Stanford officials said they had to cut or postpone certain medial procedures, including surgeries and chemotherapy amid the labor negotiations. CRONA nurses know our worth, Borges said in a statement. This contract recognizes our sacrifices and our contributions. CRONAs negotiating team is proud to bring this contract forward to our fellow nurses for a vote. To all the patients, community members, and elected officials who stood with us on the picket line, we are grateful for your support. Andy Picon (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @andpicon This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate An Urban Alchemy street ambassador was shot Friday afternoon in the Tenderloin, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation and a witness. Urban Alchemy is a nonprofit organization whose ambassadors also called practitioners are posted throughout the Tenderloin under city contract to discourage disruptive behavior on the streets. The unarmed teams are frequently called on to de-escalate volatile situations and to rescue people suffering from an overdose. A San Francisco police spokesperson said officers responded to a shooting on the 300 block of Turk Street at about 2 p.m., and found a man on the sidewalk suffering from a gunshot wound. Police did not confirm the employer of the victim, and officials from Urban Alchemy did not immediately return requests for comment. Officers rendered aid to the victim and called medics, who transported the man to the hospital. The victims medical condition was unknown as of Friday afternoon, said the police spokesperson, Officer Robert Rueca. Police were looking for the shooter, who fled, officials said. The violence comes two months after another Urban Alchemy practitioner was shot outside a safe sleeping site for unhoused people near City Hall. The law enforcement source who was granted anonymity to discuss the matter under The Chronicles policy on anonymous sources said investigators do not believe the victim was targeted because of his employer. David Stephens, 44, of San Francisco, was helping a friend move items out of a storage unit and pack them into a truck on Turk Street when he said he saw a man wearing one of Urban Alchemys signature black-and-green vests get shot once by someone who approached from behind, with no apparent words exchanged. The victim had been walking east on Turk Street toward Leavenworth Street, Stephens said. The shooter backed away and fled west toward Hyde Street, said Stephens, who added that he didnt get a good look at the shooters face and would not be able to identify him. 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. Stephens said the victim was just stunned and looked around and fell down. Police arrived within minutes, and paramedics arrived shortly thereafter. Numerous people wearing Urban Alchemy apparel began rushing to the scene from every corner, Stephens said. I think (the victim) was more stunned than anything, Stephens said. He was pulling up his shirt making sure it was him that got hit. ... It was just very shocking in broad daylight. In May, San Francisco Mayor London Breed vowed to pour $8 million over two years into the ambassadors employed by Urban Alchemy, and increase police presence, in the Mid-Market and Tenderloin neighborhoods. Megan Cassidy and J.D. Morris are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com, jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy, @thejdmorris This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When some of us were little kids, we wanted to be explorers, finding new worlds and new things. But everything has been discovered already. And all the new worlds are on the internet. So whats left is to explore your own backyard, to go someplace you have not seen before. I had a free afternoon on a sunny day in the middle of the week, so I explored Treasure Island. The island is only a 10-minute ferryboat ride from downtown San Francisco, but its another world, with bits of the past here and there, and a future new neighborhood all around. Its part old Navy base, part small town, part construction zone. There are wide green lawns, carefully trimmed. The skyline of San Francisco rises just beyond the shoreline, all hills and towers. At the end of one street is the Golden Gate. Its a quiet island just now. There are three restaurants, two grocery stores, some playing fields, and not much else. About 2,000 people live on the island. Its one of San Franciscos smallest neighborhoods. But just you wait. I fell in love with the view, said MeeSun Boice, Then I fell in love with the island. Boice is one of the owners of the Mersea bar and restaurant on the north end of Treasure Island, and an enthusiastic booster of the islands present and future. A quick word about T.I. It is one of those San Francisco places that keep changing. It is an artificial island in the middle of the bay, dredged up out of a shoal in the 1930s, named Treasure Island after the Robert Louis Stevenson story. It was built for the Golden Gate International Exposition that opened in 1939 and ran for a year and a half. Old-timers still remember the 400-foot-tall Tower of the Sun, and the giant statue of Pacifica, goddess of the Pacific Ocean. At night the island was lit up and glittered, like an illusion of a dream city in the middle of the bay. It was a Navy base after the fair, mostly closed to the public for more than 50 years. Years of planning followed, and now its being transformed into a new San Francisco neighborhood. It will be a stunning transformation, with 8,000 new homes, a quarter of them at below-market rates, new parks, some high-rises and public art. It will be the biggest change in the city since old rail yards were turned into Mission Bay. The ride to the island from the north end of San Franciscos Ferry Building takes only 10 minutes and costs $5 each way. The boat is small only 48 passengers and the crew is friendly. The voyage, especially on the top deck, is spectacular. Once ashore, its like walking through a town under construction, or one being rebuilt. You can see the skeleton of a new city neighborhood in the middle of an older one. There arent many signs or maps. There was a sign for Woods Island Club, but its open only Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and this was a Wednesday. Id heard the Mersea restaurant was up the road a bit, so I went, like an urban explorer. Some young people posing for pictures were the only others on the walkway. Mersea means island oasis in Old English, and thats what it is. It is built from a series of cargo containers, arranged around an open air patio, which gives it a sort of castaway South Seas look. The sound system plays Hawaiian music. Were on island time here, Boice explained, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 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. Boice and her partner, veteran restaurateur Parke Ulrich, opened Mersea in 2018. It was tough going at first We took a risk, Boice said and tougher yet during the pandemic. There were no visitors to Treasure Island, and no deliveries either. Like being in the middle of nowhere, she said. Things were so tough for island residents that Mersea and the Aracely Cafe gave free meals to islanders. We want to be part of the community, she said. Boice is a story in herself. She was born in Korea, grew up in an orphanage, was adopted by an American Marine, lived in the Midwest, and moved to San Francisco in 2012 to work in tech. She had big ambitions and an eye for opportunity. I didnt know a soul here, she said, not anybody. Not long after her adoptive father died, she saw a business opportunity and switched to restaurants. Now look, she said. Im a Korean orphan from the Midwest, living the American dream on an island. Carl Noltes columns appear in The Chronicles Sunday edition. Email: cnolte@sfchronicle.com WASHINGTON (AP) The Food and Drug Administration on Friday set tentative dates in June to publicly review COVID-19 vaccines for the youngest American children, typically the final step before authorizing the shots. The meeting announcement follows months of frustration from families impatient for a chance to vaccinate their little children, along with complaints from politicians bemoaning the slow pace of the process. The FDA said it plans to convene its outside panel of vaccine experts on June 8, 21 and 22 to review applications from Moderna and Pfizer for child vaccines. The dates are not final and the FDA said it will provide more details as each company completes its application. While questions have swirled about whats taking so long, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf emphasized Friday that the agency cant evaluate the vaccines until all the data is submitted. There will be no delays, Califf told reporters at a health journalism conference. Well review the data, hold an advisory committee meeting and make a decision as quickly as possible once we get the applications. Currently, only children ages 5 or older can be vaccinated in the U.S. with Pfizers vaccine, leaving 18 million younger tots unprotected. On Thursday, Moderna submitted some of its data to the FDA that it hopes will prove its two low-dose shots can protect children younger than 6. Moderna has filed FDA applications for older kids, but the FDA hasnt ruled on them. Its not clear if that data children will be considered at the June meetings. Pfizer is soon expected to announce if three of its even smaller-dose shots work for the littlest kids, months after the disappointing discovery that two doses werent quite strong enough. On Monday, a top House Democrat requested a briefing from FDA on the status of vaccines for children after media reports that the FDA was considering delaying its work on Moderna's application to jointly review it with Pfizer's at a later date. The FDA also set a June 7 meeting to review Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine for adults. The Maryland-based company's shots are authorized in Europe and elsewhere but have been delayed by production problems. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The advisory group will also convene June 28 to discuss whether the current U.S. COVID-19 vaccines should be updated to better target coronavirus variants. ___ AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard contributed to this story ___ 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 is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It would be overly simplistic to call any elected official in San Francisco pro-Asian or anti-Asian. But that idea seems to sum up the tenor of political discourse Ive seen this year. Ive lost count of how many mailers, flyers and targeted political ads Ive seen that aim to tug at my loyalties to my community that say that people like me, people like my grandparents, are being targeted for street violence because of people like District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Ive spoken to petitioners at farmers markets and the DMV who, when they see me, press that the citys Asian American communities need a tough-on-crime district attorney to put perpetrators behind bars, to clean up the streets so that we can be safe. Is this really what the Stop Asian Hate movement is settling for? In 2021, that phrase emerged as a rallying cry against pandemic-era harassment of Asians around the world, inflamed and empowered by Sino-phobic political rhetoric. Those cries for justice grew louder with the killing of San Francisco resident Vicha Ratanapakdee and the mass shooting at three Atlanta spas, where Asian women were targeted by a shooter claiming a sex addiction made him do it. Of course I dont want to be beaten on the street, pushed onto train tracks or randomly stabbed while waiting for the bus. Of course I dont want that to happen to anyone else. But I also cant help but see shallow political motivation in recall campaigners efforts to draw on these fears. Will more police and prisons and tough-talking politicians actually end the violence against Asian Americans? Maxwell Leung, a hate crimes scholar and associate professor at the California College of Arts, said no. He largely attributed anti-Asian violence to an environment of hate: a confluence of political rhetoric, economic scarcity, media stereotypes and demographic changes. You cant put an environment in prison, but public policies can reduce its potential for harm. Its not just up to the D.A., the mayor or the police, though they play pivotal roles, but its multiple communities requiring numerous agencies at a high degree of engagement, Leung said. It demands work. Of course, when a community when anyone is experiencing trauma, things are going to be messy and awful and hard. Its natural to seek healing in any myriad of ways. Some productive, some not. The pandemic and subsequent rise in anti-Asian violence politicized Asian Americans. And for some struggling with fear, anxiety and frustration, said Leung, the Boudin recall, and the school board recall that preceded it, is a version of empowerment. Bilingual ads (in Cantonese and Mandarin) reflect this sentiment: of taking power, of being empowered and taking out those who do not care about AAPI. Savannah Kuang, a political organizer and photographer who grew up in Chinatown and the Excelsior, sees this co-opting of anti-Asian hate rhetoric by tough-on-crime proponents as cynically weaponizing our pain for their own gain. Kuang notes that San Franciscos city budget allocated $662 million to the police department in the 2021-22 fiscal year; the Mayors Office is hoping to add around $27 million more to that in the next year. But how much of that is specifically earmarked to actually ending anti-Asian violence? Whats (been ignored) is providing a long-term plan towards actual justice for Asian Americans that face these attacks, Kuang said. And thats still being ignored today. Jason Wu, a legal services attorney in New York City, where similar pro-crime and punishment narratives have emerged in the wake of a series of brutal anti-Asian attacks, said he believes the idea that we need more policing to keep us safe is based on a key misconception about why violent crimes occur. Weve been conditioned to see crime as just an issue of bad people doing bad things as opposed to all the systemic ways in which our government and society have failed the most vulnerable in our communities, he said. In a lot of attacks were talking about Asian American elders collecting cans in the middle of the night to pay rent thats a vulnerability produced by inequality. Why arent we addressing the fact that our community lacks financial security, health care? Asking for a meaningful reallocation of wealth and resources, however, is a lot more challenging than blaming individuals for individual acts. Boudin is not infallible, and I would not be so facile as to claim that he has no room to improve. But I dont think its wrong to point out that underlying this recall effort is an existential conflict between the anti-carceral ideology represented by Boudin and the Black Lives Matter movement and those hoping to use Asian Americans real pain and trauma to drive a wedge between marginalized communities. After all, nearly 90% of the known perpetrators of anti-Asian hate crimes are white, according to a 2020 University of Michigan study. Its naive to assume placing people in prisons will end the cycle of violence. And I resent the implication that the only way for us to heal our pain is by inflicting more pain. That the only path to salvation is through vengeance, writ through the boots of the state. Recalling elected officials in the name of ending violence without a plan for actually ending violence at its source makes little practical sense. Its really important for the community to have clarity on what it is we actually want: safety, said Wu, and to not be a pawn of any political cause. Soleil Ho (they/them) is a critic at The San Francisco Chronicle. Its been more than two months since the Russian war on Ukraine began and deadly military strikes are still ongoing across the country. But Ukraines cities and towns arent the only battleground in this war of Russian imperialism. The front lines of Russias cultural war against Ukraine one that has been ongoing for more than a century are entrenched across the globe, even in the art world. Strolling through the revered halls of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, one can find works by the most important artists in history. The walls are covered in works that capture a fundamental right of humanity the right to self-expression. But for Ukrainian artists, this right is denied. Russian, born Ukraine, says the plaque under the works of Kazimir Malevich, one of the most famous avant-garde artists in history. In just three words, this plaque deconstructs an identity that Malevich spent his entire life building. Malevich was born in Kyiv, and spent the first 17 years of his life living all over Ukraine, deeply engaged in Ukrainian culture and constantly looking to immerse himself in the Ukrainian lifestyle. With each year I improved in (art) and grew more strongly drawn to Kyiv. The colorful brick houses, the hills, the Dnipro, the distant horizon and steamships. Its whole life affected me more and more, he wrote in his diaries. And yet, in three words, a museum plaque pulls at the heartstrings of that Ukrainian identity, unraveling it slowly until its reduced to a simple geographical mass Ukraine born, but without being Ukrainian. As though Ukraine exists only physically but not emotionally, not a place you can embody. Those three words encapsulate centuries of Russias imperial attitudes in Ukraine the reduction of Ukraine to a geographical territory, without recognition of the existence of Ukraine as a concept that people subscribe to, that people identify with. On the website of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, those three words echo as well Russian, born Ukraine. And the tentacles of Russian historical revisionism dig even deeper here. On the website, the museum writes Kiev. Not Kyiv, as it is spelled in Ukraine, but Kiev, the imperial Russian spelling of the city. Kyiv comes from the transliteration of the citys name in Ukrainian, while Kiev comes from the Russian transliteration. Using the imperial spelling again denies the sovereignty Ukraine has over its own identity denying its capital city a Ukrainian name. The existence of a separate, thriving Ukrainian national identity has historically troubled Russian elites in their attempts to construct a national identity off of the backs of their colonies. The very beginning of the Russian nation is rooted in the myth of the Kyivan Rus empire, based in Ukraines capital. Since the advent of the Soviet Union, Russia has perpetuated this national myth, based on Kyiv serving as the mother of all Russian cities. In 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled a statue of Volodymyr the Great, one of the rulers of the Kyivan Rus. He laid the moral foundation on which our lives are still based today, Putin said at the unveiling. Russia has long been accustomed to thinking of itself as an imperial power. And it has suppressed the existence of national movements within its empires in favor of perpetuating the myth of a common Slavic brotherhood. This is the only way Russias disparate and fragile national identity could survive. Repressions of Ukrainian nationalism continue to exist so as to not challenge the Russian conception of two fraternal nations and to not trigger an existential crisis for the Russian nation. The irony is that, despite every attempt to erase it, Ukrainian identity hasnt just persisted, it has fascinated key Russian cultural figures even as they publicly toed the line in refusing to acknowledge it due to imperial policy. In the works of Kondraty Ryleyev, a Russian poet, we see the complexities Russian cultural figures faced in trying to depict Ukrainian identity while staying on the Russian Empires good side. In Voynarovsky, Ryleyev describes the Ukrainian Cossacks uprising against the tsar Peter. Contrary to the tsarist line, Mazepa (the Cossack leader) is depicted as a patriot and hero for his fight for Ukrainian independence. Not surprisingly, however, when the work was published, it was prefaced with an introduction that denied all those noble qualities and depicted the fight to liberate Ukraine from Russia as traitorous and evil. Russians just couldnt decide whether it wanted to destroy Ukraine or become Ukrainian. The solution was somewhere in-between destroying the concept of Ukrainian while forcefully appropriating everything that fascinated Russians about Ukraine. Which brings us back to Malevich. The artist was indeed born in Ukraine. But theres nothing Russian about him. He was born in Kyiv, to Polish and Ukrainian parents. He grew up in villages across Ukraine, and his love for Ukrainian culture is extensively documented in his diaries. I imitated the peasants entire way of life, he wrote. I recall weddings at which the bride and her friends were some colorfully decorated tribe ... the groom and his friends wore gray sheepskin hats, blue pants, or rather, wide trousers which required no less than sixteen arshins of material, a white embroidered shirt and a wide red wool belt. It was against this background that my feelings for art developed, said Malevich. In other words, it was Ukraine that inspired him. Ukrainians like myself can see the wide red wool belt against white trousers. In his washed-out white canvases, I can see the white walls of the Ukrainian stucco clay houses that Malevich himself learned to paint on. Most importantly, Malevich considered himself Ukrainian. I listened with great pleasure, studying the Ukrainian sky against which stars burned like candles, Malevich wrote. For the Ukrainian sky is dark, dark like nowhere in Russia. Malevich, alongside millions of Ukrainians, stared up at a night sky that was once peaceful. I wonder if he ever imagined what was coming. People should know that Malevich is Ukrainian because they should know Ukraine for what it used to be, and what it will be once again colorful, vibrant, dynamic. Museums and cultural institutions can play their part in preserving and protecting our Ukraine, and it can start simply by changing the words on a plaque. Russian, born Ukraine. Each word, another nail in the coffin of the Ukrainian national dream. But if history has taught us anything, its that sunflowers grow even when forced 6 feet under. Catarina Buchatskiy is co-founder of the Shadows Project. Twitter: @catbuchatskiy Despite massive opposition from housing advocates, a state commission voted unanimously Friday to recommend San Franciscos St. Francis Wood neighborhood for historic designation a move that could allow the wealthy neighborhood to evade state law meant to encourage denser development. A historic designation would protect St. Francis Wood from SB9, the state housing law that allows for construction of two-unit housing and lot subdivision in areas zoned for single-family homes. To win historic designation, the Keeper of National Register of Historic Places, Joy Beasley, must approve St. Francis Woods bid within 45 days and will accept public comments until that deadline. Many commenters at the state Historical Resources Commissions meeting said that the wealthy neighborhood was using the bid for historic designation to avoid SB9, likening it to Woodsides attempt to avoid the law by claiming the entire town was a mountain lion habitat. Ultimately, state officials smacked down Woodsides attempt. In Palo Alto, officials are looking to add dozens of homes to the historic registry to avoid SB9. The heated hearing was just the latest arena where the debate over state housing laws, exclusionary neighborhoods and privilege has raged. SB9 in particular has sparked intense backlash in both urban and suburban communities, which have turned to creative means to try to avoid opening up more neighborhoods to density. In San Francisco, pro-housing advocates have criticized pending fourplex legislation that could undercut parts of SB9. The St. Francis Homes Association which said it has been working on the historic designation project for years presented in favor of the nomination, citing the neighborhoods unique community planning, architecture and landscaping. The association said a collection of the areas architectural drawings has been preserved and cataloged. The San Francisco Planning Commission also considers the neighborhood eligible for historic designation, presenters said. But callers, nearly all of whom opposed the nomination, also pointed to the neighborhoods racist roots. When it was established in 1912, St. Francis Wood had a clause specifically prohibiting people of African, Japanese, Chinese or of any Mongolian descent from owning property in the neighborhood. St. Francis Wood neighborhood and SFs other residence parks in the west of Twin Peaks area have a long and vile history of racism and exclusion, and granting this neighborhood protected status would be to celebrate that history and protect it by law, Robert Fruchtman, a housing advocate and San Francisco resident, said during public comment. Many callers echoed this argument. Some said that while the current homeowners did not intend to be racist and to exclude racial minorities, that exclusionary single-family zoning had that effect. Others noted that Duncan McDuffie, a partner in the firm that developed St. Francis Wood, championed single-family zoning as a way to keep people of color out of neighborhoods. In Berkeley our planning and city council was pretty frank about its racist history and denounced those district zoning and segregated history. So Im a bit surprised to hear in an ostensibly progressive city like San Francisco that youre doing the opposite, one caller, a Berkeley resident, said. But honestly, judging by San Franciscos intense segregation and unaffordability, maybe its not all that surprising. 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. Presenters in favor of the nomination also pointed out the racial covenants, calling them clearly wrong and discriminatory, but said that San Franciscos planned communities are more diverse than they once were. Both the census tracts that St. Francis Wood is part of have at least 80% of their population that is either White or Asian, according to the 2020 census. But commissioners, many of whom spoke up to acknowledge this racist history, still said that they believed the neighborhood was worthy of historic designation because of its special architecture and planning. St. Francis Wood, designed by the famous Olmsted brothers brought together many different architects to create a cohesive, walkable and transit-oriented neighborhood, commissioners said. Im sorry about its exclusionary past, but St. Francis Wood is not the only place that has had that, said Commissioner Lee Adams III, who noted that he himself will probably never return to his hometown of San Francisco because of finances. I'm very uncomfortable with the speakers who reduced the history of St Francis Woods to racism, said Commissioner Alan Hess, noting that racial covenants are part of history and something we need to know and we need to communicate. But he added that the history of planned communities is much broader than that, and that St. Francis Wood is an important part of preserving history both good and bad. Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DanielleEchev This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Call it the Case of the Stolen Road Trip Luggage. And call Tyler Sterkel, the victim in the case, the sole person working to crack it. An everyday dad turned amateur sleuth, Sterkel thought hed presented the San Francisco Police Department with enough evidence to investigate and maybe even solve the case of who swiped a trunk full of suitcases, backpacks and a beloved baby blanket from his car parked in front of his Miraloma Park home as he packed for a trip March 27. He had a neighbors video of the van used in the crime on Marietta Drive. He found that same van. He found his familys stolen belongings inside the van. He found evidence the van itself was stolen. He found burglary tools inside it. And he found a fount of other goods that appeared stolen suitcases, backpacks, cameras and even Lowell High report cards in there too. What he doesnt find is any interest from the Police Department. What he also lacks is any faith in the citys criminal justice system to address San Franciscos rampant property crime. Its just the latest example of do-little cops shrugging off crime and residents left holding the bag. (In this case, literally. Sterkel rescued his familys swiped luggage himself as police stood there watching.) Yes, police say theyre understaffed, their morale has sunk, and they dont trust District Attorney Chesa Boudin to prosecute. But still, they have an important job to do and in too many circumstances, theyre not doing it. They just point fingers at each other, Sterkel said of the police, the D.A. and the rest of the criminal justice system. It seems like a circular firing squad. Officer Robert Rueca, a spokesperson for the Police Department, confirmed the outlines of Sterkels account and said no arrest has been made in connection with the crime. This is an open investigation, he said, asking anyone with information to contact police. But Sterkel had plentiful information and beckoned police, and nothing came of it. The saga began when Sterkel loaded his family car for a road trip that his wife and twin 10-year-old children were taking to Palm Springs. Sterkel said he went into his house for a minute or two, but in San Francisco, thats more than enough time for treasures to disappear. And they did. He returned to find three suitcases and two backpacks gone. Worse, his childrens most beloved stuffed animals were swiped. Worse yet, his daughters baby blanket, which shed prized her entire life, had also vanished. Many jaded San Franciscans will snarl that he got what he deserved. He left the trunk of his car open and filled with belongings. But maybe we should strive for a city in which baby blankets arent swiped in 30 seconds on quiet residential streets and property thieves know there just might be repercussions. Molly Sterkel, Tylers wife, posted about the theft on the social media site Nextdoor, asking neighbors to be on the lookout for the stolen belongings and to check whether their security cameras had captured the crime. One neighbor two doors down did find footage. It showed just one vehicle driving on the quiet road in the several minutes spanning the time of the theft: a gray minivan with a rolled-up rug on the roof. Molly Sterkel announced that the thieves could steal her belongings, but not her vacation, and drove off with the kids as planned. Two days later, Tyler Sterkel was driving in the neighborhood when he spotted the gray minivan with the rug on the roof. Through a combination of being alert and angry and good luck and the crooks being morons, I saw the car in my neighborhood, he said. The odds of that seemed almost impossible. He got out of his car and approached the van where he found a woman sitting in the passengers seat and a pit bull napping in the drivers seat. He struck up a conversation with the woman, showed her the neighbors crime footage on his phone, and described the theft. She said the van wasnt hers that it belonged to her friend Wolf, and relayed a fishy story about him being asleep inside a nearby home. She was chatty and gave Sterkel her first name and phone number. Sterkel left and returned about an hour later to find the van empty. With the woman and pit bull gone, he felt comfortable peering inside the windows and spotted many of his familys belongings strewn around it. He called 911 three times. After about 30 minutes, officers arrived. Together, they discovered the vans doors were unlocked. The officers told Sterkel he could take his stuff back, so he did. Inside the van was what he called a tweaker s show, filled with garbage, burglary tools, documents, cameras and luggage. He said the car appeared stolen because its steering column was cracked open and the wires were exposed. After rummaging through their chaos, Sterkel recovered a lot of his familys belongings as the officers looked on including the baby blanket. He left the crime scene in the trusty hands of the cops. Or so he thought. Sterkel said he soon got a call from one of the officers, explaining they didnt impound the van because it hadnt been reported stolen. And that instead of waiting for the woman and Wolf to return, they just left the van and the chaos inside behind. Sterkel then rushed back to the site only to find the van gone. It appeared that police made no effort to find the owners of the other items inside the van. I feel like I caught a thief and then they let him get away, he said. Rueca, the police spokesperson, said different officers did go to the home address associated with the vans registration to make contact with them but were unsuccessful. 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. Sterkel kept investigating. Remember the friendly woman in the vans passenger seat who gave him her first name and number? He used online research techniques to match that number to a woman with the same first name and a photo that looks like her. He then had the womans full name. Remember the Lowell High report cards? Those came tumbling out of the family items he collected from the van. He matched the name on the report cards to a house in Visitacion Valley. Maybe that house was burglarized too? He found more video from a neighbor that showed the van continuing to case the area after cops left it. Sterkel wrote all his findings in a letter to the police. Nobody responded. I ran the scenario past Boudin, who said police should have put the vehicle under surveillance to see who returned to it and make an arrest. He said it sounded like a range of different felony charges would be possible, including the original theft from Sterkels car, possessing a stolen vehicle and possessing stolen property. He said he knows many officers are working hard. And then, there are some cases like this one, where its really inexplicable, he said. The story wasnt all bad, though. Sterkels wife and daughters were ecstatic when he texted them that hed recovered many of their belongings including the baby blanket, which he triple-washed with special stinky laundry sanitizer stuff. And Molly Sterkel seems impressed with her husband. I dont want to call my loving husband ordinary, but my ordinary husband is the farthest thing from Carmen Sandiego stealing things back from thieves and returning them to their owners, she said with a laugh, referring to the master thief featured in video games and an animated television show. Isnt that what cops do? she asked. They catch crooks? In some places, yes. But in San Francisco, not often enough. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf Im sitting at a table in the middle of an olive grove in Goleta, a town near Santa Barbara on Californias Central Coast, surrounded by 11 strangers. Were wrapped in scarves and blankets to ward off the early spring chill, but the olive trees are already in bloom. Every time the wind blows, a cascade of tiny white blossoms rains down on the table. Were here to have lunch, but were also here to have a very difficult conversation. Today, were going to talk about our deepest fears. To fit with the olive grove, Jane Chapman is serving a lunch of salade nicoise (since nicoise olives are the star of that particular meal), accompanied by watermelon radish, new potatoes, tomatoes, red butter lettuce and hard-boiled eggs from Chapmans own chickens. She has gathered all of us here for a Communal Table event, which is a series of lunchtime talks Chapman started during the pandemic as a way to try to connect people in a divisive time. As we dig in, she starts talking. I am not a mental health professional, and this is not therapy, Chapman says, nor is this the intention. The goal is to share our unique history and our unique experiences. Gallois Photo Weve all signed up for this lunch knowing that we would be having an open conversation about fear in our lives, but also knowing that we were intentionally choosing to cultivate a safe space for everyone to be heard. I dont know these women and Im not sure Ill ever see any of them again. But I do know that Im here to share, and to listen. Chapman started the Communal Table in August 2020, during a time when most of us were stuck in our homes and even more disconnected from a sense of real community than we had been before. The first events happened in public parks, with people sitting on blankets six feet away from each other. Not all of the events are about such heavy topics, but a lot of them are. Chapman has hosted lunchtime talks about creativity and leadership, but also about impostor syndrome, grief, psychological flexibility and finding personal connections in a divided time. I wanted to bring back the art of the conversation, Chapman says. Theres just been so much polarization that was already occurring, and then COVID exacerbated it. I took a look at the ways that I could help and serve in this way, and it really came to communication, having conversations over food, she says. Chapman grew up in a culinary family. Her parents were the chef/owners of Montecito Cafe a favorite of Julia Child, of whom Chapman has fond childhood memories and they now own Jane Restaurant in downtown Santa Barbara. We grew up having these robust conversations at dinner that were with people that were different and had different ideas, and then, you know, we just did it again the next week, she said. Julie Tremaine We used to do a family meal before every shift [at Jane], she says. This magic happens when people eat. They become more open and want to share and want to talk. I felt like this was my avenue to help. I want to get people comfortable being uncomfortable and having conversations with people that are different from them. Were not trying to change anyones mind, she adds. Its just a place to share your voice and be heard, without any expectation on the outcome. I think our world would be better if we were having these sorts of conversations. I just don't think any topic is off limits, that any person isn't worth talking to. Each lunch is capped at 14 people, including Chapman. Some events are just for women, and some are not. Tickets can run upwards of $100 each. But that kind of price point tends to bring in people of a certain age and level of financial stability and if youre only talking to people in very similar circumstances, youre not going to learn much. At every event, she says, there are usually anywhere from two to four people whom Ive sponsored. If cost is prohibitive, people can still come. Chapman has a list of people who have asked to attend in a sponsored slot, and takes a few of them each time, which always remains anonymous. Those spots are part of what the higher ticket cost covers. I dont want anyone to know who they are, she explains. Julie Tremaine The events tend to attract locals, but have been attended by people from across the country and as far away as England. In my case, I drove a couple of hours up the 101, past fields of crops in Oxnard and surfers in Ventura, to wind my way up a mountain in Goleta and find myself looking down over olive trees to the ocean. I opened up about my biggest fears, sharing all the ways I second-guess my decisions in life and how afraid I am that Ill come to regret them down the road, after theres no turning back. I may have described it as a difficult conversation, but in truth, the difficult part was showing up. Once Ive made the decision to participate in a conversation about a challenging topic, and once Ive sat down at that table full of strangers, its easy to open up and share things I normally dont talk about. I wanted to talk about fear in that beautiful grove, Chapman says. Theres a sense of safety in the conversation. It seems like its the same for all of us. Throughout the two hours, many people express how rare it is for them to be able to have an unguarded conversation free of any fear of judgment. Some women cry, some dont, but we all showed up with our bravest, most vulnerable selves. I cant even remember the last time I was with this many adults at once, one says. Julie Tremaine For some, the motivation is to be able to share, but for others, theyre just looking to make connections with new people. I don't know if it's from Communal Table or if it's because it was during this unique time in our history, Chapman says, but I've been hearing over and over that people want new friendships that are more meaningful. They want people they can go deep with and have conversations about things that matter. Shes heard stories of women connecting later and making new friendships after they meet at Communal Table events. I dont know what seeds are being planted, she explains. It thrills me to think of the trickle-down effect of these conversations. I want to create these connections for people so that when they're around town and they see someone that they maybe never would have taken a glance at, they've already had this incredible conversation with, she says, so then they share. Theyre actually changing our city in that way. Evelyn Hernandez called her sister on the morning of May 1, 2002. The 24-year-old single mom was nine months pregnant with her second child and struggling. She told me she had pain in her abdomen, Olivia Hernandez told a reporter. She was not feeling well. I asked her if she had someone to take her son to school and she said no, that she had to take him herself. Despite her rough morning, Evelyn left her apartment in San Franciscos Crocker-Amazon neighborhood to drop 5-year-old Alex off at Buena Vista Elementary School. She then took a Muni bus to her bank to make a deposit, bought a new wallet at Ross and returned home after picking up Alex from school. Around 6 p.m., police believe she got her mail, including a disability benefits check, and settled in for the night. At 9 p.m., she called her other sister, who lived in Richmond, to chat about Evelyns upcoming baby shower. Afterward, they said goodnight, as usual, and hung up. The next day, Evelyn and Alex Hernandez vanished. This weekend marks 20 years since the little family of three was likely murdered. Evelyn had immigrated from El Salvador as a child and attended McAteer High School in San Francisco. She became pregnant with Alex shortly after graduating according to the Charley Project, Alexs father was in the Navy and is not suspected in his disappearance and worked as a vocational nurse for a time to support her growing family. She had also worked at Costco and the Clift Hotel in Union Square but was on disability at the time of her disappearance due to complications with her second pregnancy. The father of her unborn baby was 36-year-old Herman Aguilera, a married part-time limo driver and United Airlines mechanic at SFO. According to San Francisco homicide investigators, Aguileras wife was aware of the relationship but did not know Evelyn was pregnant. For her part, Evelyn was allegedly done with Aguilera. It appears the victim had made a decision to stop seeing Herman, because she felt he would not leave his wife, SFPD detective Holly Pera told the San Francisco Chronicle at the time of Evelyns disappearance. It caused some friction, because he was paying for her apartment and wanted to be able to stay there. She wanted to get on with her life, Pera added. She thought she had no future with him. Aguilera told police he had last seen Evelyn and Alex on April 30, when he went to Ikea to buy a bed for Alex, returned to Evelyns home and assembled it. On May 7, investigators say he reported the Hernandezes were missing; its not clear why Evelyns family, who had a baby shower planned for her, did not report her missing earlier, although it is possible police are holding back information in the case. Police got their first clue a few days into the investigation: Evelyns new wallet was found near a canal off East Grand Avenue in South San Francisco. Inside was her disability check and cash, suggesting the motive for her disappearance wasnt robbery. The wallet was discovered a few blocks from the limousine company that Aguilera worked for. When police brought him in for voluntary questioning, Aguilera said he called Evelyn multiple times on the night of May 1 but that she hadnt picked up. He said he drove to her apartment intending to look for her but decided perhaps she was intentionally evading him and went home. Months went by. Then, on July 24, the partial remains of a woman were found in the San Francisco Bay along the Embarcadero near Folsom Street. DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to Evelyn. Alex was nowhere to be found. At a memorial service for Evelyn, one of her loved ones brought a sign with a photo of Alex. The text on it read, Where is Alex? Wasnt this investigation important? SFPD detectives who attended spoke to the media afterward. We dont know where Alex is. Is this important? Yeah, its extremely important, Pera said. Theres three victims here. Since Evelyns body was recovered, there has been scant movement in the case. Its not known where or when exactly she was killed, so theres no crime scene to examine. Police presume Alex is also dead, but they cant be sure. Over the years, some of Evelyns loved ones have suggested that if she had been a white native English speaker, police would have tried harder. Aguilera has never been named as a suspect or person of interest. Evelyn and Alex Hernandezs case is still open. Anyone with information is asked to contact the SFPD Homicide Detail at 415-553-1145 or its anonymous tip line at 415-553-1166. The persona is a prison, said John Mulaney early on during his set on Thursday night the first of two sold-out shows at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. Its no secret that Mulaney has had a couple of wild, reputation-altering years. From multiple stints in rehab, to a public divorce, to a baby with a new woman, Mulaney has fully shed the clean cut, nice guy persona he had curated over his career. But to hear Mulaney tell it, that persona may never have been who he actually was sober or not. Dressed in his trademark suit, his show was just as tight as ever. While he maybe did less physical comedy than in previous specials, he made up for it by leaning fully into wild impressions, from his celeb pals Pete Davidson and Nick Kroll to an extremely absurdist Al Pacino. Right off the bat, Mulaney struck a more combative tone, teasing the Berkeley crowd for needing to feel independent from San Francisco. Its cute, I bet you even have your own mayor, he said. He also grumbled that Bo Burhnam is more popular than he is, and challenged everything from conceptions for how a recovering addict should act to the entire subject of science. From there, his set mostly focused on his well-documented drug problem. The comic told stories of having no memory of interviews he did while high, his star-studded intervention, and conning doctors into giving him drugs. Do you know how hard it is to convince a doctor to give you prescription drugs? he asked the audience. Its not hard. He talked minimally about his relationship with Olivia Munn and new son Malcolm. He talked not at all about his divorce from Anna Marie Tendler. The show was thankfully not a morality play about the fall and resurrection of an addict. Instead, he aired his frustration at not being recognized as a celebrity while in rehab and complained about having too many people (twelve) hes in debt to for saving his life. As he put it, that's a lot of dinners he has to pick up the tab on for people who only Zoomed into his intervention. Not all of his content was addiction related. In one of his few fully sincere moments, Mulaney described how happy he was to be back in the Bay Area because some of his favorite early memories as a standup were from sets at The Punch Line in San Francisco. He poked fun at his most ardent fans for being very young women or young men who arent athletes (this reporter tried not to take offense) and spent a few incredibly funny moments complaining about needing to pretend to be supportive of CNN and the FBI during the Trump presidency. For all his talk of his poor publicity, Mulaneys turmoil didnt seem to affect his popularity. The show was completely sold out and the line to get in stretched for over half a mile. The fans were treated to a new John Mulaney who may have been the real Mulaney all along. (Ad) As we enter the third year of the pandemic, people are itching to get out of their homes to travel the world again. However, many travelers are concerned about their safety when traveling, weighed down by all of the COVID-19 protocols, and uninformed about the safety protocols many hotels and resorts put in place. There are many more concerns that travelers face that are preventing them from traveling, but you can use these concerns to your advantage in your hotel marketing plan. Having safety standards to follow allows you to incorporate customer education into your hospitality marketing plan to overcome customers' objections. Your insider knowledge of these protocols can smash your customer's objections, alleviate their fears, and encourage them to take the step to start traveling again. Your messaging, language, and tone in your hotel marketing plan will lure travelers into wanting to book a stay with you. This article will outline the digital marketing trends in the hospitality industry in 2022 during and post-COVID-19. Some of these strategies are used by the best hotel marketing campaigns. Grab a pen and notebook to take notes on the best hospitality marketing trends you can start implementing today. 10 Hospitality Marketing Trends for 2022 Touchless Tech and Customer Expectations Safety, cleanliness, and COVID precautions are at the top of your customer's minds. Customers are looking for ways to avoid multiple touchpoints with staff, other guests, and unnecessary objects. Highlighting technology such as selfcheck-in, keyless entry, and smart room technology squander the fears and objections your customers may have. Weave in footage of customers using these technologies into your digital marketing trend for hospitality to build know-like and trust with your audience. Hotel Sustainability and Cause Marketing Your customers want to know that they are not harming the environment when visiting your hotel. Encourage customers to participate in practices that keep the hotel and environment sustainable. A great way to incentivize people to participate is by letting them know that your company will donate a small amount of money to organizations working to preserve the environment. People like to know that they are contributing to work that is a part of a greater cause, and even more so, guests want to stay at hotels with good ideals. Providing unique experiences and Promoting Niche-Based Travel With the rise of travelers looking for unique experiences, now is the time for you to shine by highlighting the unique experiences and features your hotel offers. You can double down on creating experiences that speak to an ideal customer persona. People have become hyper-aware of their health since the pandemic, so this would be a great chance to market their direct desire to want a healthier life. Some ideas you tap into would be providing more nutritious food options for your room service menu, including gluten-free, vegetarian, Non-GMO, and vegan options. Following the trend of people becoming hyperaware of their health means people are also looking for indulgent opportunities when they travel to help them de-stress. Providing snippets of the luxury, self-care, and relaxation people will experience when staying with you sets you apart from the crowd. If your hotel has weighted blankets, massage chairs, or even dog beds and dog bowls, you can use this to appeal to multiple customers demographics. The Future: Metaverse, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality The internet has been buzzing lately with the genesis of Web 3, the metaverse, and augmented reality. While the metaverse isn't openly available to the public, now is the time to brainstorm how you can use virtual reality elements in your hotel marketing strategy. An example of using augmented reality in your hotel marketing plan would be creating a demo video of what it would be like for businesses to host conferences virtually at your hotel. Future guests can sneak peek into seeing how your hotel can fit their business needs for upcoming events. On the B2C side, users would be able to experience the ambiance of your hotel virtually before stepping foot on site. Imagine having influencers sharing their augmented reality with their followers! This strategy would more than double your organic reach. The Power of Local Marketing In the age of digital marketing, local marketing can be something that is often overlooked, but it is still mighty. Take the remaining downtime we have left during the pandemic to partner with a local business. The best hotel marketing campaigns include ways in which cross-promotion can happen with other companies. These businesses can help you convert foot traffic, but they can also share your business on their social media accounts. Don't be afraid to sit down with local business owners to figure out how you can collaborate on your digital marketing efforts to pull local traffic and online traffic. Another aspect of local marketing that cannot be overlooked is optimizing your local business listings on search engines like Google. By optimizing your property or your portfolio of properties on Google My Business, you can rest assured that potential hotel guests can find you when searching in places like Google Maps. Utilize Video content on Emerging Social Media Platforms Video marketing is the dominant marketing trend in 2022. TikTok and Instagram are the go-to social media platforms currently holding viewers' attention the longest. TikTok has a whopping 1 billion users coming close to Instagram's 1.3 billion users. The dominant forms of video content on TikTok and Instagram are 30-60 short-form videos. You may have seen this pop up on Instagram as reels. Use this an opportunity to create short videos showcasing your hotel's food, decor, available experiences, and rooms. Creating memorable experiences for guests will also encourage them to showcase their satisfaction in real-time through user-generated content. Invest in Guest Centered Web Design With all of your work to get your customers to your website to book a stay with you, you want to make sure your website user experience is seamless! Guests should get a glimpse of what they can expect when they stay with you through your website. A well-designed website makes it easy for your user to navigate (no unnecessary steps/clicks to book with you), contains crisp copy, and encapsulates your tone and voice found on your other digital channels. To give your customers an even more engaging experience when they visit your website, place a popup chatbox where they can get answers to their questions quickly. Be sure that the chatbox responds using the tone and language that represents your brand. Push onsite bookings (over OTAs) Online travel agents (OTAs) help your hotel gain visibility, but we want your customers to interact with your brand from the first touchpoint. Focus on driving customers directly to your website, email list, and social media pages. These touchpoints help you retarget your customers without using a third party and help you understand and learn about your audience more. Customers will have incentives to book directly through your site when you offer promotions and deals that aren't offered on the OTA sites. The benefit of having customers in your company's ecosystem is that you'll be able to send them customized marketing materials through segmented email lists, personality-filled social media videos, and more. Whatever you do, always direct your clients to your company site and not the OTAs. Hyper-Targeted Advertising Companies will have to stop relying on third parties like Facebook and Google to collect customer demographics and instead tap into utilizing first-party data. Some examples of first-party data are demographics, customer feedback on surveys, engagement on emails and social posts, purchase history, interests, hobbies, and more. You can collect this information by tracking the IP activity of your customers, collecting their contact information such as email addresses, sending out polls and surveys, and keeping tabs on the content that resonates the most with your audience on your socials. With all of this data in hand, you can craft customized ad campaigns for different segments of your audience. For example, a hotel can run an ad campaign for a college-educated, 30-year-old single woman living in New York and a college-educated, 30-year-old single woman living in Hawaii. These women have the same demographics, but they most likely have different psychographics (interests, hobbies, mindsets/beliefs). This is an example of where your hotel marketing plan comes in. You can create compelling campaigns that speak to both of these women, getting them to take action. The key to hyper-targeted advertising is to use the data from your existing audience to create campaigns that resonate with your audience. Marketing trends that appeal to digital nomads, remote workers, and travelers COVID-19 introduced remote work to millions of people across the world. Now that we are three years into the pandemic, some companies may choose to keep their workers remote, while others prefer a hybrid model. You can include these factors in your hotel marketing strategy to target people who may want to do staycations. Campaigns that boast about your Wi-Fi speed and open working spaces can be very appealing to remote workers, digital nomads, and travelers. Try partnering with a well-known digital nomad to create user-generated content and see how this resonates with your audience. Hospitality Marketing Trends for 2022: Key Takeaways Creating the best hotel marketing campaigns has many moving parts in 2022 but can be done with the right people on your team or with help from an agency. Here's a recap of some ways you can execute an effective marketing plan: Focus on hyper-targeted advertising by utilizing first-party data to create targeted campaigns based on specific buyer personas Highlight the unique experiences customers can have by using short-form videos in the form of Instagram reels or Tiktok videos Ensure your website is user-friendly, which allows your customers to move through the sales funnel easily Address people's concerns and fears around COVID, hygiene, and safety by showcasing touchless technology and updated cleaning standards in action Using these marketing tips will have many customers booking with you now and in the future. If you need help developing a successful hotel marketing campaign or need help with other marketing services, contact our team to get started. CAIRO (AP) At least eight children died Saturday when a passenger tricycle overturned and sank in an irrigation channel in Egypts Nile Delta, authorities said. The accident took place in the city of Itay el-Baroud in the Mediterranean province of Beheira. The children were workers at a factory in the city, around 140 kilometers (87 miles) north of the capital of Cairo, a police statement said. YUMA, Ariz. (AP) A Yuma court on Friday dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed against a former Democratic state lawmaker by three Republican politicians after she called for an investigation of their roles in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Judge Pro Tem Levi Gunderson found the comments by former Rep. Charlene Fernandez were protected by the First Amendment's rights to free speech and petition the government. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) A search launched Saturday for an inmate who escaped from the Kilby Correctional Facility in Alabama. Mitchell Lindsey, 29, fled just before 8:30 a.m. from the prison located in Montgomery County, the state Department of Corrections said in a news release. DOVER, Del. (AP) While the First States overall unemployment rate is on a steady decline and the state currently has more jobs than job seekers, Delawares disabled community isnt seeing the same job growth. Recent changes in state law have leveled the playing field for all Delaware workers, now the task is connecting those that are eager to work with employers. There are many different reasons for Delawares recent rift in labor numbers. Many older workers chose to retire at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and not rejoin the workforce. Delawares business landscape has also grown, and companies are trying to attract people to come to the First State. Others sought out new opportunities in different industries, leaving a hole in their previous field. Despite needing help, the disability community is finding itself disproportionately affected when it comes to employment more than ever before, according to many disability service providers. The national unemployment rate for persons with a disability is nearly three times higher than those without a disability. In the First State, the labor force totals about 445,000 people. Of that number, 24,000 have a disability. Unemployed disabled Delawareans total about 3,300 people and 34,000 are not in the workforce, based on U.S. Census figures. The Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council is one of the organizations working to raise awareness about this issue. The council was created to address the unmet needs of people with developmental disabilities through systemwide advocacy, planning and demonstration projects. About 16% of Delawareans live with a disability, according to the DDC. Delaware does have a higher percentage of people with disabilities than the national average, said Kristin E. Harvey, executive director of the Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council. About 1.08% of the total number of people with disabilities have what we classify as a developmental disability, which happens before the age of 22. It affects three or more activities of daily living and is likely to continue indefinitely. Examples of developmental disabilities are Down syndrome, autism, Asperger syndrome and cerebral palsy. Through its programs, the DDC works to encourage employers to look at the disabled community for their next worker, but ultimately real change will mean changing minds. When it comes to unemployment, I think it has to do a lot with mindset, said Emmanuel Jenkins, DDC community relations officer. Mr. Jenkins was born with a disability. He has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Despite any perceived challenges, Mr. Jenkins is active within the disability community and state government to help raise awareness and support for others. No matter how many jobs this state or this country builds, until we change the mindset of people, that people with disabilities can go to work and not only go to work, but they could go to work and be reliable and often can be dedicated workers, things wont change, Mr. Jenkins said. To help alter perceptions, Mr. Jenkins said he works to be an example for others. I used to tell people to not give me a chance. A chance is like a lottery. You put your dollar in, box or straight and you take a chance. People like me, people with disabilities, we dont need a lottery ticket we need an opportunity, Mr. Jenkins said. To help foster opportunities, the DDC works as an advocate for its community and endeavors to educate employers about the opportunities that are available. The organization also works to combat disinformation about hiring folks with a disability. Not every person with a disability is going to need or want a reasonable accommodation. If they do, most are under $500. I guarantee that the value that person brings to a business or organization far exceeds that $500, Ms. Harvey said. For Delawares disabled community in 2022, the issue of unemployment is an important one. The federal government, through its 14 (c) licensing program allows some employers to pay disabled workers subminimum wages. Delaware abolished that practice last year. Until recently, it was legal for some businesses and organizations to pay people with disabilities less than minimum wage. And it was completely legal. And our perspective was, you know, thats not OK for any human being, Ms. Harvey said. Mr. Jenkins also works on a state task force that is working to solve issues relating to pay and working conditions. For employers wanting to help with this issue, the resources are there. The DDC can direct companies to information sources and groups. Initiatives like Delaware Works offer a host of resources to connect jobs with disabled workers. Delaware Works is an online portal that can connect employers with employees. The Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative, the Division for the Visually Impaired, The Arc of Delaware and the Department of Health and Human Services are just a few examples of other programs that work on this issue. For disabled workers wanting to get on the job market, the Delaware Departments of Labor, Education and Health and Social Services are all good places to start. For more information on the Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council, visit ddc.delaware.gov. NEW YORK (AP) Prices for Russian credit default swaps insurance contracts that protect an investor against a default plunged sharply overnight after Moscow used its precious foreign currency reserves to make a last minute debt payment on Friday. The cost for a five-year credit default swap on Russian debt was $5.84 million to protect $10 million in debt. That price was nearly half the one on Thursday, which at roughly $11 million for $10 million in debt protection was a signal that investors were certain of a eventual Russian default. Russia used its foreign currency reserves sitting outside of the country to make the payment, backing down from the Kremlin's earlier threats that it would use rubles to pay these obligations. In a statement, the Russia Finance Ministry did not say whether future payments would be made in rubles. Despite the insurance contract plunge, investors remain largely convinced that Russia will eventually default on its debts for the first time since 1917. The major ratings agencies Standard & Poors and Moodys have declared Russia is in selective default on its obligations. Russia has been hit with extensive sanctions by the United States, the European Union and others in response to its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine and its continuing military operation to take over Ukrainian territory. The Credit Default Determination Committee an industry group of 14 banks and investors that determines whether or not to pay on these swaps said Friday that they continue to monitor the situation after Russia's payment. Their next meeting is on May 3. At the beginning of April, Russias finance ministry said it tried to make a $649 million payment due April 6 toward two bonds to an unnamed U.S. bank previously reported as JPMorgan Chase. At that time, tightened sanctions imposed for Russias invasion of Ukraine prevented the payment from being accepted, so Moscow attempted to make the debt payment in rubles. The Kremlin, which repeatedly said it was financially able and willing to continue to pay on its debts, had argued that extraordinary events gave them the legal footing to pay in rubles, instead of dollars or euros. Investors and rating agencies, however, disagreed and did not expect Russia to be able to convert the rubles into dollars before a 30-day grace period expired next week. ___ Follow all AP stories about events related to the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. SEATTLE (AP) Private electric utilities in the Pacific Northwest are planning tens of millions of dollars in upgrades to reduce the risk that their power lines could spark wildfires during extreme weather. Utilities such as Pacific Power, Avista, Idaho Power, Portland General Electric and Puget Sound Energy are either required to or are voluntarily submitting wildfire mitigation plans. The 2022 editions are now public, the Northwest News Network reported. These reports show major spending increases to harden infrastructure, remove trees near power lines and install systems to instantaneously de-energize circuits if a fault is detected during a windstorm. Pacific Power, for example, said it forecasts $473 million in wildfire protection spending over the next five years. PGE, with a much smaller service territory, budgeted $32 million in wildfire program operations and capital costs just for this year. Utilities will eventually seek to recover those costs through customers monthly bills. Proposed electric rate increases pending before the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission already include some wildfire mitigation costs. We define a risk tree as anything dead, dying or diseased that can strike a power line, David James, wildfire resiliency manager for Spokane-based Avista Utilities, told an oversight hearing of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on Wednesday. Year-to-date, weve removed over 4,000 trees 4,416 trees. That is just incredible. At the same virtual meeting, executives of Pacific Power and Puget Sound Energy described investments pretty much all major Western utilities are making to both prevent the grid from sparking wildfires and prevent passing fires from taking down electric service. The infrastructure hardening measures include installing covered conductors, relocating power lines and replacing some wooden transmission poles with steel. In rare instances, overhead power lines are being replaced with underground wires, but that is expensive. In Oregon, the legislature last year required electric utilities to submit a wildfire mitigation plan annually. In the past week, the Oregon Public Utility Commission approved the 2022 wildfire plans produced by the private utilities it regulates, Pacific Power, PGE and Idaho Power. The latters approval came with a caveat that Idaho Power must submit additional info to separate costs between its Idaho and Eastern Oregon customer bases. We recognize the enormous progress Oregon utilities have made and largely approved the plans, but also acknowledge that they need to continue to improve and adapt to meet the needs of communities and keep pace with the changing risks, PUC Chair Megan Decker said in a prepared statement. Preemptive power shutoff protocols formalized The wildfire plans also describe what combination of drought, heat and predicted high winds would lead Northwest electric companies to preemptively cut off the power as a last resort to prevent fire ignitions. That last resort has become increasingly common in California in the wake of several deadly wildfires blamed on high winds and downed power lines. The strategy was triggered for the first time in Oregon during the Labor Day 2020 firestorm. PGE preemptively cut the juice to about 5,000 customers on the slopes of Mount Hood on September 7, 2020. PGEs 2022 pre-fire season planning identified more high-risk neighborhoods where it would consider cutting off power in advance of another potential firestorm. Those areas include parts of Portlands West Hills, foothills homes around Estacada and Scotts Mills, and the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge. Similarly, Pacific Power identified a whole bunch of places in its Oregon service territory where it would preemptively shut off power under extreme weather and fire risk conditions. These include rural areas ringing Hood River, Grants Pass, Shady Cove, Cave Junction and Myrtle Creek. Now, the protocols for what are called public safety power shutoffs are coming to Washington state, though mostly not in time for this fire season. There is a place for de-energization in a proactive sense when we are faced with a catastrophic event, Avistas James said. Were working on this. We think this is part of our future. Likewise, Puget Sound Energy is working on formalizing preemptive blackout criteria for a high risk area it serves around Cle Elum in Kittitas County. The Bellevue, Washington-based utility scheduled a town hall meeting in Cle Elum on June 8 to solicit customer feedback. Pacific Power has a plan in place for the foothills west of Yakima. Relatively few customers, slightly more than 700, are potentially affected in the state Highway 410 corridor around the community of Nile, Pacific Power vice president Allen Berreth told the Washington utility commission on Wednesday. He said his utility has never activated a public safety power shutoff in Washington before. WUTC Commissioner Ann Rendahl repeatedly questioned the utility executives who came before the panel about how they would notify and assist service providers such as fire departments who could be disrupted at a critical time, or medically vulnerable customers in such an event. Power blackouts are particularly hard on people who rely on electric-powered medical devices to stay in their own homes, she said. Berreth answered that his utility, like others, has a plan to set up temporary shelters in safer places where customers can go to charge their phones, cool off or plug in their medical equipment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Several districts in Shanghai put up metal barriers last weekend as part of the city's battle against a COVID-19 outbreak, in a move that drew protests and anger from some residents. Workers in white head-to-toe protective gear erected mesh wire fences and metal sheets to block off roads, residential communities and even the entrances of some apartment buildings. A majority of the city's 25 million residents had already been prevented from leaving their homes during a month-long lockdown, though some neighborhoods have since opened up. The barriers are deployed to ensure control over movement and often leave only a small entrance that can be easily guarded. IS THE USE OF METAL FENCING OR BARRIERS NEW? The barriers are new to Shanghai but have been deployed throughout the pandemic in other cities across China. For example, early in 2020, some neighborhood committees the lowest rung of local government erected metal sheets and fences in parts of Beijing to control access points to homes. Wuhan, where the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in December 2019, also erected metal barriers across the city. How they have been deployed varies. Sometimes the government sets up fencing around entire neighborhood blocks, leaving just one or two entrances. In other cases, they build fences in front of individual residential complexes. The fencing has been widely deployed in border regions as well, including in Suifenhe, a city in the northeast that borders Russia. The metal barriers there block off entire streets. WHY DID PEOPLE PROTEST IN SHANGHAI? Shanghai had not erected metal barriers on a wide scale during the past two years of the pandemic, priding itself on more targeted measures that did not rely on lockdowns. That changed in the latest outbreak, which is driven by the highly transmissible omicron BA.2 variant. Central authorities enforced a lockdown for the entire city that prevented people from putting even one foot out the door, according to a widely propagated slogan. Many Shanghai residents were upset about barriers blocking the entrances to their apartment buildings and some angry citizens circulated videos online showing protests. In one video verified by the AP, residents leaving a building in Shanghais Xuhui district broke down a mesh fence barricade at the front entrance and went angrily looking for the security guard they believed to be responsible for putting it up. Shanghai is using a tiered system in which neighborhoods are divided into three categories based on the risk of transmission. Those in the first category face the strictest COVID-19 controls and are the main target of the barriers. However, some neighborhood officials in Shanghai put up barriers in areas that aren't part of the strictest category. One resident called the police to protest the sealing off of roads near his apartment building, saying his residence wasn't part of the first category. He and two other residents in his building complex tried to stop the workers from erecting the metal barriers, but they were stopped by a worker in the neighborhood committee. The police officer told the residents they had no right to leave the apartment, according to the man's account, which he posted on WeChat. This deep, deep feeling of powerlessness. Who can tell me: Is there any hope for this place? he wrote. He declined to be named. WILL THEY BE TAKEN DOWN? In some instances, residents have been successful in their protests. At one apartment complex in Shanghai's Putuo district, residents fiercely protested after the residential committee put a U-lock on the door to their building on April 16. It was very sudden, without any notice, and it wasn't just the building. Every place was blocked off below. It blocked off any escape path, said one Shanghai resident who asked to be identified only by her last name, Zhang. If there was any accident or fire, everyone's sure to die. Residents in the building called the police as well as the city's hotline. The residential committee relented and put tape across the door instead, but warned residents that destruction of the tape would bring legal consequences, according to a notice the committee sent to residents that Zhang showed to the AP. In Beijing, many barriers were removed after the city went without a major outbreak during the past two years. Now, however, residential complexes with positive cases are once again being barricaded. - Associated Press researcher Chen Si contributed to this report from Shanghai. ANTIOCH, Ill. (AP) A 73-year-old northern Illinois man was hospitalized in critical condition after being rescued from a Fox River channel, authorities said. The rural Antioch man fell into the channel while trying to retrieve a fishing line Friday afternoon, Lake County sheriffs deputies told the Arlington Heights Daily Herald. One of the rescuers, a 74-year-old man from Winthrop Harbor, was fishing with the victim in a small boat when the incident occurred, deputies said. One of the men got his fishing line tangled in the weeds, deputies said. The victim tried to retrieve the line but fell into the cold water and was submerged for one to two minutes. The 74-year-old attempted to hold the victims head above water from the boat. He was assisted by a 48-year-old man from Villa Park who heard the 74-year-old mans calls for help and jumped into the water to help. Sheriffs deputies responded at 1:35 p.m. to the scene in unincorporated Lake County near Antioch. They arrived as the victim was being pulled from the water. The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) A Florida man already accused of child sexual abuse now faces new charges after victims came forward from as far back as 1972. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a news release that 62-year-old Thomas Lair is facing a total of 15 counts of molestation and sexual battery. Authorities say most of the victims were between 6 and 9 years old when the alleged incidents occurred between 1972 and 2020, CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) A Gary man was sentenced to 130 years in prison Friday after being convicted in the 2020 killings of two teenage boys found shot to death in a northwest Indiana home. A Lake County jury found Alvino S. Vino Amaya, 37, guilty of two counts of murder and a firearm enhancement last month in the slayings of 18-year-old Elijah Robinson and Maxwell Kroll, 17. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRANDY STATION, Va. (AP) Visitors from near and far have been seeking refuge at a farm in Culpeper County to escape the daily cares and pressures of life. They are coming away joyful. This is the best thing Ive been able to do all year, said Elizabeth Coco of Alexandria at Charming Hill Farm on a recent balmy spring afternoon. It turned out to be just perfect. Nearby her children Grace, 8, and 4-year-old Thomas were crowded by pleasure-seeking goats of all sizes as the children sought with eager hands to stroke the furry creatures. Coco, who underwent emergency surgery a few days prior, had been forced to cancel spring break plans with her children, and selected a visit to Culpeper County as an alternative activity. I think it turned out better overall, Coco said. My daughter is super into this. She wants to be a zookeeper when she grows up. For many weeks now Charming Hill has been welcoming the public to show off the many new animals that have joined the vibrant four-legged staff members that help the local agri-tourism enterprise survive. Weve had four births already so far, with many more coming in the weeks ahead, said Matt Boyer, who owns and operates the farm. Weve got baby bunnies, geese, turkeys and a donkey this year, in addition to the goats, pig, chicks, dogs, cows and other animals weve had in the past. Boyer said a couple hundred people had visited so far in 2022, giving him a boost up on his bottom line for the coming year. All farms struggle with income, Boyer said. Each of the animals has their own bank account to take care of feed, veterinary care and housing, so the $10 per person is used up pretty quick. Ten dollars is what it costs to fondle the farms furry friends for an hour. With about 40 young goats and a variety of chicks, horses, peacocks and other breeds, there are plenty of warm bodies to go around. All these people contribute to the local economy when they come down here, Boyer said. They always tell me they go to this or that brewery or restaurant after their farm visit or shop downtown. Im glad to be able to help out my fellow businesspeople that way. Boyer, in addition to running the now 2-year-old farm, also works remotely as vice president of institutional giving with The Arc, a national nonprofit in Washington, D.C. that protects the rights of people with intellectual and development disabilities. With his connections in Northern Virginia and involvement in a very active Facebook moms group there, Boyer said hes gratified to be getting pretty steady bookings. The moms of Northern Virginia rule the world, Boyer said, smiling. Everyone should have them on their side. He said the moms are constantly recommending his farm to others for play dates and birthdays, and for adults coming to simply relax and to enjoy the country atmosphere. Many grown-ups come simply to see and cuddle the animals without having to do the accompanying work, the farmer commented. Some people who live in the area actually come and volunteer here because they like the work, Boyer said. Having people do that makes it feel more like a community effort. Matt Viljoen, who lives a mile or two down the road from Charming Hill, has been volunteering there for about 18 months. It makes me happy to help the animals make other people happy, Viljoen said. He creates products out of wood that Boyer encourages him to offer for sale to visitors. Viljoen has been getting a small income that way. Boyer said hes grateful for Viljoen and his dedication to the farm. When I cant be here he guides people through, Boyer said. I dont know what Id do without him. Tammy Smith, an allergy doctor from Warrenton, and her teenage daughter Emma seemed relaxed and happy as they stroked goats and a horse at Charming Hill. A friend recommended it to me, Smith said. My girls used to ride horses. We like to be around animals, so I was glad to find a place we could come and do this. A senior at Kettle Run High School, 17-year-old Emma Smith hugged a couple goats at once as they clambered for the food she was offering to them. Its just fun, she said. I could stay here all day. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ATLANTA (AP) Add one more group of contests to the white-hot races for Congress and governor that will dominate this year's midterm elections: secretaries of state. Former President Donald Trump's attempts to reverse the results of the 2020 election and his subsequent endorsements of candidates for state election offices who are sympathetic to his view have elevated those races to top-tier status. At stake, say Democrats and others concerned about fair elections, is nothing less than American democracy. If they win the general election, weve got real problems on our hands, said former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, a Republican who has pushed back against the false claims made by Trump and his allies about widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. This is an effort to replace the people who oversee these races to change the rules to make the results come out the way they want them to. The primary season begins in force in the coming week with elections in Ohio and Indiana. Ohio voters will decide which candidate will emerge from the Republican primary for secretary of state, with the winner favored to eventually win the office in the GOP-dominated state. Primaries for the top election offices will follow over the next few weeks in Nebraska, Idaho, Alabama and the presidential battleground of Georgia. While Indiana also holds a primary Tuesday, nominees for secretary of state and some other offices won't be decided until party conventions in June. In all, voters in about two dozen states will be deciding who will be their states next chief election official this year. In three politically important states - Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas the position will be filled by whoever wins the governors race. In New Hampshire, the decision will be made by the state Legislature currently controlled by Republicans. States United Action, a nonpartisan advocacy organization co-founded by Whitman, has been tracking secretary of state races and identified nearly two dozen Republican candidates who deny the results of the 2020 presidential election. That includes John Adams, a former state lawmaker challenging Ohio's incumbent secretary of state, Frank LaRose, in Tuesdays GOP primary. Adams has said theres no way that Trump lost" and said LaRose wasnt any different than Stacey Abrams, a Democrat and national voting rights advocate who is running for governor in Georgia. LaRose hasnt talked much about the 2020 election in the campaign other than to say it was secure in Ohio and to tout his offices pursuit of voter fraud cases. This marked a departure following the 2020 vote in which he praised the work of bipartisan election officials in running a smooth election, promoted voter access and presented statistics showing how rare voter fraud is. Earlier this year, LaRose brushed aside questions about his shifting rhetoric. Unfortunately, some people want to make a political issue out of this, he said. Of course, its right to be concerned about election integrity. The pivot was enough to earn him an endorsement from Trump, who is considering another run for president in 2024 and said LaRose was dedicated to Secure Elections. LaRose has been touting the endorsement. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, said it was important for Republican secretaries of state, in particular, to speak the truth about the 2020 election. Those secretaries who are accepting the support of election-deniers or accepting the support of a former president who openly interfered with the results of a free and fair election are abdicating their role and responsibility to stand as nonpartisan guardians and choosing to put their own partisan agendas ahead of democracy, Benson said in an interview. This year, the most high-profile races will unfold in four of the six states where Trump disputed his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Michigan. Trump has endorsed secretary of state candidates in all but one, backing those who support his false claims. There is no proof of widespread fraud or wrongdoing. Judges, including ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed by the former president and his allies after the 2020 election. Last year, an Associated Press review of every potential 2020 voter fraud case in the six states disputed by Trump found nowhere near enough cases to change the outcome. Kristina Karamo, Trumps pick in Michigan, is the first to advance to the November election after state Republicans nominated her at the party's April 23 convention. A community college professor, Karamo gained prominence after the 2020 election claiming she had seen irregularities in the processing of mail ballots while serving as an election observer in Detroit. At a rally with Trump before the convention, she accused the media of trying to demonize her, adding corruption in our elections systems is a national security threat. She will face Benson, a former law school dean seeking her second term. All one has to imagine is what it would be like or what it would have been like if Brad Raffensperger had said, Yes, I will find you those votes and deliver Georgia for you, Benson said. Thats what could happen if you have an election denier serving as secretary of state. Raffensperger is the Republican secretary of state in Georgia who withstood enormous pressure to uphold the results of the presidential race there, won by Biden. At one point after the election, Trump called Raffensperger and asked him to find nearly 12,000 votes to overturn Biden's win. Of the 25 secretary of state races on the ballot this year, nine Republican and seven Democratic incumbents are running to keep their seats. While only one of the Democratic incumbents has drawn a challenger, seven Republican secretaries will be facing at least one GOP opponent who either denies Biden won or makes unsubstantiated claims that elections are not secure. This includes Raffensperger, who rebuffed Trump's demands and has drawn three primary challengers. Among them is one endorsed by Trump, U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, who objected to Georgias electoral votes being counted for Biden. In nine states, incumbents have opted against seeking reelection, are running for higher office or are term-limited, leaving open contests. This includes Arizona and Nevada, which hold primaries in the coming months. Both races feature Republican candidates -- Arizonas Mark Finchem and Nevadas Jim Marchant -- who have questioned the outcome of the 2020 election. Another high-profile race is unfolding in Colorado, where a Republican county clerk under indictment for a security breach of voting systems is running to challenge Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat seeking a second term. Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. She has been a frequent guest on conservative media and appeared at various events with Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and Trump ally who has sought to prove voting machines were somehow manipulated in 2020. In an interview earlier this year, Peters said she was committed to finding the truth of what happened in 2020 and hoped the powers that be instead of taking time to attack me would solve violent crime, would look into election irregularities and find the truth. Colorado Republicans will be deciding who their nominee will be in late June. Americans are going to have a very simple choice do we want people overseeing elections who believe in upholding the will of the voter regardless of how they voted? said Griswold. Or do we want extremist politicians who will do anything it takes to tilt elections in their favor and claim victory regardless of how the American people cast their ballot? ___ Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) A plan to create special self-governing zones for foreign investors in Honduras has been thrown into limbo with the new government's repeal of a law many criticized as surrendering sovereignty. The zones were inspired by libertarian and free-market thinkers as a way to draw foreign investment to the impoverished country. They not only were free from import and export taxes, but could set up their own internal forms of government, as well as courts, security forces, schools and even social security systems. They were authorized by a constitutional amendment and an enabling law passed in 2013. Critics were worried that the zones could become nearly independent statelets and President Xiomara Castro, who took office in January, campaigned against the law. On Monday, she signed a measure passed by Honduras' Congress to repeal it though the permission for the zones still remains in the constitution. The zones known as ZEDEs in Spanish had been promoted by her predecessor as president, Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was extradited to the United States on April 21 to face drug trafficking and weapons charges. Castro called the repeal historic and said Honduras was recovering its sovereignty. Her administration said it did not want to destroy what had already been built, but that changes were coming. We are going to work hand-in-hand to do things in a responsible way because we also dont want to try to destroy what has been built, said Rodolfo Pastor, a member of Castros cabinet. With those that already (exist) there is going to be dialogue because autonomous zones are not going to be allowed. He said a committee would be formed to work with the three existing zones. Perhaps the most ambitious is a planned 58-acre development called Prospera on the Caribbean island of Roatan promoted by American libertarians with plans for modernistic buildings drawn up by Zaha Hadid Architects. Prospera's backers issued a statement just prior to the repeal vote saying they intend to proceed confidently with plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars and to create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs in Honduras in reliance upon its acquired rights under the ZEDE framework. For the State of Honduras to deny these rights would plainly violate its obligations under international and domestic law based on well-established legal principles, the statement said. After the law was repealed, Prospera's president, Mississippi state Rep. Joel Bomgar, said Honduras has a brighter future with Prospera in it. All it takes is for Honduras to honor its international commitments, he said. Prospera came to Honduras with the best intentions to invest and generate opportunities, based on legal commitments made by each party, and this intention and commitments remain. Another zone, a sprawling agro-industrial park called Orquidea near the southern city of Choluteca, is advancing as well, but is more prosaic. It features rows upon rows of massive greenhouses producing peppers and tomatoes for export. Right now we are all in limbo, but the important thing is to listen to the government to see how the process they are doing can be supported, said Guillermo Pena Panting, Orquidea Groups technical secretary. We have to have an open talk to see what (the government) is willing to do or create, because what we want is to continue contributing to the economy and developing what weve been doing in a serious and responsible way, he added. Part of the uncertainty is due to the fact that authorization for the ZEDEs remains in the constitution even though the law under which they operate has been repealed. The Congress and Castro have moved to strip that language from the constitution, but that would require a second vote by a new Congress next year. The companies that are functioning will have to continue working, because constitutionally they continue existing, said constitutional lawyer Juan Carlos Barrientos. But now nobody is going to come to invest in a useless thing, because without a law, no one is going to risk investing here. Political analyst Raul Pineda Alvarado said the now-repealed law was the more controversial part of the legal framework. That organic law had provisions that went beyond the constitutional reform, Pineda said, with privileges that were not in the constitution itself. The law had said the zones must comply with most Honduran constitutional principles and international human rights agreements, but critics argued they basically created a separate state within a state, undermining the countrys sovereignty. A 21-member best practices committee was created to oversee and help regulate the zones with an eye toward creating a business friendly environment. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, wrote Wednesday that there was no way for the Honduran government to end the ZEDEs overnight. And if it pursues the long unwinding of the initiative, investors have a number of legal mechanisms at their disposal. The Castro governments support for the repeal of ZEDEs will likely deter future investment in Honduras certainly in ZEDEs, but also investment outside of the ZEDE framework and risks turning some of the criticisms leveled by ZEDE opponents regarding job creation into self-fulfilling prophecies, the analysis said. Meanwhile, the United Nations Office of the High Commission for Human Rights in Honduras applauded Castros cancellation of the zones. Last year, it had warned that the ZEDEs could mean serious risks to compliance with the general obligation of the Honduran state to respect and guarantee the free and full exercise of the rights of all residents without discrimination. __ AP writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW ORLEANS (AP) The memorial garden at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is about to get a lot more crowded as fellow musicians honor the many musical icons known as Ancestors who have passed since the festival was last held three years ago. Jazz Fest, which began Friday and will conclude on May 8, will feature on-stage tributes, as well as jazz funeral processions that will cross the Fair Grounds and conclude with the unveiling of the honorees likenesses alongside the other Ancestors at the rear of the Congo Square field. Thats Jazz Fest, Quint Davis, the festivals longtime producer/director, told The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Like many African cultures, we stay connected to our ancestors. These people are part of us, part of our lives, part of New Orleans. Multiple commemorations, spread across both weekends, are planned for George Wein, Jazz Fests founder. Wein helped found the Newport Jazz and Folk festivals and then replicated his success worldwide. In 1970, New Orleans leaders recruited him to remake the citys two-year-old music festival. Wein added an outdoor Louisiana Heritage Fair, which became the blueprint for the contemporary Jazz Fest. He remained a fixture at Jazz Fest through 2019 and died on Sept. 13, 2021, in New York at the age of 95. The festival will honor Wein with jazz funerals on both weekends, as well as discussions about his legacy and a performance by his band, the Newport Allstars. A jazz funeral also was held Saturday for Malcolm Dr. John Rebennack, who died June 6, 2019, at age 77 after a heart attack. A tribute concert on the main Festival Stage will be held in his honor on May 8. Folk and blues guitarist Spencer Bohren performed one last time at Jazz Fest in 2019, dying six weeks later of prostate cancer on June 8, 2019, at age 69. On Sunday, his fellow members of the Write Brothers songwriters quartet will join his sons and others for a tribute on the Lagniappe Stage. Lafayette zydeco and blues guitarist Paul Lil Buck Sinegal, who recorded and toured with Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Rockin Dopsie, died June 10, 2019, at age 75. Fellow musicians will honor him in the Blues Tent on May 6. Dave Bartholomew, the trumpeter who co-wrote and produced most of Fats Dominos hits, died June 23, 2019, at age 100. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Elvis Costello and pianist Al Lil Fats Jackson, will salute Bartholomew on May 5. Jazz piano patriarch Ellis Marsalis Jr. died April 1, 2020 at age 85 of pneumonia brought on by COVID-19. On Sunday, a jazz funeral procession will be held and a tribute concert featuring his youngest son, drummer and vibraphonist Jason Marsalis. Adonis Rose & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra will celebrate Allen Toussaints legacy at the WWOZ Jazz Tent on May 6. He died in 2015. James Jim Boa Olander, an audio engineer who spent decades as the stage manager for the Blues Tent, died on March 1 at age 67. On Thursday, the festival will unveil an Ancestor Photo of Olander inside the Blues Tent. Neville Brothers and Meters keyboardist Art Neville died July 22, 2019, at age 81. Hell be commemorated along with his saxophonist brother Charles Neville, who died April 26, 2018, at age 79. On Friday, their youngest brother, Cyril, will join family members, plus members of the Neville Brothers Band and the Funky Meters, for a tribute on the festivals main stage. A joint jazz funeral will be held the next day. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday challenged an Alabama law making it a felony for doctors to treat transgender people under age 19 with puberty-blockers and hormones to help affirm their new gender identity. The department's motion seeks to intervene in an ongoing lawsuit challenging the law as unconstitutional and seeking to block it from taking effect on May 8. The action comes after the department sent a letter to all 50 state attorneys general warning that blocking transgender and nonbinary youth from receiving gender-affirming care could be an infringement of federal constitutional protections. Doctors and others would face up to 10 years in prison for violating the Alabama law. Trans youth and parents have said Alabama is trying to ban what they consider necessary, and sometimes life-saving care for them. The law discriminates against transgender minors by unjustifiably denying them access to certain forms of medically necessary care," the complaint states. As a result of S.B. 184, medical professionals, parents, and minors old enough to make their own medical decisions are forced to choose between forgoing medically necessary procedures and treatments or facing criminal prosecution. Alabama Republicans who supported the law have maintained it is needed to protect children. A spokeswoman for Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said, we are prepared to defend our Alabama values and this legislation. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Friday that the Biden Administration has chosen to prioritize leftist politics at the expense of Alabamas children." As we will show in this case, DOJs assertion that these treatments are medically necessary is ideologically-driven disinformation. The science and common sense are on Alabamas side. We will win this fight to protect our children, Marshall said in a statement. State lawyers in an initial court appearance last week argued the science of the treatments is in doubt and thus the state has a role in regulation. Marshall said there is a growing body of evidence that using experimental drugs on vulnerable children suffering from gender dysphoria will lead to significant, lifelong harm. Doctors who provide the treatments and medical groups said the treatments follow evidence-based accepted standards of care. As the effective date of the law draws closer, some Alabama parents with trans kids say they feel that their children are being exploited for political gain in a region that can already feel unwelcoming. LGBTQ have always been a part of our community, but were silenced into hiding and beaten down by the Bible Belt, said Pamela Northington, the mother of a trans teen boy. She said that telling kids they have to wait is just adding years to their struggle. The emotional state of the youth in transition is already in a heightened state because of the bullying, and the fear of not being accepted. I fear that for some of them, it may become tragic. U.S. District Judge Liles Burke has scheduled a May 5 hearing on a request to stop Alabama officials from enforcing the law while the court challenge goes forward. Sarah Warbelow, legal director for the Human Rights Campaign an LGBTQ advocacy group said they are encouraged to see the Department of Justice weigh in on this law that so severely interferes in the lives of Alabama families. Alabama is among several states with Republican-controlled legislatures that have advanced bills regarding transgender youth and LGBTQ issues. The Alabama law is the furthest reaching and the first to criminalize the treatments. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had ordered the states child welfare agency to investigate as abuse reports of gender-confirming care for kids. Arkansas also banned gender-affirming medications, but that law has been blocked from taking effect. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) An attorney working at the University of Kentucky has been hired as the new top lawyer for the University of Virginia. Attorney General Jason Miyares on Friday revealed Cliff Iler will become senior assistant attorney general and university counsel to UVA, The Daily Progress of Charlottesville reported. The announcement came roughly three months after Miyares fired Tim Heaphy as the schools top counsel. School counsel within Virginias public colleges and universities are appointed by the attorney general. Heaphy had been on leave from the job to work as the top investigator for the U.S. House of Representatives panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. At the time of the shakeup, a spokesperson for Miyares a Republican who took office in mid-January said the change was made because Heaphy had been a controversial hire in 2018. Miyares Democratic predecessor, Mark Herring, also had excluded many qualified internal candidates at the time, the spokesperson said. Herrings former chief of staff called that characterization of Heaphys hiring inaccurate. Miyares edged Herring in the November election. In hiring Iler, Miyares chose someone working in another state. The Louisville native recently served as the deputy general counsel for faculty, students and research at the University of Kentucky and associate general counsel for the schools health care operations and health care colleges. Iler, who also spent 16 years with a law firm in Atlanta, will supervise a team of nine other attorneys, including three for UVAs health system. Iler is a brilliant attorney" and I am confident he will be an excellent addition to the University of Virginia and serve the students, faculty, staff, and commonwealth well," Miyares said in a news release. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Steve Marcus/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP Show More Show Less 3 of 3 LAS VEGAS (AP) A 21-year-old man who shot and paralyzed a Las Vegas police officer during a racial justice protest on the Las Vegas Strip in June 2020 was sentenced Friday to 20 to 50 years in state prison. The officer, Shay Mikalonis, was 29 when he was shot and now breathes with the help of a ventilator. He and his family were in the courtroom while Edgar Samaniego read a statement saying he doesnt remember the shooting due to his use of drugs and alcohol, KLAS-TV reported. HONOLULU (AP) A committee of Hawaii senators and representatives on Friday agreed on legislation creating new management for Mauna Kea, the site of some of the world's most advanced telescopes and demonstrations against the construction of a new observatory. An amended bill agreed to in a conference committee heads to the full House and Senate for votes next week. MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexicos National Immigration Institute said Friday it has suspended one of its agents who was seen pushing a reporter to the ground as the journalist tried to film a group of officials. The institute said the agent involved had been separated from his operational duties after the incident; the case will be placed under review for possible further sanctions. GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) More than 30 dogs have been seized in a North Carolina city after law enforcement officers broke up a dog-fighting ring, authorities said. Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement responded to a Gastonia address on Thursday to investigate a report of dogs fighting in the backyard, the Gaston Gazette reported. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) A tiny, Soviet-made car is bed tonight for the older couple waiting to risk their lives by crossing the war's front line in Ukraine. But theyre not fleeing theyre going back in. Everything is there. Our roots are there, says the man, 75. Even people from Mariupol want to go back. They dont want to share their names out of fears for their safety as they attempt to make the long drive back to the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, the scene of some of the wars fiercest fighting. The world is now accustomed to images of millions of Ukrainians on the run from Russias invasion. In their shadow are people with a different kind of desperation and daring, heading the other way. For some the pull is to reach loved ones, often vulnerable due to illness or infirmity, who were left behind. For others its a journey of nostalgia and defiance. The couple want to go back to their home in Donetsk to take a look at least. Theyre old. Theyre homesick. Its time to take chances. Where else should we go? the man says. He leans against the boxy yellow Lada, resting his weight on the 40-year-old car and on two canes. His belongings are whatever his wife stuffed into the trunk before they fled. She forgot to bring her lover, the man says, with mischief in his eyes. His wife of 53 years laughs, then comes close to tears as reality returns. You can go mad if you dont make jokes, she says. Recent weeks have seen many Ukrainians who fled the country return home, but in many cases thats because Russian forces withdrew from the area around the capital, Kyiv, regrouping for an offensive in the east. It's not known how many people have crossed the front lines to return to contested areas and occupied cities. Here in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia is a parking lot where volunteers have helped thousands of people fleeing in battered vehicles. Some have shattered windows. Others are missing doors. Many have signs saying children taped to their windshields. On the edges of this are people headed in the other direction. One is Igor Filko, who stands alone on the sidewalk, smoking. The 30-year-old was released Wednesday after three years in prison, emerging into a world he hardly recognized. Everything is different, he says. Everything is wrong. He is trying to make his way to the seaside city of Berdyansk and his wife, small child and mother. He sleeps at the train station. He has no phone, borrowing one from a volunteer at the reception center to call his family. He has no car, little money and a growing sense of just how dangerous it is to go home. After his release, he tried to set off on foot but was quickly stopped at a checkpoint. Soldiers told him he wouldnt be let out walking and certainly wouldnt be let back in. Now he waits for a corridor to open. Russian forces are tightening their control over Berdyansk, Filko says. They tell residents they should switch to Russian passports and the currency will change to the ruble soon. His family wants to leave. He wants to help them. I dont know of another plan, Filko says. All my hopes are on getting at least my child out. Each family reaching the reception center has its own harrowing story supporting that desire to flee. Tatyana Vasilevas vehicle was shot at near the final checkpoint on the journey from occupied Melitopol, in the southeast. A shell flew over their roof, and Russian soldiers stole her money. Thank God we left before it got too bad, Vasileva says. Many of the new arrivals are from the southern city of Kherson, where Russian flags now fly. Vitaly Bizyuk and his family drove three days to find an open corridor from there to Zaporizhzhia. Along the way, they were pressured at Russian checkpoints to change their mind. Bizyuk is originally from Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. They asked me, Why not go there? he says. I said, Why, what did I forget there? Disheveled and standing next to his dust-covered car, he describes life under occupation. The ruble will be introduced Sunday. Tanks are in the streets. The channels on TV, and the brands in markets, are Russian. Bizyuk holds up a pack of Russian cigarettes and looks unhappy: I needed to smoke. Over two months into the war, he also needed to get out. Unlike the couple in the Lada, he sees no return in sight. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Serbia on Saturday publicly displayed a recently delivered Chinese anti-aircraft missile system, raising concerns in the West and among some of Serbias neighbors that an arms buildup in the Balkans could threaten fragile peace in the region. The sophisticated HQ-22 surface-to-air system was delivered last month by a dozen Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes in what was believed to be the largest-ever airlift delivery of Chinese arms to Europe. Although Serbia officially seeks membership in the European Union, it has been arming itself mostly with Russian and Chinese weapons, including T-72 battle tanks, MiG-29 fighter jets, Mi-35 attack helicopters and drones. Back in 2020, U.S. officials warned Belgrade against purchasing HQ-22 missile systems, whose export version is known as FK-3. They said that if Serbia really wants to join the EU 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. Serbia is the first operator of the Chinese missiles in Europe. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at the end of the arms display at a military airport near Belgrade that the Chinese missiles, as well as other recently delivered military hardware, are not a threat to anyone and only represent a powerful deterrent against potential attackers. We will no longer allow to be a punching bag for anyone, Vucic said, apparently referring to NATOs 78-day bombardment of Serbia for its bloody crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists in 1999. Serbia, which was at war with its neighbors in the 1990s, does not recognize Kosovos independence declared in 2008. It still has frosty relations with NATO-members Croatia and Montenegro as well as Bosnia, whose separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik attended the military drill on Saturday. Vucic said Serbia is also negotiating a purchase of French multi-purpose Dessault Rafale jets, as well as British Eurofighter Typhoon fighters. He said that only political hurdles could prevent the purchase of the Western aircraft. There are widespread concerns that Russia could push its ally Serbia into an armed conflict with its neighbors to try at least partly to shift public attention from the war in Ukraine. Although Serbia has voted in favor of U.N. resolutions that condemn the bloody Russian attacks in Ukraine, it has refused to join international sanctions against its allies in Moscow or outright criticize the apparent atrocities committed by the Russian troops in Ukraine. On this weeks episode of Segue, Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles weekly radio program exploring the lives and work of the people on campus and beyond, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Kevin Leonard, PhD, interviews Tom Anderson, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. This episode of Segue airs at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 1. Listeners can tune into WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound or siue.edu/wsie. Anderson, who joined the SIUE faculty in fall 2020, earned a bachelors in biology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2006, a masters in water science from Murray State University in 2011, and a doctorate in ecology and evolution from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2016. His research primarily focuses on population dynamics, community ecology, and species interactions, with most projects focused in aquatic ecosystems. How did you become interested in biology? Leonard asks. I grew up in southern Wisconsin in a small town, Anderson says. We did stereotypical small-town Wisconsin things spending a lot of time camping, fishing, hunting and hiking at state parks nearby. Those those early experiences doing outdoor activities formed my love of being outside and nature and organisms. Was there a pivotal moment in which you realized you wanted to devote your career to this field? Leonard asks. Before the start of my senior year at UW-Eau Claire, I got an internship to complete my senior thesis project with a professor at a research lab in Colorado, explains Anderson. That opened my eyes to what you can do with a career in biology in terms of ecology. He notes that before this experience, he thought a career in biology might lead to becoming a state or national park ranger or a high school teacher. Being at this research lab exposed me to researchers from institutions all over the world and showed me that theres this alternative path where you can work with different organisms, study them in great detail and make a career out of it. During that summer research program, he worked on a project about a woodpecker, where he woke up early most mornings, hiked up mountains to find woodpecker nests, and observed their behaviors. He credits this experience with solidifying his desire to continue on this career path. Were there important individuals who encouraged and supported you as you decided to embark on a career in ecology? inquires Leonard. Definitely my parents, as they were both teachers, Anderson says. My mom was a high school teacher, and my dad was a college professor in engineering. My becoming an instructor was definitely heavily influenced by their experiences. He recalls listening to his parents talk about what they were doing at work and their interactions with students, and how his dad could remember the name of a student he taught 20 years prior. Knowing you could have that kind of impact on students lives was influential on his career choice. What are the questions that have guided your research after you shifted to aquatic ecology? Leonard asks. Im really interested in species interactions things like predator or prey interactions or competition between species, says Anderson. In particular, salamanders are the main organism that I work with. A salamander was not an organism Id ever seen in my life prior to starting my masters, and somehow, I still got hired for a masters position to work on salamanders. He discusses his masters project, which was on competition between two species that lived nearby Murray State in Kentucky. From there, his doctorate focused more on predator-prey interactions while attending the University of Missouri. Tune in at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 1 to WSIE 88.7 The Sound to hear the entire conversatio NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee declined to sign off on a new law requiring governments and businesses to treat immunity from a previous COVID-19 infection as equal to getting vaccinated in their policies. The legislation became law Friday without the Republican's signature, taking effect immediately. The bill requires a letter from a licensed physician or certain lab test results as proof of acquired immunity. Eric Mayo, a lobbyist on the governor's team, expressed concerns about the legislation to a Senate committee last month. Mayo told senators Lee was concerned about businesses being put in the situation where they arent able to make the decisions best for their business. The bill is one of several that passed this year that block COVID-19 safety requirements. Last year, lawmakers also passed and Lee signed a sprawling state law that largely bars governments and businesses from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccinations. In the immediate aftermath, some organizations switched their policies to require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Many of them have since removed requirements altogether. With Republican supermajorities that can override him, Lee has not vetoed any bills while in office. He at times has returned bills without signing them to show his concerns. TONKAWA, Okla. (AP) Three University of Oklahoma meteorology students were killed in a crash when their vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer rig in northern Oklahoma late Friday, according to a crash report. The students were travelling back from chasing a powerful tornado in Kansas, officials confirmed. Nicholas Nair, 20, of Denton, Texas; Gavin Short, 19, of Grayslake, Illinois; and Drake Brooks, 22, of Evansville, Indiana, died in the crash shortly before 11:30 p.m. Friday, according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report. MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) A bill that would set Vermont on a path to a clean heat standard was approved by the Vermont Senate on Friday. The proposal aims to regulate businesses that import fossil fuel heat. It would require the Public Utility Commission to create a marketplace where businesses that import fossil fuels for heat would have to buy or create clean heat credits based on how much their products emit. MARTINEZ (BCN) A Concord man was sentenced Friday in a 2019 hate crime case that centered on comments the man made on a video game site, according to the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office. Ross Anthony Farca was sentenced to five years and eight months with one year to be served in Contra Costa County Jail and four years and eight months to be served in state prison. In 2021, Farca was found guilty of four felonies and one misdemeanor hate crime, two counts of criminal threats against investigating officers, possession of an assault weapon and the unlawful manufacturing of an assault weapon. Using the screen name "Adolf HItler (((6 Million)))", Farca said he waned to kill Jews and police officers with a homemade assault rifle while live-streaming his actions, and he cited two mass shootings in San Diego and New Zealand as inspiration, according to the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office. He was on the video gaming site Stream when he made the comments. Police obtained a warrant to search Farca's home and found an assault weapon, 13 magazines, bullets and books about Hitler and Nazism. Following his conviction by a jury, his sentencing was delayed three times due to mental health diversion hearings. 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. In this weeks roundup, airlines and corporate travel managers report that a long-awaited revival of business customers is finally starting to happen; Southwest, JetBlue and Alaska will reduce their schedules as they struggle to add pilots and other employees for the summer travel boom and to pacify restive labor groups; United, Delta and Air France bring back some international routes; French Bee starts flying to Los Angeles; United and Singapore expand their code-sharing arrangement; United plans to install Polaris seating in the one remaining widebody aircraft type that doesnt yet have it; Elon Musk gets into the in-flight Wi-Fi business; Chicago OHares people-mover finally returns to full service; CLEARs expedited security lanes come to an eighth California airport; and Long Beach opens a new ticketing and check-in facility. Leisure air travel has been rebounding strongly in recent months as COVID concerns wane and pent-up demand for vacations takes hold, but what the airlines really want to see is a revival of business travel, since it accounts for the bulk of their passenger revenues. And it looks like that is finally starting to happen. The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), a trade group of corporate travel managers, summed up the results its April membership survey like this: Business travel is surging forward, international travel is returning and despite new challenges, industry recovery is entrenched. In addition, corporate travel policies are undergoing a revamp and employees are broadly willing to travel for business. Business travel still isnt back to pre-pandemic levels, GBTA said, but the momentum toward a recovery is strong. According to its April survey, of those companies that had suspended or canceled most trips during the pandemic, 75% say they will resume domestic travel and 52% will revive international trips in the next one to three months. The proportion of companies that allow non-essential domestic business trips is now 86%, up from 73% in February, GBTA said, while 74% now permit international travel vs. just 48% two months earlier. Most respondents (88%) said their air travel bookings increased in the past month, vs. just 45% who said so in February. George Rose/Getty Images In reporting their quarterly results this week, executives at the largest U.S. airlines have made similar observations. According to Business Travel News, United Executive VP Andrew Nocella said large corporations are now returning to travel at a faster rate than small businesses ... Now with business traffic rapidly recovering, I expect United to have a tailwind versus more leisure-focused carriers. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said corporate bookings are currently at the highest theyve been since the onset of the pandemic, and we expect that to continue as more companies reopen their offices ... We anticipate overall business revenue to be 90% recovered in the second quarter. And a report this month from the consulting firm Deloitte, based on discussions with 150 company travel managers, was also optimistic, especially as more COVID-related restrictions on travel fall away. Over the rest of this year, Deloitte said, Team meetings that have been postponed multiple times will finally take place. More conferences will shift back from online to in-person, and those that already have will likely see attendance improve. Even international trips should grow significantly, although some regions will recover faster than others. Alex Wong/Getty Images The latest U.S. carrier to resort to major schedule cuts as the summer season approaches is Southwest, which will reportedly slash more than 119,000 flights from its June schedule a reduction of 6.9%. The biggest shrinkage will be at Denver International, which will lose 814 June flights or almost 10% of its Southwest service that month. Southwest recently announced schedule increases on some California routes, including San Jose, and those will remain in effect. Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said this week the airlines priority now is getting properly staffed and returning to historic operational reliability, noting that the company added 3,300 employees in the first quarter. JetBlue this week confirmed earlier reports that its summer schedule is being cut by more than 10% from its previous plan. That means its operations will be anywhere from 0% to 5% above 2019 levels, although the company had been planning to increase its capacity by 11% to 15% over that pre-pandemic year. Last month, JetBlue dropped more than two dozen pandemic-era routes from its network, and now according to Simpleflying.com it is eliminating several more, including summer service from New York JFK to Boise, Idaho and Kalispell, Montana. And Alaska Airlines is planning to trim its capacity by 2% through the end of June to match our current pilot capacity, the company said. Airlines are having trouble maintaining their summer schedules largely due to staffing problems, especially a shortage of pilots. Southwests pilots and flight attendants complained to management this month that they are overworked and exhausted, and they asked the company not to schedule more flights until it can properly staff them. JetBlue said this week it is working through a backlog of pilot training and re-certification flights after delays from Omicron. Volatile pilot attrition is also creating a need for additional recruiting and training capacity. The airline increased its pilot training team and simulator capacity to meet the demand. JetBlues relations with its pilots are currently strained at best. The pilots union at JetBlue has complained to management about the companys executive in charge of airports and system operations, essentially blaming him for months of disruptions in the airlines flight operations and for customer and pilot frustration at the operational turmoil. And at Alaska Airlines, members of the pilots union are weighing a strike authorization vote to give their leaders extra leverage in contract negotiations; union members have been conducting informational picketing at airports in recent weeks. Etienne DE MALGLAIVE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images United Airlines is continuing its international service resumptions and expansion on more routes. This week United started flying once a day from its Newark hub to Nice, France. Last month, United revived San Francisco-Tel Aviv service, and on May 4, the carrier is due to increase frequencies on that route from three flights a week to seven. May 5 is the launch date for Uniteds new route from its Washington Dulles hub to Amman, Jordan, where it will operate three flights a week. And on May 6, United begins daily flights from Chicago OHare to Milan, Italy. Delta and its partners are also ramping up their transatlantic schedules. On May 1, Delta will start flying five times a week from New York JFK to Edinburgh and resume daily service from Boston to Rome. On the same date, Delta will return to the Atlanta-Milan route, which it last flew in 2019, and will resume non-stop service from Atlanta to Athens. On May 3, Delta is due to resume service from Portland to Amsterdam. Deltas SkyTeam partner Air France has set May 3 for the resumption of its Denver-Paris CDG route, with three weekly 777-200 flights. In other news, the South African government has given Delta a green light to start flying to Cape Town as an extension of its existing Atlanta-Johannesburg service; Delta is expected to start flying the triangular route sometime later this year. Meanwhile, Paris-based French Bee which flies between Tahiti and Paris via San Francisco -- kicks off new service on April 30 between Los Angeles International and Paris Orly. It will use an Airbus A350-900 to operate three flights a week, building up to six a week by July, with one-way fares starting as low as $321 in basic economy. American Airlines, which recently resumed service from its Charlotte hub to Frankfurt, has now decided to suspend those flights from June 3 through Sept. 6. Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Across the Pacific, United Airlines has expanded its code-sharing relationship with Star Alliance partner Singapore Airlines just as that nation ends its pre-departure testing requirement. Effective this week, fully vaccinated visitors to Singapore are no longer required to take a COVID test before leaving home; the country had already eliminated its requirement for testing after arrivals. The expanded code-sharing puts Uniteds code on Singapore Airlines flights beyond Singapore to Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia; Denpasar (Bali), Jakarta, and Surabaya, Indonesia; Perth, Australia; and Male in the Maldive Islands. United said the deal will mean seamless connections on those routes via Singapore. United resumed its non-stop San Francisco-Singapore service earlier this year. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines code goes onto United flights from Los Angeles to 10 more U.S. destinations including Austin, Baltimore, Boise, Cleveland, Denver, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Reno and Sacramento. Singapore already code-shares on United flights from Houston to eight U.S. destinations. Although United introduced its Polaris international business class product six years ago, theres still one twin-aisle aircraft type in its fleet that hasnt yet received a makeover with the posh front-cabin seating: its 16 Boeing 767-400s, which it took on during its 2010 merger with Continental. But according to The Points Guy, that is about to change. A United official told the website the first of those planes should be refitted with Polaris this summer; it was not immediately clear whether premium economy seating would also be added to the aircraft. Uniteds 767-400s had been grounded during the pandemic, but it decided to bring them back after international traffic started to pick up. Future Publishing/Future Publishing via Getty Images Elon Musks deal to buy Twitter was big news this week, but another Musk company just inked a deal with an airline. Hawaiian Airlines said it will use Musks Starlink satellite internet network, part of his SpaceX operation, to provide in-flight Wi-Fi for its transpacific fleet a service the airline doesnt currently offer. But it wont be available right away; installations on Hawaiians A330s, A321neos and new 787-9s wont begin until 2023. The Starlink Wi-Fi will be fast, simple and free for passengers, Hawaiian said. Guests will be able to stream content, play games live with friends on the ground, work and collaborate in real-time, plan their Hawaii vacation, or share their special island moments on social media, the airline said. Connecting to the internet will be seamless when guests walk on board, without registration pages or payment portals. The California-based regional carrier JSX said on Twitter last week that it will also provide Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi to its customers starting later this year, and it will also be free. Meanwhile, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a Wall Street Journal interview that his company has conducted some exploratory tests of Starlinks Wi-Fi capabilities but declined to offer details. Last fall, Chicago OHare Airports people-mover line called the Airport Transit System (ATS) resumed limited operations after being shut down for many months in order to expand and modernize the operation. Now, airport officials said, the ATS has finally come back to full, around-the-clock service, so OHare is no longer using the buses that had replaced it. The ATS carries passengers around the airport, linking Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5 with OHares Multi-Modal Facility (MMF), which houses rental car companies, an economy parking lot, and links to local and regional bus and rail services. The ATS reduces road congestion and emissions, as fewer cars and buses are needed to travel between terminals, parking lots and ground transportation facilities, the airport said. Each three-car train can carry 147 passengers, with service operating every three minutes. The three-mile trip between Terminal 1 and the MMF takes only 10 minutes, with five total stops. Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images CLEAR, the company that uses biometric technology to give its members expedited access to TSA security screening, is now available in Terminal 2 at San Diego International, its eighth airport in California. Members submit to an eye scan for identity verification and then are escorted by a CLEAR rep right to TSA screening. Membership costs $15 a month, billed annually, but is also available at a discount to loyalty program members of Delta, American and American Express. With San Diego, CLEAR is now in place at 43 U.S. airports; other California locations include San Francisco International, Mineta San Jose, Oakland International, Sacramento, LAX, Ontario, and Palm Springs. Elsewhere in southern California, Long Beach Airport has set a May 4 opening for a new ticketing lobby, part of its $110 million Phase II Terminal Area improvement program. The 16,700-square-foot facility will replace ticketing and check-in facilities located in the airports historic terminal building, which is due to undergo renovations and will eventually be used for car rental services. The new building has common-use ticket counters and check-in kiosks that can be used by all airlines, and a new behind-the-scenes TSA baggage screening facility. Later this year, the airport will open a new consolidated baggage claim facility. WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 29, 2022 _____ DUST STORM WARNING BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED Dust Storm Warning National Weather Service Amarillo TX 709 PM CDT Fri Apr 29 2022 The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a * Dust Storm Warning for... Texas County in the Panhandle of Oklahoma... Cimarron County in the Panhandle of Oklahoma... Western Hansford County in the Panhandle of Texas... Sherman County in the Panhandle of Texas... Dallam County in the Panhandle of Texas... Northern Moore County in the Panhandle of Texas... Hartley County in the Panhandle of Texas... * Until 815 PM CDT. * At 708 PM CDT, a dust channel was over Keyes, or 14 miles northeast of Boise City, moving north at 50 mph. HAZARD...Less than a quarter mile visibility with damaging wind in excess of 60 mph. SOURCE...Trained weather spotters. IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel. Locations impacted include... Dumas, Guymon, Dalhart, Stratford, Boise City, Hartley, Cactus, Sunray, Hooker, Goodwell, Tyrone, Texline, Optima, Keyes, Wheeless, Hough, Felt, Griggs, Romero and Eva. 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. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 30, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Anderson County in central Texas... * Until 645 PM CDT. * At 548 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Palestine, moving southeast at 10 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Palestine and Elkhart. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Page Content Following the recent military crisis in Ukraine, many Ukrainians arrived in Bulgaria to seek temporary protection or asylum. On April 14, the Bulgarian National Assembled adopted a draft proposal that amends the Health Insurance Act. The adopted amendment will take effect after its promulgation in the Bulgarian State Gazette. According to the amendment, displaced Ukrainians who have arrived in Bulgaria during the current crisis and have received temporary protection: Will be able to access medical services and the same free medical care available to Bulgarian citizens. Will be insured by the National Health Insurance Fund. Medical services provided to foreigners with temporary protection will be reimbursed by the state budget. As a result, Ukrainians fleeing their home country will be guaranteed free access to hospital services, medical consultations and urgent care. Those benefitting will include any foreigner who: Has Ukrainian nationality and their family members. Stateless persons, refugees and family members from third countries fleeing the war in Ukraine. Permanent residents, legally residing in Ukraine who cannot return safely to their country of origin. In accordance with the EU policy, the Bulgarian Council of Ministers issued Decision No. 144 of March 10, 2022, for granting temporary protection to all Ukrainians fleeing the military crisis who have requested such protection in Bulgaria. This temporary protection will be provided until Feb. 24, 2023. Before the amendment of the Bulgarian Health Insurance Act, foreigners with temporary protection could only access urgent medical care and were required to pay for all additional medical services with exceptions for vulnerable groups such as minors, people with disabilities, elderly people, pregnant women, single parents and people with serious health problems. The amendment extends health care access, which will soon be available for all Ukrainians that have temporary protection in Bulgaria. Because refugees cannot be granted temporary protection in two different EU countries at the same time, EU regulations stipulate that people running from the war in Ukraine who were granted temporary protection in one European country must obtain a new permit for temporary protection if they relocate to another country. Anna Tanova and Margarita Ivanova are attorneys with CMS in Sofia, Bulgaria. 2022 CMS. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission of Lexology. With an aim to empower homegrown semiconductor startups, chipmaker Qualcomm India will collaborate with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's (MeitY) Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), a statement said on Friday. The collaboration will support a group of promising semiconductor design startups, as a part of the government and the industry's ongoing efforts to encourage innovation in the semiconductor space in India. "There is a huge opportunity for Indian semiconductor startups due to the incentives provided by the Government," Rajen Vagadia, VP and President of Qualcomm India & SAARC, said in a statement. "Qualcomm India is committed to helping semiconductor design startups capitalise on India's design and engineering talent to drive innovations that will power the intelligent, connected future we foresee, not only for India but the world," he added. Qualcomm India plans to initiate and conduct the Qualcomm Semiconductor Mentorship Programme 2022 for select startups from the semiconductor space in India, with intent to provide and facilitate mentorship, technical training, and industry outreach. Under this collaboration, C-DAC and Qualcomm India intend to work towards nurturing technical advancements and intellectual-property-driven innovation and product development required for semiconductor design in the Indian ecosystem. It is also planning to work towards help reduce risks in innovation, accelerate the pace of business development, and develop soft skills and knowledge base of Indian startups engaged in semiconductor design. Qualcomm India will shortlist up to 10 Indian semiconductor startups. Each shortlisted startup will be paired with a Qualcomm India leader for mentorship on product planning and development. The startup and the mentor will meet periodically either in person or through online meetings. "The semiconductor industry is crucial for the growth of many other industries. We encourage Indian startups to come forward and meet the current and projected domestic demand for semiconductors with the support of Government-led programmes such as aMake in India' and the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme," said E. Magesh, Director-General C-DAC. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size At 8.30am on Saturday, April 16, a prolific tweeter who goes by the name Yve responded to an interview ABC journalist Fauziah Ibrahim had conducted with Labor frontbencher Jason Clare on the broadcastersWeekend Breakfast news program. She accused the newsreader of trying for her gotcha moment by returning to the Albanese gaffe that had dominated the first week of the election campaign. How about Labors plans, Fauziah? No? Six minutes later Yve tweeted that Ibrahim is not interested in their [the ALPs] plans for the future, when this is what the election is actually about. By 9.47am, Yve noticed she had been added to a list on Ibrahims Twitter page headed Labor Trolls/Thugs. Naturally, she tweeted about it, thereby setting in train a series of events that would lead to the news presenter who had been accused on Twitter of pro-Coalition bias since at least December 2021, following a contentious interview with Anthony Albanese taking a break while ABC management reviewed her social media activity for possible breaches of the broadcasters guidelines an offence that could, potentially, result in dismissal. ABC presenter Fauziah Ibrahim. Credit:YouTube I dont want to see anyone lose their job, says Yve, who lives in NSW and describes herself as an average middle-aged Australian woman who follows politics. But Australia needs our national broadcaster to be impartial, intelligent and honest as an imperative part of our democracy. The criticism of Ibrahim highlighted a new phenomenon the ABC is being forced to contend with: a growing tendency among self-identified Labor supporters to target certain ABC journalists who they perceive as biased. After her contentious interview with the ALPs Clare, Ibrahim was subjected to hundreds of tweets accusing her of being anti-Labor, some posted from accounts with tens of thousands of followers. Advertisement Its a pattern that has become more and more common over the past couple of years, according to experts The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age spoke to. Attacks on the ABC from the right, however, are nothing new. According to Josh Bornstein, national head of employment law at Maurice Blackburn and briefly a contender for an ALP Senate seat in this election, undermining the public broadcaster has been a joint venture of the Murdoch press and the conservative parties for decades. They have repeatedly stacked the board, you have some extreme hostility raining down on the ABC, and it cant have anything but a profound effect, he said. Josh Bornstein says he has had to pull back on commenting on Leigh Sales handling of interviews on 7.30 because of the hateful activity that coalesces around his tweets. Credit:Simon Schluter Bornstein sees the transformation playing out not in terms of an abandonment of the notion of impartiality that is so crucial to the ABCs performance, but rather in a shift of the understanding of what that impartiality looks like. The dial has been shifted, he says. Theyre required to report impartially, but its this form of neutrality that has shifted significantly to the right. The conservative side of politics has been in power for almost a decade, and has been able to exert pressure on ABC decision-making and editorial policy via funding allocations and management roasting in Senate estimates, as well as through less formal channels like a call to the chair. The left, on the other hand, has Twitter. Advertisement While the right tends to target the ABC in its entirety (#defundtheabc) the left tends to direct its fury at individual presenters. News Breakfast host Lisa Millar, former Q+A host Hamish Macdonald, Insiders host David Speers and 7.30 host Leigh Sales have all been targeted on Twitter and accused of pro-Coalition bias. So has the ubiquitous Stan Grant, while Virginia Trioli (ABC Radio Melbourne and Q+A), Patricia Karvelas (Radio National) and Fran Kelly (formerly Radio National Breakfast host) are among those who have been attacked by both sides for alleged bias. Loading The sheer volume of tweets can be overwhelming. According to a sample analysis run for this masthead by Dr Timothy Graham of the Queensland University of Technology, in the first four months of this year, an average of 120 tweets per hour were directed at Karvelas Twitter handle @PatsKarvelas. On March 19, they averaged more than 1600 per hour, when the death of Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching dominated the conversation. On April 21 activity surpassed 1400 tweets per hour as Karvelas was accused by former Labor Senator Doug Cameron of lacking balance and integrity in her rendering of the outcome of the first leaders debate. And on April 10, Karvelas was attracting a year-high of 2430 tweets per hour as attention swung to her interview with Labor deputy leader Richard Marles while she filled in as host of Insiders. The activity is driven largely by accounts belonging to what Graham calls hyperpartisan players on the left, but there is also a significant degree of activity from their counterparts on the right. Both tend to loosely coordinate their activity, says Graham, around hashtags and by targeting key accounts who will pay attention and give them a platform to boost their message into the media ecosystem. It is somewhat similar to standard forms of online activism or clicktivism, where users will mobilise for a political cause [for example, #BlackLivesMatter or #MeToo], he says. Except in this case the targets of this mobilisation ABC journalists such as Karvelas perceive it as trolling and/or abuse. Advertisement Graham notes that the Right has also targeted ABC journalists, typically using the #auspol hashtag, but in the past year or two the left has dominated Australian Twitter and the trending lists, so the activity by the right is overshadowed by it. Millar, Sales and Macdonald have all quit Twitter as a result of the constant barrage of criticism they were subjected to, much of it alleging right-wing bias. And while some on the Left have accused the presenters of confusing valid criticism for trolling, many of the attacks on the women in particular were genuinely vile and threatening. Loading I represent people who have been bullied, and if you get 2000 people screaming at you and abusing you, its a form of bullying, says Bornstein. Though he has issues with Sales work on 7.30, the lawyer claims he has begun to hold back because of the horrible, abusive, misogynist attacks that have sometimes coalesced around his tweets about her. And as Fauziah Ibrahim discovered, female journalists of colour are subjected to a particularly extreme form of abuse that seems to pay little heed to political lines. The abuse is off the charts, and Twitters algorithms give value to high emotion, conflict and pile-ons, Bornstein adds. Thats the fundamental problem with social media. People get pole-axed. While she believes the ABCs coverage has shifted to the right, Victoria Fielding a media lecturer at the University of Adelaide, a long-time ALP member and a prolific tweeter under the Queen Victoria (@Vic_Rollison) handle takes issue with those who accuse Sales, Millar, Speers and even Fran Kelly of being Liberal plants. Advertisement The real problem, she believes, is journalistic, and twofold. First, theres the tendency to use an opponents talking points in grilling interview subjects rather than hearing them out and grilling the substance of what they had to say. The second is the way she believes questions are increasingly framed from a right-wing perspective. The Murdoch media and right-wing think tank the Institute of Public Affairs have long led calls for the ABC to be defunded or privatised. And while you wont see it trumpeted as policy in any election material, a motion supporting the privatisation of the ABC was passed by two-thirds of delegates at the Liberal Partys annual council in 2018, and has not been revoked since. Many on the left on Twitter see Insiders host David Speers as being too soft on Coalition ministers such as Josh Frydenberg and, by contrast, too hard on their Labor counterparts. Credit:ABC Its hard to know how widespread such support is surveys consistently suggest the vast majority of Australians endorse and are satisfied with the ABC but the attacks coupled with the cuts to funding (estimated in one paper published last week as amounting to $1.2 billion, in real terms, over a decade), coupled with the perceived shift to the right, may be undermining confidence on both sides of the political spectrum. Loading The ABC is one of the countrys most important cultural institutions, says Matthew Ricketson, professor of communication at Deakin University and co-author, with Patrick Mullins, of Who Needs the ABC?, and we have every right to expect our institutions to be treated with respect. Advertisement Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When actor, cookbook author and presenter Silvia Colloca migrated from Italy to Australia 13 years ago with her actor husband Richard Roxburgh, she never anticipated her career would take off in the way that it has. The 47-year-old mother of three stars in a new Australian film, Little Tornadoes, playing the role of an Italian migrant, Maria, who uses food as way of expressing love and affection. Shes also just signed a deal with a record label, will launch a new season of her cooking show this month, and is enjoying all her planets aligning. Does playing Maria in Little Tornadoes remind you of your own experience of moving to Australia? My history of immigration is not comparable to those brave families that endured exhausting trips from Italy, on ships for months, and had to leave everything they had ever known to find new life in a country where they didnt speak the language. I cant compare myself to that. But I did leave my family and friends behind. I had to start again and make connections that are important in life, like building new friendships. As a grown-up, which comes with its own set of challenges. I could speak English but it was my second language; its hard to be yourself using the second language, I had to learn that it took time and effort. How did you get the part of Maria? Director Aaron Wilson saw me in [the 2009 film] Vampire Killers. He knew I was in Australia and got in touch. He spoke about themes of loss, longing and the power of healing that can be provided through food. When I moved to Australia, I used food to be accepted. I would make new friends by cooking meals and cakes and connecting with people through part of my culture that I knew people loved. Maria has some of those similarities to me. I only had my food blog when the offer for this film came about. The TV cooking career hadnt happened. I then got a book deal and it spiralled from there. I was pregnant with our second child when we shot the film but I didnt know that; it was early days. Colloca plays the role of an Italian migrant, Maria, in Little Tornadoes. Has life in Australia turned out better than expected? I never expected life to turn out this way, but I couldnt have hoped for a better situation to be in with my life and career. Meeting Richard changed my life [they married in 2004]. I am in love with him for 18 years and weve created a beautiful family of three children [Raphael, aged 15, Miro, 11, and Luna, 5] and now a dog. For us to support and encourage each other to go for it is a blessing. Thats the bit I love about acting the intimacy of this, the behind-the-scenes and building these connections. Do you have any intentions of moving back to Italy one day? I miss my family, for sure. I havent been able to see them for three years, but we will visit in June. I have nobody here and yes, of course, I do imagine if we moved there sometimes. I am very close to my parents and it has been difficult trying to hold back tears every time we speak on the phone; they really want to see the grandchildren. Advertisement Is acting something you would like to do more of? I just wrapped on a 10-part Foxtel drama which stars Sam Neill and Marta Dusseldorp called The Twelve which is out later this year. Yes, its something I would love to do more of. Hanging out with Sam Neill on set was pretty special. Sam knows Richard, so weve had dinners together, but the dynamic that happens on set gives a rare insight into your colleagues. You sit at a communal breakfast table at 6am, and in this case were also in a courtroom for eight hours a day filming. You see people when the going gets tough, when theyre tired, when theyre not at their best. Thats the bit I love about acting the intimacy of this, the behind-the-scenes and building these connections. You end up with a couple of new best friends by the end of it. Bassike trench, $950, from David Jones. Sandro Angus shirt, $545, from David Jones. Maje jeans, $440. Credit:Christopher Ferguson Is there a character Richard has played that comes close to reflecting who he really is? Definitely not Rake! [Laughs] To be honest the cheek, the sense of humour and wit is definitely Richard; I can see him in that way. He is the most wonderful family man, but he is cheeky for sure. That is the secret to our good marriage dont take yourself too seriously. [Laughs] He plays Elviss dad in the new Baz Luhrmann movie [Elvis], which is his most recent. So I cant exactly say there are any similarities there. How do you and Richard juggle the work-life balance? Every week we get our schedules out and cross reference to see who can do school pick-ups and if we need someone to help us. Mostly we manage. Our eldest son is 15 and can hold the fort sometimes if we are in dire straits. Ive just finished filming Twelve and a new season of my cooking show, while Richard has been filming a new series about the Bali bombings. Its been busy. You trained as a mezzo soprano and have performed in operas all over the world. Where do these superpowers come from? The opera side doesnt run in my family but I always wanted to sing, and chose opera. I have performed in many productions, including some in Australia. The biggest news for me is that I have just signed a deal with Decca Records and will be releasing music later this year. Rebecca Valance black cropped jacket with gold buttons, $699. Zara jeans, $79.95 Credit:Christopher Ferguson What were your food experiences like when you first arrived in Australia and how have they changed? When I first arrived, I couldnt find what I wanted and now you can. I was craving burrata and nobody had heard of it. I was told there was a deli in Five Dock [in Sydney] that would smuggle it in from Italy. I visited the store and was approved as a true Italian. They took my name and number down and told me when it comes, theyll say the books have arrived. A few months later I got a call and got my stash of burrata. Now you can find it everywhere! Advertisement When authorities failed to provide adequate relief to the besieged Northern Rivers as it was hit by catastrophic floods, a consortium of anti-government activists stepped into the void. Aussie Helping Hands raised almost half a million dollars in a few short weeks as well as questions about its legitimacy. Two months on from the catastrophe, hundreds of thousands of dollars in much-needed donations has been frozen, multiple bank accounts shuttered, a police investigation is under way and the charity is to be wound up, with those involved distancing themselves from the scandal. Prominent conspiracy theorist David Oneeglio takes a selfie with flood victims. Credit: Aussie Helping Hands was founded by Dorothy Dotti Janssen, a Queenslander who runs the website Common Law Australia, which espouses live birth affidavits as an alternative to the disguise of registration of you at birth via a birth certificate making you their property and enslaved to their system. A cached version of the charitys website says that prominent conspiracy theorist David Oneeglio worked with Janssen to establish AHH. Relatives of the 32 sailors who lost their lives in the sinking of the World War II steamship Wollongbar 79 years ago had their first opportunity to lay wreaths over the site where it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The vessel, now a war grave, was only discovered by fishermen in 2019 six miles off Crescent Head, north of Port Macquarie, but COVID-19 prevented a formal wreath-laying at the site until now. Of the crew of 37, only five survived. A Captain Mason, being one of them, was able to relay the details later at a meeting of Grafton Rotarians. Brian Durie and his son David Durie. Credit:Matt Jorgensen Mason in a report in Graftons Daily Examiner told how after breakfast on the day of the sinking on April 29, 1943 he was on the bridge with the Master, Captain Charles Benson and the chief Engineer.Theres a cup of tea for you in the wireless room said the Master. Captain Mason went to get it, thinking at the time what a shame it was that there were no biscuits. The man who brought down CBD killer Mert Ney after he murdered a young woman and stabbed another is to receive an international bravery award. Jamie Ingram, who works for Westpac, knocked Ney to the ground and pinned him down with a chair as others jumped on with a second chair and a milk crate. He is to receive the Stanhope Gold Medal awarded by the UKs Royal Humane Society. It will either be presented in London by Princess Alexandra or in Sydney by NSW Governor Margaret Beazley. Jamie Ingram in Wynyard Lane where he was the first man in to bring down killer Mert Ney. Credit:Brook Mitchell The Sun-Herald has learnt that Joanne Dunn, the mother of Michaela Dunn, 24, who was stabbed to death in the attack, died recently. In a statement read out at court in March last year Dunn said she missed her daughters beautiful eyes, the touch of her hands, her conversations, and even our arguments, but most of all, I miss four magical words: I love you, Mum. Ney, shouted Allah Akbar as he sprinted down the street waving a knife. He had a USB stick that contained a video of the Christchurch mosque shooting when he was arrested. He was sentenced to 44 years in prison after admitting to murder, telling the court his actions were meant to ensure he was killed by police. Party boats on Sydney Harbour face a clampdown as complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour over summer have almost doubled since 2019. The NSW government is reviewing its code of conduct for amplified music on Sydney Harbour, which community group Friends of Sydney Harbour has labelled inadequate and outdated. Party boats on Sydney Harbour face a crackdown amid claims of excessive noise and anti-social behaviour. The code of conduct requires charter vessels playing amplified music to be at least 200 metres from any shore and not anchor or operate west of Kirribilli between midnight and 8am. Between 8am and midnight, party boats have to remain under way [not anchored] less than 200 metres from any shore. David Morris, a spokesman for the Friends of Sydney Harbour, said residents had complained about late night music, offensive DJs, doof doof music heard through closed doors, all night and overnight music some partying till sunrise. Priya Murugappans account of her family being taken into detention and their subsequent confinement to Christmas Island was truly shocking (Election raises hope for family who often fall asleep in tears, April 24.) To send 50 people at dawn to take a family with two little girls from their home is ridiculously intimidating, instilling such terror and indignity, and totally unnecessary. To take Priya Murugappan away in her nightdress and to not allow her to take a bottle for the baby or a change of clothes for the family was outrageous. To then incarcerate the family on Christmas Island and keep them in one room with one bed is unbearably cruel. Surely, this comes under human rights abuse. I cannot see what this family have done to deserve such appalling treatment. I hope that a change of government will see the Murugappan family free to live out their lives in Australia, in peace and in a community that welcomes and supports them. Nina Poulos, Berry Libs women problem John Howard, I am a woman and a lifelong Liberal voter (Anti-Liberal groupies: Howard lets fly at teal independents, April 24). You tell me I shouldnt take my vote to an independent because it is disloyal to the party. The party, under this government, has an unconscionable record of failure on womens issues, and yet I am asked to provide my loyalty with none offered in return. Memo to the party: give me a federal anti-corruption commission with the teeth of that of NSW and a seismic shift in your attitude to women, and Im all yours. June Scott, Beecroft When in office Howard took great pride in claiming he moved the Liberal Party to the right. The independent candidates he is complaining about are all close to the middle ground and would not have considered running if Howard had not moved the Liberal Party to the right. Lindsay Foyle, Stanmore Once again Howards got it wrong. The teal independents arent anti-Liberal groupies. As far as I can see they are women who dont like the direction in which the male-dominated Liberal Party has moved, that is, to the hard right. It would seem that they represent many voters of the liberal (small l) political centre. I hope many are elected, to shake up the static two-party system. Barbara Grant, Castle Hill Jaari was Hayley Williams third baby, but her first experience working with an Indigenous midwife. Yuin woman Williams, 28, gave birth in Shoalhaven Hospital in Nowra a month ago with the support of midwife Mel Briggs from the Waminda South Coast Womens Health Clinic. Midwife Mel Briggs, wearing the Sister Scrubs to identify herself as Indigenous, Yuin woman Hayley Williams and baby Jaari. Credit:Janie Barrett Williams said having an Indigenous midwife meant she felt relaxed and receptive to the information being provided, allowing for better communication about issues such as her diagnosis of gestational diabetes. I feel like another midwife would be able to build that rapport but with Mel being Indigenous, it was almost instant, Williams said. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has campaigned alongside Labor premiers Peter Malinauskas and Mark McGowan. He will launch his campaign on Sunday in Western Australia, where state Labor is flying high, and is scheduled to stump up alongside Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this week. But the wannabe PM has so far been to Victoria just once since the May 21 election was called. He is yet to appear with Premier Daniel Andrews, whom the Coalition last week dragged into the federal campaign in a move the Coalition believes can help it unexpectedly snatch three Victorian seats in what is shaping up as a tight poll. An advertisement released by the Coalition in Victoria portrays the COVID-interrupted Albanese, who is scheduled to visit Melbourne this week, as a puppet being wielded by a domineering Andrews. Little puppet Albo. You stand for everything I stand for, the fictional premier sneers before dropping Albanese who, according to the ad, cant stand for himself to the ground. Miami: The premier of the British Virgin Islands has appeared in federal court in Miami after his arrest on cocaine-smuggling charges, while Britains governor of the Caribbean territory announced that a corruption inquiry found ample reason to suspend the islands elected government. The arrest of Andrew Alturo Fahie, 51, in Florida prompted the UK-appointed governor of the British Virgin Islands to release a damning report on Friday after an investigation into separate wide-ranging allegations of corruption. Charged by the US over drug importation ring: Andrew Alturo Fahie. Credit:AP The dramatic developments place the immediate future of the British overseas territory into doubt. The string of islands inhabited by 35,000 people east of Puerto Rico is under a 2007 constitution giving it limited self-governance under a governor who is the ultimate executive authority as the representative of Queen Elizabeth. Fahie was arrested on Thursday at a Miami-area airport along with his territorys director of ports, Oleanvine Maynard, in a US Drug Enforcement Agency sting. Maynards son, Kadeem Maynard, faces the same changes in the alleged scheme. He was arrested in St Thomas. Rome: The US Army has finally replaced a cake stolen from an Italian grandmother by American soldiers 77 years ago. Combat-weary and hungry, American soldiers advancing towards the Italian city of Vicenza during the Second World War could not resist the temptation to swipe a birthday cake that had been left out to cool on a window sill. The cake had been intended for 13-year-old Meri Mion, whose mother had baked it even as retreating German soldiers fired shots at their home in April 1945. Now, 77 years on, the US Army has finally made amends, presenting Mrs Mion with a cake which she and her family tucked into on Friday to celebrate her 90th birthday. Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media A Wethersfield man pleaded guilty Friday to trafficking fentanyl after law enforcement found about two kilograms of the drug in his minivan, according to federal prosecutors. Fabio Vargas-Gonzalez, 46, was charged after the Drug Enforcement Administration developed information that he was involved in trafficking narcotics in the Hartford area, according to Leonard Boyle, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. MORRIS - Camp Washington, a summer camp and retreat center for more than 100 years, is offering a free event, Weekend of Hope and Transformation for middle and high school youths. The group will gather at 6 p.m. May 13 for an evening of engaging conversation with keynote speaker Shane Claiborne, a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author, followed by group art projects and talk around the campfire. The larger community will gather from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 14 for singing and prayer, shared words by victims and survivors of gun violence, thoughtful conversation around mental health, safe gun storage and suicide prevention. Claiborne will offer words of change and a call to action. The day is open to all, of all beliefs and ages. Claiborne worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia. He leads Red Letter Christians, a movement for those committed to living "as if Jesus meant the things he said, according to a statement. He is a champion for grace which has led him to jail advocating for the homeless, and to places like Iraq and Afghanistan to stand against war. Now grace fuels his passion to end the death penalty and help stop gun violence, according to the statement. Claibornes books include Jesus for President, Red Letter Revolution, Common Prayer, Follow Me to Freedom, Jesus, Bombs and Ice Cream, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers, Executing Grace, The Irresistible Revolution, and his newest book, Beating Guns. According to the statement, Claiborne has been featured in a number of films including Another World Is Possible and Ordinary Radicals and his books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He speaks more than 100 times a year, nationally and internationally. His work has appeared in Esquire, SPIN, Christianity Today, TIME, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has been on everything from Fox News and Al Jazeera to CNN and NPR. He has also given academic lectures at Harvard, Princeton, Liberty, Duke, and Notre Dame and regularly speaks at denominational gatherings, festivals, and conferences around the globe. Registration for both events is free at campwashington.org or call 860-567-9623 for details. Camp Washington is located at 190 Kenyon Road, Lakeside, Morris. This event is supported by grants from the NW Region of the ECCT, Swords to Plowshares Ministry Network of the ECCT, St. Jamess Episcopal Church-W. Hartford, CT, St. Pauls Episcopal Church -Fairfield, CT, Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, and friends and donors. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD Rodney Pratt, a former city representative for the West Side, died Thursday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 68. Pratt, a Democrat, served on the Board of Representatives from 2014 to this year, when he stepped down as one of the two representatives of District 9. He was also a constable. My dad was a good man, Pratts son Moses Suarez said. He liked helping a lot of people. He even helped people to the point where he was more focused on other people than his own well-being. He was really that kind of person. He just wanted to serve his community and just help people. Rep. Jeffrey Stella, who was elected to represent District 9 along with Pratt in 2017, said Pratt really cared about the soul of Stamford. People that have been living here for years, theyre waking up one morning and realize they can no longer afford to live here anymore, Stella said. And so he was against that. He was against the whole concept of generations being removed. Stella, who is originally from New York, said he learned a great deal from Pratt about serving as a representative. Sure, theres politics, and we deal with politics, but it was about building bridges and friendship and family outside of the Board of Reps and thats what he did, Stella said. Its such a great loss. And I just dont know if the 9th District will ever get another rep. like him. Stella, Pratt and Rep. Jeff Curtis, D-14, would meet for breakfast from time to time. Curtis, who is now the president of the board, once represented District 9. He really cared about his constituents, Curtis said. Even up to the day things took a turn for the worse, he was always on the phone, worrying about what was going on in Stamford, how I was doing, how this one was doing, how that one was doing. There are not a lot of people in this world like Rodney, and thats a shame, he added. If this world had more people like Rodney Pratt, I think wed be in much better shape. While on the board, Pratt opened an office in the Yerwood Center, encouraged changes to Boxer Square and advocated for lighting improvements and facility upgrades at Lione Park. He also co-sponsored an ordinance to ban ghost guns in the city. Jim Travers, Stamfords former Traffic, Transportation and Parking Bureau chief, said Pratt was the first representative to reach out to him when he started his job with the city. Pratt was passionate about his role as co-chair of the boards Transportation Committee and had a strong desire to make an impact, Travers said. Soon after he arrived, Travers said Pratt took him out to dinner at Michaels Pizzeria Restaurant to have the best chicken parm in Stamford. We sat there for a number of hours, really just talking about vision, Travers said. I talked about my vision. Rodney talked about his vision. Their conversations about food guided them to Boxers Square. Pratt enjoyed the wings at Pelliccis, leading the two to talk about the intersection near the restaurant. The square underwent an overhaul while Travers was transportation bureau chief. He said it was his favorite project because it was really connected to the community. There are now two plaques at Boxers Square. One recognizes the artist who created the statue there, and the other features Mayor David Martins name as well as the names of the representatives of District 5 and 9 at the time, including Pratt. Travers, who is now Norwalks transportation director, said he and Pratt also worked together on other projects like repaving Stillwater Avenue and changing pavement markings in an effort to reduce crashes. I think he leaves a mark not only for the West Side and his community but for the city as well, Travers said. Fellow Democrats elected Pratt majority leader in 2017. He was the second Black city representative to serve in the role. Rep. Nina Sherwood, D-8, the boards current majority leader, said Pratt was a lion. He had just an immense, visceral sense of justice and never let anything stand in his way to do what he felt was right, Sherwood said. And in politics, thats rare because theres always this pressure to conform or to do things a certain way, and oftentimes that way is not what is best for the people you serve. And he never got that confused. He always, always was on the side of the people. As the new majority leader, I just hope that I can be a fraction of what he was, Sherwood said. Pratt, who grew up in Pennsylvania, worked in construction and bail enforcement over the years. Democratic Rep. Bonnie Kim Campbell, who represents District 5, also on Stamfords West Side, said Pratt was one of her closest friends. They sometimes fought like brother and sister, she said. Because I didnt always agree with him, you know? Campbell said, laughing. He would get riled up and then I would get riled up. And I wouldnt talk to him for a few days, and then something would come up, and hed say, Well, weve got to agree to disagree. Weve got to work on this project. Campbell described Pratt as a great warrior for democracy and for doing the right thing. Rodney had quite a presence, and the people in the community certainly were aware of him, and he was a great collaborator, Campbell said. No matter what the situation, he would try to see who he could talk to in the city, what department, to get something done, especially if it was for children. In a statement Friday, Mayor Caroline Simmons said she was deeply saddened to learn about Pratts death. His kindness and service to our community extended across his district where he was committed to helping others and improving the lives of Stamford residents, Simmons said. I always enjoyed speaking with him about the issues facing our city and seeing his passion for raising awareness for those issues, whether it was public safety, investments in our parks, or improving quality of life. On the agenda for a board meeting next week is an honorary resolution recognizing Pratt for his nearly eight years in office. The resolution states that after Pratt was appointed, he quickly distinguished himself as a public servant. Pratt was instrumental in the passage of multiple pieces of major legislation, including ordinances that had a demonstrable positive effect on public safety, city parks and transportation, the resolution reads. The city of Stamford is a better place because of Representative Pratts service, the resolution continues, and his leadership in city affairs has had a real, definitive and positive impact on the lives and life quality of Stamford residents and taxpayers. As part of a Juneteenth celebration this year, Pratt will be honored with the Stamford ICON Award, which recognizes Black individuals who have had a positive impact on the local community. Earlier this month, the board appointed Kindrea Walston as Pratts replacement. Walston said Pratt constantly talked about her becoming a representative of District 9. Rodney saw my concern and passion for our community, Walston said. I recognized the trust and confidence that Rodney had in me to continue in his place. Im honored to have known and worked with Rodney, Walston said. He is truly missed. brianna.gurciullo@hearstmediact.com MILFORD Police charged a man with attempted assault and other offenses Friday morning after a daylong standoff with officers earlier this month, according to the Milford Police Department. John Katrick, 52, was taken into custody and charged with interfering with a police officer, reckless burning, threatening and attempted assault on a police officer. He was held on $30,000 bond and was seen in Milford Superior Court Friday morning, the police department said. Police were called to Katricks home on Home Acres Avenue around 4:30 a.m. on April 16 for playing load music from a speaker in his driveway. When officers arrived, Katrick turned off the music from inside his house. He refused to speak to police and remained inside his residence, police said. Officers issued Katrick an infraction at the time for creating a public disturbance, according to previous reports. Police were called to Katricks house again less than four hours later and found him burning car tires. Police said at the time that Katrick threatened to kill the officers if they trespassed on his property. When officers started to approach, police said Katrick retreated into his home. Police said they remained on scene to address the fire and his threats. While there, Katrick placed what police said they believed was a rifle against a first-floor window, before removing the item and closing all the window shades. Police requested additional personnel, established a perimeter and evacuated several residents from the street, according to previous reports. Crisis negotiators attempted to talk to Katrick for the next several hours. Police said he refused to cooperate and remained in the home. Police believe they heard a gunshot from within the house around 8 p.m. and deployed a drone and a robot onto the proeprty. While the robot was being deployed, members of the Special Response Team contacted Katrick and negotiated his surrender, police said previously. Katrick was taken into custody around 11 p.m. that evening and taken to the hospital for an emergency psychiatric evaluation. While conducting a security sweep of Katricks home, police found his front door had been used to construct a booby trap with knives. They noted that the inside was also in extreme disarray. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW HAVEN Residents can rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, unwanted prescription drugs in two locations administered by the city and local officials this Saturday, according to Mayor Justin Elickers office. City officials said people could drop off their medications at the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, located at 429 Columbus Ave. in New Haven, and, through drive-thru only, at the North Haven Fire Headquarters, found at 11 Broadway in North Haven. Officials noted the initiate coincides with National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency that has removed more than 15.2 million pounds of medications from circulating the community since its inception in 2010. At a previous take-back event in October, the city of New Haven collected 167.5 pounds of medication, according to the release, while the State of Connecticut collected 7,084 pounds of medication. Across the nation, 744,082 pounds 372 tons of medication were collected nationwide, officials said. Mayor Justin Elicker and city Health Director Maritza Bond spoke to the need for the event, citing the commonality of opioid overdoses and abuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,544 drug overdose deaths were reported in Connecticut between November 2020 and November 2021 a 12.87 percent jump from the year prior. More than 50 percent of people with opioid use disorder began with the use of prescription medications. Events like the biannual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, provide an opportunity for the public to keep their families and communities healthy and safe by reducing the access to unused or unneeded medications through proper disposal, said Elicker, citing city Department of Public Health data. We are grateful for the support of our partners Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, New Haven Police Department, Connecticut Pharmacist Association, and Quinnipiac Valley Health District who work alongside us to facilitate this important program. This program is one key component of a comprehensive strategy for addressing the opioid public health crisis currently affecting the city, state, and nation getting unused or expired medications out of homes, said Bond. New Haven officials said the local collaboration is part of a broader grant-funded initiative, Overdose Data to Action and Overdose Detection Mapping Application, created to educate residents on the importance of locking, limiting, and disposing of household medications. It is just one approach local health officials are taking to address both accidental and intentional overdoses that occur regularly throughout the state of Connecticut, officials said. To prevent abuse, residents must lock medications out of reach, limit the number of prescription drugs they keep on hand, and properly dispose of medications regularly if they are no longer needed for their intended purpose. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com A Rhode Island man was charged this week with threatening to bomb Yale New Haven Hospital last May, according to federal prosecutors. Alexander Bradley, 42, appeared in federal court in Hartford Wednesday. He was charged with conveying false information about explosives and false information and hoaxes. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison, according to Leonard Boyle, the acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Prosecutors allege that Bradley, who last resided in Cranston, R.I., called the Yale University Health Clinic on May 9, 2021. He spoke to a nurse and asked if he he had reached the Yale New Haven Hospital. When told he had not, Bradley refused to give his name and complained that he had been denied care at the hospital. He then told the nurse that he was going to bomb the hospital, Boyles office said. About a half hour later, Bradley anonymously called the hospital and stated he had placed a pressure cooker containing a bomb outside of the building, according to Boyles office. The bomb threat disrupted hospital operations and prompted a large response from the New Haven Police Department, Yale Police Department and Yale New Haven Protective Service, Boyles office said. Less than three weeks after the bomb threat, Bradley also contacted a CVS pharmacy in his hometown in Rhode Island and said that he was going to shoot up and blow up a hospital, according to Boyles office. Investigators with the FBIs Terrorism Task Force later determined the phone number used to make the threats was linked to Bradley, Boyles office said. Bradley was released on a $25,000 bond into the custody of a third-party custodian. As part of his release, Bradley is subject to location monitoring and must attend drug and mental health treatment, according to Boyles office. GUILFORD A town man pleaded guilty Thursday after failing to pay taxes for years, agreeing to pay more than $2 million in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for Connecticut. Christopher Jardine, 55, pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to pay over withholding taxes before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley, officials said in a release. The charge stemmed from his work as part-owner of D&A Construction Management Inc., a Branford-based company, in which he was responsible for collecting and paying income, Medicare and Social Security taxes, among other levies, on behalf of employees. Between 2016 and 2019, Jardine and the company withheld $868,000 in such taxes from employees paychecks, but failed to turn the money over to the Internal Revenue Service, officials said. Jardine also represented to the IRS that D&A lacked the ability to pay, but he used millions of dollars in company funds to pay personal expenses, including purchases of a 52-foot cigarette boat, a Range Rover, high-end clothing, and auto parts, and to make payments on behalf of Straight Jacket USA, LLC, a Guilford business controlled by Jardine, offiials said. As part of his guilty plea, Jardine also admitted to evading personal income tax liabilities for multiple tax years between 2007 and 2015, officials said. He agreed to pay approximately $2.07 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, officials said, which includes interest and penalties. So far, he has sent approximately $1.2 million, officials said. Jardine, facing up to five years in prison, is scheduled to be sentenced July 28. He is free on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRANFORD Robert and Anthony Dudchik were blossoming ahead of their tragic deaths last week, their father said Saturday, overcoming strife early in their lives to find their passions. Anthony was a skilled photographer, finishing up his freshman year in college, Tom Dudchik said in an interview. Robert had found his calling as a flight attendant at Tweed New Haven Airport, taking on the responsibility to care for people and secure their rescue if required. They, along with Megan Nicole Povilaitis, 17, of East Haven, were found dead after a crash off Hosley Avenue on Thursday morning, according to Branford police. Povilaitis mother, Teresa Gagliardi, described her daughter as someone who made an impact on many peoples lives. She said her daughter enjoyed playing tennis, had a style all her own and was studying to be a tattoo artist, Gagliardi said Saturday. Megan loved life and lived it her way, Gagliardi said. She was so strong. I envy her for that. She sacrificed a lot of her childhood to aid me in raising her niece, who she loved so much and would do anything for. Tom Dudchik said he and his wife were unable to have children on their own. In 2007, the couple adopted Robert, then 7, and Anthony, then 4, from the state Department of Children and Families. In their mid 40s, they looked around, seeing peers and their children experience through the milestones of life, and sought to create a family of their own, he said. Robert and Anthony had been together in a safe home for about six months prior, Dudchik said. Robert was there for Anthony, his younger brother, through that time, as he was throughout life. Upon meeting them, their soon-to-be parents quickly knew they would be special young men. Everyone whose lives they touched loved my boys, said Dudchik, a former state lawmaker, the host of WTNH News 8s Capitol Report and a well-known news aggregation site with the same name. As a young student, Robert was the type to help a classmate up after they fell, offering kindness in a moment of pain, his father said. After becoming a flight attendant, he was deeply proud of his training. Robert traveled to Florida to learn how to bail out of a plane if required, Dudchik said. Through that challenging experience, he automatically had his co-workers backs. He was the kind of person to call if you needed something done, Dudchik said, or if you wanted to get in touch with a wonderful human being. Anthony overcame difficulty to make it through his first year at school, his father said. Dudchik said he and his brother improved their lives and were blessings. My sons made us better people, said Dudchik. Dudchik said he and his wife were leaning on their extended support networks in this time of grief his wife has a large family. He urged people to consider adoption. There are children across the state, some quite young, some on the cusp of adulthood, in need of a a family to offer love and support, he said all young people deserve such a foundation in life, and the chance to bestow their gifts on this world. Every child should have a forever home. Every child should be loved, Dudchik said. If this tragedy in some small way ... (compels a person to adopt), then their lives wouldnt be gone for nothing. Thats what Id like people to know about their lives theyre good boys. Branford police said the crash was discovered around 6:35 a.m. Thursday. Police said the preliminary investigation indicates that Povilaitis was driving and failed to negotiate a curve in the road while traveling at an excessive speed. Area residents told NBC Connecticut the road has a number of potholes and motorists often drive quickly nearby. The police department is encouraging anyone who may need counseling services to reach out to their police social worker, Danielle Suraci, at 203-481-4241. The Branford Police Department and the South Central Regional Traffic Squad are investigating the crash. Anyone with information related to this incident can contact Sgt. Christopher Romanello at 203-481-4241. We recognize the impact a loss of this magnitude will have on families, friends and our community now and in the future, the police department said in a statement Thursday. Members of the Branford police and fire departments and the First Selectmans Office extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of those involved. A number of officials have offered their support in the wake of Anthony and Roberts deaths, including Gov. Ned Lamont and U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal. Our hearts go out to the Dudchik & Povilaitis families, Blumenthal said in a tweet. There are no words were all with you. This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. 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"Mures County does not yet have a memorial house. We have been trying for more than a decade to convince the heirs that the most suitable destination for this house is that of cultural memory. The house must be rehabilitated, goods related to Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan must be collected from the National Theatre in Timisoara, where he made his debut, then the National Theatre in Bucharest, the film studios and the Romanian Television, for the recovery of the past," said Nicolae Baciut, director of the Mures Culture Directorate.After the purchase of Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan's childhood home, a series of documents, letters, a stage costume, photographs, poems, a series of handwritten texts were discovered inside, some typed, which the actor had stored there.All the documents went into the custody of the Mures Culture Directorate, until the restoration of the house and, possibly, of the summer kitchen that is in that yard.Sarmasu Mayor Valer Botezan told AGERPRES that Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan's house in Visinelu village was bought with funds allocated from the local budget."After the establishment of the Sons of Visinelu Village Association, Sarmasu Town Hall allocated a budget of 30,000 lei this year, following negotiations with the actor's brother. The Local Council is willing to support the restoration of the house as well, but much more is needed because we want to organize a theatre and film festival here," said Valer Botezan.Vasile Rusu, one of the neighbours from Visinelu with whom Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan was in constant contact, nostalgically remembers the great actor and confesses that he had a photo taken with him that he would not be able to part with even after death."Here was Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan's grandfather's home, he lived here. I knew him very well. I'll go home and I'll bring you the picture that I keep with sanctity. The following words are written on it: To Vasilica, a Transylvan's son, I only wish him to be worthy of his father - March 30, 1984' and another, 'To Vasilica, with friendship, Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan'. I was constantly keeping in touch with him. Even two weeks before he died I talked to him. I don't know what happened. He was a first-class man, he liked Eminescu's poems. The linden tree, the acacia tree [Evening on the hill'], he liked these. He would tell me: Vasile, don't cut the linden tree, the oak tree and the acacia tree.' It would be nice if there was a memorial house here, I would like to live to see it, I would like it to have a beautiful alley with roses, from the gate to the house, how nice that would be. We only had one actor, there are other learned people, but he was there, in the movies. I won't give up this picture even when I die, I will have it buried with me," Vasile Rusu said.Librarian Dinuca Burian is the one who organises a ceremony to commemorate the actor every year."Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan represents a lot for us and for the young generation who should know his work, his activities, the films in which he played. I dedicated a lot of work to our actor because in the town of Sarmasu he is the greatest personality recognised at national level. He was orphaned at the age of two, his father died in not so ordinary circumstances, and he wanted this statue, which is erected in front of the library, to be erected in memory of the fallen during the Second World War, in memory of his father and those massacred in Sarmasu, in September 1944 - 126 Jews and 35 Romanians, who were buried on a pasture in Carmarau. There is a house where he grew up together with an aunt, who was called Sister Virginia, who was a Greek Catholic nun, and his mother. As far as I know, an Association of the Sons of the Village was set up in Visinelu, through which they got in touch with his brother and managed to buy the house, with the support of the town hall. Every time, on March 12, when he died, we commemorate him. Every year, people from Mures and even one of his brothers, Cornel Nasalean, who is now ill and unable to attend, participate in the commemoration. He was telling us about the life and childhood of Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan. Some of the children are interested, an attempt was made to hold an Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan film festival on Town Days, it was only in its second edition, hopefully it will be resumed,'' said Dinuca Burian.In 2019, former MP Marius Pascan proposed among the amendments to the draft law on the state budget the allocation of amounts for the purchase of the parental home of actor Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan for the arrangement of a museum."I proposed the purchase of the parental home of actor Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan, from Visinelu, Sarmasu town, and of the studio of artist Ion Vlasiu, from Deda-Bistra, and their arrangement as museum spaces, as well as their inclusion in the cultural routes. There are no memorial houses in Mures County, although there are many personalities of the Romanian culture born in this county," said Marius Pascan at the time.He also proposed allocating the necessary resources for the creation of busts for personalities of the cultural life of Mures and the arrangement of a 'Cenaculum' rotunda in Targu Mures, representing Vasile Netea - historian, Romulus Guga - writer, Mihai Sin - writer, Ion Fiscuteanu - actor, Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan - actor, Serafim Duicu - literary historian, Romulus Fenes - actor, but the respective projects were not approved.Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan was born on January 1, 1942 in Visinelu, Mures County, and passed away on March 12, 2008, in Bucharest. He played in almost 50 films and tens of theatre plays, TV theatre and radio theatre, and in about 80 poetry shows.The actor was awarded the Order of the Star of Romania, in the rank of Knight, post-mortem on March 15, 2008, by decree of the then President of Romania, Traian Basescu, and the Order of Cultural Merit in the rank of Commander. No one can guarantee security in the Black Sea region without Bulgaria and Romania, the Bulgarian Defence Minister Dragomir Zakov said in an interview with AGERPRES. He refers, in the interview for AGERPRES, to the fact that the Parliament in Sofia will vote next week on the possible delivery of weapons by Bulgaria to Ukraine."The issue of military assistance is of great public interest. I understand perfectly, but at the same time, as Minister of Defense, I have always advocated a cautious approach to this issue in the public debate," Zakov says.AGERPRES: Mr. Minister, today (Friday, ed. n.) you had a joint press conference in Bucharest with your Romanian counterpart, and the Romanian Minister of Defense said that, starting today or from this period, the relationship between the Bulgarian and the Romanian armies enters a new stage. What is this new stage and how is it influenced by the war in Ukraine?Dragomir Zakov: Right, first of all let me say that we have enjoyed excellent relationship with Romania not only at the level of Defence ministers, at the level of the Chief of the Defence, but at the level of the Government. In the face of the current situation in Ukraine, let me say we do not have only common threats and common challenges, but we share the same destiny with Romania, and in this case as allies, not only neighbours. But we have agreed with Mr. Dincu (Romanian Minister of National Defence, ed. n.) to have regular meetings in the next months and in the next years. And we recommend this to our successors, in the future. This is something that we need, with certainty. Like I said, we share a common destiny because I think, I believe in this: nobody can guarantee the security and stability in the Black Sea region without Bulgaria and Romania.AGERPRES: On Thursday, the Bulgarian Prime Minister said that the Parliament in Sofia will approve the delivery of weapons to Ukraine from May 4th. In media reports, Bulgaria seemed hesitant when it came to delivering arms to Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said so last week in Sofia. Can you explain this process and how hard it was to come to the current conclusion and get over the differences of opinion?Dragomir Zakov: I have to say first that Bulgaria has given assistance to Ukraine, and yesterday (Thursday, ed. n.) President Zelensky has welcomed our Premier, and I was part of the delegation in Kyiv. President Zelensky said that he was grateful to Bulgaria for the assistance received. Of course, the matter of the military assistance is a question of great interest publicly. I could understand this, but at the same time as Minister of Defence I have always advocated for a very careful approach of this issue and today Minister Dincu emphasized the same thing. I think it is the right approach. Of course, in Bulgaria, this is a very sensitive issue for many reasons, but also we have to be fully aware of the propaganda, the disinformation, the attempts to confuse people. This is what we are talking about. And of course it is the responsibility of all of us, of the politicians, experts. Because I consider myself not only a politician, but more of an expert acting in the politics. But we have to make sure that the people fully understand what's behind this kind of decision, from different kind of expectations: to supply a system, what does it mean, why is it important. On the other side, what are the risks and we have to understand the risks so that we could manage them. That's why the discussion we will have in the Parliament, hopefully on the 4th of May is very essential, because we talk about the national representatives in the Parliament to discuss publicly this issue and to make a decision. Then it is up to the Government to implement the decision and so everything that is needed from me, as Minister of Defence, or from my structures will be carried out in accordance with the Parliament's decision.AGERPRES: Minister Kuleba (Ukrainian Foreign Minister, ed. n.) was quoted as saying in Sofia that "anyone who does not deliver weapons to Ukraine supports Russian aggression in his country." How did you perceive that as a politician, as Minister of Defense?Dragomir Zakov: Even as a diplomat, because I'm also a diplomat, deep in my soul. (...) I think that Minister Kuleba is absolutely right. And, second thought, yesterday President Zelensky said that the countries should provide assistance to Ukraine in accordance with their possibilities. So, that's something important. He said, if I'm not wrong, that if a country has 1,000 or 100 military jets and cannot provide some, this is wrong. But, if you don't have such jets and you provide other kind of assistance to Ukraine, this is good. That's why I said that there are many ways to assist. I think Ukraine is in need of so many things. Don't forget that sooner or later, I hope it will be sooner than later, it will be another phase when it will have to support Ukraine to reconcile and reconstruct. And yesterday during the visit of the Prime Minister these things were talked and I also have to say that we accepted the proposal by President Zelensky to help Ukraine to repair the heavy armed vehicles. Our industry has this capacity.AGERPRES: Because you were Bulgaria's Representative to NATO, there has been a lot of discussion about the role of the Eastern Flank and the Black Sea region. Did you perceive that the war in Ukraine hastened things up? Did you feel that, to an extent, NATO officials were late in realising the importance of the Black Sea region and now they have realised this importance?Dragomir Zakov: My personal assessment is that the entire Western world was a bit late to understand to what was going on in Ukraine for so many years. But I think that Bulgaria and Romania were the two allies advocating for a greater involvement of NATO for so many years. In the end, we were right. I think that the current circumstances in Ukraine clearly show that the Black Sea region is an important region for the Euroatlantic security and we have to be absolutely involved to strengthen this security, all of us, not only Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, these three allied countries, but also NATO as a whole and I'm sure that will be the shared vision of the allies at the June Summit.You also know that yesterday I was part of the Prime Minister's visit to Kyiv and believe me, when you see the pictures, live, apart from what we see on television, the reality on the ground, the civilian buildings vanished by the aggressors... we cannot believe that this could be real at all. When we say that this invasion, this war is unprovoked, that it is brutal, that it is unjustified - but I saw that. And now I think this is the way out to assist Ukraine, to try to stop this war as soon as possible, and manage to convince also Russia to stop this war. I don't believe that this decision lies only on one person in Russia. This is the responsibility of the entire nation.AGERPRES: In the context of the war in Ukraine, which is on NATO's border, there are discussions in the countries on the Eastern Flank about a permanent military presence. What is Bulgaria's vision for this?Dragomir Zakov: There are the decisions of setting up the Battle Groups on the Eastern Flank and Bulgaria is one of the host nations of this kind of Battle Groups. We are in the course of setting up this Battle Group in Bulgaria. We have already troops from the United States, a Stryker company, we're expecting the UK to come and strengthen this Battle Group and we are also working with Italy which will become most probably the framework-nation of the Battle Group. But here I have also to say that we work very closely with Romania also on this kind of measures, not only new ones, under the current circumstances, but also of implementing the previous decisions from the Wales summit, the Warsaw summit, from the tailored Forward Presence. Bulgaria has contributed, dispatched a company to the Multinational Brigade South-East in Romania. In the future, most probably the Battle Group when it evolves further could be linked to the Multinational Division South which is also in Romania, and Bulgaria has the Deputy Commander. So, as I said, we share the same destiny, the same values, the same threats, it's inevitable to work together, Romania and Bulgaria.AGERPRES: It was also pointed out that, as far as the Eastern Flank is concerned, there is a difference between the north and south of the Flank, namely the southern part was to an extent overlooked. Do you think that, in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, the southern part will be more visible and strengthened?Dragomir Zakov: My personal view is that - my personal, but also my professional view - I might had that in the NATO, in my previous capacity as an ambassador - I think this kind of separation of North and East is more optical rather than practical, because you cannot separate the measures of the Eastern Flank, this is not possible. If you separate them, they would not be that effective. And now you know that the decision to settle the Battle Groups speaks about Battle Groups on the entire Eastern Flank, is not only the Central Europe, it's all of the Eastern Flank, so, now with the war in Ukraine it's more important to have a consolidated approach on the entire Eastern Flank.AGERPRES: Recently, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry recommended that its citizens leave the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible, probably because of the events in Transnistria. How does Bulgaria perceive the situation there? Is it a real danger, it is only rhetoric, is it recommended that this rhetoric be encouraged?Dragomir Zakov: This is a decision made by the Foreign Ministry colleagues based on the analysis of the current risks for the Bulgarian citizens and since we have quite an important community there, a Bulgarian-speaking community I think this is a preventive measure in order to avoid further difficulties in case the situation worsens. Of course, you know perfectly, the situation in Transnistria is not that much calm and I look at these measures more as preventive measures other than something else.AGERPRES: But, militarily speaking, is Transnistria a "powder keg"?Dragomir Zakov: Some people say in the Balkans is the same, so, yes, I think the entire region is in difficulty now. But, yes, the risk for Transnistria and Moldova, for the statehood of Moldova is present, of course, with the hostilities in Ukraine. But I think the international community should do everything possible to avoid this kind of scenarios, the spillover effect to Transnistria, because this is not only in Transnistria, is not only in Moldova. The spillover could affect the Balkans. And then we could be the more in trouble. These things lead to the same conclusion that we should work together, as close as possible, at each and every level and I'm absolutely glad that my visit today coincided to the visit of the Prime Minister who's leading a large governmental delegation to talk to Romanian colleagues on many important issues, on many important domains.AGERPRES: Because you are a diplomat, you are the Minister of Defense, are there chances, in the context of the war next to us, that there will be a balance between diplomacy and defense, or diplomacy and the voice of arms?Dragomir Zakov: I have to believe that diplomacy is still an option. The only question is when exactly is going to be a workable option. But we are all aware that to dance a tango you need two, at least. So, this is not only the Western world, this is not only Ukraine that are trying such diplomatic efforts. I think that now it's important to Russia to cease hostilities immediately and to go back to the diplomatic option.AGERPRES: But in these specific circumstances, does diplomacy work?Dragomir Zakov: As I said, diplomacy always works, but it depends on all the sides, not only one. It's not only one side. FRIDAY, April 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The first U.S. case of bird flu in a human has been confirmed in Colorado, federal and state health officials reported Thursday. Still, the risk to the general public is low, the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stressed. The patient, a 40-year-old man who was working on a farm with infected poultry as part of a prison work-release program, was largely asymptomatic, reporting only fatigue, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), said in a statement. He is now isolating and receiving the influenza antiviral drug Tamiflu, per CDC guidance. There are no known cases of this particular H5N1 flu virus spreading among people, the Colorado health department said, adding that the affected flock has been euthanized and disposed of under federal guidance rules. None of the other workers have tested positive. "We want to reassure Coloradans that the risk to them is low," state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy, M.D., said in the state health department statement. "I am grateful for the seamless collaboration between CDC, Department of Corrections, Department of Agriculture, and CDPHE, as we continue to monitor this virus and protect all Coloradans." This is only the second human case of this particular strain of avian flu worldwide: In December 2021, the United Kingdom reported an asymptomatic case of bird flu in a person who raised poultry, the CDC said. The agency noted it has been closely watching for illness among people exposed to birds infected with the virus ever since outbreaks of H5N1 were first detected in wild birds and poultry in late 2021 and early 2022. CDC officials said they have already tracked the health of more than 2,500 people with exposures to these birds. The virus has been found in commercial and backyard birds in 29 states so far, while it has been found in wild birds in 34 states, the CDC said. If multiple reports of H5N1 infection in people from exposure to birds or spread between an infected human and another person occurs, that would be a signal of a public health risk, the CDC said. Health officials are also monitoring H5N1 viruses for any genetic changes that have been associated with adaptation to mammals, while taking steps for preparedness and prevention. These include turning an existing candidate vaccine into one for people if needed, the CDC said. Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The Minnesota Legislature pushed through a bill Friday to give bonuses to workers who were on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic and to replenish the states unemployment insurance trust fund following months of negotiations. Leaders of the Republican Senate and Democratic House majorities announced an agreement Thursday morning and moved to put together legislation and get it before both bodies for a vote on Friday. The final proposal includes $2.7 billion to refill the trust fund after it was depleted during the pandemic, and $500 million in bonuses of about $750 each for people whose jobs were deemed essential and who worked in-person. The Senate passed the bill on a 65-1 vote Friday and sent it to the House, where it passed 124-5. Walz was expected to sign the bill into law later Friday. Lawmakers hoped to move quickly and get the bill passed and signed before a Saturday due date for employers who saw higher tax bills after legislators missed a March 15 deadline to refill the trust fund and avert an automatic tax hike on businesses. But officials from Minnesota's employment and economic development agency said Thursday that the state would have to issue credits or refunds to employers because it was too late to distribute updated tax bills. The amount for front-line worker bonuses is half of House Democrats' original $1 billion proposal but twice as large as the $250 million allocated by lawmakers for the bonuses last year. That money was never distributed due to disagreements on eligibility requirements and amount per worker. Democratic Sen. Erin Murphy, of St. Paul, told reporters after her chamber voted that there was no reason at all that lawmakers couldn't have used $1 billion of Minnesota's $9.25 billion budget surplus for front-line workers. But, she added, "$750 is real money. It's going to make a real difference for people. Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, said Thursday that state officials will start working on an online application portal for the worker payments as soon as Walz signs the bill into law. Republican Sen. Karin Housley said it will be a few months before workers get checks. The National Federation of Independent Business in Minnesota, which represents more than 10,000 small businesses, praised lawmakers for the unemployment insurance plan. This is a huge win for small business owners across Minnesota, John Reynolds, the group's state director, said in a statement. The UI repayment deal stops higher payroll taxes this year and avoids a decade or more of higher unemployment insurance taxes. Main Street businesses who are facing mounting economic headwinds will start saving money almost immediately. Mohamed Ibrahim is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The leader of a veterans' care center in Massachusetts where 76 veterans died after contracting the coronavirus in the spring of 2020 lacked both the leadership skills and the temperament to run such a facility when he was hired in 2016, according to a blistering state Inspector General's report released Friday. The 91-page report, which covers the period from May 2016 until February 2020 just before the pandemic struck with full force was also highly critical of the process that led to the hiring of Bennett Walsh as superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home and of state oversight of the home. The investigation that led to the report started in 2019 in response to pre-pandemic complaints about Walsh, who resigned in October 2020 as he faced criminal charges over his handling of one of the deadliest known COVID-19 outbreaks at a long-term care facility in the U.S. Those charges were dismissed last year. Superintendent Walsh did not have and did not develop the leadership capacity or temperament for the role of superintendent, a summary of the report said. He created an unprofessional and negative work environment, retaliated against employees he deemed disloyal, demonstrated a lack of engagement in the homes operations and circumvented his chain of command. He sometimes became visibly angry at employees, yelled at them, and in one case said publicly that he wanted to hit and belt a worker, according to the report. He also said that he wanted to hurt a veteran who had spoken out against him, the report said. Walsh was also frequently absent during regular business hours and staff did not always know where he was. Walsh, a former Marine, had no supervisory experience in a health care setting or skilled nursing facility when he was hired, although according to state law, that was not required of the home's superintendent at the time. His appointment also did not properly comply with state law. The report acknowledges that Walsh inherited some problems with the 240-bed facility when he was appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2016, including ongoing staffing issues, tension with employee unions and key leadership vacancies. Even with these management challenges, the office found that Superintendent Walsh was not engaged in the broad range of leadership duties required to manage the home, the report said. Walsh declined to answer questions from the Inspector Generals office and instead invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination, the report said. One of Walsh's attorneys, Michael Jennings, said in a statement that his legal team is solely focused on a response to the state attorney general's appeal of the dismissal of the criminal charges. We have no comment at this time relating to the newly released Inspector Generals investigation report which has no relevance to our work responding to that appeal," he wrote. Another attorney for Walsh has in the past defended the way he ran the home, and blamed the state for failing to respond to requests for help. The report also criticized the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the state Department of Veterans Services for not adequately addressing complaints about Walsh. The state twice investigated Walsh during his four years at the facility, but those investigations were flawed, unnecessarily restricted in scope and biased in Superintendent Walshs favor, the report said. Many of the issues in the Inspector General's report have already been resolved, according to a statement from the office of Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. The administration is reviewing the report from the Inspector General, which identified several recommendations that have already been addressed by the Department of Veterans Services and the Soldiers Home. The administration filed legislation almost two years ago to strengthen oversight of the soldiers homes and looks forward to addressing these issues with the Legislature, the statement said. In addition, an August survey by the Joint Commission, an independent organization that runs a health care accreditation process, found no deficiencies at Holyoke, while the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has inspected and certified the facility, the state said. In addition to those who died, dozens of other residents as well as staff members fell ill with the disease. An investigation by a former federal prosecutor hired by Baker found that management made several utterly baffling decisions that allowed the virus to run amok, such as combining two locked dementia units, both of which already housed some residents with the virus. The Inspector General's report released Friday also makes several recommendations to improve oversight and management not just in Holyoke but at its sister facility in Chelsea. They include requiring superintendents to be a licensed nursing home administrator with extensive management experience; giving the state Department of Public Health the authority to provide independent clinical oversight and support; and the establishment of an ombudsperson and a hotline so residents, their families and staff can confidentially report problems. The state has announced plans to build a new $400 million home to replace the current Holyoke facility that was built in the early 1950s. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The crowds had been filing through the ticket lanes since 8 a.m. Five hours later, an ensemble led by bandleader John Philip Sousa burst with patriotic fanfare. Far away in the White House, President Theodore Roosevelt threw an electric switch. In Forest Park, water rushed from the cascades and fountains. Nearly 200,000 people were there to cheer. It was a dramatic opening for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition on April 30, 1904, easily the most anticipated day ever in St. Louis. The seven-month run was a smashing success. At least 12 million visitors paid to get in, and 20 million is the often-cited total attendance. It even made money. The fairground was spread across 1,272 acres, or nearly two square miles. It covered the western part of Forest Park and extended west into the new campus of Washington University and the future site of Concordia Seminary. Its center was the sweeping, fan-shaped vista now known as Art Hill. Cascades splashed down the hill into the Grand Basin. Twelve palaces, massive and elaborately decorated exhibition halls, were crammed with contraptions from Americas industrial growth typewriters, sewing machines, turbines, street lights, naval artillery, locomotives. Others featured works of art and an elephant made of almonds. Forty-one states and territories had buildings on the grounds, with Missouri's on top of today's Government Hill. Pennsylvania brought the Liberty Bell. Forty-three countries built pavilions. Irelands resembled Blarney Castle, Indias was a replica of the Taj Mahal. The biggest spread, west of todays Skinker Boulevard, was that of the Philippines, Americas new colony. Some of the popular exhibits speak to racial mores of the times fairgoers were fascinated by the huts and habits of the primitive Igorrote tribe of the Philippines, the dancing Batwa Pygmies of Africa and living portrayals of model schools for Native Americans. Geronimo, the great Apache warrior and captive of the American government, charged a dime for his autograph. Washington University hosted the 1904 Olympics in July and August. It was the third such competition in modern times and the last in which athletes didnt officially represent countries. At night, the fair was ablaze in lights. The midway running along Lindell Boulevard, known as the Ten Million Dollar Pike, was packed with games, rides, concessions and shows of military might. The 264-foot-high Ferris wheel, brought down from Chicago, stood near todays Skinker and Forsyth boulevards. Each of its 36 cars could hold 60 people. The fair attracted millions of visitors from around the world. It was a favorite diversion for delegates to the 1904 Democratic National Convention, held July 6-9 in the Exposition and Music Hall downtown (now site of the Central Library). The Tammany men from New York said the midway compared well to Coney Island. On Nov. 19, a fire gutted the Missouri pavilion. As flames spread, a detachment of Marines dashed into the building and rescued a bell destined for the Navys battleship Missouri. Six days later, President Roosevelt visited with his wife, Edith, and their daughter, Alice. Their carriage was mobbed by well-wishers. Fine, fine, Teddy said of the fair. On closing night Dec. 1, about 100,000 people witnessed a dramatic dousing of all the lights. Vendors had run out of beer an hour before. The fair's legacy in stone, metal and winter sport For all the massive buildup for the World's Fair, not much is left but photographs and mementos. Almost all of the buildings, made of wood and plaster, were demolished as intended. The Palace of Fine Arts, designed to be permanent, became the Art Museum. The zoo bird cage was preserved from the fair. The open-air World's Fair Pavilion atop Government Hill, often confused as a structure from the fair, wasn't built for another five years. It stands upon the site of the Missouri state pavilion, which burned shortly before the fair ended. The Jefferson Memorial, now part of the Missouri History Museum, was finished in 1913 on the site of the fair's main entrance at Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue. The most enduring symbol is the bronze statue of King Louis IX on Art Hill. It was inspired by a popular plaster statue of the same design that stood at the main entrance. It was dedicated with a parade on Oct. 6, 1906. One other thing remains. To make way for the fair, workers cleared a long slope of trees. Sledders began using the hill on the first snow after the fair. They still do, on what we now call Art Hill. The ice cream cone and other beloved myths The ice cream cone was invented at the St. Louis World's Fair, right? Nope. It is a warmly held local legend, but a New Yorker had taken a patent on the confection in 1903. Many vendors at the fair offered versions of the ice cream cone, and their popularity helped make it famous. Perhaps that's legend enough. Other myths have it that the fair introduced the hot dog and iced tea. They, too, were popular treats. Just not original ones. Tim O'Neil is a reporter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Contact him at 314-340-8132 or toneil@post-dispatch.com ST. LOUIS Eight people were rescued and one person was arrested this week in a human trafficking operation in St. Charles, authorities said Friday. The rescue was made Thursday as part of "Operation Enduring Shield," a joint effort organized by the St. Charles Police Department, Missouri Highway Patrol and the Missouri attorney general's anti-human-trafficking task force, according to an announcement by Attorney General Eric Schmitt's office. Those rescued were offered food, lodging, medical services, counseling, drug rehabilitation and other assistance, authorities said. No additional details were provided on the operation, including the name of the person arrested, but authorities said the investigation is continuing. Operation Enduring Shield was a success, and certainly couldnt have been accomplished without the help of local law enforcement agencies," St. Charles police said in the statement, noting that numerous other law enforcement agencies helped with the operation. Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. CLAYTON A Kansas City, Kansas, man found guilty of sexually abusing two St. Louis County girls was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison, prosecutors said. Gerardo Gonzalez Sr., 40, abused the girls, who were younger than 12 at the time, from 2003 to 2010 in Woodson Terrace and Overland, prosecutors said. The girls were relatives of Gonzalez's then-wife. Neither was present at the sentence hearing, but prosecutors said two relatives spoke, with one saying the girls are deeply depressed and suicidal, "all because of this man." Gonzalez was convicted by a jury in St. Louis County Circuit Court in March of two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy. Gonzalez was acquitted of a sodomy charge related to a third girl who also testified against him at his trial. Gonzalez, a citizen of Mexico who has been deported before, will be deported at his first parole hearing, prosecutors said. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to register as a sex offender. Gonzalez and his lawyer have continued to insist he is innocent, prosecutors said. "Child victims of sex crimes frequently come forward many years later, if at all, for complex reasons that this jury clearly understood," said St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell in a statement announcing the sentence. Bell said Circuit Judge Joseph Dueker "showed proper respect for the jury's decisions, the victims' suffering, and the seriousness of this crime." Shake off your afternoon slump with the oft-shared and offbeat news of the day, hand-brewed by our online news editors. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian forces fought village by village Saturday to hold back a Russian advance through the countrys east, while the United Nations worked to broker a civilian evacuation from the last defensive stronghold in the bombed-out ruins of the port city of Mariupol. An estimated 100,000 civilians remain in the city, and up to 1,000 are living beneath a sprawling Soviet-era steel plant, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has not said how many fighters are also in the plant, the only part of Mariupol not occupied by Russian forces, but Russia put the number at about 2,000. Russian state media outlets reported Saturday that 25 civilians had been evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks, though there was no confirmation from the U.N. Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said 19 adults and six children were brought out, but gave no further details. A top official with the Azov Regiment, the Ukrainian unit defending the plant, said 20 civilians were evacuated during a cease-fire, though it was not clear if he was referring to the same group as the Russian news reports. These are women and children, Sviatoslav Palamar said in a video posted on the regiment's Telegram channel. He also called for the evacuation of the wounded: We dont know why they are not taken away and their evacuation to the territory controlled by Ukraine is not being discussed. Video and images from inside the plant, shared with The Associated Press by two Ukrainian women who said their husbands are among the fighters refusing to surrender there, showed unidentified men with stained bandages; others had open wounds or amputated limbs. A skeleton medical staff was treating at least 600 wounded people, said the women, who identified their husbands as members of the Azov Regiment of Ukraines National Guard. Some of the wounds were rotting with gangrene, they said. In the video the men said that they eat just once daily and share as little as 1.5 liters (50 ounces) of water a day among four people, and that supplies inside the besieged facility are depleted. One shirtless man appeared to be in pain as he described his wounds: two broken ribs, a punctured lung and a dislocated arm that was hanging on the flesh. I want to tell everyone who sees this: If you will not stop this here, in Ukraine, it will go further, to Europe, he said. AP could not independently verify the date and location of the video, which the women said was taken in the last week in the maze of corridors and bunkers beneath the plant. The women urged that Ukrainian fighters also be evacuated alongside civilians, warning they could be tortured and executed if captured. The lives of soldiers matter too, Yuliia Fedusiuk told AP in Rome. In his nightly video address late Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian to urge Russian troops not to fight in Ukraine, saying even their generals expect that thousands more of them will die. The president accused Moscow of recruiting new soldiers with little motivation and little combat experience so that units gutted early in the war can be thrown back into battle. Every Russian soldier can still save his own life, Zelenskyy said. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land. In other developments: Ukrainian Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotsky said in televised remarks that Russian forces have seized hundreds of thousands of tons of grain in territory under their control. Ukraine is a major grain producer, and the invasion has pushed up world prices and raised concerns about shortages. A Russian rocket attack destroyed the airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-most populous city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said. The bodies of three men were found buried in a forest near the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the head of Kyivs regional police force said. The men, whose bodies were found Friday, had been tortured before they were shot in the head, Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. Ukrainian officials have alleged that retreating Russian troops carried out mass killings of civilians in Bucha. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators talk almost every day. However, he told Chinese state news agency Xinhua, progress has not been easy. Two buses sent to evacuate residents from the eastern town of Popasna were fired upon, and contact with the organizers was lost, Mayor Nikolai Khanatov said: We know that (the buses) reached the town and then came under fire from an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group. Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in eastern Ukraine has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Also, both Ukraine and Moscow-backed rebels have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone. But Western military analysts suggested that the offensive in the Donbas region, which includes Mariupol, was going much slower than planned. So far, Russian troops and the separatists appeared to have made only minor gains in the month since Moscow said it would focus its military strength in the east. Numerically, Russias military manpower vastly exceeds Ukraines. In the days before the war began, Western intelligence estimated Russia had positioned near the border as many as 190,000 troops; Ukraines standing military totals about 200,000, spread throughout the country. Yet, in part because of the tenacity of the Ukrainian resistance, the U.S. believes the Russians are at least several days behind where they wanted to be as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east, said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the American militarys assessment. With plenty of firepower still in reserve, Russias offensive still could intensify and overrun the Ukrainians. Overall the Russian army has an estimated 900,000 active-duty personnel. Russia also has a much larger air force and navy. Hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance has flowed into Ukraine since the war began, but Russia's vast armories mean Ukraine's needs are nearly inexhaustible. Mariupol officials have described dire shortages of food, water and medicine. U.N. humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu said the world organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv, but he could not provide details of the ongoing evacuation effort "because of the complexity and fluidity of the operation. There is, right now, ongoing, high-level engagements with all the governments, Russia and Ukraine, to make sure that you can save civilians and support the evacuation of civilians from the plant, Abreu told AP. He would not confirm video posted on social media purportedly showing U.N.-marked vehicles in Mariupol. Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling. Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell and Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Trisha Thompson in Rome and AP staff around the world contributed to this report. Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: 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. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The United Nations doggedly sought to broker an evacuation of civilians from the increasingly hellish ruins of Mariupol on Friday, while Ukraine accused Russia of showing its contempt for the world organization by bombing Kyiv while the U.N. leader was visiting the capital. The mayor of Mariupol said the situation inside the steel plant that has become the southern port citys last stronghold is dire, and citizens are begging to get saved." Mayor Vadym Boichenko added: "There, its not a matter of days. Its a matter of hours. Ukraines forces, meanwhile, fought to hold off Russian attempts to advance in the south and east, where the Kremlin is seeking to capture the country's industrial Donbas region. Artillery fire, sirens and explosions could be heard in some cities. In other developments: A former U.S. Marine was killed while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, his family said in what would be the wars first known death of an American in combat. The U.S. has not confirmed the report. Ukrainian forces are cracking down on people accused of helping Russian troops. In the Kharkiv region alone, nearly 400 have been detained under anti-collaboration laws enacted after Moscows Feb. 24 invasion. The international sanctions imposed on the Kremlin over the war are squeezing the country. The Russian Central Bank said Russias economy is expected to contract by up to 10% this year, and the outlook is extremely uncertain. On Thursday, Moscow's forces launched a missile attack on a residential high-rise and another building in Kyiv, shattering weeks of relative calm in the capital following Russia's retreat from the region early this month. U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said one of its journalists, Vira Hyrych, was killed in the bombardment. Ten people were wounded, one of them losing a leg, authorities said. The missile strike came barely an hour after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a news conference with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "This says a lot about Russias true attitude toward global institutions, about attempts of the Russian leadership to humiliate the U.N. and everything the organization represents, Zelenskyy said. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attack was Russian President Vladimir Putin's way of giving his middle finger" to Guterres. In an apparent reference to the Kyiv bombing, Russias military said it had destroyed production buildings at the Artem defense factory. The missile strike came just as life in Kyiv seemed to be getting back a little closer to normal, with cafes and other businesses starting to reopen and growing numbers of people going out to enjoy the arrival of spring. Volodymyr Fesenko, a Ukrainian political analyst and head of the Kyiv-based Penta Center think tank, said the attack carried a message: Russia is sending a clear signal about its intention to continue the war despite the international pressure." Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in the east has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Both Ukraine and the Moscow-backed rebels fighting in the east also have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone. But so far, Russias troops and the separatist forces appear to have made only minor gains. In the bombed-out city of Mariupol, around 100,000 people were believed trapped with little food, water or medicine. An estimated 2,000 Ukrainian defenders and 1,000 civilians were holed up at the Azovstal steel plant. The Soviet-era steel plant has a vast underground network of bunkers able to withstand airstrikes. But the situation has grown more dire after the Russians dropped bunker busters and other bombs. Locals who manage to leave Mariupol say it is hell, but when they leave this fortress, they say it is worse, said Boichenko, the mayor. U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said the organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv to create safe passage. This time, we hope theres a slight touch of humanity in the enemy, the mayor said. Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, told Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that the real problem is that "humanitarian corridors are being ignored by Ukrainian ultra-nationals. Moscow has repeatedly claimed right-wing Ukrainians are thwarting evacuation efforts and using civilians as human shields. Also Friday, two towns in central Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region were hit by Russian rockets, the regional governor said. There was no immediate word on casualties or damage. Fighting could be heard from Kramatorsk to Sloviansk, two cities about 18 kilometers (11 miles) apart in the Donbas. Columns of smoke rose from the Sloviansk area and neighboring cities. At least one person was reported wounded in the shelling. The governor of Russias Kursk region said that a border post came under mortar attack from Ukraine and that Russian border forces returned fire. He said there were no casualties on the Russian side. In the village of Ruska Lozava, near Kharkiv, hundreds of people were evacuated after Ukrainian forces retook the city from Russian occupiers, according to the regional governor. Those who fled to Kharkiv spoke of dire conditions under the Russians, with little water or food and no electricity. We were hiding in the basement. It was horror. The basement was shaking from the explosions. We were screaming, we were crying and we were praying to God, said Ludmila Bocharnikova. A video posted by Ukraine's Azov battalion showed troops raising the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag over the government building in the center of the village, though fighting continued on the outskirts. Former U.S. Marine Willy Joseph Cancel, 22, was killed Monday while working for a military contracting company that sent him to Ukraine, his mother, Rebecca Cabrera, told CNN. He wanted to go over because he believed in what Ukraine was fighting for," she said, and he wanted to be a part of it to contain it there so it didnt come here, and that maybe our American soldiers wouldnt have to be involved in it. The Marine Corps said Cancel served four years but was given a bad-conduct discharge and sentenced to five months' confinement for violating orders. No details on the offense were given. At least two other foreigners fighting on the Ukrainian side, one from Britain and the other from Denmark, have also been killed. Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell and Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, and AP staff around the world contributed to this report. Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: 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. Karine Jean-Pierre will become the new White House press secretary when Jen Psaki departs her role next week, President Joe Biden announced in a statement Thursday, becoming the first Black and out LGBTQ person to hold the position. Get that and more trending news here. NEW YORK (AP) Russia staved off a default on its debt Friday by making a last-minute payment using its precious dollar reserves sitting outside the country, U.S. Treasury officials said. The amount of the payment was not disclosed, but earlier this month Russias finance ministry said it tried to make a $649 million payment due April 6 toward two bonds to an unnamed U.S. bank previously reported as JPMorgan Chase. At that time, tightened sanctions imposed for Russia's invasion of Ukraine prevented the payment from being accepted, so Moscow attempted to make the debt payment in rubles. The Kremlin, which repeatedly said it was financially able and willing to continue to pay on its debts, had argued that extraordinary events gave them the legal footing to pay in rubles, instead of dollars or euros. Investors and rating agencies, however, disagreed and did not expect Russia to be able to convert the rubles into dollars before a 30-day grace period expired next week, leading to speculation that Moscow was heading toward an historic default on its debt. Russia has not defaulted on its foreign debts since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, when the collapse of the Russian Empire led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The governing body over credit default swamps insurance contracts designed to protect against default had ruled already that Russia was in default. Treasury officials, who declined to be named because they weren't authorized to speak on the record, said Russia tapped into its foreign currency reserves currently sitting outside the country to make Friday's payment. Since the U.S. sanctioned Russia's Central Bank early in the conflict, Russia had only the ability to either use fresh revenues coming from activities like oil and gas sales, or existing foreign currency reserves sitting outside the country. The U.S. has been attempting to force Russia to use its foreign currency reserves or any revenue from oil and gas sales in order to deplete the countrys financial resources. The Russian Finance Ministry said it made the payments at a London branch of Citigroup. A spokeswoman for Citi declined to comment whether the bank had processed that transaction. Hussein reported from Washington. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A tornado that barreled through parts of Kansas destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and buildings, injured several people and left more than 15,000 people without power, officials said Saturday. More than 1,000 buildings were affected when a strong twister swept through Andover on Friday evening, according to authorities. In the daylight Saturday, emergency crews found a more widespread path of destruction than was earlier estimated. "We now know that our damage path extended approximately 3 1/2 to four miles to the north of where we believed it to have ended last night, Andover Deputy Fire Chief Mike Roosevelt said at a briefing. There were no fatalities or critical injuries despite the widespread destruction. Officials said only a few injuries had been reported. In Sedgwick County, three people were injured, including one woman who sustained serious injuries. Search and rescue operations continued Saturday with more than 200 emergency responders from 30 agencies. Officials kept volunteers away from the damage until a secondary search of debris is done. Andover Fire Chief Chad Russell said earlier that some neighborhood homes were completely blown away. There are homes knocked completely off their foundations and entire neighborhoods wiped out, Russell said. City Hall, the Andover YMCA and Prairie Creek Elementary School were among buildings heavily damaged. Field crews from the National Weather Service worked Saturday to determine the extent and strength of the twister, said meteorologist Kevin Darmofal at the Wichita office. Flor and Aldo Delgado said they prayed in the basement of their Andover home as a tornado passed right above them, destroying their home and cars. The couple looked out of the window Friday night and saw the tornado beginning to form, so they headed to the basement. The lights started flickering and eventually went out, and within a minute from that the whole house started shaking and it was so loud. We started feeling water hitting our faces, and there was just dust everywhere. It lasted for what felt like a minute that it was right above us, Aldo Delgado said. Flor Delgado said she could hear their home being torn apart as they prayed for their safety, the Wichita Eagle reported. In the moment I realized there is absolutely nothing we could do. I knew my husband felt it too because he was calm and comforting me, but at one point he just starts losing it and crying. I could hear his voice cracking as hes praying, she said. Once the tornado passed, the couple made it out of the debris with only the clothes on their backs. Their home, cars and personal items are gone. We didnt even have our wedding rings on at the time, Flor Delgado added. Gov. Laura Kelly declared a State of Disaster Emergency for the hardest hit areas. The declaration makes state resources available to help local jurisdictions with response and recovery efforts in areas impacted statewide. Evergy said about 15,000 customers lost power during the tornado and that work continued to restore electricity. Any broken gas and water lines were shut off and by noon there were no known active leaks. In addition to the tornadoes, large hail was reported in several towns across the Plains. Hail the size of softballs was spotted near Holbrook, Nebraska, and Enterprise, Kansas, according to the National Weather Service and storm spotters. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The latest word from the Republican spin doctors on Capitol Hill is that nobody except the news media cares about the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection or the fact that House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was so outraged by it that he was prepared to demand then-President Donald Trumps resignation. St. Louis-area voters can prove the spin doctors wrong when local Republican members of Congress seek reelection on Nov. 8, because they are complicit in advancing the lie that this is much ado about nothing. Text messages and audio clips of meetings between members of Congress and McCarthy reveal the extent of Republicans hypocrisy and cowardice in the face of an unprecedented assault on American democracy. They take the American people for memory-challenged fools, and the only way to prove them wrong is by making sure they dont succeed in the November midterm elections. The people involved in spin-control meetings last week have not all been identified, but its clear from the context that these were like-minded, key allies of St. Louis-area conservatives like Reps. Ann Wagner and Rodney Davis. Davis took part in the meeting and tried afterward to suggest that none of his constituents cares. Those members of Congress are complicit in helping whitewash an atrocity and in vilifying those Republicans who have had the courage to speak the truth including Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Wyomings Liz Cheney. This might seem like well-covered ground, but revelations last week by The New York Times offered new insights into Republican leaders duplicity. Cheney was in the post-Jan. 6 phone call with McCarthy and the House minority whip, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, when McCarthy declared, Ive had it with this guy, referring to Trump, and said he would tell the president to resign over his role in the insurrection. Cheney, at the time the third-ranking House Republican, was clearly led to believe that McCarthy and Scalise were with her in the decision to stand up to Trump. She and Kinzinger joined a few other principled Republicans in publicly demanding accountability. McCarthy, fearful that opposing Trump could eventually cost him the House speakers job, reversed course. Scalise fell in line behind him. They hung Cheney out to dry. Davis, of Taylorville, introduced a bill after the insurrection to investigate what happened. But now he is standing behind McCarthy and slinking into line. His once rigid and principled spine has gone limp. Wagner repeatedly touts her close friendship with Scalise. Given her voting record since the insurrection, its clear that Wagner and Scalise are in lock step as they run as fast as they can away from the truth. She and Davis seem to want more than anything for local voters to forget all about the insurrection and what Republicans have done to avoid accountability for a blatant attempt to subvert democracy. Nov. 8 is the day voters can show them how badly theyve miscalculated. By March 2022 the U.S. had approved another 800 million dollars worth of weapons for Ukraine. One of items being sent is a new system called Phoenix Ghost that was rapidly developed and built in the United States by Aevex Aerospace for the U.S. Air Force from specifications supplied by Ukraine. The air force revealed that the Phoenix Ghost was a project already in development. The Ukrainians have already developed and built some innovative new weapons or modifications for existing ones so the Americans were working on. The air force does not develop ground-based loitering munitions but does develop ones carried by aircraft. The Ukrainians made some suggestions which were included in the existing air force design and that resulted in the Phoenix Ghost, which went into production immediately. In other words, Phoenix Ghost is a bespoke (custom made to user specifications) UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) developed and manufactured in record time. The U.S. has agreed to send Ukraine at least 121 of these bespoke UAVs. Details of the Phoenix Ghost were not provided other than that it was similar to the American Switchblade loitering munition that was also being sent to Ukraine. The input from Ukrainian engineers was essential because many of the most effective Soviet-era weapons engineers were Ukrainian. That meant Ukraine had a tradition of pragmatic and innovative weapons development that was mobilized after the 2014 Russian seizure of Crimea and part of Donbas. The capabilities of the Ukrainian engineers were not exactly a state secret, it just wasnt newsworthy. Foreigners familiar with weapons development knew about the Ukrainian skills and those who visited Ukraine for whatever reason, like American and other NATO military advisors, got a closer look at what those Ukrainian engineers could do. Those skills became even more important after the invasion began and suddenly engineers and scientists in other fields began applying their skills to rapidly developing new weapons and equipment to protect Ukraine from the Russians. After the invasion began the capabilities of the Ukrainian engineers became part of the reporting on how the Ukrainians stopped and turned back the Russian attack. That enabled the Ukrainian proposal for Phoenix Ghost to be taken seriously and rapidly implemented. The Ukrainian specified COTS (Commercial, off the shelf) components and kept in touch via the high-speed Internet links provided by Starlink. The rumors of Phoenix Ghost indicate it is an improvement over Switchblade and mainly meant to be a weapon. It is battery powered with an endurance of several hours. Apparently, the Ghost is not reusable, as are many new loitering munition designs. The Ghost has characteristics of recently developed and employed systems the Ukrainians have used against the Russians. Details of exactly how the Ghost works were not revealed, which is usually done for a system that is more effective if the enemy does not have that information. The Russians will eventually deduce what the Ghost can do by examining the damage and reports from their troops. Aevex Aerospace is itself a recent development, founded in 2017 and specializing in projects very similar to the Phoenix Ghost. Another American firm, AeroVironment, developed the Switchblade loitering munition and similar systems. Aevex is similar to AeroVironment, which has been around since 1971 and created many innovative commercial and military UAV designs. Switchblade is little-known to the general public but extremely popular with American troops fighting in small units, especially in remote areas. Switchblade was first revealed in 2005 and the Ukrainians are receiving at least a hundred of the Switchblade 300 plus some of the larger Switchblade 600s, which appears to be closer in weight-class and performance as Phoenix Ghost. Switchblade 300 is a small UAV fired from its storage container. Switchblade was sent to Afghanistan in 2009 for secret field testing. This was very successful and the troops demanded more, and more, and more. Switchblade completed development later in 2009 and was initially thought useful only for special operations troops. In 2011, after a year of successful field testing, the army ordered over a hundred Switchblades for troop use and since then has ordered a lot more. While Switchblade was developed for the army, the marines apparently noted the success that soldiers and SOCOM (Special Operations Command) had with this system and ordered them as well. Switchblade was very popular with troops in Afghanistan and with SOCOM in all sorts of places they wont discuss in detail. Switchblade is still used and thousands have been ordered and many of them used. There have been several upgrades The original 2009 Switchblade was a lightweight and expendable (used only once) UAV that could also be equipped with explosives. The Switchblade is launched from its shipping and storage tube, at which point wings flip out, a battery-powered propeller starts spinning and a vidcam begins broadcasting images to the controller. The Switchblade is operated using the same controller as the larger (two kg) Raven UAV. A complete Switchblade system (missile, container, and controller) weighed 5.5 kg (12.1 pounds). Moving at up to a kilometer a minute, the original Switchblade can stay in the air for 20-40 minutes, depending on whether or not it was armed with explosives. Switchblade can operate up to ten kilometers from the operator. The armed version can be flown to a target and detonated, having about the same explosive effect as a hand grenade. Thus, Switchblade enables ground troops to get at an enemy taking cover in a hard to see location. Technically a guided missile, the use of Switchblade as a reconnaissance tool encouraged developers to refer to it as a UAV. But because of the warhead option, and its slow speed, Switchblade also functions like a rather small cruise missile. The troops were particularly enthusiastic about the armed version because it allowed them to more quickly take out snipers or a few enemy gunmen in a compound full of civilians. Switchblade has been so successful that the army ordered several upgrades and the updated original Switchblade was renamed Switchblade 300. The new version appeared in 2016. It is heavier (2.7 kg) with 15 minutes endurance and a 10-kilometer range. The sensor has night vision and is stabilized. The 300 can lock onto a target and track it. The 300 comes with optional accessories, like a six-pack launcher that is used as part of base defense. This was first used for base protection in 2019 and proved effective. One or more of these six packs are placed near the base perimeter and power is maintained with a solar panel. The base security commander can order a Switchblade to be launched from the six-pack and then control it in search for potential targets. Switchblade 300 is also capable of being used from a helicopter or larger UAV and controlled from the helicopter or by the operator of the larger UAV (like a Reaper). In 2020 AeroVironment, the company that developed the unlikely, but popular, Switchblade loitering munition, introduced a third version; Switchblade 600. While the original Switchblade weighed one kilogram (2.2 pounds), the latest Switchblade is ten times heavier at 23 kg (50 pounds), can stay in the air for 40 minutes and be controlled up to 80 kilometers from the operator. Top speed is 180 kilometers an hour and more economical cruise speed is closer to 150 kilometers an hour. The heavier warhead can destroy most tanks, although some modern tank designs include protection from top attack. Switchblade 600 was requested by the U.S. Army for longer range surveillance missions and the option to hit specific small targets, like a building or enemy position. Unlike the earlier Switchblades, the 600 uses a tablet controller with more options, including manipulating the more powerful vidcam. Video transmitted back to the operator can be saved and passed on. The operator also has a wave off feature in which a quick tap on the controller screen can cause the 600 to abort an attack and be available for another try. The 600 can also be programmed to carry out a mission without operator control. This means there is no control signal for enemy electronic warning systems to detect or jam. In this case when time is up the 600 self-destructs. The 600 can be carried into a remote area and used quickly. Its most likely use in the Ukraine is against the locomotives of Russian military supply and troop transport trains operating near the border or inside Ukraine. The U.S. Navy also requested a version of Switchblade, for reconnaissance only, that could be launched from ships or submerged (at periscope depth) submarines. In this case the sub would have a communications mast on the surface to receive data from what was called the Blackwing. This version is a little heavier, at 1.8 kg (four pounds). The size of the Blackwing is designed to fit into existing navy countermeasure launchers. Without a warhead Blackwing has endurance of about an hour and uses encrypted digital communications compatible with current navy systems. When released from a submarine countermeasures launcher, the Blackwing container pops to the surface and the Blackwing is ejected into flight like the other Switchblades. The U.S. Navy has bought at least 150 Blackwings, starting in 2016. Armed versions of Blackwing are available but these have shorter endurance. For subs, reconnaissance is the most important item. Switchblade is not a unique concept, as these loitering munitions have been around for decades. What Switchblade provided was a design that met the needs of combat troops, especially special operations personnel or small groups of Ukrainians seeking to halt Russian supply trucks. Since Switchblade entered service and its popularity became widely known, similar systems have appeared, trying to provide features that Switchblade lacked but the troops would appreciate. Ukraine had already developed a loitering munition of its own, but these are not as efficient as Switchblade. That may change with the mysterious Phoenix Ghost. The same can be said of the new Polish Warmate loitering munition that Ukraine has received. Warmate is a 5.3 kg (12 pound) conventional UAV that carries a 1.4 kg (three-pound warhead). Warmate has an endurance of 70 minutes and top speed of 150 kilometers an hour and can be controlled 15 kilometers from the operator. While portable, Warmate requires five minutes to assemble and needs a road or catapult device to be launched. Ukraine developed its own loitering munition, Silent Thunder, in 2019. This is a 9.5 kg (28 pound) UAV with a variety of different 3.5 kg (7.7 pound) warheads. It takes fifteen minutes to ready Silent Thunder for use and it has a duration of 60 minutes and top speed of 150 kilometers an hour. It can be controlled up to 30 kilometers from the operator. Silent Thunder is reusable if no warhead is carried. Silent Thunder is a complex system to use and that limits its effectiveness. In 2019 an Israeli firm introduced the Firefly, a loitering munition UAV, which is portable enough for infantry to carry and continually reuse. There is also the option to replace one of the two batteries with an explosive warhead and turn Firefly into a guided weapon. Another major advantage of Firefly is that it operates like a helicopter, not a fixed-wing aircraft. Being able to hover is a major advantage for loitering munitions used by infantry. Firefly seems to have addressed all (or most) of the user criticisms of earlier lightweight loitering munition systems. Firefly was developed by Rafael, the same firm that developed and builds the Spike family of ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles). Much of the tech in Firefly was based on what is already used in Spike systems. In particular, Firefly has a guidance system that can track and attack a moving target. This can be critical for infantry using such a weapon because these targets are elusive in the first place and, without a UAV, the infantry would not have spotted dangers like snipers or moving troops at all. Firefly is a dual rotor miniature helicopter and those dual (on top of each other) rotors make it stable in winds that would make a similar-sized fixed-wing or quad-copter UAV unusable. The .4 kg (one pound) warhead replaces the second battery to halve the normal 30 minutes of flight time. The operator uses a small tablet device that is mostly a touch screen and a Firefly controller. Firefly can be controlled up to 500 meters in a built-up (or forested) area or up to 1,500 meters in line-of-sight (nothing between Firefly and operator) mode. Firefly returns to the operator and explosives are deactivated if the control signal is lost. The operator can press an icon on the screen to get Firefly to return immediately, abort an attack or carry out a high speed (19 meters/62 feet a second) attack on a target. The target can be moving, as in a sniper changing firing positions out of sight of the operator. This is accomplished using the ability of the Firefly guidance system to remember the shape of a target and follow it. The Firefly warhead would be most often used against troublesome targets like snipers or hidden machine-guns. Even without the warhead Firefly would be able to locate such lethal adversaries and enable the infantry to avoid them. Firefly can also be launched and operated from a moving vehicle. The big advantage Firefly has over similar loitering munitions like the 40mm Pike and GLAUS, as well as Switchblade, is reusability. Carry one Firefly and just use it as a UAV for a dozen or more times. The relative simplicity of Firefly compared to Switchblade, and to similar designs like GLAUS and Pike based on 40mm grenade shells, makes it a better system that is also cheaper when you take into account the reusability. Russia is also using its new Zala loitering munition in Ukraine. Zala carries a two kg (4.4 pound) explosive charge. Zala is a delta shaped (1.2 meter/3.8 feet wingspan) UAV with a three kg (6.6 pound) payload that is used mainly for explosives plus a vidcam to locate the targets and dive on it. It is carried and launched from a catapult on a truck. Endurance is 30 minutes and top speed is 130 kilometers an hour. Zala has been available since 2017 and has apparently been tested in Syria. With the recent history of loitering munitions, the appearance of Phoenix Ghost is not surprising. As the Israelis have discovered, when you are facing constant threat of attack, innovative and rapidly developed weapons are a necessity. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 30, 2022 / HAVN Life Sciences Inc. (CSE:HAVN) (OTC:HAVLF) (FSE:5NP), a biotechnology company pursuing standardized extraction of psychedelic compounds for investigational research as potential APIs to support brain health and cognitive function, today announced that it will be presenting at the Planet MicroCap Showcase 2022 at the Bally's Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. PST. Tim Moore, CEO of HAVN Life Sciences Inc.,will be hosting the presentation and answering questions from investors. To access the live presentation, please use the following information: Planet MicroCap Showcase 2022 in Las Vegas Date: Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Time: 12:00 pm Eastern Time , 9:00 am Pacific Time Webcast: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2862/45060 If you would like to book 1on1 investor meetings with HAVN Life Sciences Inc. or to attend the Planet MicroCap Showcase 2022, please make sure you are registered here: https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/signup 1on1 meetings will be scheduled and conducted in person at the conference venue. Access The Planet MicroCap Showcase 2022 website here: https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/ If you can't make the live presentation, all company presentations "webcasts" will be available directly on the conference event platform on this link under the tab "Agenda": https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/agenda News Compliments of Accesswire About HAVN Life Sciences Inc. HAVN Life Sciences is a biotechnology company pursuing standardized extraction of psychedelic compounds for investigational research as potential APIs, the development of natural health products, and innovative therapies to support brain health and enhance the capabilities of the mind. Through its research division, HAVN Labs, the company has developed an end-to-end supply chain of standardized, naturally derived psychedelic compounds for investigational research in an effort to define the future of modern medicine. HAVN Life offers a full range of high-quality mushroom and plant extracts that help support immune function and support a healthy lifestyle. Purchase our plant-based Natural Health Products and find out more at yourhavnlife.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. About SNN.Network SNN.Network is your multimedia financial news platform for discovery, transparency and due diligence. This is your one-stop hub to find new investment ideas, check in on watchlist, gather the most up-to-date information on the Small-, Micro-, Nano-Cap market with the goal to help you towards achieving your wealth generation goals. Follow the companies YOU want to know more about; read and watch content from YOUR favorite finance and investing influencers; create YOUR own watchlist and screen for ideas YOU'RE interested in; find out about investor conferences YOU want to attend - all here on SNN.Network. If you would like to attend the Planet MicroCap Showcase, please register here: https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com/signup Contact: Investor Relations: [email protected] Media: [email protected] SOURCE: HAVN Life Sciences Inc. via SNN Network View source version on accesswire.com: DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Please replace the release dated April 25, 2022 with the following corrected version due to multiple revisions. The updated release reads: LEEWARD RENEWABLE ENERGY OPERATIONS ANNOUNCES THE POSTING OF Q4 2021 FINANCIAL RESULTS AND MAY 2 INVESTOR CALL Leeward Renewable Energy Operations, LLC (LREO) today announced that it has posted to its secure investor relations site key operating and financial results for the fourth-quarter 2021, and that it will hold an investor conference call on May 2, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. CST. Investors who hold LREOs 4.250% Senior Notes due in 2029, prospective investors, broker-dealers, and securities analysts are welcome to access the investor call, and can join the live webcast here. For voice-only access, dial: Number: +1 (510) 338-9438 (USA Toll Free) +44-20-3198-8144 (UK Toll) Code: 2556 140 2183 Password: 77449764 A recording and transcript of the investor call will be posted to LREOs secure investor site within 24 hours of the call. Please join the event five minutes prior to scheduled start time. For information on how to access the site, visit https://www.leewardenergy.com/request-access/ or contact Investor Relations at [email protected]. About Leeward Renewable Energy Operations, LLC Leeward Renewable Energy Operations, LLC is a leading renewable energy company that owns and operates a portfolio of 22 renewable energy facilities across nine states totaling approximately 2,000 megawatts of generating capacity. LREO is actively developing and contracting new wind, solar, and energy storage projects in energy markets across the U.S., with 1.9 gigawatts contracted and 20 gigawatts under development and construction spanning over 100 projects. LREO is a portfolio company of OMERS Infrastructure, an investment arm of OMERS, one of Canadas largest defined benefit pension plans with C$121 billion in net assets (as at December 31, 2021). For more information, visit www.leewardenergy.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220425006039/en/ Kelly Kimberly Sard Verbinnen & Co. 713.822.7538 [email protected] Source: Leeward Renewable Energy Operations, LLC Oceanits EDGE (Energy & Decarbonization for the Global Environment) launch coincides with OTC2022 (Offshore Technology Conference) in Houston, TX. Energy efficiency, green hydrogen, sustainable energy, and decarbonization are among top priorities for global energy transformation HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oceanit, the energy and climate innovator, announces the launch of its EDGE (Energy & Decarbonization for the Global Environment) in-house incubator, coinciding with OTC2022. Energy efficiency, hydrogen tech, and decarbonization are among the top EDGE priorities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220430005015/en/ Oceanit Founder and CEO, Dr. Patrick Sullivan is launching EDGE to address climate and energy science (Photo: Business Wire) To slow climate change impacts on the planet, we must develop sustainable fuels and clean energy technologies, such as hydrogen and geothermal, and radically improve the ways we generate energy today, said Dr. Patrick Sullivan, Oceanit CEO. EDGE is our internal incubator where we are taking fresh approaches to improving traditional industry technologies and working at great speed to rethink the entire energy ecosystem. Oceanits energy transformation work will examine four priority areas within the EDGE incubator: Create advanced materials that upgrade efficiency, improve safety, and can be endowed with smart responses Build next-gen AI to safeguard and enhance infrastructure and systems Develop decarbonization technologies that capture and store CO2 Enable clean and sustainable energy sources, like green hydrogen Oceanit Breakthroughs HeatX surface treatment is a water-based technology for heat transfer surfaces in refineries, power plants, desalination plants, and more. HeatX increases efficiency and protects surfaces from deposition and corrosion while being safe for the environment. On average, 60% of potential energy is currently lost to heat during fossil fuel energy generation HeatX substantially increases efficiency, reducing carbon emissions. Oceanits Scanite smart cement provides an intelligent monitoring capability for energy producers improving safety and reliability in natural gas and geothermal wells, while protecting economies and reducing climate impacts on ecosystems and the environment. The U.S. Department of Energy recently selected Oceanit to develop several breakthrough hydrogen technologies. Oceanits HALO system utilizes directed energy to produce clean hydrogen from wastewater and other waste byproducts produced in industrial business, such as gas production. HydroPel is Oceanits nanocomposite formulated to prevent hydrogen embrittlement, enabling transmission of H2 through the U.S.s already-existing natural gas infrastructure. And the HyDIOS system uses advanced optics and AI to monitor H2/natural gas blends for safe transmission. Through the launch of EDGE and its established agenda for innovation, Oceanit is committing to addressing this eras most critical challenge energy transformation and decarbonization for our planet. Oceanit will be demonstrating EDGE technologies at their 2022 Energy Transformation Technology Showcase on May 3rd at Greentown Labs Houston, 4200 San Jacinto Street, at 5:00 pm CDT. 14 Oceanit energy and climate technologies will be demonstrated live. Please contact [email protected] to learn more. About Oceanit Oceanit, a Mind to Market company, creates disruptive technology from fundamental science and moves these technologies into the marketplace. With headquarters in Honolulu, Oceanit employs approximately 200 scientists, researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs in Hawaii, California, Texas, Washington D.C., and beyond. Oceanit practices a proprietary discipline called Intellectual Anarchy that reimagines innovation empowering teams to break down traditional silos, transcend disciplines, and cross-pollinate ideas and expertise. Oceanit creates breakthrough ideas, insights, discoveries, and developments, and through spin-outs, corporate co-development partnerships, licensing, and direct manufacturing, Oceanit delivers the future. For more information, please visit https://www.oceanit.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220430005015/en/ Elisabeth Hershman [email protected] Source: Oceanit Toronto, ON, April 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canada Carbon Inc. (the "Company") (TSX-V: CCB) (OTC: BRUZF) (Frankfurt: U7N1) is pleased to announce the appointment of Remantra Sheopaul as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, replacing Olga Nikitovic, effective immediately. The Company thanks Ms. Nikitovic for her tenure as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer through December 2021 and for continuing in a consulting capacity, on accounting and financial matters, through April 2022. Mr. Sheopaul presently works with Marrelli Support Services which provides chief financial officer, accounting, regulatory, compliance and management advisory services to numerous issuers on the TSX, TSX Venture Exchange and other Canadian and U.S. exchanges. Mr. Sheopaul has a focus on building strong relationships with clients to understand and anticipate their needs. In his role with Marrelli Support Services, Mr. Sheopaul has been regularly involved in initial public offerings, analysis of complex accounting transactions, and assisting non-public and public clients regarding IFRS disclosure and compliance matters. Prior to his tenure with Marrelli Support Services, he was employed with a public accounting firm based in Toronto for the past several years, three of which were spent managing audits for medium sized TSX Venture clients ranging from junior mining companies to real estate investments trusts based in Canada and the United States. We thank Olga for her stewardship and guidance of the Company through a very difficult time in its development. said Ellerton Castor, Chief Executive Officer of Canada Carbon. As the Company embarks on a strategic repositioning, the Company will need to supplement the management team. Remantras addition as Chief Financial Officer will be critical to enhancing our ability to execute. We welcome Remantra into this role. Ellerton Castor Chief Executive Officer and Director For further information please contact:CANADA CARBON INC. E-mail inquiries: [email protected]P: (905) 407-1212 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Source: Canada Carbon Inc. TORONTO, April 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ontario Federation of Labour is hosting a rally on May 1, International Workers Day, as part of the province-wide mobilization to demand a workers-first agenda. Across Ontario, workers are gathering to ensure that issues that mean the most to working people and their families, are on the table in the June 2 provincial election. Workers are calling for a $20 minimum wage, decent work, affordable housing, permanent paid sick days, well-funded public services, livable income support for all, climate justice, status for all, and an end to racism and oppression. After four years of attacks on workers, and two years of a pandemic that highlighted the cracks in our systems, this is one of over 20 actions being organized across the province to demand better for Ontario. Date: Sunday, May 1, 2022 Time: 2:00 p.m. Details: A rally will take place at Queens Park. There will be over a dozen issue-specific feeder marches joining the rally. Contingents include climate justice activists, gig workers, students, health care workers, injured and ill workers, and more. Further details can be found here. Speakers Include: Patty Coates, President, Ontario Federation of Labour Bea Bruske, President, Canadian Labour Congress Andria Babbington, President, Toronto and York Region Labour Council Frontline workers including health care and education workers For more information, please contact:Melissa PalermoDirector of CommunicationsOntario Federation of Labour[email protected] l 416-894-3456 sy/COPE 343 Source: Ontario Federation of Labour Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 29, 2022) - ICEsoft Technologies Canada Corp.(CSE: ISFT)(the "Corporation" or the "Company" or "ICEsoft") is pleased to announce its consolidated financial results for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Detailed results and Management's discussion and analysis are now available on SEDAR. Annual highlights are as follows: ICEsoft's Voyent Alert! service is now used by 301 Canadian municipalities as of December 31, 2021 The Company continues to deploy capital to expand Voyent Alert! sales During 2021, the Province of B.C experienced heat domes, summer wildfire events and fall flooding. Voyent Alert! was responsible for issuing over 80% of the evacuation orders and alerts issued across the province over the year. The City of Kamloops, and the surrounding Thompson Nicola regional district, used Voyent Alert! extensively through the summer to keep citizens appraised of nearby wildfire activities; the City of Merritt and District of Logan Lake used Voyent Alert! to help evacuate their residents in the wake of flooding; the town of Princeton used Voyent Alert! to partially evacuate its residents in relation to flooding; and the District of Squamish used Voyent Alert! to communicate to its residents on overflowing dams. "We are pleased with the traction Voyent Alert! in making in the municipal market. Customer feedback continues to be exceptional, and we are currently experiencing a 95% renewal rate on all our municipal clients," stated Brian McKinney, President and CEO. "Voyent Alert! continues to contribute substantially to the safety of citizens during emergency events as well as through regular day-to-day communications regarding municipal services." About ICEsoft Technologies Canada Corp.: ICEsoft Technologies Canada Corp. is a software-as-a-service ("SaaS") company. ICEsoft's newest product Voyent Alert! is an affordable Community Alerting Service specifically designed to meet the needs of small to medium sized municipalities, regional governments and campuses. The flexible platform serves the dual purpose of alerting and advising residents during a critical incident as well as providing targeted day-to-day communication services. For more information, please contact: Brian McKinney Chief Executive Officer Tel: 403-663-3320 Forward-Looking Information Advisory Certain information in this press release is forward-looking within the meaning of certain securities laws, and is subject to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, information with respect to the Corporate Changes, Private Placement and shares for debt transactions, assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action, and the Company's beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions. The words "may", "could", "should", "would", "suspect", "outlook", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "plan", "target" and similar words and expressions are used to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this material change report describes the Company's expectations as of the date of this news release and accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward- looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/122269 Internet City, Dubai--(Newsfile Corp. - April 30, 2022) - LBank Exchange, a global digital asset trading platform, will list Dingocoin (DINGO) on May 5, 2022. For all users of LBank Exchange, the DINGO/USDT trading pair will be officially available for trading at 18:00 (UTC+8) on May 5, 2022. Figure 1: LBank Exchange Will List Dingocoin (DINGO) on May 5, 2022 To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8378/122286_4ecd34bea4bf691c_001full.jpg Dingocoin (DINGO) is a community-driven open-source project and its direction is formed by the many contributors to the various projects of the Dingocoin blockchain and ecosystem. It's packed with various utilities and services, such as wallet, staking, gaming, tipping, weekly airdrops, its own NFT platform, and many more. DINGO will be listed on LBank Exchange at 18:00 (UTC+8) on May 5, 2022, to further expand its global reach and help it achieve its vision. Introducing Dingocoin Dingocoin prides itself as a completely community-driven project built on diverse community contributions. The direction of Dingocoin is created by the many projects that the community chooses to undertake. Seeking to maximize adoption as an actual currency, it's a fair launch coin with no team allocation - only fairly mined coins exist, backed by its own blockchain, which has already attracted more than 20,000 miners. Dingocoin is centered around projects and features built by the community, for the community. Each community has one or more guardians that facilitate communication and manage assets, and each member drives their own work and decides how to organize. A core focus of Dingocoin's working projects is Dingocoin NextGen, it is a framework that has revolutionized crypto applications by decoupling user operations from blockchain interactions. With Dingocoin NextGen, Dingocoin has produced tools and applications never seen before in the realm of similar coins. Its Dingocoin browser wallet lets users hold and send Dingocoins entirely in their browser, and requires less than a minute to setup. Its Dingocoin NFT platform interacts with the browser wallet, running an entire NFT trading platform on-chain without users ever having to leave their browser. The meme and art community surrounding Dingocoin is strong, and its NFT platform will further add to the strength of this community while adding additional utility to Dingocoin. In addition, users can hold and play with Dingocoins in Dingocoin City. Moreover, users can also play games using Dingocoins on Discord in Dingosino. The team believes integration with games is essential for adoption, and promotes further development and integration with games. There are also weekly airdrops, socials, and other tools, users can freely explore the various utilities developed by the community, and even contribute themselves. For the future projects, DingoTip is planned to launch in Q2, 2022. It is an app that allows users to effortlessly tip/pay to phone number or email. There is also ongoing development of wallet solutions, along with other key features yet to be announced. In addition to these projects, Dingocoin will continue to push itself by worldwide listings and marketing efforts. In 2023, it plans to reach beyond the crypto communities through mainstream media, in order to eventually build a world-class community. About DINGO Dingocoin enables purchasing NFTs on its NFT platform, tipping by phone number (coming soon), staking to earn rewards, playing games and participating in weekly airdrops. Mid 2022 (approximately a year and a half after release), there will be approximately 100 billion coins. Each subsequent block will grant 10,000 coins to encourage miners to continue to secure the network (5 billion new Dingocoin will be emitted every year). DINGO will be listed on LBank Exchange at 18:00 (UTC+8) on May 5, 2022. Investors who are interested in Dingocoin investment can easily buy and sell DINGO on LBank Exchange by then. Learn More about DINGO: Official Website: https://dingocoin.org Telegram: https://t.me/DingoCoinTalk Discord: https://discord.com/invite/y3J946HFQM Twitter: https://twitter.com/dingocoincrypto About LBank Exchange LBank Exchange, founded in 2015, is an innovative global trading platform for various crypto assets. LBank Exchange provides its users with safe crypto trading, specialized financial derivatives, and professional asset management services. It has become one of the most popular and trusted crypto trading platforms with over 6.4 million users from now more than 210 regions around the world. Start Trading Now: lbank.info Community & Social Media: l Telegram l Twitter l Facebook l LinkedIn l Instagram l YouTube Contact Details: LBK Blockchain Co. Limited LBank Exchange [email protected] [email protected] PR Contact: ZEXPRWIRE [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/122286 Vancouver, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - April 30, 2022) - Parma Token ($PARMA) is pleased to announce the details of its "Nodes as a Service" (NaaS) offering with a 244% APR. This strategy enables anyone with no technical knowledge to create a Full Ethereum V3 node in a matter of seconds. PARMA wants to cover several networks and reach the widest audience to establish the best community, beginning with the Ethereum Blockchain and moving to an L2 in the near future. Parma pushes the utility of a "culture" token to new heights. PARMA provides access to special community experiments while also ensuring that the token is launched in a completely fair manner, with no team or presale tokens. Nodes as a Service - PARMA Nodes Since Parma Token was a totally fair launch protocol, there are no presale or team tokens. PARMA also acknowledges that not all holders will be eligible for the NFT Tickets, and they want to establish a mechanism for smaller holders to be eligible for unique perks in the future. With this in mind, the PARMA Nodes were created. PARMA Nodes will require a one-time commitment of PARMA Tokens in exchange for lifelong use of PARMA features. The PARMA team hopes that by implementing a low fixed fee of 2,500,000 PARMA per node (up to a maximum of 100 nodes), smaller holders will be able to participate in the PARMA ecosystem. Details concerning PARMA Nodes activities will be updated on a regular basis and continuously monitored in order to preserve the efficiency of the PARMA Nodes. What's more in PARMA Ecosystem PARMA Live With PARMA Live, top PARMA token holders will be able to create a one-of-a-kind NFT Ticket that will provide them access to all things PARMA in the future. These tickets will be exclusively minted for free by the top holders of PARMA, but will later be accessible for trading on secondary markets. PARMA Cross-Chain Taking PARMA cross-chain is a goal that the Parma team and token are likely to achieve in the near future. PARMA recognizes that gas prices are a significant barrier to entry for many users of the Ethereum Blockchain and the ERC-20 protocol. As a result, PARMA will investigate possibilities for expanding the PARMA token cross chain, such as the Binance Smart Chain, Arbitrum, Polygon, Fantom, and others. Tokenomics & Fees The PARMA token is distribute the following way: 50% Burned 50% Uniswap Liquidity Total Supply: 100,000,000,000 Verifiably Burnt: 50,000,000,000 Uniswap Liquidity: 50,000,000,000 For 3 months, the PARMA-ETH Liquidity Pool tokens have been locked. These tokens will be regularly relocked 1 month prior to expiration so long as PARMA remains operational. The PARMA token includes the following fees to sustain operation and to support activities that will assist establish the PARMA culture. Burn Rate: 1% Development Rate: 1% Liquidity Rate: 2% Marketing Rate: 4% About Parma Token PARMA is a "culture" token built on Ethereum blockchain. PARMA is based on Parmesan cheese because cheese itself is representative of all forms of culture around the world. PARMA recognizes that each member of the community is unique and contributes their own set of abilities to the table, but in the end, everyone shares the PARMA culture. A connected family of PARMA holders who could really complement each other's strengths and compensate for each other's faults. Website | Telegram | Twitter | Medium | GitHub References Etherscan: https://etherscan.io/token/0x1a2933fba0c6e959c9a2d2c933f3f8ad4aa9f06e Uniswap: https://app.uniswap.org/#/swap?outputCurrency=0x1A2933fbA0c6e959c9A2D2c933f3f8AD4aa9f06e DEXTools: https://www.dextools.io/app/ether/pair-explorer/0x976a910cabc55103c9250dab86f6dcacf914b851 CoinMarketCao: https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/parma-token/ CoinGecko: https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/parma Coinbase: https://www.coinbase.com/price/parma-token PARMA Token Jeremy Williams [email protected] 6715 Ne 63rd St Vancouver, Washington 98661 https://parmatoken.com/ PR Partner Newscall Telegram Disclaimer: The information provided in this release is not investment advice, financial advice or trading advice. It is recommended that you practice due diligence (including consultation with a professional financial advisor before investing or trading securities and cryptocurrency. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/122283 Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - April 29, 2022) - The Securities and Exchange Commissions Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) commemorated National Financial Capability Month by hosting a slate of outreach and education events for investors. In addition to the events, Chair Gary Gensler released a video message to mark April as Financial Capability Month. Investors across our country use our capital markets every day to prepare for retirement, save for education, or prepare for bumps along the way, said Chair Gary Gensler in the video message. I encourage you all to take the time you need when making investment decisions and take advantage of the free tools and unbiased information on Investor.gov. The SEC also released the following investor education materials on Investor.gov: I am pleased that we were able to reach and teach investors across many demographics from college students to older investors during Financial Capability Month, said Lori Schock, Director of OIEA. We wantinvestors to know that the SECs investor education resources, available at Investor.gov, can help them make more informed investment decisions and avoid fraud. The following are some highlights of the SECs Financial Capability Month Events: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) OIEA expanded its partnership with the Society for Financial Education and Professional Development (SFE&PD) this month.Along with SECs Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI), OIEA presented to SFE&PDs Student Ambassadors from HBCUs around the country. In addition, OIEA and SEC Regional Offices including Atlanta, Fort Worth, Miami, and New York conducted in-person and virtual investor education outreach with students from 14 HBCUs in collaboration with SFE&PD. Students from colleges and universities such as Bennet College, Howard University, Jackson State University, Medgar Evers College, and Tuskegee University, engaged with SEC staff on investing fundamentals, and learned more about SECs internship opportunities. Middle and High School Students Chair Gensler participated in Financial Literacy and Career Day, a joint program hosted by the SECs OMWI, African American Council, and OIEA. Chair Gensler offered middle and high school students from 16 schools located in the Washington, D.C. area, as well Tulsa, Oklahoma insights on career development and financial capability, including the role of investing in building a secure and prosperous future. Military Community SEC had a robust set of engagements with the military community, including outreach to active duty, reserve, retired, and veteran service members, as well as military families. Outreach included presenting as part of the Department of Veteran Affairs popular Wednesday seminars hosted by VAs Outreach, Transition and Economic Development (OTED)team.OIEA also presented in-person or virtually at installations including the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Fort Gordon, GA, Osan Air Force Base, South Korea, and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. Older Investors As part of its ongoing outreach initiatives focused on educating older investors on wise investing, including avoiding securities-related fraud, OIEA Director Lori Schock joined an AARP Tele-Town Hall.The event had more than 14,000 participants and included information and resources on topics such as current frauds and scams, and cryptocurrency. OIEA Chief Counsel Owen Donley also presented to an AARP audience about emerging investment scams. Teachers, Students, Womens Groups, and More - SEC Regional Office and Headquarters Staff engaged in or arranged dozens of outreach events with groups, such as: the California Association of Teachers of English; Chicago Public Schools; Los Angeles Public Library; Black Women and Investing event hosted by SFE&PD founder Ted Daniels, featuring SEC Atlanta Regional Office Director Nekia Hackworth Jones; Central California Womens Conference, Florida International University Womens Law Society; and military installations from across the U.S. SAN DIEGO, April 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CureScience Institute, a San Diego, California based non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to accelerating cures based on a combination of diagnostic, immunological and regenerative approaches, proudly announce that Prof. Igor Tsigelny, who recently joined CureScience, will initiate an educational program in bio-informatics for undergraduate and high-school students. His long-time collaborator Prof. Valentina Kouznetsova will join him. The Summer Scholars Program (SSP) invites students with a strong interest in science to spend eight weeks at CureScience Institute. Artificial Intelligence and Computational Biology training for San Diego students Students will be exposed to "hands-on" experience with CureScience scientists to conduct original, innovative research projects in areas such as: cancer biology, drug design, computational biology, infectious disease, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and more. In addition to original research, students will get to explore scientific careers. There can be two levels of applicants: undergraduate students and high-school students. Students must meet the following criteria: 1) be at least arising senior in high school (i.e. students can apply their junior year), 2) attend a high school in the San Diego County area, 3) have earned a B or better in science and math class, 4) must demonstrate excitement for science! The program includes lectures and individual mentoring. Igor F. Tsigelny is a Research Professor at the Department of Neurosciences of UC San Diego, having long time collaboration with San Diego Supercomputer Center, and Moores Cancer Center,. He is a world-known expert in structural biology, molecular modeling, bioinformatics, using AI for drug design and treatment, and structure-based drug design. He has a Ph. D. from the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the University of California in the laboratory of Susan S. Taylor from 19921995. Dr. Tsigelny is the author of over 200 scientific and mentored the UCSD programs for undergraduate and high-school students for several years. Valentina Kouznetsova is a Research Professor at UCSD (San Diego Supercomputer Center). She studies molecular mechanisms of various diseases including cancer, diabetes, and neurological disorders. She is an expert in computational drug design. She developed drugs for treatment of Parkinson's disease and glioblastoma that were licensed from UCSD and are in development in industry. She is an author of more than 50 scientific papers including publications in Nature and Science series of journals, 3 books, 8 book chapters, and 13 patents. Media contact:Lawrence D. Jones, Ph.D.CureScience Institute(858) 800 CURE (2873) View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/curescience-institute-launches-bioinformatics-training-301536758.html SOURCE CureScience Institute AUSTIN, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott approved nearly $500 million to fund the deployment of thousands of Texas National Guard troops to the states border with Mexico just days before the mission was set to run out of money. Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, commander of the Texas Military Department, told state lawmakers Wednesday that the state-sponsored border security mission is spending about $1.4 billion a year, which is more than was appropriated by the Texas Legislature. Before the governors cash infusion Friday, Suelzer said the Texas Military Department only had enough money to make it to May 1. The Guard will now be able to support the deployment of nearly 10,000 troops through the end of August, which is the end of the fiscal year in Texas. The Guard will then need an additional $1.4 billion to continue the work for another year, Suelzer said. This funding will address immediate border security needs while future funding needed to protect Texans continues to be evaluated, according to Abbotts office. The border mission, known as Operation Lone Star, began in March 2021 and puts Texas National Guard troops along the states border with Mexico to stop criminal activity between the legal ports of entry. The service members have the authority to arrest and work closely with the Department of Public Safety. About 6,100 troops work directly on the border while about 3,700 work in support roles throughout the state, Suelzer said Wednesday before a joint hearing of the states House committees for homeland security and public safety and defense and veterans' affairs. Abbott and four other state officials approved the transfer, a total of $495.3 million, which includes about $30 million for other state agencies working the mission. Texas has been using federal coronavirus relief funds to support Operation Lone Star indirectly. By backfilling public health and safety payrolls in other agencies with the federal funds, the governor can then redirect the money to the border security mission, Sarah Hicks, the governors director of budget and policy, said earlier this month during a hearing of the states Senate Committee on Border Security. During Hicks testimony, she said the state had about $600 million in exchanges remaining, so Fridays move was expected. Suelzer also testified in the state Senate earlier this month, indicating he was looking at ways to reduce personnel on the deployment and cut costs. However, he said he wont pull troops off the mission until he sees how a change in federal public health policy at the border impacts activity. President Joe Biden announced he will end a pandemic-driven border policy known as Title 42, which allowed Border Patrol agents to send migrants back across the border quickly because of concerns they would spread the coronavirus. The policy is scheduled to end May 23. Suelzer said Department of Homeland Security reports indicate the entire southwest U.S. border could see increase of up to 18,000 new migrants each day. This dramatic rise from the already high encounter rate of roughly 7,000 a day could be catastrophic to our south Texas communities, he said. WASHINGTON The commanding officer of Submarine Training Facility San Diego was fired following a Navy investigation, the Naval Education and Training Command said Friday in a statement. Cmdr. Jared Severson, who is from Colorado, lost his position Thursday due to a loss of confidence in his leadership ability based on the findings of a command investigation, according to the statement. The Navy declined to detail the investigations focus or its findings. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, it would be inappropriate to provide further information at this time, said Cmdr. Brian Wierzbicki, NETC spokesman. Capt. Steve Antcliff, commander of the services Submarine Learning Center, made the decision to remove Severson, who had led the training facility command since June, according to the Navy. The submarine training facility at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego provides basic training for officers and enlisted sailors to attain necessary qualifications and certifications, according to its website. Severson was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 11, also at Point Loma. The service did not say what his position will be there. Severson, a submarine warfare officer, enlisted in the Navy in May 1999 and commissioned as an officer in September 2001, according to his service record. He previously served at Submarine Development Squadron 5 in Siverdale, Wash., and Submarine Force Atlantic in Norfolk, Va. Lt. Cmdr. Chris Lindahl, who is from North Carolina, has taken command in Seversons place. He had been serving previously as the training facilitys executive officer. Seversons photograph and biography were removed from the Submarine Learning Centers website and replaced with Lindahls as of Friday morning. Lindahl commissioned in 2007 through the Naval ROTC program at Virginia Tech University, according to the website. He holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and a masters degree in engineering management. Doornbos.caitlin@stripes.com Twitter: @CaitlinDoornbos UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to extend the U.N. political mission in Libya for three months, with the United States and Britain accusing Russia of blocking a longer and more substantive mandate that would include promoting reconciliation of the countrys rival governments now claiming power. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow insisted on a three-month extension to pressure U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urgently appoint a new special representative to head the mission, known as UNSMIL. The former U.N. special envoy, Jan Kubis, resigned on Nov. 23 after 10 months on the job. Nebenzia said in the absence of a new envoy, the U.N. mission has been unable to provide substantial support for the political process in Libya for more than six months. He blamed some unidentified members of the Security Council who he claimed are not ready to accept a scenario where UNSMIL is guided by an African representative, saying their opposition is non-constructive and a manifestation of neo-colonialism. Britain's U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward, who oversaw negotiations on the resolution, said after the vote that Russia has once again isolated itself by not joining consensus with the 14 other members of the council who supported a one-year substantive mandate. U.S. deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis said a short mandate severely complicates the U.N.s ability to recruit a new head of for the mission and creates uncertainty for the Libyan people and their leaders over the Security Councils commitment to Libya. DeLaurentis also criticized Russia for eliminating critical language on reconciliation and security sector reform which the councils three African members were pushing to include in the resolution adopted Friday. The oil-rich North African nation plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. It then became divided between rival governments one in the east, backed by military commander Khalifa Hifter, and a U.N.-supported administration in the capital Tripoli. Each side is supported by different militias and foreign powers. In April 2019, Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. His campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the U.N.-supported government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries. An October 2020 cease-fire agreement led to an agreement on a transitional government in early February 2021, and elections scheduled for last Dec. 24 which werent held. The countrys east-based House of Representatives named a new prime minister, former interior minister Fathi Bashagha, to lead a new interim government in February. The lawmakers claimed the mandate of interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who is based in the capital, Tripoli, expired when the election failed to take place. But Dbeibah insists he will remain prime minister until elections are held. Week-long talks between the rival sides in the Egyptian capital ended on April 19 without an agreement on constitutional arrangements for elections. After Kubis resigned, Guterres appointed American diplomat Stephanie Williams, a fluent Arabic speaker who served as deputy U.N. special representative in Libya from 2018-2020 as his special adviser and sent her to Tripoli. She oversaw the agreements on the cease-fire and transitional government and told reporters after the recent meeting of the rivals in Cairo that they agreed to reconvene in May. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq replied that he expects Williams, whose contract is set to expire, to continue in her role until we have any further notice to give you. Gabons U.N. Ambassador Michel Biang read a statement on behalf of his country, Ghana and Kenya, saying the widening divisions in Libya are unfolding at a crucial juncture that demands unified Security Council action to make progress toward a sustainable peace that the Libyan people are craving for. The three African council members called on Libyas rival parties to settle their differences politically, bearing in mind that the military option will not provide a sustainable solution to the root causes of this crisis. They denounced foreign interference in Libya, demanded the synchronized withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries, and called on the U.N., the African Union and international partners to support a national dialogue and reconciliation in the country. Biang stressed that since the situation in Libya mainly affects the countrys African neighbors, Africans should be involved in the search for a solution and the next U.N. special envoy should be an African. Norways deputy U.N. ambassador Trine Heimerback said the councils failure to agree on a substantive mandate not only sends an unfortunate signal to the Libyan people but also to the whole region, stressing UNSMILs pivotal role in supporting Libyas political process and contribution to the countrys stability. SEOUL, South Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned again that the North could preemptively use its nuclear weapons if threatened, as he praised his top army officials for a massive military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, this week. Kim expressed "firm will" to continue developing his nuclear-armed military so that it could "preemptively and thoroughly contain and frustrate all dangerous attempts and threatening moves, including ever-escalating nuclear threats from hostile forces, if necessary," the North's official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday. KCNA said Kim called his military officials to praise their work during Monday's parade, where the North showcased the biggest weapons in its nuclear arsenal, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the U.S. homeland. The North also rolled out a variety of shorter-range solid-fuel missiles designed to be fired from land vehicles or submarines, which pose a growing threat to South Korea and Japan. KCNA didn't say when Kim's meeting with military brass took place. The parade marking the 90th anniversary of North Korea's army came as Kim revives nuclear brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of his country as a nuclear power and remove crippling economic sanctions. Speaking to thousands of troops and spectators mobilized for the parade, Kim vowed to develop his nuclear forces at the "fastest possible speed" and threatened to use them if provoked. He said his nuclear weapons would "never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent" in situations where the North faces external threats to its "fundamental interests." Kim's comments suggested he would continue a provocative run in weapons testing to dial up the pressure on Washington and Seoul. South Korea will inaugurate a new conservative government in May that could take a harder line on Pyongyang following the engagement polices of outgoing liberal President Moon Jae-in that produced few results. Kim's threat to use his nuclear forces to protect his country's ambiguously defined "fundamental interests" possibly portends an escalatory nuclear doctrine that could pose greater concern for South Korea, Japan and the United States, experts say. North Korea has conducted 13 rounds of weapons launches so far this year, including its first full-range test of an ICBM since 2017, while Kim exploits a favorable environment to push forward its weapons program as the U.N. Security Council remains divided and effectively paralyzed over Russia's war in Ukraine. There are also signs that North Korea is rebuilding tunnels at a nuclear testing ground that was last active in 2017. Some experts say the North may try to conduct a new test sometime between the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol on May 10 and his planned summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on May 21 to maximize its political effect. U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter said the United States was aware of reports that North Korea could be preparing to conduct a nuclear test, which she said would be deeply destabilizing for the region and undermine the global non-proliferation regime, "We urge the DPRK to refrain from further destabilizing activity and instead engage in serious and sustained dialogue," she said, referring to North Korea by its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim's recent remarks followed a fiery statement released by his powerful sister earlier this month in which she blasted South Korea's defense minister for touting preemptive strike capabilities against the North. She said her country's nuclear forces would annihilate the South's conventional forces if provoked. Yoon, during his campaign, also talked about enhancing the South's preemptive strike capabilities and missile defenses. He also vowed to strengthen South Korea's defense in conjunction with its alliance with the United States. While Kim's collection of ICBMs has grabbed much international attention, North Korea since 2019 has also been expanding its arsenal of short-range solid-fuel missiles threatening South Korea. The North describes some of those missiles as "tactical" weapons, which experts say communicates a threat to arm them with smaller battlefield nuclear bombs and proactively use them during conventional warfare to blunt the stronger conventional forces of South Korea and the United States. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in the South. North Korea may use its next nuclear test to claim that it has acquired the ability to build a small nuclear warhead to fit on those missiles or other weapons it recently tested, including a purported hypersonic missile and a long-range cruise missile, analysts say. Smaller warheads would also be necessary for the North's pursuit of a multi-warhead ICBM. "Solid-fueled missiles are easier to hide, move and launch quickly, making them less vulnerable to a preemptive strike," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seoul's Ewha Womans University. "Taken together with ambitions for tactical nuclear warheads, submarine-based launch capabilities, and more sophisticated ICBMs, Pyongyang is not simply looking to deter an attack. Its goals extend to outrunning South Korea in an arms race and coercing the United States to reduce sanctions enforcement and security cooperation with Seoul," Easley added. Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled since 2019 because of disagreements over a potential easing of U.S.-led sanctions in exchange for North Korean disarmament steps. Kim has stuck to his goals of simultaneously developing nuclear weapons and the country's dismal economy in the face of international pressure and has shown no willingness to fully surrender a nuclear arsenal he sees as his biggest guarantee of survival. WASHINGTON Florida National Guard soldiers who trained troops in Ukraine before Russias invasion are now training Ukrainian forces again outside the war-torn country, chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday. The United States has commenced training with the Ukrainian armed forces on key systems at U.S. military installations in Germany, Kirby said. "This new training effort is in direct support of recent U.S. security assistance packages." About 160 of the Army National Guard troops deployed in December to Ukraine for a training mission before they were pulled out of the country Feb. 12 as Russia prepared to launch its invasion less than two weeks later. The U.S. troops were sent to an undisclosed location in Europe, but recently had a sentimental reunion with the Ukrainians they had once trained, Kirby told reporters at the Pentagon. "The recent reunion now of these Florida National Guard members with their Ukrainian colleagues we are told was an emotional meeting, given the strong bonds that were formed as they were living and working together before temporarily parting ways in February, he said. For now, there are no plans to return to training forces inside Ukraine as President Joe Biden has said he will not send U.S. troops into the country, but the Pentagon is considering remote training for Ukrainian troops there. The trainers would be obviously outside Ukraine, but able to communicate with Ukrainian troops inside Ukraine virtually, Kirby said. So that's an option available to us [but it] hasn't started. The Florida National Guard troops are still deployed on their original December orders, he said. There has been no decision made on whether their deployment will be extended. Useful and constructive Training is necessary because Ukrainian forces are unfamiliar with some of the weapons that the U.S. sent Ukraine, such as the 90 155mm howitzers included in recent back-to-back $800 million military aid packages, Kirby said. These efforts build on the initial artillery training that Ukraine's forces already have received elsewhere, and also includes training on the radar systems and armored vehicles that have been recently announced as part of security assistance packages, he said. Canadian forces are also training Ukrainian troops on the M777 howitzer, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand confirmed during a news conference Thursday at the Pentagon with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Two groups of 50 Ukrainian troops are undergoing howitzer training one in Germany and one in an undisclosed European country, Kirby said. We want to make its not only useful and constructive for Ukrainians, but not so time-consuming that it takes them out of their fight for too long, he said. These soldiers are eager to learn these new skills, but they're also eager to apply those new skills in the conflict. The U.S. earlier this year trained Ukrainian forces on Switchblade drones, commonly called kamikaze drones for their ability to fly into a target and launch explosives, the Pentagon has said. Russias assault slows The training comes as Russias renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine creeps along, a senior U.S. defense official said Friday. Because of this slow and uneven progress again without perfect knowledge of every aspect of the Russian plan we do believe and assess that [Russian forces] are behind schedule in what they were trying to accomplish in the Donbas [region], said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Russian forces have made some incremental, uneven and slow advances southeast and southwest of Izyum in eastern Ukraine, the official said. The U.S. believes Russia wants to close in on Ukrainians from the east, north and south but have failed to encircle them, so far. They have not been able to link the north [line of advance] with the south, the official said. In fact, they're nowhere close to linking the north and south as the Ukrainians continue to push back." Still, Russia continues its onslaught in eastern Ukraine, targeting most of their airstrikes on Mariupol in the south and on a Ukrainian operations area near the Donbas, the official said. Most of those munitions have been dumb bombs, meaning not precision-guided, which are known to cause more damage to civilian infrastructure, the official said. Most of Russias airstrikes are launched from outside Ukraine and the aircraft return to Russia afterward because the airspace above Ukraine remains contested, the official said Thursday. It's not like the Russians own every airfield in Ukraine and are using it that's not the case, the official said. The Ukrainians still are operating their air forces and their missile defense systems inside the country." As of Friday, Russia has launched 1,950 missiles since the start of the war, the official said. Europe may be edging closer to a ban on Russian oil imports, but the OPEC+ alliance sees no need to divert from its long-established supply plan. With shipments continuing to flow from Moscow -- and proving more resilient than many anticipated -- delegates say the 23-nation group will likely ratify another modest production increase when it gathers next week. The threat to demand in China from new lockdowns aimed at combatting Covid is a further reason to stay cautious, they said. Led by Saudi Arabia, the coalition may have another reason to rebuff international calls to open the taps more quickly: loyalty to fellow member Moscow, whose political amity has been an asset for Riyadh and others while their ties with the U.S. are under strain. There are no indications that the Saudis are changing course on the established easing formula at this stage, said Helima Croft, commodities strategist at RBC Capital Markets and a former CIA analyst. While international crude prices are causing discomfort for consumers as they hover near $110 a barrel, the market has pulled back substantially from the highs struck after Russias invasion of Ukraine, giving the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners some room for manoeuvre. The group has been restoring output halted during the pandemic in modest tranches, and is likely to rubber-stamp a further 430,000 barrel-a-day increment for June when it meets virtually on May 5, delegates said. They spoke on condition of anonymity. In any case, OPEC+ has struggled for many months to implement the full nominal increase as many members -- particularly Angola and Nigeria -- see their capacity eroded by reduced investment and operational disruptions. In March, the alliance managed just 10%, according to the International Energy Agency. If any OPEC+ nations could fill the gap, it would be Middle East titans Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. But despite cajoling from the U.S., which along with other consumers has even released emergency oil stockpiles, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have remained unmoved. Both are keen to preserve links with the Kremlin amid bumpy ties with Washington, especially as U.S. negotiations to revive a nuclear accord with Iran leave them feeling vulnerable about regional turmoil. Last week the Saudis denied a Wall Street Journal article that the relationship with the White House had hit its lowest point in decades. Russian exports initially stumbled in the weeks after President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine prompted many refiners to shun the nations supplies. Seaborne flows of Russian crude oil declined by a quarter in the seven days to April 15. But theyve since rebounded and flows have been spared the collapse that initially appeared, especially as China and India continue purchases. The comparative lack of disturbance, relative to expectations, is reassuring other OPEC+ members they can stick to a gradual plan. The reimposition of lockdowns in China, where consumption has plunged the most since the early days of the pandemic, has given producers another reason to remain conservative. A curve ball could be thrown into OPECs discussions if the European Union proceeds with proposals to implement an embargo on Russian oil. Germany, a key member of the bloc, has abandoned its initial resistance to the measure, Economy Minister Robert Habeck confirmed on Thursday. But this may take time to impact physical flows, allowing the coalition to revisit its stategy at the next monthly meeting. The ministerial meeting will be preceded on May 4 by a meeting of the Joint Technical Committee, which analyses global markets on behalf of ministers. KYIV, Ukraine - In a town near the front with Russia in eastern Ukraine, grease-stained Ukrainian soldiers huddled over the engine hatch of a battle-damaged T-64BV battle tank. They had been working for three days straight. "Fortunately, it wasn't a direct hit and the crew survived," said their commander, Zhenya, who for security reasons gave only his first name. "But the engine had to be replaced." Inside this makeshift workshop near Ukraine's eastern front, soldiers in teams worked round-the-clock to repair the tanks and other vehicles that are the backbone of Ukraine's military resistance to Russia's invasion - Soviet-designed and -built equipment once destined for soldiers with allegiance to Moscow. The Soviet Union, and later Russia, was a major arms exporter, seeding Eastern Europe in particular with tanks, artillery pieces, armored personnel carriers and air defense systems that are cheaper and simpler to use than U.S. weapons, experts said. With Eastern European countries sending equipment to Ukraine, that means Moscow has effectively armed its own enemy - one that was once at the heart of the Soviet Union's weapons production and innovation. Now Ukraine has harnessed its Soviet-era inventory against Moscow. In a strange full-circle moment, for instance, Ukrainian hands built both the Moskva, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea fleet that sank this month off Odessa, and the missiles used to destroy it. "Most of the equipment in the Ukrainian military at the beginning of the war was Soviet-era," said Mark Cancian, senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In addition to the tanks, Ukraine's aircraft and artillery originate from that period, he said - and artillery, in particular, has proved decisive in fighting the Russians since the war began. Antitank weapons from the West, including Javelins from the United States, are perhaps the "most visible but not necessarily the most numerous" of the weapons at Ukraine's disposal, Cancian said. "It's always awkward when you end up equipping both sides of a conflict," Cancian said. The Ukrainians and other former Warsaw Pact countries still use many Soviet weapons, mostly because of existing stockpiles, said Jeremy Shapiro, director of research at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Despite the vehicles' age, maintaining them and upgrading their components has greatly extended their service life. The armor and electronics may evolve, Shapiro said, "but the things that fire metal aren't that different." The reliance on Soviet and Russian weaponry has at times made it a challenge for the United States and NATO partners to provide weapons Ukrainian troops need. For instance, U.S. artillery pieces provided to Ukraine use 155 mm rounds, which are incompatible with their howitzers. Instead of rushing munitions to the front, the United States must also send the guns, while also providing training to artillerymen in another country. U.S. and Western officials are gathering in Germany to discuss the path forward in its defense relationship with Ukraine, including evaluating the willingness of Ukraine to be weaned off Russian equipment, U.S. officials have said. "Transitioning from that equipment to NATO standard is something that will take years, even decades," Cancian said. "So this is not something that's going to happen overnight, but I think both sides want to start the process." That would also mean the gradual decommission of T-64 variants, a mainstay of Ukrainian stocks. First built in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv in the 1960s, the T-64 revolutionized tank design by including an autoloader, which cut the crew size from four to three. The aging hulls have been outfitted with upgraded electronics, modern armor and improved gun systems. Modernized variants of the T-64 are the most common tank in the Ukrainian military, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. Many have been damaged by enemy fire, and others are in need of replacement parts after hours of navigating muddy fields and potholed roads. For Ukrainian mechanics, vehicles like it are the most challenging repair, but they are some of the most valuable pieces of equipment on the country's eastern front, where Ukrainian forces have battled Moscow-backed separatists for nearly a decade. Some T-64 variants have been involved in high-profile moments, such as a lone T-64BV that, according to analysts, ambushed an entire Russian column in an attack captured on video and shared on social media earlier this month. T-64BVs were produced through 1987. The tanks also underscore Ukraine's long-standing status as a military laboratory. Ukraine - home to many factories and technical institutions - was a vital part of the Soviet defense industry. By some estimates, as much as 30% of the industry was based there, according to Tracey German, professor of conflict and security at King's College London. Ukraine specialized in missile production and shipbuilding. The domestically made Neptune missile that Ukrainian forces used to sink the Moskva was based on the design of an old Soviet cruise missile called the Kh-35 that had been produced in Kharkiv - the Detroit of the Eastern European military industry. After the Soviet Union disintegrated, Ukraine continued to ship helicopter engines, transport aircraft, rockets, missiles and gas turbine engines to Russia, German said. Ukraine was the world's 14th-largest arms exporter from 2017 to 2021, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The country has upgraded Soviet-designed tanks, vehicles and weapons in recent decades and continued to produce its own arms, including the Neptune missile. The state arms manufacturer, Ukroboronprom, comprises state-owned defense enterprises that employ nearly 70,000 skilled workers. Russian attacks since February have dealt a blow to Ukrainian weapons production. After Ukraine struck the Moskva, Russia attacked a factory on the edge of Kyiv that had been involved in the production of Neptune missiles and Alder precision-guided rockets. "Both militaries are using different variations or generations of what is principally Soviet weaponry," said Michael Kofman, research program director in the Russia-studies program at CNA, a nonprofit research and analysis organization. The bulk of Ukraine's military hardware before the current Russian invasion consisted of late-generation Soviet equipment dating from the 1980s. Ukraine made a push to update some older designs after Russia first invaded the Donbas region in 2014. The Russians, though, had more-sophisticated versions of the same type of weapons, Kofman said. Both sides are trying to incorporate more modern weapons, including drones, into battlefield arsenals that mainly date from Soviet times, he said. Modern Western antitank guided missiles and manned portable air defense systems have given the Ukrainians a boost. And the Soviet-era arms keep coming. Eastern European countries have been more than happy to offload their old equipment to Ukraine in exchange for newer models from the West. It's a "win-win-win" situation, Cancian said. Poland is sending Soviet-designed T-72 tanks to Ukraine, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Monday, and Slovakia provided Ukraine with the S-300 antiaircraft missile defense system after Washington offered to replace it with the Patriot system, which is more advanced. The Czech Republic has sent T-72s, which began service in 1973, to help bolster Ukraine's tank inventory. Western countries have tried to tread a fine line between arming Ukraine and provoking Moscow. The United States rejected Poland's offer last month to send Soviet-made MiG-29 jets to Ukraine in exchange for American-made planes, out of concern of triggering a direct conflict between Russia and NATO. - - - Parker reported from Washington. Bennett reported from eastern Ukraine. BELGRADE, Serbia Serbia on Saturday publicly displayed a recently delivered Chinese anti-aircraft missile system, raising concerns in the West and among some of Serbia's neighbors that an arms buildup in the Balkans could threaten fragile peace in the region. The sophisticated HQ-22 surface-to-air system was delivered last month by a dozen Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes in what was believed to be the largest-ever airlift delivery of Chinese arms to Europe. Although Serbia officially seeks membership in the European Union, it has been arming itself mostly with Russian and Chinese weapons, including T-72 battle tanks, MiG-29 fighter jets, Mi-35 attack helicopters and drones. Back in 2020, U.S. officials warned Belgrade against purchasing HQ-22 missile systems, whose export version is known as FK-3. They said that if Serbia really wants to join the EU 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. Serbia is the first operator of the Chinese missiles in Europe. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at the end of the arms display at a military airport near Belgrade that the Chinese missiles, as well as other recently delivered military hardware, are not a threat to anyone and only represent a "powerful deterrent" against potential attackers. "We will no longer allow to be a punching bag for anyone," Vucic said, apparently referring to NATO's 78-day bombardment of Serbia for its bloody crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists in 1999. Serbia, which was at war with its neighbors in the 1990s, does not recognize Kosovo's independence declared in 2008. It still has frosty relations with NATO-members Croatia and Montenegro as well as Bosnia, whose separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik attended the military drill on Saturday. Vucic said Serbia is also negotiating a purchase of French multi-purpose Dessault Rafale jets, as well as British Eurofighter Typhoon fighters. He said that only "political hurdles" could prevent the purchase of the Western aircraft. There are widespread concerns that Russia could push its ally Serbia into an armed conflict with its neighbors to try at least partly to shift public attention from the war in Ukraine. Although Serbia has voted in favor of U.N. resolutions that condemn the bloody Russian attacks in Ukraine, it has refused to join international sanctions against its allies in Moscow or outright criticize the apparent atrocities committed by the Russian troops in Ukraine. LVIV, Ukraine (Tribune News Service) Russian forces aimed a punishing artillery barrage Saturday at cities, towns and villages in eastern Ukraine, even as Western and Ukrainian military officials and analysts said Moscows much-vaunted military offensive in the countrys industrial heartland was being slowed by troop casualties and logistical, supply and morale problems. Russia reported nearly 400 artillery strikes overnight and early Saturday, mainly in the eastern battle zone. It described the targets as military ones, but Ukraine says residential areas, including the northeastern city of Kharkiv, are being ravaged. At the same time, the Kremlin redoubled efforts to blame the West for the devastating war that is now in its third month. The Russian invasion has killed thousands of people, left whole swaths of cities in ruins, and turned more than 5.4 million people into refugees. Moscows top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, was quoted Saturday as saying that a flood of weaponry from NATO allies was pumping up the battle. But at the same time, in remarks to official Chinese media that were reported on the ministrys website, Lavrov insisted that Washington and its European allies were absolutely indifferent to Ukraines fate. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an overnight video address to the nation, accused Russia of scorched-earth tactics in two large eastern provinces known together as the Donbas, where the fighting is concentrated. Moscow already had a foothold in two small separatist statelets before the war, but is seeking to seize the entire region. Russia wants to make this area uninhabited, Zelenskyy said, citing constant brutal bombings targeting infrastructure and civilian-populated areas. Nowhere is that clearer, the Ukrainian leader said, than in Mariupol, the besieged southeastern port city that he described as a Russian concentration camp among the ruins. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in Mariupol more than a week ago, saying Moscows forces control the city, but Ukrainian forces and civilians remain holed up in a giant steelworks complex in increasingly desperate conditions. Russia is blockading and bombarding the sprawling compound, from which black smoke could be seen rising on Saturday. Videos posted from inside the warren of tunnels and bunkers under the plant have shown ill and injured women and elderly people, distressed-looking children, and infants wearing diapers fashioned from plastic garbage bags. Online videos also showed gruesome untreated injuries suffered by some troops defending the plant. Ukrainian authorities were trying to arrange civilian evacuations Saturday from Mariupol and other particularly dangerous parts of the battle zone, but such efforts have repeatedly broken down, with Russian troops accused of firing on those fleeing. The mayor of the eastern town of Popasna said Saturday that a day earlier, two buses on their way to ferry evacuees had been shot at, and contact with the drivers had been lost. European governments have repeatedly signaled concern over the deteriorating conditions for civilians in the east, particularly in Mariupol. On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron, who handily won reelection less than a week ago, told Zelenskyy by phone that France would increase both military and humanitarian assistance, Macrons office said. As fighting raged, the latest conflict assessment from British military intelligence, released early Saturday, depicted Russian forces as facing some of the same difficulties that prompted Moscow to break off an earlier bid to seize the capital, Kyiv. Despite Russias steps to improve its battlefield prospects in the east massing troops and firepower, streamlining command and control, and fashioning shorter supply lines its forces still face considerable challenges, the British assessment said. The Russian military command is merging and redeploying depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in the countrys northeast, said the report, adding that many of these units were likely suffering from poor morale. It also cited inconsistent air support and a lack of unit-level skills. Another new analysis, from the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, or ISW, said Ukrainian forces were successfully slowing Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine. Moscows forces made limited advances west of the city of Severodonetsk, the analysis said, but remained stalled at a strategic bottleneck, south of the city of Izyum. Both assessments echoed observations made by the Pentagon, where a senior official said Russias push south from Izyum was gaining only a few kilometers a day. Western analysts have suggested nimble battlefield tactics could help Ukrainians inflict significant losses on the Russians, as they did when Kyiv was under threat. The front lines are fluid in places, with Ukrainian forces conducting a maneuver defense rather than holding static positions, the Institute for the Study of War assessment said. Neither side has made a practice of regularly releasing updated information about battlefield deaths. Ukraine has been somewhat more forthcoming, acknowledging a significant number of dead and wounded among its own troops. However, Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovych on Friday described Russian losses as colossal. In an apparent effort to avoid further troop losses, Russia has been aiming withering artillery fire all across the east. In Moscow, the defense ministry on Saturday reported hitting 389 targets, saying those included troop concentrations, weapons caches and fuel depots. Ukraine has acknowledged that hits on fuel depots and refineries is causing a fuel crunch. Long lines of cars and trucks have been forming at gas stations in various parts of the country. Zelenskyy said in his overnight address that stepped-up shipments from allies and other measures were expected to ease the shortages in the next week or two, but Ukrainian officials in the meantime asked citizens to avoid unnecessary travel in private vehicles. Remember the needs of the army, exhorted an official Ukrainian government communique on the Telegram messaging app. ___ King reported from Lviv and Wilkinson from Washington. 2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. KHARKIV, Ukraine Ukrainian forces fought Saturday to hold off a Russian advance in their country's south and east, where the Kremlin is seeking to capture the industrial Donbas region and Western military analysts said Moscow's offensive was going much slower than planned. The United Nations continued trying to broker an evacuation of civilians from the increasingly hellish ruins of Mariupol, a southern port city that Russia has sought to capture since it invaded Ukraine more than nine weeks ago. Citizens are "begging to get saved" from a steel plant that has become Mariupol's last defense stronghold, Mayor Vadym Boichenko said Friday. "There, it's not a matter of days. It's a matter of hours." An estimated 2,000 fighters were holed up in the plant with about 1,000 civilians. Two Ukrainian women whose husbands are members of the Azov Regiment of Ukraine's National Guard said they feared soldiers will be tortured and killed if left behind and captured by the Russians. They asked for a Dunkirk-style mission to evacuate the fighters, a reference to the World War II operation launched to rescue surrounded Allied troops in northern France. "We can do this extraction operation ... which will save our soldiers, our civilians, our kids," Kateryna Prokopenko, 27, told The Associated Press. "We need to do this right now, because people every hour, every second are dying." In other developments: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators talk "almost every day." However, he told Chinese state news agency Xinhua that "progress has not been easy." A former U.S. Marine was killed while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, his family said, in what would be the war's first known death of an American in combat. The U.S. has not confirmed the report. The mayor of the town of Popasna in eastern Ukraine, Nikolai Khanatov, says two buses that were headed there to evacuate residents were fired upon and that contact with the drivers has been lost. Russian air-defense forces detected a Ukrainian military plane over Russia's Bryansk region and tried to repel the aircraft. Two shells fell on a village, regional Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said. No one was injured, but an oil terminal suffered some damage, Bogomaz said. Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in the east has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Both Ukraine and the Moscow-backed rebels fighting in the east also have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone. Numerically, Russia's military manpower vastly exceeds Ukraine's. In the days before the war began, Western intelligence estimated Russia had positioned near the border as many as 190,000 troops; Ukraine's standing military is about 200,000, spread throughout the country. But so far, Russia's troops and the separatist forces appeared to have made only minor gains in the Donbas in the month since Moscow said it would focus its military strength in eastern Ukraine. In part because of the tenacity of the Ukrainian resistance, the U.S. believes the Russians are "at least several days behind where they wanted to be" as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east, said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the American military's assessment. The British Defense Ministry offered a similar assessment in its daily assessment of the war, saying it believes Russian forces in Ukraine are likely suffering from "weakened morale," along with a lack of unit-level skills and "inconsistent air support." It did not say on what basis it made the evaluation. Despite the village-by-village nature of the fight to gain ground in the Donbas, Russia's promised offensive still could materialize. Overall, the Russian army has an estimated 900,000 active-duty personnel. Russia also has a much larger air force and navy than Ukraine and possesses tactical nuclear weapons. In Mariupol, around 100,000 people were believed to still be in the city with little food, water or medicine. U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said the organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv to create the conditions for safe passage. Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling. For those who are in the Soviet-era Azovstal steel plant, a vast underground network of tunnels and bunkers has provided safety from airstrikes. But the situation has grown more dire after the Russians dropped "bunker busters" and other bombs on the plant, the mayor said. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, told Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that the real problem is that "humanitarian corridors are being ignored by Ukrainian ultra-nationals." Moscow has repeatedly claimed right-wing Ukrainians were thwarting evacuation efforts and using civilians as human shields. The claims have not been verified. The Azov Regiment helping to defend the steel plant has its roots in the Azov Battalion, which was formed in 2014 by far-right activists at the start of the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine. In further comments published Saturday by Xinhua, Lavrov said Russia has evacuated over 1 million people from Ukraine since the war began, including more than 300 Chinese civilians. The foreign minister offered no evidence to support his claim in the interview. Ukraine has accused Moscow of forcefully sending Ukrainians out of the country. Lavrov also partly blamed the lack of progress in discussions to end the war on "the bellicose rhetoric and inflammatory actions of Western supporters of the Kyiv regime." Russian state TV nightly features guests suggesting Moscow use nuclear weapons in the conflict. In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to destroy the Donbas and all who live there. The constant attacks "show that Russia wants to empty this territory of all people," he said. "If the Russian invaders are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones, as they did with Mariupol," Zelenskyy said. In a neighborhood on the outskirts of Kharkiv that is regularly shelled by Russian forces, some residents remained in their apartments even though the buildings have charred gaping holes. There is no running water or electricity, so they gather outside to cook on an open flame. Ukrainian reservists staying in a neighborhood cellar said the Russians have hit the buildings with rockets, artillery and tank fire. "A tank can come at a short distance and fire all of its ammunition on residential areas. It doesn't care where. And it's impossible to figure out where it will fire," said Vladislav, who like others in the unit would only give his first name. Another reservist, who goes by the nickname Malysh, expressed frustration that he wasn't able to do more to stop the Russian advance. "I took up arms, but unfortunately I can't catch flying missiles with my bare hands and throw them back," he said. In the nearby village of Ruska Lozava, hundreds of people were evacuated after Ukrainian forces retook the city from Russian occupiers, according to the regional governor. Those who fled to Kharkiv spoke of dire conditions under the Russians, with little water or food and no electricity. "We were hiding in the basement. It was horror. The basement was shaking from the explosions. We were screaming, we were crying and we were praying to God," resident Ludmila Bocharnikova said. Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell and Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and AP staff around the world contributed to this report. PEJA, Kosovo Learning to identify and defuse explosives is something Anastasiia Minchukova never thought she would have to do as an English teacher in Ukraine. Yet there she was wearing a face shield, armed with a landmine detector and venturing into a field dotted with danger warnings. Russia's war in Ukraine took Minchukova, 20, and five other women to Kosovo, where they are attending a hands-on course in clearing landmines and other dangers that may remain hidden across their country once combat ends. There is a huge demand on people who know how to do demining because the war will be over soon, Minchukova said. We believe there is so much work to be done. The 18-day training camp takes place at a range in the western town of Peja where a Malta-based company regularly offers courses for job-seekers, firms working in former war zones, humanitarian organizations and government agencies. Kosovo was the site of a devastating 1998-99 armed conflict between ethnic Albanian separatists and Serbian forces that killed about 13,000 people and left thousands of unexploded mines in need of clearing. Praedium Consulting Malta's range includes bombed and derelict buildings as well as expanses of vegetation. Instructor Artur Tigani, who tailored the curriculum to reflect Ukraine's environment, said he was glad to share his small Balkan nation's experience with the Ukrainian women. Though 23 years have passed, "its still fresh in our memories, the difficulties we met when we started clearance in Kosovo, Tigani said. Tigani is a highly trained and experienced mine action operations officer who served as an engineer in the former Yugoslav army during the 1980s. He has been deployed in his native Kosovo, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Congo, Rwanda and Kenya, and conducted training missions in Syria, and Iraq. During a class last week, he took his trainees through a makeshift minefield before moving to an improvised outdoor classroom featuring a huge board with various samples of explosives and mines. While it is impossible to assess how littered with mines and unexploded ordnance Ukraine is at the moment, the aftermaths of other conflicts suggest the problem will be huge. In many parts of the world, explosive remnants of war continue to kill and maim thousands of civilians each year during and long after active hostilities have ended. The majority of victims are children, the International Committee of the Red Cross testified at a December U.N. conference. Locating (unexploded ordnance) in the midst of rubble and picking them out from among a wide array of everyday objects, many of which are made of similar material is a dangerous, onerous, and often extremely time-consuming task, the Red Cross said. Mine Action Review, a Norwegian Organization that researches clearance efforts worldwide, reported that 56 countries were contaminated with unexploded ordnance as of October, with Afghanistan, Cambodia and Iraq carrying the heaviest burdens, followed by Angola, Bosnia, Thailand, Turkey and Yemen. Thousands of civilians are believed to have died since the start of the war on Feb. 24 as Russian forces bombed cities and towns across the country, reducing many to rubble. In recent days, Russia has turned its fury toward the industrial heartland in the east of Ukraine. Military analysts say it appears Russian forces have employed anti-personnel and anti-vehcile mines, while Ukraine has used anti-tank mines to try to prevent the Russians from gaining ground. With Ukrainian men ages 18-60 prohibited from leaving their country and most engaged in defending it, the women wanted to help any way they could despite the risks involved in mine clearing. Its dangerous all over Ukraine, even if you are in a relatively safe region, said Minchukova, who is from central Ukraine. Another of the Ukrainian students, Yuliia Katelik, 38, took her three children to safety in Poland early in the war. She went back to Ukraine and then joined the demining training to help make sure its safe for her children when they return home to the eastern city of Kramatorsk, where a rocket attack on a crowded train station killed more than 50 people this month. Katelik said her only wish is to reunite with her family and see the end of this nightmare. Knowing how to spot booby-traps that could shatter their lives again is a necessary skill, she said. Acutely, probably as a mother, I do understand that there is a problem and its quite serious, especially for the children, Katelik said. Minchukova, wearing military-style clothes, said she was doubtful that normal life, as they all knew it before the war, will ever fully return. What am I missing? Peace," she said. Im dreaming about peace, about sleeping in my bed not worried about going to bomb shelters all the time. I miss the people I lost. The Kosovo training center plans to work with more groups of Ukrainian women, both in Peja and in Ukraine. Were planning as well to go to Ukraine very soon and start with delivery of courses there, on the theater of war, Tigani said. KHARKIV, Ukraine Ukrainian forces fought village by village Saturday to hold back a Russian advance through the country's east, while the United Nations worked to broker a civilian evacuation from the last defensive stronghold in the bombed-out ruins of the port city of Mariupol. An estimated 100,000 civilians remain in the city, and up to 1,000 are living beneath a sprawling Soviet-era steel plant, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has not said how many fighters are also in the plant, the only part of Mariupol not occupied by Russian forces, but Russia put the number at about 2,000. Russian state media outlets reported Saturday that 25 civilians had been evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks, though there was no confirmation from the U.N. Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said 19 adults and six children were brought out, but gave no further details. A top official with the Azov Regiment, the Ukrainian unit defending the plant, said 20 civilians were evacuated during a cease-fire, though it was not clear if he was referring to the same group as the Russian news reports. "These are women and children," Sviatoslav Palamar said in a video posted on the regiment's Telegram channel. He also called for the evacuation of the wounded: "We don't know why they are not taken away and their evacuation to the territory controlled by Ukraine is not being discussed." Video and images from inside the plant, shared with The Associated Press by two Ukrainian women who said their husbands are among the fighters refusing to surrender there, showed unidentified men with stained bandages; others had open wounds or amputated limbs. A skeleton medical staff was treating at least 600 wounded people, said the women, who identified their husbands as members of the Azov Regiment of Ukraine's National Guard. Some of the wounds were rotting with gangrene, they said. In the video the men said that they eat just once daily and share as little as 50 ounces of water a day among four people, and that supplies inside the besieged facility are depleted. One shirtless man appeared to be in pain as he described his wounds: two broken ribs, a punctured lung and a dislocated arm that "was hanging on the flesh." "I want to tell everyone who sees this: If you will not stop this here, in Ukraine, it will go further, to Europe," he said. AP could not independently verify the date and location of the video, which the women said was taken in the last week in the maze of corridors and bunkers beneath the plant. The women urged that Ukrainian fighters also be evacuated alongside civilians, warning they could be tortured and executed if captured. "The lives of soldiers matter too," Yuliia Fedusiuk told AP in Rome. In his nightly video address late Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian to urge Russian troops not to fight in Ukraine, saying even their generals expect that thousands more of them will die. The president accused Moscow of recruiting new soldiers "with little motivation and little combat experience" so that units gutted early in the war can be thrown back into battle. "Every Russian soldier can still save his own life," Zelenskyy said. "It's better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land." In other developments: Ukrainian Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotsky said in televised remarks that Russian forces have seized hundreds of thousands of tons of grain in territory under their control. Ukraine is a major grain producer, and the invasion has pushed up world prices and raised concerns about shortages. A Russian rocket attack destroyed the airport runway in Odesa, Ukraine's third-most populous city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said. The bodies of three men were found buried in a forest near the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the head of Kyiv's regional police force said. The men, whose bodies were found Friday, had been tortured before they were shot in the head, Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. Ukrainian officials have alleged that retreating Russian troops carried out mass killings of civilians in Bucha. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators talk "almost every day." However, he told Chinese state news agency Xinhua, "progress has not been easy." Two buses sent to evacuate residents from the eastern town of Popasna were fired upon, and contact with the organizers was lost, Mayor Nikolai Khanatov said: "We know that (the buses) reached the town and then came under fire from an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group." Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in eastern Ukraine has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Also, both Ukraine and Moscow-backed rebels have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone. But Western military analysts suggested that the offensive in the Donbas region, which includes Mariupol, was going much slower than planned. So far, Russian troops and the separatists appeared to have made only minor gains in the month since Moscow said it would focus its military strength in the east. Numerically, Russia's military manpower vastly exceeds Ukraine's. In the days before the war began, Western intelligence estimated Russia had positioned near the border as many as 190,000 troops; Ukraine's standing military totals about 200,000, spread throughout the country. Yet, in part because of the tenacity of the Ukrainian resistance, the U.S. believes the Russians are "at least several days behind where they wanted to be" as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east, said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the American military's assessment. With plenty of firepower still in reserve, Russia's offensive still could intensify and overrun the Ukrainians. Overall the Russian army has an estimated 900,000 active-duty personnel. Russia also has a much larger air force and navy. Hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance has flowed into Ukraine since the war began, but Russia's vast armories mean Ukraine's needs are nearly inexhaustible. Mariupol officials have described dire shortages of food, water and medicine. U.N. humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu said the world organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv, but he could not provide details of the ongoing evacuation effort "because of the complexity and fluidity of the operation." "There is, right now, ongoing, high-level engagements with all the governments, Russia and Ukraine, to make sure that you can save civilians and support the evacuation of civilians from the plant," Abreu told AP. He would not confirm video posted on social media purportedly showing U.N.-marked vehicles in Mariupol. Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling. Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell and Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Trisha Thompson in Rome and AP staff around the world contributed to this report. WASHINGTON The Western artillery flooding into Ukraine will alter the war with Russia, setting off a bloody battle of wits backed by long-range weapons and forcing both sides to grow more nimble if they hope to avoid significant fatalities as fighting intensifies in the east, U.S. officials and military analysts predict. The expanded artillery battle follows Russias failed effort to rapidly seize Ukraines major populations centers, including the capital city, Kyiv, and comes as the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Western benefactors brace for what is expected to be a grinding campaign in the Donbas region. The conflict there is expected to showcase the long-range cannons that are a centerpiece of Russias arsenal, weaponry already used to devastating effect in places like Mariupol, a southern port city thats been pulverized by unrelenting bombardment. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking alongside his Canadian counterpart at the Pentagon on Thursday, said long-range fires will prove decisive in the next phase of the war. The Biden administration, which along with Canada is training small numbers of Ukrainian troops how to operate the dozens of 155 mm howitzers that both countries have pledge to provide, is expected to approve the transfer of even more artillery to Ukraine in coming days, Austin said. The U.S. and Canadian howitzers bound for Ukraine are towed on trailers, while those pledged by France - systems known as self-propelled CAESAR howitzers - fire the same, 155 mm explosive rounds, but from the back of a truck chassis. The United States alone already has promised Zelenskyy nearly 190,000 artillery rounds, plus 90 howitzers to fire them. As of Thursday, more than half had arrived in Ukraine, said a senior U.S. defense official who, like some others, spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the administration. A new $33 billion request to Congress for additional Ukraine aid includes proposed funding for longer-range artillery of a heavier caliber, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers on Capitol Hill, though he stopped short of identifying which specific systems are under consideration. Other allies, such as Britain or Sweden, also could send artillery, analysts said. To date, Russia and Ukraine have traded fire using some of the same systems, including the powerful 300 mm Smerch multiple-launch rocket system, which can shoot rounds some 55 miles, and aging 122 mm howitzers first fielded in the 1960s. The introduction of various Western artillery pieces is expected to accelerate a tactical shift by both sides to employ whats known as counter-battery fire, in which military forces seek out their enemys artillery, determine its location and attack, analysts said. Youre trying to find, fix and finish, said George Flynn, a retired three-star Marine general and former artillery officer. You want to find the enemy howitzers. You want to fix their position. And then you want to finish them off. Thats the essence of targeting. After an artillery unit attacks an adversary, it needs to keep moving, Flynn said. Once you get into a counter-battery fight, its shoot and scoot, he added. You dont stick around and let yourself get targeted. Ukraines ability to target Russian artillery units is especially important, analysts say, because of the Kremlins demonstrated willingness to lob round after round into cities and towns, destroying civilian homes and infrastructure. Just the existence of more Ukrainian artillery units performing counter-battery fire will degrade Russias ability to sit there, pile up ammo and go to town, said Scott Boston, a former U.S. Army field artillery officer who studies the Russian military for the Rand Corporation. The problem that Ukraine and its Western allies would like to impose on the Russians, he said, is for them to never have confidence that a headquarters, or a key ammunitions dump, or an important cluster of firing platforms, can ever be stationary for very long. The Pentagon on Friday assessed that Russia has not been as effective as it would like at using long-range fires, with a senior defense official noting that, as the West continues to send so much artillery to Ukraine, This could become a bit of a gunbattle. Artillery units often disguise themselves with camouflage or other forms of cover, and it can require a mixture of intelligence, unmanned aircraft and radar to spot them. The West is providing Ukraine with drones and counter-battery radar to do just that. Zelenskyy also has requested some form of multiple-rocket artillery, such as the highly accurate M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS, that is used by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Such weapons launch rounds quickly, which is useful in firing on enemy artillery forces before they reposition, said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel who studies the war for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Cancian, a former artillery officer, said that there will be a lot of pressure to provide HIMARS in coming days, and that he wouldnt be surprised to see the United States begin supplying it soon. Another type of multiple-rocket launch system, such as the M270 operated by the U.S. Army, also could be sent, he surmised. The HIMARS is newer and moves about the battlefield more freely, while the M270 carries more rockets. I think there will be a lot of pressure to provide that, and since we seem to be announcing an aid package a week, I wouldnt be surprised to see HIMARS next week or the week after, Cancian said. Ukrainian officials also have sought more self-propelled howitzers rather than towed weapons such as the M777. A Ukrainian official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the issue is sensitive, said that while it appears easier to perform maintenance on and find parts for the M777 howitzer, they are more vulnerable to Russian counter-battery fire than self-propelled howitzers, like the Armys M109 Paladin. Cancian said he would be watching to see whether advanced, highly accurate 155 mm Excalibur rounds make it to Ukraine. The weapons are guided by GPS and designed to fly up to 25 miles, according to Raytheon, its manufacturer. The Pentagon has declined to specify what types of artillery rounds are being sent. The shipping of Western artillery into Ukraine is important partly because there are few places where Ukraine can find replacement rounds for its Soviet-era systems, said Sam Cranny-Evans, an analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London. Poland, Bulgaria and a few other NATO allies produce them, but many more countries produce ammunition for Western weapons. While the West has promised tens of thousands of artillery rounds to Ukraine, they may be depleted quickly, Cranny-Evans said, requiring defense contractors to ramp up production. Russia also has a significant advantage in the number of artillery pieces it possesses, and its unclear how many of Ukraines legacy systems are still operational or how much ammunition they have for them, he added. Russians forces are using artillery to extricate themselves from Ukrainian ambushes and inflict fatalities as well as to avoid having to go into the teeth of these very high-end Western weapons, including Javelin and NLAW anti-armor missiles, that already have destroyed some Russian units, Cranny-Evans said. Theyre just going to sit back and let their long-range assets to do the work because they dont have the manpower to waste, he said. Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said in an interview that there is a role for collaboration among Western countries in providing weapons to Ukraine that are consistent and interchangeable, allowing Ukraine to learn the systems and maintain them when they are damaged. The M777s are a perfect example of the way in which allied countries with that capability can band together and respond to a desperate need that Ukraine has, she said. And thats a model that well continue to utilize going forward. The use of artillery and other weapons has been complementary in Ukraine and will continue to be, Boston said. If you do a good job of bottling someone up, then theyre going to be way more vulnerable to artillery than if they were dispersed and in cover, he said. If the Russians dont have confidence that they can disperse because theyre going to get picked off by Javelin teams, then they might be bunching for security against that - and then be more vulnerable against artillery. The Washington Posts Karen DeYoung in Washington, David Stern in Mukachevo, Ukraine, and Alex Horton in Kyiv contributed to this report. ROME Two Ukrainian women whose husbands are defending a besieged steel plant in the southern city of Mariupol are calling for any evacuation of civilians to also include soldiers, saying they fear the troops will be tortured and killed if left behind and captured by Russian forces. "The lives of soldiers matter too. We can't only talk about civilians," said Yuliia Fedusiuk, 29, the wife of Arseniy Fedusiuk, a member of the Azov Regiment in Mariupol. She and Kateryna Prokopenko, whose husband, Denys Prokopenko, is the Azov commander, made their appeal in Rome on Friday for international assistance to evacuate the Azovstal plant, the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the strategic and now bombed-out port city. An estimated 2,000 Ukrainian defenders and 1,000 civilians are holed up in the plant's vast underground network of bunkers, which are able to withstand airstrikes. But conditions there have grown more dire, with food, water and medicine running out, after Russian forces dropped "bunker busters" and other munitions in recent days. The United Nations has said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on arranging evacuations from the plant during a meeting this week in Moscow, with the U.N. and International Committee of the Red Cross involved. But the discussions as reported by the U.N. concerned civilians, not combatants. Speaking in English, Prokopenko, 27, called for a Dunkirk-style mission, a reference to the 1940 World War II maritime operation in which hundreds of boats were launched to rescue over 330,000 British and Allied troops surrounded by German forces on the beaches of northern France. "We can do this extraction operation ... which will save our soldiers, our civilians, our kids," she said. "We need to do this right now, because people every hour, every second are dying." The women said 600 of the soldiers are wounded, with some suffering from gangrene. Video and images they shared with The Associated Press showed wounded men with stained bandages in need of changing; others had open wounds or amputated limbs. The women said the images were taken sometime in the past week. The AP could not independently verify the date and location of the footage. The men, who are not identified, say they eat just once a day and share as little as 1.5 liters (50 ounces) of water a day among four. Supplies inside the blockaded plant are depleting, they say. One shirtless man spoke in obvious pain as he described his wounds: two broken ribs, a punctured lung and a dislocated arm that "was hanging on the flesh." Another said he stepped on a mine that was dropped from a helicopter, leaving him with an open fracture in his leg. A military doctor who appears on the video identified herself as an anesthesiologist treating the wounded at the Azovstal plant. She said she was working with a small team of doctors "in extremely hard conditions, under constant bombardment." "Our resources are extremely limited. Guys are literally dying before our eyes because we don't have any possibility to evacuate them. There is no way to treat them properly," she said. She appealed for the evacuation of the wounded soldiers, along with the trapped civilians. "We just ask, we beg, to give at least the slightest chance to save the life of these fighters. They deserve it," she said. The Azov Regiment has its roots in the Azov Battalion, which was formed in 2014 by far-right activists at the start of the conflict in the east between Ukraine and Moscow-backed separatists, and which has elicited criticism for its tactics. Fedusiuk said she and Prokopenko were seeking help from Europe, the United States and international organizations to find a diplomatic resolution to the Azovstal standoff. And she said the troops would never surrender to Russian capture. "We don't know any Azov soldier who came (back) alive from Russian soldiers, from 2014, so they will be tortured and killed," Fedusiuk said. "We know that definitely, so it is not an option for them." ___ Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed. JERUSALEM The Israeli military on Saturday said it has arrested a pair of Palestinian assailants who allegedly shot and killed a security guard at the entrance of a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The detention followed a manhunt that was launched shortly after the attack late Friday. Israeli soldiers, special forces, and border police took part in the detention and seizure of weapons from the two suspects, who it said were seized in the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan. The fresh attack, combined with the death of a Palestinian man elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, could further fuel tensions that have soared over the past two months. A string of Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have left 15 Israelis dead, while at least 27 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces in recent weeks. The security guard was shot outside Ariel, a major settlement in the northern West Bank, late Friday night by a pair of assailants in a car, the army said. It said the guard stood in front of another guard who was with him, saving her life. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed condolences to the family of the security guard. In a statement after the arrest of the suspects, he said "no terrorist can evade us." In Gaza, the leader of the territory's Hamas rulers Yehiyeh Sinwar called for stepping up attacks against Israeli targets in the West Bank, saying the "real battle arena is there." In a speech, he saluted the attackers who killed the guard. Israeli forces on Saturday set up checkpoints and were conducting searches for the attackers in the area, the army said. It said it arrested two purported members of the Hamas militant group, but there was no immediate indication that the men were involved in the attack. Hamas praised the killing of the guard but stopped short of claiming responsibility for the shooting. In a separate incident, Israeli troops shot and killed a 27-year-old Palestinian man in Azoun village near the town of Qalqilya early Saturday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The army said it had opened fire after a group of suspects threw firebombs toward the soldiers. Tensions have been heightened in recent weeks by Palestinian shooting attacks in Israeli cities, an Israeli military crackdown in the northern West Bank, where some of the attackers came from, and recurring confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli police around the most sensitive religious site in Jerusalem. The site contains the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, and increasing numbers of Palestinians go there to pray during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The hilltop compound is also the holiest site for Jews, who call it the Temple Mount because it was where the biblical Temples were situated. The site is a frequent flashpoint of tensions, and violence there last year helped spark an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza militants. Sinwar, the Hamas leader, said more visits by religious Jewish groups to the hilltop compound and ensuing clashes between Palestinians and police forces protecting the visitors could lead to a new round of cross-border violence in Gaza. "All the factions of resistance in the Gaza Strip must be prepared and be on alert," Sinwar said, suggesting that tension in Jerusalem will further heighten after the end of the Ramadan month, with more visits by Jews expected. In recent weeks, Israeli police and Palestinians have clashed there on a number of occasions, including Friday morning. Israeli authorities accuse Hamas of inciting violence and say security forces were forced to intervene to halt stone-throwing. The Palestinians say the presence of Israeli police at the site, and regular visits by increasing numbers of nationalist and religious Jews, are a violation of decades-old informal arrangements governing the site. The visits were halted last week for the last 10 days of Ramadan, which concludes this weekend. Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See more stories here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. WASHINGTON A top Food and Drug Administration official pledged Friday not to delay the rollout of coronavirus vaccines for the youngest children and said at least one of the two shots under review could become available by June. The remarks by Peter Marks, director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, came in an interview about the agencys new, but tentative, timeline for handling vaccine issues during the next two months. The FDA announced plans to convene meetings with its outside advisers on June 8, 21 and 22 to consider emergency use authorizations for pediatric coronavirus shots and to hold additional sessions for other pressing vaccine matters. Vaccine maker Moderna requested emergency use authorization for its vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old on Thursday, and Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, are expected to submit the full data on a three-dose regimen for children 6 months to 4 years old in coming weeks. Marks said the agency will not delay one vaccine to wait for the other. Each products application, he said, would be considered when the data are ready. We are not going to delay things unnecessarily here, Marks said. FDA officials will decide closer to the meeting dates which product will be reviewed when, depending on the status of the reviews, he said. Markss promise to handle the vaccine applications expeditiously was partly a reaction to a recent story in Politico that said the FDA was considering holding off on clearing the two-dose Moderna vaccine so that it could review that product alongside the three-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The story suggested regulators might be uneasy about authorizing an acceptable but less-effective shot when it was possible a more potent option might be just weeks behind. Angry parents decried any potential delay involving the Moderna vaccine. Marks said in the interview that if the vaccines are ready for consideration within a week of each other, he might present them to the agencys vaccine advisory committee close together, on successive days. But if there is a longer lag time, he will hold separate advisers meetings, he said. Marks also said that if the companies data hold up to scrutiny on safety, efficacy and quality, we would anticipate June authorizations for one or more of the pediatric vaccinations. The FDA has come under enormous pressure to move quickly or, at minimum, explain its plans on pediatric vaccines. Parents, pediatricians and politicians have expressed rising frustration that children younger than 5 remain ineligible for the shots, long after other Americans have received vaccinations and, in many cases, booster doses. Many people have sworn off masks and other protections and are attempting to revert to a pre-pandemic lifestyle, increasing concerns for unprotected unvaccinated children. In a statement Friday, the FDA said it understands the urgency of getting vaccines to the youngest Americans but added that the vaccine makers submissions are not fully complete. The agency said that as it reviews incoming data from the companies, it will provide details on the meetings and that it would take action quickly, assuming information supports a clear path to authorization. Marks said the vaccine reviews might take a few weeks longer than past emergency vaccine authorizations because of the complexity added by the variants and the need to closely examine the safety profile. Vaccine-induced fevers in young children can be more serious than in adults, he noted, causing febrile seizures. Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston and a parent of a child in this age group, said the timeline should be faster than the FDA has laid out, more in keeping with the review of the Pfizer vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, which took less than a month. I agree the FDA needs to assess the side-effect profile. It would take me about six minutes. I wouldnt need six weeks. Just show me the data, Faust said. The FDA also announced plans to meet June 7 with its outside advisers the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee to discuss an emergency authorization request for a coronavirus vaccine made by Novavax for people 18 and older. A vocal group of investors and some people who say they prefer the more traditional vaccine technology have been pushing for access to that vaccine for months. Novavax submitted an application for emergency use authorization in late January. The vaccine uses a protein-based technology, with some novel twists. The vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are produced using a new messenger RNA technology. Last June, Novavax said the vaccine was 90% effective in preventing people from falling ill in a 30,000-person trial conducted when variants had begun to complicate the pandemic in the United States and Mexico. The firm has had manufacturing problems, which have delayed its vaccine. In addition, the FDA said it will convene an advisory committee meeting June 28 to discuss whether the composition of coronavirus vaccines should be modified, and if so, which strains should be selected for use this fall. The agency and its advisers met April 6 to begin sketching the outlines of a long-term strategy for deploying vaccine booster shots against the coronavirus amid uncertainty about future variants and a rapidly closing window to prepare for a potential fall vaccination campaign. Many experts say that additional shots for the general population should be reformulated to keep up with the changing virus, but the question of whether, when and how to do that remains unresolved. FDA officials have said a decision on the composition of a fall booster would probably need to be made by May or June. The path to a vaccine for the youngest children has been difficult, marked by disappointing results, delays and confusing communication. The full data package for the Moderna application is expected to be filed by early in the second week of May, according to a senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The company is seeking authorization for vaccines for children up to age 17. Children as young as 5 already have access to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Modernas pediatric vaccine program has been stalled for almost a year because of concerns about rare cases of heart inflammation in adolescents. Some parents have called for the agency to prioritize young children because they dont have access to any protection. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the youngest children had initially been expected to roll out early this year. But in December, the company announced that its two-shot regimen, which is a lower dose than Modernas, had failed to meet the laboratory benchmark of achieving an immune response comparable to what had been reported in young adults. The company has been testing the effects of adding a third shot. Frustration over the pace of the pediatric vaccine intensified this week, amid concerns that a vaccine might not be available until the summer. We have been calling the FDA and emailing and calling our representatives in Congress, said Katie Harmon, who has a 4-year-old unvaccinated daughter and belongs to a group of parents and pediatricians called Protect Their Future. Kids under 5 are being left behind while others are moving on. The organization sent a petition, signed by more than 1,600 people, to the FDA pressing for the authorization of a vaccine as soon as safety and efficacy are established. FDA must commit to reviewing each submission at the earliest opportunity and on an independent timeline, the petition said. Members of Congress, including Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., chairman of the select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, also have been pushing the FDA on pediatric coronavirus vaccines. Harmon said she would get her daughter vaccinated immediately, even if it means using a two-dose Moderna vaccine that might not be as effective as a three-dose Pfizer-BioNTech regimen. I feel the best shots are the ones you can get right away, Harmon said. But Brooke Watts, who lives in Tacoma, Wash., has daughters ages 1 and 4 and said she thinks it would be fine for the FDA to wait a little longer and deal with both vaccines at the same time. She said that the number of COVID-19 cases in her area is fairly low and that her pediatrician said the chance of her daughters developing serious illness from the coronavirus is small. WASHINGTON The Department of Homeland Security is stepping up an effort to counter disinformation coming from Russia as well as misleading information that human smugglers circulate to target migrants hoping to travel to the U.S.-Mexico border. "The spread of disinformation can affect border security, Americans' safety during disasters, and public trust in our democratic institutions," the department said in a statement Wednesday. It declined The Associated Press' request for an interview. A newly formed Disinformation Governance Board announced Wednesday will immediately begin focusing on misinformation aimed at migrants, a problem that has helped to fuel sudden surges at the U.S. southern border in recent years. Human smugglers often spread misinformation around border policies to drum up business. Last September, for example, confusion around President Joe Biden's immigration policies combined with messages shared widely across the Haitian community on Meta's Facebook and WhatsApp platforms led some of the 14,000 migrants to the border town of Del Rio, Texas, where they set up camp. Some were ultimately expelled and were flown out of the U.S. "We are very concerned that Haitians who are taking the irregular migration path are receiving misinformation that the border is open," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at the time. The new board also will monitor and prepare for Russian disinformation threats as this year's midterm elections near and the Kremlin continues an aggressive disinformation campaign around the war in Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly waged misinformation campaigns aimed at U.S. audiences to further divisions around election time and spread conspiracy theories around U.S. COVID-19 vaccines. Most recently, Russian state media outlets, social media accounts and officials have used the internet to call photographs, reporting and videos of dead bodies and bombed buildings in Ukraine fake. The board will be led by disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz, who has researched Russian misinformation tactics and online harassment. During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden, a Democrat, repeatedly said he would push tech companies, including Facebook, to crack down harder on misinformation and conspiracy theories that have overwhelmed social media and its users. Dozens of Republican lawmakers and pundits took to social media on Wednesday to widely criticize the new board and call for it to be disbanded. "Rather than police our border, Homeland Security has decided to make policing Americans' speech its top priority," a tweet from Missouri's U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley read, in part. "They're creating a Disinformation Board." Rather than police our border, Homeland Security has decided to make policing Americans' speech its top priority. They're creating a Disinformation Board. No, really. And take a look at the views of the leftist radical running it pic.twitter.com/70hM1Cle3Q Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 27, 2022 The Biden Administration's new anti-speech czar is apparently no fan of the @elonmusk Twitter acquisition. This is the person Joe Biden just put in charge of policing Americans' speech. Using the power of the government pic.twitter.com/7lkvhfnVey Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 27, 2022 Behold, America's new speech czar https://t.co/3clMcIqVFK Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 29, 2022 DHS said in its statement that the board will "protect privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties" as part of its duties. Robert E. Passanisi, who as a 17-year-old doctored his birth certificate in 1942 so that he could join the Army and ended up in Burma as one of Merrills Marauders, died on Tuesday at his home in Lindenhurst, N.Y. He was 97. His death comes just days after that of fellow Marauder Raleigh Nayes, who died April 21 in Chippewa Falls, Wis., at age 99. Only three of the roughly 3,000 original Merrills Marauders now remain living. Passanisi died in his home while in hospice care following surgery late last fall for kidney problems, his son Robert Passanisi, Jr., said in a phone interview Friday. The elder Passanisi began attending annual reunions of Merrills Marauders veterans in the 1950s and over time became the units historian and go-to guy for all things Marauders, his son recalled. He was instrumental in helping family members and descendants of Marauders in locating and retrieving military records so that, for example, veterans could receive medals the military had neglected to actually present, he said. In 2010, he was key in identifying remains of three Marauders who had been missing in action in Burma since the war, he said. There were hundreds of descendants who were helped by his perseverance in getting the information to them or help them have final closure, Passanisi said. He was inducted into the Armys Ranger Hall of Fame in 2016. The Rangers trace their lineage to the Marauders. In recent years, the aging veterans played a major role in lobbying Congress to recognize the contributions of the entire Marauders outfit formally known as the 5307th Composite Unit with the Congressional Gold Medal. When Congress passed the bill to do so in September 2020, Passanisi said in a news release that he felt he was floating on air. A virtual Congressional Gold Medal ceremony is scheduled for May 25, hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office and broadcast on C-Span. The Marauders namesake was Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill, who led the Army unit as it fought behind Japanese lines in Burma during the war. The units ultimate mission was to capture the Myitkyina airfield in northern Burma, which it did on May 17, 1944, but not before a 1,000-mile slog over the Himalayan foothills, through jungles and enemy resistance. It was not until August that the Japanese were fully routed from the town of Myitkyina, by which time fewer than 200 Marauders were still standing, their ranks thinned by disease, parasites, exhaustion, malnutrition, wounds and death. Passanisi was born on July 24, 1924, in Brooklyn, where his father was a bricklayer. The youngest of 12 children, the teenager learned to repair radios from his older brother, who was in that business, Passanisi said in an oral history in 2019 videotaped by his local library. In 1942, the 17-year-old Passanisi manipulated the ink on his birth certificate so that he could join the Army, the only service branch recruiting high-school dropouts, he said. He volunteered for the Burma mission, where he was a radio operator and repairman with the 1st Battalion. Mules were central to the lives of Marauders, and Passanisi jokes in the video about a city boy adjusting to the creatures. Everything we had we carried on our backs or carried on our mules, he says in the video. I, a kid from Brooklyn, had to take care of a stinkin mule. I gotta say that after a while you became dependent upon the mule, and you appreciated the mule, and you took care of him. Passanisi was hospitalized with malaria, among other ailments, during the summer assault on the town of Myitkyina but returned to the front line despite not being fully recovered, his son said. He was discharged from the Army as a staff sergeant in July 1945 and within a few years was operating his own radio and television repair shop. He eventually completed high school, earned an electrical engineering degree and worked for several electronics and aerospace companies, his son said. A funeral mass is scheduled for Monday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Lindenhurst, followed by burial at Breslau Cemetery. The next Beauty for Ashes event, to be held today, Saturday April 30 at Otumoetai Baptist Church, will take the form of a worship and healing service, with guest speaker Neils Jensen. Jim and Tonia Butler, who founded Beauty of Ashes more than 20 years ago, became friends with Neils when he worked at Faithway Christian Centre in Judea, Tauranga. He was a co-founder and part of the leadership team alongside senior pastors Stewart and Joy Hanna, says Tonia. With 10 years serving as administrator, worship team member and midweek preacher Neils led a series called Night Vision. More recently he has been away from New Zealand, serving overseas for the last 15 years. He has a big heart and passion for people and moves with a prophetic anointing and healing ministry. Beauty for Ashes is an interdenominational Christian ministry to the broken-hearted, with the vision to bring hope, compassion, restoration and healing to peoples lives. Jim and Tonia are both ordained ministers and have pastored five churches over 36 years. We are excited and privileged to have him with us at Beauty for Ashes, says Tonia. We are inviting the public to be with us and come and be blessed. The service runs from 3.30pm 5.30pm and is open to all. Entry is by $10 donation at the door. The wearing of masks is optional and there is no childcare or Eftpos available. Beauty for Ashes will be held at Otumoetai Baptist, 241 Otumoetai Road, Tauranga from 3.30pm 5.30pm on Saturday, April 30. Jim and Tonia Butler. Photo: Supplied. Bay of Plenty Have you got your Class 2 manual license and are looking to get your foot in the door of a well renowned company? Read on!he... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz The Bay of Plenty has one of the lowest vaccination rates for Covid-19 with only 66 per cent of eligible people having received their first, second and booster vaccinations so far. The Lakes region is not much further ahead with only 66.3 per cent of the eligible population having received all three vaccinations. Counties Manakau DHB is sitting at 65.9 per cent and Tairawhiti DHB has the lowest figure with only 65.8 per cent fully vaccinated and boosted. "Vaccination remains our best defence against Covid-19 and a booster in addition to first and second doses gives you greater immunity against Omicron and severe illness," says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. "Theres a much lower risk of being hospitalised if youre up to date with your Covid-19 vaccinations. "So, if you or your whanau are due for a Covid-19 vaccination whether it be a first or second dose or a booster please, make an appointment today." More than 10.6 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered to eligible people aged 12 and above in New Zealand, including 2.6m booster shots. Almost 114,000 children aged 5 to 11 have had two doses of the vaccine, while 261,367 have had one. The Auckland DHB had more than 99 per cent of its eligible population aged 12 and up at least partially vaccinated and 416, 742 people in this group - 98.3 per cent - have received their second dose. People aged 12 and over in Canterbury have also reached 99 per cent partially vaccinated, with 98.9 per cent of that population on their second dose. XE Omicron subvariant So far, only one case of the XE Omicron subvariant - caught at the border - has been identified in New Zealand. But as genome sequencing is limited, we cannot know for sure. The first known case of XE in the country was recorded on April 23, and to date, sequencing did not indicate it was established in New Zealand at present. There is a time delay of at least "several" days between a case in the community being infected and sequencing for that case being potentially undertaken. In addition, not all community cases can be sequenced, as most community cases are detected through rapid antigen tests which can't be sent for sequencing. Meanwhile, new research has suggested if you have Covid-19 symptoms but test negative, you should test again one to two days later, or on day four of feeling crook. A study from the United States, compared PCR and RAT results of 225 children with the virus, and found sensitivity of RATs peaked four days after symptoms began. Researchers also found doing a second test one or two days after an initial negative test helped increase the number of cases detected via RATs. Infectious diseases physician Kurt Krause said the findings reaffirmed that PCR is "still really the gold standard" for Covid testing. Global toll Data from John Hopkins University shows more than 512 million people have been infected with Sars-CoV-2, and more than 6.2 million have died. Vaccination efforts are continuing with 11.3 billion doses administered around the world. The United States continue to record the most cases and fatalities - more than 81 million cases and more than 993,000 deaths. South Korea has the highest 28-day rolling total, with 3.8 million cases reported in the past month and 6134 deaths. Germany and France follow closely behind, with 3.3 million and 2.9 million cases reported in the past 28 days, respectively. The Ministry of Health is today reporting 7,043 new community cases of Covid-19, 468 hospitalisations and seven deaths. There are 15 people in ICU across New Zealand. In the Bay of Plenty there are 256 new community cases, and 122 in the Lakes District Health Board region. There are 12 people in Bay of Plenty hospitals and two in Lakes hospitals with Covid-19. Covid-19 deaths Today we are sadly reporting the deaths of seven people with Covid -19, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. The deaths being reported today are for people who have died over the previous three days. Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with Covid -19, rather than from Covid -19, and COVID being discovered only after they have died. These deaths take the total number of publicly reported deaths with Covid -19 to 744 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 11. Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today, one person was from Northland, one from the Auckland region, one from Waikato, one from MidCentral, two from Canterbury, and one from Southern. One was in their 60s, three in their 70s, two in their 80s, and one was over 90. Three were women and four were men. Out of respect, we will be making no further comment, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. The seven-day rolling average of case numbers today is 7,415 a reduction from last Saturday, when it was 8,475. With ongoing community transmission across the motu, it is important we remain vigilant. That means continuing to follow public health advice to stay at home, away from school or work if youre feeling unwell, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. Another way to protect you, your whanau and friends is to get vaccinated, if you arent already. Its free and available for everyone aged five and over. Vaccination remains our best defence against Covid-19 and a booster in addition to first and second doses gives you greater immunity against Omicron and severe illness. Theres a much lower risk of being hospitalised if youre up to date with your Covid -19 vaccinations, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson. So, if you or your whanau are due for a Covid -19 vaccination whether it be a first or second dose or a booster please, make an appointment today. Vaccinations administered in New Zealand Vaccines administered to date: 4,026,582 first doses; 3,977,899 second doses; 31,776 third primary doses; 2,628,922 booster doses: 261,483 paediatric first doses and 115,042 paediatric second doses Vaccines administered yesterday: 33 first doses; 85 second doses; 23 third primary doses; 1,637 booster doses; 117 paediatric first doses and 1,147 paediatric second doses People vaccinated All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,056,270 first dose (96.4%); 4,006,976 second dose (95.2%), 2,624,983 boosted (71% of those eligible) Maori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 521,009 first dose (91.2%); 504,027 second dose (88.3%), 234,336 boosted (54.7% of those eligible) Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 281,860 first dose (98.3%); 276,964 second dose (96.6%), 139,661 boosted (56.9% of those eligible) 5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 258,732 first dose (54.3%); 112,331 second dose (23.6%) 5 to 11-year-olds - Maori: 40,778 first dose (35.3%); 12,692 second dose (11%) 5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 23,470 first dose (47.5%); 6,356 second dose (12.9%) Note that the number for People vaccinated differs slightly from Vaccines administered as it includes those that have been vaccinated overseas. Vaccination rates for all DHBs Northland DHB: first dose (90.1%); second dose (88%); boosted (67.7%) Auckland DHB: first dose (99.2%); second dose (98.3%); boosted (72.9%) Counties Manukau DHB: first dose (96.2%); second dose (95%); boosted (65.8%) Waitemata DHB: first dose (96.5%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (70.8%) Waikato DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.6%); boosted (66.5%) Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.1%); second dose (93.4%); boosted (65.9%) Lakes DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91.4%); boosted (66.3%) MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (72.1%) Tairawhiti DHB: first dose (93.2%); second dose (91%); boosted (65.7%) Whanganui DHB: first dose (91.9%); second dose (90.4%); boosted (71.5%) Hawkes Bay DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (95.6%); boosted (69.7%) Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.6%); second dose (93.3%); boosted (68.1%) Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95%); boosted (72.9%) Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.8%); boosted (79.4%) Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.6%); second dose (95.7%); boosted (74.9%) Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.4%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (73.3%) West Coast DHB: first dose (92.7%); second dose (91.3%); boosted (71.5%) Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.7%); second dose (98.9%); boosted (74.4%) South Canterbury DHB: first dose (94.7%); second dose (93.7%); boosted (74.4%) Southern DHB: first dose (98.5%); second dose (97.4%); boosted (73.1%) Partially and second doses percentages are for those 12+. Boosted percentages are for 18+ who have become eligible 3 months after having their second dose Percentages are based on 2020 HSU data - a health-specific population denominator. As the population continues to change over time, coverage rates can exceed 100%. Hospitalisations Cases in hospital: total number 468: Northland: 31; Waitemata: 75; Counties Manukau: 60; Auckland: 94; Waikato: 39; Bay of Plenty: 12; Lakes: 2; Tairawhiti: 0; Hawkes Bay: 13; Taranaki: 5; Whanganui: 3; MidCentral: 8; Wairarapa: 0; Hutt Valley: 9; Capital and Coast: 11; Nelson Marlborough: 6; Canterbury: 64; South Canterbury: 3; West Coast: 2; Southern: 31 *Average age of current hospitalisations: 60 Cases in ICU or HDU: 15 Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (43 cases / 17.06%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (6 cases / 2.38%); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (70 cases / 27.78%); Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (125 cases / 49.60%); Unknown (13 cases / 5.16%) *Please note the average age of current hospitalisations is for the Northern Region admissions only at this stage. This data is recorded and extracted from the same source as the vaccination status of patients in Northern Region hospitals. We are currently working on a data solution which would include the average age of current hospitalisations from additional DHBs. Cases Seven day rolling average of community cases: 7,415 Seven day rolling average (as at same day last week): 8,475 Number of new community cases: 7,043 Number of new community cases (PCR): 199 Number of new community cases (RAT): 6,844 Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (200), Auckland (1,989), Waikato (435), Bay of Plenty (266), Lakes (122), Hawkes Bay (191), MidCentral (273), Whanganui (89), Taranaki (193), Tairawhiti (75), Wairarapa (70), Capital and Coast (436), Hutt Valley (193), Nelson Marlborough (287), Canterbury (1,203), South Canterbury (152), Southern (782), West Coast (85), Unknown (2) Number of new cases identified at the border: 76 Number of active community cases (total): 51,892 (cases identified in the past 7 days and not yet classified as recovered) Confirmed cases (total): 927,762 Please note, the Ministry of Healths daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO. Tests United Nations, April 30 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will begin a "Ramadan solidarity visit" on Saturday to Senegal, Niger and Nigeria, said his Deputy spokesman. Guterres will meet and share an Iftar dinner with President Macky Sall of Senegal, who assumed the presidency of the African Union earlier this year. He will also take part in Eid celebrations with President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger and he is scheduled to meet President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman, added on Friday. Monday is Eid al-Fitr, a religious holiday at the end of the holy month of Ramadan that is celebrated by Muslims worldwide, Xinhua news agency reported. In the three countries, the Secretary-General will have meetings with senior government officials as well as civil society representatives, including women, youth groups and religious leaders. He will meet families deeply affected by violence and instability in the Sahel, including people internally displaced and refugees, said Haq. The UN chief will also see first-hand the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and will assess progress and challenges to the Covid-19 recovery, he added. Guterres began annual Ramadan solidarity visits when he was UN High Commissioner for Refugees. He is resuming this tradition, which was interrupted by Covid-19. The Africa trip follows his visits to Moscow and Kiev to push for peace in Ukraine. the UN chief met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. The combined Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak fires have destroyed more than 200 structures, including homes, in areas northwest of Las Vegas, N.M., according to fire officials. Cenares spokespersons told Andina news agency a couple days ago that both batches will land at Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport before being transported to the warehouses of said institution and will be distributed according to the schedule set by Minsa's immunization strategy. Meanwhile, Minsa reported that 2,195,000 pediatric doses of the influenza vaccine have been distributed to the Directorates of Integrated Health Networks (Diris), the Regional Health Management Offices (Geresa), and the Regional Health Directorates (Diresa), so that all establishments have doses in stock to vaccinate the child population. These vaccines, which are part of the national vaccination schedule, were dispatched to all regions across the country through Cenares. Additionally, he explained that all health centers in the country have been supplied the pediatric influenza vaccine and called on the population to bring their children to get vaccinated. During this campaign, the pediatric influenza vaccine has been administered to children aged 6 months of age and above, as well as the other vaccines against 27 diseases specified in the regular vaccination schedule. El director de Cenares del #Minsa, Jose Gonzales, indico que el 1 y 2 de mayo ingresaran al pais dos lotes de vacunas contra la influenza ??para adultos, los cuales seran inmediatamente distribuidos para su aplicacion pic.twitter.com/Mv4gG1GmBU akhil994 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Toronto Posts: 296 Thanked: 701 Times Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land! Quote: kiku007 Originally Posted by A salaried person can either watch their CM been driven in a LR Defender while they wait for 30 minutes on the road which was blocked for the CM to whiz past with a cavalcade of 10 cars or give up something in return for the opportunity to own that LR Defender abroad and enjoy it. Tread your own path. Finally someone had to state the obvious in an auto enthusiasts forum! ThanksA salaried person can either watch their CM been driven in a LR Defender while they wait for 30 minutes on the road which was blocked for the CM to whiz past with a cavalcade of 10 cars or give up something in return for the opportunity to own that LR Defender abroad and enjoy it. Tread your own path. Quote: GreasyCarb55 Originally Posted by I'm happy that someone said this. If a car costs $100,000 in the US, I'm ready to pay $120,000 in India but what I'm not ready to do is spend 83 lakh (approximately $108,000) on an M340i while I could be buying a full fat BMW M5 for the same money in the US. Will I change my views as I grow older? Maybe or maybe not but everyone has their own reasons to move or stay put. Quote: PrideRed Originally Posted by Agree to this, buying a car is lot more easier elsewhere. But then there is a problem, dream gets bigger too! As an example if Mustang is a dream car in India, In US i would dream something higher. While owning a Mercedes C class is a distant dream in India, you can easily buy one in US, but would not be a dream car after settling down and getting to know about cars in US. Also felt buying a dream car in a place where you have your near and dear ones is far more fulfilling than buying one in a remote land where you have smaller circle. My dream cars have always been the AMGs, maybe even the Porsche 911. Where am I better placed to buy those cars, considering a normal salaried individual? Not in India for sure. The thing is, from my perspective, I see myself as someone who is starting from scratch and building up equity for myself and family from scratch. House affordability is such a big issue in India now in the metro cities. So I ask myself this (and again all of these are short term questions, based on my current situation) : Where can I buy a house/real estate and establish equity faster and easier - Not in India Where can I actually build a base, establish wealth and grow my net worth quicker - Not in India Where can I also fulfil my passion of driving nice cars ? - Not in India Where can I have clean air and water ? - Definitely not in India (considering Delhi as the parameter) The last question has been so pertinent, that my father had been pushing me to move even before I thought about it, only because he saw me suffer every year for 3-4 months with severe cough and breathing issues. All of this does not mean that I am deriding my country! Heck I am proudly Indian, but personal circumstances sometimes do not leave you much of a choice and you have to take the hard decisions. In my case it was driven by my health, for someone else, it might be completely different. But yes you are right, those hard choices do come with consequences, but then isn't that the case with everything in life? Quote: nandrive Originally Posted by When I left the job in India my organization hired for my position, so indirectly I helped a fellow Indian to get a high paying job by vacating mine. If we want to see India as a dominant force, we should spread across the world and contribute positively for the cause. That is quite a unique perspective! That is what we are, aren't we? A bunch of auto enthusiasts and of course that would factor in our decisions as well. I am already eyeing at leasing a CLA here, which I wouldn't be able to do back in India.That is so true. The difference cost and ease of purchase of getting that M340i in India vs in the west, is so huge, that it definitely plays on your mindA slight disagreement here. Buying a mustang is only a dream because of the sticker price in India. Is the car worth 90 lakh on road ? No way in hell!My dream cars have always been the AMGs, maybe even the Porsche 911. Where am I better placed to buy those cars, considering a normal salaried individual? Not in India for sure.The thing is, from my perspective, I see myself as someone who is starting from scratch and building up equity for myself and family from scratch. House affordability is such a big issue in India now in the metro cities. So I ask myself this (and again all of these are short term questions, based on my current situation) :Where can I buy a house/real estate and establish equity faster and easier - Not in IndiaWhere can I actually build a base, establish wealth and grow my net worth quicker - Not in IndiaWhere can I also fulfil my passion of driving nice cars ? - Not in IndiaWhere can I have clean air and water ? - Definitely not in India (considering Delhi as the parameter)The last question has been so pertinent, that my father had been pushing me to move even before I thought about it, only because he saw me suffer every year for 3-4 months with severe cough and breathing issues.All of this does not mean that I am deriding my country! Heck I am proudly Indian, but personal circumstances sometimes do not leave you much of a choice and you have to take the hard decisions. In my case it was driven by my health, for someone else, it might be completely different. But yes you are right, those hard choices do come with consequences, but then isn't that the case with everything in life?That is quite a unique perspective! Last edited by akhil994 : 29th April 2022 at 21:52 . In a nutshell: Microsoft is testing a new feature for its Edge browser called Secure Network. It's essentially a built-in VPN service powered by Cloudflare, although, unlike other VPNs, you're going to be limited to 1GB of data a month. Microsoft Edge has become a capable browser since becoming Chromium-based in 2019. It even recently overtook Safari as the second most popular desktop browser, albeit Microsoft's decision to make it a headache to switch to an alternative in Windows 11 might have played a part in that. On a recently discovered support page, Microsoft details a new feature coming to the browser that it hopes will give it a leg up over Google Chrome. The "Microsoft Edge Secure Network" is essentially a built-in VPN powered by Cloudflare. While Microsoft isn't explicitly calling it a VPN service, the description gives it away. The company claims that enabling the feature will help prevent online tracking by encrypting your web traffic while also keeping your location private by masking your IP address. You have to first sign in to your Microsoft account to use the feature. This requirement is because you only get 1GB of free data per month, which is tracked with your account. Microsoft doesn't mention if there'll be any options in the future to pay for extra data. Cloudflare claims that it won't retain or sell any user information, and it will delete all data related to browsing sessions within 25 hours. Secure Network is not yet available, but it'll probably appear soon in Edge Canary or Dev. It's worth noting that having a VPN built into your browser isn't anything new, as Opera has included one ever since 2016. In brief: Qualcomm bought Nuvia last year and then announced that together they would release laptop chips that would compete with Apple's M1 sometime this year. However, comments in a recent earnings call have either pushed those plans back or shed more light on them. During a quarterly earnings call this week, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said the development of its upcoming Arm-based notebook CPU, which Nuvia is designing, is on track. However, he also said Qualcomm expects it to arrive in late 2023, over a year after its previously disclosed release window. Qualcomm bought Nuvia in March 2021 to get ahead in the laptop CPU market, specifically to catch up to Apple's M-series processors. That summer, the company said it planned to release a Nuvia-designed laptop chip in 2022. After the earnings call, Qualcomm told PCWorld that its roadmap has been consistent since its presentation last November. It said it would sample the Nuvia processor in 2022 and release products using it in 2023. Qualcomm reiterated that Amon's mention of 2023 referred to product launches. Either this was the plan from the beginning, or the delay occurred last fall. Qualcomm and Nuvia could end up sampling their CPU right up against the launch of the next generation of Apple chips. Apple is rumored to have several M2-powered devices planned for this year, with M3 expected next year. EV tax credits are unreasonable, claims coal miner millionaire and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin. He shared his opinion during the recent Senate hearing on Thursday, Apr. 28. In 2021, the Biden Administration's Build Back Better Act proposed that EV tax credits should be provided to electric car manufacturers. This is one of the efforts made by U.S. President Joe Biden to make the United States auto industry more zero-emission. For the past few years, many automakers started to follow the lead of Tesla when it comes to creating zero-emission vehicles. However, Senator Minchin has always shared his opposite regarding EVs, especially the EV subsidies. Here's what he said. EV Tax Credits Not Needed? According to Ars Technica's latest report, Joe Minchi argued that the electric vehicle units in the auto industry are still insufficient. Also Read: Driverless Taxi Permits of Baidu, Pony.AI in Beijing Have Been Approved | Rides for Free? Because of this, he believes that EV tax credits are unreasonable. "There's a waiting list for EVs right now with the fuel price at $4. But they still want us to throw [a] $5,000 or $7,000 or $12,000 credit to buy electric vehicles. It makes no sense to me whatsoever," said the U.S. senator. He added that EV tax credits are "ludicrous" if manufacturers can't produce enough units that can meet the demands of American consumers. Is EV Really Insufficient? Tesla and other EV makers are still producing more and more electric car units as people tend to transition to zero-emission vehicles. In 2021, EV Volumes.Com reported that EV production increased by 108% compared to the units manufactured in 2020. Specifically, there are more than 6.75 million EV units were produced. In the first quarter of 2022, experts claimed that electric car production has increased. This means that Tesla and other carmakers are now producing higher numbers of EV units. On the other hand, faster Rivian production output is expected as the company reorganizes its manufacturing activities. Recently, Ford's F-150 Lightning shipment has already begun. For more news updates about EV tax credits and other car tech topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: US EV Sales See a Record-Breaking Profit and the Electrification Campaign is Effective TechTimes own this article Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Google is giving everyone a chance to remove their personal information via the search company's platforms, which shows that the company is changing its systems for privacy. Personal information online was previously something that Google held, and while other platforms may still have it available, the Mountain View tech giant is changing its ways. Google Stops Showing Personal Information Online A post on Google blog brings a new development in the company's internet feature, and it is to remove personal information online. The tech giant is giving the public a chance to control their information for all their needs. It is mainly focusing on their full names, contact information, and physical addresses that they gave Google before. It might be useful to some, especially as it is a matter of privacy and their security which they have the right to control. Its goal is to give the public more control over how they present themselves online. Read Also: Google's Ad Feature Now Limits Categories Under Pregnancy, Parenting, and Weight Loss How to Remove Your Personal Information on Google Google's website has the request form to remove personal information online, and it gives users different options to apply for this feature. Users will get an automated response that will confirm the receipt at first, and then it will further send out messages once the deed is done. Some of the options uses have are removing information seen on Google or preventing it from showing itself online. Users can also take this off any websites appearing or on search results. However, note that the information is only disappearing on Google's platform. Google and its Privacy Google has a thing for privacy, and since then, the company has brought many features that will protect the person from having their data and information sold or taken from them via the internet. The company brought many efforts and updates to its many systems that promote security and privacy online, giving everyone a chance to be safe, even on a public entity such as the internet. The tech giant is famous for its search features that the company brought together when the internet was first revolutionizing for public use. One of the many features of Google is keyword searching, and it develops through time, giving everyone the chance to describe things when they cannot say it has available results. The latest anti-doxxing feature on Google brings a chance for the public to protect their data and real-world identity from malicious threat actors that collect it. The feature would also be helpful to protect against websites that collect personal information once a person visits it for their needs, especially in this age where information is freely available online. Related Article: Google Creates New Search Policy to Prevent Doxxing This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Twitter employees based in Singapore have recent concerns about the company following Elon Musk's desire to buy the social media platform for $44 billion or S$61 billion. The operations in the Asia-Pacific headquarter of the tech firm appear to be continuous at the moment. However, workers have thoughts about the stock options and compensation packages amid the planned takeover of the business tycoon. Twitter Employees Share Thoughts About the Upcoming Takeover The first thought that might concern an employee is the job cut in hindsight. In some cases, when the company owner is replaced by someone new, there could be some changes in the workforce structure. It's noteworthy to mention that these changes could affect the position of staff in an organization. However, Twitter employees in the Singaporean headquarter said that it's the least of their concerns. According to The Strait Times, the workers are much more concerned about the pay structure once the takeover takes effect. One employee mentioned in the report that when Twitter is delisted, the acquisition will mean that the pay structure and their contracts will be affected. Additionally, this could mean that those individuals with stock options will experience the changes within the company. Elon Musk Weighs Options About Cutting Jobs In another story written by Bloomberg this week, some people who are familiar with the event told the news outlet that Elon Musk is currently discussing job cuts and other techniques to generate more money for the platform. To heavily secure the financial position of Twitter, the tech boss should consider adding it to the plan. This would help the firm to develop the company's overall financials. However, this alleged discussion was immediately dismissed by the current CEO Parag Agrawal. According to the chief executive, the latest discussion did not discuss layoffs for the employees. Per The Strait Times, one worker said that Musk has not yet established a firm stance about the company financing. Furthermore, the employee said that the SpaceX boss needs to share his thoughts on how to increase the company's profits because they have been stagnant for a while. "It is too early to speculate about retrenchments when the deal isn't even finalized yet. I don't expect to be retrenched, but if it happens, it happens. We can always find new jobs as our skills are in high demand," the employee adds. The person continues that it will be all about business until the deal has been locked. This also means that there will be no changes in the operations and work priorities. Related Article: Elon Musk's Twitter Plan To Charge Companies for Embedded Tweets | Shares Opinion About Far-Left People Twitter to Expand its Headquarter Size Meanwhile, The Business Times reports that the social media giant has officially announced that it will extend its headquarters based in the Central Business District. The extension will cover 22,000 sq. ft. of land, which will be double the size of the current space of the office. Originally, it was planned to happen on Thursday, Apr. 28. However, the company canceled it ahead of schedule. Read Also: Apple Employees Air Concerns For Increased Flexibility; Pushes For Remote Work Option This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Gettyimages/ GREG BAKER) Xiaomi On Saturday, Apr. 30, India's anti-money laundering agency revealed that it had seized assets worth around $725 million from Xiaomi India for breaching the country's foreign exchange laws. This incident is a major blow to the Chinese phone maker that commands the smartphone market in the country. India's Agency Seizes Xiaomi's Assets The Indian Enforcement Directorate or IED said that it had seized the bank accounts of Xiaomi India after it found out that the telecommunications company had remitted $725 million to three foreign-based entities in the guise of royalty payments. The IED added that such huge amounts in the name of royalties were remitted on the instructions of their Chinese parent group entities, according to Reuters. The amount remitted to two other unrelated entities based in the United States was also for the Xiaomi group entities' benefit. Also Read: Xiaomi Mi Fan Festival Kicks Off On Wednesday In India: Mi 5 And Accessories On Sale, Special Deals In Tow The agency, which has been investigating Xiaomi as well as several other Chinese firms since December 2021, said that the phone maker had provided misleading information to the banks while remitting the money abroad. Xiaomi commanded 23% of India's smartphone market share in the quarter that ended in March, according to Counterpoint. Its former head, Manu Jain, was summoned by the agency in January for questioning over tax-related compliances. The company has taken a hit in its popularity in the past few years after India's ban on Chinese apps over national security concerns, according to Gadgets 360. For optics measures, Xiaomi rebranded several of its shops in the country in 2020 with "Made in India" banners in a move that analysts said was the phone maker's attempt to distance itself from its Chinese parent firm. India's Ban on Chinese Apps According to Tech Crunch, the Indian government banned 59 apps developed by Chinese firms over concerns that these apps were engaging in activities that threatened the country's national security and defense, which "impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India." Among the apps that India's Ministry of Electronics and IT had ordered to ban are the following: TikTok - India's one of its biggest overseas markets; Community apps and Video Call apps from Xiaomi - the top smartphone vendor in the country; UC Browser and UC News from Alibaba Group; Shareit; Club Factory - is India's third-largest e-commerce firm, and ES File Explorer. This is the first time the country has ordered to ban several foreign apps. India is the world's second-largest internet market, with almost half of its 1.3 billion online population. India's Computer Emergency Response Team had received a lot of representation from citizens regarding the security of data and breach of privacy impacting public order issues. Tarun Pathak, an analyst at Counterpoint, said that the order would impact one in three smartphone users in the country. TikTok, Club Friday, UC Browser, and other apps put together had more than 500 million active users every month. Also, 27 of these 59 apps were among the top 1,000 Android apps in the country in April. It is not clear what the "ban" really means and how mobile operating system makers and internet service providers are expected to comply. In 2014, Xiaomi suffered a smartphone sales ban in India. Related Article: Xiaomi New Redmi Note 10 Series The Most Popular Product Lineup in India This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Sophie Webster 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Fake Windows 10 updates were spotted by security experts. Some Microsoft consumers were already affected by the malicious enhancements. Microsoft's Windows systems versions are commonly targeted by hackers and other malicious actors. Now, their latest target is the predecessor of Windows 11. Bleeping Computer reported that some Microsoft users already confirmed that their devices were infected after installing the fake updates. But, how serious is the new fake Windows 10 installations? Fake Windows 10 Updates Installs Ransomware! Bleeping Computer's experts said that while they were checking their official cybersecurity forums, they discovered that some Windows 10 users posted their complaints regarding the fake Windows 10 updates. Also Read: Windows 11 Pro To Soon Force Users To Create A Microsoft Account For Installation "Hello fellas, my PC been infected by ransomware and my files have been encrypted with .yyqiidt file. Unfortunately, there is no decryptor yet<," said an anonymous Microsoft consumer. Now, cybersecurity experts confirmed the severity of these malicious links. They said that the fake PC updates would automatically install the Magniber ransomware. Security researchers added that the fake updates are distributed in different files. These are the most common: Win10.0_System_Upgrade_Software.msi Security_Upgrade_Software_Win10.0.msi Aside from these files, there are also other fake knowledge-based articles on Microsoft that can also install the Magniber ransomware: System.Upgrade.Win10.0-KB18062410.msi System.Upgrade.Win10.0-KB66846525.msi System.Upgrade.Win10.0-KB47287134.msi System.Upgrade.Win10.0-KB82260712.msi Recent Fake Windows Updates CNET recently reported that some fake Windows 10 updates were also targeting Microsoft users back in 2019. Security experts said that these previous malicious links could lock your PC. Because of this, hackers can freely take over your device while you spend a long period to unlock it. If you are lucky, you will be able to re-access the computer. But, your sensitive details, especially bank data, might have already been accessed by the online attackers. You can visit this link to see more details. Meanwhile, a new WordPress anti-malware firewall flaw was spotted. On the other hand, Amazon's Alexa is accused of tracking users' voice data. For more news updates about the fake Windows 10 updates and other security threats, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Microsoft Edge Built-In VPN To Arrive! How Secure is This New Browser Feature? This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Discover the story of the suicide bombers of 1945 in Japan through a new story by Clementine Portier-Kaltenbach. In April 1945, the war between Japan and the United States was at its height. The Japanese army has set up a special unit made up of airmen, the kamikazes, in charge of a suicide mission. Among them, Tatsuno, ready to sacrifice his life for the Empire, and Yasuo, forced to accept the fate reserved for his best friend as an escort for the suicide bombers. In this second part of the episode, Clementine Portier-Kaltenbach describes the mission of escorts like Yasuo, and recounts the training of these war aviators who chose to give their lives to bring down the Allied armies. This way, the Government clarified the information spread by some media outlets about the alleged signing of an agreement on judicial matters between both countries. "Regarding the information spread by media outlets about the alleged signing of an agreement between the Embassy of Peru in Venezuela and the Supreme Justice Tribunal of that country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru reports that no agreement has been signed," the government agency said in a statement. The LSU Wind Ensemble will perform its final concert of the 2021-22 academic year on Tuesday, May 3, in the LSU Union Theater. Inicio en Loja el Encuentro Presidencial y el XIV Gabinete Binacional entre el Peru y Ecuador, donde los presidentes de ambos paises, acompanados de sus Ministros de Estado, revisaran los 5 ejes tematicos y los compromisos asumidos en el 2019 en Tumbes.#BinacionalEcuadorPeru???????? pic.twitter.com/paptqe0NR3 Time is running out on Americas democracy that socialists are working tooth and nail to destroy, at least so claims a fundraising appeal emailed last week by incumbent U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, a Republican who has represented Lafayette, Lake Charles and surrounding parishes in the U.S. House since 2017. A bit over the top, true, but the plea for money is perfectly aligned with any Louisiana political campaign, just like candidates rolling through festivals with hearty handshakes and tossing red meat to the party faithful at grassroots luncheons. The focus of this campaign season, however, is more on court decisions that ultimately will determine which voters are part of which districts that elect U.S. representatives. In just the past week a district court in Kansas rejected that states legislative attempt to send more Republicans to Congress by dividing Democratic strongholds among GOP-leaning districts. And New Yorks highest appellate court tossed election maps drawn to favor Democratic candidates in more than 85% of the congressional races even though President Joe Biden won the state with 61% of the vote in 2020. Sixty-eight cases have been filed challenging congressional and legislative maps in 24 states as racially discriminatory and/or partisan gerrymanders, says the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University Law School. The issue is not what policies voters prefer, despite all the rhetoric to the contrary, but the slim Democratic majority in the U.S. House coinciding with the decennial redistricting task. Of the 435 House members, 221 are Democratic, 209 are Republican and five are vacant. Redrawing a few maps that favor one party over the other could determine control of Congress. +2 In an historic vote, Louisiana Legislature overturns governor's veto on congressional maps On largely party line votes, both chambers on Wednesday overrode Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards veto of a congressional redistricting bill, Courts already have sent lawmakers in seven states back to the drawing board. Two of the 49 cases pending at trial or on appellate levels are in Louisiana. Chief U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, of Baton Rouge, is scheduled in the next couple of weeks to consider a plea to toss congressional maps the GOP-majority Legislature enacted to ensure that Louisiana continues to send five Republicans and one Democrat to the U.S. House for the next decade. Regardless of her decision, the loser likely will appeal to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, said Jared Evans, who serves as policy counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., which represents voters challenging the Louisiana congressional maps that were enacted last month when the Legislature overturned Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards veto. The 55-page lawsuit challenging Louisiana redistricting notes that while Black residents make up 31% of the states voting age population, Black voters are in the majority around 17% or one of six of the states congressional districts. White voters make up 58% percent of the population but form a majority in 83% or five of six of those districts. Robinson v Ardoin Federal lawsuit challenging redistricted congressional maps Left unsaid is that with 77% of Louisianas 940,966 Black voters registered as Democrats, the addition of a second minority majority district could turn one of those safe Republican congressional seats Democratic. Until the maps are confirmed, congressional candidates dont know on which doors to knock, where to send their fundraising appeals, and how to parcel out their advertising. Congressional primary contests for the Nov. 8 election are being held in 11 states during May and 19 other states in June. Louisiana has a little more time to sort out its maps as qualifying for the races is scheduled for July 20-22. Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is the named defendant in the challenges and didnt want to comment. Civil rights groups sue over Louisianas congressional map. Will they prevail before midterms? Minutes after the Louisiana Legislature overrode Gov. John Bel Edwards veto of a congressional map that he had labeled an egregious violation But the Center for Election Innovation & Research, in Washington, D.C., said the uncertainty mostly impacts the folks who put on the election parish clerks and registrars of voters, under Ardoins direction in Louisianas case. Educating voters on who exactly is their congressperson after the precincts have been rearranged by redistricting is one hurdle. The biggest problem, however, is that the Secretary of States Office needs time to assemble and publish the ballots for each of the 3,934 precincts. Thats the real challenge, said David Becker, CEIRs executive director. But just like 2020 (during the pandemic, local elections officials) are handling every single challenge that is thrown to them. Police investigate fire at northern Adelaide home Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss Victoria Police celebrates highest number of graduations in history Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss Press Release April 30, 2022 Villar welcomes Pres. Duterte's signing into law of her bills on abaca and egg Senator Cynthia A. Villar welcomed the signing of President Rodrigo R. Duterte of two laws that recognize the significance of the abaca and egg industries in the country's growth and development. Duterte signed Republic Act No. (RA) 1170 declaring the province of Catanduanes as the Abaca Capital of the Philippines. He also signed RA 11707 making the municipality of San Jose in Batangas as the egg basket of the Philippines. Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, has been at the forefront of pushing the enactment into law of her proposed measures on making Catanduanes and San Jose as the country's abaca capital and egg capital, respectively. As sponsor of these bills, she had urged her colleagues in the Senate to support them. With the signing of RA 1170, Villar believes this will spur the growth of our abaca industry. She noted the Philippines has long been known to be the leading producer of abaca for several years now. "And Catanduanes is the highest producer with 31.72% contribution in the country's abaca production in 2020, 33.74% in 2019 and 33.37% in 2018," said Villar. Catanduanes, she further stressed, accounts for more than 80% of Bicol regions' production, with at least 21,500 hectares of land dedicated to abaca planting. She likewise emphasized that the Philippines dominates the global abaca trade as the country supplies about 87.5% of the world's abaca fiber requirements, with Ecuador and Costa Rica, sharing the remaining 12.5% as of 2016. The new law on abaca provides that "the state recognizes the importance of the abaca industry and its development as a driver of rural development not only because of its singular potential as a raw material that can increase the country's export earnings tremendously and put the name of the country in the map of the world for producing the biggest volume of abaca fiber but for having provided livelihood to many small farmers in the countryside." On the other hand, Villar said the law on San Jose as Egg Capital will help the country attain its goal of food security and sustainability. "This will also recognize the hardship and efforts of our egg raisers from San Jose. They will be further motivated to serve as inspiration to more farmers in the country," she said. "From starting as a backyard industry back in the 60s, San Jose Batangas took the lead and turned it into one of the most successful, if not the most successful industry, with the farmers evolving into agripreneurs, who continuously help innovate the agricultural practices in this small town," added Villar. Through the concerted efforts of the egg farmers of San Jose, Batangas, Villar said their egg industry continues to be their source of increased income, which also generates thousands of direct and indirect jobs for many. San Jose is a first-class municipality with the highest egg production of at least 70,000 tons of eggs a year. Villar, ikinagalak ang pagsasabatas ni Pres. Duterte sa kanyang bill sa abaca and itlog IKINAGALAK ni Senator Cynthia A. Villar ang paglagda ni Pangulong Rodrigo R. Duterte sa dalawang batas na kumikilala sa kahalagahan ng ng industriya ng abaca at itlog sa pagsulong ng bansa. Nilagdaan ni Duterte ang Republic Act No. (RA) 1170 na nagdedeklara sa lalawigan ng Catanduanes bilang "Abaca Capital of the Philippines. Pinirmahan din niya ang RA 11707 na ginagawang "Egg Basket of the Philippines" ang munisipalidad ng San Jose sa Batangas. Pinangunahan ni Villar, chairperson ng Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, ang pagsusulong para maisabatas ang kanyang panukalang batas upang gawin ang Catanduanes at San Jose na abaca capital at egg basket, ayon sa pagkakasunod-sunod. "As sponsor of these bills, I had urged my colleagues in the Senate to support them," ani Villar. Kumpiyansa si Villar na lalago ang ating abaca industry sa pagsasabatas ng RA 1170. Sinabi niya na matagal ng leading producer ng abaca ang Pilipinas. "And Catanduanes is the highest producer with 31.72% contribution in the country's abaca production in 2020, 33.74% in 2019 and 33.37% in 2018," sabi ni Villar. "Catanduanes accounts for more than 80% of Bicol regions' production, with at least 21,500 hectares of land dedicated to abaca planting,l dagdag pa niya. Iginiit din niya na nangunguna ang Pilipinas sa global abaca trade. Noong 2016, ang ating bansa ang supplier ng 87.5% abaca fiber requirements sa buong mundo na sinusundan ng Ecuador at Costa Rica na magkabahagi sa 12.5% na kailangang abaca. Isinasaad sa bagong batas sa abaca na "the state recognizes the importance of the abaca industry and its development as a driver of rural development not only because of its singular potential as a raw material that can increase the country's export earnings tremendously and put the name of the country in the map of the world for producing the biggest volume of abaca fiber but for having provided livelihood to many small farmers in the countryside." Ang batas naman sa San Jose bilang Egg Capital, ani Villar, ay malaking tulong sa ating food security at sustainability. "This will also recognize the hardship and efforts of our egg raisers from San Jose. They will be further motivated to serve as inspiration to more farmers in the country," sabi pa ng senador. "From starting as a backyard industry back in the 60s, San Jose Batangas took the lead and turned it into one of the most successful, if not the most successful industry, with the farmers evolving into agripreneurs, who continuously help innovate the agricultural practices in this small town," dagdag pa ni Villar. Sa pagsisikap ng egg farmers of San Jose, Batangas, sinabi ni Villar na ang egg industry ay patuloy sa pagbibigay sa kanila ng kita at Ang San Jose ay first-class municipality na may pinakamataas na egg production na may 70,000 tons itlog kada taon." " " Brachiosaurus altithorax based on a skeletal diagram by Wikimedia Commons (CC By-SA 3.0) This life restoration drawing of abased on a skeletal diagram by Dr. Scott Hartman . The colors are based on ratites, which are flightless and mostly long-legged birds, passerines, or common bird species, and elephants. You know you've made it in this crazy, mixed-up world of ours when astronomers name something after you. On April 8, 1991, scientists at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) spotted a previously unknown asteroid in orbit between Mars and Jupiter. Since the thing needed a name, they called it 9954 Brachiosaurus. A long-armed, long-necked plant-eating dinosaur, Brachiosaurus resided in North America during the Late Jurassic Period, about 155 to 150 million years ago. Today the animal lives on in our popular culture. Except its fame comes with an asterisk. Brachiosaurus had a memorable appearance in the first "Jurassic Park" movie and it made audiences cry in 2018's "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom." Yet these portrayals of the giant reptile were largely based on a different dinosaur: Giraffatitan brancai. Advertisement An Arm and a Leg On a fossil-finding trip around Grand Junction, Colorado, in the year 1900, paleontologist Elmer Riggs and his assistant, H. William Menke, came across a very large and very incomplete sauropod skeleton. Sauropods were a diverse group of herbivorous dinosaurs. Generally, they had long necks, small heads and column-like legs. Many species were flat-out enormous. Indeed, the biggest land animal to ever draw breath was undoubtedly a sauropod. The skeleton Riggs and Menke unearthed was missing several pieces. All that remained were some ribs and vertebrae, a partial hip and an incomplete shoulder blade. There were also two gigantic limb bones. Obviously, this animal was another sauropod. But it had weird proportions. Most sauropods found before the year 1900 had forelimbs that looked much shorter than their hindlimbs. Yet the situation was reversed here. Riggs was fascinated by the right humerus or upper arm bone that came with the skeleton. At 6 feet (2 meters) in length, it was slightly longer than the dinosaur's right upper leg bone (i.e., femur), which was also preserved. In a 1901 article in the journal Science, Riggs said the "extraordinary length of the humerus" and some other bones "suggests an animal whose shoulders would rise high above the pelvic region, giving the body something of a giraffe-like proportion." Two years later, in 1903, he named the "new" animal Brachiosaurus altithorax. The genus name, Brachiosaurus, means "arm lizard" while altithorax the dino's species name roughly translates to "deep-chested." Nice and descriptive. Advertisement Brachiosaurus Versus Giraffatitan Time for a plot twist. Between 1909 and 1913, German scientists working in East Africa removed 225 tons (or 204 metric tons) of fossils from Tanzania's Tendaguru Formation. (Mainland Tanzania was part of a German colony back then.) The piece de resistance? Another massive sauropod skeleton. Unlike the decapitated Colorado specimen, this individual came with a (partial) skull. Plus, most of the ribs and vertebrae were recovered. Dinosaur specialist Werner Janensch identified the bones as Brachiosaurus material. Eventually, these fossils were assigned to a new species: Brachiosaurus brancai. " " Brachiosaurus illustrations like this one are largely based on Giraffatitan, a dinosaur known from more complete fossil material. Elena Duvernay/Stocktrek Images That Old World giant stretched over 82 feet (25 meters) long and could've carried its head almost 44 feet (13.3 meters) off the ground! Crucially, Brachiosaurus brancai gave paleoartists more fossils to work with than North America's Brachiosaurus altithorax ever did. The effects team behind "Jurassic Park" modeled their Brachiosaurus design on the African species. Other artists did likewise over the years. Then things got complicated. Gregory S. Paul, a renowned dinosaur illustrator, pointed out some anatomical differences between Brachiosaurus altithorax and Brachiosaurus brancai in 1988. He claimed the two sauropods were so distinct from each other that they really didn't belong in the same genus. A 2009 study written by Michael P. Taylor of the University of Portsmouth (England) Paleobiology Research Group, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, concurred. Brachiosaurus brancai has since been reclassified and renamed; it's now known as Giraffatitan brancai. Advertisement Hunting for Clues Now that we've met Graffatitan, let's get to know the real Brachiosaurus, shall we? Because of all the naming drama, Brachiosaurus altithorax the dinosaur Elmer Riggs described in 1903 is the only Brachiosaurus species experts currently recognize. Brachiosaurus had a tail that was both longer and taller than Giraffatitan's. Also, as Taylor wrote in 2009, it "carried a greater proportion of its mass on the forelimbs." Hey, if you've got extra-large arms, you might as well use 'em. There's no doubt that Brachiosaurus was a hefty beast. One 2017 paper published in the journal "Palaeontology" gave a mass estimate of 64 tons (58 metric tons) for Brachiosaurus. Other researchers think the dinosaur was lighter, perhaps tipping the scales at 44 tons (40 metric tons) or so. Judging by the known fossils, Brachiosaurus was probably around 80 feet (24.5 meters) long. At the shoulder, it may have stood 20 feet (6.2 meters) tall, though its head could be lifted much, much higher. The exact shape of that head is debatable. A possible Brachiosaurus skull emerged in central Colorado during the 1880s. However, apart from a single neckbone (which was accidentally destroyed), the head was found in isolation. So as of this writing, there's no way to be sure if it belonged to a Brachiosaurus or some altogether different sauropod. Advertisement Jurassic Ecology Besides Brachiosaurus, there were loads of other long-necked dinos stamping around North America during the Late Jurassic Period. Prehistory buffs should be well-acquainted with the Morrison Formation. Internationally famous for its rich fossil record, this is a geologic sequence of 155 to 148-million-year-old shales, sandstones and limestones. The Morrison runs all the way from Montana and the Dakotas to New Mexico and Arizona. Brachiosaurus altithorax is just one of the many sauropods that've been found in these rocks. By some counts, about 30 distinctive sauropod species lived in whats now the Morrison Formation. These included the whip-tailed Diplodocus carnegii, the boxy-skulled Camarasaurus lewisi and Brontosaurus excelsus, aka: the 'Thunder Lizard.' It's fun to think about how such giant animals could've coexisted although you should know that not all of the sauropods represented in the various Morrison deposits lived at the exact same time. As for Brachiosaurus, the good old "arm lizard" still makes headlines now and then. A juvenile sauropod found at a Wyoming quarry was tentatively identified as a young Brachiosaurus in 2012. Measuring around 6 feet (2 meters) long, the little tyke would've been a far cry from the Colorado titan Riggs and Menke discovered. Like they say, big things have small beginnings. Now That's Interesting The towering Giraffatitan now on display at the Berlin Natural History Museum in Germany is the single tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton in the world. Advertisement Originally Published: Mar 20, 2008 remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. A boy watches as a nurse administers his pediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, at a L.A. Care Health Plan vaccination clinic at Los Angeles Mission College in the Sylmar neighborhood in Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 19. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images/TNS " " The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana is home to seven huge grizzly bears, like Sam, who weighs about 1,050 pounds (476 kilograms)! Photo courtesy Lisa Gleim-Jonas Have you ever wondered how manufacturers can be so sure their coolers, trash cans and other food storage units are safe and suitable for campers and outdoorsman to use without luring beasts toward their sleeping bags? You know, the ones that claim their products are bear-proof? Well we've got your answer. "Our product testers come to work just like anybody else," Randy Gravatt, container testing coordinator at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center told Great Big Story. "Their job here though is problem solving. They're here to put their backs into it, a little bit of elbow grease. The biggest difference is that they are 600-pound (272 kilogram) hungry grizzly bears." Advertisement In the video, Gravatt explains why his staff of furry, trash-loving employees serve such vital roles at the Discovery Center, which serves as a sanctuary and educational resource just outside of Yellowstone National Park in West Yellowstone, Montana. While it's probably best to assume that any type of bear in the wild poses a risk to humans, grizzly bears that have become habituated to human food are considered particularly threatening due to their hyper-keen senses and commitment to eat food scraps at any cost. They're often either killed or put into permanent captivity because of this reason. Gravatt and the team at the Discovery Center decided these super smellers may not be suitable for the wild, but their exquisitely sensitive noses could be put to good use. Enter the bear product testing program. " " This huge grizzly bear at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone successfully destroyed this cooler to get to the food inside. Flickr /(CC BY-ND 2.0) When Gravatt receives new products that need testing, he fills them with the type of foods bears drool over: fish, meat, peanut butter, and yes, honey. He then puts his team of seven strong, smart bears to work, leaving the food-filled products out in an open space at the Discovery Center and allowing the animals to get to work. He gives the bears one hour to try to gain access to the contents of the products (they do everything from biting and clawing to employing the adorable but vicious "CPR method" of pumping the hell out of items with their front paws). If the products manage to survive the bears' best efforts to destroy them and pillage what's inside, they're officially considered "bear-resistant" and receive certification from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC). Products that don't pass the one-hour test and are smashed to smithereens aren't necessarily out of the running for certification, but do require modification before they can be re-tested. The process may seem a little silly (hot tip: the CPR method is beyond fun to watch in slo-mo), but the testing is crucial for campers and wildlife alike since bear-safe products keep humans safe and keep the bears from being deemed lethal threats. You can see the most updated list of IGBC-certified containers here. Product testing is just one of the many important functions taking place at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. In addition to conservation efforts and special projects centered around grizzlies and gray wolves, the non-profit wildlife park offers guests the chance to get up close and personal with the animals through exhibits and educational experiences. So if you'd like to see the hardest working creatures out there, pay a visit to Yellowstone and stop by the Discovery Center for a bear-y good time (ugh sorry). Now That's Interesting Grizzlies may love meat and fish, but they're also big fans of nuts, berries, fruits and leaves, and they typically aren't in the habit of gorging unless they're preparing for winter hibernation, in which case they're eating with a mission: to gain up to 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms) a day. YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan made a statement for the press following his meeting with his Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili, who arrived in Armenia on an official visit. The statement says: Honorable Mr. Darchiashvili, Dear colleagues, I would like to welcome my colleague Ilia Darchiashvili, the Foreign Minister of Georgia, who is in Yerevan on his first official visit, and once again congratulate him and wish him success in assuming the responsible post of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. This year we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries. The friendship between Armenia and Georgia is based on common values and strong historical ties deriving from the depths of the centuries, and I want to state that since independence we have developed close cooperation with Georgia in almost every sphere. The development of special neighborly relations between our countries and the further deepening of multifaceted cooperation is one of the important priorities of Armenia's foreign policy, enshrined in the program of the Government. I would like to state with commendation that there is a high level of political dialogue and cooperation within bilateral and multilateral platforms between Armenia and Georgia. This is evidenced by regular reciprocal visits at the highest levels, effective cooperation in the political, economic, communication, security and humanitarian spheres, as well as within international organizations, about further expansion of which we had detailed discussions with my colleague. Armenia attaches great importance to the joint efforts for the general development and promotion in the region, another manifestation of which is the cooperation between our countries in the effort of establishing the "Persian Gulf- Back Sea International Transport-Transit Corridor''. Dear colleagues, Today we also touched upon issues of regional and international security and stability. I comprehensively presented to my colleague the situation around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and Armenia's position on the processes aimed at establishing regional peace and stability, and on the negotiations on a comprehensive peace agreement with Azerbaijan. In this context, I underlined the mediating role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship in advancing the peace process aimed at the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I should mention that humanitarian issues remain unresolved. In violation of international humanitarian law and the provisions of the November 9 Trilateral Statement, Azerbaijan continues to illegally hold Armenian prisoners of war and civilians hostage. The desecration and destruction of the identity of the Armenian cultural and religious heritage by Azerbaijan in the territories fallen under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the 44-day war remain of particular importance. The latest such example is the desecration of the St. Harutyun Church in Hadrut. For the prevention of these recurring cases of vandalism, currently the visit of the UNESCO assessment mission to the region is urgent as before. Honorable Minister, I once again welcome You in Yerevan. I am convinced that the friendly relations established between our countries, as well as the brotherly ties of Armenian and Georgian people provide a solid foundation for strengthening and developing existing achievements of partnership. Asylum seekers pass U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers while crossing an international bridge from Mexico into the United States in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on March 17, 2021. (John Moore/Getty Images) 14 AGs Sue Biden Administration Over Changing Asylum Policy Fourteen attorneys general, led by Arizona, Louisiana, and Missouri, have sued the Biden administration for altering immigration policies established by Congress related to the immigration asylum process. They sued the same day Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a separate lawsuit against the administration in federal court in Texas over the same policy. Attorneys general from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Carolina joined the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana Lafayette Division. They are asking the court to halt an administrative rule change that will dramatically transform the asylum and parole process, facilitating the release of more illegal immigrants into the country. The Department of Homeland Security proposed the Interim Final Rule in late March. Unless halted by the courts, its set to go into effect May 31. The rule change largely removes federal immigration judges from the asylum review process and instead gives asylum officers within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unprecedented authority to grant asylum to migrants outright, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said. The new rule not only violates federal laws and bypasses Congress but also drastically erodes asylum integrity safeguards. This is nothing more than a radical attempt to set up a system that encourages illegal immigration and undermines the rule of law, Brnovich added. Louisiana Attorney General Landry said President Joe Biden is prioritizing non-citizens over Americans with his immigration policies. He is once again undermining the rule of law and jeopardizing the safety and security of our country, Landry said. This rule will make an already porous border even easier for drugs, human traffickers, and sexual predators to cross. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review David Neil, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Troy Miller with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Acting Director of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement Tae Johnson, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ur Jaddou, Chief of U.S. Border Patrol Raul Ortiz, and their respective agencies, are named as defendants. DHS and the Department of Justice argue the changes were proposed to improve and expedite processing of asylum claims made by noncitizens subject to expedited removal, ensuring that those who are eligible for asylum are granted relief quickly, and those who are not are promptly removed. One key change includes authorizing asylum officers to review and rule on asylum applications. Under the law, asylum cases are only adjudicated by immigration judges within the Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Review. Due to existing court backlogs, the process for hearing and deciding asylum cases takes several years. Once its implemented, DHS and DOJ argue the process will be shortened to several months for most asylum applicants. The current system for handling asylum claims at our borders has long needed repair, Mayorkas said when announcing the rule change last month. Through this rule, we are building a more functional and sensible asylum system to ensure that individuals who are eligible will receive protection more swiftly, while those who are not eligible will be rapidly removed. We will process claims for asylum or other humanitarian protection in a timely and efficient manner while ensuring due process. Garland said the new rule will ensure that immigrants who seek asylum are processed fairly and more quickly. It will help reduce the burden on our immigration courts, protect the rights of those fleeing persecution and violence, and enable immigration judges to issue removal orders when appropriate, Garland said. The Republican AGs argue the changes violate the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Homeland Security Act, the Secure Fence Act of 2006, and the Administrative Procedure Act. President Biden seems intent on erasing any semblance of control at our southern border, unleashing one disastrous and dangerous immigration policy after another, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said. Continually incentivizing illegal immigration, as he has done time and again, makes it easier for cartels to smuggle drugs across the border and up to states like Montana. The Biden administration also wants to halt Title 42 enforcement effective May 23, though a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against that decision in a separate legal battle. Title 42 is a health authority put in place by former President Donald Trump that allows border agents to quickly expel immigrants seeking asylum during a health emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic. If the administrations repeal of Title 42 enforcement isnt halted by the courts, the new asylum changes would go into effect eight days later, the attorneys general point out, causing a massive increase in illegal immigration and non-meritorious asylum claims. The timing would cause an exponential increase in illegal border crossings, they argue, which will stack a crisis upon a crisis. Texas and Missouri also argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday asking it to require the administration to fully reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, or Remain in Mexico policy. By Bethany Blankley On April 25, 2022, Falun Dafa adherents in Hong Kong held banners commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the April 25 Peaceful Appeal that occurred in 1999 in Beijing.(Courtesy of Minghui.org) Commemoration Event in Hong Kong Spotlights Ongoing CCP Persecution of Falun Gong Adherents Despite a limit on public gatherings that are part of zero-COVID measures, Hong Kong, as in previous years, saw the commemoration of a peaceful appeal in China on April 25, 1999, during which thousands of Falun Gong adherents appealed for freedom of belief in China. The event ultimately preceded the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) launch of a sweeping persecution of the faith group, one that continues today. Falun Gong adherents held yellow banners with eye-catching red and blue words that said, Commemorate the 23rd Anniversary of the April 25 Peaceful Appeal by over 10,000 Falun Dafa Practitioners, and Be Steadfast in the Belief in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. One of the banners held by Falun Dafa adherents in Hong Kong on April 25, 2022 to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the April 25 appeal in Beijing.(Courtesy of Minghui.org) This is a fairly small-scale event due to Hong Kong capping the number of participants in a public gathering to four people or less. But size didnt detract from the solemn commemoration, the April 25 peaceful appeal holds great historic significance as it showcased Falun Gong adherents calm and peaceful efforts to call for an end to the persecution, said an event participant. Falun Gong, also named Falun Dafa, is a spiritual discipline espousing the three principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. It is practised and respected in more than 100 countries around the world, with the exception of mainland China, where the CCPs suppression that began in 1999 continues to this day. On April 25, 1999, more than 10,000 Falun Gong adherents went to the State Council Appeals Office in Beijing, to call on the authorities to protect peoples constitutional right to freedom of belief. The event was later seen as the largest mass appeal in China since the 1989 pro-democracy movement. The peace and rationality of the participants during the event were recognized by international society. However, a few months later, then leader Jiang Zemin launched a nationwide persecution of Falun Gong followers. Thus, the appeal was subsequently labeled a siege by the media propaganda machine, adding to the regimes justification for its egregious crackdown on Falun Gong that began on July 20 that year. Hong Kong Falun Gong adherent Ms. Zhou, who was living in Shenzhen city in southern China, recalled that she went to Tiananmen Square in Beijing in November 1999 and was arrested immediately after she raised a banner with the words Falun Dafa Is Righteous. The following day, she was sent back to Hong Kong. Ms. Zhou recalled that some Hong Kong citizens were misled by the CCPs propaganda at the time, and she tried to tell them what was in her heart. Falun Dafa practitioners were not against the government. They were just expressing their thoughts Allowing people who are being treated unfairly to speak about it is very normal, but under the CCP regime, no one is allowed to speak. But not everyone believed the CCPs lies, even on the mainland, Many policemen understood the truth and knew that Falun Dafa teaches people to be good. Some of them did not want to arrest practitioners. Ms. Wu, another follower in Hong Kong, said she hopes the commemoration event will encourage those Falun Dafa adherents in China who live under the persecution and will let people know about the CCPs continued clampdown on Falun Dafa. Falun Gong adherents outside China hold assemblies or parades to mark the anniversary of the April 25 Peaceful Appeal each year. Around 1,000 Falun Gong adherents from Hong Kong and nearby areas gathered at Edinburgh Place, a public square in Central Hong Kong, on April 27, 2019, to commemorate a peaceful appeal that took place in Beijing in 1999. At the rally, Falun Gong adherents called for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China. (Courtesy of Minghui.org) CCP in Hong Kong In the last couple of years, assemblies and parades were rare in Hong Kong because of strict compliance to the National Security Law in 2020 and COVID-19 infection containment practices in 2021. On June 4, 2021, a candlelight vigil remembering the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, which was held in Victoria Park every year since 1990, was banned by Hong Kong police on the grounds of epidemic curbs, but many media, including a BBC report on June 3, 2021, said it might be linked to the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong. Falun Gong has been subjected to harassment by various CCP organizations and mouthpieces in Hong Kong, the most notorious being the Hong Kong Youth Care Association Limited (HKYCA), a peripheral organization of the 610 officea Gestapo-like body formed solely to carry out the persecution of Falun Gong. HKYCA disregards local laws and regulations and blatantly harasses Falun Gong practitioners, residents, and tourists. A number of HKYCAs members have allegedly been involved in cases of personal attack and intentional injury, according to a report on Minghui.org on April 30, 2018. April 25 Peaceful Appeal On April 25, 1999, more than 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners petitioned the State Councils letter and petition office in Beijing. The large group of participants was orderly, calm, and peaceful. (Courtesy of Minghui.org) On April 11, 1999, scientist He Zuoxiu published an article attacking Falun Gong in a magazine of the Tianjin Institute of Education. Falun Gong adherents in Tianjin asked the magazine to make a public correction of the articles distorted representation of their faith. A large number of riot police in Tianjin assaulted Falun Gong adherents at a sit-in at the education institute and arrested 45 of them on April 23, 1999. A city official said that the Ministry of Public Security had intervened and suggested that Falun Gong practitioners went to Beijing to resolve the issue. On April 25, 1999, more than 10,000 Falun Gong adherents exercised their constitutional right to make an appeal to the State Councils petition office. Five of them, acting as representatives, entered the State Council asking for the release of the arrested practitioners, a redress of the ban on Falun Gong books, and an end to government harassment of the practice. Then-Premier Zhu Rongji met with adherents and agreed to honor their requests. Falun Gong attendees were calm throughout the event and left quietly after the Tianjin practitioners were released. Minghui.org contribute to this article. Armidale Class Patrol Boat, HMAS Armidale patrols the coast of Honiara, Solomon Islands on Dec. 4, 2021. (CPL Brodie Cross/ADF) Australian Navy Bids Farewell to Veteran Armidale Patrol Boats The Royal Australian Navy has started retiring its veteran Armidale patrol boats, with the HMAS Maitland decommissioned after 16 years of service. Theyll be replaced by a dozen much larger Arafura class offshore patrol vessels, which can remain at sea for longer periods and travel further, in the face of growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. HMAS Maitland has steamed 435,054 nautical miles, Lieutenant Commander Jeremy Evain, the vessels commanding officer, told a ceremony in Darwin. Thats the equivalent distance of a return trip to the moon. The ship and its crew were on the frontline during Operation Sovereign Borders in 2013, protecting Australias borders and intercepting people smugglers at sea. The 300-tonne Maitland also served in the Solomon Islands helping to protect the island nations borders and fisheries. This included providing a near-continuous patrol boat presence on the Solomon Islands western border in early 2021 to stop COVID-19 from coming ashore. She has seen extensive operations in the region, particularly around the northern part of Australia but also she has deployed into the southwest Pacific, Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Michael Noonan said. The men and women who have served in her have made a significant contribution to our national interest. HMAS Maitland was named after the City of Maitland in NSW and the WWII naval training base in Newcastle. Since commissioning in 2006, the 57-metre vessel has worked alongside Border Force, Australian Fisheries, and the Australian Federal Police. This has included counter-terrorism operations, patrolling the waters around Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, and protecting fishing grounds in the Pacific Ocean. Maitland is the second Armidale-class patrol boat to be decommissioned after HMAS Pirie. The remaining 11 Armidales will be phased out of service over the next two years. The 1640 tonne Arafura-class boats will also be used for constabulary missions, maritime patrol, and response duties. The first of the new 80-metre long vessels was launched in December. They will incorporate state-of-the art sensors and command and communications systems, improving operational capability alongside Australian Border Force vessels, other Australian Defence Force units and Australias regional partners. Defence Minister Peter Dutton says the navys patrol boats were becoming increasingly important amid the growing regional tensions to the nations north and east. As we enter a period of unprecedented regional instability and uncertainty, we again forge ahead with this new capability and with new confidence, he said in December. The navys Cape-class patrol boats will be used during the transition from the Armidale patrol boats to the Arafura-class vessels. By Aaron Bunch Bass Pro Shops to Open Irvine Location IRVINE, Calif.Bass Pro Shops plans to open a new superstore location in Irvine in late 2022 or early 2023, the company announced April 29. This will be the companys second outlet in Orange County. A Rancho Cucamonga location opened in 2007. Irvine City Councilwoman Tammy Kim lauded the announcement. Irvine! We will soon have a Bass Pro Shop [sic] right in our city for all our outdoor enthusiasts! Kim wrote on Twitter after the announcement. The new 14,000 square-foot store is planned for the Alton Marketplace near the junction of interstates 5 and 405. We are tremendously excited to have the opportunity to partner with the Irvine Company to bring our next generation Outdoor World store to Irvine, Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, said in a news release. In addition to fishing and hunting gear, clothing, and outdoor adventure equipment, the store will also offer boats and off-road vehicles. Shoppers will also be able to find the latest gear and equipment for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, and camping. The store will also have a nature center. In addition to providing customers with the outdoor products they love, the store will offer an immersive experience hand-crafted by a team of talented artists and craftsmen, the companys statement read. Bass Pro Shops is well known for its elaborate aquariums and water features stocked with nature fish, local antiques and artifacts, hundreds of trophy fish, and wildlife dioramas. Hands-on demonstrations and interactive activities for children will also be available, according to the company. Bass Pro Shops first opened a tiny store in Springfield, Missouri, 50 years ago. Now, about 200 million shoppers visit Bass Pro Shops or Cabelaswhose parent company is Bass Pro Shops170 locations in the U.S. and Canada each year, the company estimates. Protesters gather and wave flags during a demonstration in downtown Ottawa on April 30, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Rolling Thunder Convoy Day 2: Protesters Pay Tribute at War Memorial, Massive Crowds Gather on Parliament Hill OTTAWAMassive crowds gathered on Parliament Hill on April 30 following the Rolling Thunder motorcycle convoys roll through downtown Ottawa on a city-designated route around noontime. Earlier on April 30, the bike convoy arrived at the National War Memorial downtown just before noon, where they drove past the area as planned to pay homage to veterans who had sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Canadians. Matthew, who declined to give his last name, told The Epoch Times that he rode his bike to Ottawa from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and plans to go back on Sunday, May 1. In an interview earlier in the morning at the bikers gathering place in the east end of Ottawa, prior to driving downtown, the steelworker said he came to show support for the war veterans who fought for our freedoms and to do his part to uphold freedoms. These veterans, the men and women, they fought for us. But this government has taken us here, said Matthew. Youve got to know, if you dont stand for something, youll fall for anything. Were patriotic, were Canadian, and were here to offer support. Another biker, Barry Deschenes, who is a school bus driver from Gatineau, said he came out to show support for veterans. A lot of them dont get the support they should, he said in an interview. Later in the day, a massive crowd gathered on the Hill and surrounding area waving flags and chanting Freedom. The crowd started thinning in late afternoon. Heavy police presence could be seen spread throughout the peaceful crowd. Police have made several arrests and towed vehicles since the first day of the protest on Friday, April 29. At around 3 p.m. on Saturday, police said a driver was arrested for dangerous driving and was identified as someone with bail conditions not to enter Ottawa, stemming from charges received during the February occupation. More than 1,000 people were assembled at the War Memorial for a service that began around 10 a.m., organized by Veterans for Freedom (V4F), a group of retired regular force and primary reserve Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members. V4F is a partner of the Rolling Thunder Ottawa series of events taking place in the nations capital this weekend. The groups mission, according it website, is to rally CAF veterans across the country by mobilizing and sustaining lawful civic action in order to restore the fundamental rights and freedoms of Canadians. In his speech at the War Memorial, Rolling Thunder organizer Neil Sheard said that freedom is to be cherished, as losing it means the end of a democracy. God gives us freedom. Veterans are the ones that make sure you keep it. So free speech in this country must continue for if we dont have free speech, we dont have a dialogue. And if I cant talk to somebody I dont like and get their point of view, or give them my point of view, society ends, he said. The veterans stood solemnly in silence during the ceremony. Veterans at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on April 30, 2022 (Limin Zhou/The Epoch Times) Speaking with The Epoch Times before the ceremony, Dave, a military veteran who served 22 years and who only provided his first name, said he joined the V4F service to reclaim the honour of the War Memorial. It should have never been shut down, xhe said. Another veteran, who gave his name as Terry, said it was wrong of the government to fence off the War Memorial. People need to show up and let them know thats not right, he said. The authorities had erected a fence around the War Memorial after a woman stood on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier yelling Freedom! on the first day of the Freedom Convoy protest on Jan. 29. She could be heard saying a typical French-Canadian curse as she stepped down from the tomb. Veterans participating in the protest later took down the fencing of their own volition and proceeded to remove the snow and ice around the tomb. The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) has confirmed that the woman was not associated with the Freedom Convoy truckers. She was spoken to, showed remorse for her actions, and police are confident she will not re-offend, said an email statement from the OPS on April 29. The woman is from Quebec, OPS spokesperson Carole Macpherson told Blacklocks Reporter, adding that there was no admitted association to the Freedom Convoy truckers. Shortly after the ceremony concluded, protesters moved to the Wellington Street area to watch the convoy of motorcycles driving past the area. There was heavy police presence. Protesters move to the Wellington Street area to watch the motorcycle convoy drive past, after the ceremony organized by Veterans for Freedom at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on April 30, 2022 (Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times) The bikers had driven downtown from the east end of Ottawa, where they gathered at the St. Laurent Shopping Centre parking lot earlier in the morning to prepare for the drive to the War Memorial. According to the Rolling Thunder organizing team, the convoy has about 350 motorbikes participating and planned to dispatch them in groups of 75 bikes, with each group following a police-controlled vehicle for the entire ride. Rolling Thunder bike convoy at the parking lot of St. Laurent Shopping Centre in Ottawa on April 30, 2022 (Annie Wu/The Epoch Times) Police have established an exclusion zone to prevent access by protest vehicles to designated core areas of Ottawas downtown. No protest events involving motor vehicles are allowed inside this zone, although the roads are not closed and regular residential and business traffic is permitted. A route was pre-planned for the motorcycle riders to allow them to ride through the city without any stops. The route allowed them to get close to, but not pass by, Parliament Hill and the National War Memorial, where organized events were scheduled to take place. Rolling Thunder bike convoy at the parking lot of St. Laurent Shopping Centre in Ottawa on the morning of April 30, 2022 (Annie Wu/The Epoch Times) The Rolling Thunder event website lists as partners the V4F as well as Freedom Fighters Canada (FFC), a non-profit organization thats demanding the end of all government mandates. The site also provides a link to a Twitter feed called Live From the Shed that is promoting the Rolling Thunder event. The gathering on Parliament Hill was organized by the FFC. On Friday, April 29, protesters marched on foot around the Parliament area calling for freedoms as bikers arrived in the city to await the April 30 events. Police made seven arrests and towed 24 vehicles on April 29. Police also broke the windows of at least one truck. The Rolling Thunder event follows the weeks-long trucker convoy protest that called for the removal of COVID-19 mandates and restrictions in February. On Sunday, May 1, the Rolling Thunder event is planned to conclude with a Bikers Church Service at 10:30 a.m. at Capital City Bikers Church in Vanier, a neighbourhood a few kilometres east of downtown Ottawa. Annie Wu, Noe Chartier, and The Canadian Press contributed to this report. Limin Zhou Follow Limin Zhou is a reporter based in Ottawa. An autistic 19-year-old who went missing from California in 2019 was found sleeping alone in a cold parking lot in Utah. With the help of deputies, he has since been reunited with his family. When our deputies made contact with Connerjack on the morning of April 9, 2022, he was cold and alone at the Jeremy Store gas station in the greater Park City area, Administrative Lieutenant Andrew Wright, of Summit County Sheriffs Office, told The Epoch Times. Wed had several previous interactions with Connerjack, but were unable to identify him because he refused to tell us who he was. (Courtesy of Summit County Sheriffs Office) Connerjack Oswalt was not in violation of the law, so despite receiving multiple reports about him pushing a cart in the area, the deputies never demanded his information. However, on April 9, Wright said: [He] agreed to sit in the front seat of one of our police cruisers, where he warmed up. The deputy scanned his finger with a fingerprint scanner, and an arrest warrant popped up. Concerned and wanting to help the displaced teen, deputies and dispatchers dug deeper. A 911 dispatcher searched the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website and, 16 pages in, came across a flyer for a Connerjack Oswalt who went missing from his home in Clearlake, California, in September 2019. (Courtesy of Summit County Sheriffs Office) Deputies made contact with Connerjacks mother, Suzanne Flint, who claimed her son had a distinctive birthmark on his neck. Deputies looked, and saw the described birthmark, said Wright. The family was very emotional when they found out we located him; you can hear the mother on the phone on the deputys body cam. When Connerjacks identity was confirmed, said Wright, there wasnt a dry eye in the room. This is a very rare call for us to experience in Summit County, mostly because we are a mountain community that gets very cold at night, he reasoned. Additionally, we dont have a lot of resources for transient people, so its an uncommon encounter. (Courtesy of Summit County Sheriffs Office) The sheriffs office remains unsure of the circumstances surrounding Oswalts disappearance. According to the Associated Press, Connerjack was 17 and diagnosed with autism and other mental health conditions when he left his home. Suzanne recalls that the day he went missing she was preparing quesadillas, but when it was time for lunch he was gone. Since Connerjack went missing, his family didnt stop looking for him for even a day. They handed out fliers, looked through social media, and even made an effort to move back to his birthplace of Idaho Falls, Idaho, hoping he would show up there. Praising the deputies who reached out to the family, Connerjacks stepfather said, They could have dismissed it, but they didnt and that made all the difference in the world. (Courtesy of Summit County Sheriffs Office) After being alerted that Connerjack was found, his stepfather and grandfather went to Park City, Utah, to identify the missing teen in person and finally reunite with him. They met him at a local hospital, where he was receiving the care and resources he needed, Wright told The Epoch Times. A person with autism is seven times more likely to interact with law enforcement than those without autism, according to Dr. Deborah Bilder of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. At the time of writing, Connerjack is thought to be receiving ongoing support in Utah. Wright praised Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez for being instrumental in the teens ordeal. He told The Epoch Times: We truly believe Sheriff Martinezs approach to law enforcement has greatly impacted the way our deputies police. That includes serving with compassion, common sense, and with the communitys best interests in mind. The State of Utah passed legislation last year that requires law enforcement to do annual training on autism awareness and mental health awareness. Not only have we done that training, but we have taken it to heart. (Courtesy of Summit County Sheriffs Office) Finding Connerjack was the cherry on top for the sheriffs office, and during Aprils Autism Awareness Month, they were able to drive home the importance of compassionate policing and using their training in real-world scenarios. We are grateful for the outcome of this case, said Wright. We are grateful we were able to get Connerjack the resources he needs to live a healthy and happy life, and we are also happy we were able to bring closure to the family. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan received today Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili, the Parliaments press service said. Alen Simonyan congratulated Ilia Darchiashvili on assuming office and on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He said that the constant development of the special friendly relations with Georgia is among Armenia's priorities, which is also reflected in the Armenian governments 2021-2026 action plan. The sides discussed issues relating to regional security and stability. The Parliament Speaker said that for this purpose Armenia is taking steps to improve the relations with all its neighbors. He reminded Azerbaijans constant violations of the 2020 November 9 trilateral statement, stating that these actions are directed to exerting psychological pressure on the people of Nagorno Karabakh and disrupting the normal operation of vital infrastructure there. The meeting also touched upon the issue of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives held in Azerbaijan. Alen Simonyan reaffirmed the priority of guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh and the importance of the status of Nagorno Karabakh, attaching great importance to the launch of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan around a peace treaty and the implementation of other respective actions. The Georgian Foreign Minister thanked for the welcome and said that Georgia is always ready for close cooperation and support to contribute to peace. He said peaceful neighborhood and resisting challenges together are important for the development of the region. The sides highlighted the necessity of moving on in all directions for developing the bilateral ties. Capitol Report (April 29): Trump Returns to Social Media With illegal immigration surging at the southern border, President Joe Biden and Mexicos president spoke on Friday. Whats their plan? For decades at the southern border, illegal immigrants have mostly originated from Mexico and other Central and South American countries, but now Border Patrol is catching people from countries all over the worldeven from countries that are hotbeds for terrorism. Virginia Congressman Bob Good joins us to discuss. The House has passed a bill to allow lending weapons to Ukraine. But under what circumstance should this be done, and what are some Republicans saying about this measure? Former President Donald Trump posted his first message on his Truth Social account, signaling a return to social media. The FDA is being asked for emergency use authorization of the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for children. The agency is planning to meet with its vaccine expert advisory committee in June to first hear what they have to say. Dr. Anthony Fauci signaled the pandemic was over, but then backtracked on his statements the following day. Has mixed messaging from what should be trusted public health officials damaged the publics trust? The House Jan. 6 committee will hold eight public hearings in June. And The Epoch Times obtained videos of a police officer assaulting an unconscious protester on Jan. 6. Follow CapitolReport on social media: Twitter https://twitter.com/capitolreport Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CapitolReport/ Gettr https://gettr.com/user/capitolreport The art of English painter George Stubbs, the 'Sporting Raphael' LONDONEnglish artist George Stubbs painted a stallion so true to life that, as you approach, you can almost catch a whiff of him as he rears and tosses his mane. Hes a tower of strength, on high alert. And hes not happy. His nostrils flare and his eyes bulge as he pulls his head back full of fear, or perhaps in a display of dominance. Its a wild moment to witness, and theres no sense in the painting of what will happen next. Whistlejacket, circa 1762, by George Stubbs. Oil on canvas; 116 5/8 inches by 97 5/8 inches. The National Gallery, London. (The National Gallery, London) My instincts make me want to step back to a safe distance in The National Gallery, London, but Stubbss expert painting, Whistlejacket, demands close attention. I wonder how Stubbs (17241806) created each hand of this near-life-size, Arabian thoroughbred from its silky mane and velvet, chestnut coat to the tiny veins on his flank that show just how much the stallions muscles contract. Stubbss painting shows the power of both art and nature, and he achieved such mastery through directly copying nature itself, including intently drawing anatomy. The Sporting Raphael As Britains preeminent animal painter, Stubbs took horse art from stock farm and racing images to real characters. In his book Five Centuries of British Art: From Holbein to Hodgkin, author and museum curator Andrew Wilton calls Stubbs the Sporting Raphael, due to how sensitively he rendered multiple figures in harmonious compositions. Just like Raphael, Stubbs painted each subjectbe it a horse or a personwith care, attention, and character. But Stubbs didnt idealize his horses; he painted them as nature intended and without sentiment. For Stubbs, nature was of the utmost importance and the heart of his art. Stubbs received little artistic training. At age 5, he began drawing with an ardor that was more than a childhood interest, becoming interested in anatomy when he was 8 years old after a doctor gave him some bones to draw. His father hoped his son would become a currier like him, processing leather, but it wasnt meant to be. Instead, Stubbss father arranged an apprenticeship for his then 15-year-old son with a local artist who was copying art in a nearby estate. The young Stubbs didnt last long; he didnt want to copy other artists work. He wanted to see for himself, and to learn from nature. A Different Route Normally, 18th-century artists would start learning art by copying classical art and architecture, first becoming competent in drawing classical statuary before drawing live models. Stubbs took a different route. From around 1745 and 1751, Stubbs first studied cadavers, including those of pregnant women, at York County Hospital. He even privately studied the body of one woman who died giving birth. A doctor then commissioned Stubbs to draw and etch a series of fetuses in the womb for the doctors paper on midwifery. Stubbs went to Rome in 1754, but it doesnt appear that he copied any art. He told his friend, Ozias Humphry, that he went to Rome to convince himself that nature was & is always superior to art whether Greek or Roman. He therefore felt that studying classical art and sculpture was not the way forward for art, but studying nature was. Stubbss horse paintings are the epitome of his nature studies. He spent 18 months in a barn studying horse cadavers. Hed hoist each one on a series of pulleys and then dissect it in stages from the skin, to the muscle and tendons, and then right down to the bone, drawing as he went. Each horse lasted 11 weeks. An etching from The Anatomy of the Horse, including a particular description of the bones, cartilages, muscles, fascias, ligaments, nerves, arteries, veins, and glands, 1766, by George Stubbs. Etching; 18 1/4 inches by 23 inches. Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1953, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. (Public Domain) Stubbs studied horse anatomy because he wanted to understand how to portray horses properly, and to leave a guide for other artists, horse handlers, and the like. He didnt study the organs, since they werent needed for him to paint the horse effectively. Those studies became his now famous The Anatomy of the Horse (that he etched the plates for, when no engraver was interested), which he published in 1766. Timeless Appeal Stubbss Whistlejacket has a magnetic, timeless appeal. Even from afar, this huge and enigmatic portrait seems to follow me around the gallery, much like Rembrandts portraits do. Some experts believe that the paintings empty background, stripped of any indication of when it was painted, is a nod to classical marble friezes as the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, who commissioned the painting, was at the time building the best collection of classical sculpture in Europe. Whistlejacket may not have been as successful as other racehorses, but the painting is famously an ode to nature and to Stubbss brilliance in painting true to life. To find out more about Whistlejacket by George Stubbs, visit NationalGallery.org.uk A T-Mobile store that was victim to a smash and grab robbery sits open for business in Fountain Valley, Calif., on Jan. 27, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Democratic Lawmakers Effort to Amend Californias Prop. 47 Fails The effort of a Democratic lawmaker to amend Proposition 47 failed for the fifth time in the Assembly Public Safety Committee in a 25 vote as the state crime trend persists. I guess we really are dependent on Batman to bring accountability and justice. Perhaps maybe we should call the Avengers too, the author of the bill Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) wrote on Twitter on April 26. Proposition 47, which was passed by voters in 2014, downgraded some crimes, such as simple drug possession, from felonies to misdemeanors and raised the minimum amount of stolen goods from $400 to $950 for a theft case to be classified as a felony. Assembly Bill (AB) 2718 would have classified petty theft and shoplifting to be defined as serial thefta new crime under the bill. Serial theft of property valued over $500 would have led to prosecution if the offender had two or more previous convictions of theftreducing the $950 minimum enforced in Proposition 47, according to the bill. Serial theft has become a serious problem in California, Cooper said in a statement while clarifying AB 2718 would not repeal Proposition 47. There are some who are taking advantage of recent changes in theft laws by repeatedly stealing property from retail stores. Receiving stolen property and credit card fraud are also defined as serial theft in the bill. If passed, voters would have decided at the next statewide election on whether to make the legislation law. The bill was supported by the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA)an advocacy group for state prosecutorsthat actively speaks out against crime, according to the bill analysis. California is suffering from an unprecedented increase in all types of thefts, including organized retail theft, smash and grabs, and vehicle theft, which negatively affects all Californians, including crime victims, consumers, and business owners, the attorneys association said. However, the California Public Defenders Association, opposed the bill while claiming the tough on crime approach has failed the state for three decades, according to the bill analysis. AB 2718 proposes to make it easier to charge non-violent Californians with felonies, to put those men, women, and children in jail for years, the association said. Its unclear whether Cooper will bring AB 2718 back to the committee for another vote. For now, the bill goes into the pipeline of failed attempts to reform and repeal Proposition 47. Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) attempted to repeal Proposition 47 various times through AB 1599, but the bill failed to make it out of the Public Safety Committee. Assemblyman Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) attempted to amend Proposition 47 in March by decreasing the threshold amount for theft from $950 to $400, but the effort failed to pass in committee. John Adams defended British soldiers who shot and killed colonists, and in so doing, he defended the legal system itself Across New England, snow fell early in the day on March 5, 1770. In Boston, a single sentry, Private Hugh White, grenadier of the 29th Regiment of Foot, stood watch at the Customs House, a soldier of one of the two regiments of His Majestys Army remaining in the city to keep the peace and enforce the royal taxes. As night fell, passersby cast dark looks at the lone, red-clad figure bundled against the wind. Public opinion, already soured, had slumped to a new low when, just 11 days before, a customs official fired into an unruly crowd, killing 11-year-old Christopher Seider. The boys funeral drew more than a thousand angry Bostonians. With tensions already at the boiling point, all it took was a single spark. At about 9 in the evening, well after dark, a shop boy jeered at Private White, who left his post to reprimand the boy. The two exchanged words; the grenadier struck the boy with his musket. Soon, a swirling mass of men and boyssailors, shop boys, and dockworkerssurrounded the sentry, who retreated up the steps. Church bells rang out, summoning more to the crowd. Six additional grenadiers arrived to reinforce Private White, accompanied by their commanding officer, Captain Thomas Preston. The crowd grew, shouting, jeering, and hurling ice shards, snowballs, and cudgels. One of the grenadiers, struck by a thrown object, fell and dropped his weapon before angrily rising and firing into the crowd. Shortly thereafter, without orders, the remaining soldiers discharged their muskets. When the smoke cleared, three men lay dead. Two more later died of their wounds. The Bloody Massacre Perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5, 1770, a copper engraving by Paul Revere modeled on a drawing by Henry Pelham, 1770. (Public Domain) Boston exploded. No lawyer in the city dared represent the soldiers, charged with murder and held in custody. The newspapers traded breathless rumors: that Captain Preston had ordered a volley into the crowd, or that the soldiers had tried to bayonet those who rushed to aid the fallen. Into this maelstrom strode John Adams, 35 years old and a well-established attorney, already highly esteemed for his opposition to the Stamp Act. He staked his career and his professional reputation on the notion that all meneven these hated grenadiersdeserved legal representation, and that as Englishmen, they had the right to have their cause heard before an unbiased jury of their peers. The Trials It was late October 1770 before the trial of Captain Preston began. Observers recounted that Adams zealously advocated for his client, cross-examining eyewitnesses in detail and establishing a careful chronology of events. Critically, none could credibly state that Captain Preston had ordered the soldiers to fire, and he was acquitted of murder. The court tried the seven other grenadiers separately from their commander, beginning in late November. Adams strategically fixated on the violence and anger of the crowd, eliciting testimony about the positions and aggressive posture of the dead, the numbers and nature of the mob, and the types of weapons they wielded. His closing arguments, recorded for posterity in shorthand, stand among the greatest examples of advocacy in American judicial history. Facts, he insisted, are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. Were the evidence to show that the soldiers were in danger of their lives, then firing in self-defense would be justifiable homicide; were the soldiers not in risk for their lives, but nonetheless provoked by the crowd, then the law reduces the offense of killing down to manslaughter, in consideration of those passions in our nature, which cannot be eradicated. After two and a half hours of deliberation, the jury returned a stunning verdict: acquittal for five of the soldiers, and only two convicted of the lesser crime of manslaughterthe two soldiers the evidence proved had fired directly into the crowd. Legacy On March 5, 1773, Adams wrote in his diary that his role defending the grenadiers was one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested Actions of my whole Life, and one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country. Certainly, from a historical perspective, the best was yet to come for Mr. Adams: member of the Continental Congress; co-drafter of the Declaration of Independence; author of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; ambassador to France, the Dutch Republic, and Great Britain; and the first Vice President and second President of the United States. Yet in a very tangible way, his defense of these men, despite the opposition of the populace, demonstrated the character both of Adams and the republic he would later serve. The Old State House in downtown Boston. (Pgiam/iStock/Getty Images Plus) From the beginning of the history of the United States, this republic has striven to adhere to the same ideals that Adams defended: the presumption of innocence and the rights of the accused to counsel, to confront witnesses, and to an impartial jury, among others. These long-established rights were among the greatest gifts of our English legal heritage and were memorialized in the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Adams, in defending the popularly indefensible, brought living witness to those ideals and demonstrated their necessity in practice. But even more profoundly, his defense of these British soldiers articulated the very foundation of just government. In his closing arguments on behalf of his clients, Adams poetically addressed the nature of law itself: The law, in all vicissitudes of government, fluctuations of the passions, or flights of enthusiasm, will preserve a steady undeviating course; it will not bend to the uncertain wishes, imaginations, and wanton tempers of men. Rather than a state based on the will of a man or even a multitude, the founders intended this republic to be, as Adams himself referred to it in his Novanglus Essays, a government of laws, and not of men. In these uncertain times, when some claim that the expedient and the emergent overrule these enduring tenets of the republic, the resolve of John Adams to stand for the rule of law ought to guide us all. This article was originally published in American Essence magazine. The Foreign Office is investigating reports a Briton may have been detained by Russia. (PA) Foreign Office Investigates Reports of Briton Being Detained by Russia The Foreign Office is investigating reports that a British national has been detained by Russia after a video emerged showing a man in camouflage clothes being questioned. In the video, reportedly shown on Russian television, the man appears to give his name as Andrew Hill. He speaks with an English accent, has his arm in a sling, a bandage around his head, and blood can be seen on his hand. The video, which has not been verified, has been shared online. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is investigating the reports and also supporting family members. The FCDO condemns the exploitation of prisoners of war for political purposes and calls for anyone detained to be treated humanely in accordance with the requirements of international humanitarian law. Two other British men, said to be working as humanitarian aid volunteers, are also believed to have been detained in Ukraine by Russian forces. The Presidium Network, a non-profit group, said Paul Urey and Dylan Healey were captured early on Monday morning at a checkpoint south of the city of Zaporizhzhia in south-eastern Ukraine. Urey, who was born in 1977 and is from Manchester, and Healey, born in 2000 and from Cambridgeshire, travelled to Ukraine of their own accord, the organisation said. They were not working for the Presidium Network, which helps to get aid into Kyiv. The organisation said the pair were driving to help a woman and two children evacuate when they went missing. Presidium Network said it is concerned that Russian forces may think the two men are British spies. The Foreign Office said it was urgently seeking more information following reports of British nationals being detained in Ukraine. Meanwhile, in an intelligence update on Saturday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the UK said Russia faces considerable challenges and troops are likely to be suffering from weakened morale. Posting on Twitter, the MoD said: Russia hopes to rectify issues that have previously constrained its invasion by geographically concentrating combat power, shortening supply lines, and simplifying command and control. Russia still faces considerable challenges. It has been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in northeast Ukraine. Many of these units are likely suffering from weakened morale. Shortcomings in Russian tactical coordination remain. A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localised improvements. A Mastercard logo is seen on a credit card in this picture illustration taken on Aug. 30, 2017. (Thomas White/Reuters) Heres How Analysts Responded to Mastercards Q1 Analysts maintained their conviction on Mastercard Incorporated post Q1 results. Despite Mastercards 1Q22 10 percent broad-based beat, Barclays analyst James Fotheringham lowered estimates marginally (by as much as 2 percent) due to revenue headwinds expected from exiting Russia. Fotheringham also cut the target price to $402 (from $412) and rated the stock as Outperform. The revised 2022E guidance for GAAP net revenue growth at the high end of mid-teens percent YoY (versus prior high-teens percent) implies elevated cross-border activity (now 112 percent of 2019 levels ex-Russia) should partially offset the revenue impact from exiting Russia for the remainder of this year. Fotheringham recommended Mastercard and Visa Inc. as a core long-term FIG holding. RBC had an Outperform and raised the price target on Mastercard from $403 to $417. Despite high expectations post-Visas print, MA did not disappoint, with broad-based topline outperformance, particularly in cross-border revenues, which increased ~57 percent y/y on a currency-neutral basis. In addition, the adj. EPS beat was aided by a ~$0.36 tax benefit. Thus, the reported number ex. the tax benefit, was closer to $2.40, still 16 percent above RBCs estimate and 11 percent above the Street. Citi saw Mastercard kick off FY22 with a strong beat with 53 percent FX-neutral cross-border volume growth as a standout through the broad strength, including U.S retail spending, positive Europe (with geopolitical risks heightened), and still strong LatAm. Volume strength was robust across a broad number of sectors. Mastercard also highlighted several issuer and co-brand wins and product updates. Credit growth was solid, and as expected, debit growth was muted due to the stimulus impact from last time. Mastercard laid out the details of the RussiaUkraine impact, much of which was already in Citis model, though the cost updates were better than assumed. Even though macro risks have grown, Citis estimates and price targets have risen. Citi reiterated its Buy on Mastercard. By Anusuya Lahiri 2022 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Protesters chant slogans and gesture during a rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) Hong Kong Student Jailed for 5 Years Under National Security Law HONG KONGA Hong Kong court on Friday increased a jail sentence to five years, in line with a Beijing-imposed national security law, for a student charged with inciting secession. Lui Sai-yu, 25, an engineering undergraduate at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was charged with inciting secession in April 2021 with messages on social media calling for acts to be taken to unlawfully change the regime in Hong Kong. He has been in detention since September 2020, after police raided his flat and found a pepper ball gun, meant for firing irritant powder for self-defense, an extendable police baton, two military knives, and protective gear. Judge Amanda Woodcock had originally sentenced him to 3 years and 8 months after his guilty plea led to a one third reduction. But prosecutor Ivan Cheung said the crime Lui committed was of a serious nature and must fall within sentencing guidelines in the security legislation. Woodcock then increased it to 5 years. Luis lawyer, Edwin Choy, told Reuters they were considering an appeal. Other charges for possession of firearms and offensive weapons were dropped, according to the judgement. The court heard that Lui had posted messages like Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Time and Hong Kong independence. The only way out, which were protest slogans during pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019. Protesters chant slogans during a rally against Beijings new national security law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Dale de la Rey/AFP via Getty Images) But Choy said posting on Telegram was different to speaking in public or to the media, and Lui was not a well-known person and had only limited influence. Lui himself had told the judge in a mitigation letter that his original intention was to let the voice of people be heard. It was difficult for an energetic and idealistic young man to keep completely uninvolved, Lui wrote, referring to the 2019 protests, fueled in part by fears among some people that the Chinese communist regime was eroding freedoms promised to Hong Kong when the former British colony was handed back to Chinese rule in 1997. My love for Hong Kong was no less than anyone elses. Lui became the fourth person jailed under the 2020 security law that punishes so-called subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces, and terrorist acts with up to life imprisonment. The first, former waiter Tong Ying-kit, was jailed for nine years. Critics say the national security law erodes the freedoms promised by the Chinese regime under a one country, two systems formula when the city was returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997. Hong Kongs Mandatory COVID-19 Testing in Schools Fuels Plastic Waste Woes HONG KONGA Hong Kong government rule that all school students and staff take daily COVID-19 tests will add massively to the citys plastic waste problem, environmental activists say, with some 20 million kits a month set to be dumped at bursting landfills. The mandatory rapid antigen tests (RAT), and their plastic accessories are expected to worsen marine and land pollution in the financial hub of 7.4 million people where some beaches and hiking trails are already awash with microplastics. Each day, the school sector, which resumed face-to-face classes this month, will use 760,000 sets of RAT kits which include a plastic bag, tube, and bottle, said Edwin Lau, founder of environmental organization The Green Earth. This is just the estimation for one day. So one can imagine the horrifying volume of waste due to the daily rapid test, he said, adding that the government should have advised residents to recycle paper items and the plastic bag, but instead encouraged them to throw everything in the garbage. If they had advised the public (to recycle), the city would have saved at least some resources and reduced some waste. RAT tests are already washing up on the pristine beaches of the Soko islands, located to the far southwest of the city. Over the past year Hong Kong has generated a colossal amount of disposable plastic waste from quarantine hotels and isolation facilities, which is not recycled due to fear of contamination. The citys three landfills are almost at capacity. The government said in an email response to Reuters that it was reasonable to expect a surge in disposable waste, such as masks, RATs, and disposable plastic tableware. It encouraged a green lifestyle as far as possible while having regard for public hygiene. Official figures show a 33 percent rise in plastic disposables in 2020 with environmentalists expecting waste to have surged further since 2021 as authorities grapple to implement a Dynamic zero COVID strategy. Compounding the crisis are towering piles of Styrofoam boxes on the streets since February. Used for daily deliveries of food from China, they are typically returned to the mainland for reuse, but truck drivers have been banned from taking them back across the border. A dining ban, which prevented customers from eating in restaurants after 6 p.m. until April 20, has led to a surge in takeaway boxes being dumped. Due to a mandatory mask rule, if every Hong Kong person wears a single use mask daily, its 225 million masks potentially going to the landfill every month or ending up in our environment, said Dana Winograd, co-founder and Director Plastic Free Seas. We have been doing this for two years. Last August, Americans were glued to the news, watching the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the rapid collapse of the Afghan government into Taliban hands. But within a few weeks, the news cycle moved on and Afghanistan fell off the radar for most causal observers. Obviously, forgetting is not an option for people inside Afghanistan, living under a regime that remains unrecognized, heavily sanctioned, and deeply impoverished. What does life look like for Afghans? What is the countrys trajectory, and is it a threat? We discuss all of that and more with Jawed Ludin, who served in several high-level positions in the Afghanistan government from 2003 to 2013including presidential spokesman, chief of staff to President Karzai, and deputy foreign minister. He also served as ambassador to the Nordic countries and to Canada. Post public life, he founded the Heart of Asia Society, a think-tank working to expand research and dialogue in Afghanistan and the region. Ludin says hardliners now control the Taliban and hes not optimistic about Afghanistans future, particularly given recent clampdowns including reimposing a ban on female education, despite promises to the contrary. The Taliban may not have changed in the past 20 years, but the Afghan society has changed indeed. Tragically, though, I think rather than listening to the demands, the Taliban have more often than not cracked down on them, said Ludin. * Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. The escaped slave who became a well-known orator and author spoke against slavery with faith and conviction In 1838, a Maryland slave named Frederick Bailey, age 20, escaped from bondage, making use of the recently constructed Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad. By rail, Frederick effected his flight in only one day. A new world had opened upon me, he wrote later, recalling the moment he first stood upon free soil. If life is more than breath, and the quick round of blood, I lived more in one day than in a year of my slave life. Later that year, he was married to the free black woman who had helped him escape, and the couplewho had adopted the surname Johnsonsettled in Massachusetts. Here, Frederick Johnson became a licensed preacher, and in time he and his wife adopted a new last name: Douglass. In Massachusetts, Frederick Douglass was introduced to The Liberator, William Lloyd Garrisons weekly paper, which cultivated within him an even more abiding hatred of slavery than hed harbored before. Douglass had learned to read as a child, thanks to his own ingenuity and some young friends. Of this childhood experience he later recounted: The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was most successful, was that of making friends of all the little white boys whom I met in the street. As many of these as I could, I converted into teachers. With their kindly aid, obtained at different times and in different places, I finally succeeded in learning to read. Douglass subscription to The Liberator marks a watershed in his life. The former slave later explained: From this time, I was brought into contact with the mind of Mr. Garrison, and his paper took a place in my heart, second only to the Bible. It detested slavery, and made no truce with traffickers in the bodies and souls of men. It preached human brotherhood; it exposed hypocrisy and wickedness in high places; it denounced oppression, and with all the solemnity of Thus saith the Lord, demanded the complete emancipation of my race. I loved this paper and its editor. He seemed to me, an all-sufficient match for every opponent, whether they spoke in the name of the law, or the gospel. His words were full of holy fire, and straight to the point. A vintage illustration of the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early to mid-19th century, and used by enslaved African Americans to escape into free states and Canada. Frederick Douglass used the Underground Railroad for a portion of his escape to freedom. (Keith Lance/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images) Not long after subscribing to The Liberator, Douglass attended a lecture delivered by Garrison in 1841. Though he was never loud and noisy, Garrison certainly did not mince words. Using the Bible as his text book, he preached that ministers who defended slavery from the Bible, were of their father, the deviland that those churches which fellowshipped slaveholders as Christians, were synagogues of Satan, and our nation was a nation of liars. To Douglass, this fearless and sharp-tongued crusader against slavery was akin to Moses, raised up by God, to deliver his modern Israel from bondage. Douglass had despised slavery before; hearing Garrison, and reading his words in The Liberator, my hope for the ultimate freedom of my race increased. Little could Garrison have known as he lectured that day that he was preaching to the man who would become the most famous black figure in 19th-century American history, and possibly all American history. Public Speaking and Autobiography Despite his fears of public speaking, it wasnt long before Frederick Douglass was sharing his own story in public until, in 1843, he was invited by Garrisons American Anti-Slavery Society on a speaking tour of the country with a group of other lecturers. For six months, the tour addressed audiences on the topic of slavery. More than once, Douglass was physically attacked by crowds (once, he was beaten so badly that his hand was broken; it never fully healed). Then, in 1845, Douglass published his autobiographyNarrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slaveand it quickly became a bestseller. The work reveals much about slave life at the time. Though separated from his mother, as a child Douglass yet resided within 12 miles of her, but even this short distance only afforded his seeing her four or five times in his whole lifeand then only when she braved escape (and the punishment of the whip) on foot, during the night and after a long days work, before hurrying back to make it to the fields by sunrise. She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep, Douglass wrote later, but long before I waked she was gone. Douglass provides a vivid account of a bondmans daily grind, painting a scene of privation and fatigue. Some of Douglass descriptions shocked his reading audience. Other episodes curdled the blood. There can be no virtue without freedom, and no peace without justice an autographed manuscript note by Frederick Douglass in 1859. (Public Domain) After publication of his Narrative, Douglass was advised by friends that his former master, having been made aware of his whereabouts and new name by Douglass book, might try to nab him. With this in mind, Douglass spent several years touring Ireland, England, and Scotland. In Ireland, he exulted in the equal and kind treatment he received, though he did note the extreme poverty of the Irish. I see much here to remind me of my former condition, he wrote for the Liberator back home, and I confess I should be ashamed to lift up my voice against American slavery, but that I know the cause of humanity is one the world over. While overseas, he often lectured to packed venues. So popular was Douglass in Britain that supporters raised the money to officially buy his freedom. In 1847, Douglass returned to the United States a legally free man. The North Star Newspaper Producing a literary sensation like Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass might have been considered the zenith of the authors public career, but Douglass was just getting started. From the basement of the Memorial AME Zion Church in Rochester, New York, Douglass began printing a newspaper of his own, The North Star; the publications name was a reference to the directions provided to runaway slaves seeking freedom: Follow the North Star! The North Star now competed with The Liberator and other antislavery publications, and the year of its publication marked a split between Garrison and Douglassthough not just over subscribers. Frederick Douglass (rightmost) visited Alexandria, Va., on Sept. 24, 1894. (Public Domain) Garrison had long condemned the Constitution as a pro-slavery document, and at first Douglass had agreed with him. But the same year of the release of Douglass Narrative, a Massachusetts philosopher named Lysander Spooner had published The Unconstitutionality of Slavery, in which Spooner upheld the Constitution as an antislavery document. The Constitution, Spooner argued, was based on ideas of natural law, and slavery was clearly a violation of that law. It was additionally situated within the context of the Declaration of Independencealso demonstrably antislavery. Much of the Constitutions actual text, Spooner showed, clearly contradicted the sordid institution, too. (Interestingly, Spooner himselfan individualist and libertarian anarchistdid not consider the Constitution as having any real authority.) In any case, and to Garrisons ire, Douglass now argued that the Constitution should be used by abolitionists as an instrument of abolition. On September 22, 1848the anniversary of his emancipationDouglass published an open letter to his old slave-master. Parts took on the style of a routine update. Others formed a rebuke: There are no slaveholders here to rend my heart by snatching [my children] from my arms, or blast a mothers dearest hopes by tearing them from her bosom. These dear children are oursnot to work up into rice, sugar and tobacco, but to watch over, regard, and protect, and to rear them up in the nurture and admonition of the gospelto train them up in the paths of wisdom and virtue, and, as far as we can to make them useful to the world and to themselves. You well know that I wear stripes on my back inflicted by your direction; and that you, while we were brothers in the same church, caused this right hand, with which I am now penning this letter, to be closely tied to my left, and my person dragged at the pistols mouth, fifteen miles, from the Bay side to Easton to be sold like a beast in the market, for the alleged crime of intending to escape from your possession. Frederick Douglass with Joseph, his grandson, who is holding a violin, circa 1894. (Public Domain) The letter ended thus: YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received today Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili, who arrived in Armenia on an official visit, the PMs Office said. The Armenian PM congratulated the Georgian FM on appointment and wished a productive work. Highly assessing the Armenian-Georgian friendship, PM Pashinyan said: A high level of political dialogue exists between Armenia and Georgia, our mutual relations are dynamically developing in different formats and in a positive atmosphere, which is a good base for the further expansion of the mutual partnership. Pashinyan stated that in todays tense regional situation the Armenia-Georgia firm partnership is an important factor for the peace and stability in South Caucasus. In his turn the Georgian FM thanked for the wishes and conveyed the warm greetings of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to the Armenian PM. He said that Georgia is interested in deepening the multi-sectoral cooperation with Armenia, promoting the bilateral agenda and welcomes the initiatives, programs directed to this. Ilia Darchiashvili said that Georgia is also attaching importance to the steps aimed at promoting the regional cooperation. The sides discussed issues relating to the Armenian-Georgian partnership agenda. The regional situation and developments were also touched upon. In this context the efforts by the regional countries aimed at maintaining stability and developing the mutual economic cooperation for the benefit of the peaceful and prosperous future were emphasized. Issues relating to international security were also discussed. The Armenian PM asked to convey his warm greetings to the Prime Minister of Georgia. Captain Augustus Vignos was wounded on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, and he spent the next 40 years trying to find the woman who nursed him back to health Captain Augustus Vignos of the 107th Ohio Infantry was so determined to find and thank the nurse who cared for him at the XI Corps Union hospital after the Battle of Gettysburg that he carried a photo of Rebecca Lane Pennypacker Price for 40 years. Vignos was wounded in the right arm on July 1, 1863, during the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Gangrene developed; his arm was amputated above the elbow at George and Elizabeth Spanglers farm, and his condition deteriorated. But Mrs. Price tended him each day at the Spangler hospital and fought for his life. She read to him, fed him, wrote letters home for him, changed bandages, and administered medicine. She helped keep him alive. And then she found clean clothes for him when he improved to the point where he could take a train home to Canton, Ohio. Vignos went on to marry in 1866, have nine children, and amass substantial wealth as a businessman. He was a pallbearer at the funeral of close friend President William McKinley. And all of that family joy, countless friendships, and business success happened thanks in part to the resolute care from Mrs. Price at the XI Corps hospital. Vignos showed Mrs. Prices photo to fellow ex-soldiers at national gatherings, but for more than four decades he couldnt find her. Then, unexpectedly, he received a letter in 1906: Dear Sir: Do you remember the tall nurse at Gettysburg who furnished you with clothing so that you could go home? Mrs. Price had found him. I was led to wonder if you were living, and if you were going to attend the G.A.R. encampment at Saratoga. I expect to be there, and would be glad to meet some of my soldier boys. I would be glad to hear from you. Now, in my declining years, my thoughts so often dwell upon those stormy times, and it gives me great pleasure to hear from or see those for whom I cared. Hoping you are enjoying health and prosperity. Vignos replied that he looked forward to seeing her with great pleasure, and their Spangler reunion took place on September 12, 1906, at the 41st Grand Army of the Republic Encampment at Saratoga Springs, New York, 43 years after they met at the Spanglers farm. Capt. Augustus Vignos. (Courtesy of George Rapp) The Field Hospital Mrs. Price was among several thousand women who served in Union and Confederate hospitals, most of whom were paid for working at relatively clean and modern brick-and-mortar hospitals in major cities. But some, like Mrs. Price, worked for no pay in field hospitals immediately during and after battlesin barns like the Spanglers, amid the agonizing sounds of dying men crying for their mothers and wives and the smell of blood, other body fluids, and human feces. They read Scriptures to the men, held the hands of dying soldiers, and talked to them in a desperate attempt to get their minds off their agony and their situation. Mrs. Price sang Rock of Ages to an Ohio soldier as he died at Spangler. She held an umbrella over a New York soldier to protect him from the July sun as he was carried on a stretcher to the barn for a leg amputation. This soldier would die two days later, and Mrs. Price said his last words were Mother, Home, Heaven! Why even now, after more than a quarter of a Century has passed, it makes me heart-sick to think of it, she wrote to her children years later. Rebecca came from the prominent Pennypacker family of eastern Pennsylvania. First cousin Galusha Pennypacker was a Civil War brigadier general by the time he was 20 years old and was awarded a Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in January 1865. She was second cousin to Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker, governor of Pennsylvania from 1903 to 1907, and her mother, Elizabeth, ran a Union Army hospital in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Rebecca lived in Phoenixville, outside of Philadelphia, and helped form the Ladies Union Relief Society, which grew to more than 100 women and collected so much food and supplies that her husband, Edwin, provided space in his downtown store for storage and gatherings. Rebecca rode on a rough bench in a darkened railroad cattle car at night from Baltimore to deliver a ton of supplies to Gettysburg, then went right to work at the XI Corps hospital just south of town. Rebecca was 25 years old, strong, and full of energy and ideals when she arrived in Gettysburg a few days after the battle in July 1863. She had short, dark hair. Her slight smile and eyes revealed the compassion inside her but hid the toughness and strength required to deal with the horrific scenes at Civil War field hospitals. (M.B. Yarnall/Courtesy of George Rapp) The stench was sickening, she said of Gettysburg. The dead were not all off the field and then so many wounded! Can you possibly form an idea of what it would be in hot July weather? Methought as I lay awake longing for a breath of fresh air, how little we, in our comfortable, cheerful homes knew of the suffering caused by the war. She gave her pillow upon her arrival at the Spangler farm to a soldier who didnt have one, then rested her head on a coat after that. Oh, what comfort, the soldier said. On the barn floor side by side, with only space enough to step between them, lay the worst cases, she said. The Surgeon in charge asked me to take them under my special care. It was an unpleasant duty. One from which, for a moment I instinctively shrank! Just outside the barn was the amputating table, and I thought, how can I pass it? Strength was given me, so for many days and nights I passed and repassed it, often when operations were being performed. Oh! The sad scenes would fill a volume. So many times at night I lay on my stretcher weeping instead of sleeping. Frequently at night I would hear someone scratching on the tent, and when asked what was wanted, the response would be, Sister, Mr. is dying, and wants you, so I would go to talk, read and sing to them, and perhaps close their eyes in death! I was going from morning until night, all the time feeling that I could not do enough, often sitting up until nearly morning, writing letters from notes taken from the boys during the day. The dear sufferers needed all the comfort that could be given them; those were trying days to them. The intense heat, the stench from wounds, the annoyance from flies! What they suffered can never be told, and it was borne so uncomplainingly. A gathering of the National Association of Army Nurses of the Civil War. (U.S. National Library of Medicine Digital Collections) Mrs. Price had a strong sense of right and wrong in addition to her compassion. She got a chaplain kicked off the farm when she discovered he was hoarding supplies. She suspected a female visitor who lingered with Confederate wounded of being a spy, so she reported her, and this visitor also was kicked off the farm. Mrs. Price said the Confederate wounded received equal treatment, though she admitted giving them the smallest oranges and apples. The XI Corps had one of the biggest hospitals after the Battle of Gettysburg, with about 1,900 men from both armies treated there. Mrs. Price worked almost a month at Spangler until the hospital was closed and the men dispersed to Camp Letterman in Gettysburg and more permanent hospitals in bigger cities. Post-War Mrs. Price had a family of four after the war, and she spent the rest of her life doing charitable work. She was a member of and for a time president of the National Association of Army Nurses of the Civil War. Her husband Edwin died in 1914 at age 82 after 55 years of marriage, and she died in 1919 at age 81. Mrs. Price received a $12-a-month Civil War nurses pension from the U.S. government from 1893 until her death. Captain Vignos lived to age 87 despite his arm amputation at Spangler. Vignos gratitude for what Mrs. Price did for him at the XI Corps hospital in Gettysburg was common for Civil War soldiers. Civil War nurse Mary A. Gardner Holland said: How the eyes of the old veteran fill with tears when, at our camp fires, some old lady is introduced, and the presiding officer says, Boys, she was an army nurse. For a moment the distinguished officers present are forgotten, and they gather around the dear old lady, eager to grasp her hand and say some kind and loving word in appreciation of her services. Nursing would become a common profession for women for the first time in the years following the Civil War, thanks to Rebecca Lane Pennypacker Price and the thousands like her. This article was originally published in American Essence magazine. ISIS Claims Bombing Targeting Shiites in North Afghanistan KABUL, AfghanistanThe ISIS terrorist groups affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility on Friday for two bombings in the countrys north that targeted the countrys minority Hazara ethnic group a day earlier. The car bombings Thursday in Mazar-e-Sharif killed at least nine people and wounded 13 others, according to local Taliban representatives. The Hazaras are mostly Shiite Muslims, who ISIS consider heretics. An ISIS statement said 30 Shiites were killed or wounded in the two attacks. Afghanistans minority Shiite Muslims have been targeted in a series of bombings in the past week. The ISIS affiliate known as ISIS in Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K, has attacked mosques, public buses, and schools. The worst such bombing occurred last week, also in Mazar-e-Sharif, when a powerful bomb killed 33 worshippers as they knelt in prayer, as well as students of an adjacent religious school. The deadly ISIS-K is proving to be one of the Taliban terrorist groups greatest challenges. Despite Taliban raids on ISIS-K strongholds in eastern Afghanistan, attacks continue at a steady pace. JFK Assassination Records: Lawyer Sues National Archives, Working on a Complaint Against Biden A lawyer has filed a lawsuit against the National Archives in an attempt to obtain the underlying correspondence and memos relating to the decisions of Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden to postpone the release of the JFK records, six decades after the event. The move comes after Biden released a memorandum in October 2021 authorizing another withholding of the records. The one spearheading this attempt to gain information about the national security threats that these records allegedly pose is attorney Larry Schnapf, who has been interested in the assassination since he was a child. Schnapf told The Epoch Times that in February, the government singled out 5,700 pages relevant to his request and will be sending them to him in 250-page batches. He received part of the first tranche last week. Some of it is redacted, something that he plans to challenge legally. The files released in the first tranche pertain to President Trumps October 2017 decision to postpone disclosure of the assassinations records for six months. These documents show that the National Archives disagreed with postponement requests of the CIA and FBI and how the rationale for the temporary six-month postponement was orchestrated, Schnapf said. I believe the next batch of records will pertain to President Trumps April 2018 decision to postpone disclosure until October 2021. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of Democrat President John F. Kennedy, is in favor of the efforts by Schnapf and his team. I support that suit, Kennedy Jr. told The Epoch Times, Its a 60-year-old crime. Theres no excuse for not complying with the law and releasing the records. In addition to this lawsuit, I submitted the attached letter to the Archivist on behalf of a team of lawyers I have assembled requesting that the Archives follow-up on a number of search requests tendered to the CIA and FBI by the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) in 1998 and that remain outstanding, Schnapf said. If I dont receive an adequate response from the Archives on this request, I will file a second lawsuit. My team of lawyers is also working on a complaint against President Biden for failing to comply with the terms of the JFK Records Act. We will be seeking a writ of mandamus requiring the President to release the records. President John F. Kennedy in an undated photograph courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. (JFK Presidential Library and Museum/Handout/File Photo via Reuters) The 1992 JFK Records Act, signed by Congress into law, mandated that all the documents be released by Oct. 26, 2017. However, one person had the power to stop itthe incumbent president. When the time for total declassification finally came, President Donald Trump put a six-month delay on the final declassification. Then he put a three-year delay on it. Some of the material shows the national archives strongly disagreed with the proposed withholdings made by CIA and FBI, saying the requests did not comply with the JFK Records Act. It was previously unclear what role the Archives played or if they were basically just a passive records custodian. The ARRB Final Report recommended that NARA [National Archives and Records Administration] or some future government body be given the same powers of the ARRB to overrule agency objections and the latest exchange shows how the current structure does not work. Both presidents seem to cave into claims of national security no matter how unreasonable, Schnapf continued. This first batch covered the time period before Trump issued his first postponement in October 2017. Ive only received 58 unredacted pages so far while waiting for another 179 pages of this first batch being reviewed by other agencies. This first batch also seems to suggest that the executive branch orchestrated the October 2017 postponement so that it was being requested by NARA, Schnapf stated. In December 2021, the Biden administration released a batch of classified documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The National Archives and Records Administration published the new 1,491 documents, of which 958 are from the CIA. By the time President Joe Biden took office, about 15,000 documents were either being withheld or redacted in part. Its very little and very late, Kennedy Jr. said Theres only 10 percent of the documents that legally have to be released in that data dump. But even those documents are clearly showing that the CIA lied outright to the Warren Commission about its relationship with Lee Harvey Oswald, he added. Schnapf and his team are determined to try their best to shed light on the classified information and pursue various means, not limited to Freedom of Information Act requests. We have an aggressive group of lawyers. Were going to be pressing the law. Were going to try to use the law. In the past when there was litigation, it was often focused on the Freedom of Information Act. Were trying all different things. Were going to pursue this and pursue that. Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference on April 17, 2022. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) Labor Promises Robodebt Royal Commission Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says a Labor government would set up a royal commission, the countrys highest form of public inquiry, into the unlawful Robodebt scheme, which he describes as a human tragedy. The automated matching of tax and Centrelink data to raise debts against welfare recipients, for money the coalition Liberal-Nationals government claimed to have overpaid, was ruled unlawful in 2019. A $1.2 billion settlement between Robodebt victims and the federal government was reached in 2020. But the centre-right coalition Liberal-Nationals government under Prime Minister Scott Morrison has never detailed who was accountable for the four-year scheme, and which ministers knew about its problems. Morrison was social services minister when the scheme was conceived, but has denied personal responsibility for the disaster. The centre-left Labor Party has long called for a royal commission into Robodebt, which Albanese described as a human tragedy, wrought by this government. Against all evidence, and all the outcry, the government insisted on using algorithms instead of people to pursue debt recovery against Australians who in many cases had no debt to pay, he said on Saturday. It caused untold misery. Only an Albanese Labor government will find out the truth. The royal commission would be tasked with establishing who was responsible for the scheme, what advice was used in its implementation, and complaints handling processes. It would also look at the cost to taxpayers of the Robodebt debacle, and the harm caused by those targeted. Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a press conference after visiting TEi engineering and steel fabrication company in the seat of Herbert, Queensland in Australia on April 26, 2022. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) Morrison hit back at the proposal, saying the issues had already been addressed. There have been numerous inquiries into this and there have been court matters which we fully co-operated in, he said. Almost $750 million in reimbursements have been made by the government and the changes to the scheme have been put in place. The problem has been addressed. Any inquiry would need to start with the process of income assessment, averaging of incomes, which was introduced by the Labor Party, Morrison said. I find it quite hypocritical that a scheme that the Labor Party actually introduced for income averaging in assessing peoples welfare entitlements, that they now seek to criticise the government for, he said. The Labor Party do this all the time. They just come out and make these assertions. But Labors government services spokesman, Bill Shorten, said Australians still did not know how this reckless scheme was unleashed. We do not know whether poor legal advice was given or whether legal advice was simply never sought, he said. We do not know if public servants were inappropriately heavied and politicised. And without knowing the true origins we do not know what safeguards could be put in place to prevent a repeat. Labor will also launch a user audit of the myGov government services digital portal to assess its reliability and functionality. Albanese is set to unveil the proposals in Perth, where he has also announced a Labor government would partner with the state government to deliver a local electric bus manufacturing facility and more than 130 new, locally manufactured electric buses. Labor will officially launch its campaign in Perth on Sunday. The opposition is looking to pick up three seatsPearce, Swan and Hasluckby riding off the popularity of Premier Mark McGowan and his landslide state election victory. By Dominic Giannini LAs Top Homeless Agency Elevates 2 Chief Officers to Co-Lead After Director Resigned LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) will temporarily be co-led by chief officers Molly Rysman and Kristina Dixon, now that Executive Director Heidi Marston, who announced her resignation earlier this week, has stepped back from her leadership role. Marston, who had led LAHSA since December 2019, had previously said her resignation would be effective May 27, but LAHSA announced on April 29 that Marston would step down as executive director on the same day but remain with the agency until May 27. Rysman previously served as chief programs officer, and Kristina Dixon served as chief financial officer. The commission that oversees LAHSA elevated their positions on April 29, but the commission will name an interim executive director in the next few weeks and conduct a nationwide search for a permanent executive director. The Commission and I would like to thank Kristina and Molly for stepping up to co-lead LAHSA during this transition period, said LAHSA Commission Chair Jacqueline Waggoner. Both Molly and Kristina combine decades of public service and homeless services experience with a passion for centering equity and inclusion into LAHSAs work. In her resignation letter to the commission, Marston cited disagreements over compensation for staff. Marston said she raised the salary for the 196 lowest-paid employees to $50,000 a year in March 2021. Employees were previously earning as little as $33,119. The employees of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority should not make so little that they qualify for homeless services themselves, she wrote in a letter to the commission. Rysman told the Budget and Finance Committee on April 28 that before the agency increased its base pay to $50,000, some of its staff were experiencing homelessness themselves. What we learned was that we had some staff who were homeless themselves, and the last thing we want as an employer is to be contributing to our crisis thats out there on the sidewalk, Rysman told the committee as part of the 202223 budgeting process. Along with increasing the compensation floor for LAHSAs employees, Marston also stopped increasing the pay of the 10 highest-paid employees, according to the letter. Following her decision, Marston said she was accused of undermining managements position in labor negotiations. She added that service providers believed she was trying to poach LAHSAs staff. The Los Angeles Times reported that the commission raised concerns about the decision in January after issues arose in negotiations with the employees union, SEIU, which led to employees getting a pay raise on top of the $50,000 base salary. Attorneys with the City Attorneys Office found the raises constituted a union contract revision that should have been approved by the commission first, according to The Times. Sources told the Los Angeles Times the commission didnt have issues with employees receiving more pay, but had issues with how it was implemented. Joyce Kuo contributed to this report. A Ukrainian multiple rocket launcher BM-21 "Grad" shells Russian troops' position, near Lugansk, in the Donbass region, on April 10, 2022. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images) RussiaUkraine War (April 30): Ukraine Says Russia Pounding Donbas; Russian Strike Knocks Out Odesa Airport The latest on the RussiaUkraine crisis, April 30. Click here for updates from April 29. Ukraine Says Russia Pounding Donbas; Russian Strike Knocks Out Odesa Airport A Russian missile strike at the airport in the southwestern port of Odesaa city that has so far been relatively unscathed in the warhas damaged the runway and it can no longer be used, the Ukrainian military said on Saturday. Russia has sporadically targetted Odesa, a Black Sea port, and a week ago, Ukraine said at least eight people were killed in a strike on the city. As a result of a missile attack in the Odesa region, the runway at Odesa airport was damaged. Its further use is impossible, the Ukrainian military said. Russian forces also pounded Ukraines eastern Donbas region on Saturday. In the town of Dobropillia in Donetsk, the shockwave from a strike blew in the windows of an apartment building and left a large crater in the yard. Moscow hopes to take full control of the eastern Donbas region made up of Luhansk and Donetsk, parts of which were already controlled by Russian-backed separatists before the invasion. The General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces said in a daily update that the Russians were trying to capture the areas of Lyman in Donetsk and Sievierodonetsk and Popasna in Luhansk, adding they are not succeedingthe fighting continues. Moscow said on Saturday its artillery units had struck 389 Ukrainian targets overnight. Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Russias Bryansk region, said air defenses had prevented a Ukrainian aircraft from entering the region, and as a result shelling had hit parts of an oil terminal, Russian news agencies reported. The governor of another Russian region, Kursk, said several shells were fired from the direction of Ukraine on Saturday at a checkpoint near its border. Roman Starovoit said in a video on his Telegram channel that there were no casualties or damage. On the Ukrainian side, Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said the Russians were shelling all over the region but they cannot get through our defense. He said civilians would continue to be evacuated despite the difficult situation. Russias TASS news agency, reporting from the scene, said 25 civilians, including six children, had left the territory of the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged southern port of Mariupol on Saturday. It was unclear where they had gone, and Reuters could not independently verify the report. ____ Russia Says Risks of Nuclear War Must Be Kept to Minimum: TASS Russia believes the risks of nuclear war should be kept to a minimum and that any armed conflict between nuclear powers should be prevented, the TASS news agency quoted a foreign ministry official as saying on Saturday. Vladimir Yermakov, the foreign ministrys head of nuclear non-proliferation, said all nuclear powers must stick to the logic laid out in official documents aimed at preventing nuclear war. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday the West should not underestimate the elevated risks of nuclear conflict over Ukraine, although the United States subsequently said it did not believe there was a threat of Russia using nuclear weapons despite an escalation in Moscows rhetoric. Yermakov on Saturday was quoted as saying that leading nuclear powers must adhere to the logic enshrined in documents they have jointly created. He was referring to a joint statement published in January by Russia, China, Britain, the United States, and France, in which the five countrieswhich are the permanent members of the United Nations Security Councilagreed that the further spread of nuclear arms and a nuclear war should be avoided. The risks of nuclear war, which should never be unleashed, must be kept to a minimum, in particular through preventing any armed conflict between nuclear powers, TASS quoted Yermakov as saying on Saturday. Russia clearly follows this understanding. ____ Ukraine Says Russian Air Forces Continuing to Strike City of Mariupol Ukraines military said on Saturday that Russian planes had continued to launch strikes on the besieged city of Mariupol, focusing on the Azovstal steelworks where troops and civilians are sheltering. In a Facebook post, the general staff of the armed forces also claimed the Ukrainian military had regained control over four settlements in the Kharkiv region. ____ Ukraine Exchanges Prisoners With Russia: Deputy PM Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange with Russia on Saturday, with seven soldiers and seven civilians coming home, deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in an online posting. She did not say how many Russians had been transferred. The two nations have swapped prisoners several times during the conflict that began with Russias invasion on Feb. 24, and on Thursday Ukraine said Russia had handed over 33 soldiers. ____ Russia Has Set Space Station Exit Timetable Russia has decided when it will pull out of the International Space Station (ISS) and will give a years notice to its partners, Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said on Saturday. In an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel, the head of the space agency said that although a timeframe has been set, the authorities are not obliged to speak about it publicly. Rogozin earlier said Western sanctions imposed over Russias military offensive on Ukraine are preventing Roscosmos from proceeding with business as usual when it comes to joint work with the United States and other Western countries on the ISS. He also said that if he could he would already have ceased cooperation. Russias activity on the ISS is determined by the government and the president, and the agency is currently allowed to continue operations on the ISS through 2024. I can only say one thing: in accordance with our obligations, we will warn our partners a year in advance about the end of work on the ISS, he said. Rogozin also explained that during its remaining time on the ISS, Russia will demonstrate its readiness to deploy the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS). He said the ROSS will be multifunctional and that development plans are already underway. When it is presented we will begin to create this smart hardware and prepare its launch into space, the deployment of the station, Rogozin said. _____ Moscow Outlines When Frozen Dialogue With US May Restart The dialogue on strategic stability between Russia and the United States may only resume after all the goals of Moscows military operation in Ukraine are achieved, a high-ranking Russian diplomat has said. As of today, theres no use talking about any prospects for negotiations on strategic stability with the U.S., Vladimir Yermakov, who heads the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control at Russias Foreign Ministry, pointed out on Saturday. This dialogue is formally frozen by the American side, he said, adding that Washingtons moves concerning the matter are being pointed in the complete opposite direction than those of Moscow. The sides will likely be able to return to a substantive conversation about the prospects of resuming a full-fledged Russian-American negotiation process on the strategic agenda only after the implementation of all the tasks of the special military operation in Ukraine, Yermakov added. _____ Ukraine Crisis a Result of US Policy Goals: Russia The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a direct result of the Wests push to create a unipolar world, one which has involved NATOs unabated eastward expansion, Moscows Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Chinas Xinhua News Agency in an interview published on Saturday. The U.S. and NATO have always seen Ukraine as an instrument of containing Russia, the minister said, adding that the reasons that eventually prompted Moscow to launch its military operation in Ukraine stem from a years-long western policy that included stirring up anti-Russian sentiment among Ukrainians and forcing them to make a false choice between the West and Russia. It was the West that first instigated and then supported an anti-constitutional coup detat in Kyiv in 2014 which gave rise to an internal Ukrainian conflict the U.S. and its allies never tried to resolve, Lavrov said, as he accused Washington and its partners of fostering Kyivs aggressive anti-Russian course and pushing nationalists towards a military solution of the crisis in the Donbass. Washington and Brussels brushed off Russias proposals for security guarantees in Europe in December 2021, the minister said, adding that Moscow was left with no choice but to launch its military operation to protect the people of the Donbass, following a request from the leaders of the two republics Russia had recognized. Russia is interested in a peaceful, free, neutral, prosperous and friendly Ukraine, the minister has explained, adding that Moscow wishes to restore centuries-long cultural, economic and family ties between Russians and Ukrainians. What is happening right now is not a new Cold War but continued attempts by Washington and its allies to impose a U.S.-centric model of the world on other nations, Lavrov said. The United States and its allies seek to erode the U.N.-based world order and replace it with their own rules-based order. Ukraine has not been the only place in the world where the United States and its allies sought to pursue this goal, the minister noted, citing the NATO bombings of Yugoslavia in 1999, the 2003 Iraq invasion, and the Syrian crisis as examples of this destructive policy. _____ Lavrov Says Lifting Sanctions Against Russia Part of Peace Talks With Ukraine Lifting sanctions imposed on Russia is part of peace negotiations between Moscow and Ukraine, which are difficult but continue daily, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published early on Saturday. Kyiv warned on Friday that talks on ending Russias invasion, now in its third month, were in danger of collapse. At present, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are actually discussing on a daily basis via video-conferencing a draft of a possible treaty, Lavrov said in comments to Chinas official Xinhua news agency published on the Russian foreign ministrys website. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted since the invasion began on Feb. 24 that Western sanctions on Russia needed to be strengthened and could not be part of negotiations. Ukraine and Russia have not held face-to-face peace talks since March 29, and the atmosphere has soured over Ukrainian allegations that Russian troops carried out atrocities after they withdrew from areas near Kyiv. Moscow has denied the claims. The talks agenda also includes, among others, the issues of denazificiation, the recognition of new geopolitical realities, the lifting of sanctions, the status of the Russian language, Lavrov said. We are in favour of continuing the negotiations, although they are difficult, Lavrov said. _____ US Training Ukrainian Troops in Europe: Pentagon Ukrainian military personnel are receiving American training in Europe amid the conflict with Russia, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby has revealed. I can announce that the United States has commenced training with the Ukrainian Armed Forces on key systems at U.S. military installations in Germany, Kirby said during a briefing on Friday. As part of the program, coordinated with Berlin, the Ukrainian troops are learning to operate artillery, radars and armored vehicles. This new training effort in Germany and at other locations in Europe is in direct support of recent U.S. security assistance packages that are designed to help Ukraine win their battles today and build strength for tomorrow, the spokesman said, noting that the United States has committed $4.3 billion to the Ukrainian military since 2021. Kirby stressed that the Pentagon has no plans to send its instructors into Ukraine. The training that well do will be outside of the country, he said. But the possibility of servicemen inside Ukraine receiving American training virtually is being explored, he added. _____ Macron Pledges Strong Support for Ukraine French President Emmanuel Macron has conveyed to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy his wish to actively work to re-establish the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine during his second mandate, in coordination with allies, the presidential Elysee Palace says. Macron assured Zelenskyy in their hourlong conversation Saturday that military material and humanitarian assistance would keep flowing to Ukraine, the Elysee said. France has so far sent 615 tons of equipment and aid, including generators for hospitals, ambulances, and food. France has been coy about its contribution in defensive weapons, but Macron recently mentioned Milan anti-tank missiles and a delivery of truck-mounted Caesar cannons among consequential equipment. This support will continue to strengthen, the French president told Zelenskyy, according to the Elysee. _____ Ukraine to End Fuel Shortages Soon, Zelenskyy Says Ukraine will soon stamp out fuel shortages, even though Russian forces have damaged a number of oil depots, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday. This week, Russia struck Ukraines main fuel producer, the Kremenchuk oil refinery, as well as several other large depots. Queues and rising prices at gas stations are seen in many regions of our country, Zelenskyy said in a nightly video speech. But government officials promise that within a week, maximum two, a system of fuel supply to Ukraine will be at work that will prevent shortages. In a statement, Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the shortages would be eliminated within a week, as Ukraines operators had secured contracts with European suppliers. ____ Ukrainian Warplane Shells Russia: Governor Russias Bryansk Region has sustained yet another attack from Ukraine, the local Governor Aleksandr Bogomaz has said. Early on Saturday, local air defenses detected an attempt by a Ukrainian military plane to violate the countrys airspace, Bogomaz wrote on Telegram. The aircraft was prevented from making it into Russia, but managed to fire two projectiles, which landed in the village of Zhecha, not far from the two countrys shared border with Ukraine, he outlined. Fatalities and injuries were avoided during the attack, but the facilities of the local oil loading terminal suffered minor damage from shockwaves. _____ More Than 1 Million People Evacuated From Ukraine to Russia, Says Lavrov Russias foreign minister says Moscow has evacuated over 1 million people from Ukraine since the war there began. The comments Saturday by Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua come as Ukraine has accused Moscow of forcefully sending Ukrainians out of the country. Lavrov said that figure included more than 300 Chinese civilians. Lavrov also said that negotiations continue between Russia and Ukraine almost every day. However, he cautioned that progress has not been easy. Lavrov said the evacuees included 120,000 foreigners and people from Russian-backed breakaway regions of Ukrainethe so-called Donetsk and Luhansk peoples republics that Russia recognised as independent just before President Vladimir Putin announced the invasion. Lavrov in part blamed the bellicose rhetoric and inflammatory actions of Western supporters of the Kyiv regime for disrupting the talks. ____ Ukraine Spars With Russia Over Talks, Says Moscow Not Succeeding in East Ukraine and Russia traded accusations over shaky talks to end a war now in its third month as Russia pounded areas in the east of the country and U.S. lawmakers vowed a massive new weapons package for Kyiv. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in remarks published early on Saturday, said lifting Western sanctions on Russia was part of the peace negotiations, which he said were difficult but continue daily by video link. Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told Polish journalists that chances were high that the talks, which have not been held in person for a month, would end because of Russias playbook on murdering people, the Interfax news agency said. Ukraine acknowledges losing control of some eastern towns and villages but says Moscows gains have come at a heavy cost. We have serious losses but the Russians losses are much, much bigger, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said, without elaborating. They have colossal losses. Russia was pounding the entire Donetsk front line with rockets, artillery, mortar bombs and aircraft in part to stop Ukrainian troops from regrouping, Ukrainian officials said. Ukraines military said Russia was preparing for offensives in the areas of Lyman in Donetsk and Sievierodonetsk and Popasna in Luhansk. In the south, it said, Russia was continuing to regroup, increase fire effectiveness, and improve position. Russias defense ministry said its forces had struck Ukrainian weapons storage sites, platoon strongholds, artillery positions, and drones. Russia said a diesel submarine in the Black Sea had struck military targets with Kalibr cruise missiles, the first report of such strikes from a submarine. ____ Pelosi Hopes to Approve $33 Billion Ukraine Aid as Soon as Possible U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday she hopes to pass a $33 billion aid package for Ukraine requested by President Joe Biden as soon as possible. Biden asked Congress on Thursday for the money to support the government in Kyiva dramatic escalation of U.S. funding for Ukraine more than two months after it was invaded by Russia. Lawmakers from both parties said they wanted to approve the emergency funding request quickly, but there was no immediate word on exactly when the House and Senate might vote amid disputes over what should be in any legislation. We hope to as soon as possible pass that legislation, Pelosi told her weekly news conference. Bidens funding request includes over $20 billion for weapons, ammunition, and other military assistance, as well as $8.5 billion in direct economic assistance to the Ukrainian government and $3 billion in humanitarian aid. Democrats, who narrowly control Congress, and Republicans disagree over whether to combine the Ukraine funding with billions of dollars for COVID-19 relief that Biden requested in March. Pelosi said lawmakers would have to come to terms with how to address both issues. _____ Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Trying to Destroy the Donbass Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to destroy the Donbass and all who live there. The constant brutal bombardments, the constant Russian strikes on infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to empty this territory of all people. Therefore, the defense of our land, the defense of our people, is literally a fight for life, he said late Friday in his nightly video address to the nation. He said the cities and towns of the Donbass will survive only if Ukraine remains standing. If the Russian invaders are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbass into stones. As they did with Mariupol. In Kharkiv, a major city to the north, the situation was brutal but Ukrainian troops and intelligence agents have had important tactical successes, he said without elaborating. Zelenskyy said rescuers were still going through the rubble in Kyiv after Thursdays missile strikes. ___ Lavrov Dismisses Need for UN Corridors Help Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appears to have dismissed the need for the United Nations to help secure humanitarian corridors out of Ukraines besieged cities, striking a tough line a day after the U.N. chief toured war-wracked Kyiv with that very aim. As an interviewer at Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV tried to ask Lavrov about U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians, Lavrov cut him off. There is no need. I know, I know, Lavrov said. There is no need for anybody to provide help to open humanitarian corridors. There is only one problem humanitarian corridors are being ignored by Ukrainian ultra-nationals, he said. We appreciate the interest of the secretary-general to be helpful, he added. (We have) explained what is the mechanism for them to monitor how the humanitarian corridors are announced. During the hourlong interview, Lavrov also accused the West of sabotaging Russias peace talks with Ukraine. He claimed that thorny negotiations in Istanbul last month had been progressing on issues of Russian territorial claims and security guarantees until Ukrainian diplomats backtracked at the behest of the West. We are stuck because of their desire to play games all the time, Lavrov said. Because of the instructions, they get Washington, from London, from some other capitals, not to accelerate the negotiations. When asked about the risks of war spilling into neighboring Moldova after a series of explosions rattled a breakaway border region within the country, Lavrov struck an ominous tone. Moldova should worry about their own future, he said. Because theyre being pulled into NATO. _____ The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. Quebec City mayor Regis Labeaume brings flowers at a vigil to honour Suzanne Clermont, who was stabbed to death on Halloween night by a man with a sword, Nov. 2, 2020 in Quebec City. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot) Man Charged in Quebec Halloween Sword Attack Was Suffering From Delirium: Doctor The man accused in Quebecs Halloween 2020 stabbing attacks that left two people dead was in a state of psychosis and suffering from delirium, a psychiatrist testifying for the defence said Friday. Dr. Gilles Chamberland, who assessed Carl Girouard after the killings, said he believes the accused is on the autism spectrum and likely suffers from schizophrenia. This psychosis meant that he was unable to know if the actions he was taking were good or bad, Chamberland concluded in his report. Girouard, 26, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Francois Duchesne, 56, and Suzanne Clermont, 61, on Oct. 31, 2020, and he is also charged with five counts of attempted murder. He admits to killing two and injuring five others but says he is not criminally responsible because he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the attacks. The Crown has argued the acts were premeditated and had been planned since 2014. Chamberland testified the accused wasnt hallucinating but suffering from delusions that had developed over time. The court has heard that Girouard was obsessed with violent video games involving swords and began to confuse reality and the virtual world. He was allegedly deluded about having a mission to kill people with a sword since age 18. Girouard has testified that his mission was to create chaos, change the world and encourage like-minded peoplewhom he called his alter egosto continue his objective. Chamberland said Girouard told him about his mission and that the suspect was convinced that killing people with a sword would show he was courageous. If thats not delirium, I dont know what is, said Chamberland, who met Girouard in April and September of last year to assess his criminal responsibility. The psychiatrist told jurors he consulted the many available documents on the accused, including one psychologist report discussing the issues Girouard had at age 12. The report, Chamberland said, said Girouard had aggressive and impulsive traits. It also said the accused had grandiose ideas and was influenced by video games, conclusions the doctor said were an indicator of what was to come. At the age of 12, you already have the embryo of everything that will happen, Chamberland told the jury. Chamberland said that report leads him to suspect Girouard is on the autism spectrum and likely suffers from Tourettes syndrome and schizophrenia. Around Grade 10, Girouard dropped out of school and increased cannabis usetypical in schizophrenia cases, Chamberland said. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Girouard quit his job and stayed home playing video games night and day. After the Halloween night sword attack, reality set in again, the doctor said. Girouard, Chamberland said, had received mental health assistance over the years. He came from a caring family, and his mother, who raised four boys including one brother diagnosed with autism, was devoted but overwhelmed, the doctor added. Were dealing with someone who is very disturbed, Chamberland said, adding that despite the help the suspect was given, it did not work and he couldnt be helped or managed. Earlier this week, Girouard testified that there were two versions of himself: one person on the witness stand and a version that was focused on the mission to kill. Chamberland said he does not believe Girouard suffers from multiple personalitieswhere one doesnt know what the other is doingbut rather two versions constantly fighting each other. He will resume his testimony on Monday. The Mercedes-Benz logo is pictured at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany, on Sept. 10, 2019. (Ralph Orlowski/Reuters) Mercedes Looking at Energy Options Should Russia Turn Off the Gas: CEO LONDONMercedes-Benz is looking at energy alternatives should Russia cut gas deliveries and is working closely with German authorities to ensure energy supplies, the premium carmakers top executive said on Friday. Every company is looking at options for diversifying energy sources, Chief Executive Ola Kaellenius told Reuters TV ahead of the companys annual general meeting. It is still too early to say exactly which scenario will happen, but of course we are carefully looking at this. Russias Gazprom cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria this week and has threatened to do the same to others, cranking up retaliation for Western sanctions imposed for Moscows invasion of Ukraine. Germany has not been affected so far. Mercedes Chief Financial Officer Harald Wilhelm said this week that the carmaker uses gas plants for heat to run paint shops. A Reuters analysis shows that over half of the energy consumed by Germanys carmakers was from fossil fuels, with the largest chunk from natural gas. By Nick Carey Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he addresses a public meeting at Jerenga Pathar in Sivasagar district of India's Assam state on Jan. 23, 2021. (Biju Borg/AFP via Getty Images) Modi Aims to Make India a Global Hub for Semiconductors Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on April 29 that he aims to make India a key player in the global semiconductor supply chain, with the countrys consumption of semiconductors estimated to exceed $110 billion by 2030. Modi urged industry leaders and investors to seize the opportunity, saying that semiconductors play a critical role in the formation of a new world order. India has the appetite for tech and risk-taking. We have put the odds in your favor as far as possible through a supportive policy environment, he said at Indias first semiconductor conference in the southern city of Bengaluru. Modi outlined six reasons why India is an attractive investment destination for semiconductor technology, one of which is the countrys development of digital infrastructure that connects more than 1.3 billion users. Efforts are underway to connect 600,000 villages to broadband, he said, adding that his government is working to unleash the next wave of innovation in data, AI [artificial intelligence], and other technologies. India is headed for robust economic growth. We have the worlds fastest-growing startup ecosystem, he said. Indias own consumption of semiconductors is expected to cross $80 billion by 2026 and $110 billion by 2030. Other reasons include the countrys talent pool, its manufacturing sector, and the wide-ranging reforms put in place to improve the ease of doing business in India. Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on April 28 that India is in talks with large companies such as Intel, Samsung, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) about setting up local operations in India. India is right there squarely on their global plans whether it is Intel, GlobalFoundries, he said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. TSMC is still taking more time, but other big ones are very serious in their plans. India had previously unveiled a $10 billion incentives plan to provide financial support to companies investing in semiconductors, display manufacturing, and the design ecosystem. A joint venture between Indian conglomerate Vedanta and Taiwans Foxconn is among the corporations that have shown interest in the incentives plan. Vaishnaw said the government would take six to eight months to finalize the list of qualified companies for the incentives. After this first tranche gets utilized, we definitely will go for more, he said at the conference. We have the appetite for more, we have the need for more. U.S. Attorney General William Barr waits to speak at an announcement a new Crime Reduction Initiative designed to reduce crime in Detroit in Detroit, Mich., on Dec. 18, 2019. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) No Legal Consequences for Hunter Biden Laptop Censorship: William Barr Former Attorney General William Barr recently made it clear that those who dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop story as Russian disinformation and suppressed the news will not be held accountable with any legal consequences. None that I can think of, Barr said to Newsmax host Sean Spicer who raised the question regarding accountability. The former AG noted that media and politicians have a propensity for telling lies. Speaking in an interview with conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt last month, Barr suggested that suppressing the laptop story might have affected the 2020 presidential elections. The intelligence officials suggesting that it was Russian disinformation in order to essentially keep a cork in it until after the election. I do think that that, given how close the election was, you know, I think that that probably affected the outcome, or at least is a very distinct probability of that, Barr said. Just weeks before the 2020 election, the New York Post published an article about a laptop dropped off at a Delaware repair shop in 2019 that is alleged to have belonged to Hunter Biden. The article pointed to several emails and messages received and sent by Hunter Biden that triggered accusations that he leveraged his fathers influence as a former American vice president to secure lucrative business deals in Ukraine and China. Following the New York Post article, 51 former U.S. spy officials signed a letter suggesting that the laptop story carried Russian ties. Subsequently, Joe Bidens campaign and several media outlets dismissed the issue as a Russian disinformation operation. In recent months, media outlets like the Washington Post, Politico, and New York Times have published reports indicating that at least some of the contents on the laptop are authentic. During the second presidential debate in October 2020, Joe Biden had blamed the story about his sons laptop on a Russian plot. Barr recently stated that he was very disturbed when Biden lied about the issue to the American people. The former attorney general also remained silent when Hunter Biden was put under investigation by federal authorities over tax issues before the 2020 presidential election. Former President Donald Trump had expressed disappointment at Barrs decision, insisting that his silence had resulted in a disadvantage for the Republican Party at the polls. When the New York Post tried to post the story on its social media accounts back in 2020, Twitter and Facebook blocked the reach of the article. Twitter even locked the account of the media outlet for more than two weeks, arguing that it contained personal material. Entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is taking over Twitter in a $44 billion deal, has criticized the censorship by the platform. Suspending the Twitter account of a major news organization for publishing a truthful story was obviously incredibly inappropriate, he said in an April 27 tweet. According to a recent report by content analysis and media watchdog Media Research Center, social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram had censored or deleted 646 accounts or posts that criticized Joe Biden between March 2020 and March 2022. The worst cases of censorship involved platforms targeting anyone who dared to speak about any subject related to the New York Post bombshell Hunter Biden story, the watchdog said. Of the 646 cases, 140 were about the New York Posts articles on Hunter Biden and his alleged corrupt foreign business dealings. YEREVAN, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. The relations between Armenia and Georgia have a great potential of political and economic development, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili said during a joint press conference with Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Yerevan. We stated that a great potential of political and economic cooperation exists between the two countries. Trade, transport, energy, tourism, culture, education: these are the sectors which play important role in our bilateral relations, the Georgian FM said, presenting the results of his meeting held with the Armenian FM during his official visit in Yerevan. Talking about the history of the bilateral relations, the Georgian FM reminded that this year Armenia and Georgia celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. However, he noted that the historical and friendly ties of the two countries have a history of centuries. I am confident that the existing cooperation between Georgia and Armenia will continue in the same way. In a rapidly changing geopolitical environment its important to strengthen the friendly relations between our countries in order to be able to jointly overcome the new challenges and use the opportunities, he said. Ilia Darchiashvili said that they have also discussed in detail the ongoing developments and challenges in the region and the efforts of the two countries directed to these challenges. Georgia has always supported the peaceful cooperation and co-existence in South Caucasus. We highly appreciate Armenias unconditional support to Georgias territorial integrity and sovereignty, which speaks about the partnering relations between the two countries, he said. In his turn Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that there is a political dialogue between Armenia and Georgia, and the mutual partnership both in bilateral and multilateral platforms is at a high level. At their meeting the two ministers specifically touched upon the transit potential of the South Caucasian region. The Georgian FM said it is of critical significance not only for Georgia, but also for Armenia. It was stated that the sides will support new transit projects, taking into account the strategic goals and issues of the two countries. In terms of economic cooperation we attach importance to the complete use of the existing potential. I am happy that the sessions of the bilateral economic commission are being held on a regular basis. We have expressed readiness for further effective collaboration. I am deeply convinced that our future relations will continue in accordance with the best traditions, the Georgian FM added. He thanked his Armenian counterpart for the welcome and also expressed readiness to host Mirzoyan in Tbilisi at a convenient time. Orange County DA Launches Anti-Street Racing Campaign With Fast & Furious Actors Gene Hambrecht died in 2020 after the truck he was driving got in the path of two cars illegally racing in Santa Ana, California. His wife, Pat Buchanan, told a throng of reporters April 29 that the last time she saw her husband alive was as she was heading out from their home to pick up groceries and told him: I love you. Ill be right back. The driver of the car that collided with her husband in the fiery crash that took his life, is now charged with murder. A photo of newspaper editor Gene Harbrecht who was killed by street racers sits on display as his wife Patt Harbrecht speaks in Santa Ana, Calif., on April 29, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Street racing, where drivers drive at high speeds on public roadways racing one another or driving alone, recklessly at high speedoften doing donuts spinning in circleshas exploded in popularity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an all too often occurrence of innocent bystanders and street racers dying as a result. To curb the activity, the Orange County District Attorneys Office has teamed up with Sung Kang, who played Han Lue in the Fast & Furious movie series, and Cody Walker, the brother of the late Paul Walker, who was one of the films main stars, as well as other advocates like Buchanan, to launch an anti-street racing campaign called Keep it on the Track. All were on hand April 29 to announce the campaign and stood before a number of the high-end cars. Posters of street racing offenders and victims sit on display next to racecars in Santa Ana, Calif., on April 29, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) These are some of the beautiful, most powerful instruments and vehicles youll ever see, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. These vehicles can also kill. Spitzer, who is up for re-election in June, said the issue has become rampant. Street racing and street takeovers today in our nationand quite franklyall across the world, he said, its out of control, and we know it. The gear shifter of a street racing car sits on display in Santa Ana, Calif., on April 29, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) The campaign features a video, encouraging drivers to be responsible, and will air on cable news stations across the United States, and perhaps internationally. Kang said what happened to Walker, his close friend, could have been avoided. I had a lot of reservations being the face of this [campaign] because I make movies about going fast and furious, he said. Who am I to preach on this? But I did lose a brother, thats real. Actor Sung Kang, part of the cast in the Fast & Furious movies, speaks about street racing in Santa Ana, Calif., on April 29, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Walker, 40, died in 2013 when he was a passenger in a Porsche, which was racing at high speeds. The car crashed into a concrete lamp post and tree and burst into flames. He left behind a 15-year daughter. Theres no Part Two. Its over and I wish I could just hang out with my friend, Kang said. Man, just keep it on the track. [Street racing] seems cool until its all over. While Spitzer said his office will continue to prosecute those caught racing, public education on its dangers is necessary because you cannot prosecute your way out of a crisis. [Street racers] are literally going out on our streets and they are ignoring the safety risks that theyre posing, he said. Theyre hurting people and theyre killing people on our roads. They only care about the adrenaline rush in which they experience when they drive these high-powered cars. Also on hand was Lili Trujillo Pucket, who founded the nonprofit Street Racing Kills after her 16-year-old daughter Valentina was killed in 2014 while asleep in the back of a car after its driver decided to race another car. During the race, the driver ran a red light and crashed into an SUV, killing Valentina. Lili Trujillo speaks against street racing next to a photo of her and her daughter Valentina who was killed in a street racing incident, in Santa Ana, Calif., on April 29, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Never did I ever think I was going to outlive her. We are not supposed to bury our children. Our children are supposed to bury us, Trujillo Pucket said. Had [the driver not accepted] that challenge to street race, my daughter would be here with me right now. The Orange County District Attorneys Office encouraged those looking to race to go to the Irwindale Speedway, which offers a safe environment for racing vehicles. Paxlovid, a Pfizer's COVID-19 pill, is seen manufactured in Ascoli, Italy, in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters on Nov. 16, 2021. (Pfizer/Handout via Reuters) Pfizer Says Its COVID-19 Pill Paxlovid Fails to Prevent Symptomatic Infection of Household Members Pfizer announced Friday that a recent large, late-stage trial found that its COVID-19 antiviral pill, Paxlovid, failed at preventing symptomatic infection of people living with a person who has the disease. The trial enrolled 2,957 participants aged 18 and older who live in the same household as another person who has COVID-19 with symptoms. They were given either Paxlovid or a placebo twice daily for five or 10 days. Researchers reported that those who took Paxlovid for 5 days were 32 percent less likely to become infected compared to the placebo group. People who took Paxlovid for 10 days were 37 percent less likely to get infected. The results were not statistically significant, however, which means it could possibly be due to chance. These results were not statistically significant and, as such, the primary endpoint of reducing the risk of confirmed and symptomatic COVID-19 infection in adults who had been exposed to the virus through a household contact was not met, the company said in a release. While we are disappointed in the outcome of this particular study, these results do not impact the strong efficacy and safety data weve observed in our earlier trial for the treatment of COVID-19 patients at high risk of developing severe illness, Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said in a statement. Paxlovid consists of two different antiviral drugsnirmatrelvir and ritonavir. It is currently approved or authorized for conditional or emergency use in more than 60 countries to treat COVID-19 patients at high risk of severe illness. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ritonavir may cause liver damage and so caution should be exercised when giving Paxlovid to patients with preexisting liver diseases, liver enzyme abnormalities or liver inflammation. The FDA also said that using Paxlovid in people with uncontrolled or undiagnosed HIV-1 infection may lead to HIV-1 drug resistance. Pfizers announcement comes as researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) are planning to investigate how and why some people who have taken a five-day course of Paxlovid experience a repeat of COVID-19, reported Bloomberg. Clifford Lane, deputy director for clinical research at NIAID, told the outlet that the issue is a pretty urgent thing for us to get a handle on. He said the agency is discussing with scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about carrying out a number of possible epidemiological and clinical studies to learn about these rebound cases. Researchers at the VA Boston Healthcare System earlier this week published a preprint (pdf) about a case study of a 71-year-old man who quickly recovered from COVID-19 after taking Paxlovid, only to have a relapse of symptoms and an increase in viral levels just nine days after his first COVID-19 positive test. The symptoms and viral levels resolved days later. The COVID-19 rebound case related to Paxlovid is the first to be documented in medical literature. Paul Sax, a Harvard Medical School professor and the clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Womens Hospital, told Bloomberg that if people have symptoms that worsen after taking Paxlovid, its probably still COVID. Sax on April 25 had reported about a rebound of COVID-19 in one of his HIV patients after the person took Paxlovid. Reuters contributed to this report. PM Scott Morrison Says China Has Form on Foreign Interference in Australia Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that China has formor a recordon foreign interference in Australia and that his government is very aware of the influence that Beijing seeks to have in the country. So any suggestion that China, the Chinese government, doesnt seek to interfere in Australiawell, we didnt put that legislation in for no reason, Morrison told reporters on April 30. We put it in there to ensure that Australians security could be safeguarded from foreign influence in our own country. Morrison was responding to a question regarding Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews claim that China might have timed the announcement of its security pact with the Solomon Islands to influence the Australian election outcome. When asked if he agreed that the Solomon IslandsChina security pact was timed to coincide with the election, Morrison said, All Im saying is there is form on foreign interference in Australia. Thats why we introduced laws on it. The Solomon IslandsChina security deal, which was signed last week, triggered alarms in the United States and among its allies that Beijing may use the accord to establish a military presence in the region and destabilize the Indo-Pacific. According to a leaked draft of the agreement, Beijing would be able to dispatch police, troops, weapons, and even naval shipswith the consent of the Solomon Islandsto protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in the Solomon Islands. Morrison said on April 24 that the prospect of having a Chinese military base in the Solomon Islands would be a red line for Australia, calling the security pact a shared concern among governments. Australias Labor opposition party has blamed the Morrison government for dropping the ball on engagement in the region, saying it was Australias worst foreign policy disaster in the Pacific since World War II. Penny Wong, Labors foreign affairs spokesperson, said that under Morrisons leadership, the region was less secure and the risks to Australia far greater. The government should have acted sooner. We live in a world where the strategic circumstances we face are riskier and more uncertain than in any time since the end of World War II, she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on April 20. While Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare had claimed that the agreement with China wouldnt undermine the peace and harmony of the region, Washington has stated that the unspecified nature of the security treaty is alarming, as it follows Beijings pattern of offering shadowy deals to countries. Daniel Y. Teng contributed to this report. A Taliban fighter stands guard around the site of an explosion in a mosque, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 29, 2022. (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo) Powerful Explosion at Kabul Mosque Kills at Least 10 People KABUL, AfghanistanA powerful explosion ripped through a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, killing at least 10 people and wounding as many as 30, a Taliban spokesman said. Hundreds of worshippers had gathered for prayers on the last Friday of the Muslim month of Ramdan and the Khalifa Aga Gul Jan Mosque was packed, said local residents, fearing the casualty toll could rise further. The Taliban-appointed interior ministry spokesman, Mohammad Nafi Takor, could not provide more details and the Taliban terrorist groups security men cordoned off the area. The source of the explosion was not immediately known and no one has claimed responsibility for the blast. Initially, at least 20 were reported wounded but Khalid Zadran, spokesman for the Taliban-appointed Kabul police chief, later raised the number to as many as 30. The death toll remained at 10, he said and also wrote on Twitter that security agencies are investigating the incident. The explosion was so loud that the neighborhood of the mosque shook from the blast, the residents said, speaking on condition of anonymity, fearing for their own safety. Ambulances raced to the site, driving up to the end of a narrow street in an eastern neighborhood of Kabul to reach the mosque, which belongs to Afghanistans majority Sunni Muslims. Wahid, an Afghan in his 30s, said he was home when he heard about the blast and rushed to the mosque right away, knowing his brother was there. He recalled the scene of mayhem, the screams and shouts for help. He helped carry the wounded to ambulances. Everyone was crying and covered in blood, Wahid said. I was told my brother had been hurt. The Associated Press spoke to Wahid outside the Italian-run EMERGENCY hospital, where he had gone to give blood, but Taliban guards cordoned off the hospital, denying access to everyone but the wounded. He finally found his brother, wounded in the arm and leg. The hospital, which treats only the war-wounded, tweeted that its staff reported the facility has admitted at least 23 wounded and two who died shortly after the explosion. Javid, who appeared to be in his late 20s, said he was on his way to the mosque to join his brother and cousin who were already there, when he heard the explosion. He rushed to the scene. I was so afraid and ran there, he said, adding that he had found both his brother and their cousin, slightly injured and released after treatment. The explosion was so powerful, Javid said the roof of the mosque collapsed. Wahid and Javid would only give their first names to the AP, fearing for their own safety. The United Nations condemned the explosion, describing it as heinous and yet another painful blow to the people of Afghanistan who continue to be exposed to unremitting insecurity and violence, according to Ramiz Alakbarov, the U.N.s deputy special representative coordinating humanitarian relief. It is unconscionable for civilians to be targeted indiscriminately as they go about their daily business, gathering for prayers, going to school or the market, or on their way to work, he said. The explosion was the latest in a series of such blasts amid relentless attacks across the country. Similar attacks on mosques have recently targeted the countrys minority Shiite Muslims and were claimed by the ISIS terrorist groups regional affiliate, known as ISIS-K. ISIS has stepped up its attacks across Afghanistan to become the primary enemy of the Taliban terrorist group since their takeover of the country last August. Despite Taliban claims to have routed ISIS from its headquarters in eastern Afghanistans Nangarhar province, the terrorist groups renewed assaults on mosques, schools, and buses underscores the intransigent threat it poses. Last week, 33 Shiite worshippers died in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, when a bomb struck their mosque and an adjacent religious school. ISIS has claimed responsibility for that attack. There are also other militant groups operating in Afghanistan and despite Taliban promises that Afghan territory would not be used to harbor non-Afghan insurgents, militants fighting many of Afghanistans neighbors have found a safe haven in the country. Prosecutors: Dont Need Steele to Prove Intersection Between Dossier and Sussmann Former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele, the purported author of the infamous Steele dossier, wont be called as a witness when former Clinton campaign attorney Michael Sussmann goes on trial next month for allegedly lying to the FBI. On April 27, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper sorted through five motions regarding what can be entered as evidence, including four filed by Sussmanns attorneys. The discussion was the second evidentiary hearing in the case, with a third scheduled for May 4. Theres also a likelihood that a closed hearing will take place to review potential evidence to be vetted under the Classified Information Procedures Act. Sussmanns trial is set to begin on May 16 in Washington. Hes charged with one count of making a false statement to the FBI. Federal prosecutors, led by special counsel John Durham, maintain that in August 2016, Sussmann and Clinton campaign lead counsel Marc Elias met with Neustar executive Rodney Joffewhose company was contracted to monitor DNS traffic for the Executive Office of the Presidentand encouraged him to concoct a narrative tying The Trump Organization to Alfa-Bank, the largest private bank in Russia. On Sept. 19, 2016, prosecutors say that Sussmann gave FBI general counsel James Baker documents collected to promote that debunked narrative, claiming that he was doing so as a concerned citizen and not representing a client. Prosecutors say Sussmann failed to inform Baker that he had represented Joffe in the past, had recently represented the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and that his and Eliass Perkins Coie law firm was general counsel for Hilary Clintons 2016 campaign. The August gathering that led to Sussmanns September meeting with Baker was, itself, preceded by a July meeting between Sussmann and Steele, a former British MI6 agent and author of the discredited Steele dossier. Steeles work was ultimately funded by the Clinton campaign. Prosecutors maintain that Sussmann began investigating Alfa-Bank and Trump immediately after that seminal meeting with Steele. They say the sequence of meetings and subsequent events indicate that Sussmann, Elias, Joffe, Fusion GPS, Clintons campaign, and the DNC engaged in a joint venture to spread spurious claims that would dog the early days of the Trump administration. Steeles admissibility as a witness was among issues raised in Sussmanns petition to Preclude Evidence Regarding the Gathering of Data, the Accuracy of Data or Its Analysis, or the Steele Dossier in response to Durhams motion to compel testimony. Sussmann attorney Sean Berkowitz said calling Steele as a witness would be unduly prejudicial for his client with a jury. Invoking even his name is a lightning rod in this case because he is somebody who is probably one of the best knownthere was, I think, a two- or three-year investigation into him, into the Steele dossierwhich has nothing to do with the charge against Sussmann, according to Berkowitz. So even the implication of Mr. Steeles name in this case we think would be unduly prejudicial given the lack of probative evidence, he said. The reality is that [Steele] is out of the country and isnt likely to be a witness. Without him as a witness, Judge, we dont believe theres any evidence about Mr. Steele that would be admissible to come in. U.S. Attorney Andrew DeFilippis said the prosecution has Steele listed as a witness, but doesnt expect to call him because hes not cooperating with us. Nevertheless, he said, even without Steele, and even with limited testimony allowed, theres ample evidence documenting a strong intersection between Fusion GPSs opposition research and Sussmanns Alfa-Bank efforts, he said. The meeting with Christopher Steele is incredibly probative and relevant to proving Sussmann made a false statement to the FBI, because it shows that Mr. Sussmann himself was integrated into that whole effort to discredit candidate Trump and then President Trump, DeFilippis said. Prosecutors can limit the prejudice on this because were not going to go anywhere near the more well-known or salacious parts of that dossier or anything like that. Were just trying to establish the extent to which Mr. Steeles work intersected with the Alfa-Bank matter, he said. Instead of calling Steele, prosecutors say they can get testimony regarding the July meeting from Fusion GPS employee Laura Seago, whos on their witness list. DeFilippis said the government can also prove their joint venture theory by showing Steeles contributions to Fusion GPSs opposition research were part of Perkins Coies workstream with the Clinton campaign. Citing Robby Mooks two-page statement, DeFilippis noted that the former Clinton campaign manager told the government that he viewed Steeles opposition research and Alfa-Bank research as intermixed with the law firms work for the campaign. Berkowitz said he didnt understand what Seago, who either has been immunized or will be immunized, could testify about. We understand that she would say she doesnt recall that she even knows Mr. Steele or is able to talk about what he did, he said. And so we dont know that they actually are able to get anything in about what Mr. Steele did or didnt do. Certainly, theres no evidence that Mr. Sussmann was aware of what Mr. Steele was doing. Sheriffs Department Calls on Newsom to Keep Funding for Protecting Children From Online Predators SACRAMENTOThe Sacramento County Sheriffs Department announced on April 26 its asking state residents to pressure Gov. Gavin Newsom to retain funding for a task force that works to protect children from sexual predators and internet exploitation. Sheriff authorities said Newsom excluded funding for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in his proposed 20222023 budget. Currently, there are five teams in California funded by the program, including in Sacramento. If [the task force] funding is not included in the governors budget, the task force teams will have to eliminate all dedicated personnel who are responsible for combatting child sexual exploitation and abuse, Sgt. Juan Hildago, commander of the Sacramento Valley High-Tech Crimes Task Force, said in a statement. According to authorities, child sexual predator offenses and human trafficking have surged over the last several years. The Sacramento branch of the task force, which has been receiving about $400,000 annually since 2016, recently executed a search warrant on 24-year-old Demetrius Carl Davis, a resident of Sacramento County, and discovered numerous screen recordings of children engaged in sexual acts. Davis is suspected of generating fake social media accounts portraying himself as a female child named Lizzy to communicate and befriend other children on the Internet. Investigators believe Davis spoke to his victims in sexually explicit language, as well as sending them videos of child pornography, said Sgt. Rod Grassman, a Sacramento County Sheriff spokesman, in the statement. Davis, authorities said, directed children he befriended to pose for child pornography depicting themselves engaging in sexual acts with siblings and other children. Forensic analyses uncovered and identified over 80 child victims of Davis between the ages of 6 and 13-years-old. Authorities said they believe Davis communicated with well over 100 children between 2020 and 2021. Without funding, our ability and resources to combat these heinous crimes will be overwhelmed, Sacramento Undersheriff Jim Barnes also said in the statement. Gov. Newsoms office representatives were not immediately available for comment at press time. Fake Chanel bags, Prada shoes, and 3M face maskswhats happening with these counterfeits from China trying to make their way into the United States? An old rule has been exploited, the United States suffers a great loss, and the beneficiaries are mainly Chinese companies. Shanghais official infection rates are raising questions. Many have said they dont feel the numbers are trustworthy, citing Chinese authorities cover-up in Wuhan. The Hollywood movie Uncharted is banned in the Philippines. But for the American audience, the bug might be too small to see. China has reported what appears to be the worlds first known human case of H3N8 bird flu. Chinas health commission said the infected person is a 4-year-old boy. Topics in this episode: Chinese Firms Avoid Tariffs With Loophole Shanghai COVID-19 Death Toll Raises Questions Hollywood Flick Echoes CCP Territorial Claim WTA Not Returning to China in 2023 Over Peng Case More Details on Chinese Firms Getting US Subsidies Lockdowns Hurt Chinas Commuter Workers Shanghai Lockdown Stirs Memories of Planned Economy First-Ever Human Case of H3N8 Bird Flu Found Australia, US Warn China Over Solomon Pact Report: Global Military Spending Grew in 2021 Have other topics you want us to cover? Drop us a line: chinainfocus@ntdtv.org And if youd like to buy us a coffee: https://donorbox.org/china-in-focus Subscribe to our newsletter for more first-hand news from China. For more news and videos, please visit us on Gettr and Twitter. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during the 'Get Out The Vote' campaign event in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 23, 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Texas Approves $495.3 Million for Border Security Operations Texas has approved the transfer of $495.3 million to fund Operation Lone Star and critical border operations at other state agencies, the governors office announced Friday. This funding will address immediate border security needs while future funding needed to protect Texans continues to be evaluated, according to Gov. Greg Abbotts office. The vast majority of the funds$465.3 millionwill go toward supporting the deployment of the Texas Army National Guard, with the remaining some $30 million to be sent to other state agencies. The state leadership said in a letter to state agencies (pdf) the approval of the funds will take effect immediately. Texas will not sit on the sidelines as President Biden continues turning a blind eye to the crisis at our southern border, Abbott said in a statement, adding, This additional funding ensures the Lone Star State is fully equipped to provide Texans the border security strategy they demand and deserve. A Border Patrol agent apprehends a group of Cubans who just crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into Eagle Pass, Texas, on April 19, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Joan Huffman, chair of the Texas Senate Finance Committee, said the latest Texas funding is necessary to continue the states efforts in supporting Operation Lone Star to combat criminal activity, human trafficking, and gang violence. In the past year, over one million immigrants have illegally crossed our southern border, she said. Of those, there have been over 14,000 criminal arrests and thousands of pounds of illegal drugs seized. Operation Lone Star was launched in March 2021 to combat the smuggling of humans and contraband into Texas across the southern border. Abbott later expanded the operation to also deal with human trafficking. The Biden administrations approach to our southern border is nothing short of irresponsible, said Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan. As the humanitarian and security costs of this crisis continue to escalate, Texas is once again put in the position of doing the job the federal government refuses to do. Read More Texas Under Pressure to Secure Its Own Border Against Illegal Immigration Amid Escalating Crisis The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in a recently published report, estimated that the illegal immigrant population in the United States increased by one million in President Joe Bidens first year in office. Massive numbers of illegal aliens are coming into the United States and theyre staying here, Spencer Raley, research director at FAIR and author of the new report (pdf), told The Epoch Times. After Bidens first year in office, fewer Border Patrol agents are patrolling the border, construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall was halted, more drugs are being smuggled in, more high-speed chases and crashes are occurring in border towns, and fewer illegal aliens are being deported. Zachary Stieber and Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report. If there is major work to do transforming the body, this system plays a part Hormones may not seem like a big deal, until they dramatically change. Think about puberty, menopause, pregnancy, or some other moment in life marked by physical, mental, and/or emotional upheaval. Your bodys endocrine system is the infrastructure responsible for manifesting these life-altering hormonal shifts. However, most of the time, this system is geared toward more routine concerns, like your sleep cycle, tissue repair, and blood sugar stability. When it comes to our understanding of the endocrine system, most of us have heard of a few glands and a handful of hormones, such as testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol. Whats not always clear is how everything works together as a whole. Theres a lot to know about the endocrine system. There are many parts, numerous chemicals, and a relatively recent discovery that explains how the system functions. Delegating to Glands The endocrine system consists of about 50 hormones, which are produced by organs called glands. These glands include the pituitary, pineal, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, pancreas, and adrenals, as well the sex specific glands: testes and ovaries. Your body has other glands, but only the ones listed above are part of the endocrine system. (The remaining glands, such as sweat glands and tear ducts, belong to what is known as the exocrine system. The lymphatic system also has its own glands.) Endocrine glands are ductless organs that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream. You can think of hormones as the communication method glands use to conduct and coordinate bodily functions. Hormones are often called chemical messengers because they instruct different parts of the body to perform essential activities at the right moment. Most of this communication happens in the background, without us having to think about it. Just imagine all these chemical messengers sailing through your blood telling different body parts what to do when. They guide our metabolism, reproduction, body temperature, stress response, and much more. Now add to this rather sophisticated system another system to coordinate it. The endocrine system doesnt work in isolation. Tiny structures in the brain actually conduct the entire show. Brain Control Central command of the endocrine system is something called the HPA axis. H stands for hypothalamus, P for pituitary, and A for adrenal, the gland associated with our fight-or-flight response. You can think of the HPA axis as the point where your neurological system and endocrine system meet. The pituitary gland, found deep in your brain, is sometimes known as the master gland because it controls all the other endocrine glands in the body. Yet its only about the size of a pea. This small gland takes its orders from another tiny gland: the hypothalamus, which comes in at about the size of an almond. The hypothalamus tells the pituitary what to do, and the pituitary sends messages to whichever other gland in the body is specialized for the desired task. For example, the pituitary taps the pancreas to trigger insulin production in order to get nutrients out of the bloodstream and into the cells. The wild card of the HPA axis is the adrenal glandsthree-inch pieces of tissue that rest on the top of each kidney. These are the glands associated with stress and survival, and they produce the stress hormone called cortisol. The Priority Hormone The adrenal glands are not found in the brain with the rest of the HPA axis, but when the situation calls for it, these glands become the whole systems top priority. For example, when the adrenals secrete a significant amount of cortisol, the body suppresses production of testosterone, a hormone associated with male sex drive and muscle mass. According to Dr. Andrew Neville, a naturopath in Pennsylvania who specializes in adrenal issues, the body holds back on testosterone in order to focus its immediate resources on survival. Your body shuts down the things that arent that important, like procreation. It doesnt really care about your periods or your sex life. Forget all that. We have to take care of this threat. We can switch that back on after we survive the fight, Neville said. Ideally, when the threat passes, normal hormonal function returns. However, chronic stress can delay or even derail this return. If a real or perceived threat is always looming, drawing energy away from functions other than your overactive stress response, the bodys remaining hormonal functions can suffer. It all works in this incredibly delicate, dynamic, nuanced response. I tell my patients that when the endocrine system is working, its like a professional philharmonic orchestra with a seasoned conductor of 30 years experience. Its exquisite. But if you start to alter that function, then it starts to sound like a middle school band. Its not that pretty, Neville said. There is a lot that can go wrong because hormones really orchestrate much of our physiological mechanisms, such as healing, cellular repair, making neurotransmitters, and turning genes on and off. Glandular Duties With an appreciation for the HPA axis, we can consider the remaining glands of the endocrine system and the jobs they perform. Lets start at the top, with the thyroid. This gland is found at the base of the throat, and gets its name from the ancient Greek word for shield. However, some say it looks more like a butterfly. The thyroid oversees a variety of functionsincluding sleep, metabolism, weight, menstrual cycles, and heart rate. The thymus gland is associated with immunity. This gland found in the upper chest produces hormones that trigger the release of things like white blood cells and T-cells, but it also secretes hormones to guide your growth. Your thymus is much larger when youre young, and it starts to shrink when you hit puberty. It becomes progressively smaller as you age, and gradually turns to fat. The pancreas is the gland associated with digestion. Located next to the stomach, the pancreas is best known for secreting the hormone insulin, but it also produces ghrelin and leptinhormones broadcast to the HPA axis to communicate our levels of hunger and satiety. Last, but certainly never least are the sex glands, which, of course, guide reproduction. Testosterone is typically the hormone associated with men, while women are synonymous with estrogen and progesterone. However, both the testes and ovaries each produce all three sex hormones (although in different amounts). Females develop menstrual cycles that include a regular release of estrogen and progesterone over a 28- to 30-day period that spans from puberty to menopause. Males have a far more constant release of their primary hormone, testosterone, yet testosterone production still varies on a daily basis. For example, testosterone typically elevates a bit in the morning, drops in the late afternoon, elevates in the evening, only to drop during sleep so it can elevate again in the morning. Characteristics of Hormones You might think that, with so much complexity, the discovery of the endocrine system is a rather recent development. But according to Dr. James Giordano, professor of neurology and biochemistry at Georgetown University Medical Center, doctors have understood the basic premise for centuries. He sees a clear precursor to the endocrine system in the ancient concept of bodily humors. The whole idea of bodily humors, which was very popular in ancient Greece and ancient Rome, really had something of an intuitive insight into how the endocrine system works, Giordano said. These humors had the ability of altering the anatomical capabilities and physiological functions of various systems in the body. In the last hundred years or so, our understanding of this elegant system has become much more detailed. Weve learned, for example, that based on what theyre made of, hormones fall into one of two categories. Those in the steroid group, which includes all the sex and stress hormones, are made of cholesterol. And those in the non-steroid group (everything else) are made of protein. However, the most revolutionary discovery about the endocrine system has to be the secret behind how hormones actually communicate. Hormone Receptors Hormones travel through the bloodstream to deliver their message. But if blood travels everywhere, how does the message only manage to reach the right recipient? Giordano explains that the actual message transfer happens at a molecular level, and hormones only exchange information with tissues that are equipped to read their message. Thats because hormones can only affect cells that have receptors for that specific hormone. And because cells have many roles, each cell can have receptors for several different hormones. If the cell has more receptors for a specific hormone, it will be more sensitive to that hormone. Cells with more receptors for a specific hormone are called up-regulated. They are tuned to reply to more of that hormones signals, perhaps because this is a growth phase in that persons life or they are going through puberty and so certain genetic traits are activated or turned off. Hormones can even change what genetic traits are up-regulated or down-regulated in a cell through these receptors. The receptor revolution that occurred during the 1970s and 80s was when we really were able to identify the molecular structures that bind to hormones and engage their actions in their various target cells and target systems. This allowed a much more precise understanding of the proverbial lock and key actions that various hormones have on the tissues they affect, Giordano said. Hormones are not unique in their lock-and-key communication method. Other biochemical activities outside the endocrine domain also work in a receptor-mediated fashion, such as neurotransmitters in the nervous system, and various components of the immune system. Subtle Changes, Delicate System The HPA axis acts as the brains of the whole endocrine process, but the communication works in two ways. After glands receive instructions from central command, they respond with hormonal replies back to the HPA axis. These replies are essential to making the system run more smoothly. The hypothalamus needs feedback to calculate its next move and instruct the pituitary to broadcast a new set of instructions to the glands below. This ongoing endocrine correspondence continues day and night, for as long as we live. It is a very delicate, ornate, and articulate set of systems and processes that serve to keep the body in a continuous state of adaptive regulation, Giordano said. Much of Giordonos work explores the role of the mind in the landscape of the endocrine system. He examines the means and processes of hormonal control and its influence on cognition, emotion, and behavior. Its not that were biological automatons. We all have primary biological instincts and drives. Were mammals. But the beauty of the nervous system, whether its in a human being, a dog, or a giraffe, is not in its capability for engagement. Its in the capability of restraint. In other words, we all play a conscious role in the ongoing conversation of hormonal communication. Things like puberty and blood sugar regulation may be beyond our conscious control. But other hormonal drives, like sex and hunger, can be a nagging and incessant influence in our lives. However, we ultimately decide how these drives get expressed. Our nervous system allows us to be aware of the changes that our body experiences and how they feel, and it certainly allows us to be aware of the consequences of our actions or inaction, Giordano said. Think of it as three interacting domains. We have the sensations of our bodily functions. We have the perceptions and interpretations of what our bodily functions mean. And we have control on how we respond to those bodily sensations. The quantities of hormones we produce vary from person to person, and even vary with the same person throughout the day. But if our bodies fail to produce enough of a particular hormone, numerous symptoms can result. Much of the time, treatment for endocrine disorders involves supplementing for hormones we may be deficient in. Think about insulin injections for diabetics, or some other form of hormone replacement therapy. But there are other ways to improve our endocrine function that dont require pills or needles. For example, what we eat and how much food we consume can directly influence the insulin sensitivity of our cells, which means our pancreas doesnt have to produce so much insulin to get the job done. Neville says simply trying to live in balance with nature can be a positive influence on hormone levels. We are rhythmic beings. Were designed that way. If a woman can improve her circadian rhythm, she can actually normalize her ovarian hormones. So get up with the sun. Normalize your sleep/wake cycles, and get adequate sleep, Neville said. Its about finding balance. We know this is incredibly important for health in general, but we just have a hard time sticking to it in our modern, toxic, fast-paced, stressful world we live in. Managing our stress response can go a long way toward balancing our hormones. Remember, its only when the adrenals are not on high alertflooding our body with cortisol so it is ready to fight or fleethat the rest of our glands are permitted to function at full capacity. Fortunately, there are things we can do to lower our stress response, such as eating well, meditating, enjoying healthy social engagement, or spending time in nature. Preventing the body from wasting its precious hormonal resources on chronic stress is important for our overall health. We all have thresholds for what we can and cant tolerate. In some cases these are learned; in many cases, these are trainable and modifiable, Giordano said. A technician conducts tests for the H7N9 bird flu virus at the Kunming Center for Disease Control (CDC) on April 10, 2013. Chinese scientists believe new cases of H7N9 bird flu in East China may indicate the risk of a fresh outbreak of the virus during winter. (ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images) Top Chinese Officials Offered to Brief US Officials on COVID-19 in Closed-Door Meeting, Emails Reveal Top Chinese health officials offered to brief U.S. counterparts on the new coronavirus in Wuhan in a closed-door meeting in early 2020, newly obtained emails show. As health officials in the United States and around the world were scrambling to respond to the emerging COVID-19 outbreak from China, Lance Rodewald, a senior adviser to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), floated an offer to have an informal discussion regarding the new illness. Im writing to explore whether you may be interested in an informal presentation/briefing/discussion about the novel coronavirus by Dr. Feng Zijian at a side meeting around the time of the February ACIP meeting, he said in an email dated Jan. 23, 2020, sent to eight U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials. ACIP is a panel of health experts that advises the CDC on vaccine recommendations. The panel typically meets at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The same day Rodewald made the offer, the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus first originated, entered into a full lockdown. The virus had been spreading in the city and around the world undetected as the Chinese regime suppressed crucial information about the outbreak and delayed acknowledging for weeks that the virus could transmit among humans. The regime was also stonewalling repeated U.S. requests to send experts into China and get on-the-ground data. Feng was the deputy director for the Chinese CDC at the time. He and Ma Chao, an official with China CDCs National Immunization Program, were preparing to visit Atlanta for another conference, Rodewald told CDC officials in the email. I think that most of you know Dr. Feng Zijian, he wrote, describing Feng as the architect of Chinas National Immunization Advisory Committee. Feng has visited US CDC many times, including for 6 months during the H1N1 influenza pandemic and in 2016 during an ACIP meeting, he said. Feng was leading Chinas investigation into and response to the Wuhan virus, Rodewald said. As such, he knows pretty-much everything about the investigation and response, including the virology, epidemiology, clinical spectrum, and mitigation measures being taken over here. Feng Zijian (C), deputy director general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, answers a question during the press conference of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council in Beijing on July 31, 2021. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images) Because of Fengs responsibilities, Rodewald cast doubt on Fengs ability to make it to the United States, but wanted to gauge whether U.S. officials were interested in meeting him if he did. Ma, he indicated, was more likely to go. The offer elicited a warm welcome from Anne Schuchat, then the principal deputy director of the CDC. If they visit we are delighted to meet on the sidelines of acip, she wrote back hours later. Together we can figure out who will be able to meet. Of course I remember Feng Zinjian well. Rodewald in reply said it was great news to see the interest and willingness for Feng Zijian to meet at CDC. Many, many thanks, he wrote in the email closing. The emails were obtained by The Epoch Times through a Freedom of Information Act request. Its unclear whether Chinese officials ended up meeting with CDC officials, though Ma did ultimately travel to the United States. Minutes from a Global NITAG Network (GNN) meeting that took place on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 in 2020 show Ma presented during the meeting on off-label vaccinations in China. Fengs name didnt appear. During the ACIP meeting one day later, Dr. Amanda Cohn, one of the CDC officials on the emails, said that the CDC had hosted the GNN meeting. Those meeting attendees will be coming in and out and watching the meeting, both in another space as well as in the room, Cohn said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 19, 2021. (Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images) Neither Ma nor Feng appeared during the ACIP meeting, the last to be held in person since the pandemic started. The CDC, Cohn, and other top CDC officials did not respond to requests for comment. Queries sent to the Chinese scientists bounced back. Chinese media did not report on the GNN or the ACIP meetings. Additional Freedom of Information Act requests have been lodged seeking to confirm whether any Chinese scientists met with U.S. officials before, during, or after the ACIP meeting. Two ACIP members, Dr. Kevin Ault and Dr. Pablo Sanchez, told The Epoch Times they did not recall speaking with Chinese scientists in Atlanta. A third, Arkansas Health Secretary Jose Romero, said through a spokesperson that he did not meet with the Chinese scientists. Paul Mango, a former Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) official, suggested the Chinese officials might have initiated the offer out of individual goodwill. There were some Chinese scientists who wanted to collaborate, yet were perhaps discouraged from doing so by their government, he told The Epoch Times. HHS is the CDCs parent agency. A number of Chinese doctors were punished by regime authorities in the early days of the pandemic when they tried to warn the public about the virus. A Shanghai lab that published the worlds first COVID-19 virus sequence was shut down the same day. Chinese media reports show that Rodewald, of Chinas CDC, appeared to be an admirer of Chinas COVID-19 response. In a government-sponsored forum in Shanghai in October 2020, he was asked about Chinas shortcomings in scientific research in pandemic response efforts. You asked the wrong person, he said while laughing, according to Chinese media reports. I really respect the measures China has taken in fighting the outbreak. Im just a witness. He added that other countries should learn from how China traced and isolated close contacts of the infected. Eva Fu China Reporter Follow Eva Fu is a New York-based writer for The Epoch Times focusing on U.S.-China relations, religious freedom, and human rights. Contact Eva at eva.fu@epochtimes.com NATO countries are doing everything to prevent completion of the Russian special operation in Ukraine by political agreements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in the interview with the Xinhua news agency, Tass informs. April 30, 2022, 10:40 NATO doing everything to prevent political agreements between Russia and Ukraine Lavrov STEPANAKERT, APRIL 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: "We witness the manifestation of classic double standards and hypocrisy of the Western establishment at present. Publicly expressing support to the Kiev regime, NATO countries are doing everything to prevent completion of the operation by way of reaching political agreements," the Russian Minister said. Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton Neil Parish sitting in Parliament in Westminster, London, on April 28, 2022. (House of Commons/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) UK Lawmaker Resigns After Admitting to Watching Pornography in Parliament British Conservative Neil Parish on Saturday said he will resign as the MP for Tiverton and Honiton after he admitted to watching pornography on his phone twice in Parliament. The Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee chair, who is a farmer by trade, told the BBCs Politics South West programme that he was looking at tractors online and went into another website with a very similar name. I watched it for a bit, which I shouldnt have done, he said, adding that his biggest crime was deliberately going to the website a second time when he was waiting to vote on the side of the [House of Commons] chamber. Asked about the reason he had done so, Parish said it was a moment of madness, and also, totally wrong, but stressed he was not making sure people could see it. I was wrong, what I was doing, but this idea that I was there watching it, intimidating women, I mean I have 12 years in Parliament and probably got one of the best reputations everor did have, he said. When pressed on why he chose to view the material in the Commons, Parish said: I dont know, I think I mustve taken complete leave of my senses and my sensibilities and my sense of decency, everything. The allegation of an MP watching pornography was first made on Tuesday evening during a Conservative backbench meeting where female MPs, including former Prime Minister Theresa May, railed against Parliaments culture of sexism, according to The Sun, which first reported the story. Parish was identified on Friday as the offending MP. He referred himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in the House of Commons, but said he would continue to perform his duties as the MP for Tiverton and Honiton before announcing his resignation on Saturday. Parish said he first thought he would explain to the standards committee what had happened, but could see the furore and the damage I was causing my family and my constituency and decided to quit. The attitude and behaviour toward female MPs have recently come under scrutiny after the Mail on April 23 reported accusations from unnamed Conservative MPs that Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner used flirtatious tactics to distract Prime Minister Boris Johnsonallegations Rayners spokesman said were categorically untrue. Rayner on Wednesday wrote on Twitter that sexist slurs are mortifying and deeply hurtful. Questioned by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer later on the same day, Johnson told Parliament that he had exchanged messages with Rayner following the report. I repeat what I said to her, there can be absolutely no place for such behaviour or such expression in this House and we should treat each other frankly, with the respect that each other deserves, he said. PA Media contributed to this report. Undated file photo of British Virgin Islands premier Andrew Fahie. (Department of Information and Public Relations of the government of the British Virgin Islands via AP) UK Minister Sent to British Virgin Islands as Premier Appears in US Court The UKs Minister for overseas territories Amanda Milling will travel to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for governance talks as the territorys elected Premier Andrew Fahie appeared in a U.S. court on Friday on drug-trafficking-related charges. Fahie, 51, was arrested at a Miami airport on Thursday in an operation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency on charges of money laundering and conspiring to import cocaine. Oleanvine Maynard, managing director of the BVI Ports Authority, was also arrested. Both Fahie and Maynard remain in custody and a bond hearing has been set for Wednesday. The UKs Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Friday that Fahies arrest is extremely concerning and underlines the need for urgent action. The incident came as an inquiry report published on Friday said that the British overseas territory has been governed badly very badly indeed in recent years. The string of islands inhabited by 35,000 people east of Puerto Rico is currently under a 2007 constitution giving it limited self-governance under a governor who is the ultimate executive authority as the representative of the Queen. The inquiry into corruption in the territory, commissioned by former Governor Augustus Jaspert in January 2021 and led by retired British judge Sir Gary Hickinbottom, recommended Governor John James Rankin have the territorys elected House of Assembly and government dissolved and take over its governance for two years. Truss said she had instructed the minister for overseas territories to travel to BVI immediately to speak to Rankin and key stakeholders, and will announce the way forward next week. In January 2021, we set out significant concerns about the deteriorating state of governance in the British Virgin Islands, as well as the potential vulnerability of the islands to serious organised crime, the foreign secretary said in a statement. The UK government supported the then governors decision to launch an independent Inquiry into [the] governance of the Territory. Truss said the report shows clearly that substantial legislative and constitutional change is required to restore the standards of governance that the people of the British Virgin Islands are entitled to. Calling the British Overseas Territories a core part of the UK family, Truss said the UK government is committed to the security and wellbeing of the people of the British Virgin Islands. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss meeting European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic for talks in central London on Feb. 11, 2022. (Rob Pinney/PA) Hickinbottoms inquiry found that Almost everywhere, the principles of good governance, such as openness, transparency, and even the rule of law, are ignored. It found that elected officials can and do make decisionswhich expend huge sums of public money and affect the lives of all those who live in the BVIas they wish, without applying any objective criteria, without giving any reasons, and without fearing any comeback. The report says these decisions include matters such as procurement of contracts, selling Crown Land, and grants of residence. The relevant elected officials are well aware of this chronic lack of governance, it says. On what to do about the current situation in the territory, Hickinbottom wrote: I recommend partial suspension of the Constitution, by the dissolution of the House of Assembly, the cessation of ministerial government, and necessary consequential suspension of provisions of the Constitution, for an initial period of two years. During that period, I recommend direct rule by the governor with such assistance as he considers appropriate, eg an Advisory Council to advise him on the formulation of policy and exercise of his functions. Hickinbottom recommended a return to ministerial government and an elected House of Assembly as soon as practicable, and that the government should take advice and publish a report on the earliest practicable date on which such government can resume at least once every six months. The BVIs acting premier Natalio Wheatley said in a statement that he was very concerned about the direct rule recommendation which would result in the lack of elected representatives. There also would be no government ministers to advance the publics priorities or a cabinet to approve policy. All of this authority would be vested in the governor, he said. The benefit of representative democracy to the public is the understanding and responsiveness of their elected representatives to their challenges, who also serve as conduits of their views, especially on reforms. Wheatley said he believes the reports recommendations aimed at reforming and strengthening the systems of government in the Virgin Islands can be achieved without the partial or full suspension of the constitution in which direct rule would apply. PA media and Reuters contributed to this report. Containers are seen at the Dinh Vu port in Hai Phong, Vietnam, on Aug. 12, 2019. (Nhac Nguyen/AFP via Getty Images) Vietnam Speeds Up Economic Recovery, Overtakes Chinas Top Export City for Third Consecutive Year One of the fastest recovering economies in the pandemic, Vietnams export growth is pulling away from Shenzhen, China, for a third year, after surpassing it for the first time in 2020. According to data released on April 8 by Vietnams bureau of statistics, the countrys total export value for the first quarter of 2022 rose almost 13 percent to $88.58 billion, indicating Vietnams upward trend in exports. That surpassed Chinas strongest city in exports, Shenzhen, by 30 percent. In the first quarter of 2022, Shenzhens exports dropped to 407.66 billion yuan ($61.68 billion), down 2.6 percent year-on-year, according to Chinese official data. Shenzhen is one of the richest cities in China with its exports topping all Chinese cities for decades. In March, Vietnams exports reached $34.71 billion, up 48.2 percent from a year earlier, and up by 48 percent compared with Shenzhen, which exported about 120 billion yuan (about $18 billion) in the same period, down 14 percent from a year earlier. Vietnam exceeding Shenzhen in exports first came in 2020, with Vietnams total annual exports valued at $282.65 billion, 3 percentage points higher than Shenzhens exports of $272 billion. In 2021, exports grew even faster in Vietnam, nearly 9 percent beyond Shenzhen, with $336.25 billion in total exports from Vietnam and $307.2 billion from Shenzhen in exports that year. Electronic products have taken a prominent place in Vietnams export surge: In the first quarter of 2022, the highest export value of $14.2 billion was in cellphones and relevant components; electronics, computers, and relevant components were second with exports at $13.1 billion; followed by exports of machinery manufacturing and equipment products valued at $9.9 billion, ranking third. Workers make pods for e-cigarettes on the production line at Kanger Tech, one of Chinas leading manufacturers of vaping products, in Shenzhen, China, on Sept. 24, 2019. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) The rapid growth of Vietnams electronics exports has generated some anxiety and a sense of crisis among Chinese industry insiders, Chinese financial media Yicai said on April 26. Manufacturing enterprises in China have faced unprecedented challenges since the onset of the pandemic and the ruling Communist Partys zero-COVID policy. Shenzhen, a leading global technology hub, had experienced a period of lockdown. Foxconns Shenzhen plant was completely shut down on March 14, including its Apple iPhone production line in the Shenzhen Industrial Park. The disruption in production and business operation has led to a decline in the citys exports. South Koreas Samsung and LG, and U.S.-based Intel established their production lines in Vietnam many years ago. In addition, some electronics manufacturers such as Taiwan-based Pegatron Corp. shifted to Vietnam during the pandemic. In 2021, Samsung Vietnam had a turnover of $74.2 billion, produced half of the worlds Samsung cell phones, and exported to 128 countries and regions, according to Vietnam Investment Review on Jan. 24. Samsung is the largest foreign investor in Vietnam. In February, Samsung increased its total investment from $18 billion to $19.2 billion by the end of 2021. Vietnam also boosted its economic and trade ties with Australia as part of a reshuffling of the global supply chain. In April 2020, the Australian federal government called on the World Health Organization to open an independent international investigation into the origin of COVID-19, which is believed to have started in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, according to The Guardian on April 29. In response, China took a series of retaliatory actions, such as banning beef imports from four Australian beef plants in May 2020, imposing an 80 percent anti-dumping and countervailing tariff on Australian barley, and unofficially forbidding imports of Australian coal in October of the same year, In 2021, the total two-way trade between Australia and Vietnam exceeded $12.4 billion, an increase of more than 49 percent over 2020. In the same year, the nations signed a strategic document aimed at strengthening their economic cohesion, including promoting trade and becoming each others largest trading partners. In the first quarter of 2022, Vietnams exports to Australia increased by 32.36 percent year-on-year, with coffee up 84 percent, fishery products up 51 percent, and various types of steel up 500 percent. At the same time, Vietnam imported raw materials such as coal, iron ore, metals, and cotton from Australia. Vietnam is evolving at a speed that no one can even fathom and quickly surpassing China to becoming the prime destination for manufacturers, said a 2021 report titled A Complete Guide of Moving Manufacturing to Vietnam published by VICO Shipping Co., which was founded in 1990 and engaged in freight forwarding service in Indochina with Vietnam as its business center. As for the advantages of Vietnam, the report points to the countrys low labor costs (about half that of China), more free trade, fewer restrictions on foreign direct investment, fewer counterfeiting problems, and lower tariffs. The Hong Kong-based shipping company also indicated in the report that Chinas manufacturing sector was hampered by three major factors, including the ongoing effects of the pandemic and supply chain disruptions, less focus on efficiency and cost, and rising labor costs in China. Afghan men flee near the site of explosions at Khalifa Sahib Mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan April 29, 2022. (Ali Khara/Reuters) Worshippers Targeted in Blast at Kabul Mosque on Last Friday of Ramadan Worshippers gathering after Friday prayers at a Kabul mosque have been targeted in a suspected terrorist bombing. The blast occurred at the Khalifa Sahib Mosque in the Darulaman area in the citys west where hundreds congregated on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Besmullah Habib, deputy spokesman for the interior ministry, said the official confirmed death toll was 10. A health source said hospitals had received 66 dead bodies and 78 wounded people so far, Reuters reported. Sayed Fazil Agha, the head of the mosque, said someone they believed was a suicide bomber joined them in the ceremony and detonated explosives. Black smoke rose and spread everywhere, dead bodies were everywhere, he said, adding that his nephews were among the dead. I myself survived, but lost my beloved ones. He said over 50 people died from the explosion. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast at the Sunni mosque. The worshippers were gathering for a congregation known as Zikran act of religious remembrance practiced by some Muslims but seen as heretical by some hardline Sunni groups. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid strongly condemned the bombing, saying that the perpetrators will soon be found and punished. The United Nations said it condemned the heinous attack. No words are strong enough to condemn this despicable act, targeting a place of worship, as Muslims across Afghanistan prepare to celebrate the Eid, Mette Knudsen, the U.N. secretary-generals deputy special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement. Scores of Afghan civilians have been killed in recent weeks in blasts, some of which have been claimed by the Islamic State. Italian medical charity group EMERGENCY said in a tweet that it had treated more than 100 patients wounded from attacks in the city during April alone. From Fridays attack their surgical center received over 20 people of whom two were dead on arrival, the group said in a tweet Friday evening. The Taliban claimed that they had secured the country since taking power in August last year and largely eliminated Islamic States local offshoot, but international officials and analysts said the risk of a resurgence in military remains. Many of the attacks have targeted the Shiite minority, though Sunni mosques as seen on Fridayhave also been attacked. Bombs exploded aboard two passenger vans carrying Shiite Muslims in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif on Thursday, killing at least nine people. On April 22, a blast ripped through a Sunni mosque during Friday prayers in the city of Kunduz, killing 33 people. Reuters contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HOUSTON (AP) The experiences of panicked concertgoers who couldnt breathe and had no clear path to escape a massive crowd surge at last years deadly Astroworld music festival in Houston are featured in a documentary released Friday. But lawyers for Live Nation, which is being sued for its role as the festivals promoter, say theyre concerned that publicity from the documentary, Concert Crush: The Travis Scott Festival Tragedy, could taint the jury pool. A gag order has been issued in the case, but Live Nations lawyers say an attorney who filed lawsuits related to the tragedy also co-produced the documentary. A spokesperson for Scott, who is also being sued, was also critical. Director Charlie Minn said he believes he has made a balanced and fair film that tries to show the public what happened. My job is to make the most truthful, honest, sincere documentary from the victims point of view. ... We need to know about these stories to prevent it from happening again, Minn told The Associated Press. Around 500 lawsuits have been filed since the Nov. 5 concert headlined by Scott, a popular rapper. Ten people died and hundreds of others were injured during the massive crowd surge. The documentary, showing in 11 Texas cities including Austin, Dallas and Houston, includes interviews with several people who survived. It also features cellphone video from concertgoers in which people can be heard repeatedly screaming for help. Its hard to explain to friends and family what we saw and what we actually went through and I think (the documentary) will give a lot of people the opportunity, if you werent there, to understand, said Frank Alvarez, who attended the concert but does not appear in the film. The film highlights what concertgoers experienced and what led to the tragedy, said Minn, who has also made documentaries about the deadly 2018 shooting at a suburban Houston high school and violence along the U.S.-Mexico border. The film suggests Scott could have done more to prevent the conditions that led to the casualties, but Minn said it isnt a hit piece toward Travis Scott. He said it also questions whether others, including Live Nation and Houston police, could have done more to improve safety or respond more quickly. Minn said Scott, Live Nation and Houston police declined to be interviewed for the documentary. Houston police are investigating the disaster. In a report released in April, a task force created by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott uncovered problems with permits for such events and called for clearly outlined triggers for stopping such a show. Attorneys for Live Nation expressed their concerns in an April letter to state District Judge Kristen Hawkins, who is handling all pretrial matters in the lawsuits. The involvement of plaintiffs lawyers in the film, and the publicity the filmmakers and producers are trying to generate for it raise significant issues about efforts to taint the jury pool, Neal Manne and Kevin Yankowsky, two of Live Nations attorneys, wrote in the letter. But the attorneys have not asked Hawkins to take any specific action regarding the documentary. Manne and Yankowsky did not respond to emails seeking comment. Live Nation has said its heartbroken by what happened but has denied responsibility. In a statement, a spokesperson for Scott faulted the documentarys conclusions that falsely blame Mr. Scott for the heartbreaking tragedy that occurred. The statement also criticized the involvement in the film of attorneys who have filed lawsuits over the disaster and said the films goal was swaying future juries and public opinion. The spokesperson did not know if Scott has seen the documentary. Mr. Scott remains focused on his philanthropic work in his hometown of Houston and in lower-income communities of color across the country, both of which are long-standing efforts, the spokesperson said in a statement. Cassandra Burke Robertson, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, said she would be shocked if the judge took any action regarding the documentary because of First Amendment concerns, even with the gag order. I think the public interest here in exploring what happened and avoiding similar tragedies in the future, thats a really big interest. That is likely to outweigh the interests of the particular outcome of the particular lawsuit, Robertson said. Brent Coon, an attorney representing about 1,500 concertgoers who was interviewed in the documentary, said he doesnt think the film would impact the ability to choose an impartial jury if the case goes to trial, which could be years away. I dont think any lawyer in this case could fan the flames much to change ... what the publics perception of all this is going to be, Coon said. Robertson, who is not involved in the litigation, said the fact that one of the films co-producers, Rick Ramos, is representing concertgoers who have filed lawsuits could raise some ethical concerns. Ramos declined to comment Thursday. Andrea Gomez, a spokeswoman for Ramos, said in an email Friday evening that any profit from the documentary will go to the Texas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a mental health organization that helped people impacted by the concert. I personally would not co-sponsor something like that during pending civil litigation. I dont think theres anything wrong with it. Its just something I wouldnt do, Coon said. Minn said the questions about Ramos participation are valid but he never hid his involvement. People have to watch the film and judge it for what that is, Minn said. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PHOENIX (AP) A judge in Prescott on Friday seemed skeptical of arguments brought by Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich that he should order Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs to completely rewrite a set of election rules because Brnovich won't approve them. But Yavapai County Superior Court Judge John Napper did agree with Brnovich that at least some rules Hobbs included in the Election Procedures Manual she drafted last year were not legal. That's the argument Brnovich made when he demanded wholesale changes to the manual county election officials use to run their elections everything from voter registration to ballot drop boxes to reviewing early ballot signatures and ballot counts. The judge said he wants a valid document in place soon. He seemed confounded, however, at many of the wholesale deletions Brnovich demanded, saying the attorney general gave no explanation for much of them and at least some seem to follow the law. I need some explanation of why you think certain, all of it, specifics, why you think it should be out, he told attorneys for Brnovich. Napper sided with Brnovich on a rule that allowed unmonitored ballot drop boxes, saying that seemed clearly outside of what the law required. But he said the attorney general's demand that Hobbs provide a whole new section that outlines how signatures are verified didn't pass muster. The manual tracks the statute almost verbatim, Napper said. The fight between Brnovich, who is seeking his party's U.S. Senate nomination, and Hobbs, who wants the Democratic nod in the governor's race, dates back to October, when Hobbs produced a manual for this year's elections. Despite efforts by Hobbs' office to engage with Brnovich, his contract attorney did not respond until early December, and then demanded wholesale changes with no explanations. When Hobbs reached out to negotiate changes, Brnovich demanded she provide him a new version. Napper noted that lack of clarity and said the attorney general needs to engage. And Brnovich noted he was angry that Hobbs filed a complaint against him with the state bar that eventually led to a settlement agreement. Napper wants a fix, regardless, and laid out a process to get it. What I need from the attorney general first (is) why each of these provisions needs to be struck. That's the starting point, Napper said. Some of the things that you say need to be struck, as I sit here right now I don't see why they need to be struck. The secretary of state is required to produce a manual, which must be approved by the attorney general and the governor. When she was unable to get Brnovich's approval, she told county officials that the one approved in 2019 remained in force, and slightly updated it to show changes in the law. Napper noted that Hobbs believed that without the attorney general engaging that's all that can be done, since the manual wasn't approved by Dec. 31 as required by the law. Let's say I don't cotton to that, Napper said. Let's say I believe ... that you have to have a functioning manual, that's there's a law on the books, and if there's a law on the books by golly folks ought to follow it. Which includes creating a functioning manual. Napper declined to order Hobbs to create the one Brnovich wants. But he gave Brnovich until next Friday to produce that detailed document on his objections, and gave Hobbs two weeks after that to review it with election officials and file her response. Hopefully, in that time, an agreement can be reached. I'm of the opinion that you need to have a functioning manual constructed pursuant to the statute, Napper said. I'm unfamiliar with a law that doesn't have a remedy. Brnovich and Hobbs have tangled in other fights as well. Earlier this year, Brnovich threatened to investigate Hobbs for temporarily taking down an online signature collection system used by candidates in order to update it with new congressional and legislative district maps approved early this year. Hobbs then sought a judge's intervention to stop that promised investigation, but the judge said her request was premature. Brnovich then farmed out the investigation to the Cochise County Attorney's Office. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media NORWALK Police are seeking help from the public identifying a dog which reportedly bit a child Wednesday at Oyster Shell Park, as well as the dogs owner, according to the department. The incident occurred around 1:45 p.m., police said on Facebook. LONDON (AP) A British lawmaker from the governing Conservative Party has resigned after admitting he watched pornography on his phone in the House of Commons chamber. Neil Parish, a member of Parliament since 2010, announced his decision Saturday after pressure from members of his own party who sought to defuse sleaze allegations before Britain holds its local elections on May 5. The ballot is seen as pivotal for Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is already facing a voter backlash over lockdown-breaking parties in government offices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neil Parish, 65, stepped down after what he described as a moment of madness. Parish, chairman of the houses Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said he was trying to look at a tractor website, but stumbled into a porn site with a similar name and watched it for a bit. My biggest crime is that on another occasion I went in a second time, he told the BBC. And that was deliberate. Reports that a lawmaker had watched porn amid the historic green benches of the House of Commons triggered a flood of complaints from women in Parliament about the misogyny and sexual harassment they have faced while doing their jobs. Long known for its boozy, macho culture, Parliament is now a more diverse place, with women holding almost 40% of the seats in the House of Commons. But lawmakers and staff say harassment and inappropriate behavior are still rampant under a system that largely allows members to police themselves. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Parishs resignation should be a moment for people across the U.K. to say enough is enough. I dont think there could really be any other outcome to what has come to light about this particular MP over the last few days, she said while campaigning in Fife, Scotland. Watching porn on a mobile phone in the House of Commons when youre there representing constituents is just unacceptable. Parish rejected the notion that he meant to intimidate anyone. For all my rights and wrongs, I was not proud of what I was doing, he said. And the one thing I wasn't doing, and which I will take to my grave as being true, is I was not actually making sure people could see it. In fact, I was trying to do quite the opposite. The scandal comes at a precarious moment for Johnson, who will face pressure to resign if the Conservatives do poorly in the local elections. Russia's special military operation in Ukraine is contributing to liberating the world from Western neocolonial oppression, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Xinhua news agency, Tass informs. April 30, 2022, 12:01 Russian operation in Ukraine contributes to freeing world from Western oppression - Lavrov STEPANAKERT, APRIL 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: "It is obvious that the collective West attempts to hinder the natural course of history, to solve its problems at the expense of others are doomed," the minister said, "Today's world has several centers of decision-making, it is multipolar. We see how dynamically Asian, African and Latin American countries develop. Everyone has a real freedom of choice, including ways of development and participation in integration projects. Our special military operation in Ukraine also contributes to the process of freeing the world from the Wests neocolonial oppression, which is densely mixed with racism and an exceptionality complex." As Lavrov noted, today we are talking not about a new Cold War, but about "the persistent desire of Washington and its satellites, who think of themselves as 'masters of human destiny,' to impose an American-centric model of the world order." "It has gotten to the point where a Western minority is trying to replace the UN-centric architecture and international law formed as a result of World War II with its own rules-based order. Washington and its allies write these very rules themselves and then impose them on the international community as obligatory for implementation", the Russian foreign minister continued. There are certain events that take place each year in South Jersey that serve as a sort of preview to the fun, carefree summer season, and one United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG), Antonio Guterres, has scheduled a two-day visit to Nigeria beginning from Tuesday, May 3, 2022. The visit is part of the Secretary-Generals annual Ramadan solidarity trips. During the visit, Guterres will highlight the impact of the Ukraine war on the African continent. U.N deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, said Guterres will arrive in Senegal on Saturday evening, travel to Niger on Monday and to Nigeria on Tuesday and then return to New York. Guterres will share an Iftar dinner (the meal breaking the Ramadan fast) with President Macky Sall of Senegal, who assumed the presidency of the African Union earlier this year, Haq said. He will also take part in celebrations of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of Ramadan with Nigers President, Mohamed Bazoum, Haq said. Adding that he is also scheduled to meet Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari. The visit is part of the Secretary-Generals annual Ramadan solidarity visits, and Guterres will also visit Niger and Senegal, during which he will highlight the impact of the Ukraine war on the African continent. The Secretary-General will visit the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, in Maiduguri, north-east Nigeria on Tuesday, 3 May and thereafter proceed on a field mission to meet families deeply affected by violence and instability in north-east Nigeria, including people internally displaced and refugees. Mr Guterres will also see first-hand the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and will assess progress and challenges to the COVID-19 recovery. Secretary-General will have meetings with senior government officials as well as civil society representatives, including women, youth groups and religious leaders, Soremekun said. During the visit, Guterres will be accompanied by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Ms Vera Songwe; the Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel, Mr Abdoulaye Mar Dieye; the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, UNOWAS, Annadif Khatir Mahamat Saleh. Kyle Mizokami, POPULAR MECHANICS A former F-35 test pilot weighed in on the fighter jet's performance in the Ukraine conflict and how it represents a massive leap forward from Cold War-era aircraft. Billie Flynn contends the F-35 is so different from Soviet Cold War fighters that pilots used to the latter would be unable to transition to the F-35. Flynn also thinks the F-35 is the most survivable aircraft for the dangerous skies over Ukraine. One of the most noted authorities on the F-35 has some interesting things to say about the jet, including how it would fit in with European air forces, and how suitable the fighter is for the air war over Ukraine. Billie Flynn, a former Lockheed Martin test pilot, also talked about how the jet represents a massive leap forward from older, Soviet-designed fighter jets , noting that the pilots who train them would be unable to learn how to fly the F-35. Flynn also believes the F-35 is the only jet that can survive in the lethal air environment over Ukraine. Billie Flynn is one of the most accomplished test pilots around. Flynn originally flew CF-18 Hornets for the Royal Canadian Air Force, and later flew as a test pilot for the Eurofighter Typhoon. He later went on to fly for Lockheed Martin for 17 years, from 2003 to 2020, in support of the Joint Strike Fighter program. Flynn is a big fan of the F-35, and if there's anyone who knows the jet inside and out, it's him. A Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 at Graf Ignatievo, Bulgaria, February 2022.HRISTO RUSEVGETTY IMAGES In a wide-ranging interview with The Aviationist , Flynn touched upon a number of points about the F-35. One of the most interesting is his assertion that pilots in Eastern European countries that still fly Soviet-era fighters are just going to be unable to fly a fifth-generation jet like the F-35. Three NATO countriesSlovakia, Bulgaria, and Polandstill fly the Soviet MiG-29 fighter jet, classified by NATO in the 1980s as the Fulcrum. The MiG-29, designed in the late 1970s, is the equivalent of the American F-16 Fighting Falcon . The collapse of the Warsaw Pact in 1989 and the absorption of most countries into NATO means that some countries fly both MiG-29s and F-16s. And, as it continues to modernize, Poland will soon be in the unique position of flying MiG-29s , F-16s, and F-35s. Does this mean a Polish pilot could fly all three?MUST-READ Why the F-35 Fighter Jet Is Such a Badass Plane Not so fast, says Flynn. He contends that pilots that have flown Soviet-era fighters for the bulk of their careers would simply be unable to effectively fly the F-35. The MiG-29 is a completely different aircraft built with different design philosophies in mind. The MiG also lacks the technological sophistication of the F-35, from the stealthy design to the distributed aperture system that allows the pilot to see through the side of his aircraft. A pilot unused to such advances, flying on muscle memory and learned instinct, might not properly take advantage of everything the F-35 has to offer. Flynn believes that Poland's air force, which could soon fly all three jets, would likely push F-16 pilots into the F-35, leaving MiG pilots to close out their careers on the aging jets. A Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile. The S-400 is widely considered one of the most effective air defense systems in the world, and the F-35 was built to operate within its range envelope.DIMITAR DILKOFFGETTY IMAGES Flynn also believes that the F-35 would dominate in the air war over Ukraine, because it is exactly the environment the jet was built to excel in. The war has already claimed more than three dozen fighters and attack jets from both sides. Ukrainian Air Force jets, for example, not only have to deal with Su-30M Flanker and Su-35 Flanker-E twin engine, multi-role fighters, but S-400 long-range air defense systems and short-range battlefield air defense systems. Russian fighters must contend with Ukrainian fighters, Ukraine's original air defense network, and now an increasing number of surface-to-air missile systems donated by NATO. The F-35 is only the second fighter jet in history developed with stealth technology from the ground up, and specifically with the S-400 missile system in mind. Furthermore, Flynn believes the jet's network of sensors, and ability to share data with other aircraft and ground assets, would make it an efficient air-defense killer, identifying S-400s and similar platforms and then killing them with ruthless efficiency. Flynn asserts that while nobody wants NATO dragged into the war, if it was, it would completely destroy the Russian forces. KYLE MIZOKAMI Writer on Defense and Security issues, lives in San Francisco. There is no denying the fact that Nigeria is full of different people with multifaceted backgrounds. Each person has a life story to tell, and as interesting as everyones life may seem, only few people gets the spotlight in the media, some for the right reasons and others for the wrong reasons. Given the nauseating stories that emerged for public consumptions that was decades ago, most people in the spotlight were famous because they possessed incredible talents, unique backgrounds or had achieved amazing feats. However, today with the internet and social media, anyone has the chance to put himself or herself out there for the entire world to see. Before the internet, the chances of becoming famous were minimal, but now that it exists, it is easier to put oneself out there on virtual space; either by posting a pornographic flick were he or she is seen to be the protagonist, kill your wife or impregnate a woman, have a baby through her without seeking the consents of both families as tradition demands, and get the public informed on Instagram page. Disappointingly, one of the foregoing is unarguably what Yule Edochie did that he has since the day the scandal made its way to media landscape with screaming headlines that he has not stopped telling whoever cares to listen that he never knew he was more popular and loved by Nigerians than he thinks. Without any iota of exaggeration, he now sees himself as popular as late Michael Jackson. In fact, with the internet, a controversial story can be posted on any of the social media platforms. Because of this, the audience size increased, and thus the story goes viral, thereby increasing a persons fame. This is how some people became famous or viral for the wrong reasons, and I feel that it has become a worrisome issue. But why would anyone focus his or her attention on a person that is trending for the wrong reason on social media platforms, rather than a person who has made a huge difference? Prior to the conceptualization and production of this write up, yours sincerely read online about the girl that sees nothing wrong in sleeping with a dog. Permit me to say that I was inspired to express this view as the Nollywood actor has continued to disseminate posts that suggest he is bragging about his ill-earned fame without being remorseful for marrying a second wife. In a post made on his Instagram page, Edochie had said he never knew he could break the internet as he did with the scandal. Gladly enough for this writer, while reacting to his post, some of the fans expressed regret that while the actor had painted a beautiful marriage through his posts in recent times, he has broken their hearts as a result of the announcement of his second marriage to Actress Judy Austin. Yul, who is the youngest son of veteran actor, Pete Edochie, was reported to have had an extramarital affair with Judy during which the actress became impregnated and bore him a son. Taking to his social media, the actor stated that he has been acting for years, got the best voice, supported youths, joined EndSARS, and even decided to run for presidency. However, he expressed regret that none of these activities have broken the internet than the fact that he decided to take a second wife. His post which was made in pidgin reads, So I fit break Internet like this? So I can get over 60k comments on one post? But I dey act film, dey give una Hollywood performances since una no send me. Best voice, una no send me. I ran for Governor, una no send me. Ive been a strong voice for the people, been an activist, I do EndSARS, una no send me. I wan run for President, una no still send me. But na dis one scatter internet. Na dis one come make una send me finally. Na wa for una oo. Unarguably to add salt to injury, he has today made another laughable post that Nigerians should buy him a presidential form for him to win the ongoing election. The actor asked Nigerians to channel the same energy they used when they criticized him to vote for him so he can fix the country. He further commented, "Did you see what we did on Wednesday? We shook the world and still shaking it. "The energy you all are applying knows no tribe, no religion, and no gender. The energy is coming from North, South, East and West and all over the world. "The energy is united. Were on TV stations, radio, blogs, YouTube, every WhatsApp group, market, committees, street, and hood, everywhere. "With this energy we can take back our country and fix it. "I cannot do it alone. I need you, we need you. "Nigerians need you. "My dear Nigerians, please, I appeal to you, buy me presidential form let's win this election." What I noticed in him since he committed somewhat sacrilege in the matrimonial sector is that he has been paying unfounded attention to how popular he is becoming without realizing that he has made an irredeemable mistake by breaking his first wifes heart by marrying another wife. While I am strongly averse to his jokes about his claimed soaring popularity, I think he should try and focus on how his first wife can be appeased because he has unarguably broken her heart. To those that have by each passing day been hailing him, they should tell him that he can do well under the public eye, only if he clears the mess he has made with the sacredness that is inherent in marriage being the first institution ordained by God. By sharing a post that features people like Yul Edochie as long as marriage is concern, we are telling the world that we are okay with polygamy and arrant disrespects for wives, and by extension, women, even when he doesnt deserve that kind of rave review. I think the best thing to do now is not to give people like Yul attention and, instead, focus on posting and sharing something that does deserve our attention. By doing that, we can focus on more important issues, and maybe, just maybe, we can teach people a lesson that behaving and acting badly doesnt do anyone good. At this juncture, it is expedient to tell Yule that he should allow Nigerians, particularly the youths to hear word as he has broken someones heart, and by that became more popular for the wrong reason. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has been nominated by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for its meritorious service award in the health sector. This development was contained in a letter signed by the President of NMA, Prof (Dr) Innocent Ujah and the Secretary-General, Dr Philip Ekpe which was addressed to the Minister. The letter dated April 28, 2022, was titled, Invitation as an awardee at the Annual General Conference/Delegates Meeting (AGC/ADM) of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). According to the letter, it reads: We write on behalf of the National Officers Committee (NOC) and the entire membership of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), to invite you to the Annual General Conference/Delegates Meeting (ADM) of the association as an awardee. The conference which has its theme Current Emergencies in building a resilient health system for Nigeria: Situation Analysis and Solutions is scheduled to hold from Sunday, May 15 to Sunday, May 22, 2022, at EUI Centre, Plot F11, Sanni Abacha Road, GRA Phase 3, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. We have the pleasure to inform you of your nomination for recognition for the Meritorious Service Award in the health sector by the Association. The letter revealed that the award would be conferred on the Minister during the opening ceremony scheduled for Thursday, May 19, 2022, by 10am. Meanwhile, Ngige who has accepted the nomination, thanked the NMA for finding him worthy of such recognition. He added that award shows that his efforts towards the development of the health sector and other good works in Nigeria had not gone unnoticed. He assured that the award would definitely spur him to do more towards the upliftment of the health sector and the development of Nigeria. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abukakar III, has announced that the Muslim Eid-el-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, will hold on Monday in Nigeria. The National Moonsighting Committee in Nigeria disclosed this via its Twitter handle, @moonsightingng, today. The tweet reads: His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto has declared Monday 2nd May as the first day of Shawwal. "No positive sighting claims were received from members of the National moonsighting committee and other Emirates. The Sultanate will release an official statement shortly. Similarly, Saudi Arabia announced that Eid-el-Fitr will begin on Monday in the country. A statement by the official Saudi Press Agency stated that: Monday is the first day of the blessed Eid al-Fitr for this year, with Sunday the last day of Ramadan. Nigeria, including some Gulf states like the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain did not sight the moon, it was learnt . In accordance with Islamic calendar, the timing of Eid is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon. Meanwhile, the federal government has declared Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as public holidays. American lost in Phuket jungle found safe PHUKET: A 68-year-old American man lost in the hills behind Naithon Beach yesterday (Apr 29) has been found safe. tourismSafety By Eakkapop Thongtub Saturday 30 April 2022, 11:27AM Lt Col Ekachai Siri of the Phuket Tourist Police said officers at Sakhu Police Station notified the Tourist Police of the missing man, William Ernest Nehrer, at about 5pm. Officers gathered at the Pearl of Naithon hotel, where they were told that Mr Nehrer had gone for a walk in the Khuan Naithon forest but had failed to return. Mr Nehrer was last seen at 3:20pm. Tourist Police, along with officials from the Tourist Assistance Center (TAC) and local residents, organised two teams to scour the jungle trails in the protected park area to search for Mr Nehrer. He was found safe at about 6:20pm, Lt Col Ekachai reported. He was treated for some minor scratches from branches then escorted out of the area and safely returned to his accommodation, he said. A grateful Mr Nehrer thanked the officers and other members of the search parties for their help. Im very glad to meet you guys, he said. Funeral held for mentally disabled man hanged in Singapore SINGAPORE: Hundreds of mourners wept, read prayers and beat drums at Fridays funeral of a mentally disabled Malaysian man whose hanging in Singapore sparked an international outcry this week. By AFP Saturday 30 April 2022, 10:17AM Family members weep at the coffin carrying the body of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam, who was executed for trafficking heroin into Singapore, during a funeral ceremony in Tanjung Rambutan in Perak, on Friday (Apr 29). Photo: AFP Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, who was found guilty of trafficking a small quantity of heroin into the city-state, was executed on Wednesday after more than a decade on death row. His case sparked widespread outrage, with critics including the United Nations and the European Union saying that hanging a person with intellectual disabilities violates international law. Singapore insists the death penalty has helped make the country one of the safest places in Asia. In Tanjung Rambutan, the 34-year-olds hometown in northern Perak state, around 250 mourners gathered at his home to pay their last respects, according to an AFP reporter. Nagaenthran was a member of Malaysias majority Muslim ethnic Indian Hindu minority and the funeral followed community traditions, with sobbing relatives laying flowers on his coffin. Prayers were read, drums banged, and fireworks set off before the body was carried to a hearse for transport to a crematorium. My brother was a wonderful person and we will miss him dearly, his sister Sarmila Dharmalingam told AFP. Our worst nightmares have come true. My humble message to the world please abolish the death sentence, she added. Nagaenthran was arrested at the age of 21 when he tried to enter Singapore with a bundle of heroin weighing about 43 grams the equivalent of about three tablespoons. Supporters say he has an IQ of 69, a level recognized as a disability, and was forced to commit the crime. But Singapore has defended the execution, with its drug law enforcement agency saying Nagaenthran knew what he was doing when he committed the crime and the courts had found he had no intellectual disability. Singapore resumed executions last month after a hiatus of more than two years, and activists fear authorities will launch a wave of hangings. But there was relief on Thursday for another Malaysian convicted of drug-related offenses, Datchinamurthy Kataiah, after he won a bid to have his hanging postponed. Datchinamurthy, who was found guilty of trafficking heroin into Singapore, was due to be executed on Friday but that has been postponed as he has another pending case in court. Wife, friend arrested for plotting to kill Danish husband NAKHON SAWAN: A woman and her friend have been arrested for allegedly plotting to have her Danish husband killed in a staged road crash so that they can seize his B10-million insurance payout. The husband survived but is critically injured. homicidecrimeaccidentspolice By Bangkok Post Saturday 30 April 2022, 09:27AM Ms Pratheep Larsen, wearing a blue cloth, and Ms Jaemchan Khamkaew are interrogated by police over a plot to have Ms Pratheeps husband killed in Nakhon Sawan. Photo: Chalit Pumruang / Bangkok Post Ms Pratheep Larsen, 48, and Ms Jaemchan Khamkaew, 60, were arrested on warrants issued by the Nakhon Sawan provincial court for hiring a third party to murder Pia Larsen, 63, said Pol Maj Gen Atthasit Sudsa-nguan, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 6, during a media briefing announcing the capture of the two women. Ekkasit Wichacharn, 24, was allegedly hired by the two to run over Mr Larsen with his car. He was also arrested, reports the Bangkok Post. The crash happened on a local road in tambon Bueng Platu, Banphot Phisai district of Nakhon Sawan on Apr 21, said Pol Maj Gen Atthasit. Local police found a Toyota with a Lampang licence plate plunged into a roadside paddy field with its front damaged at the scene. A badly damaged bicycle was found 10 metres away from the vehicle. A police investigation found Mr Ekkasit rear ended the bicycle Mr Larsen was riding. While the crash initially appeared to be an accident, police investigators detected several suspicious elements to this case after examining evidence and carrying out a re-enactment with the driver. Further inspection led authorities to believe the crash was deliberate. After intense questioning, Mr Ekkasit admitted to having been hired by Ms Jaemchan to carry out the attempt on Mr Larsens life. The Danish man was seriously injured but survived the incident. He is being treated at Sri Sawan Hospital. After the plot was exposed, investigators collected further evidence before questioning Ms Jaemchan. Ms Pratheep was eventually implicated as the mastermind behind the scheme and was accused of hiring Ms Jaemchan, an older friend, for B500,000 to contract a killer for her husband so she could then claim his insurance payout. The Danish man and Ms Pratheep previously resided in Denmark and have two children. Returning to Ms Pratheeps home province of Nakhon Sawan, the couple purchased several land plots worth a combined 20 million baht before settling down in the province. It was reported that they had begun to quarrel recently, and Ms Pratheep had asked for a divorce and for their assets to be divided. After being refused, Ms Pratheep reached out to Ms Jaemchan, who had been accused of contract killing 10 years prior but had the charges dropped. Ms Jaemchan promised her nephew, Mr Ekkasit, a new car if he successfully carried out the murder. Police said that Ms Jaemchan had since given her nephew B10,000 for car repairs. Zac Efron glisters in Gold When the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe filmmakers were left with some very hard decisions to make. Some decided to take the time to sit down and work on their next script while their current filming schedules were placed on hiatus. Then there were a brave few who decided that they could come up with a way to shoot a film using a minimalistic cast and crew so they could abide by each countrys strict COVID restrictions. By David Griffiths Saturday 30 April 2022, 11:00AM Zac Efron in Gold. Image: IMDb One such filmmaker was talented Australian director Anthony Hayes (Ten Empty) who decided the best way to make a film during the pandemic was to grab one of Hollywoods best young talents, Zac Efron (The Paperboy), and head to the Australian outback to film. The result was the brilliant new thriller Gold. Hayes not only directs Gold but stars alongside Efron. Set in a dystopian future where society has turned on itself, one nameless man (Hayes) gives a drifter (Efron) a lift across the desolate wasteland. However, the two mens fortunes change when they come across one of the biggest gold nuggets to be found in years. The catch is that they have no way to dig the nugget out so the Drifter must stay in the outback with the nugget while the nameless man returns to society to grab the equipment to bring the nugget to the surface. The only trouble is the journey is not as easy as it sounds and the Drifter is left with very little water and food in an environment that has taken more than a few lives over the years. Gold is not the kind of film that every cinema-goer is going to enjoy. It is slow moving and to be honest takes a lot of patience for its audience to sit through. Genre-wise it switches between thriller and survivalist drama with complete ease. Hayes screenplay, which he co-wrote with first time screenwriter Polly Smyth, at first generates its suspense by having the audience wonder who is going to turn on who first, and then switches to having the audience worry about the mental and physical health of the Drifter as he battles the elements around him all while wondering whether or not he has been lured into a life-threatening trap. Most of this film working rests on the performances of its two leads Efron and Hayes. Of course many will be sceptical that Efron could pull off such a role as many still like to see him as that kid from High School Musical. They need to move on because Efron has more than shown over the years that he has become one of Hollywoods most versatile actors. From musicals like The Greatest Showman through to comedies like Neighbours and gritty films like We Are Your Friends and The Paperboy, Efron has shown his versatility and skills over the years, but Gold is the film that shows just how great of an actor he has become. Long scenes where he plays a man losing his mind in the harshness of an arid desert are not easy to pull off but here Efron does it in a way that places him amongst cinemas greats. Likewise Hayes steps up both in front of and behind the camera. As the Nameless Man, Hayes puts in the same brilliant performance he did in the much under-rated film The Square, and the result is a character that the audience isnt sure whether to trust or not. Behind the camera Hayes also shows why he is one of Australias best directors. His last film, Ten Empty, was a gripping drama that deserved a lot more attention than it got and Gold goes that step further. This is the film that should make the cinema world sit up and take notice of Hayes and his film. Pandemic aside, this would not have been an easy film to shoot yet Hayes and his cinematographer, Ross Giardina (Catch the Fair One), make the film look spectacular while maintaining a level of suspense throughout. If you like your cinema a little on the obscure side, then Gold is well worth a look. Anthony Hayes is a director that Hollywood needs to take notice of and here he leads one of the worlds most versatile actors in one of his best performances. Gold is currently screening in Phuket and is rated 15. 3/5 Stars David Griffiths has been working as a film and music reviewer for over 20 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. You can follow him at www.facebook.com/subcultureentertainmentaus Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso has declared a state of emergency in three provinces of the country because of increasing violence. The measure has been in effect since Saturday for the provinces of Guayas, Manabi and Esmeraldas, Lasso wrote on Twitter in the early hours of Saturday. He announced a "comprehensive co-ordinated action" between the police and the armed forces with a total of 9000 security personnel in the three provinces. He also said a curfew from 11pm to 5am would be in place for 60 days in some municipalities in the coastal region. "The announcement comes at a difficult moment for these provinces, especially Guayas," wrote the Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo. There, it said, there had been explosions outside the prison and bomb threats in judicial buildings in recent days. In a prison near the port city of Guayaquil, 118 people were killed in bloody gang fights in September. It was the worst massacre in Ecuador's penal system to date. At the time, Lasso imposed a state of emergency on the penal system throughout the country for 60 days. The prisons in Ecuador, as elsewhere in Latin America, are overcrowded. Many prisons are controlled by gangs. Many imprisoned bosses control the business of their criminal organisations from prison. "The enemy is the drug trade," said the governor of Guayas province, Pablo Arosemena. Southern Pines, NC (28387) Today Sunny. High near 75F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 52F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. PINGTAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- It has been seven years since Lin Chih Yuan, a young man from Chiayi of Taiwan, came to the mainland to develop his new career. After his arrival in Pingtan County, southeast China's Fujian Province, Lin first engaged in the restoration and renovation of local stone houses. Inspired by the stones at his work, he came up with the idea of creating his own brand "singing stone" and decided to start the business on rural tourism featuring B&Bs and cultural products. As time went on, the nostalgic memories of Lin's family drove Lin to go forward. In 2021, with the help of local authorities, Lin finally found his ancestral home in Anhou Town of Pinghe County. He then took the place as his root on the mainland, as well as his new starting point to expand business. Leading a team consisting of youngsters across the Strait, Lin now aims to ride the wave of boosted rural tourism in more cities in Fujian and share the Chinese cultural root to more people. Lin Chih Yuan (1st L) talks with local villagers in Anhou Town of Pinghe County, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) Lin Chih Yuan arranges cultural products at his store in southeast China's Fujian Province, April 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) Lin Chih Yuan (L) walks out of his rural B&B with a colleague in southeast China's Fujian Province, April 26, 2022. Aerial photo taken on April 26, 2022 shows a view of Beigang Village in Pingtan County, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) Produced by Xinhua Global Service Welcome Guest! You Are Here: The Israeli military says it has arrested a pair of Palestinian assailants who allegedly shot and killed a security guard at the entrance of a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The detention followed a manhunt that was launched shortly after the attack late on Friday. Israeli soldiers, special forces and border police took part in the detention and seizure of weapons from the two suspects, who it said were seized in the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan. The fresh attack, combined with the death of a Palestinian man elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, could further fuel tensions that have soared over the past two months. A string of Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have left 15 Israelis dead while at least 27 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces in recent weeks. The security guard was shot outside Ariel, a major settlement in the northern West Bank, late on Friday night by a pair of assailants in a car, the army said. It said the guard stood in front of another guard who was with him, saving her life. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed condolences to the family of the security guard. In a statement after the arrest of the suspects, he said "no terrorist can evade us". In Gaza, the leader of the territory's Hamas rulers Yehiyeh Sinwar called for stepping up attacks against Israeli targets in the West Bank, saying the "real battle arena is there". In a speech, he saluted the attackers who killed the guard. Israeli forces on Saturday set up checkpoints and were conducting searches for the attackers in the area, the army said. It said it arrested two purported members of the Hamas militant group but there was no immediate indication that the men were involved in the attack. Hamas praised the killing of the guard but stopped short of claiming responsibility for the shooting. In a separate incident, Israeli troops shot and killed a 27-year-old Palestinian man in Azoun village near the town of Qalqilya early on Saturday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The army said it had opened fire after a group of suspects threw firebombs toward the soldiers. GRANITE CITY A Madison County man charged with two felonies in March has been arrested in the Friday death of a deputy about 200 miles north of the Riverbend. Henry County States Attorney Catherine Runty has announced that Daylon K. Richardson, 22, of Granite City, has been charged with two counts of murder, one count of unlawful possession of weapon by a felon and one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding. Richardson is accused of fleeing police Friday and crashing into a Knox County Sheriffs Office deputy. The deputy was trying to deter Richardson by setting spike strips on U.S. 150 and 150 Avenue in rural Henry County near Alpha, just north of the Knox County line. The deceased deputy has been identified as Nicholas D. Weist, 34, who joined the department in 2018. According to authorities, at about 8 a.m. Friday Galesburg Police received a 911 call of a suspect with a gun at a Circle K gas station in Galesburg. Officers located a vehicle believed to be related to the incident and tried to stop it, but the driver fled north out of Galesburg on U.S. 150. Just inside Henry County, Richardson allegedly struck a Knox County deputy's vehicle before crashing in a field north of the collision. Richardson reportedly was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. The Illinois State Police are investigating the incident. On Friday, ISP Capt. Christopher Endress said Richardson had active warrants for unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, aggravated fleeing and eluding, crimes against persons and mob action "out of southern Illinois. In March, Richardson was charged in Madison County with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony, and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a Class 4 felony. On March 9 he allegedly was found by Granite City Police to have a .223 caliber rifle and driving a Jaguar X. According to court documents, he tried to flee a Granite City Police officer, reaching speeds in excess of 21 miles above the posted speed limit. His bail was set at $80,000. Richardson has a 2017 conviction for vehicular hijacking out of St. Clair County, making it illegal for him to possess weapons. Knox County District Attorney Jeremy Karlin said there is evidence a gun was fired from the fleeing vehicle during the pursuit, according to the Galesburg Register-Mail. ISP Director Brendan Kelly and Knox County Sheriff David Clague both expressed condolences to the deputy's family. There is no safety or justice without the law," Kelly said in a released statement. "There is no law without law enforcement, and there is no law enforcement without brave souls like this Knox County Deputy." Richardson is being held at the Henry County Jail with no bond. His preliminary hearing has been set for 2 p.m. May 9. Assisting in Friday's pursuit and arrest were sheriff's departments from Knox, Henry, Warren, McDonough and Fulton counties, as well as Geneseo Police. Nearly 30 vehicles from area law enforcement agencies escorted the deputy's body to Watson-Thomas Funeral Home in Galesburg. After so much uncertainty and so many challenges, this should be a time of hope and optimism for students attending Illinois institutions of higher education especially, the independent, not-for-profit colleges and universities I represent in Springfield. For many, it is a time of looking to better days ahead. The Illinois state budget just signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker includes a dramatic increase in funding for the Monetary Award Program the critical lifeline for so many needy Illinois students who can use the grant at one of the states high-quality independent colleges and universities. An increase of $122 million in the MAP grant program for lower-income students will mean the maximum award per student could climb above $7,000 a significant increase over last years effective MAP grant cap of $5,340. This funding increase will provide for more MAP grants to eligible students at public or independent colleges and universities, at a higher average grant amount. As recently as 2018, almost 100,000 students who were eligible for a grant lost out due to funding shortfalls. Millions of new dollars also will head to institutions to increase minority teachers, nursing education, and career training for health care workers. Thats vitally important, as the states independent colleges and universities award nearly 40 percent of all teaching degrees, as well as 54 percent of all health-related degrees. Our federation has long called for steady, predictable and meaningful increases in MAP funding as a direct way to benefit all Illinois colleges and universities, public and private. When students have more aid, it greatly increases the chances theyll not only attend higher education but successfully persist in getting a college degree, maximizing the states investment. The return on this investment is massive, and doubly important as the the independent colleges and universities in Illinois enroll more students annually than the states public universities. And the graduates of these institutions live and work all across our state, pay taxes on higher wages, use fewer social services and are more civically involved in their local communities. The colleges and universities themselves have a huge economic impact throughout the state, employing more than 68,000 faculty and staff, while pumping more than $21 billion annually into the Illinois economy. We are grateful to Gov. Pritzker, House Speaker Chris Welch, Senate President Don Harmon, and strong majorities in the Illinois House and Senate for putting some of the states recent good fortunes back into our higher education system. These decisions will reap tremendous rewards, just a few short years after the 2015-2017 state budget stalemate threatened to decimate our higher education system and the COVID-19 pandemic added another wallop. With all of this unexpected good news, however, comes the sobering reality that our work is not nearly over. It is just beginning. Two years ago, MacMurray College in central Illinois announced a devastating closure decision. Just a few weeks ago, just up Interstate 55 from Springfield, Lincoln College leaders made the same painful announcement. There are many reasons: the state budget impasse, COVID-19, a decline in high school graduates. But I am concerned other schools especially those like federation members MacMurray and Lincoln with so little margin for error might face the same fate. Higher education is at its core a highly competitive marketplace. Campuses must offer the best options, with the most flexibility, at the best price possible to maintain relevance in an increasingly global competition for students. Campuses have closed in the past because they could not compete anymore, and it will inevitably happen again. My call to our state leaders is to build on the momentum from this spring session. Make continued, sustainable investments in our institutions and students. Give all Illinois colleges and universities the best fighting chance to continue transforming lives. We all win with a healthy system supported to do its best from Springfield. Well be right there working with you to make it happen. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Two members of motorcycle gangs were fatally shot during a fight that broke out in the parking lot of a Tennessee bar Friday night, police said. According to Knoxville police, a preliminary investigation determined that a member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club and a member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club were killed in the shooting outside Hatmakers Bar & Grill. ALTON Each week award-winning photographer John Badman of The Telegraph captures images of the Riverbend. Here is a sampling of his photographs from this week. They also appear in the weekend issue of The Telegraph. We are fated, whether we like it or not, to live in interesting times, having entered, as one prominent observer puts it a decade of living dangerously. He is speaking of the very high probability of entering into some form of open military conflict with China, most likely precipitated by a sharp escalation in Beijings efforts to reunify Taiwan with the mainland. Even without this particular acute threat, we face enormous dangers on multiple fronts. Climate change is fast reaching the point of constituting an existential threat. There is still time to avoid this nightmare scenario, but it is going to take enormous effort and unprecedented cooperation. It will require sustained levels of good governance. Unfortunately, we are living at a time when good governance cannot be taken for granted. Threats to democracy and open society are more acute than they have been in decades. The rise of populism, and the corruption of clinical institutions and traditions previously taken for granted, threaten a sharp contraction of democracy and constructive cooperation, both within nations and across the global community. China's military growth is of concern to Australia but how likely is war with the Asian powerhouse? Source: AFP via Getty Russias invasion of Ukraine is a reminder of how quickly the world can fall apart and peace evaporate. Fortunately, Ukraine was ready for what much of the global community was dismissing as an exaggerated threat. And, as it turns out, Vladimir Putins Russia corrupted, hollowed out and delusional was not ready. What should have been a devastatingly formidable military was reduced to a pathetic facsimile of what Russian national myth and Western assessment had proclaimed. The great lesson of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is that powerful leaders, particularly populist autocrats surrounded by the structures of a one-party state and accountable only to a circle of sycophants, choose to pursue an irrationally dangerous course contrary to all reasonable self-interest. Federal Election 2022 In late 2021 and early 2022, there was a high level of consensus among military analysts that Russia was preparing for war. There was also a similar level of consensus among political experts of international relations that Putin was bluffing. All rational calculations pointed to the risk of war, both to the leader and to his nation, to be so enormously great that it made no sense to initiate conflict. Story continues Sadly, the military analysts studying satellite imagery and the rapid escalation of military build-up on the borders of Ukraine proved to be correct. Thankfully, they had greatly overestimated Russias military preparedness and underestimated both the political will and defensive capacity of the people of Ukraine. Why Peter Dutton's stance could prove to be problematic Could the same not be true of China? Is it not foolish to talk up threats of war and make inevitable what is avoidable? Or were Defence Minister Peter Duttons extraordinary comments on Anzac Day, of all days about the need to prepare for war with China, however distasteful and reckless, founded on reasonable assessment? Defence Minister Peter Dutton's bold approach has not gone down well with Beijing. Source: AAP Wishful thinking would have it that talk of war involving China is a confected threat manufactured by vested interests and hawkish assessments. There is far too much at stake, however, to fall back on wishful thinking. Peace in our time is exactly what we should be working for, but we cant achieve it simply by proclaiming it. The problem with Duttons comments lies not in the assessment of the risk, but in how the government responds to it. In the midst of a tightly contested federal election campaign, with the Coalition on the back foot, there is a great temptation to resort to fearmongering in the name of national security to shore up votes. In the words of former US President Theodore Roosevelt, we need to speak softly and carry a big stick. The concern with what Dutton is doing is not that his analysis is wrong, but that his response to the threat is reckless and counterproductive. We are neither carrying a big stick nor speaking softly. It was Kevin Rudd who coined the phrase a decade of living dangerously. He uses it in his new book, The Avoidable War: The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict Between the US and Xi Jinpings China. Rudd makes a compelling and cogent argument that any form of war involving China and the United States is likely to be devastatingly costly. It would also risk cascading consequences that could dangerously transform the world we live in. Avoiding conflict with China, he argues, will not be easy. If nothing changes, we are on a trajectory to disaster. Rudd sets out ten scenarios for possible conflict with China. Only one of the ten ends well. War with China is 'very likely but avoidable' Yet, as is the case with the looming threat of catastrophic global warming, disaster is not inevitable. War with China is very likely, but avoidable if we take the threat seriously and act now. The path to avoiding war with China, Rudd argues, is to work to achieve a system of managed strategic competition that is mutually beneficial to both China and the US. This would present a compelling alternative to an inevitable slide to war. At one level, this requires making preparations for war such that China judges the risks of acting now to be unreasonably high. Beijing is not yet ready to escalate military pressure on Taipei. It judges that it needs another five or ten years to prepare. Part of what is required in avoiding war is to constantly shift the calculus, so the risk of immediate action and the uncertainty of victory remain intolerably high. Deterrence, backed by considerable and steadily increasing capacity, is an essential part of the response required to avoid a hot war. But so, too, is making the case for avoiding the descent into a new Cold War. China's regional control is undoubtedly growing, but at what cost to Australia? Source: Getty The truth is, both China and America have more to gain from strategic competition than they do from a further deterioration of relations to the point at which war becomes a live option. Chinas rise, although not without problems, has so far been a net good for the world. It can continue to be good. Australia has enjoyed decades of peaceful growth and prosperity driven by the rise of Asia and led by the transformation of China. Constructively managed competition with China is not only essential to avoiding war, it has the potential to enable both an effective, cooperative response to the challenge of climate change and the global need for improving good governance. A great strength of Australian approaches to defence and security, historically, has been sensible bipartisanship. There is too much at stake with national security to let short-term self-interest distort and distract. The author of this article is Greg Barton, Chair in Global Islamic Politics, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University. Disclosure statement - Greg Barton receives funding from the Australian Research Council. And he is engaged in a range of projects working to understand and counter violent extremism in Australia and in Southeast Asia that are funded by the Australian government. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read Peter Dutton says Australia should prepare for war. So how likely is a military conflict with China? at The Conversation. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. IVY GOODMAN, Stonington, Girls, Lacrosse, Senior; Goodman scored 12 goals and had 13 assists in three games. Her seven assists in the Bears win over Waterford established a school record. She surpassed the 50-goal mark for the season in Stoningtons victory over Ledyard. DEAN PONS JR., Westerly, Baseball, Senior; Pons, a senior, struck out 14 batters in the Bulldogs five-inning win against Wheeler School/Rocky Hill. Pons had an assist on the remaining out, throwing out a runner on a groundout. Pons allowed just one hit and walked only two. KATIE PIERCE, Wheeler, Girls, Lacrosse, Sophomore; Pierce scored five goals and the Lions beat Griswold to earn their first victory of the season. Wheeler avenged an earlier loss to the Wolverines this season with the 15-4 victory. WEEKO THOMPSON, Chariho, Girls, Track Sophomore; Thompson, a sophomore, bettered her school record in the discus at the Classical Classic meet. She finished first in the event and also won the shot put. Vote View Results Tesla boss Elon Musk has sold 3.2billion shares in the electric car maker to raise funds for his 35billion deal for Twitter. The tycoon sold 4.4m shares, or 2.6 per cent of his 16.6 per cent holding, on Tuesday and Wednesday after Twitter's board backed his takeover approach. Shares in Tesla have been on the slide since Musk took a stake in Twitter this month. Tesla investors fear that he has bitten off more than he can chew by looking to buy Twitter while also running the electric car maker and his rocket company SpaceX. Eyes on the prize: Elon Musk is paying $54.20 per share to take Twitter private and has pledged to provide 17billion in equity towards the deal Musk is paying $54.20 per share to take Twitter private and has pledged to provide 17billion in equity towards the deal. The rest will be funded by debt from Wall Street banks. Musk still owns just over 168m Tesla shares, worth around 150billion. He moved to reassure investors on Thursday, writing on Twitter: 'No further TSLA sales planned after today.' Musk is the world's richest man according to Forbes, worth an estimated 193billion. But details of Musk's business plans for the social media website remain thin. Arm moved a step closer to a stock market float after booting out the renegade boss of its China division. Allen Wu was dismissed two years ago for alleged conflicts of interest but refused to leave. It is understood he set up a personal fund that invested in its Chinese clients. Step in the right direction: Arm has been unable to audit the China unit's financials a big hurdle for the initial public offering The semiconductor firm said: 'Arm China is in the process of resolving its longstanding corporate governance issue.' Arm has appointed Liu Renchen and Eric Chen as co-chief executives. Arm has been unable to audit the China unit's financials a big hurdle for the initial public offering. Wu's removal smooths the path for a stock market return that could value Arm at 48billion. With British Airways in crisis, its parent company faces an uphill battle to restore its tarnished reputation after years of falling popularity. The flag carrier's owner, International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), will on Friday report results for the first three months of the year. The update comes as Covid absences and staff shortages wreak havoc on airlines, leading to mass cancellations of flights. BA has been hit particularly hard and cancelled more than 1,500 flights in April. Its boss Sean Doyle last week met Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and revealed BA was 'pro-actively' axing even more flights ahead of summer. Shares are languishing around two-thirds below where they were before Covid ground the business to a halt. They closed the week at 143.96p per share, a long way short of 480p highs of 2018. Analysts wonder how much the travel chaos will have hit sales and profits, and will be looking for indications of when it will return to profits. They expect the airline, which also owns Aer Lingus and Iberia, to report a loss of 423million for the first three months. Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Sophie Lund-Yates said: 'Profits had been expected to make an arrival in the second quarter, and hopefully that's still the case. 'Summer months are crucial for airlines, and that's especially the case for IAG, which has been especially punished by the pandemic thanks to its long-haul focus. All eyes will be on the outlook statement.' Multiple fire departments battled a blaze at a barn in the town of Niles Saturday afternoon. Cayuga County 911 dispatchers said a call came in at 3:19 p.m. for a fully involved barn fire at Badman Farms at 6267 North Glen Haven Road. Dispatchers said fire departments with New Hope, Genoa, Locke, Moravia, Skaneateles, Owasco, Port Byron, Scipio, Sempronius and West Niles were assisting, in addition to Four Town Ambulance, New York Sate Police, Cayuga County Emergency Management, the county rehab team and Cayuga County fire investigators. No injuries had been reported. The fire was reported to be out at about 3:50 p.m. and some units en route to the scene were told to cancel their response as firefighters on the scene worked to put out any remaining hot spots. All fire departments were reported to be clear of the scene and back in service at 4:36 p.m. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 4 Angry 0 Elon Musk disclosed an additional $4.5 billion worth of Tesla Inc. stock sales in new regulatory filings Friday, bringing the total hes disposed of in the wake of his deal to buy Twitter Inc. to more than $8.5 billion. Elon Musk disclosed an additional $4.5 billion worth of Tesla Inc. stock sales in new regulatory filings Friday, bringing the total hes disposed of in the wake of his deal to buy Twitter Inc. to more than $8.5 billion. Teslas chief executive officer offloaded more than 5 million shares on April 28, according to the new filings. Those followed disclosures late Thursday of sales totaling 4.4 million shares the two prior days. Musk has now sold about $25 billion worth of stock in the electric-car maker during the last six months. The worlds wealthiest man reached an agreement on April 25 to acquire Twitter for $44 billion using a financing plan thats alarmed some Tesla investors. In addition to pledging tens of billions of dollars worth of his Tesla shares to support margin loans, Musk has vowed to line up some $21 billion worth of equity. Its been unclear how much of that would come from selling a portion of his Tesla stake. The latest disclosures come after Musk tweeted Thursday that he has no further Tesla sales planned after today." He still has time to file more Form 4s disclosing additional sales if more took place on Thursday. Teslas shares slipped 0.8% Friday in New York, bringing its decline to 13% since the April 22 close, the biggest weekly drop since November. The Twitter deal is poised to be one of the biggest leveraged buyouts in history, with Musk arranging $25.5 billion of debt and margin-loan financing from lenders including Morgan Stanley. If it were to fall apart, the party breaking up the agreement would be required to pay a termination fee of $1 billion, under certain circumstances. Musks pursuit of Twitter has once again highlighted the extent to which Teslas valuation hinges on how involved and invested its CEO is in the business. He has headed the company since 2008 and long been its biggest shareholder. Teslas stock slumped late last year as Musk offloaded more than $16 billion worth of shares, his first sales in more than five years. The disposals started in November after Musk polled Twitter users on whether he should trim his stake. With a $252.2 billion fortune, Musk is the worlds richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The recent slump in Tesla shares has shaved $18 billion off his net worth this year, even as the carmaker has reported better-than-expected earnings and opened new plants in Germany and Texas. First Published Date: Cynthia "Cindy" Lynn Hall passed through the glorious gates of heaven on April 11 at her home in Flagstaff with her husband Glenn, sons Logan and Tyler, and sister-in-law Tama at her side. She was a loving, caring, and devoted wife, mom, grammy, aunt, sister-in-law, and friend to many. One of her favorite things to do was to spend time with her family-especially her cherished and adored grandkids Avonley, Baron, Laelle, Vivienne, and Rowyn. She also enjoyed hiking the trails and fishing the lakes and creeks of Arizona especially, Lake Powell, with her husband Glenn. Cindy was a devout Christian woman and was known for planting all the beautiful flowers at her church and home. She was surrounded by family and friends with lots of love and prayers in her final days. Cindy was a Phoenix native but spent her last 22 years in the cool pines of Flagstaff. She will be tremendously missed, always remembered, and FOREVER LOVED. Cindy's Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday May 14th at 2pm at Northland Christian Assembly located at 1715 W University Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928)-226-1779. In lieu of flowers, the family would gratefully request you to donate for lymphoma research at www.lymphoma.org. Candidates and their supporters greeted voters with campaign signs and candy near the entrance to early voting Wednesday at the Heritage Center, Jonesborough. More than 3,000 refugees, migrants and asylum seekers died or went missing last year while trying to reach Europe via Mediterranean and Atlantic sea routes, a U.N. refugee agency report showed on Friday, reporting the highest toll in recent years. Thousands of Africans take long, perilous journeys to Europe each year often traversing the Sahara desert and leaving the north African shores on small, inflatable boats fleeing hardship or seeking a better life. Last year, the UNHCR reported 3,077 people as dead or missing, nearly double the 2020 toll. We are seeing the increases soar, UNHCRs Shabia Mantoo told a news briefing in Geneva. Its alarming. UNHCR began releasing consolidated tolls in 2019 and the number of lives lost has risen each year. So far in 2022, 553 are reported dead or missing and, consistent with previous years, most have died on the Central Mediterranean route, the data showed. The tolls do not include those lost along land routes such as through the punishing Sahara Desert nor those lost in smuggler-run detention centres where survivors have reported sexual violence and forced marriage and labour. The dead and missing came from a range of North and Sub-Saharan African countries including Tunisia, Morocco, Mali, Guinea, Eritrea, Egypt, Ivory Coast and Senegal as well as Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, Mantoo said. We have been urging that there needs to be humanitarian and development action that needs to be strengthened to address these drivers that force people to move in the first place, she added. She also reiterated concerns about pushbacks, following the release of a report by the U.N. rights office last year which said that the European Union is partly to blame for deaths in the Mediterranean due to unanswered distress calls and the obstruction of humanitarian rescue efforts. SOURCE: REUTERS Russian forces pounded Ukraines eastern Donbas region on Saturday but failed to capture three target areas, Ukraines military said, while Moscow said Western sanctions on Russia and arms shipments to Ukraine were impeding peace negotiations. The Russians were trying to capture the areas of Lyman in Donetsk and Sievierodonetsk and Popasna in Luhansk, the General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces said in a daily update. Not succeeding the fighting continues, it said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in remarks published early on Saturday, said lifting Western sanctions on Russia was part of the peace talks, which he said were difficult but continued daily by video link. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has insisted since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24 that sanctions needed to be strengthened and could not be part of negotiations. He said on Friday there was a high risk the talks would end because of what he called Russias playbook on murdering people. Ukraine accuses Russian troops of atrocities in areas near the capital, Kyiv, that they previously occupied. Moscow denies the claims. Lavrov said that if the United States and other NATO countries were truly interested in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, they should stop sending weapons to Kyiv. In Washington, U.S. President Joe Bidens proposed $33 billion aid package for Ukraine, including $20 billion for weapons, has received bipartisan support. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday she hoped Congress would pass the package as soon as possible. After failing to capture Kyiv in a nine-week assault that has turned cities to rubble, killed thousands and forced 5 million Ukrainians to flee abroad, Russia is now focusing on the east and south of Ukraine. Moscow hopes to take full control of the eastern Donbas region made up of Luhansk and Donetsk, parts of which were already controlled by Russian-backed separatists before the invasion. Moscow said on Saturday its artillery units had struck 389 Ukrainian targets overnight. Serhiy Gaidai, governor of Luhansk, told Ukrainian public television that the Russians were shelling all over the region but they cannot get through our defence. He said civilians would continue to be evacuated despite the difficult situation. Gaidai said two schools and 20 houses were destroyed by Russian attacks on Friday in Rubizhne and Popasna, both in Luhansk. Mykola Khanatov, head of military administration in Popasna, said two buses sent to evacuate civilians from the town were fired on by Russian troops on Friday and there was no word from the drivers. He did not say how many people were on the buses. There were also reports of attacks on places outside the Donbas. Mykola Lukashuk, head of the Dnipro regional council, said Russian forces had shelled the outskirts of Velyka Kostromka in the Kryvyi Rih area. A village bordering the Zaporizhzhia region was also shelled. Unverified social media posts reported shelling in the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Reuters could not independently verify the reports from either side on what was happening on the ground. Ukraines border guard service posted a video on its Facebook page showing about 16 weary-looking soldiers in battle fatigues, most of them helmeted and holding rifles, singing the national anthem in a small basement room. One was a woman, holding a dog. The service said the fighters were border guards helping to defend the Azovstal steel works, the last bastion of Ukrainian forces holding out against Russian invaders in the strategic port city of Mariupol, on the Azov Sea. Reuters could not verify the video. Moscow calls the war a special military operation to disarm and denazify Ukraine, defend Russian-speaking people from persecution and prevent the United States from using the country to threaten Russia. Ukraine dismisses Putins claims of persecution and says it is fighting an unprovoked land grab to fully capture Donetsk and Luhansk, which form the Donbas region. Western officials said Russia had suffered fewer casualties after narrowing the scale of its invasion but that numbers were still quite high. Britains defence ministry said on Saturday: Shortcomings in Russian tactical coordination remain. Russia had been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from failed advances in northeastern Ukraine, it said in a daily bulletin. SOURCE: REUTERS This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate RENSSELAER State Police are investigating Mayor Michael Stammels murky dealings with the now-defunct Rensselaer Volunteer Ambulance service. The investigation follows a Times Union story published in mid-April detailing a lack of regulatory filings for the nonprofit, which owns a building that the mayor has for years rented out for parties and events with little apparent oversight. Common Council President John DeFrancesco said he and Todd Rutecki, a city resident, had been trying to find out what happened to the organization since the mayor assumed office. Rutecki was a campaign volunteer for Richard J. Mooney, a Democrat who lost his bid to unseat the incumbent Republican mayor in November's election. After the Times Unions story was published, DeFrancesco and Rutecki said they contacted State Police and asked them to investigate the matter. They met with investigators on April 21. "State Police were welcome to the idea of an investigation," DeFrancesco said. "No one has ever dug in deep enough to find out, and as Common Council president, I felt this was my job to look into (the matter)." Several community members have since been contacted by State Police investigators and questioned about Stammels involvement with the organization this week, according to people familiar with the matter. The State Police also have an unrelated investigation that is focusing, in part, on absentee ballots collected in last year's election by Stammel and other Republican candidates in Rensselaer County. In December, as part of that investigation, a State Police investigator seized Stammel's mobile phone and questioned him at City Hall about the ongoing investigation of ballot fraud allegations in Novembers election. Beau Duffy, a spokesman for the State Police, on Friday declined to "get into details of our investigation," including whether investigators are examining Stammel's involvement with the former volunteer ambulance service building. He confirmed their investigation of "ballot issues" is ongoing. Stammel did not respond to a request for comment for this story. Darlene Peasley, the volunteer ambulance organizations former president, described Stammels involvement with the ambulance squad as something resembling a "hostile" takeover. Peasley began volunteering for the ambulance service when she was 16 and went on to become president in 2014. That same year she said the group forfeited its certification and things started to "go a lot more downhill." Peasley said Stammel misled the board at the time about how much money the organization received from an insurance policy and how much was spent following a 2013 fire that caused serious structural damage to the building. "It was not what was reported in that story because we know the company that did the cleaning of the building and the patch up work, and it was not $60,000 that was given to that company," she said. Peasley also disputed Stammel's assertion to the Times Union several weeks ago that there is an active board in place. He declined to identify any members of the board. Much of the organization's downfall took place over two years following the fire that heavily damaged the ambulance squad building at 901 Third St. The unrest within the organization ended with Stammel, then a vice president of the non-profit, locking Peasley and all of the other members out of the building, she said. One evening, Peasley who had keys to the building noticed a light was left on after a party. When she went to turn it off, her keys didnt work. She realized the locks had been changed. She said when she approached Stammel about it he admitted changing the locks because he told her "somebody was stealing toilet paper" from the building. Peasley asked when she would get a new key to the building, to which she said he responded, "Ill contact you later about it." She said Stammel never contacted her about the key. She made numerous attempts, along with other members, to get into the building but said Stammel ignored them for about a year until they gave up. Pre-lockout red flags Peasley said there were signs of trouble in the organization prior to the lockout, including the relationship between Stammel and then-treasurer Bonnie Lee Hahn. Peasley said that personnel files began to disappear, including records for Stammel and Hahn that had been kept by the organization. When questions about the insurance policy were raised, Peasley said the payment for the fire damage fell into Hahns hands because of her position as treasurer. Both Peasley and Nathan Carlson, a former first lieutenant, said members repeatedly asked Stammel and Hahn for an audit to be done to detail what happened to that money as well as to frame the organization's financial situation. "Every time we asked for any audits or anything like that, we would not get actual paper statements from the bank. They would all be like home(made) Excel spreadsheet(s)," Peasley said. The members also requested a legal review be done because the organization's bylaws advise against internal personnel conducting the audits. "They would refuse to give us legal audits," Peasley said, noting that they said it was fine for Hahn to do that work because she works as an auditor for the New York Office of Children and Family Services. Still, the former members contend they didn't believe what was happening was appropriate and they moved to vote to have Hahn and Stammel removed from the organization. They convened with the appropriate amount of members as required and voted out the pair multiple times. "They became hostile and told members that because they werent present, their meetings didnt count," Peasley said. Carlson said they even tried to demand an independent audit by sending Hahn a letter via certified mail, but that she declined to accept it. Years after the lockout, Carlson was in the building for a private party and he checked a storage room and noticed all of the paperwork that had once been stored there was gone. The members were barred from getting back into the building and couldnt afford an attorney to seek legal intervention to try and remove Stammel and Hahn; eventually their efforts stalled. The former members said they remain suspicious of the mayor's management of the former ambulance squad building, which he rents out for private events while handling the contracting and payments. Stammel had said he uses the money to keep the building's utilities working and to pay taxes on it. "This is dirty politics," Carlson said. "Id hate to let him get away with it." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ALBANY Every now and again a story comes along that is so terrible and incomprehensible that it calls into question whatever faith we have left in humanity. For me, the plight of Sarbjit Saran was one of those stories. Maybe you read it a few days ago, after the state inspector general released a report detailing how Sarbjit was failed by the state agency where she had worked for 33 years. If so, forgive me for telling it again. But it is important. Sarbjit was a domestic violence victim. She was afraid and hoping to get out of a bad situation. And so, as her husband, Bhupinder Saran, drank more and became increasingly erratic, Sarbjit began using her work-issued phone to document her torment and abuse, storing photos and recordings that she hoped might lead a court to issue an order of protection. But the secrecy that phone afforded his wife apparently frustrated Bhupinder, who had placed tracking devices on Sarbjit's car and cameras in their home. That led Bhupinder, then a state Office of General Services employee, to file a 2019 complaint noting that his wife, who worked for the office of Information Technology Services, was improperly using a work phone for personal reasons. Technically, that was true. But given the circumstances, how could any person with a soul and a heart possibly care? I wish I could say that kindness and decency won. I wish the photos and videos on Sarbjit's phone stirred compassion within the state bureaucracy, leading it to take action and get her help. I wish her employer had realized the physical and verbal abuse directed at Sarbjit was the most important thing, the only thing that mattered. But according to the inspector general's report released Thursday, that isn't what happened. Instead, soulless and mindless drones at ITS and OGS, after confiscating Sarbjit's phone and becoming aware of the disturbing evidence it held, continued with their disciplinary investigation and ultimately punished her by mandating that she participate in a counseling session on the use of state-issued resources. You read that right. Sarbjit was a victim. She was suffering. She needed help. And yet she was the one punished. In fact, a person identified only as a "senior ITS human resources employee" in the IG report confirmed that investigators should not consider Sarbjit's "domestic situation" when deciding what penalty should be imposed against her. Because, you see, a rule is a rule and rules must be followed, no matter the context, even when a woman's life is at stake. How soulless and inhumane. How petty and small-minded. How bureaucratic. Here's what the agencies didn't do, as the prior Times Union story by my colleague Massarah Mikati noted: Follow the state policies which mandate that employees experiencing domestic violence be directed to services that could rescue them. In other words, the bureaucracy followed policy to protect the phone but couldn't be bothered to follow policy to protect Sarbjit. The inspector general's report put it this way: "The investigation found that ITS, in seeking to enforce its 'Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources' policy, failed to adequately respond to the ITS employees needs as a victim of domestic violence." If you ever wonder why so many Americans loathe and even fear bureaucracies, well, that sentence right there tells you why. The heinous, callous treatment of Sarbjit plays into every stereotype of faceless bureaucrats who so slavishly follow rules that they lose sight of what it means to be human, who get so lost in technocratic minutiae that they crush souls and spirits in nightmares of their creation. I hate to think how despondent and disappointed it all may have made Sarbjit, who immigrated to the United States from India in 1984 and was a graduate from The College of Saint Rose. With her life so difficult at home, she deserved more comfort at work. Instead, she was confronted by a scenario seemingly stolen from a Franz Kafka novel. We can't know if a more caring response would have prevented what eventually happened, in September 2020. We can't assume it would have kept Bhupinder from strangling Sarbjit to death before taking his own life in the couple's Selkirk home, where police had often responded to domestic violence calls. But we can know that the world lost a 58-year-old woman whose life, as her obituary said, "was defined by her faith in God, caring for and serving others, unparalleled work ethic, and unwavering love and devotion to her children." And we can and should be alarmed and disgusted by a state bureaucracy that cared more about a phone than a person. Northern Arizona University (NAU) student Melissa Wheeler was recently named one of 10 Rising Graduate Scholars nationwide by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Wheeler is in her fourth year of the universitys counseling and school psychology education doctoral program and recently joined the NAU Center for Health Equity and Researchs (CHER) new Culturally Centered Addictions Research Training (C-CART) program. Through C-CART, Wheeler will be studying culturally appropriate substance use treatment approaches with tribal members around Flagstaff. This has also become the focus of her dissertation. Wheeler described culturally sensitive treatment as using the types of strengths within Native American populations [to] continue to support individuals with their mental health and other co-occuring disorders. These approaches include having community role models and participating in cultural practices, such as ceremonies. Another is talking circles, a group setting practice where people take turns speaking on a certain topic. It really gets [you] to listen to what the client is coming in with, some of the things they would want to address and some things that they need help with, Wheeler said. ..... I think all of those are protective factors that we've seen in the research really reduce and prevent substance use and manage mental health. Wheeler came to psychology as an undergraduate at the University of North Dakota (UND), where she also earned a masters in counseling psychology and worked for a few years as a research specialist at the medical school. When I was in high school, I didnt think this was something that I could do, Wheeler said of her area of study. She initially wanted to go into the arts and was even accepted into art school. Instead, she went to UND as I thought that this was more exciting. I was living in Albuquerque and I wanted to live across the country, she said. ...I wanted to get away and experience something new and I met with several people from the American Indian Center that really just mentored me. These mentors were doctoral students and upperclassmen at the time and showed her some of their research on mental health. Being included in these projects and having a research group got her excited about the field. Id never been involved prior to that in a Native American research group where everyone in that organization identified as Indigenous or wanted to work with Indigenous populations, so that was exciting to me, she said. This is similar to what she said drew her to NAU -- the emphasis on collaborating with tribal communities. Several Native American professionals were involved in her interviewing at the school, she said as an early example she saw. Since coming here, Ive been given so many opportunities to work with Indigenous communities in different ways, not just through counseling, but through research and community building and now, through my dissertation work with a community organization in town," she said. Wheeler also said her cultural background played a large role in her choice to pursue education, both for herself and others. She grew up with her mother and grandparents in Round Rock, who encouraged her to continue her education. I'm pursuing higher education because my single mother as well as my grandparents never really had the opportunity to do that, she said. They always taught me the value of hard work and humility but also the importance of obtaining an education and that was always something we were taught. ...It ties into going back to those protective factors, having a role model in early education, having people that expect you to go to college, having values of family and support within a community that really does impact the trajectory of a child. "It comes full circle for me, because although I feel like I had a role model in college, I didn't know an older personthat I could look up to and ask advice from, ask for advice on how to get to college. So I do that for my younger siblings...and try and continue that message of education is important, because that's something no one can take away. One of the reasons she was recognized by Diverse was that she began a peer counseling program for Native American students at NAU. The education part of her major focus[es] on early adolescence, how do we support students, not just within tribal communities, but other communities as well, Wheeler said. As part of a doctoral practicum, Wheeler also worked with a school counselor at Flagstaff Unified School District as part of her doctoral practicum. This happened while learning was still remote in the district, meaning changes to their work of supporting students. We all [had] to come together and try to come up with a plan of how to...support students, especially those that have learning disabilities during COVID-19, because disabilities don't go away, she said. They need to learn to adapt through telehealth during that time for these students. Wheeler still has another year of school, where shell be working on an internship and defending her dissertation. Shes considering a postdoctoral program afterwards, though shes not certain what shell end up doing. One hope is to end up in the Flagstaff area and continue working with Indigenous communities, she said. I've grown to love Flagstaff and the community members that I've met throughout the years and established relationships with, she said. I think that that's important to have and.that work on the Navajo Nation too. I dont know what that looks like, but I know that there is a need for sure. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Heres the puzzle to solve: An idealistic group needs a work of art that signals to passersby casting a casual glance that this group fights for social justice, welcomes all races, ethnicities, income levels and embraces all ages from Gen Z to WWII and respects all religions and diverse beliefs. And it has to fit in a 10-by-7 foot space. So, what does that work of art look like? Its a question synagogues, churches and Buddhist retreats all over the Capital Region grapple with as they debate whether a rainbow banner is enough to welcome LGBTQ community members or a Black Lives Matter flag sends a warm message to people of color. In May, one Albany congregation is voting on whether the artwork it had been gazing at for 30 years is too white and too unclear to encapsulate the churchs passion for social justice and yearning for diversity. For 30 years, the congregation has gazed at the dark blue quilt displayed in front of the Albany Unitarian Universalist Church sanctuary. It was handmade in 1992 by women in the church to honor the congregations 150th anniversary. The quilt is decorated with a crescent moon with star to represent Islam, a Star of David, a cross and a Buddha to symbolize interfaith friendships, musical notes, a globe and doves all cut from white fabric to pop against the blue. At the bottom, white silhouettes of adults and children that pop against the quilts dark blue backdrop. The quilt seems to welcome other faiths but as congregant Arlene Gilbert observes in an email to the Times Union, All of these (symbols) are white to show off against the dark blue of the quilt. The fact that the silhouettes of people at the bottom are also white concerns some members. Others see this as essential to the artistic whole and value the historic and creative community it represents. On the other side is our commitment to deal with institutional racism more effectively and to be more inclusive as a welcoming congregation. Some members feel that the people shapes in white on the quilt could be off-putting to people of color. The congregation would vote in a May meeting on whether to keep the quilt in its prominent place, put it away or update it with symbols that reflect the present and future. Its a dilemma other Capital Region area houses of worship grapple with continuously. Churches, synagogues and Buddhist temples across the region adorn signage with rainbow banners or hang Black Lives Matter flags. 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 clearest message about a congregation's vision probably comes from a congregations actions in the community. The Rev. Sam Trumbore's Unitarian congregation supports food pantries, a playground program, built two Habitat for Humanity houses and developed a safe home for domestic violence survivors. Trumbore observes that his congregation has a social justice action group and an active community service. But he knows the power of symbolism for attracting new members, especially in a world is inundated with memes, GIFs and emojis. Quilts are a form of art that can be created by multiple generations, with a parent handing off the quilt to offspring who, with the help of their siblings and children, add pieces that reflect new events and additions to the family. Trumbore says altering the quilt is up for discussion. A lot of concern focuses on whether we should have (an artwork) in the sanctuary that looks forward at our vision for the future should replace one celebrating the past, Trumbore said. Were a very different congregation than we were 30 years ago but were proud of our past, our heritage. He cheerfully acknowledges its a tough challenge for one work of art to encapsulate all that but its eager to hear bold and visionary ideas when the May meeting commences. As the longest multi-use trail in the country, the Empire State Trail travels through more than 20 counties across the state and has established itself as a recreational jewel. It was named the best rail trail in the United States by Outside Magazine in 2022, beating out well-known trails like the Moab Canyon Trail and a 180-mile path from Grand Teton to Yellowstone National Park. Opened in December 2020, the Empire State Trail had been in the works since 2017, conceptualized as a way to promote outdoor recreation, support community vitality, and bolster tourism-related economic development. The completed trail network connected 400 miles of previously existing but disconnected trails while propelling the completion of more than 180 miles of new off-road paths. About three-quarters of the 750-mile trail is off-road, easing road traffic concerns for pedestrians or skittish bike riders. Here's more to know about the statewide Empire State Trail. Where does the Empire State Trail start and stop and how long is it? The Empire State Trails 750 miles is broken into three distinct sections: The Hudson Valley Greenway Trail , which extends from Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City to Albany , which extends from Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City to Albany The Champlain Valley Trail , which stretches from Albany to Rouses Point in Clinton County at the Canadian border , which stretches from Albany to Rouses Point in Clinton County at the Canadian border The Erie Canalway Trail, which stretches from Albany to the west, ending along the Shoreline Trail in Buffalo It is possible, therefore, to travel the trail all the way from New York City to Canada and/or Buffalo. Bicyclists, runners and walkers can access the trail at any point and travel in any direction, creating endless access and starting points. Many points along the trail are also convenient to public transportation, particularly between New York City and Albany. Empire State Trail map Are electric bikes, pets and horses allowed on the Empire State Trail? Most electric bikes are allowed on different sections of the trail, with the exception of Class 3 e-bikes, which can reach a maximum pedal-assisted speed of 28 miles per hour and are only allowed in parts of New York City but not on the trail. The Class 1 electric bike is a pedal-assisted model that gives riders a boost up to 20 mph and is allowed more widely. The Class 2 type is a throttle-assisted e-bike that can power non-pedaling riders up to speeds of 20 mph. The latter is helpful to propel bicyclists over challenging hills, for example. Rules on e-bikes are evolving. Some stretches of the Empire State Trail fall under the oversight of local governments to adopt policies and, where none are explicitly in place, e-bikes with the exception of Class 3 bikes are neither explicitly allowed nor prohibited. Here is a breakdown of e-bike rules: Both Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed on large sections of the Erie Canalway Trail and Champlain Canalway Trail that are adminstered by New York State Parks and the NYS Canal Corporation. Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed on the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail section of the Empire State Trail in Rensselaer and Columbia Counties. In the Hudson Valley, Class 1 and Class 2 electric bikes are allowed on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail portion of the larger Empire State Trail. The only off-road trail section where e-bikes are explicitly prohibited is in New York City. No Class 3 bikes are allowed on any part of the Empire State Trail. Dogs are allowed on most trail segments but must always be kept under control and on-leash. The trail does not allow horses, with the exception of a segment that travels through Old Erie Canal State Park. Related: Bucket-list biking: NYC to Albany along the Empire State Trail How long would it take to walk or bike the entire Empire State Trail? According to Empire State Trail, a typical hiker in good shape walks 20 miles per day on flat trails, meaning if someone were to walk the 550-mile Buffalo to Albany to NYC route, they would need at least 25 to 30 days, and likely longer including rest days. Buffalos Ken Burke completed 565 miles of the trail from Battery Park to Buffalo on foot in fewer than 12 days, running an average of more than 50 miles a day. He completed the feat in 11 days, 16 hours and 35 minutes, pushing a stroller with food and supplies. Recreational bicyclists on multi-day trips typically cover between 30 and 50 miles per day, but its ultimately up to individual bicyclists. For those considering a multi-day walk on the trail, its advised to plan carefully to avoid being stranded away from food, water and overnight lodging. The NYC to Albany route, and the Albany to Rouses Point route, are each 200 miles long, meaning most cyclists require 4 to 6 days to ride each section, or 8 to 12 days to ride from NYC to Rouses Point, according to Empire State Trail officials. The Buffalo to Albany route is 350 miles, and most cyclists take 7 to 10 days to ride that section. Downtime is the best time Make the most of your Hudson Valley weekend, every week with our newsletter. In April 2021, Connecticut's Jeremy Chapman took seven days to bike the entire trail, conquering snowstorms and flat tires, the Sun Journal reported. Related: Man embarks on charity run from Buffalo to NYC along Empire State Trail How hilly is the Empire State Trail? The lengthy trail passes through a range of landscapes and terrain, along lakes and rivers and through busier towns like Kingston and Hudson. Some passages are also hilly. Peak elevation along the Hudson Valley Greenway Trail, which sees elevation changes throughout, is 800 feet for a small part of the Maybrook Trailway between Pawling and Hopewell Junction. On the Champlain Valley Trail, the Champlain On-Road Bicycle Route between Westport and Keeseville sees its elevation peek to a no-small-feat 969 feet. The Erie Canalway Trail is mostly flat because it follows canals and rivers, but the first trek in Buffalo on the Shoreline Trail reaches a peak elevation of 630 feet. Can I camp along the Empire State Trail? The trail features a few locations for camping along the way. The New York State Canal Corporation has designated camping areas at many of its locks along the Erie Canal and the Champlain Canal along the Erie Canalway Trail portion, including the Waterford Canal Visitor Center, Fort Plain, Utica, New London and Schuylerville. Additionally, state or private campsites can be found within 5 miles of the Empire State Trail route in many areas, requiring a short detour. There are no public or private campgrounds located directly on the trail itself, except for Creekview Campsites in Rosendale and Sylvan Lake Beach Park in Hopewell Junction. Consult the Empire State Trail camping map for more information. CORRECTION: Estimated times to complete the trail have been updated to reflect stopping and average daily walking and cycling distances. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BOISE, Idaho (AP) When a legislative intern came forward with rape allegations against an Idaho state lawmaker last year, she was subjected to months of online harassment and abuse. She later testified about the attack at an ethics hearing, and some of the lawmakers supporters filmed her and chased her through the Statehouse. This week, the young woman took the stand to testify in his criminal trial and became so distraught she fled the courtroom. Aaron von Ehlinger's rape conviction Friday was a rare victory for prosecutors in a criminal justice system that can be fraught with trauma for sexual assault survivors, experts say. Only about a third of sexual assaults are reported to police, according to to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and only about 5% of assaults result in an arrest. Convictions are even rarer, with only about 2.8% of sexual assaults resulting in felony convictions. Put another way, about 972 of every 1,000 perpetrators of sexual assault will never face a conviction, according to the organization. It really means that we are not very good at prosecuting it and that the survivors very rarely get the desired results, said Elizabeth Jeglic, a professor of psychology at John Jay College with the City University of New York and an expert in sexual assault prevention and public policy. We have to really focus on prevention. I think thats where were going to see the largest change. Von Ehlinger, a former Republican state lawmaker, was found guilty of rape and faces anywhere from a year to life in prison when he is sentenced this summer. The jury acquitted the 39-year-old on a second count of sexual penetration with a foreign object. Von Ehlinger maintained during the trial that the two had consensual sex. His attorney Jon Cox did not respond to a request for comment. The verdict came after a dramatic trial in which the young woman fled the witness stand during testimony, saying I can't do this. Fourth District Judge Michael Reardon instructed the jury to disregard her statements since the defense couldn't cross-examine her. He then asked the defense if they wanted to request a mistrial a step that would have forced a do-over for the entire trial but Cox declined. Cox hasn't said if von Ehlinger intends to appeal. The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, and has referred to the woman in this case as Jane Doe at her request. Doe was 19 and interning at the Idaho Statehouse when she met von Ehlinger and agreed to go to dinner with him. But the night of March 9, 2021, was not the networking opportunity she expected, she later told investigators. Instead, she said, von Ehlinger brought her back to his apartment under false pretenses, overpowered her and forced her to perform oral sex while he straddled her chest, pinning her arms with his knees. Doe reported the assault to her supervisor at the Statehouse on March 11, followed by police. She underwent a sexual assault examination, which revealed DNA that matched von Ehlinger. Survivors must weigh the risk of not being understood or believed when they report, Jeglic said, as well as the intrusiveness of the investigation process. While most of the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) nurses are well-trained, having someone touch you and look at your private parts and ask you intimate questions immediately after can feel like another violation, Jeglic said. For von Ehlinger, the assault report triggered a legislative ethics investigation, and a legislative committee required Doe to testify during the hearing. A black fabric screen protected her from view during her testimony in the packed public hearing, but as she tried to leave the Statehouse some of von Ehlinger's supporters chased her, filming her as she sunk to the floor, distraught. The ethics committee recommended von Ehlinger be banned from the Statehouse, and he resigned. For Doe, the report triggered an avalanche of additional trauma and harassment. Supporters of von Ehlinger doxxed her by releasing her name, photo and personal details about her life in far-right blogs and social media posts. One person even wore mocking costumes to political events with a sash emblazoned with her name. While some lawmakers lauded her courage in coming forward, others questioned her integrity or called her names like honey trap. 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 constant attack on her really prevented her from starting the healing process, said Ada County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Katelyn Farley, who argued the case against von Ehlinger. Hopefully it doesnt happen again to future victims, but it is something that happens all the time at this point. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that as many as one-fifth of sexual violence survivors who chose not to report their crimes to police cited the fear of retaliation as a primary reason. This was a very public case, so people got to see kind of a real-time view into why people don't report sexual assaults: What a tough journey it is, and the scrutiny they face, and the ongoing trauma of having to retell your story and have people attack you constantly, said Annie Hightower, director of law and policy with the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence. The organization helps survivors navigate criminal justice system and provides civil legal services, and is representing Jane Doe. That trauma was evident when Doe took the stand on the second day of the trial. She struggled to stay focused on the prosecutor, her gaze shifting between the exit doors, the packed gallery and the defense table where von Ehlinger sat. She haltingly described the first moments of the assault before abruptly standing up, saying I can't do this," and rushing out of the courtroom. It's not uncommon for survivors to experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder when recounting an assault, said Jeglic, with symptoms like increased heart rate and sweating. If the trauma is overwhelming you might see symptoms of dissociation where they look like they space out. They might feel jittery or have difficulty concentrating. The fight or flight reflex is activated at that point, because it feels like they might be back in that situation, Jeglic said. Watching Doe leave the trial was heart-wrenching, Farley said. But deputy prosecutor Whitney Welsh, who worked with Farley on the case, noted that it was also a sign of Doe's agency. I think its important that she decided to walk in the room, and she also decided to walk out those were her choices, Welsh said. Successful prosecutions in cases like von Ehlinger can help the public better understand the dynamics of power and control in sexual assault cases, Jeglic said. I think one of the issues that we face as a society is the understanding of consent, what a rape looks like, and how power differentials come into play, she said. The more success we have in prosecutions, and the more we can prevent these things from happening to begin with, the better." The conviction was a bittersweet moment in the midst of a tough journey, said Hightower. The focus should be on my client and her healing what happened today doesnt heal her, right? But the team brought some little form of justice today, Hightower said. I hope this will help survivors other survivors who maybe didn't come forward, or are thinking of coming forward to help them know that people believe them." New York health authorities are investigating cases of severe hepatitis in otherwise healthy children amid what appears to be a global outbreak of pediatric liver disease without an obvious cause. The World Health Organization said about 170 cases have been reported so far in 16 countries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday issued a nationwide health alert to notify clinicians and public health authorities about a cluster of children in Alabama identified with hepatitis and adenovirus infection. "The New York State Department of Health, working with New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene and the CDC, is looking into cases of pediatric hepatitis to determine if any may be related to the illness that has been reported in Europe and Alabama," a state Department of Health spokesperson said. Department officials note that there is not currently a national case definition, but several New York children meet the criteria for an investigation. The first U.S. cases were identified in October 2021 at a childrens hospital in Alabama. CDC is currently working with the Alabama health authorities to investigate nine cases of hepatitis in children ranging in age from 1 to 6 years old, all of whom were previously healthy. None of the children were at the hospital because of a current COVID-19 infection, according to the CDC. Known causes of liver disease, like hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C viruses, were also ruled out. State and federal health organizations are also investigating suspicious cases in Wisconsin, Illinois and North Carolina. Early investigations suggest the disease is linked to an adenovirus, one of a family of transmissible viruses that commonly cause flu-like symptoms or gastrointestinal problems. No known epidemiological link or common exposures were found among these children, according to the CDC. "At this time, we believe adenovirus may be the cause for these reported cases, but investigators are still learning more including ruling out other possible causes and identifying other possible contributing factors," CDC officials said in a press release. Globally, the cases have ranged in age from 1 month through 16 years old, but most severe cases have occurred in children under the age of 10. At least one child has died and others have required liver transplants, according to WHO. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. In Alabama, all of the children had adenovirus type 41, which typically presents as diarrhea, vomiting, fever and respiratory symptoms. Adenovirus type 41 is not known to cause hepatitis in healthy children. One theory is that COVID-19 lockdowns may have weakened children's immunity because they were less exposed to common pathogens. CDC is asking physicians to consider adenovirus testing for pediatric patients with hepatitis of unknown causes and to report possible cases to public health authorities. Hepatitis generally refers to inflammation of the liver. It is often caused by viruses, but can also have a range of other origins, including medication or environmental toxins. Hepatitis symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, joint pain and jaundice. Parents and caregivers should be aware of the symptoms and contact their health care provider with any concerns, according to the CDC. "We continue to recommend children be up to date on all their vaccinations, and that parents and caregivers of young children take the same everyday preventive actions that we recommend for everyone, including washing hands often, avoiding people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding touching the eyes, nose or mouth," the CDC advisory states. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. ALBANY Five finalists have been selected to vie for the 2022 Albany Tulip Queen crown next Saturday during that weekend's Tulip Festival, to become the 74th person to hold the title. Mayor Kathy Sheehan introduced the finalists at a news conference Friday in Washington Park. While only one will be crowned as queen, all five will work together on community service and literacy advocacy initiatives as the 2022 Albany Tulip Court, she said. They were chosen from a pool of dozens of nominees by a committee of local leaders through an interview process based on their volunteer service, commitment to the community and leadership skills, the city said. The crowning will be at the Lakehouse Stage at noon May 7 attended by Sheehan, 2021 Tulip Queen Ashanti Bishop, and Chad OHara of radio station B95.5. Tulip queen finalists Ashley Mayfield, 20, Troy, a junior music industry major at The College of Saint Rose. She is the youth choir director and Mass choir co-director at her church United Ordained. Shes volunteered in the Annual Troy Back to School Bookbag Drive with the organization Team H.E.R.O., In the nursing homes Grand Rensselaer Manor and Eddy Heritage with Tamarac high school Kids Care. She went to Peru where she served a dormitorium that helps girls get an education; she also volunteers in A.A.O.K.s Annual Mother Daughter Brunch, Troy Little Leagues Safe Night, and The College of Saint Rose Annual Reach out community service program. Ashley is passionate about music, and cooking, she also enjoys swimming, and spending time with her family. As a member of the Tulip Court she aspires to strengthen the community through acts of service and hopes to inspire others to do so as well. Sam Mills, 24, Albany, graduated from Saint Rose with a bachelor of fine arts in studio art. Since graduating, they have pursued stand-up comedy, working with businesses organizing free open mic nights and comedy shows. Sam has lived in Albany for the past seven years and has become part of the social fabric in Center Square as a bartender at Palais Royale. In their free time they enjoy painting, reading books on history and philosophy, and karaoke. As a member of the Tulip Court Sam hopes to inspire the youth to fearlessly express themselves through the freedom of expression while teaching the importance of literacy, and the power of education. Sakthi Muthukrishnan, 18, Latham, is an undergraduate student at the University at Albany, majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, with a passion for STEM who is inclined to provide her services to the community. Sakthi has volunteered in organizations such as Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital, Saratoga Childrens Museum and Saratoga Art Center. She is open to opportunities and is willing to expand her skills to gain acceptance into Albany Medical College. She is also a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, and the Presidential Honors Society. Dancing, drawing, and painting are some of her favorite activities. As a member of the Tulip Court, Sakthi hopes to strengthen the community through various literacy programs and design a path to connect community and culture. Kathleen Nielsen, 22, Albany, is a graduating senior at the Russell Sage College, majoring in psychology with a minor in sociology. She has volunteered at places such as a peer mentor for the youth, Girl Scouts, Lions Club, Edans Rose Foundation, and Vista for AmeriCorp. Kathleen will continue her education in the fall for a masters degree in community psychology, counseling, and forensic mental health. She has a passion to serve her community regardless of how busy her schedule is. Kathleens goal as a member of the Tulip Court is to spread awareness of mental health among the community and to hold welcoming events in all sections of Albany. She also plans to hold events to promote the LGBTQI+ community and the newcomers who establish their life here for a welcoming community for all. Kathleen will strive to have meaningful connections with whoever she comes across and to unite our community as one. Meghan ONeil, 22, Albany, is finishing up her first year of graduate school at The College of Saint Rose, working on her MS.Ed. in communication sciences and disorders to become a speech language pathologist. She is a graduate assistant for the Friday Knights Program for people with autism spectrum disorder at the college and works as a direct support professional and respite worker for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Throughout her time in college she was involved in Best Buddies and currently volunteers with Girls on the Run. She is passionate about working with and advocating for people with disabilities. In her spare time, Meghan loves to run, hike, snowboard, and explore new foods and restaurants. As someone who grew up in Albany, Meghans goal as a member of the Tulip Court is to be a positive role model to young people in the community and to emphasize the importance of literacy to all. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. For more information, visit www.albanyevents.org or call 518 434 2032. Capital Region Best Mom contest The city of Albany and St. Peters Health Partners Maternity Care, a member of Trinity Health, will recognize compassionate mothers in the 23rd Annual Capital Region Best Mom of the Year Contest, celebrating mothers who are committed to their families and communities while serving as role models making a positive impact on their children and loved ones. More than 100 mothers were nominated this year, making the judging process difficult, organizers said. The five finalists are Judy Becker of Schenectady, nominated by her friend Barbara Quakenbush; Suzanne Cecala of Castleton-on-Hudson, nominated by her daughter Erica Cecala; Rose Coleman of Guilderland, nominated by her daughter Kelly Hilland; Patricia Joyce-OToole of Voorheesville, nominated by her niece Diamond Mercedes; and Melinda Person of Guilderland, nominated by her mother Elaine Person. B95.5 Albany Broadcasting's OHara will introduce Mayor Sheehan and the Tulip Queen Court members to greet the five finalists on the Lakehouse Stage in Washington Park on at noon Sunday, May 8, Mothers Day, during the Tulip Festival, a celebration of the city's Dutch heritage. Media sponsors are B95.5 FM, the Times Union, and Women@Work. COVID-19 rates continue to climb in the Capital Region, though the numbers are beginning to flatten out elsewhere in the state. The eight-county Capital Region as of Thursday had a seven-day average COVID-19 rate of 44.8 cases per population of 100,000, up from about 40 per 100,000 two days earlier. Rates in all eight counties are outpacing the statewide average of 34.5 infections per population of 100,000, according to the state Department of Health. Saratoga County's infection rate is currently the region's highest, with about 50 active cases per population of 100,000 as of Thursday, according to state data. The numbers are also ticking up in Warren County where there is a seven-day average infection rate of 49.8 per 100,000 people. Albany County's infection rate per 100,000 was at 43.4 Thursday, Schenectady's was at 42.9 and Rensselaer County's rate was at 46.5, according to state data. Despite the rising numbers, hospitalizations and deaths remain low. Of 12 deaths reported statewide, three deaths were in the Capital Region, two in Albany County and one in Greene County, state records show. Source: Centers for Disease Control Upstate New York's COVID-19 rates continue to lead the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control. As of Thursday, nearly every New York county north of Greene was shaded orange, indicating high community infection rates on the CDC's COVID-19 Community Levels map. Virtually every other state in the country is labeled green, signaling low levels of infection. The main difference between the medium and high designations is that all residents in counties with high levels of COVID-19 are encouraged to mask in indoor public spaces. In counties with a medium-level designation, the recommendation applies to individuals who are medically vulnerable. CDC Community Levels are determined based on new hospital admissions or use of inpatient beds as well as the seven-day average of new cases per population of 100,000. County health departments have issued advisories recommending mask-wearing in line with the CDC guidelines and announced additional vaccination clinics. The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote. Rensselaer County spokesman Rich Crist said that the county has not issued a mask advisory, instead focusing on free vaccination clinics and distribution of at-home testing. Regarding masking, "we believe the choice should be up to the residents and they should exercise commonsense as they see fit," Crist said. The recent surge in New York was largely driven by two substrains of omicron that emerged in central New York. Central New York's infection rate was the highest in the state and trended upward for several weeks, but in the last week, the numbers have declined about 5 percent, state officials said Friday. New York City, which already had a relatively low case rate, saw its COVID-19 numbers decline more than 12 percent in the past week, according to the governor's office. "I encourage New Yorkers to continue using the tools so that we can move forward safely through this pandemic," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. "Make sure you and your loved ones are fully vaccinated and get the booster once you are eligible. Be sure to get tested if you're feeling sick, especially before traveling, and if you test positive talk to your doctor about available treatments." SAN DIEGO (AP) The commander of the Navy's submarine training school was fired after less than a year on the job because of a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command," the service announced Friday. Following an investigation, Cmdr. Jared Severson was relieved of command on Thursday and Lt. Cmdr. Chris Lindahl will replace him as head of the Submarine Training Facility at Naval Base Point Loma, a Navy announcement said. We spent decades in prison for crimes we didnt commit and its time the Legislature did something to fix it. Derrick Hamilton was exonerated after 23 years of successfully litigating his innocence on his own, without the benefit of a post-conviction attorney, and Roger Clark, wrongfully convicted at the age of 20, is still fighting to clear his name. New Yorks law to vacate convictions, in practice, leaves most applicants with credible claims of innocence in the dust. Like so many other innocent New Yorkers, we were released from prison only after our sentences were served, despite repeated petitions to the court for judicial review. This year, along with the Exonerated Five (also known as the Central Park Five) and other wrongfully convicted people and allies from across the state, we are pushing for passage of the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, D-Brooklyn, and Assemblyman Dan Quart, D-Manhattan, would create a working pathway to exoneration for people who are innocent something that did not exist for us. New York ranks third in the nation in wrongful convictions, surpassed only by Texas and Illinois. More than 330 innocent people have been exonerated in New York since 1989, representing a collective 3,360 years of life lost behind bars. No one understands this better than us: two Black men from Brooklyn who were wrongfully convicted during the height of mass incarceration. Like almost all other wrongfully convicted people in New York, we had to navigate the process of challenging our convictions alone, without the assistance of a lawyer. This is because New York, an outlier compared to other states, does not provide people fighting to clear their names with the right to an attorney in these proceedings. In New York the only path for exoneration is with a successful 440 motion, so-called because it relies on section 440.10 of the criminal procedure law. In New York, you have no right to an attorney to help you file a 440 motion. If you are a person of means, you can hire a lawyer to file one for you. If you, like the vast majority of people targeted by the criminal legal system, are not wealthy, then you are forced to navigate the process alone. And unlike in other states, you have no right to review the evidence in your case or a right to a hearing. If you are imprisoned, like we were, you are filing these motions by hand, based on outdated law books, without the benefit of private investigators, experienced litigators, or even the internet. Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. It doesnt have to be this way. Forty-five states afford people with the right to counsel in post-conviction cases, according to a recent survey of post-conviction laws by the Supreme Court of Ohio. Two more states, California and Ohio, give poor people post-conviction lawyers in capital cases. Only New York, Georgia and New Hampshire do not. Even red states like Texas, North Carolina and Alabama provide the right to post-conviction counsel. Right next door, New Jersey has provided the right to counsel in these applications for decades. If they can do it, why wont we? To take a person away from their family, remove them from their community, and imprison them wrongfully is one of the greatest harms the state can inflict upon an individual. When we fought back and challenged the system, we were punished and put in solitary confinement. When we were finally released, we faced the challenges of reentry with the permanent stigma of conviction, despite knowing we were innocent. Worse still, we left behind countless innocent men and women. While incarcerated, they have lost children and parents, access to education, and so much more. Some of them passed away while incarcerated, never knowing the freedom they were so cruelly deprived of. Without this legislation, the innocent will continue to be stuck in limbo, without a meaningful avenue for relief. We will never get those years back that were taken away from us because of a racist, cruel system. That is why we now dedicate our lives to overhauling that system. The Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act will not end wrongful convictions in our state so much more reform is needed to do that. But it will ensure that people who are innocent have a working pathway to freedom as exists in most other states. At a minimum, New York must provide that. Derrick Hamilton is co-founder of Families and Friends of the Wrongfully Convicted. He was exonerated in 2015. Roger Clark is a community leader at VOCAL-NY and is still fighting to clear his name. ALBANY State Senate leaders introduced legislation late Friday that would remove former Lt. Gov. Brian A. Benjamin's name from the June primary ballot following his recent indictment on federal corruption charges. Benjamin, appointed lieutenant governor by Gov. Kathy Hochul in September after undergoing a background check, resigned in the wake of his indictment. The criminal charges include allegations that Benjamin lied on the forms used by State Police to review his background. His criminal case threw the Democratic primary off course because under state law there is no mechanism to remove a nominated candidate from the ballot this late in the process. The bill introduced late Friday in the Senate would change that by amending state election law to allow a candidate to decline their nomination and have their name removed from the ballot if they are convicted of or charged with a misdemeanor or felony. Similar legislation was introduced in the Assembly but Democratic leaders in the Senate were reluctant to use their legislative powers to change the law with a measure clearly intended to help Hochul's campaign. Republicans in the Senate and Assembly have criticized the move as a politically motivated abuse of authority fueled by the Democrats' one-party control of state government. The legislation does not include language indicating that a candidate who declines a nomination due to criminal charges can be replaced, but sources close to the negotiations between the Senate and governor's office said Hochul believes she will have the power to appoint a new lieutenant governor candidate. Hochul and Benjamin are running on separate tickets but the political optics of having Benjamin's name still on the ballot in a year when there are multiple challengers in the primary, including for lieutenant governor, has concerned the governor and her advisers, according to the sources. State Democratic Party leaders had explored whether they could convince Benjamin to move to another state which, along with death, is among the limited reasons in New York that a nominated candidate's name can be removed from a ballot. It's been a rickety run-up to the primary for the Democrats. Last week, the Court of Appeals issued a ruling striking down new political boundaries for the state Senate and Congress that had been established by the Democrat-controlled Senate, affirming lower court rulings that the new lines were intentionally gerrymandered for political gain. That decision by the state's highest court will require at least the Senate and congressional primaries to be moved from June to August because the petition process will need to be redone. There also have been discussions by Democratic leaders about whether they should move the Assembly and statewide office primaries to August including the gubernatorial race. That also may occur if impending legal challenges of those political boundaries also face a court challenge. State Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt, echoing the criticism of Republicans in both chambers, issued a statement Saturday morning accusing Democrats of "prioritizing party politics with their latest plan to change the rules for their own political benefit." "Just a few weeks ago, Senate Democrats across the state gleefully announced their support for Brian Benjamin," Ortt said. "Now, days after having their gerrymandered district lines thrown out by New Yorks highest court, they want to change the rules to allow Kathy Hochul to dump him from her ticket to protect their political interests." Ortt said it's a "repeated pattern of political self-dealing ... and New Yorkers deserve better. Any member of the Legislature who supports this bill is complicit in this corruption and should be voted out this November." The legislation introduced in the Senate, if signed into law by the governor, would still require Benjamin to sign a written declination to have his name removed from the ballot. It was not immediately clear if Hochul has discussed that with her former lieutenant governor or secured his cooperation to do so. Benjamin, a former state senator, has said he is no longer running for the position but his name would still appear on the ballot unless the legislation is passed. Hochul, who became governor in August following the resignation of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, is running for a full term this year and had said state laws governing the removal of a candidate from the ballot are "antiquated" and should be changed. "We did not have the truth at the time the decisions were made," Hochul said recently when asked if the State Police vetting process that apparently failed in Benjamin's case. Benjamin, at the time of his nomination and before he was appointed to the position by Hochul last year, was aware of the federal criminal investigation and had received a subpoena from the U.S. Justice Department. "Clearly, if I had that information today that we did not know about subpoenas that were in place back then and questioning it would have been a different outcome," Hochul said recently. The governor had added that Benjamin personally told her that the allegation involving his campaign donations had been corrected with the Board of Elections. Benjamin resigned hours after his indictment was unsealed. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, whose office is prosecuting the case, said Benjamin had "repeatedly told lies" as part of a cover-up involving a bribery scheme intended to get him significant campaign donations in exchange for official acts. The allegations in the indictment are not tied to Benjamin's role as lieutenant governor and are from a period when Benjamin was a state senator campaigning for the New York City comptroller's post. Hochul's Democratic challengers are U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-Long Island, whose lieutenant governor running mate is New York City Councilwoman Diana Reyna; and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, whose running mate is Ana Maria Archila, the former director of Make the Road New York, a grassroots advocacy group. The Episcopal Church of The Epiphany Apr 30 The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, 423 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff. 928-774-2911. 8 a.m.- May 1, 10:30 a.m., WELCOMING ALL: with Rev Alison Lee: SAT 5:30PM; SUN: 8:00AM & 10:30AM - with organ, choir, and congregational singing); IN PERSON or on-line at epiphanyaz.org; SUN: Congregation Q&A - 9am-10am: Parish Hall; 5PM FLG Youth Co-op Midschoolers; TU 9 AM-Contemplative Conversation; WE 6:30PM, FLG Youth Co-op (@flagyouthcoop); With Open Doors Gallery - http://www.opendoorsartinaction.com: Between Two Edges by Debra Edgerton - Intersecting Cultural Identities; 928-774-2911. https://go.evvnt.com/1123260-0. Beacon UU Service: A Profession Is Not A Personality May 1 Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff. (928) 779-4492. 10-11 a.m., Back in 1884, in his essay entitled Estranged Labor, Karl Marx argued that workers are objectified and made into miserable shells. Whether or not you agree with this assessment, in our current world of work, too many people who strive for success self-objectify as excellent work machines. This has only been made worse as were increasingly chained to laptops or subjected to Amazon warehouse-style productivity metrics. Our colleagues are often two-dimensional avatars. And yet, the allure and growth of gig work, self-employment, and personal branding has blurred the lines between identity and profession. Are we what we do? Is job a noun or a verb for you? Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker preaching, with Worship Associate Andy Hogg offering a personal reflection and music from Jason Drahos and Austin Shaw. https://go.evvnt.com/1118891-0. Flagstaff Federated Community Church: Please join us for in person services Sundays at 10 a.m. We are located at 400 W Aspen Ave. on the corner of Aspen and Sitgreaves in Downtown Flagstaff. All are welcome to our services. For more information about Flagstaff Federated Community Church please call our office at 928-774-7383, Mon Thurs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Living Christ Lutheran Church: Living Christ Lutheran Church is a diverse and LGBTQ-affirming community of disciples embraced by God's unconditional love and enduring grace. You are invited to celebrate with us God's love and presence in your life, grow in your discipleship, and leave empowered to be God's hands in the world. We worship through music, teaching, prayer, and the sacraments each Sunday at 10 a.m. with Rev. Kurt Fangmeier leading. We offer worship both in-person (masks are respected, not required; encouraged for unvaccinated) and online. Learn more about us at our new website: lclcflag.org. Leupp Nazarene Church: The church, near mile post 13 or Navajo Route 15, has been holding services by teleconferences and doing drive-up meetings. For information, call pastor Farrell Begay at 928-853-5321. Teleconference number: 1-7170275-8940 with access code 3204224#. Services are 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Christian Science Society of Flagstaff: 619 W. Birch Ave. The Christian Science Society of Flagstaff has opened for Sunday services while continuing to have them available via Zoom for online and phone. Wednesday testimony meetings are available only via Zoom. For phone Sunday Services: Dial: 669-900-9128, Meeting ID: 369 812 794#, Passcode: 075454#. For phone Wednesday meetings, dial: 669-900-9128, Meeting ID: 971 672 834#, Passcode: 894826#. The access for Zoom on Sundays is: https://zoom.us/j/369812794. The Zoom access for Wednesdays is: https://zoom.us/j/971672834. The password to use to enter both is CSS. We welcome all to attend our Sunday Services in person, or live by Zoom, at 10:00 oclock, and to attend our Wednesday Testimony meetings live by Zoom, at 5:30 oclock. Our Reading Room will be open on Wednesdays from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10-12 noon. For further information please call 928-526-5982. Church of the Resurrection Sunday Church Service Apr 24 740 W. University Heights Drive S., 740 W. University Heights Drive S., Flagstaff. 928-699-2715. 10-11:30 a.m., Church of the Resurrection Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): We invite you to join us for worship at 10 a.m. on Sundays at 740 W. University Heights Drive South as Rev. Joshua Walker preaches through the book of Acts. Please feel free to contact us for information on our mid-week gatherings and for more information on our church. You can find us at www.cor-pca.org and www.facebook.com/CORFlagstaff or we can be reached at corflagstaff@gmail.com and (928) 699-2715. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Brenda Joyce Robinson worked hard her entire life toward success. But rather than rest on her laurels, Robinson became a mentor to other nurses and advocated for a more just health care system. She founded the Black Nurses Coalition, an organization that not only supports nurses but fights health care disparities. Robinson is being recognized by the Womens Business Council of the Capital Region Chamber for her distinguished career. The nomination for the award said Robinson has been willing to put action to her words and beliefs. That was evident most recently as Robinson led community pop-ups that provided COVID-19 vaccines and boosters to underserved neighborhoods and to refugees. Her BNC Vax Team has been responsible for thousands of vaccinations. This Q&A has been edited for space and clarity. What one thing are you most proud of in your career? I am very proud of many things in my career. I am very proud to be a role model for people of color and those who come from underserved communities. What I do shows that you can do what you set your mind to do. The work is very hard, the road surely is not easy, but you can succeed. I am very proud to be able to encourage others to go into health care, as well as advocate for themselves. I overcame many barriers such as racism and low/moderate income but I was able to succeed. Success doesnt mean racism is eliminated for me, it means I succeed despite it. I proudly stand in my truth. What led you to create the Black Nurses Coalition (BNC)? The BNC always has the mission and vision to eliminate health care disparities, which also includes increasing diversity in health care leadership. Experience with racism, social and health inequity and being a statistic of health care disparities led me to create the Black Nurses Coalition. By the way, we are a coalition because it does take many partnerships to make a sustainable impact. The last couple of years have been particularly hard on nurses due to the pandemic. What changes do you think are needed for nurses to avoid burnout and continue in their careers? These last couple of years have been tough. Nurses, as well as others, have to remember that they must put themselves first sometimes, which is very difficult. Nurses have to care for themselves first before others. No one can help others if they are not well mentally and physically. Take a break. Take time for your hobbies and things that you like to do. Take time for family, never be too busy for family or yourself. Treat yourself. Set specific times to unplug. Can you talk about your COVID-19 vaccine pop-ups in several cities and at the refugee center? What was the response from the community? Doing COVID-19 vaccine pop-ups is an extension of what we have been doing for many years. The minority, marginal people of the tri-city area need our services. We meet people where they are. We bring trust, information and real talk. We bring familiarity. We service the community, acknowledging racism, health inequities and past crimes against people of color. I acknowledge that 'First, do no harm' did not apply to us. All the above are the ingredients for a strong community bond and health care delivery. The refugees, who I plan to work more with, were a pleasure to serve. I love learning new languages and we pride ourselves on being able to serve them effectively without knowing any Arabic or other languages spoken, at all. We always find ways to serve and show love and caring. Different religions, languages, socioeconomic levels or cultures are no barrier for me or my BNC team. The community embraces me and the BNC team. They look forward to seeing us (and) vice versa. You are a member of the Albany Public Library board of trustees. Why is that important to you? Being an Albany Public Library board trustee is on my list of career greats for sure! Our libraries are the hub of the community and as a young girl, the library taught me a lot. I remember my first babysitting license that I was so proud of. The opportunity to give back to a great community asset has been an honor. Can you talk about your perseverance in earlier years and how you were able to use volunteering in your community to help shape your career? Volunteerism is second nature for me because that is how I grew up. I was primed to be an advocate and health care provider. I have worked very hard over many years, as did my mother, grandmother and other women in my life. I created a plan and I am working my plan. I not only want to enlighten about health care disparities, which I have been doing decades before COVID-19, I have the desire to make an impact in helping to eliminate it, and bring health equity. A sheriff's deputy in western Illinois died after he was struck by a car driven by a man fleeing police after being spotted with a gun at a convenience store This town's most prolific activist recently enjoyed a regional road trip to show support for his former high school . . . Meanwhile, here's another interview from inside the school that deserves consideration . . . Grain Valley High School English teacher Jordan Henson told us he was shocked to learn about the removal of the stickers after such a positive and inclusive experience in the district. "Those stickers help those kids know for sure they have an ally, they have a support network in the building," Henson said. Henson says the removal of the signs and stickers sends the wrong message to students. "I was also disappointed because that seems to run up contrary to all the values that theyve been building up in that building since I've been there," Henson said. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Tragically, local rate of killing continues to trend upward as the weather warms up. Again, this is worth repeating . . . Kansas City continues to OUTPACE record homicide numbers in 2021 & 2020. Here's the latest report . . . Homicide 8100 block of Wayne - LATE DEATH On 04/21/22 at about 6:15 pm officers were dispatched to a residence in the 8100 block of Wayne on a shooting call. They located the victim, an adult male, who appeared to be shot, in the front yard there. EMS responded to the scene and transported the victim to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. Preliminary investigation indicated the suspect and the victim were involved in an argument in front of the house that led to the suspect shooting the victim. Detectives and crime scene personnel responded that night and processed the scene and conducted further investigation. On 04/28/22 detectives were notified the victim died from his injuries. The case was then deemed to be a homicide investigation. Detectives have identified a person of interest and will be conducting further investigation and working to get that person in custody and working with prosecutors to present a case file for consideration of applicable charges. If anyone has any information they are asked to call the Homicide Unit directly at 816-234-5043, or the TIPS hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case. ####################### Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Kansas City shooting victim dies from injuries one week later KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man injured in a shooting last week in Kansas City, Missouri has died, according to police. The shooting was reported just after 6 p.m. last Thursday, April 21, near East 81st Street and Wayne Avenue. Officers located the victim, who appeared to be shot, in the front yard of a home. Man's shooting death becomes a homicide case for Kansas City, Missouri, police KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man died Thursday from gunshot wounds suffered a week before. The case has become Kansas City, Missouri's latest homicide investigation. Police said David L. Bynum, 40, was found shot about 6:15 p.m. on April 21 in the front yard of a house in the 8100 block of Wayne Avenue. Developing . . . Here's a guide to an upcoming no-cost talk that might help us sort out what's happening behind the closed doors of a quickly fading newspaper . . . Check-it . . . "Melinda Henneberger, the newspapers vice president and editorial page editor, will speak via Zoom in conversation with John Shaw, institute director, at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 3. Topics will include Hennebergers notable journalistic career and the challenges facing the American news media especially newspapers. They will also discuss the role of the press in chronicling the life of a community and explaining and analyzing public policy." The event is free and open to the public. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . For more than a decade Kansas City, Missouri has spent BILLIONS pouring money into downtown and hoping to lure affluent people into a posh urban center that generates untold riches. And then the pandemic shut down everything. Now . . . DATA REVEALS REMOTE WORK AND THE IMPACT OF COVID HAS PUSHED PEOPLE OUT OF LARGER METRO AREAS AND BACK TO THE BURBS!!! Big cities across the nation are watching the middle-class abandon urban life. Locally, the numbers don't seem to be in our favor when it comes to resident satisfaction . . . The results showed fewer people felt the region was going in the right direction, fewer people saw opportunities for success in their neighborhoods and fewer people felt a sense of belonging socially. The survey compared answers from 2020 to 2021. As a result, about 24 percent of survey respondents said they could move away from the region within the next five years. About 31 percent of Black and Brown Kansas Citians who filled out the survey would consider moving. What I think makes Kansas City unique is were calling it out, were bringing attention to it, were doing something about it, explained Sheri Gonzales, the executive director of KC Rising. Don't worry, it gets worse . . . KCMO desperately sought to model itself after bigger, better cities which now suffer SHOCKING population declines. The strategy obviously BACKFIRED as Internets tech shifts Americans AWAY from huddling together like a bunch of rats amid worsening violence. More to the point . . . THE KC DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE IS DEAD!!! It was mostly just a developer ponzi scheme anyhoo with very little benefit for broke-ass taxpayers. Whilst 12th & Oak put all of their eggs in the Downtown basket, the rest of the city crumbled; trash piled up, crime skyrocketed and the quality of all basic services dwindled. Tragically, most of the overly-hyped development like the P&L District have done nothing but siphon away cash from the general fund every year. Accordingly . . . Check the money line as this national trend takes hold . . . "The great metro shrinkage also appears to be part of a broader cultural story: The rise of remote work has snipped the tether between home and office, allowing many white-collar workers to move out of high-cost cities. Nearly 5 million Americans have moved since 2020 because of remote-work opportunities, according to Adam Ozimek, the chief economist for the Economic Innovation Group, a think tank in Washington, D.C." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Kansas City leaders act on quality of life survey results KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Several businesses, nonprofits and agencies from around the Kansas City are working together to address areas of need highlighted in a recent quality of life survey. The Kauffman Foundation and KC Rising released the survey findings this month. Why Americans Are Leaving Downtowns in Droves Pop quiz: What do the metros of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., have in common? They are all among the 20 largest metropolitan areas in the country. All of their populations were growing in 2011. Developing . . . Update: 30-04-2022 | 14:23:55 Prof. Dr. Oba Mie from Kanagawa University has highlighted the importance the Japanese Government attaches to relations with Vietnam ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumios tour of Indonesia (April 29 - 30), Vietnam (April 30 - May 1), and Thailand (May 1 - 2). She said the friendship could be seen in Japans provision of defence supplies and cooperation in maritime security. Vietnam - Japan relations are mutually beneficial, Oba noted, elaborating that to Vietnam, its links with Japan are highly important to maintaining a balance among superpowers while the enhancement of connections with Vietnam will also bring considerable advantages to Japan. Talking about Japans relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the expert held that amid the increasingly fierce strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific region and the changing regional order, both sides are facing the same situation. Japan should strengthen cooperation as a trustworthy partner of ASEAN to bolster the strategic self-reliance of the bloc and its members. She also suggested some areas Japan and ASEAN should reinforce their partnerships in, including encouraging and improving the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to maintain international order, promoting infrastructure development, stepping up green energy and digital transformation, and boosting maritime security to maintain peace and stability./. VNA Whether you live in Niagara or North Bay, we've got you covered. Democrats running in Montanas Eastern U.S. House district squared off in Havre on Thursday night for a debate on agriculture issues. Former Billings City Council member Penny Ronning, state Sen. Mark Sweeny and Skylar Williams of Billings took questions for an hour on federal agriculture politics, and rural issues. The debate was organized by the Montana Farmers Union and Montana Cattlemens Association. The event was televised and livestreamed. Sweeney, a Miles City native who lives in Philipsburg, said it was crucial that Eastern Montana had a representative in the next Congress who understood the importance of the farm bill to Montana. The candidates were asked what they would do to assure farmers had the right to repair their own equipment. Sweeny said he would include right-to-repair in the next farm bill. I believe in 2023, we probably have the opportunity to have the most important piece of legislation for Montana, and I think right-to-repair could be a part of that, Sweeney said. The farmers and ranchers that I know are probably the most independent, resourceful people I've met and to think that they don't have the right to repair their equipment is absurd. So I absolutely would support or even carry legislation for the right to repair farm equipment. Right-to-repair shouldnt stop the farm, said Williams. There are several instances in which self-repairs arent allowed by manufacturers. This issue does not just affect farmers and it may cost farmers more than just the repair bill that John Deere charges for a technician to come out. It can cost them, like Mark said, time in farming and harvesting, Williams said. This issue also affects cellphone carriers. If you own an Apple device, more often than not, youre denied the ability to repair your own cell phone. Dishwashers, Maytag, they do the same thing. The right to repair bill encompasses everything. If you own your product, you should be able to fix your product. You should be able to do anything you want with your product. It is yours. You paid your money for it. You own it. Ronning said that the farmers in her family couldnt function without repairing their own equipment. I'm a big supporter of the right for farmers to be able to repair their own equipment. Both sides of my family are ag family. South Dakota, North Dakota, is where most of my family live on farms, Ronning said. I grew up with a grandfather that fixed his own equipment. My uncles fix their own equipment. My cousins fix their own equipment. I can't imagine anyone having to wait in line if, let's say, there's multiple farmers or ranchers that have equipment waiting to be fixed and it's harvest season. That just doesn't make sense to me. I absolutely support this, and support Sen. (Jon) Tester's work on what he's doing on this. There were several mentions by the candidates of need to work with both of Montanas U.S. senators. Ronning said none of the candidates participating in the debate at the campus of Montana State University Northern were familiar enough on federal farm policy to go it alone on agriculture in Congress. One of the greatest champions we have right now is Sen. Tester, watching him work in a bipartisan way. I would also give credit to Sen. (Steve) Daines in this also. So, for me, I would rely heavily on folks like yourselves, as well as Sen. Tester and Sen. Daines to walk through this, Ronning said. All three candidates expressed support for country-of-origin labeling, or COOL, for animal protein, a subject thats been in the news this week as Congress takes on antitrust concerns in cattle markets. Both of Montanas U.S. senators support labels on meat sold in grocery stores. The issue is controversial in the meatpacking industry because cattle from other countries are slaughtered in the same packing plants as domestic beef and currently get the same product of the USA label. COOL labeling is very vital for quality packaging. It's not just with meat packing. You take the same example for products out of the country. You buy a wrench in China, you have very low expectations of that wrench. You buy a wrench in America, you know that thing is going to last. You know thats going to get you a few years at least, Williams said. And it's the same with beef and pork. You should always know where your food is coming from, who it's been inspected by, where it's been packaged, not just everything prior and the very last bit was packaged in the United States. Ronning said it was important that the labeling is mandatory, a requirement thats divided liberal farm groups from conservative groups on the issue. This week, conservative ranchers testifying in congressional hearings said a labeling mandate is too much government involvement. I think it's just mandatory that Americans know what they're ingesting and where that product was grown and raised and harvested. It is mind boggling to me that we don't know that with our pork and beef. I just don't understand that, Ronning said. Labels would add value to domestic beef, she said. Sweeny pointed out that United States produce does have country of origin labeling now. COOL fell apart for beef after the trade groups aligned with the meatpacking industry teamed up with Canada to challenge the labels as a trade violation. Canada threatened tariffs on several United States goods if the labeling stuck. After those threats, Congress backed down on COOL. We look at an avocado and we know where that's from, or carrots and, it should be, especially in Montana, something that we take pride in, Sweeney said. So, not just country of origin labeling, but even take it a step further and we have the best beef in the world. So, Montana produced beef and I think that creates marketing opportunities. Not just in the United States, but all over the world. I think our farmers and ranchers and producers are very good at what they do and take a lot of pride in that. So yes, I would support COOL. A week ago in Miles City, three of the four Republicans running for U.S. House in Eastern Montana attended a debate, where they were asked the same questions. Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is convinced that the Lend-Lease program will help Ukraine and the whole free world to defeat the ideological successors of the Nazis who started the war against our state. I am grateful to the United States, President Biden and Congress for an analogue of the famous Lend-Lease program, which will be very helpful in the fight against Russia, against the Russian invaders. Which helped a lot in the fight against the Nazis during World War II. I am sure that now the Lend-Lease will help Ukraine and the whole free world beat the ideological successors of the Nazis, who started a war against us on our land, Zelensky said in his latest address. The President added that Lend-Lease and other programs in support of Ukraine are concrete proof that freedom is still able to defend itself against tyranny. As reported, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act on April 28. During World War II, the policy of lend-lease allowed the United States to supply military aid to its foreign allies quickly. ol UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has suggested that as "Victory Day" in Russia on May 9 approaches, Putin will try to increase "Russian cannon fodder" and call the war "a war against the Nazis." According to Ukrinform, Wallace stated this in an interview with LBC Radio. "I think he will try to move from his 'special operation'. He's been rolling the pitch, laying the ground for being able to say 'look, this is now a war against Nazis, and what I need is more people. I need more Russian cannon fodder'," Wallace said. According to him, he would not be surprised if Putin announced the mobilization of Russians for this war during that holiday. "I would not be surprised, and I don't have any information about this, that he is probably going to declare on this May Day that 'we are now at war with the world's Nazis and we need to mass mobilize the Russian people'," Wallace said. He slammed the "pathetic attempt" to cover up the fact his generals have "sent thousands of men to their deaths because of their incompetence and arrogance and his ego." He added that to mass mobilize the Russian reserves is an "admission of failure." According to Wallace, the Russians should not be allowed to dig-in Ukraine, although they will try to do so, as the experience of the last eight years shows. He claimed the Russians will "boast" they have captured the port city of Mariupol, which has seen some of the worst devastation since the war began. In the Luhansk region, Russian paratroopers stormed the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and only seven invaders managed to survive. The head of the regional military administration, Serhii Haidai, reported this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "Today the positions of our troops were stormed by paratroopers of the enemy army. They were 'hospitably' met by soldiers of the 24th Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo. Only seven occupiers managed to survive after the meeting, the others were liquidated," he wrote. He noted that Ukrainian defenders showed photos of personal belongings that were with the liquidated invaders. It is noteworthy that there are Orthodox icons and talismans with which they came to Ukraine to kill Ukrainians. According to Haidai, the invaders are trying to attack Ukrainian positions in the Sievierodonetsk and Popasna areas. They also want to completely capture Rubizhne and Popasna and are preparing for an attack on Sievierodonetsk. On February 24, Russia launched a new phase of its war against Ukraine - a full-scale invasion, Russian invaders have been shelling and bombing peaceful cities, towns and villages in Ukraine, torturing and killing civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Poland and its people for their unprecedented support. Zelensky said this in an interview with Polish media outlets, Ukrinform reports, citing the presidential press service. "I want to thank the people of Poland, because this is unprecedented support for Ukraine. Unprecedented support for the Ukrainian people from the Polish people," he said. According to him, Poland has sheltered 2.5 million Ukrainians who were forced to flee their homes, to escape the war, and is now doing everything possible to ensure that they do not feel like refugees. Zelensky also stressed that he is personally grateful to Polish President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata, who "showed a special attitude to Ukraine." He also noted the fact that against the backdrop of the war, Ukraine and Poland managed to unite and push back to the background the historical issues they had before. "Poland has a special relationship with Ukraine, and it seems to me that even the historical issues that the two countries have are insignificant compared to how united our countries have become since the beginning of this brazen war waged by Russia. Friendship, unity - we felt all this from Poland," Zelensky said. According to him, since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he has been in constant contact with his Polish counterpart - every day or several times a day. This helped quickly approve joint decisions that facilitated the resolution of the situation at the borders and helped Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war. There was an understanding of the need to make quick decisions "without excessive bureaucracy" on crossing the border, which would help in a difficult situation, Zelensky said. "We decided to open [the border] by phone. Poland met Ukrainians not just as its neighbors but as a family, without checking, because there was no time to check the documents of each child," Zelensky said. He expressed gratitude that "Poland forgot about the bureaucracy, just as Ukraine did, and we had such a special relationship in the first days." According to Zelensky, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has finally become clear who is a friend and who is an enemy. "And the understanding of who is historically our partner in the future has also emerged. We do not have two opinions. One opinion, one friend, one enemy - to unite and win the war. This is a completely understandable thing. When you do not waste time on unnecessary dialogues. You know for sure: there is an enemy, and here is a friend. And it's simple, because it's straightforward," he said. A large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has been going on since February 24. The aggressor has been shelling and destroying infrastructure facilities, residential areas of Ukrainian cities, towns and villages. Photo: Ukrainian President's Office The world is ready to help save the people of Mariupol from Russian bombing, but the Russian side rejects any proposals because it is "symbolic" for the enemy to destroy the city and its defenders - the Azov Regiment. An adviser to the Ukrainian President's Office head, Mykhailo Podoliak, said this in a statement posted on the website of the Servant of the People party. "The President and the head of the Presidents Office are continuously appealing to the world leaders to help us convince the Russian side of the need for a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol. Some political leaders turn to Putin through their personal channels, urging him to do this for humanistic reasons. However, unfortunately, there is no response from the Russian side," Podoliak said. According to him, the Russians show absolute unwillingness to talk and make at least some concessions in terms of the humanistic component. For them, it is symbolically to destroy Mariupol and the Azov. As reported, Russian troops have caused a major humanitarian catastrophe in Mariupol. The invaders are bombing unarmed residents and blocking humanitarian aid. There are about 1,000 civilians and Ukrainian servicemen at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, including about 500 wounded. Ukrainian authorities are demanding that the Russians provide an urgent humanitarian corridor from the besieged Azovstal steel plant. iy Russian invaders have abducted Viktor Pendalchuk, a school teacher and principal, in the city of Kakhovka, Kherson Region. The relevant statement was made by Kakhovka City Territorial Community on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Today, April 30, 2022, the Russian military have taken Kakhovka resident Viktor Pendalchuk (born in 1977), a school teacher and principal, away from his home, the report states. Currently, his location is unknown. A reminder that Russian invaders are threatening school administrations with torture chambers in Kherson Region, demanding that they give away their records and keys. In Kakhovka, one of Russian collaborators offers teachers dry provision units for their work. mk Almost 5.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian full-scale invasion began. The relevant data has been provided by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ukrinform reports. As of April 29, 5,468,629 people left the territory of Ukraine. Most of them - more than 3 million people - went to Poland. More than 817,000 people went to Romania, more than 656,000 to Russia, almost 520,000 to Hungary, more than 443,000 to Moldova, almost 372,000 to Slovakia, and more than 25,000 to Belarus. At the same time, 1,289,500 Ukrainians have returned home from abroad since February 28. According to the latest assessment by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), another 7.7 million Ukrainian citizens were internally displaced inside the country because of the war. On February 24, Russia launched a new phase of its eight-year war against Ukraine a full-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities, conducting massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles. iy Russian invaders wounded nine civilians, including four children, in Donetsk region on April 30 Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, wrote this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. "On April 30, Russians wounded 9 more civilians, including 4 children, in Donetsk region: 3 in Dobropillia and 1 in Drobysheve," he wrote. He noted that the death of one person injured in Luhansk region was registered in Bakhmut. In addition, it was possible to clarify the information about the three victims in Mariupol, but the exact number of victims in Mariupol and Volnovakha cannot be established yet. According to an infographic published by Kyrylenko, from February 24 to April 30 (as of 20:00), 286 civilians were killed and 890 more were injured in Donetsk region due to the Russian aggression. On February 24, Russia launched a new phase of its eight-year war against Ukraine a full-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities, conducting massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles. iy President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Ukraine has already become an integral part of united Europe. "I spoke today with French President Emmanuel Macron about various directions of cooperation between Ukraine and France, first of all, about defense and about the cooperation on Ukraine's path towards the European Union. We are moving towards the political formalization of what already exists de facto: Ukraine has become an integral part of united Europe," Zelensky said in his video address, Ukrinform reports. The President also said that he spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson about defense support for Ukraine and other necessary efforts to end the war. Zelensky informed him about the current situation in the areas of combat actions - about the situation in the east, in Mariupol, in the south of Ukraine. The Head of State also said that he held talks with Swiss President Ignazio Cassis. "I thanked for the humanitarian support for Ukraine and Ukrainians. We discussed the mediating role of Switzerland to help Ukrainians that entered the territory of Russia. We also discussed preparations for the conference on postwar reconstruction of our state. We are doing everything to return normal life to the de-occupied part of our Ukraine," Zelensky said. On February 24, Russia launched a new phase of its eight-year war against Ukraine a full-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities, conducting massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles. iy Thursday, May 5, is the 71st annual National Day of Prayer. Congress passed a law in 1952 setting aside one day each year. In 1988 a law was signed by the president to make the first Thursday in May the National Day of Prayer. Even before 1952, many presidents, including George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, called for a day of prayer. The National Day of Prayer Task Force is the Christian expression of this national observance. According to the Bible, prayer is the one thing that can bring healing to our land. It would be a great thing for our community and our country if peace prevailed. Many of us long for a decrease in crime, drug, poverty and suicides. It would sure be great to not have the divisions caused by politics and race. God promises to bring healing to our land if we will unite together and pray according to 2 Chronicles 7:14, If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (NKJV) In Billings, there are several opportunities for you to join in prayer. 9 to 10 a.m. A virtual prayer meeting led by high school and college students will be on Facebook Live at Montana National Day of Prayer from the Capitol Rotunda in Helena. Noon to 1 p.m. A prayer event will be held on the Yellowstone Courthouse lawn in downtown Billings led by pastors and Christian leaders 1 p.m. 5 p.m., the Billings House of Prayer will be open for prayer. 7 p.m. 8:30 p.m., there will be a gathering at Parkhill Church led by various pastors and Christian leaders. In addition, there is a national broadcast prayer at 6 p.m. There are many other opportunities throughout Montana and all other states at www.NationalDayofPrayer.org. If there are further questions, email Scott.Darling@NationalDayofPrayer.org. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Ukraine will receive EUR 495 million more in grant funding from the World Banks Trust Fund. The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian Finance Ministry, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko and World Bank Regional Director for Eastern Europe (Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine) Arup Banerji signed amendments to the Grant Agreement to be awarded to Ukraine from the World Bank Trust Fund under the Second Economic Recovery Development Policy Loan, the report states. Under this additional agreement, Ukraine will receive extra grant funds (as part of one grant) from Norway, Austria and the United States in the amount of EUR 495 million. According to the ministry, these funds will be directed to the general fund of the State Budget of Ukraine to ensure priority social and humanitarian expenditures, healthcare expenditures, and support for internally displaced persons. A reminder that contributions to the World Banks Trust Fund have already been made by such countries as Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Norway, Austria and the United States. mk Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have discussed defense cooperation and interaction on the path to Ukraine's European integration, as well as the treatment of Ukrainian defenders and assistance from the French side in investigating Russian war crimes. The Ukrainian leader reported this on Twitter, according to Ukrinform. "Continued dialogue with French President Emmanuel Macron. Discussed defense cooperation, interaction on Ukraine's path to EU membership. Grateful for French humanitarian aid, readiness to treat Ukrainian defenders, decision to continue the work of a French mission to assist in the investigation of RF's crimes," Zelensky said. The second round of the presidential election in France was held on April 10. Macron was re-elected President of France, garnering 58.55% of the vote. French President Emmanuel Macron has assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Paris would continue to provide military and humanitarian aid to Kyiv. The relevant statement was made by French President Emmanuel Macron on Twitter, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. In a phone call with President Zelensky, I expressed my desire to continue working to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Our support with military equipment will continue, as well as our humanitarian aid more than 615 tonnes of equipment has already been delivered, Macron wrote. According to Le Parisien, referring to the Elysee Palace, France has already delivered more than 615 tonnes of equipment to Ukraine, including medical equipment, power generators for hospitals, food supplies, ambulance cars, etc. mk Lifting international sanctions against the Russian Federation is not part of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. The relevant statement was made by Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak in a commentary to the mass media, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Definitely, the issue of global international sanctions against Russia is not part of talks at all. The reasons for the international community to introduce them have not yet been eliminated, namely the occupation of some parts of Ukraines territory and the treacherous violation of Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty. And, of course, sanctions cannot be discussed with Ukraine without the involvement of all other countries, as they had been introduced by the entire civilized world in response to Russias absolutely barbaric behavior, Podoliak told. In his words, it is up to international partners, together with Ukraine, to decide when and what decisions on sanctions to make. Podoliak also stressed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had never been present at the negotiating table, either personally or online. Therefore, his tendency to comment on something he has not participated in or some process he has not seen from inside is somewhat surprising, Podoliak added. According to Podoliak, the Russian army has already discussed such issues as denazification and the Russian language with Ukrainians in Bucha, Hostomel, Kharkiv, Volnovakha and Mariupol. The relevant conclusions will forever stay in the history, inscribed with the blood of innocent Ukrainian civilians, Podoliak said. Hence, I once again urge the representatives of the Russian Federation to refrain from commentaries, which are misleading and do not meet the real course of the negotiation process, Podoliak stressed. A reminder that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated earlier that lifting sanctions against the Russian Federation was part of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. mk Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson have discussed the situation on the battlefield and in the besieged city of Mariupol. The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Twitter, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. I keep in touch with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Spoke about the situation on the battlefield and in the blocked Mariupol. Discussed defensive support for Ukraine and the necessary diplomatic efforts to achieve peace, Zelensky wrote. A reminder that, on February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, starting a war. Russian troops are shelling and destroying the key infrastructure facilities, launching air and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities and villages, torturing and murdering civilians. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine mk Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has met with Spokesperson, Deputy Secretary General of the Presidential Administration, Chief Adviser to the President of the Republic of Turkey Ibrahim Kaln to discuss the development of effective security guarantees to Ukraine. The relevant statement was made by the Office of the President of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. In the course of the meeting, Yermak told his Turkish counterpart about the situation on the frontline and the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to the aggressor state. Yermak also informed Kaln of the extremely challenging situation in the city of Mariupol. According to the Office of the President of Ukraine, the parties discussed a wide range of issues. Special attention was paid to building a system of effective international security guarantees for our country. Ukraine is interested in Turkey being one of its parties, the Office of the President of Ukraine noted. A reminder that, in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 26, 2022, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed the importance of ceasefire, effective humanitarian corridors and safe evacuation of civilians, and offered to host a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders in Istanbul. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine mk The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has received more than 80 tonnes of humanitarian aid this week, according to the ministrys press service. "Humanitarian aid from organizations supporting the healthcare system during the war continues to arrive at the Ministry of Health," the ministry said, Ukrinform reports. According to the ministry, this week alone, various donor organizations and charities supplied 48 tonnes of analgesic drugs; 2.5 tonnes of cardiac medications; 20 tonnes of analgesics and antipyretics; 12 tonnes of medical devices and dressing materials; 500 kg of disinfectants; 20,000 adrenaline auto-injector pens; 2,351 tactical first aid kits; 150 bulletproof vests; 10,000 tourniquets; 100,000 medical masks. As reported, the governments of Ukraine and Japan signed an agreement providing a grant worth 300 million yens or 2.61 million U.S. dollars for the purchase of special equipment for Ukrainian hospitals. iy The campaign to keep recreational cannabis in Yellowstone County continued Saturday on the county courthouse lawn. Better for Montana, a ballot issue committee launched earlier this year, hosted speakers who urged those attending to vote against removing recreational cannabis. County commissioners have described the June vote as Yellowstone Countys definitive answer to the question of recreational pot. There are commissioners and there are local officials trying to take away what weve already voted forIts an uphill battle being that were in an off year mid-term primary, and whether that was by design or not, I think that its important that we get as many voters active and back to the polls as we can in June, said Zach Schopp, president of Better for Montana. Cannabis sales, both recreational and medical, in Montana have brought in an average of $24.3 million a month through March, according to data from the Montana Department of Revenue. That revenue is ahead of projections made by the state budget office, the Montana State New Bureau reported. The roughly $73 million in cannabis sales, according to the DoR, have amounted to an estimate $9.9 million in taxes paid. Voters in Yellowstone County, which has consistently led the state in cannabis on a monthly basis, are set to decide in June whether to keep county dispensaries open to all adults. In November 2021, Billings residents opted to not have any recreational storefronts within the city. However, they also approved a 3% recreational marijuana sales tax on recreational marijuana. The lack of uniformity among Yellowstone County residents regarding marijuana, as seen in the November vote in which the margin for and against recreational cannabis came down to 50.7% to 49.3%, prompted county commissioners to again ask voters whether recreational pot should continue here. The issue will appear on primary election ballots June 7. Montana Initiative 190, which legalized the possession and use of cannabis for anyone in Montana age 21 and older, passed statewide 56% to 43%. I ask, Why is this an issue that were yet again voting for? said Shopp to the crow on Saturday. Shopp is also the president and CEO of Seed of Life Labs, a dispensary in Yellowstone County. During a cannabis festival held east of Downtown Billings on April 20, venders offered joints and edibles, while also registering customers to vote. Better for Montana provides information on how to register to vote on its website, and has also started producing yard signs in the past month touting the tax revenue that would be lost should voters reject recreational cannabis. Although fewer people gathered on the courthouse lawn Saturday than attended the cannabis festival, the speakers included former and current Montana House representatives. Jessica Karjala, who has represented District 48 for the past seven years, said more Montanans voted to approve recreational marijuana than any of the winners from the U.S. Senate, U.S. House or gubernatorial races in Montana in 2020. The future of Montana was clearly rooted in the recreational marijuana industry, she said, in terms of both taxes and employment opportunities. Love 19 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 6 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wamsley joins CHI St. Alexius Health Kathy Wamsley has joined CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck Foundation. She previously served as the team lead for marketing and the meat department at Sams Club. Wamsley brings more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, management, and fundraising and earned her bachelors degree in management from Dickinson State University. Baesler, Miller receive honors Kirsten Baesler and Scott Miller have been recognized with the Adrian R. Dunn Friend of Education award and honored as Friend of Public Employees by North Dakota United. Baesler is North Dakota's superintendent of public instruction and Miller is the executive director of the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System. Advisers qualify Joel Bird, David Schlafman and Jason Kirchmeier, private wealth advisers with Legacy Financial Partners in Bismarck, have been named to the 2022 Chairmans Advisory Council. Submit businesspeople and business digest items to businessbeat@bismarcktribune.com. Deadline for submissions is noon Tuesday. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Clare Daly (The Left). Mr President, I wholeheartedly welcome the EUs unprecedented provision of immediate protection for Ukrainian refugees fleeing this devastating war. This rightfully respects our mandate to protect the fundamental rights of those entering our territories and its heartening to see the outpouring of support and solidarity from every point of the EU. But how do we explain that solidarity with, for example, in Poland, less than three months ago, the fact that 19 people perished from cold on our borders, met with barbed wire and water cannon? How do we explain that solidarity with the fact that there are Afghan refugees in Greek jails charged with people smuggling, or there are people beaten back from the borders of Croatia in appalling circumstances, sodomised and robbed? How can this be the same European Union? Its because our society, our media and our politicians portray some refugees as more human than others, based on their origin and their race. We have to ensure a consistent, non-discriminatory application of international asylum law. Everybody has the right to the highest international standards. I hope this is a turning point. On Tuesday afternoon, plenary debated with Council and Commission representatives the deteriorating situation for refugees as a consequence of the Russian invasion. According to the UNHCR, more than one million persons have left the country since 24 February, most of them heading to neighbouring countries. The European Commission proposed on Wednesday to activate the Temporary Protection Directive, to ensure that Ukrainians get protection in the EU, including temporary residence rights and access to education and the labour market. #WAR #Sanctions #Russia #Ukraine #PutinsWar #refugees In a separate debate on Wednesday morning, in which Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will participate, MEPs will look into the EUs role in a changing world and Europes security situation in the wake of the Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine. President Metsola and Prime Minister Kallas will give a press conference after the debate. These exchanges follow the extraordinary plenary session held on Tuesday 1 March, with the remote participation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Ruslan Stefanchuk. Parliament adopted a resolution calling for tougher sanctions against Russia and new efforts to grant Ukraine EU candidate status. Russian aggression in Ukraine: MEPs praise exceptional solidarity with refugees. As more than two million refugees flee war in Ukraine, mostly towards the EU, member states will have to continue showing solidarity, MEPs said on Tuesday. In a plenary debate with Brigitte Klinkert, French Minister Delegate for Economic Inclusion, on behalf of the Council, and Commissioner Ylva Johansson, MEPs highlighted the dramatic humanitarian and refugee situation caused by the Russian attack on Ukraine. They praised frontline states for their extraordinary engagement so far, but warned that sustained solidarity across the EU will be necessary in the long-term. Speakers unanimously condemned Russias aggression against Ukraine. Commissioner Ylva Johansson stressed the extraordinary pressure on member states sharing borders with Ukraine: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania, as well as Republic of Moldova. The EU rose to the challenge when the Council unanimously activated the temporary protection mechanism, providing solidarity across the EU, by supporting the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the Red Cross working on the ground, and via the activation of 500 million in humanitarian aid. MEPs also welcomed the EUs swift response, ensuring protection to those fleeing from Ukraine, and called for sufficient financial aid to maintain support in the medium- and long-term. Some speakers wished to see concrete progress on the reform of the EUs migration and asylum rules, with others stressing that all refugees, regardless of their ethnicity, need the same protection. Europe stands united, with you. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola addressed the Plenary on the Occasion of the International Women's Day. Welcoming Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko, President Metsola said that the European Parliament will serve as a platform for the strength of Ukrainian brave women to be shown to the world. Opening the Plenary Session in Strasbourg, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola called on the Russian authorities to free those unjustly jailed. Freedom of expression is a right which we will protect and defend. President Metsola also called on Kremlin to stop intimidating protestors and release immediately all those detained. # Federal Minister for Commerce and Investment Syed Naveed Qamar Saturday directed the officials concerned to thoroughly review the European Union's GSP scheme and other bilateral trade agreements with different countries to safeguard the interests of Pakistani business community KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Apr, 2022 ) :Federal Minister for Commerce and Investment Syed Naveed Qamar Saturday directed the officials concerned to thoroughly review the European Union's GSP scheme and other bilateral trade agreements with different countries to safeguard the interests of Pakistani business community. He issued the directives while presiding over a meeting here at the Trading Corporation of Pakistan that was attended by Federal Secretary Commerce Muhammad Sauleh Ahmed Faruqui and Additional Secretary Dr Ahmed Mujtaba Memon, besides Pakistan's trade representative in Brussels and other ministry officials. The minister was briefed about the status of EU's GSP status for Pakistan and working of National Compliance Centre and Treaty Implementation Cell. The meeting was informed that the European Union was mulling over the new GSP Scheme 2024-34 with certain amendments including technical assistance and development support, complaint mechanism, withdrawal of some preferences, advisory body having representation of civil society and other stakeholders, and further tariff concessions for sustainable products. The minister was also apprised of progress on the issue of Basmati rice GI tagging and efforts of the ministry and its attached departments. It was informed that the case was under consideration in the European Commission which was working closely with lawyers of both the countries i.e. Pakistan and India to develop a single document in that regard. The minister was also apprised about negotiations on preferential trade agreement with Turkey. Residents in Beijing will be required to have a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours to enter public spaces from Saturday, the municipal government said Friday BEIJING, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Apr, 2022 ) :Residents in Beijing will be required to have a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours to enter public spaces from Saturday, the municipal government said Friday. A negative test result will be required to enter public venues during the upcoming five-day Labor Day holiday, and students and employees should produce their test results before they go back to work or school after the holiday, according to a press conference on local epidemic prevention and control work. Beijing reported 31 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and three asymptomatic cases between 3 p. m. Thursday and 3 p.m. Friday, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy head of the Beijing municipal disease prevention and control center. A total of 228 local infections have been logged in Beijing since April 22. On Friday, two communities in Beijing were classified as high-risk and medium-risk areas for COVID-19, respectively. The latest classifications have brought the total number of high-risk areas in Beijing to six and medium-risk areas to 19. (@FahadShabbir) Tripoli, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Apr, 2022 ) :Libya is losing tens of millions of Dollars a day from the shutdown of its oil facilities, while global prices are at their highest in years, the country's oil minister told AFP. Oil is the lifeblood of the North African country trying to move past a decade of conflict since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising. But since mid-April Libya's two major export terminals and several oil fields have been held hostage to the country's latest political schism. "Production has fallen by about 600,000 barrels a day," half of the prior level, Minister of Oil and Gas Mohammed Aoun said in an interview with AFP at his office in Tripoli. "Calculating the sale price at $100 a barrel, losses are at least $60 million daily," he said. Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, triggering Western sanctions, global crude prices have reached levels unseen since 2014. On Friday the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude traded above $106 per barrel. The price of Brent crude exceeded $109 a barrel. The Libyan closures follow the selection in February of a new prime minister, Fathi Bashagha, by Libya's eastern-based parliament in a direct challenge to Tripoli-based interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Apr, 2022 ) :In order to express solidarity with the people and the Government of China, President Dr Arif Alvi Saturday visited the Embassy of China and offered his heartfelt condolences over the loss of precious lives of Chinese nationals in terrorist attack that took place in Karachi on April 26 April. Talking to the Charge d' Affaires, Pang Chunxue and officers of the Chinese Embassy, the President said that the entire Pakistani nation was in deep pain and shock over the unfortunate incident and shared the grief of Chinese brothers and sisters, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release. The President reiterated the resolve that Pakistan would leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and bring to justice the elements involved in this heinous incident. Condemning the incident, the President said that some hostile countries were behind it which wanted to harm Pak-China friendship and China Pakistan Economic Corridor project but they would not succeed in their designs as both countries enjoyed deep friendship and were strongly committed to further strengthen the all-weather friendship. He asked the Charge d' Affaires to convey his heartfelt condolences to the Chinese people, Communist Party and President Xi Jinping. The Charge d' Affaires thanked the President for visiting the Embassy and expressing solidarity with the people and the Government of China. She said that both countries had shared future and had a long history of friendship and close cooperation. She condemned the attack and hoped that the culprits behind this incident would be apprehended and punished. Later, the President wrote remarks in the visitor's book of the Embassy. Talking to media, the President said that friendship between the two countries was enshrined in the brotherly relations of the citizens of Pakistan and China. He opined that losing the three Chinese brothers in Karachi attack was like losing some relatives in Pakistan. The President stressed upon the need to destroy the nefarious terrorist designs that wanted to discourage China from helping Pakistan and expansion of Belt Road Initiative (BRI). Pakistan had been very successful to defeat such designs but Karachi terrorist attack took place which was very painful, he said and assured that the culprits involved in attack would be brought to justice, besides, improving safety of the Chinese nationals. (@ChaudhryMAli88) With extreme heat gripping large parts of India and Pakistan, the two countries are working to roll out life-saving health action plans to combat the heatwave, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a Geneva-based UN agency, said Friday UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2022 ) :With extreme heat gripping large parts of India and Pakistan, the two countries are working to roll out life-saving health action plans to combat the heatwave, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a Geneva-based UN agency, said Friday. The extreme heat is impacting hundreds of millions of people in one of the most densely populated parts of the world, threatening to damage whole ecosystems, WMO said. According to the agency, Pakistan's Meteorological Department has warned that in the mountainous regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkwa, the unusual heat levels would accelerate snow and ice melt, with the possibility of triggering glacial lake floods - or flash floods in vulnerable areas. Higher temperatures have also been seen across Pakistan, with daytime temperatures likely to be between 5C and 8C above normal in large swathes of the country, the department said. Air quality has also deteriorated, and large swathes of land are at risk of fire outbreaks, it added. Working closely with health and disaster management agencies, the national meteorological and hydrological departments in both countries, plan to roll out heat health action plans, which have been successful in saving lives in the past few years, the weather agency said in a statement. Extreme heat has multiple and cascading impacts not just on human health, but also on ecosystems, agriculture, water and energy supplies and key sectors of the economy. WMO reiterated its commitment to "ensuring that multi-hazard early warning services reach the most vulnerable". The agency noted that both Pakistan and India have successful heat-health early warning systems and action plans already in place, including those specially tailored for urban areas. They reduce heat mortality and lessen the social impacts of extreme heat, including lost work productivity. Important lessons have been learned from the past and these are now being shared among all partners of the WMO co-sponsored Global Heat Health Information Network, to enhance capacity in the hard-hit region, WMO advanced. The India Meteorological Department said that maximum temperatures reached 43-46C in widespread areas, on 28 April, and that this intense heat will continue until 2 May. According to WMO, "it is premature to attribute the extreme heat in India and Pakistan solely to climate change", however, the agency continues "it is consistent with what we expect in a changing climate". Furthermore, heatwaves are more frequent and more intense and starting earlier than in the past. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in its recent Sixth Assessment Report, also said that heatwaves and humid heat stress would be more intense and frequent in South Asia this century. The current heatwave was triggered by a high-pressure system and follows an extended period of above average temperatures. India recorded its warmest March on record, with an average maximum temperature of 33.1 C, or 1.86 C above the long-term average. Pakistan also recorded its warmest March for at least the past 60 years, with a number of stations breaking March records. In the pre-monsoon period, both India and Pakistan regularly experience excessively high temperatures, especially during May. India has established a national framework for heat action plans through the National Disaster Management Authority which coordinates a network of state disaster response agencies and city leaders, to prepare for soaring temperatures and ensure that everyone is aware of heatwave protocols. The city of Ahmedabad in India was the first South Asian city to develop and implement a city-wide heat health adaptation, in 2013, after experiencing a devastating heatwave in 2010. This successful approach has then been expanded to 23 heatwave-prone states and serves to protect more than 130 cities and districts. Pakistan has also made strides towards protecting public health from heat, the UN agency said. In the summer of 2015, a heatwave engulfed much of central and northwest India and eastern Pakistan and was directly or indirectly responsible for several thousand deaths. The event acted as a wake-up call and led to the development and implementation of the Heat Action Plan in Karachi and other parts of Pakistan. Typical plans make sure the targeted intervention is a right fit and designed for the heat vulnerable population of a city. It first identifies the heat hotspots of the city, locates the vulnerable populations in these pockets, and assesses the nature and status of their vulnerability to extreme heat. ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2022) The German ambassador was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Friday to express protest over what Ankara sees as an interference in internal affairs, after the Turkish head of mission in Berlin was summoned in relation to the the life imprisonment of human rights activist Osman Kavala, a diplomatic source told Sputnik. Osman Kavala is a prominent Turkish human rights activist, the founder of Istanbul-based nonprofit arts and culture organization Anadolu Kultur, and a supporter for ethnic and religious minority projects, including the reconciliation process between Turkey and Armenia, and the peaceful resolution of the Kurdish issue. In February 2020, Kavala was acquitted of all charges related to a coup d'etat attempt during the 2013 Gezi Park protests in Istanbul. On the same day, the Turkish prosecutor's office issued a warrant for Kavala's arrest accusing him of another attempted coup d'etat in July 2016. On Monday, Kavala was sentenced to life imprisonment. "After our ambassador in Berlin was summoned today (Friday) by the German Foreign Ministry regarding the Kavala case, German ambassador in Ankara Jurgen Schulz was summoned to the (Turkish) Foreign Ministry at 17:30 local time (14:30 GMT) by Deputy Foreign Minister and Director for EU Affairs Faruk Kaymakc. Ambassador Schulz was told that we condemn the summoning of our ambassador in Berlin to the Foreign Ministry on an internal case, which is contrary to diplomatic practice," the source told Sputnik. According to the source, the ambassador was also informed that the conviction by an independent Turkish judiciary cannot be challenged by any institution, authority or country since Turkey is a state ruled by law, aware of its Constitution and international obligations. The principle of non-interference in internal affairs enshrined in the Vienna Convention was also reminded to the ambassador. In October 2021, the embassies of Canada, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United States called on the Turkish government to release Kavala. The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned their ambassadors and urged them to comply with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later said that he had issued a decree declaring these ambassadors persona non grata. In late October, the US embassy said that it does not interfere in internal affairs of other countries, followed by relevant statements from other embassies, which resulted in Erdogan saying that the incident was over. On Monday, the US State Department said that Washington expresses the deepest concern about the life imprisonment of Kavala and is calling for his release. An online petition calling for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to stop supplying heavy weapons to Kiev has gathered more than 50,000 signatures on the change.org platform in a day BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2022) An online petition calling for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to stop supplying heavy weapons to Kiev has gathered more than 50,000 signatures on the change.org platform in a day. "We welcome that you have so carefully considered the risks so far: the risk of war spreading within Ukraine; the risk of expansion across Europe; yes, the risk of World War III. Therefore, we hope that you will remember your initial position and will no longer supply heavy weapons to Ukraine either directly or indirectly," the petition reads. The signatories have called on Scholz to do everything to achieve a ceasefire in the nearest possible time. Last week, Scholz said that the German military can no longer supply arms to Ukraine as the country's weapons stockpiles are practically exhausted. The German authorities were working with the country's arms makers to ensure further deliveries, he added. Berlin approved arms deliveries to Ukraine at the end of February. Germany has since provided Kiev with about 2,500 anti-aircraft missiles, 900 anti-tank missile launchers and 3,000 rockets, 100 machine guns, 15 anti-structure rocket launchers and 50 rockets, about 100,000 hand grenades, 2,000 mines, 5,300 units of explosives, and 16 million rounds of various calibers. Germany is yet to supply Kiev with heavy weaponry such as tanks, artillery, and other armored vehicles. The German government also authorized deliveries of outdated German arms from the Netherlands and Estonia. (@FahadShabbir) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2022) Russia does not threaten anyone with a nuclear war, Western countries are starting to talk about it, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. "I was asked about whether a nuclear war was possible, whether the risks of starting a nuclear war had increased, and whether Russia assumed that this could happen. I replied that from the very beginning of our cooperation with the administration of (former US President Donald) Trump, we offered them reaffirm the Reagan-Gorbachev thesis of 1997 that there could be no winners in a nuclear war and therefore it should never be unleashed," Lavrov said in an interview with Al-Arabiya broadcaster. He noted that it was Russia that had initiated multiple times the adoption of statements on behalf of all nuclear countries confirming commitments related to nuclear weapons. And although the Trump administration refused to accept such a statement, it was adopted following the first meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden in Geneva. "It's not Russia playing with the words 'nuclear war,' You remember (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy saying in January that Ukraine made a mistake when it renounced its nuclear status. And then he said that Ukraine should think about acquiring nuclear weapons. Recently, the Polish prime minister said that Warsaw would welcome the deployment of US nuclear weapons on its territory and their redeployment from Germany to Poland. We never play with such dangerous concepts. Never. We must all be committed to the statements of the 'nuclear five.' 'A nuclear war can never be unleashed.' But Western countries in this case should rein in officials from Ukraine and Poland, who see no danger in playing with such words," Lavrov added. Earlier, the minister said that the risk of nuclear war was real, and this danger should not be underestimated, but there were many who were ready to artificially inflate this threat. (@ChaudhryMAli88) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is currently in Europe trying to end the war in Ukraine, will begin a Ramazan solidarity visit to three African countries -- Senegal, Niger and Nigeria -- on Saturday, UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Aziz Haq announced Friday UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2022 ) :United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is currently in Europe trying to end the war in Ukraine, will begin a Ramazan solidarity visit to three African countries -- Senegal, Niger and Nigeria -- on Saturday, UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Aziz Haq announced Friday. During his African tour, the UN chief will also highlight the impact of the Ukraine war on the African continent, Farhan Haq said. The Secretary-General will meet and share an Iftar dinner with President Macky Sall of Senegal, who assumed the Presidency of the African Union earlier this year. He will go to Niamey on Monday to take part in Eid celebrations with President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger, and on Tuesday he is scheduled to meet President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria in Lagos. In the three countries, the spokesman said, the Secretary-General will have meetings with senior government officials as well as civil society representatives, including women, youth groups and religious leaders. He will meet families deeply affected by violence and instability in the Sahel, including people internally displaced and refugees. Guterres will also see first-hand the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and will assess progress and challenges to the COVID-19 recovery. The Secretary-General began annual Ramazan solidarity visits when he was High Commissioner for Refugees, but the tradition was interrupted by the pandemic. This year, he will also use the visit to express his solidarity with victims of terrorism in the region. Meanwhile, at UN Headquarters in New York, the UN General Assembly President, Abdulla Shah, who hails from Maldives, led the Jummatul-wida prayers in the UN building' Qatar Lounge. In his 'khutba', President Shahid stressed the importance of mercy and compassion towards one another, as well as about thinking of the "consequences of our actions, respecting each other, and our common humanity." Ireland's Secret War is a thrilling account of the true extent of Irish-Allied co-operation during World War II. It reveals strategic Nazi intentions for Ireland and the real role of leading government figures of the time, placing Dan Bryan and G2 firmly at the centre of Ireland's battle against Nazi Germany. With the help of over thirty-five hours of previously unpublished audio recordings that were held in storage in northern California for over fifty years, Marc McMenamin reveals the extraordinary unheard history of WWII in Ireland, told from the point of view of the main protagonists. Written with the verve and energy of a thriller, Ireland's Secret War reassesses the legacy of the Irish contribution to the Allied war effort through the voices of those involved at the time. (UroToday.com) The 2022 Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC) Hybrid Meeting included a session on the management of metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) and a presentation by Dr. Bertrand Tombal discussing de-escalation strategies in mHSPC. Dr. Tombal started his presentation by highlighting the current landscape of advanced prostate cancer as it stands in 2022: Dr. Tombal then illustrated two clinical cases of high-risk patients (PSA > 40 ng/mL, T3a, Gleason >=8) in order to highlight how heterogeneous staging is and how it affects treatment. Patient #1 had several right common iliac positive nodes, was staged as N1M0 and received radiotherapy to the prostate + 2 years + abiraterone. Patient #2 had several bone mets in the T-spine, was staged as N0M1b and subsequently received radiotherapy to the primary (+/- metastasis directed therapy) + ADT + ARTA until disease progression (which may be a long, long time). Thus two, very similar clinical pictures, but patient #1 having a finite treatment schedule, and patient #2 having perhaps prolonged (or even lifelong) therapy. According to the EMA, treatment optimization is a process intended to enhance the long-term efficacy, adherence, safety, convenience, and affordability of a therapy. Its ultimate goal is to expand access to effective treatment to all of those it will benefit. So, the question is: What is the optimal duration of ADT and/or ARTA to be administered to obtain a similar efficacy while improving health-related quality of life and reduce resource utilization? Can we use intermittent regimens in selected patients? ADT + ARTA, ADT + ARTA followed by ADT alone, ADT + ARTA followed by ARTA? Looking back at the historic intermittent versus continuous ADT in prostate cancer data, Dr. Tombal highlighted the 2013 study by Hussain et al. [1] that enrolled 3,040 patients with mHSPC, with good performance status (0-2), and PSA >= 5 ng/mL. Patients were subsequently treated with 7 months of goserelin + bicalutamide, and after 7 months of complete androgen blockade, 1,535 eligible men achieved a PSA <= 4.0 ng/mL. Among these men, 765 were then randomly assigned to continuous androgen deprivation and 770 assigned to intermittent androgen deprivation. Over a median follow-up of 9.8 years, the median survival was 5.8 years in the continuous-therapy group and 5.1 years in the intermittent-therapy group (HR for death with intermittent therapy, 1.10; 90% CI 0.99 to 1.23): A subsequent systematic review of 4 randomized trials found no difference between intermittent androgen blockade and continuous androgen blockade (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.93-1.11). Several studies have subsequently shown that intermittent ADT is associated with improved physical capacity and improved sexual function. When assessing the minimal duration of ADT and/or ARTA to be administered Dr. Tombal believes that we can use intermittent regimens in selected patients. Perhaps there are indications based on PSA response for which patients we may be able to assess for treatment de-escalation. Data from the SWOG 9346 (INT-0162) trial demonstrated that PSA after ADT is a strong independent predictor of survival in new metastatic prostate cancer [2]. As follows is the overall survival by PSA status at the end of ADT induction, notably with worse survival for PSA > 4.0 vs 0.2 < PSA <= 4.0 vs PSA <= 0.2: Additionally, seven-month PSA is prognostic in mHSPC treated with ADT with or without docetaxel as reported in a follow-up study from the CHAARTED data [3]: Furthermore, work presented at ASCO 2020 suggests that PSA kinetics among patients treated with apalutamide in the TITAN trial was associated with improved rPFS, specifically PSA50 response and 6 month depth of PSA response: But is PSA enough? Perhaps not. Going back to the aforementioned cases, Dr. Tombal notes that for patient #1, his PSA after radiotherapy to the prostate and lymph nodes + ADT was 0.1 ng/mL, however less than 1 year later his PSA was up to 7 ng/mL with diffuse metastatic disease. Dr. Tombal concluded his presentation of treatment de-escalation in mHSPC with the following take-home messages: There is clearly an opportunity to optimize/de-escalate intensified treatment in selected patients This requires a proper trial, as we should not break the equipoise simply because we believe or do not believe a concept These trials will be long and difficult (obtaining funding), but we should do them Presented By: Bertrand Tombal, MD, PhD, Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Brussels, Belgium Written By: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2022 Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC) Annual Hybrid Meeting, Lugano, Switzerland, Thurs, Apr 28 Sat, Apr 30, 2022. Hussain M, Tangen CM, Berry DL, et al. Intermittent versus continuous androgen deprivation in prostate cancer. N Engl J Med 2013;368:1314-1325. Hussain M, Tangen CM, Higano C, et al. Absolute Prostate-Specific Antigen value aftter androgen deprivation is a strong independent predictor of survival in new metastatic prostate cancer: Data from the Southwest Oncology Group Trial 9346 (INT-0162). J Clin Oncol. 2016 Aug 20;24(24):3984-3990. Harshman LC, Chen YH, Liu G, et al. Seven-Month Prostate-Specific Antigen is Prognostic in Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer Treated with Androgen Deprivation with or Without Docetaxel. J Clin Oncol. 2018 Feb 1;36(4):376-382. References: Pope Francis encourages pilgrims from Slovakia to cultivate the richness of diversity of Slovakian society and Church and its culture of hospitality, commending Slovakias solidarity with Ukrainian refugees By Lisa Zengarini Pope Francis on Saturday received in audience some 2,500 pilgrims from Slovakia visiting Rome to thank him for his Apostolic journey to the country from 12-15 September 2021. They were accompanied by Archbishop Stanislav Zvolensky of Bratislava, President of the Slovakian Bishops Conference. Participants included, amongst others, representatives of the Roma community and some refugees from Ukraine assisted by Church institutions in Slovakia. Attending the audience were also Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and some representatives of Slovakian authorities, including the President of Parliament and the President of the Constitutional Court. the Slovakian pilgrimage in the Paul VI Audience Hall The richness of diversity Addressing the pilgrims in the Paul VI Audience Hall, the Holy Father spurred them to continue to cultivate the richness of diversity of Slovakian society which can also be found in the local Church, with its different rites and traditions bringing together the Christian West and East. Walking the path of encounter When I came to see you, I wanted to encourage you to walk the path of encounter, all together: young people, families, the elderly, the different communities that have historically been part of your society, the Pope recalled, reminding that the culture of encounter is built on the search of harmony between diversity, a harmony that requires welcome, openness and creativity, he said. However, Pope Francis noted that "history and in concrete life this harmony is sometimes wounded by our sins and our limitations". "For this reason", he said, "during my visit, we also prayed for the healing of wounds". He therefore invited the Slovakian pilgrims to "never tire to invoke the Holy Spirit, who "is the Creator of harmony and the balm of wounds" Read also 13/09/2021 Pope encourages Slovakia to fraternity, hospitality, solidarity Pope Francis addressed government officials, diplomats and civil and religious leaders of Slovakia in the capital, Bratislava. He encouraged Slovaks to fraternity, hospitality and ... Working for peace through charity Pope Francis went on to proised Slovakian culture of hospitality and solidarity symbolized by the Slavic custom of offering bread and salt to visitors as a sign of welcome which, he noted, has proved itself again in the tragic context of the ongoig war in Ukraine. Indeed, as pointed out in his introductory remarks by Archbishop Zvolensky, many Slovakian families, parishes and institutions are offering shelter and support to Ukranian mothers and children forced to flee thir country after the Russian invasion. Looking at their eyes you are the witnesses of how war breaks family ties, deprives children of the presence of their fathers, of school, and leaves grandparents stranded, Pope Francis remarked . He therefore urged them to continue to pray and work for peace, which, he said, is built in our everyday life, even with these gestures of welcoming charity. Whoever welcomes a needy person performs not only an act of charity, but also of faith, because he recognizes Jesus in his brother and sister. The legacy of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Pope Francis further invited Slovakian Catholics to preserve and cultivate the legacy of the Saints Cyril and Methodius, the evangelizers of the Slavic nations, building bridges of fraternity together with all the European peoples who have been nourished by the same Christian roots, so that Europe can breath with both its lungs Western and Eastern as called for by Pope St. John Paul II. Concluding , the Holy Father thanked Slovakian Catholics for their fidelity to Christ, expressed through their living witness of faith, good ecumenical relations, charitable deeds, respect for human life and their responsible care for the environment. Music Time in Africa is VOAs longest running English language program. Since 1965, this award-winning program has featured pan African music that spans all genres and generations. Ethnomusicologist and Host Heather Maxwell keeps you up to date on whats happening in African music with exclusive interviews, cultural information, and of course, great music -- including rare recordings from the Leo Sarkisian Library of African Music. The Botswana Wildlife Producers Association, a group that focuses on the conservation and management of the country's wildlife, says placing electronic tracking collars on big tusk elephants could help prevent indiscriminate hunts. The idea follows the recent killing of a so-called big tusker during a sanctioned hunt, which sparked outrage among conservationists. The associations chief executive, Isaac Theophilus, said while his organization is satisfied that the hunt of bull elephants is being handled properly, tracking some big tusk elephants could help. An electronic elephant collar helps keep track of the animal so that unsanctioned hunts of these animals for their tusks can be prevented. The hunt from the point of view of the association is that it was perfectly legal, Theophilus said. We are happy with the size of the trophy that was harvested, and we are glad we still have such big tuskers. Going forward, the association would like to work hand-in-hand with [the] government to ensure that we monitor elephant populations out there. Go out there and collar a few of the so-called big tuskers and follow them to ensure that they are not harvested or anything like [that]. Theophilus contended the criticism of Botswanas decision to reintroduce hunting in 2019 is unjustified. The southern African country recently opened its annual hunting season, which ends in September. The issue might have attracted criticism from certain quarters that do not value Botswanas conservation efforts, he said. This particular hunt is a very good tusker. We should as a country be very appreciative that our conservation efforts are bearing fruit. We still have big elephants in the conservation areas, particularly in the concession areas and in the parks, where no hunting is done. Local professional hunter Randy Motsumi said hunters always target old bulls with big tusks, which is what their clients demand. Mostly the hunters are looking for big bulls, which are old and no longer breeding, Motsumi said. If natural death could have occurred, who would have benefited? No one would have benefited. The animal was going to rot in the bush. Now hunters have shot a bull and it has fed more than 700 people. There is money in the government coffers and the community got employed. All these people have gained from only one big elephant that is no longer breeding. Conservationist Map Ives said shooting big elephants is what drives the hunting industry. It is truly an impressive elephant, and the hunting of large tusks elephant is very much at the core of what the hunting industry is selling to its customer base in the United States in particular, Ives said. That is what the professional hunting industry is all about; is to find the biggest, largest animal because they have lists and books of records, and everybody wants to be in that book of records and publish a story about him." Among critics of the decision to gun down a big tusk elephant is British Conservative Party Member of Parliament Roger Gale. He argued that tourists pay for photographic safaris to see the big tuskers, and he is opposed to Botswana's decision to reintroduce trophy hunting. But Botswana government spokesperson William Sentshebeng says Gale seeks to undermine Botswanas pragmatic and sustainable conservation policy. While elephant populations are declining elsewhere on the continent, Botswana has seen its herd grow to more than 130,000, while the most it can support is estimated at 55,000. The Israeli military on Saturday said it has arrested a pair of Palestinian assailants who allegedly shot and killed a security guard at the entrance of a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The detention followed a search that was launched shortly after the attack late Friday. Israeli soldiers, special forces, and border police took part in the detention and seizure of weapons from the two suspects, who it said were seized in the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan. The fresh attack, combined with the death of a Palestinian man elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, could further fuel tensions that have soared over the past two months. A string of Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have left 15 Israelis dead, while at least 27 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces in recent weeks. The security guard was shot outside Ariel, a major settlement in the northern West Bank, late Friday night by a pair of assailants in a car, the army said. It said the guard stood in front of another guard who was with him, saving her life. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed condolences to the family of the security guard. In a statement after the arrest of the suspects, he said "no terrorist can evade us." In Gaza, the leader of the territory's Hamas rulers Yehiyeh Sinwar called for stepping up attacks against Israeli targets in the West Bank, saying the "real battle arena is there." In a speech, he saluted the attackers who killed the guard. Israeli forces on Saturday set up checkpoints and were conducting searches for the attackers in the area, the army said. It said it arrested two purported members of the Hamas militant group, but there was no immediate indication that the men were involved in the attack. Hamas praised the killing of the guard but stopped short of claiming responsibility for the shooting. In a separate incident, Israeli troops shot and killed a 27-year-old Palestinian man in Azoun village near the town of Qalqilya early Saturday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The army said it had opened fire after a group of suspects threw firebombs at the soldiers. Tensions have been heightened in recent weeks by Palestinian shooting attacks in Israeli cities, an Israeli military crackdown in the northern West Bank, where some of the attackers came from, and recurring confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli police around the most sensitive religious site in Jerusalem. The site contains the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, and increasing numbers of Palestinians go there to pray during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The hilltop compound is also the holiest site for Jews, who call it the Temple Mount because it was where the biblical Temples were situated. The site is a frequent flashpoint of tensions, and violence there last year helped spark an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza militants. Sinwar, the Hamas leader, said more visits by religious Jewish groups to the hilltop compound and ensuing clashes between Palestinians and police forces protecting the visitors could lead to a new round of cross-border violence in Gaza. "All the factions of resistance in the Gaza Strip must be prepared and be on alert," Sinwar said, suggesting that tension in Jerusalem will further heighten after the end of the Ramadan month, with more visits by Jews expected. In recent weeks, Israeli police and Palestinians have clashed there on several occasions, including Friday morning. Israeli authorities accuse Hamas of inciting violence and say security forces were forced to intervene to halt stone-throwing. The Palestinians say the presence of Israeli police at the site, and regular visits by increasing numbers of nationalist and religious Jews, are a violation of decades-old informal arrangements governing the site. The visits were halted last week for the last 10 days of Ramadan, which concludes this weekend. Forced to flee her home, 62-year-old Agathe fears never to see peace again as she recounts the violence she has faced in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. But the abuse Agathe has suffered in the territory of Masisi in North-Kivu province is not by rebels who have terrorized the area for more than a quarter of a century, but by soldiers. "I tried three times to go home, but the soldiers who took control of the village behaved like those in the forest," says Agathe, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, referring to rebels. "They force us to work for them, they steal half of our crops. They ask us to pay taxes to access our own fields and when we don't pay, they whip us." Agathe, like thousands of others displaced in Masisi, fled the fighting between DRC armed forces and rebel groups after the authorities declared a "state of siege" in the troubled region nearly a year ago. The stringent measure gave the army and police full powers to run the administration and wage war on the hundred or so armed groups. But in witness testimony and reports, civilians accuse soldiers of murder, rape, torture, looting, forced labor and collaborating with rebels. "We thought that the state of siege would put an end to harassment, but in fact, it's much worse," says a civil society figure, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons. "The extortion by soldiers is taking place in broad daylight and with complete impunity," the person says. 'Shot on the spot' A U.N. document seen by AFP tells of troops committing hundreds of abuses including "attacks on protected people and places ... abduction, recruitment and use of children," as well as sexual violence and torture. The abuses were documented in Masisi between May 6 last year and February 9, 2022, the U.N. Joint Human Right Office in DR Congo (UNJHRO) says. A religious leader blames commanders. "The people will never be safe here while soldiers' rations are stolen by their commanders," he charges. A health worker describes how soldiers from the 3410e regiment stormed into a health center in Loashi, 10 kilometers from central Masisi, in February looking for a rebel before they "shot him on the spot with three bullets." In another incident in December, soldiers from the same regiment raped 15 women held in underground cells after they were accused of witchcraft, according to a report by UNJHRO. The soldiers demanded $200 for the release of each woman and refused to let them access health care, it adds. The region's armed forces spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Ndjike, told AFP he was not aware of any accusations against the regiment. "If necessary, they will respond [to any claims] ... it's not a problem." Several sources said the 3410e regiment left Masisi earlier this month, which Ndjike did not deny. Sitting on a bench, a despondent Agathe remembers the happier times of her youth. "When I was a young girl, we could walk freely, there was no kidnapping, no shootings, no harassment," she says, describing a world she no longer believes will return. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced a humanitarian cease-fire five weeks ago, but it is already beginning to fray. In the northern region of Amhara, fighting had subsided. But, last week, it erupted again. VOA spoke to witnesses who got caught up in the fighting when militants from what some claim was the Fano militia group, others Oromo militia groups, on the border of the Oromia zone, in Amhara, allegedly opened fire on civilians close to the town of Shewa Robit. Wendowessen Mamo says he was 3 kilometers away when the conflict erupted. "Molale, the epicenter of the conflict, is almost burned to the ground like Ataye town was, where three such ethnic-based conflicts happened in the space of a year, he added. The hills of Amhara have been the scene of fighting between federal government forces, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and militia groups for months. Most people who spoke to VOA said they want to see peace now among them Demeku Ali Abdu, who says her son was taken and killed after TPLF troops occupied her house last year. When I confirmed my child's death, I felt so alone," she said, as she started to cry. "I felt bereft for my future. And also, I thought about his two children growing up without a father. I hate to live without him." Ahmed Mohammed Seid, part of a local militia who fought to push the TPLF out of his hometown, hopes the fighting will soon end for good. Seid said he hopes conflict will never return to his home. He believes that all parties involved in the conflict have learned lessons, and "I hope every person strives for the prevalence of peace." However, a spokesperson for the local government said the presence of the TPLF in Amhara has emboldened other militant groups. Jemal Hassen, Oromo special zone government spokesperson, said, "Both TPLF and Oromo separatists have a common goal or target. Their marriage seems to have become more concrete as they have common agendas of dismantling the state apparatus and retaking control of politics." The special zone is an enclave of ethnic Oromos surrounded by the Amhara region. In January, Abiy announced a national dialogue with the aim of bringing peace to the country. But the initiative has been criticized for failing to include many of the factions engaged in conflict, including the TPLF. Ethiopian analyst Kiram Tadesse said, There was optimism from all parties involved. Divergence has also started to emerge among these opposing parties, especially among those that are not included, and its credibility has been questioned. Given the renewed fighting in this area of Amhara, residents hopes for peace might not be realized. Chris Mei has been stuck in his Shanghai flat for a month save for PCR testing and occasional volunteer work delivering food to neighbors. That will change in a couple of days when he boards his flight for a long-scheduled trip home to Portland, Oregon. He uses Zoom to do factory inspections for his 2-year-old import-export firm, Shanghai Fanyi Industry, but he cant complete all the orders for clients overseas. Hes locked down like most of the 26 million people in the city, along with some of the factories where he normally sources goods, such as artificial plants and solar lights. In terms of hows business, its definitely affected us, Mei said. Clients abroad always have deadlines, especially for some of our products. He continued, For example, for a shipment that recently went out, we had a portion of the order canceled due to the fact that the factory, they were on lockdown as well, so we basically could only produce what they could, and then the remaining part of the order basically passed the clients deadline in South America. Leaving a city in lockdown has become an expensive, multistep process. Mei, a U.S. citizen, applied for permission to leave Shanghai by getting a pass from his neighborhood committee. He then found a driver with special permission to take him to the airport during lockdown for about six times the usual price of that ride. Shanghais residents have been ordered to stay home since early April in response to a spike in COVID-19 infections. Last week, authorities began easing restrictions in parts of the city to restore economic activity. Meis case is typical, analysts who follow China say. Large numbers of foreign businesspeople in China are planning on leaving the country, for now or for good. The lockdowns have hammered an economy already hobbled by the 4-year-old Sino-U.S. trade dispute, capital outflows and last years crackdown on tech giants. On March 18, Thats Shanghai, a local magazine, reported the results of an online survey saying 85% of foreigners in the city would rethink their future in China because of the lockdowns. The survey found that 48% of respondents plan to leave China over the next year and that 37% would wait in case anti-pandemic measures improve. Risk seems to be increasing Shipments through seaports in Shanghai and the Chinese tech hub Shenzhen, which locked down in March, have slowed because of a lack of workers and a shortage of truckers who are allowed to move imports and exports around the country. Larger businesses can afford to wait in case lockdowns ease and China resumes its robust economic growth, said Doug Barry, communications vice president with the U.S.-China Business Council, a 265-member advocacy group in Washington. Smaller companies are having more trouble because they depend on Chinas advanced contract manufacturing ecosystem and cannot easily relocate, Barry said. He said some businesses have closed temporarily because so many workers cant report to their jobs. Others have spent money to help feed workers and even let them stay overnight at workplaces so they can report to their jobs the next day. Overseas-based company leaders are staying away from their China projects because of quarantine rules, he said. Business in some cases has come to a complete stop, Barry said. The risk seems to be increasing, and the unknowns are also increasing and youre looking at bottom lines and the future of things, and youre wondering what to do. While foreign businesspeople are thinking of leaving, the significance of China to outside companies can be seen in the numbers. Foreign businesses invested $173.5 billion in China last year, up from $163 billion in 2020 and $140 billion a year earlier, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Developments latest report. Just more than 1 million foreign companies were registered in China at the end of 2020. Companies normally relocate in China for contract manufacturing which is seen as professional yet inexpensive or to sell cars, coffee, phones and fashion apparel to the massive consumer market. Incentives to stay Mei will be back in Shanghai after a couple of months at home. By then, he expects there will be a more solid response to COVID-19 with clarity about peoples mobility. Some people he knows have been called back to work in May, he said. William Frazier, a 58-year-old U.S.-born owner of a business advisory firm in Shanghai, has lived in the city continuously since 2002. He has no plans to leave the city even though hes been locked down since March 16. Frazier has a spacious flat in a high-end compound, making life tolerable as he works though emails, phone and video conferences. The economic chaos has caused more clients to call him for information. No real significant impact, I would say, not for me, Frazier said. I dont see hiccups. I see opportunities. Local officials in China want foreign investors to stay in the country, the U.S.-China Business Council has found. They are willing to meet and hear out American businesspeople, Barry said, though no government body has offered them any economic stimulus. Sticking around will keep companies competitive after China returns to normal, he said. If lockdowns in Shanghai end in May, more businesspeople are likely to stay in the city, said Yan Liang, professor and chair of economics at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Local and central government policymakers have the economic aftershocks of COVID-19 on their radar, she said. Its just so important to be able to have a foothold in a large market like this, Liang said. And I think some of the sentiments (are) also that even though there are some maybe temporary or maybe more permanent slowdowns, the Chinese economy is still a really bright spot when you compare with other countries in the world. That makes the lure of the largest market in the world worth waiting for, for businesses that can afford to hold out until cities open again. About 150 women, all clad in full black burqas and niqabs veils held a press conference at Dhakas National Press club last month demanding the end of the requirement for photos in Bangladeshs national identification card system. The March 21 event was organized by Mahila Anjuman, a Muslim womens organization. Advocates of the change see the requirement as a civil rights issue and an obstacle to obtaining public benefits. They demanded that the photos be replaced by the use of biometric information, such as fingerprints, on the grounds that under Islam, women should not show their faces in public. They say their commitment to this religious principle is preventing them from obtaining identification cards. According to Mahila Anjuman, tens of thousands of women are being denied the cards because they refuse to submit to photos. Officials at Bangladeshs Election Commission said they do not have data on how many such women there are. Religious Affairs Ministry Secretary Kazi Enamul Hasan told VOA that the government has every intention of making sure that all the countrys citizens get their identification cards. This is a very sensitive issue, as Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation and a huge part of our population is very pious and practicing. We will see how this issue can be resolved, he said. Two days after the press conference, a group of female students at Cumilla University, a public school, formed a human chain at their campus, demanding an end to the photo requirement for university admissions tests and saying they wanted biometric information to be used for student identification cards. Bangladeshs High Court issued a preliminary ruling at the beginning of March asking why the ID cards cannot be issued using biometric data in a case brought by Sumaiya Ahmed Muna, whose application for her national identification card without photos was denied. The respondents, who include various government officials, have not replied. The incidents have sparked a heated debate in the countrys social media between those claiming veiled women have the democratic and civil right to get national ID cards without providing photos and those saying the rules cannot be bent for one group, pointing to security and other issues. Logic behind the demand Mahila Anjuman spokesperson Sharmin Yeasmin, whose organization is sponsored by Rajarbagh Darbar Sharif, a conservative Islamic organization that practices Sufism, told VOA that they wanted the removal of the photos because they strictly follow Islam. Referring to different verses of the Quran, she said Islam does not recommend that women show their faces in public. There are hundreds of thousands of women in Bangladesh who wear full niqab and dont show their faces in public. So they dont take photos. As they dont take photos, they cant have their NIDs, she said. Yeasmin said biometric verification methods such as fingerprints are enough to identify someone. This sort of identification is not expensive now and is being widely used, along with photo identification. So we are demanding that it be the only method used, she said. When asked whether veiled women like her must take photos for passports to make the hajj, Yeasmin said most of the Bangladeshi veiled women involved here are not wealthy enough to make the hajj and it is not their immediate concern. You have to understand that our immediate concern is to get NIDs, not passports. Many of the women who wear niqabs cant even draw their husbands pension money as they dont have NIDs, she told VOA. Muna, who filed the written petition with the High Court, told VOA she had tried to obtain an ID card through regular channels before initiating a legal proceeding. I tried to resolve it with the Election Commission, which issues the NID, but as they couldnt do anything, I went to High Court, she said. Inconsistency and security issues Some experts on Islamic rulings said some interpretations allow Muslim women to take photos. Asif Shibgat Bhuiyan, a popular Bangladeshi blogger on Islamic jurisprudence, told VOA that he believes that the face itself does not need to be covered, so veils are not obligatory. However there are scholars who do deem it as mandatory. Obviously, those who are demanding the necessity of photo from NID are following the latter opinion and hence they won't look favorably at my opinion anyway, he said. But if they do conform to taking photos for passports and deem it permissible for necessity then they should logically apply the same ruling for NID. Any demand needs to be logically consistent to be taken seriously; otherwise, it hurts the very cause for which the demands are being made at the first place, Bhuiyan said. Shahadat Hossain, a former election commissioner who was in charge of the governments project to digitize national identification cards, said issuance of ID cards without photos would create security problems. It is not possible to check biometric variables like fingerprints at all security checkpoints, he said. When I was the project director of the NID project, we consulted with the Islamic preachers, as some of the women also raised the issue of photo identification at that time. Many of the preachers gave rulings that Islam allows women to take photos. I dont know why this issue is resurfaced again, he said. Saimum Parvez, a fellow at Vrije University of Brussels, who has researched political Islam in Bangladesh, termed the womens demand irrational, inconsistent with religious directives, and incompatible with Bangladeshs current governance system. We should keep in mind that this issue is more political than religious. The Bangladeshi Muslims are, in general, very pious, and religion has been a significant factor in their lives. This irrational demand in public, and the support behind the demand, is a relatively new phenomenon, he said. I think a combination of factors work simultaneously behind engendering this type of orthodoxy, including the present governments Islamist appeasement policy, a sense of victimization among the Islamists, a pervasive social Islamization, and a lack of trust in the existing governance system, Parvez said. The Awami League government, he said, referring to Bangladeshs current government, which portrayed itself as secular, befriended conservative Islamists and appeased them to gain the political legitimacy of their authoritarian regime. New demands to free Philippine opposition Senator Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, escalated after the governments star witness recanted his statements, saying the police pressured him to lie. De Lima has been languishing in jail for five years over what human rights groups believe to be fabricated charges meant to silence her after she launched an investigation into Dutertes war on drugs in 2016. She is seeking reelection from a custodial center of the Philippine police. In 2014, De Lima was the late President Benigno Aquino IIIs justice secretary when she led a crackdown that exposed the luxurious lifestyle of convicted drug lords in the countrys most-secure prison. But the narrative flipped when De Lima caught the ire of Duterte for investigating his war on drugs and his involvement in the extrajudicial killings in Davao City, his hometown. Before becoming president, Duterte served as mayor of Davao City for decades. Self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, who was arrested in Abu Dhabi in 2016, has alleged he paid De Lima drug money and contributed to her senatorial campaign in 2016. But five years later, Espinosa apologized to De Lima in a court document made public Thursday. He said he had no choice but to invent stories as he was coerced by the police. [A]ny and all of his statements given during the Senate hearings, or in the form of sworn written affidavits, against Senator Leila De Lima are not true. He has no dealings with Sen. De Lima and has not given her any money at any given time, a counter-affidavit signed by Espinosa read. Any statement he made against the Senator are [sic] false and was the result only of pressure, coercion, intimidation, and serious threats to his life and family members from the police who instructed him to implicate the Senator into the illegal drug trade, it added. De Lima said she has forgiven those who were used by the government to pin her down, and she urged others to follow Espinosas example. I am urging everyone who took part in the cruelty against me to follow suit and reveal all they know. The truth is coming out. Justice is getting close. My wish: To make those behind this accountable, she said in a dispatch Friday from her detention cell. Brazen injustice Her supporters said the recantation highlights the grave injustice suffered by De Lima under Duterte. They are drumming up calls from local and international rights organizations to release the jailed senator. Antonio La Vina, a constitutional law professor and legal adviser to De Lima, said the recent development was good for De Lima, as she could be released in a matter of time, but he was sad for the countrys justice system. We should learn a lesson from this. Don't use politics. Don't use the law. Don't weaponize the law for political reasons. Why is De Lima in prison, detained? Because President Duterte got mad at her for investigating the war against drugs, La Vina told VOA. He said De Lima could have done Duterte a favor if the Senate hearings on the war on drugs continued. Duterte faces a crimes against humanity complaint before the International Criminal Court for thousands of Filipinos killed in a crackdown that he allegedly sanctioned. Free De Lima Despite the recantation, which critics said proved Dutertes vindictiveness, his office maintains it wont affect the pending charges against De Lima. While Kerwin Espinosa appears to have recanted his allegations against Senator Leila de Lima, his recantation will not have any effect on the pending criminal cases against the lady senator, Martin Andanar, acting spokesperson for Duterte, said. De Lima is still facing two drug charges after she won one of the cases in February last year. Butch Olano, Philippine director of Amnesty International, said De Lima is a victim of political persecution. Following this retraction, the government must immediately and unconditionally release her and hold accountable those responsible for her unjust detention and the various human rights violations she has had to endure, Olano said in a statement. The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), a group of Southeast Asian lawmakers who advance human rights and democracy, has launched a social media campaign urging Philippine presidential candidates to immediately and unconditionally drop all the trumped-up charges against Senator De Lima. There cannot be any doubt of Senator De Limas innocence, as well as her commitment to democracy and human rights. Releasing her should be one of the first priorities of the next president if they want to restore a modicum of justice and rule of law in the government of the country, Charles Santiago, a member of APHR said. Candidates in the upcoming national elections are echoing calls to release De Lima. They include presidential candidate Ka Leody de Guzman, vice presidential candidate and Senator Francis Pangilinan, human rights lawyer and senatorial candidate Chel Diokno, and Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is seeking a reelection. Presidential candidate and Vice President Leni Robredo, who picked De Lima in her senatorial slate, has previously called for her release. Reelection Despite being incarcerated, De Lima has exercised her duties as a legislator. She has authored bills and resolutions from her detention cell in Manila, though she has been prevented from conducting live hearings. De Lima has consistently voiced opposition against Duterte through regular dispatches from her cell. In next months election, she is seeking reelection and has largely campaigned through pre-recorded video campaign messages played at Vice President Leni Robredos rallies, as a life-size printed standee is placed by her staff on stage. I think it will bolster her chances, seeing just in the last couple of days they've realized how bad, how terrible the injustice has been done, La Vina said, adding that De Lima is one of the best lawyers in the country. Opinion polls do not indicate De Lima will win reelection. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned again that the North could preemptively use its nuclear weapons if threatened, as he praised his top army officials for a massive military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, this week. Kim expressed "firm will" to continue developing his nuclear-armed military so that it could "preemptively and thoroughly contain and frustrate all dangerous attempts and threatening moves, including ever-escalating nuclear threats from hostile forces, if necessary," the North's official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday. KCNA said Kim called his military officials to praise their work during Monday's parade, where the North showcased the biggest weapons in its nuclear arsenal, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the U.S. homeland. The North also rolled out a variety of shorter-range solid-fuel missiles designed to be fired from land vehicles or submarines, which pose a growing threat to South Korea and Japan. KCNA didn't say when Kim's meeting with military brass took place. Army anniversary The parade marking the 90th anniversary of North Korea's army came as Kim revives nuclear brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of his country as a nuclear power and remove crippling economic sanctions. Speaking to thousands of troops and spectators mobilized for the parade, Kim vowed to develop his nuclear forces at the "fastest possible speed" and threatened to use them if provoked. He said his nuclear weapons would "never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent" in situations where the North faces external threats to its "fundamental interests." Kim's comments suggested he would continue a provocative run of weapons testing to dial up the pressure on Washington and Seoul. South Korea will inaugurate a new conservative government in May that could take a harder line on Pyongyang following the engagement polices of outgoing liberal President Moon Jae-in that produced few results. North Korea has conducted 13 rounds of weapons launches so far this year, including its first full-range test of an ICBM since 2017, while Kim exploits a favorable environment to push forward its weapons program as the U.N. Security Council remains divided and effectively paralyzed over Russia's war in Ukraine. May events There are also signs that North Korea is rebuilding tunnels at a nuclear testing ground that was last active in 2017. Some experts say the North may try to conduct a new test sometime between the inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol on May 10 and his planned summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on May 21 to maximize its political effect. U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter said the United States was aware of reports that North Korea could be preparing to conduct a nuclear test, which she said would be deeply destabilizing for the region and undermine the global non-proliferation regime, "We urge the DPRK to refrain from further destabilizing activity and instead engage in serious and sustained dialogue," she said, referring to North Korea by its formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim's recent remarks followed a fiery statement released by his powerful sister earlier this month in which she blasted South Korea's defense minister for touting preemptive strike capabilities against the North. Expanding arsenal While Kim's collection of ICBMs has grabbed much international attention, North Korea since 2019 has also been expanding its arsenal of short-range solid-fuel missiles threatening South Korea. The North describes some of those missiles as "tactical" weapons, which experts say communicates a threat to arm them with smaller battlefield nuclear bombs and proactively use them during conventional warfare to blunt the stronger conventional forces of South Korea and the United States. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in the South. North Korea may use its next nuclear test to claim that it has acquired the ability to build a small nuclear warhead to fit on those missiles or other weapons it recently tested, including a purported hypersonic missile and a long-range cruise missile, analysts say. Smaller warheads would also be necessary for the North's pursuit of a multi-warhead ICBM. "Solid-fueled missiles are easier to hide, move and launch quickly, making them less vulnerable to a preemptive strike," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seoul's Ewha Womans University. "Taken together with ambitions for tactical nuclear warheads, submarine-based launch capabilities, and more sophisticated ICBMs, Pyongyang is not simply looking to deter an attack. Its goals extend to outrunning South Korea in an arms race and coercing the United States to reduce sanctions enforcement and security cooperation with Seoul," Easley added. For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. Recap of April 30: FIGHTING * Ukraine is said to be holding its own in the face of relentless shelling in the East, South. * Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange with Russia on Saturday; seven soldiers and seven civilians to return home. HUMANITARIAN * France will step up military and humanitarian support to Ukraine. * Angelina Jolie made a surprise visit to Lviv, Ukraine. ECONOMY * Ukraines deputy agriculture minister accuses Russian forces of the outright robbery of "several hundred thousand tons" of grain in areas Russia has occupied. The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT: 9:35 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian army has destroyed more than 1,000 Russian tanks, nearly 200 Russian aircraft, and almost 2,500 armored fighting vehicles, CNN reported Saturday. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted the same information on Facebook. "Of course, the occupiers still have equipment in stock. Yes, they still have missiles to strike at our territory," he added. "But this war has already weakened Russia so much that they have to plan even fewer military equipment for the parade in Moscow." Russia plans to hold its traditional Victory Day parade in Red Square May 9, commemorating the German surrender to the Soviet Union in the Second World War. 9 p.m.: 8:15 p.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Saturday with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about U.S. diplomats returning to Ukraine as soon as this coming week, according to spokesperson Ned Price. 7:45 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian in his nightly video address to urge Russian soldiers not to fight in Ukraine, The Associated Press reports. He said Russia has been recruiting new troops with little motivation and little combat experience for the units that were gutted during the early weeks of the war. He said Russian commanders fully understand that thousands of them will die and thousands more will be wounded. The Russian commanders are lying to their soldiers when they tell them they can expect to be held seriously responsible for refusing to fight and then also dont tell them, for example, that the Russian army is preparing additional refrigerator trucks for storing the bodies, Zelenskyy said late Saturday. Every Russian soldier can still save his own life. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land, he said. 7:20 p.m.: The British Foreign Office said on Sunday that Russia is using a troll factory to spread disinformation about the war in Ukraine on social media and target politicians across a number of countries including Britain and South Africa, Reuters reports. Among their targets have been senior British ministers and other world leaders, Britain said, adding that traces of the operation had been detected across eight social media platforms including Telegram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok. Britain cited UK-funded expert research, which it did not publish. Russia says the Western media have provided an excessively partial narrative of the war that largely ignores Moscow's concerns about the enlargement of NATO. 6:25 p.m.: The Swedish Armed Forces said in a statement Saturday that a Russian AN-30 propeller plane entered Swedish airspace late Friday in the Baltic Sea near the island of Bornholm. The Swedish Air Force scrambled fighter jets, which photographed the Russian plane. Sweden and neighboring Finland are both considering NATO membership, and Moscow has warned that such a move would have consequences, without giving specifics. 5:30 p.m.: The runway at the Odesa airport that was destroyed by a Russian missile strike had taken 10 years to design and build and had formally opened last July, Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov said, Reuters reports. In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it would be rebuilt. "The Odesa airport runway was destroyed. We will, of course, rebuild it. But Odesa will never forget Russia's behavior towards it," he said. Odesa regional governor Maksym Marchenko said Russia had used a Bastion missile, launched from Crimea. "Thank God no one was hurt. Anti-sabotage measures are being carried out in the region," he said in a video posted online. 4:20 p.m.: Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the progress of the U.N. effort to evacuate people from Mariupol talk Saturday with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The United Nations has been attempting to broker an evacuation in the port city where some 100,000 civilians remain. Up to 1,000 civilians are living beneath a Soviet-era steel plant in Mariupol, according to Ukrainian officials. 3:45 p.m.: Ukraines national grid operator says it has restored a reliable power supply in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, around the site of the 1986 nuclear reactor disaster, The Associated Press reports. According to a post Saturday on Telegram, the state-owned Ukrenergo restored the last necessary 330 kV power transmission line and restored another 330 kV line in the northern Kyiv region, helping to stabilize the energy supply in the capital. It said the reconstruction of further transmission lines in and around Kyiv remains underway. 3 p.m.: Actress and U.N. humanitarian Angelina Jolie made a surprise visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Saturday, the Lviv regional governor said on Telegram. Jolie, who has been a UNHCR Special Envoy for Refugees since 2011, had come to speak with displaced people who have found refuge in Lviv, including children undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station in early April, Maksym Kozytskyy said. She was very moved by (the childrens) stories, Kozytskyy wrote. One girl was even able to privately tell Ms. Jolie about a dream shed had. 2:20 p.m.: Ukraine's military said on Saturday that Russian planes had continued to launch strikes on the besieged city of Mariupol, focusing on the Azovstal steelworks where troops and civilians are sheltering. In a Facebook post, the general staff of the armed forces also said the Ukrainian military had regained control over four settlements in the Kharkiv region. 2:10 p.m.: Ukraines Kyiv Independent newspaper on Saturday quoted the Danish publication OLFI, which reported that Denmark will send Ukraine 25 Piranha III armored personnel carriers, 50 M113 armored personnel carriers, and M10 mortars with thousands of shells for them. 2:00 p.m.: President Joe Biden expressed admiration for U.S. journalists ahead of the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner Saturday evening. Think about what the American press has done, the courage it has taken to stay in these war zones, the courage it's taken to report every single day," Biden said. "I cant tell you how much respect I have watching them in these zones where they're under fire, risking their lives to make sure the world hears the truth. 1:30 p.m.: Russias armed forces said they had hit 17 Ukrainian military facilities with high-precision missiles on Saturday and also destroyed a command post and a warehouse used to store rockets and artillery, Reuters reported. In an online post, the defense ministry also said air force strikes during the day killed more than 200 Ukrainian troops and destroyed 23 armored vehicles. The post made no mention of an attack on Odesa airport which the local governor said had been hit by a Russian missile, putting the runway out of action. 12:15 p.m.: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia is part of peace talks with Ukraine, but senior Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak denied that this was the case. "At present, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are actually discussing on a daily basis via video-conferencing a draft of a possible treaty," Lavrov said in comments to China's official Xinhua news agency published on the Russian foreign ministry's website on Saturday. "The talks' agenda ... includes, among other things, the issues of denazification, the recognition of new geopolitical realities, the lifting of sanctions, the status of the Russian language," Lavrov said, without elaborating. But Podolyak was dismissive, saying Lavrov had not attended a single negotiating round, and that Ukraine did not need lessons in "denazification" or use of the Russian language from those who had attacked and occupied Ukrainian towns and cities. 12:05 p.m.: Ukraine evacuated more people Saturday in the eastern town of Lyman in the fiercely fought-over region of Donetsk, where at least half the residents have fled Russian shelling since the start of the war. About 20 mostly elderly people boarded a minivan amid the sounds of outgoing artillery and explosions in the distance, AP reported. All the shops in the almost-empty town were closed and those who decided to remain rely on aid distributed by groups including the Ukrainian Red Cross. Those who remain say they are either too old, dont know where to go or dont want to leave their homes unattended. They seek shelter in their basements whenever the shelling starts. Meanwhile, in Dobropillya, further to the west, two airstrikes hit the town on Saturday, damaging buildings and slightly injuring seven people including three children, according to authorities. 12:00 p.m.: A Russian missile strike on Odesa airport has damaged the runway and it can no longer be used, the Ukrainian military said on Saturday, Reuters reported. 11:50 a.m.: There are signs of a possible breakthrough in securing at least one evacuation route in the besieged city of Mariupol, the CNN television network reported. "There is hope for the evacuation of Mariupol residents to territory controlled by Ukraine," Mariupol city council said on its Telegram account. Although the council is still waiting for confirmation, the council's post says the evacuation would be today from Port City, which is a shopping mall. "The occupiers allowed movement between the Left Bank district and other districts of the city on the right bank. The movement is open across the bridge to Mukhino," CNN quoted Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the Mariupol mayor, on Telegram. The network said it is unclear whether any evacuation would include civilians and soldiers trapped at the Azovstal steel plant. Separately, CNN reported cited Ukrainian media and witness reports of multiple explosions in the southern city of Odesa soon after 6 p.m. local time. One witness told CNN that she saw at least one combat plane over the city. 11:25 a.m.: A group of civilians has left the Azovstal steel workshops in Mariupol, a correspondent for Russia's TASS news agency reported from the site on Saturday. A total of 25 people, including six children under 14 years old, reportedly have exited. 11:15 a.m.: Russian soldiers are allegedly stealing lung ventilators from Mariupol hospital, according to the Kyiv Independent newspaper, which quotes the adviser to that citys mayor. Petro Andryushchenko said the Russians are stealing ventilators and other medical equipment, and taking the items to Russia. 11:05 a.m.: The governor of Russias western Kursk region said several shells were fired Saturday at a checkpoint near its border from the direction of Ukraine. Speaking in a video posted on his Telegram channel, governor Roman Starovoit said there were no casualties or damage. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report, and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine. 11:00 a.m.: Ukrainian police said Saturday they had found the bodies of three civilian men in the Bucha district north of Kyiv, bound and in some cases gagged, with several gunshot wounds that police said indicated they had been tortured, Reuters reported. Kyiv says more than 1,000 bodies have been discovered in or around Bucha, where it alleges systematic abuse by Russian soldiers who have occupied the area in an abortive attempt to seize the capital. Moscow rejected the allegation. 10:50 a.m.: Russia reportedly plans to oblige Ukrainians deported to Russia to return to Mariupol and rebuild that city, according to Ukraines Kyiv Independent newspaper, which cited statements by Petro Andryushchenko, advisor to Mariupols mayor. The report says plans to rebuild Mariupol were announced by the leader of Russian proxies in Donetsk, Denis Pushilin. 10:45 a.m.: Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a tweet Saturday that he continues holding talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, discussing defense cooperation, humanitarian aid delivery and Ukraines path to NATO membership. 10:15 a.m.: Russian forces pounded Ukraine's eastern Donbas region on Saturday but failed to capture three target areas, Ukraine's military said, while Moscow said Western sanctions on Russia and arms shipments to Ukraine were impeding peace negotiations. The Russians were trying to capture the areas of Lyman in Donetsk and Severodonetsk and Popasna in Luhansk, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in a daily update reported by Reuters. "Not succeeding - the fighting continues," it said. 10:00 a.m.: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that it has been informed by Kyiv that Russia has sent nuclear specialists to help monitor the Zaporizhzhya power plant in Ukraine's southeast, RFE/RL reported. The nuclear plant, which is under Russian control but still operated by Ukrainian staff amid heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces, has been a source of concern for the UN's nuclear watchdog. IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said in statement Friday that Ukrainian staffers at the plant, which was captured by Russian forces on March 4, are working "under incredible pressure." Citing Ukrainian officials, the IAEA said that eight representatives of the Russian state nuclear concern Rosenergoatom had been sent to the Zaporizhzhya facility. Kyiv has accused Russia of deliberately attacking the plant's six nuclear reactors, causing a fire and raising fears that the action against Ukraine's largest nuclear facility could lead to a global catastrophe akin to Soviet Ukraine's infamous Chernobyl disaster. 9:15 a.m.: CNN reported that satellite images taken Friday show that nearly every building on the sprawling Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol has been destroyed. According to the news network, large holes now appear in rooftops, some of which are completely collapsed, and some buildings have been destroyed entirely, as have many residential and government buildings east of the plant. Sviatoslav Palamar, an Azov Regiment commander at the plant, told CNN Friday that the plant has been intensely shelled by artillery, ships and airstrikes. "There are cellars and bunkers that we cannot reach because they are under rubble," Palamar said. "We do not know whether the people there are alive or not. There are children aged four months to 16 years. But there are people trapped in places that you can't get to." 9:00 a.m.: President Emmanuel Macron said France would step up military and humanitarian support to Ukraine during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday. Macron reiterated his strong concern over Russias bombing of Ukrainian cities and the unbearable situation in the southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, the French presidency added in its statement, Reuters reported. Russia denies targeting civilians in what it calls it special military operation in Ukraine. 8:45 a.m.: Russian forces have stolen "several hundred thousand tons" of grain in the areas of Ukraine they occupy, Ukraine's deputy agriculture minister said on Saturday. Speaking to Ukrainian national TV, Taras Vysotskiy expressed concern that most of what he said was 1.5 million tons of grain stored in occupied territory could also be stolen by Russian forces, Reuters reported. Ukraine's foreign ministry accused Russia on Thursday of stealing grain in territory it has occupied, an act it said increased the threat to global food security. Agriculture minister Mykola Solskyi said the outright robbery of grain in occupied Ukraine had increased in the last two weeks, which could create food problems in areas that are currently not controlled. 8:15 a.m.: Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Al Arabiya Television that the West has always been Russia phobic and that his country never lived a day without being subject to Western sanctions. So...to believe that this latest wave of sanctions is going to make Russia cry Uncle and to beg for being pardoned, those planners are lousy and, of course, they dont know anything about [the] foreign policy of Russia and they dont know anything about how to deal with Russia. 8:00 a.m.: Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv was reportedly targeted by mortar and artillery shelling Saturday. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a televised address Friday night that Ukrainian forces had recaptured a strategically important village near the city and evacuated hundreds of civilians. RFE/RL reports that in its daily briefing Saturday, the Ukrainian military said that the greatest enemy losses were taking place near Izyum, in the region of Kharkhiv bordering the Luhansk and Donetsk territories. The continuation of negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine is in doubt, with Ukraine's president saying it is hard to discuss peace amid public anger over alleged atrocities carried out by Russian troops, and Russia's foreign minister saying that Western sanctions and arms shipments were impeding the talks. 7:30 a.m.: Ukrainian forces fought Saturday to hold off Russian attacks in the south and east, where the Kremlin is seeking to take the industrial Donbas region; Western military analysts said Moscows offensive was going much slower than planned. Meanwhile, the U.N. continued trying to broker an evacuation of civilians from the increasingly hellish ruins of Mariupol, which Russia has sought to capture since it invaded Ukraine more than nine weeks ago. An estimated 2,000 fighters and 1,000 civilians remain holed up in that city's Azovstal steel complex. 5:16 a.m.: CNN reports that Poland has sent Ukraine military equipment worth $1.6 billion, including more than 200 T-72 tanks. 4:24 a.m.: Ukraine's deputy agriculture minister says Russian forces have stolen "several hundred thousand" tons of grain in Ukraine, Al Jazeera reports. 3:03 a.m.: Al Jazeera reports that the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has been hit by Russian shelling, killing one person and injuring five. The city is the second biggest in Ukraine. 2:04 a.m.: The latest intelligence update from the U.K.'s defense ministry says that Russia is aiming to concentrate its combat power, shorten supply lines and simplify command and control. The update notes that Russia still faces "considerable challenges." "It has been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in north-east Ukraine," the update says. "Many of these units are likely suffering from weakened morale." In addition, it says, Russia suffers from inconsistent air support. 1:15 a.m.: Al Jazeera reports that under new laws in Ukraine, anyone who collaborates or shows public support for the Russians faces up to 15 years in prison. Officials say more than 200 criminal cases on collaboration have been opened. 12:02 a.m.: The Washington Post reports that Ukrainian officials are accusing Russian forces of stealing more than 2,000 pieces of art from Mariupol. The Mariupol City Council says the Russians have raided three local art museums, moving more than 2,000 pieces to the Russian-controlled area of Donetsk, the Post reports. Some information came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Nepal has banned imports of cars, alcohol and other luxury goods to conserve foreign exchange reserves as spiraling prices of fuel and food imports stemming from the war in Ukraine strain an economy already battered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Himalayan nation between India and China is the second South Asian country, after Sri Lanka, to face a foreign exchange crunch. The goods that will not be imported include expensive televisions and mobile phones, the government said this week. The ban will remain in force until mid-July. To conserve fuel, which Nepal imports, the work week in government offices has been shortened to five days. "This is a short-term measure taken to prevent the economic condition of the country from going bad," said Narayan Prasad Regmi, a senior official in the Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ministry. Nepals central bank has said foreign exchange reserves are sufficient to cover just over six months of imports, down from 10 months in mid-2021. The landlocked nation of 29 million is heavily dependent on imports. The government hopes the measures will help stave off a crisis like the one roiling Sri Lanka, where acute foreign exchange shortages have resulted in massive supply shortfalls, runaway price increases of fuel and food and a suspension of payments of its foreign debt. Experts however call Nepals temporary ban on luxury goods and the shortening of the work week desperate measures that will not address the root cause of the problem that the economy faces. All this is only a quick fix and a Band-Aid over essentially what is a very big crack. The basic problem is that our imports far exceed our exports, so we face a huge balance of payments problem, according to Santosh Sharma Poudel, co-founder of Nepal Institute for Policy Research. Nepals foreign exchange crunch began during the COVID-19 pandemic. With tourism hit, earnings from foreign visitors plummeted in a country where more than a million tourists used to come before the pandemic. Remittances sent by an estimated 3 million to 4 million Nepali migrants employed mostly in the Middle East and India have also taken a hit before the pandemic they added up to as much as one-fourth of the countrys gross domestic product. The war in Ukraine has added to its woes, as prices of both crude oil and food spiral in global markets -- Nepals imports most of its essential needs, such as fuel, and food, such as cooking oil. While Nepals economy is not as fragile as Sri Lankas, there is apprehension of what lies in store in one of the worlds poorest nations. The World Bank warned this week that the war in Ukraine is set to cause the "largest commodity shock" since the 1970s and "households across the world are feeling the cost-of-living crisis." They are households like that of Vijay Thapa, who works as a cook in New Delhi to support his family in a village in Nepal. They can no longer manage in what I send. Prices of everything have spiked, whether it is cooking oil or wheat. Taxi fares have gone up by 50%. The situation is more worrisome for small countries, experts say. This is the second example in South Asia of how the war just after the pandemic is affecting us, said Dhanajay Tripathi, a professor at the South Asian University in New Delhi. There are real worries for countries like Nepal because with smaller incomes it is harder for them to absorb the shock of high imports compared to larger countries such as India where the huge economy makes it possible to manage, he said. Analysts also warn that fixing the economy could be more difficult because Nepal also has some of the political problems that contributed to Sri Lankas crisis. We also have crony capitalism; corruption is high and there is political instability. That makes it harder to put long-term efficient policies in place, Poudel said. Economic mismanagement that led to the crisis in Sri Lanka has been blamed on the powerful Rajapaksa political dynasty that controls the government. Although some family members have resigned as ministers, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda, who is prime minister, still hold the top posts. In Nepal constant infighting among political parties has resulted in short-lived governments for the last three decades. For much of last year, the country was mired in political turmoil and is presently ruled by a fragile five-party coalition. Plummeting COVID-19 cases, though, have encouraged the country to lift restrictions on tourists. Tourism earnings are up, although still far below prepandemic levels. And as Middle East countries increase crude output after the pandemic, when demand had plunged, jobs are coming back for Nepalese nationals, which could mean remittances will again pick up. Police in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, arrested several people on Friday, after a march by hundreds of bikers, pedestrians and cars waving Canadian flags through downtown Ottawa turned unruly, authorities said. Friday's parade was a protest of claimed government overreach and came less than three months after a truckers' movement paralyzed the capital for more than three weeks. Ottawa Police said in a tweet on Friday that several people had been arrested and that officers remained on scene to maintain safety. Organizers of Friday's convoy, which they call "Rolling Thunder Ottawa," say they are there in support of "freedom" and military veterans. Local media say several of the participants were in Ottawa during the previous protest, which was against a vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers. Several honking truckers and protesters standing on top of pickup trucks and cars, shouting "freedom" marched through downtown Ottawa as police deployed additional officers to get the situation under control. Ottawa Police said in a tweet that several vehicles attempted to occupy a downtown parking lot, though all but one left. Ottawa Police, which came under criticism for their handling of February protests, had said they would not allow motor vehicles to stop or park on downtown streets. They had brought in additional personnel to bolster municipal authorities ahead of the Friday march. In February, the government of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked seldom-used emergency powers to clear Ottawa protests and police arrested dozens of people who blocked the downtown core near parliament. The protesters had also blocked key border crossings to the United States. A former member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Neil Sheard, is one the protest's main organizers of Friday's march. In a video posted to YouTube, Sheard said his plan is to lay a wreath at the National War Memorial in a show of respect for veterans. Other groups that are participating are protesting more generally against the government and government mandates. Sheard said he supports any group that wants to fight for the freedom of all Canadians, because in his view, freedom of speech was paid for by veterans. "The rights and freedoms of Canadians are eroding, and we are going to work to sustain lawful, civic action in order to restore those fundamental rights," Andrew MacGillivray, a member of the Freedom Fighters Canada group that is also participating, told Reuters recently. The events that started Friday are due to end Sunday. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has driven home the importance of NATO and the European Union for many of their newest members, according to Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, who was in Washington this week for the funeral of Czech emigre and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The reason we joined these two organizations is that it wont happen to us, Lipavsky, said at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council. The fact that Ukraine did not manage to enter the two Western institutions created a gray zone that Russian President Vladimir Putin exploited, said Lipavsky, who had discussed the challenge facing Ukraine, among other topics, in an interview with VOA earlier in the day. The people of Ukraine want to be part of the Western society, they want democratic elections, they want freedom of speech, and they want to enjoy the prosperity that comes with them, he said. I feel our moral responsibility to help them. Lipavsky is part of a newly sworn-in coalition government comprising both conservatives and progressives. Led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, the new Czech administration is expected to pursue an internationalist foreign policy that promotes democracy and human rights, harkening back to an era when the country was led by playwright-turned political leader Vaclav Havel. On his limited itinerary in Washington, Lipavsky paid tribute to Havel, who is memorialized in what is known as the Freedom Foyer of the U.S. Capitols Statuary Hall. There, his bust sits in close proximity to those of Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Lipavsky gifted his American hosts with a collection of Havel photographs, including photos of Havel with Albright, who was born in then-Czechoslovakia and whose father was a member of the Czechoslovakian diplomatic corps. The friendship between Havel and Albright was stressed by Lipavsky and other Czech dignitaries who came to Washington for the funeral. Among them were Czech senate president Milos Vystrcil, the senate foreign affairs committee chairman and three former ambassadors to the United States. Albright is credited with having played a critical role in ushering the Czech Republic and other Central and Eastern European countries into NATO. Madeleine Albright made that possible, because she knew she had suffered the consequences of policy failures, including American policy failures in the 1930s and '40s, said Daniel Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland, at the Atlantic Council event alongside Lipavsky. Vaclav Havel, along with Polands Lech Walesa, pushed [then U.S. President] Bill Clinton on NATO enlargement, Fried recalled. One of their arguments was I was around, I remember we have a window now to do it, dont you Americans blow it! Fried added that Havel and Walesa might not have quite put it that way, but that was more or less their way, what they were saying. Speaking to VOA earlier by telephone, Fried took issue with widespread reports of backsliding on democratic governance in the former Soviet bloc countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Except for Hungary, he said, he sees the countries in the region going back to their roots of fighting for freedom and democracy. Lipavsky, for his part, said he believes the countries of the region are attracted to the West by its democratic identity. This identity is built upon the vision that every person can pursue his and her own happiness, and you have very basic values like human rights, rights to own [property], rights to think, freedom of speech, he said. Baltics, Central and Eastern Europe, want to be part of that, is part of that. The Ukrainian people are literally fighting and dying for the very same choice, he said, and the Czech Republic will do its utmost to help them to prevail against Russia and become a member of the club of like-minded nations that is the EU. A Russian missile strike on the Odesa airport Saturday damaged the runway, rendering it useless, the Ukrainian military reported. One witness told CNN News that she saw at least one combat plane over the southern city; the blasts were heard soon after air raid sirens sounded across the city. Meanwhile, Russian forces pounded Ukraine's eastern Donbas region Saturday but failed to capture three target areas, Ukraine's military said. The taregt areas were Lyman in Donetsk and Sievierodonetsk and Popasna in Luhansk, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in its daily update. "Not succeeding - the fighting continues," it noted. Regional police said Saturday that Russian forces had shelled 12 settlements in the Donetsk Oblast over the past 24 hours, destroying at least 36 civilian infrastructure sites, among them a school and a hospital, according to the Kyiv Independent newspaper. Police said at least four civilians were killed, including one child, and another eight civilians injured, also including children. Elsewhere, Ukrainian police said they had found the bodies of three civilian men in the Bucha district, north of Kyiv. Police said the bodies were in a pit and the victims hands were bound, their eyes were covered and two were gagged. There are traces of torture on the corpses, as well as gunshot wounds to various parts of the body, Kyivs regional police chief Andriy Nebytov said in a statement. The victims were tortured for a long period of time; bullet wounds were found on the extremities. Finally, each of the men was shot in the ear. Kyiv says more than 1,000 bodies have been discovered in or around Bucha, where it alleges systematic abuse by Russian soldiers occupying the area. The governor of Russias western Kursk region said several shells were fired Saturday at a checkpoint near its border from the direction of Ukraine. Speaking in a video posted on his Telegram channel, Governor Roman Starovoit said there were no casualties or damage. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report, and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Evacuations, prisoner exchanges Evacuations began Saturday in the besieged city of Mariupol, CNN News reported, citing an officer of the Ukrainian Azov Regiment, whose soldiers are trapped at the plant. Capt. Svyatoslav Palamar said the cease-fire started at 11 a.m. local time, five hours late. "As of now, it's the truth, both sides follow the cease-fire regime," he said. The evacuation convoy also arrived late, at 6:25 p.m. local time, when it was due at 6 a.m., he said. "We have brought 20 civilians to the agreed meeting point, whom we've managed to rescue from under the rubble. These are women and children. We hope these people will go the agreed destination, which is Zaporizhzhia, the territory controlled by Ukraine," Palamar said. Russias TASS news agency reported that a group of 25 civilians, including six children younger than 14, had come out. CNN reported that satellite images taken Friday show that nearly every building on the sprawling steel plant had been destroyed by intense shelling by artillery, ships and airstrikes. "There are cellars and bunkers that we cannot reach because they are under rubble," Palamar said. "We do not know whether the people there are alive or not. There are children aged four months to 16 years. But there are people trapped in places that you can't get to." To the north, Ukraine evacuated more people Saturday in the eastern town of Lyman in the fiercely fought-over region of Donetsk, where at least half the residents have fled Russian shelling since the start of the war. About 20 mostly elderly people boarded a minivan amid the sounds of outgoing artillery and explosions in the distance. All the shops in the almost-empty town were closed and those who decided to remain said they were either too old, didnt know where to go or didnt want to leave their homes unattended. They take shelter in their basements when shelling starts and rely on aid distributed by groups including the Ukrainian Red Cross. Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange with Russia on Saturday, with seven soldiers and seven civilians coming home, deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in an online posting. One of the soldiers was a woman who is five months pregnant, she added. She did not say how many Russians had been transferred. Russian shortcomings The British defense ministry said Russia has had to redeploy depleted and disparate units from failed advances in northeast Ukraine. The British military intelligence report, released on Twitter early Saturday, says that Russia hopes to reverse previous constraints to its invasion by concentrating combat power geographically, shortening supply lines and simplifying command and control. But, the British say Russia still faces some big challenges in Ukraine: It has been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in northeast Ukraine, many of whom are likely suffering from weakened morale. Shortcomings in Russian tactical coordination remain. A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localized improvements, the report read. Lavrov interviews In other developments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made a number of assertions in two interviews Saturday. Early in the day, he told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya Television there was no need for anybody to provide help to open up humanitarian corridors out of Ukraines besieged cities. We appreciate the interest of the secretary-general to be helpful, he added. (We have) explained what is the mechanism for them to monitor how the humanitarian corridors are announced. He also accused the West of being Russia phobic and complained that his country never lived a day without being subject to sanctions by the West. So ... to believe that this latest wave of sanctions is going to make Russia cry Uncle and to beg for being pardoned, those planners are lousy and, of course, they dont know anything about [the] foreign policy of Russia and they dont know anything about how to deal with Russia. Later, in an interview with Chinas official Xinhua news agency, Lavrov said the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia is part of peace talks with Ukraine. "At present, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are actually discussing on a daily basis via video-conferencing a draft of a possible treaty," Lavrov said in comments published on the Russian foreign ministry's website on Saturday. "The talks' agenda ... includes, among other things, the issues of denazification, the recognition of new geopolitical realities, the lifting of sanctions, the status of the Russian language," Lavrov said. But Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak denied this was the case, saying, the issue of global international sanctions against the Russian Federation is not discussed at all in negotiations. Further, Podolyak added, Lavrov had not attended a single negotiating round and Ukraine did not need lessons in "denazification" or use of the Russian language from those who had attacked and occupied Ukrainian towns and cities. "It is for all our partners, together with Ukraine, to decide what decisions should be taken on sanctions, and when, he said. The Associated Press and Reuters provided some information in this report. The half-acre surface parking lot across from the Mohawk Ramp in downtown Buffalo is destined for something bigger once again. Washington developer Douglas Jemal is buying the property at 513 Main St. and 486 Washington St., with plans for a multi-story, mixed-use building with apartments and ground-floor retail space. The site is under contract, but Jemal would not disclose details yet. Jemal said specifics are still in flux, and a project may still be a couple of years away, especially given construction delays. Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week. But Jemal envisions the potential for as much as a 10-story building with 300,000 square feet of space. At an average of about $200 per square foot, that could be a $60 million project. "Were real excited about this," Jemal said, calling it "a very important strategic piece of property in the overall master plan." As with his other projects, Jemal said the goal is to bring activity and life back to parts of downtown Buffalo where there are gaps, creating a more vibrant and interactive central business district. "The whole downtown loop needs to be redone," he said. "It's been spotty, and it needs connections. Thats really been my vision all along in Buffalo." Douglas Jemal selected to redevelop Mohawk Ramp Jemal's Douglas Development Corp. was chosen by a review panel to convert the 629-space parking ramp into a multi-story project that would include 200 apartments and 800 parking spaces. The proposed project, near where the former Loew's Century Theater once stood, would add to the density Jemal is trying to create in that neighborhood. He already is buying the city-owned Mohawk Ramp on the other side of Washington for at least $3 million, with plans to spend another $45 million to convert it into another large mixed-use project. Plans call for adding two more floors of parking and four floors of 200 apartments on top of the existing 627-space ramp. Jemal ready to start on Mohawk Ramp before June Initial preparations have begun, with a study underway of the structural strength of the facility. Jemal also intends to spend another $110 million to redevelop the adjacent Simon Electric properties, with 400 more apartments and retail space for a total of 600 units between the properties. The project will take several years. "It makes an awful lot of sense," Jemal said. "To have the opportunity to look at all of this is very unique and very special." All of those properties are near Jemal's other holdings on Main Street where he owns the Hyatt Regency Buffalo and three buildings across the street as well as the Statler, the Police Apartments and the former Mahoney State Office Building that he plans to convert into a boutique hotel. Real Estate & Development: Why Douglas Jemal is buying on Main Street "I didnt come to Buffalo just to buy Seneca One," Jemal said. "Once I got involved in the fabric of the city, I got involved heart and soul, and its the legacy that I want to leave." "Residential is doing very well, and it really says something, after coming out of Covid, that we could create a living downtown," Jemal said. "Our time has come, and its an exciting time for Buffalo, and the community deserves it. This is where Im leaving my legacy." Jemal's latest target property has a long and storied history in Buffalo. Originally a block of multi-story brick commercial buildings in the 1800s and early 1900s, it was replaced in 1921 by the 3,076-seat Century Theater, which Loews operated for movies for several years before turning it over to Michael Shea in 1928. The theater entrance was on Main, while the bulk of the building stretched back toward Washington. The theater was later leased to Nikitas Dipson founder of Dipson Theatres and then restored at a cost of $50,000 in the 1940s. Its next big iteration came 30 years later, when Harvey Weinstein and Corky Burger used it for rock concerts in the 1970s, under Harvey & Corky Productions, before it was torn down in 1984. That's when it became a parking lot. Torn-Down Tuesday: The Century Theatre and Harvey Weinstein One of Buffalos storied movie houses passed through the hands of several icons of the Buffalo movie theater business before ending as too many Buffalo buildings have: an open The parcel is now owned by a group led by Dr. Joseph R. Takats III, but also still including Weinstein. The property is leased to Allpro Parking, which has operated an 80-space lot there for more than 20 years, said Allpro CEO Richard Serra. Harvey Weinstein's Buffalo years: Celebs, pols and a punch in the nose Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood film mogul now cast as a sexual predator, traces the roots of his show business dominance to his arrival at the University at Buffalo campus in the fall of It was put into play last fall when Toronto-based Goldwynn Residential USA offered to buy the property, in order to construct a mid-rise glass-facade apartment building with up to 20 floors and 200 apartments. That project had been targeted for the Mohawk Ramp redevelopment, but Goldwynn lost out to Jemal. That triggered a clause in Allpro's lease that gave Serra the right-of-first-refusal, so he made a counteroffer. But when Jemal expressed his own interest in the site, Serra - who already manages Jemal's parking garages at Seneca One - agreed to back away, assign his rights to Jemal, and instead work with the developer to manage any future parking needs in the new project. "I worked well with him. The guy is brilliant on taking old stuff and making it new," Serra said. "I look forward to working with Douglas Jemal on this project and any future projects that involve parking." 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. A bomb blast in a passenger van in Kabul on Saturday killed at least one person, officials said, in the second explosion in the Afghan capital in two days, as security concerns rise on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday, according to the group's Telegram channel. "One woman was killed and three more injured," Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for Kabul's commander, told Reuters. A day earlier, an explosion killed more than 50 worshippers after Friday prayers at a Kabul mosque amid a spate of mosque attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. One witness to the passenger van blast, Ali Maisam, 19, who was waiting outside a nearby bakery at the time, said he saw a number of bodies. "I saw people coming out of the minibus with bloody and burnt faces. I saw that four bodies were taken out and a woman was among the dead, he said. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast, but most previous bombings have been claimed by an Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State militant group. Security concerns have risen across Afghanistan as the country prepares to mark Eid al-Fitr on Sunday under Taliban rule for the first time in more than 20 years, after the group was removed from power following a U.S. invasion in 2001. The Taliban retook power last August after foreign forces pulled out of the country. Taliban authorities announced on Saturday that Eid would be marked the following day, leading to raucous rounds of celebratory gunfire in the streets of Kabul late on Saturday night. The authorities also moved to assuage people's fears over security ahead of Eid. "We ensure our countrymen we will ensure security during Eid," spokesman for Taliban interior ministry Abdul Nafee Takor said. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights warns that Malis new media restrictions reflect a growing intolerance toward freedom of the press in the region. U.N. human rights officials are expressing deep dismay at Malis decision Wednesday to permanently suspend Radio France International and France 24 from operating there. They are urging Malis military authorities to reverse the ban and allow independent media to work freely in the country. The government temporarily suspended the two international broadcasters on March 16, accusing them of airing false allegations of human rights violations by the Malian army and Russian mercenaries. U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the current climate of fear in Mali is having a chilling effect on journalists and bloggers. There is a lot of self-censorship. There is a lot of pressure," she said. "There have been a number of journalistslocal, regional, international, who have come under pressure. Licenses revoked. Journalists are trying to avoid reporting on sensitive topics, so that they do not fall foul of the authorities. Shamdasani said U.N. human rights monitors continue to document allegations of serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in many parts of Mali. If anything, she said the prevailing situation in the country demands more, not less, scrutiny. However, she said Mali is not the only country where attacks on freedom of expression and opinion are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity. We are seeing a worrying trend in some of the other countries in West Africa as well," she said. "And this applies not only to freedom of expression and then the work of journalists, but also civic space and civil society as a whole. There appears to be a growing intolerance for dissent, unfortunately. Shamdasani said journalists all over the world are under threat, and journalists increasingly are being discredited for their reporting, accused of bias or of spreading misinformation. She said governments have many tools they can use to intimidate journalists and prevent the free flow of information. She said governments are increasingly using surveillance to monitor the work of journalists, adding that this makes it more difficult for them to protect their sources, to gather information, report on abuse, and bring perpetrators of crimes to account. Defying Taliban demands, authorities in Uzbekistan say dozens of aircraft flown into their territory as the former Afghan government collapsed last summer are the property of the United States and will not be returned to the interim government in Kabul. The decision is likely to complicate efforts by the Uzbek government to engage with the Taliban and ultimately develop trade routes through its southern neighbor to Pakistan and the Indian Ocean. Afghan air force personnel flew almost 50 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to Uzbekistan in mid-August as former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and Taliban forces overran the capital, Kabul. Several more aircraft and Black Hawk helicopters were taken to neighboring Tajikistan to prevent them from falling into Taliban hands. Taliban leaders have since insisted that the aircraft are Afghan property and demanded them back. Addressing an Afghan air force ceremony in Kabul in January, Taliban Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob said his government would never allow the aircraft to be seized or used by its northern neighbors. I respectfully call on [Uzbekistan and Tajikistan] not to test our patience and not to force us to take all possible retaliatory steps [to retake the aircraft], Yaqoob said without elaborating. But Ismatulla Irgashev, a senior adviser to Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, told VOA during a recent interview in Tashkent that the aircraft would not be going back to Kabul. The U.S. government paid for them, said Irgashev, his nations most senior diplomat dealing with Afghan matters. It funded the previous Afghan government. So, we believe it is totally up to Washington how to deal with them. Weve kept this military equipment in agreement with the U.S. and have told the Taliban so. The escape of the pilots with the aircraft marked one of the Talibans few setbacks during the chaotic period that marked their complete takeover of Afghanistan. Little has been said since about the issue, in part because of the sensitivity of the issue in Uzbek-Afghan relations and the reluctance of officials on all sides to discuss it. But U.S. defense officials confirmed to VOA that both Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have no plans to give the aircraft to the Taliban. "The aircraft continue to be the subject of regional security engagement with the governments of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan," a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson, Army Major Rob Lodewick, said when asked about the fate of the planes and helicopters. As of August 21, 2021, there were 46 aircraft in Uzbekistan and 18 in Tajikistan, the official said. These included Mi-17 UH-60 helicopters as well as PC-12, C-208, AC-208 and A-29 fixed-wing aircraft. A U.S. defense official, speaking to VOA on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the sensitive subject, that the U.S. has gotten eyes on the aircraft in the two countries and said that they technically belong to the U.S. military services that procured them for the Afghan security forces. What ultimately happens to the aircraft, though, has yet to be decided. [The Department of Defense] is still determining final disposition options, the official said, noting there is interest from government agencies inside the United States, as well as from foreign partners. This isn't going to be finalized for some time." Despite the mystery surrounding the fate of the former Afghan aircraft, U.S. officials have long expressed confidence that they would not be handed over to Afghanistans Taliban rulers. It's safe to assume that they will not be sent into Afghanistan to be used by the Taliban, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in January in response to a question from VOA. But as to what they end up doing and where they end up going and who ends up with them, we are still working our way through that decision-making process. Unofficial estimates from the region say about 500 to 600 Afghans were aboard the aircraft that flew to Uzbekistan and another 140 to 150 flew to Tajikistan. The pilots all were transferred to the United Arab Emirates in September and November last year and are being resettled in the United States. Ayaz Gul in Islamabad and Jeff Seldin in Washington contributed to this report. As the Russian invasion continues into its third month, Americans are displaying an outpouring of sympathy for Ukrainians and support for Washington's robust assistance to Kyiv. Polls show strong bipartisan support for the $33 billion in supplemental funding that U.S. President Joe Biden requested from Congress this week, in addition to a $13.6 billion package of military and humanitarian aid that lawmakers approved last month. Americans also support Biden's commitment to admitting Ukrainian refugees into United States and expediting their legal entry process. A Gallup poll conducted April 1-19 showed 78% of Americans approved of "allowing up to 100,000" Ukrainian refugees into the U.S. the highest level of American public support for admitting refugees that Gallup has found in its polling on various refugee situations since 1939. The support is widespread across party affiliation, gender, education, income and regions of the country, said Lydia Saad, director of U.S. Social Research at Gallup. "This is not a controversial issue," Saad told VOA. "In this very partisan environment, it's notable that the majority of Republicans agree with the majority [of] Democrats on anything." Meanwhile, a Reuters/Ipsos poll this week showed that 73% of Americans support the administration's efforts to supply Ukraine with weapons, the highest level of support since Russia invaded its neighbor in February. There is also widespread support for imposing economic sanctions on Russia. And according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 54% of Americans, mostly Republicans and independents, want Biden to get even tougher with Moscow. Contributing factors Some of the reasons for the high level of American sympathy are the rapid escalation of the conflict, the geopolitical implications of a nuclear power attacking a country that shares borders with NATO allies, and the displacement of millions of people in a span of mere months. Even before the invasion, Americans had a more favorable view toward Ukrainians than Russians in general, as shown in a Gallup poll conducted in February. Many Americans still remember Cold War-era drills in preparation for a Russian nuclear attack, said Michelle Kelso, assistant professor of sociology and international affairs at George Washington University. "I think it does tap into the historical fear of Russia and the capability of Russia of doing real harm to us," she told VOA. More recently, Moscow has been seen by Americans particularly Democrats as a hostile power that tried to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election in favor of Donald Trump. The lobbying clout of the more than 1 million Americans of Ukrainian descent across the country also translates to bipartisan support in Congress, resulting in the rapid flow of billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid to Kyiv. And so might Americans' affinity for Ukraine as a European and Christian nation. "There is somewhat of an identity, or an identification, with the background there," Kelso said. "They're not black and brown people coming from Afghanistan and Haiti." With the exception of support for the Clinton administration's decision to bring in several hundred ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo in 1999, no other refugee appeal has been supported by such a large portion of Americans and so widely across the political spectrum. "Bringing in refugees from Syria and Honduras and Central America [was] much more partisan," Saad said. "Democrats [are] much more favorable to those migrants than Republicans. Independents are somewhere in between." Other influences The disparity between support for Ukrainians and support for other groups may also be influenced by the circumstances the groups are fleeing. While Ukraine is under attack by a much larger outside power, Syria and Central American countries are seen as nations dealing with their own internal issues whether it's a ruthless dictator or a corrupt government incapable in dealing with poverty and gang violence. The circumstances in those countries are much harder for Americans to digest than the situation in Ukraine, where the plot is simple, and the villain is clear. "There's not one person at the top of the pyramid, where you're saying, 'OK, if we just take this person out, everything else will fall into place,' " Kelso said. Thus, in the context of the Russian invasion, the principle of sovereignty is easier for Americans to understand and defend than it is in the more convoluted conflicts in the Middle East that have dragged on for decades. The image of a young and charismatic leader courageously leading his country in a time of war has also galvanized support, Kelso said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "is, for us, an underdog. We love the underdog in this country." With the Russian Defense Ministry admitting to carrying out an airstrike on Kyiv during the U.N. secretary-general's visit to the city, analysts say much of the Western world has united against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But many African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries are trying not to take sides. VOA Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. The Pentagon on Friday blasted the conduct of Russian troops in Ukraine. "It's very clear that Russian forces have committed war crimes," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters at a daily briefing. "There's no question about that." Citing the bombing of hospitals and "pregnant women being killed," he called it "brutality of the coldest and most depraved sort." He also commented on how the United States underestimated the depth of Russian President Vladimir Putin's ruthlessness toward Ukrainians. "We were certainly working under an assumption that Mr. Putin was capable of pursuing what he believed Russia's national interest to be with cold steel and with brutal determination," Kirby said. "I don't think we fully appreciated the degree to which he would visit that kind of violence and cruelty and, as I said, depravity on innocent people, on noncombatants, on civilians, with such utter disregard for the lives he was taking." Russia has denied targeting civilians during its military campaign in Ukraine. SEE ALSO: Kirby also slammed the Russian president's stated rationale for the invasion. "Let's just call it what it is, his BS, that this is about Nazism and about protecting Russians in Ukraine ... when none of them, none of them were threatened by Ukraine." Deaths in Ukraine Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department expressed sorrow over the death of an American citizen who was killed while fighting alongside Ukrainian forces as Russia launched new attacks in eastern Ukraine. Former U.S. Marine Willy Joseph Cancel, 22, was working with a private military contracting company when he was killed on Monday, and he is the first known U.S. citizen to die while fighting in Ukraine. "We are aware of these reports and certainly stand ready to provide all possible consular assistance to the family," deputy State Department spokesperson Jalina Porter said in a daily briefing Friday. "However, out of respect to the family during this very difficult time, we don't have anything further to announce." Porter also conveyed sadness over the death of Vira Hyrych, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a sister network of VOA. SEE ALSO: "We express our most heartfelt condolences to her family, as well as her colleagues. The Kremlin's war continues to wreak havoc on Ukraine and its people, with dire consequences for those who continue to stand for justice and tell the truth about its brutality," Porter said. Rescue workers discovered Hyrych's body Friday morning, after a Russian airstrike had hit her residential building in Kyiv the night before. The news followed reports that two British volunteers helping to provide humanitarian relief in Ukraine had been detained by the Russian military at a checkpoint south of Zaporizhzhia. The British nonprofit Presidium Network said the two men, both civilians, were working independently as part of a project in Ukraine to provide food, medical supplies and evacuation support. Dominik Byrne, Presidium Network's co-founder, said the men had gone missing on Monday after entering Russian-held territory, where they were planning to help evacuate a woman. Britain will deploy a team of war crimes experts to support Ukraine with investigations into Russian atrocities, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced Friday during a visit to The Hague, Netherlands. Missile strikes Russia confirmed Friday that it had carried out an airstrike on Kyiv Thursday as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was visiting the city. The Russian Defense Ministry said "high-precision long-range air-based weapons ... destroyed the production buildings of the Artyom missile and space enterprise in Kyiv." Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the move was a deliberate attempt to humiliate the U.N. "This says a lot about Russia's true attitude toward global institutions, about attempts of Russian authorities to humiliate the U.N. and everything that the organization represents," he said Friday in an overnight video address to the nation. "Therefore, it requires corresponding powerful reaction." Ukraine's presidential adviser said Thursday that Ukraine should decide whether to strike Russian military facilities. When asked if this could escalate the conflict, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told VOA, "What we're talking about here is not any intention of Ukraine invading Russia and trying to take Russian territory, going after Russian civilians, going after Russian hospitals. We're talking about consideration of military targets. It's something very different." Peace talks Zelenskyy said on Friday there was a high risk that peace talks with Moscow would end. During an interview with Polish media, he said that "only direct negotiations and direct agreements" could lead to a successful deal between Russia and Ukraine. However, the risks that negotiations "will cut off entirely are very high," he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of sabotaging Russia's peace talks with Ukraine. During an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV, he said that negotiations had been progressing last month in Turkey until Western nations intervened. "We are stuck because of their desire to play games all the time," Lavrov said, "because of the instructions they get Washington, from London, from some other capitals, not to accelerate the negotiations." Mariupol Lavrov was also asked about the U.N. chief's proposals to set up humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians. "There is no need for anybody to provide help to open humanitarian corridors," he said, adding that the real problem is that "humanitarian corridors are being ignored by Ukrainian ultranationals." The Kremlin has claimed that far-right Ukrainians are blocking evacuation efforts and says such right-wing military regiments are one of the reasons it launched its military operation in Ukraine. Guterres had said during his visit to Kyiv on Thursday that discussions were underway to evacuate civilians from the steel works in the port city of Mariupol, which has been heavily attacked by Russia. Ukrainian officials said an operation was planned on Friday, but Reuters reported there were no signs of an evacuation by nightfall. A senior U.S. official said Friday that Russia was predominantly using ordnance in Mariupol that was not precision guided. "We think that speaks to the challenges that the Russians are having with PGM (precision-guided munition) replenishment," the official said. VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin and VOA State Department Correspondent Cindy Saine contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press and Reuters. NAIROBI, KENYA Kenya held a state funeral Friday for its third president, Mwai Kibaki, who died last week at the age of 90. Officials are hailing Kibaki for transforming Kenyas economy and education. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta led other African leaders and tens of thousands of Kenyans in paying last respects to Kibaki. We are here not only to mourn an incalculable loss but also to celebrate a magnificent life, said Kenyatta. We celebrate a man of faith, a man of family, a man of honor and a man who always put Kenya and Kenyans first. Kibaki led the East African nation between 2002 and 2013, when he stepped down after two terms. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was among the leaders who attended the prayer service at Nyayo stadium in Nairobi. We remember President Kibaki for the leadership he demonstrated not only to Kenya but also to the African continent, he said. We remember him for his commitment to the people of Kenya and indeed to all of us as Africans. Jacinta Njeri, 68, who was among the thousands gathered to remember the late president, said there was no leader like him. We remember him for many things, she said. He will sponsor our children's education. He also developed our country. There is no better economist in Kenya than the president. SEE ALSO: Kenyas third president is praised for transforming the countrys infrastructure, agriculture and education sector. His election in 2002 brought an end to four decades of one-party rule. Political commentator Michael Agwanda told VOA Kibaki truly transformed the country. He walked the life of Kenya governance since independence in 1963, he said. Thats a person the country was expecting to come with a lot of reforms in governance in economics and as a result, he did not disappoint people. On his first term as a president he stamped out corruption, it was not as much. He borrowed very little from the foreign and the local [lenders]. He used money and people started seeing the value for money. The East African nation recorded its highest economic growth at 7% per year during his tenure in office. Many Kenyans also remember Kibaki for his role in the 2007 and 2008 political violence. His disputed election win against opposition leader Raila Odinga, who accused him of rigging the vote, led to street protests and inter-communal clashes that claimed the lives of more than 1,100 people. At the funeral, Odinga spoke about meeting with Kibaki after the violence and how the two agreed to work together. The truce led to the formation of a unity government, with Odinga becoming prime minister. Kibaki will be buried on Saturday at his rural home in central Kenya. Lawyers representing Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chinono, whose Boer goats may be seized by a man linked to the ruling party and his colleagues on Sunday, are seeking police intervention amid concerns of violence at his rural home as some citizens are planning to defend him. In a tweet, Chinono, who is currently in South Africa, said, My lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has served this letter to @PoliceZimbabwes Law and Order section, the Police Commissioner General at Police General Headquarters and Highlands police officer in charge. As a law abiding citizen, I have had to report the threats as required by the law. In a letter written to the officer in charge of Highlands, Harare, his attorney Beatrice Mtetwa, said, Our client has been the victim of threats by one Taurai Kandishaya. The threats have been through Kandishayas twitter handle and the tweets complained of are as follows: This project was meant to be pass on (sic). Government distributed goats to farmers so they breed and pass to others. Hopewell Chinono personalized the project. Now is time for the youth of Zimbabwe to demand their share. Here are your goats, just go and collect your share. Down with the goat looter. Apart from the fact that the allegations in the tweet by Kandishaya are demonstrably false, there can be no question that Mr. Kandishaya is inciting the youth of Zimbabwe to go and collect Mr. Chinonos private property, which constitutes incitement to steal the goats, an offence in terms of the law. According to Mtetwa, despite Chinonos denial that he never received any goats from the government, Kandishaya is promising fireworks. In another tweet, he said, We (are) coming for the goats and we are unstoppable. Chinono has provided documentary evidence that he bought the Boer goats from South Africa. Mtetwa said, We therefore request that you (police) immediately investigate this matter with a view to preventing the illegal actions advocated by Kandishaya and prosecuting him for his criminal actions. In particular, we request that you liaise with your colleagues at Murehwa Police Station to secure out clients rural home in order to protect members of his family, employees and all his property. As there is the possibility that there those who may disagree with Mr. Kandishayas incitement, and may therefore wish to repel his intended invasion, it is our view that the police are obliged to take all steps necessary to avoid possible breaches of the peace which may lead to the loss of life and property. Kandishaya was not available for comment as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone. Some citizens are mobilizing others to go and camp at Chinonos property in Murehwa in order to stop Kandishaya from seizing his goats. Children of Zimbabwe War Veterans Association said in a tweet, We are organising a tour specifically to learn & see this very good goat project. In that regards the directions are:- From Murewa turn off u turn right. Macheke road, drive for 5km then turn left into Mukarakate road. Drive for 3 kms then you have arrived at Chinono village. Job Sikhala, member of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change led by Nelson Chamisa, will also be joining other people who will be driving to Chinonos village. In a tweet, Sikhala said, I have decided to join other citizens who have volunteered to be at Chin'ono village near Mukarakate in Murehwa tomorrow to defend one of our citizens under attack from the regime. I have mobilised more volunteers. Tonorarika ko. This nonsense has to be stopped once and for all The overwhelming inquiries by volunteers to @daddyhope homestead in Murewa!!! Reverend Kenneth Mtata of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches is urging the police to stop Kandishaya from seizing Chinonos goats. In a tweet, Mtata said, We should never create the perception that individual property rights are not respected and the country is lawless. Our ZRP @PoliceZimbabwe should make sure noone follows through these threats on Hopewell @daddyhope. It's not in the national interest. @zcczim. Chinono said he was on Saturday invited by the South African Broadcasting Corporation to talk about his harassment by the ruling party and its thugs and its thugs and the attempt to LOOT my goats and destroy the 6 year-old project. I will talk about how the @GenevaSummit speech triggered all this. He claimed that the government is unhappy about his speech at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy early last month where he indicated that the ruling party is to blame for the countrys social, economic and political crisis. Soon after he delivered his speech at the Geneva Summit on April 6, Chinono said in a tweet, Today I addressed the @GenevaSummit for Human Rights and Democracy in Switzerland. I chose as I always to stick to facts and figures regarding the Zimbabwean economic crisis. I explained that it was a product of grand corruption, LOOTING and PLUNDER by ZANUPF elites! Chinono is an investigative journalist who has won several international awards for uncovering shady deals linked to the ruling elite. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. City preservation officials have said no to developer Douglas Jemal's plan for a porte-cochere entry at the Richardson Hotel & Conference Center. But that doesn't mean the proposal is dead. In a surprise move that caught the developer slightly off-guard, the Buffalo Preservation Board denied the application by Douglas Development Corp. for a porte-cochere entry at the north entrance of the Richardson Hotel & Conference Center. But the rejection was done in a way that allows Jemal to come back later with a revised proposal. The panel's vote on Thursday evening in lieu of continuing to table the controversial application, as Jemal sought was at least partially administrative in nature, and does not necessarily kill the project, which was in limbo even before the vote. The current underpass proposal at the former Hotel Henry has faced strong criticism from within the preservation community, but both sides are working to address those concerns. Rather, board members felt a decision of some sort was necessary to comply with the deadlines that the Preservation Board must follow with applications. And they cited the uncertainty of ongoing negotiations between Jemal and the Preservation Board, the state Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service all of whom must sign off on any project involving the historic Richardson-Olmsted Campus and a 50-year preservation covenant. "We were unsure of how long the process would take," said Preservation Board Chair Gwen Howard. "So we opted to remove it from the table and deny it without prejudice, so that there could be the time in the process necessary for all the agencies to understand the project, review the project and provide approval." But it did send a clear message that board members were unhappy with the proposed size, scale and design of the covered entranceway that would extend 86 feet from the building facade and rise 30 feet above the driveway. The board also said the plan created "visual obstruction of the twin towers of the Richardson Olmsted Complex," and is contrary to federal preservation guidelines. Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week. The panel was also disturbed by the presence of a platform deck on top of it, surrounded by a glass railing, which creates a balcony that could be occupied. "It was definitely a denial on the merits," Howard said, calling it "too big, too tall and not sympathetic" to the original building design. She also said there were "inconsistencies" between the drawings and renderings submitted to the city, and even from the reality of what was already built. "The package that they submitted to us was two different things," she said. "The drawings and renderings and what they built didnt match each other." However, according to the panel's decision, "an alternate canopy of appropriate scale, height and materiality may well be approvable under these standards and guidelines." Paul Millstein, executive vice president of Douglas Development and chief deputy to Jemal, said the message was received. "It was more of a procedural thing, but I think they also wanted to make their feelings known, which they did," he said. "By denying it, as opposed to tabling it, it gave them a clear opportunity to let us know what their objections were and gives us a chance to refine our presentation and our thoughts so that we can come back and hopefully come to common ground in the near future." Local officials tabled the application two weeks ago, hoping to coordinate their discussions and concerns with their state and federal colleagues. "We were not able, within that two-week period, to get that coordinated conversation organized," Howard said. "Because we dont know the timeframes, we wanted to protect the process, so it didnt time out," Howard added. "It was clear that what was submitted wasnt going to be approved anyway." Six steel columns and the roof frame of the structure were already erected on the historic site due to miscommunication and misunderstandings within the city. But further work has been halted until Jemal's team can work through differences with city, state and federal officials, so the project can be formally approved. If not, the city can order Jemal to take down what has already been put up. However, Millstein insisted that the firm remains confident in its design and plan, and intends to pursue it. Douglas Development representatives will meet Monday morning with Howard and SHPO officials. "We believe it is the right porte-cochere for that project. We have many experts that support that theory, and we haven't done a good enough job articulating the reasons why, and that's on us," Millstein said. "We expect to do a better job on Monday, so the rest of the groups will see the light." Millstein suggested that state and federal officials would have a different opinion if they come onto the campus to see how the structure looks in reality, not viewed in a photo or rendering from a desk in Albany or Washington. "My reaction was dramatically different once I walked around it and experienced it in person, and the context of the entire Richardson campus," he said. "It doesn't obstruct the glass curtain wall that's there at all. It gives it a sense of place. It provides an opportunity for activation. It takes the rear of the building and gives it a prominent entrance." And, he noted, it doesn't alter the physical structure of the building, since "it's bolt-on, bolt-off," and can be easily removed. "We see no reason we wouldn't be able to continue as presented, with some refinements that we would consider minor," he said. "The Preservation Board has been very respectful. They've been communicative. We look forward to continuing to work with them on this project and many others in the future." 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. The Polish government has established contact with Ukrainian opposition leaders to propose the deployment of a peacekeeping force in the west of the country. The proposal is not without ulterior motives. Indeed, during the interwar period, Poland had occupied Western Ukraine to protect it from Bolshevism. She then annexed these territories in agreement with the USSR. A month ago, Polish officials laid claim to the enclave of Kaliningrad, which has never belonged to Poland [1] . It was during Polands occupation of Western Ukraine that the banderites were formed. In 1934, Stepan Bandera organised, on behalf of the German Gestapo of which he was already a member, the assassination of Polish Interior Minister Bronisaw Pieracki, who had cracked down on Ukrainian terrorists on the basis of collective responsibility. Polands initiative opens the door for Hungary and Romania to lay claim on other parts of Ukrainia. These countries should be reminded that dispatching forces in a "peacekeeping" capacity would not necessarily trigger the application of NATOs Article 5 on collective defense, i.e. the Alliance would not automatically mobilize its other members should those forces get in harms way. The Russian government has declassified documents relating to the trials of banderites at the end of the Great Patriotic War (World War II). These documents bring light to the atrocious war crimes perpetrated by the banderites against Ukrainian civilians, in 1944 and 1945, during the retreat of the Nazis faced with the advancing Soviet Army. In particular, a document from the ministry devoted to the eastern territories occupied by the Third Reich, headed by Alfred Rosenberg, uncovers a plan for the complete annihilation of the Donbass and its population by Nazi forces and their Banderite collaborators. They can be viewed with a VPN on the Russian site Power Lies in Truth. These events were ignored in present-day Ukraine. Indeed, since the end of the Second World War, the Banderites and the Nazis of the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations (ABN) have patiently rewritten the history of their country. Out of any reality, their version has become the current Holy Bible of the Ukrainians. An appellate court ruled Friday that a State Supreme Court justice erred in refusing to consider a preservation group's evidence at a hearing to determine whether the City of Buffalo legally granted an emergency permit to demolish the Great Northern grain elevator. The Appellate Division in Rochester reversed Justice Emilio Colaiacovo's ruling allowing the grain elevator's demolition and also reinstated the preservation group's legal action against the city. A restraining order remains in place. And the five appellate justices instructed Colaiacovo to hold another hearing on the matter. Fate of ADM Great Northern is in the hands of appellate justices An attorney for a preservation organization urged the five-member Appellate Division in Rochester on Wednesday to overturn a State Supreme Court ruling that the Great Northern grain elevator, the last remaining brick box-style grain elevator in North America, be torn down. Friday's ruling protects the grain elevator for now, but doesn't guarantee that it will be saved. The decision means expert testimony can be heard that the Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture contends will show James Comerford, then-commissioner of permits and inspections, "lacked a rational basis" in issuing the emergency demolition permit on Dec. 17. Comerford's decision came six days after a windstorm tore a large hole in the northern wall, which he concluded had rendered the building in danger of collapse and posed an immediate threat to public safety. "This is a tremendous victory for all the citizens of the City of Buffalo and advances the preservation of the Great Northern Elevator," Tim Tielman, Campaign for Greater Buffalo's executive director, said of Friday's ruling. Great Northern supporters call for independent evaluation of historic grain elevator Supporters of the Great Northern grain elevator who rallied Thursday at City Hall cast doubt on an engineering report by Archer Daniels Midland justifying the demolition of the locally designated historic structure. "We are confident that once our experts and evidence are put before the court, it will become clear that the city and Commissioner Comerford acted arbitrarily and capriciously in issuing an emergency demolition order that clearly was not necessary," he said. "We respect the decision of the court," said Michael DeGeorge, Mayor Byron Brown's spokesman. ADM issued a statement saying the only way to ensure the public's safety is to "dismantle the elevator." "We look forward to presenting facts to the court to demonstrate what independent engineers and the city have concluded that demolition is necessary to protect our employees, our neighbors and the public," the statement said. Preservationists say demolishing the Great Northern would be among the most significant architectural losses in Buffalo in decades. Great Northern grain elevator case renews calls for local landmark reforms A measure to be introduced in the Common Council calls for scheduled building inspections of all 144 local landmarks. The Great Northern, built in 1897, is the last brick-enclosed steel structure elevator left in North America. It is also the first grain elevator in the world, along with the Electric Elevator, to harness electricity from Niagara Falls. "It would be the worst loss since the loss of the Larkin Administration Building," said Frank Kowsky, SUNY Buffalo State emeritus professor of art history, citing the Frank Lloyd Wright building demolished in 1950. "It's a world-class monument of industrial architecture." The Campaign for Greater Buffalo believes expert testimony will show the damage to the Great Northern doesn't threaten the elevator's structural integrity, and that Comerford made a rash decision in ordering a demolition. During the fact-finding hearing, Colaiacovo said expert opinions with ideas on how to save the building were outside the scope of the court's evaluation. "This should not be perceived as an invitation for a battle of the experts engineers versus engineers as to whether or not the property can be salvaged," Colaiacovo said at the hearing. "The issue is narrowly defined by how the city reached the conclusion that a demolition order would be necessary." Appellate Court temporarily stays demolition of Great Northern The order freezes an emergency demolition order issued by the City of Buffalo six days after a Dec. 11 windstorm created a large hole in the structure's north wall. But the Appellate Division concluded Colaiacovo needed to allow expert testimony. "At the hearing, the court permitted only the testimony of the commissioner," the ruling said. "The court erred in refusing to consider (Campaign for Greater Buffalo's) proposed evidence, inasmuch as it should have afforded the petitioner the opportunity to submit any competent and relevant proof," according to the appellate decision. Colaiacovo upheld Comerford's decision on Jan. 5. Appellate Justice Tracey Bannister granted a temporary restraining order Jan. 14. That prevented Archer Daniels Midland, the Chicago commodities giant, from tearing down the Great Northern. The grain elevator has stood for nearly five months amid wintry conditions with no evident change in its condition. Rep. Brian Higgins, a Democrat, and Rep. Christopher Jacobs, a Republican, have called on ADM to save the Great Northern. The Common Council passed a resolution also urging ADM to fix the local landmark, which Comerford revealed had never been inspected by the city since ADM took ownership in 1993. Developer Douglas Jemal publicly proposed buying the Great Northern and later offered ADM $100,000 toward stabilizing the building. But ADM attorney Brian Melber has said the company has no interest in selling the structure, even if it could be reused, because of its close proximity to ADM's flour mill. Mark Sommer covers preservation, development, the waterfront, culture and more. He's also a former arts editor at The News. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The frantic search for Haso a retired K-9 credited with saving many lives during his four years as an active duty member of the Erie County Sheriff's Office has come to a shocking end. Haso was found dead around 4:30 p.m. Friday, and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office suspects the dog may have been deliberately harmed. An active criminal investigation is underway. The dog's body was found about a half mile from his owner's house in West Valley, said Capt. Jordan Haines, the chief of detectives who came upon the dog after following up on a tip. It was clear to deputies that Haso did not die of dehydration or exposure, he said. "The way he died is such that it would kick off a criminal investigation," he said. Haines said he could not elaborate more because investigators are still interviewing people. He said he expects to have more information to release on Saturday. Following the tip the Sheriff's Office received, the entire criminal bureau went searching for the dog, Haines said. Haso's body has been taken to Cornell University for a necropsy. Neighbors, friends and even professional, dog-finding sleuths had volunteered in the search for the K-9 who had been missing since Monday night. Haso's owner, Deputy Richard Lundberg, became anxious after Haso ran away Monday night and didn't return to the house by Tuesday morning. Lundberg lives in Cattaraugus County, next to hundreds of acres of woods. That made the search difficult. ATVs and and trail cameras were used to look for Haso. The Buffalo News wrote about Haso in January 2020, when the dog was among the K-9s retired when marijuana was legalized in New York State, compromising their illegal drug-detection training. Both Lundberg and Haso left the K-9 unit at the same time. Early retirement beckons for marijuana-sniffing K-9s Apollo still jumps up, barks and wags his tail when Erie County Sheriffs Deputy Robert Galbraith puts on police gear each morning. For three years the 6-year-old German shepherd worked at Galbraiths side as a narcotics detection dog and tracker. But Apollo doesnt leave for work with Galbraith anymore. Last spring, the Sheriffs Office unceremoniously retired Apollo, even though Haso played a key role in the arrest of a city parking meter mechanic and a substitute teacher. After deputies stopped the city employee's vehicle on the Scajaquada Expressway, the K-9 discovered a bag of cocaine hidden in a side air vent on the dashboard. The Sheriff's Office seized a half kilo of cocaine, 15 grams of fentanyl and $7,500 in cash from the couple's car. Lundberg also recounted Haso's gifts as a tracker. The K-9 sniffed the pajamas of an elderly Clarence man with dementia who had wandered away one night. Haso traced the scent into the woods and found him. "Theres a minimum of eight people who wouldnt be alive today if it werent for him," Lundberg said Wednesday. Lundberg said he let Haso out of his kennel around 7:45 p.m. Monday and went into his garage for four minutes. When the deputy returned, Haso was gone. The deputy used his security cameras and suspected something attracted the dog's attention, causing him to take off. Lundberg and friends with ATVs roamed the woods, with Lundberg leaving pieces of clothes and bedding with his scent on it to give Haso a scent trail home. The Erie County Sheriff's Office posted information about the missing K-9 on social media Wednesday. A dog search group called "Sherlock Bones" assisted in the search effort. Lundberg said Thursday that they found what they believed to be Haso's tracks. Lundberg hoped Haso, a professional tracker, had simply lost his way home, or was alive but injured or stuck somewhere. But he said Wednesday his greatest fear was that Haso, a dog in perfect health on Monday, was no longer living. "Thats the most difficult thing," he said. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Italy's Free Museum Sunday takes place on Labour Day. Italy will open its state museums and archaeological sites for free on 1 May in the second edition of a monthly event which resumed in April for the first time in more than two years. The May 2022 edition of the popular initiative coincides with International Workers' Day, a public holiday in Italy where it is known as Festa dei Lavoratori or Festa del Lavoro. Domenica al Museo was discontinued in March 2020 at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic. The return of the nationwide event comes as Italy continues to phase out covid restrictions, with 1 May the first day that visitors will no longer be required to wear masks in museums and cultural sites. The obligation to have a covid Green Pass when visiting museums in Italy ended at the start of April. Since being introduced in 2014, Domenica al Museo has attracted more than 17 million visitors, including residents of Italy and foreign visitors. For full details of participating museums in Italy see culture ministry website. Tourists visiting Rome this weekend should note that city-run museums will be closed on Sunday 1 May. Cover image: Palazzo Altemps, Rome. Photo credit: Takashi Images / Shutterstock.com. Placeholder while article actions load In October 2020, a few weeks before the experimental trial results for the BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines were released, German virologist Christian Drosten cautioned that the shots would be of limited effectiveness in preventing the spread of the disease. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight We are dealing here with an infection of the mucous membrane, i.e., in the nose and the throat and then later the lungs, he said on Episode 62 of Das Coronavirus-Update, the podcast launched by broadcaster NDR in March 2020 that helped make Drosten a household name in Germany. The mucous membranes already have their own special local immune system. With the current vaccines, which are more likely to be injected into the muscle, you dont reach this local immune system so well. As a result, the vaccines probably protect more against the severe course [of the disease] than against infection. Which is of course exactly how things played out. The vaccines have been spectacularly effective at preventing severe disease and death, much less so at preventing transmission. Advertisement Drosten has been described in the U.S. media as Germanys Fauci, but the moniker seems a little unfair. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci was a top researcher in his day, but has been running a sizable government agency (fiscal year 2021 budget, $6 billion) for the past 38 years. His appearances in the media during the pandemic have mostly involved reciting the public-health consensus of the moment, which was useful when the U.S. president was a font of Covid-19 misinformation but not always especially enlightening. Drosten, director of the Institute of Virology at Berlins Charite medical school, is perhaps the worlds leading coronavirus expert, responsible for identifying the original severe acute respiratory syndrome virus in 2003 and devising the first diagnostic test for the Covid-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus in January 2020. His public commentary, delivered chiefly in podcast form after he grew frustrated dealing with some in the German media, has tended toward the cutting-edge and forward-looking as indicated by what he was saying about vaccines in October 2020. I recount all this as context for what Drosten said last month in the 113th and final (for now) regular Coronavirus-Update episode. He was talking again about the mucous membrane which in German is conveyed as the more graphic Schleimhaut, literally slime skin and its role in keeping infectious diseases in check (translation and editing-for-brevity by me): With influenza it is simply the case that everyone gets infected x times over the course of their lives. These infections occur in the mucous membrane, in the throat. Our mucous membranes have a local immune system of their own, if you want to call it that. And everyone in the population, except for the children, of course, has so many infections behind them that there in the mucous membrane, immunity exists. That is why the adults in the population, and that is the vast majority of the population, are not so infectious. Advertisement It is this mucosal immunity that keeps influenza from spreading most of the year, with the diseases effective reproduction number (the average number of people who will get it from each one who has it) surpassing 1 for only a few months in winter, when indoor crowding, drier air and other factors seem to lead to increased transmission. Contrast that with Covid: Current vaccines generate some mucosal immunity but it fades quickly, and while there are nasal-spray vaccines in development that target the mucous membrane, theyre not ready yet, and this approach has been of only mixed effectiveness against influenza. Meanwhile, less than half the German population has been infected with Covid, Drosten said (in the U.S., according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report this week, its 57.7%), so there probably isnt nearly enough mucosal immunity out there to prevent the reproduction number from rising back to 2 or 3 in the fall, bringing another huge wave of infections and concomitant stresses on hospitals and disruption of daily life. One thing that could preclude this, Drosten speculated, might be a lot of young people (the Party Generation, he called it, in English) getting infected a second or third time over the summer, but he expressed doubt that this would be enough to make a difference in 2022. How many times are people going to need to be infected to confer effective immunity against transmission, asked NDR science reporter and podcast moderator Korinna Hennig. Drostens reply: Advertisement My idea is that this is in the range of a number that you can count on one hand. But no one can say for sure at the moment. The role of infection-conferred immunity in slowing the spread of Covid has been a sensitive topic. Early in the pandemic, it was emphasized by a few scientists (and a lot of non-scientists) who wildly underestimated the deadliness of the disease. Later, after vaccines became available, anti-vaxxers argued that natural immunity was superior to the sort conferred by shots. The latter claim isnt entirely wrong as might be expected from Drostens explanations, theres some evidence that prior infection provides better protection against subsequent infection than current vaccines do (although theres counter-evidence, too). But its far less dangerous to get a shot than to get Covid for the first time, and once youve been infected, vaccines add significant protection against reinfection. Relegating SARS-CoV-2 to the status of an endemic virus like the flu or the several coronaviruses that cause common colds, though, may require lots and lots of us getting the disease, again and again. As Drosten put it in an interview in January: Advertisement Over the long run, we will not be able to vaccinate the population every few months. That wont do. At some point, the virus itself will have to keep updating peoples immunity. Given the source, its hard to argue with this. As a guide to policy and behavior, though, its not so clear. Going to great lengths to avoid infection makes less sense for most of us than it used to, and trying to maintain a zero-Covid policy as a nation, as China is doing, seems to make no sense at all. But should we be going out and trying to get infected? A few weeks ago, after writing about my belief that wearing masks on buses and subways ought be encouraged even after the mandates go away, I heard from readers who argued that this was unwise because getting exposed to germs on the bus or subway builds immunity. But if thats the case, the great majority of Americans who arent fortunate enough to commute by public transportation must be putting themselves in grave danger. By that logic, dont they need to hang out unmasked in enclosed spaces crowded with strangers for a couple of hours every week? Advertisement Put it that way, and the argument for not ever bothering to take precautions falls apart. Drosten certainly doesnt subscribe to it, instead expressing hope in the final Coronavirus-Update that the Asian courtesy of wearing a mask when ill and in certain other situations catches on in Germany. Wondering what the right balance might be, I asked my primary-care physician (and college classmate) Bertie Bregman, who has been treating Covid patients in New York since the early days of the pandemic and contracted the disease early on, too. He had an interesting response: In a nutshell, what I believe is that we have to stop being so neurotic about Covid and be more neurotic about everything else. That is, with Covid now manifesting itself among the vaccinated and those with prior infections (i.e., almost everybody) mainly as a standard-issue upper-respiratory infection, we should probably just treat it as a standard-issue infection, albeit with a heightened awareness that the spread of such diseases can and should be slowed by simple measures like staying home and wearing a mask when sick. The one wild card, Bregman allowed, is Long Covid, the risk that even mild cases now could lead to complications later. But taking reasonable care around cold-and-flu-like symptoms is likely to be more effective in curbing Covid, he thinks, than the current widely followed approach of taking rapid Covid tests and going about life as normal if they come back negative then half the time a week later they turn out to be positive. What about building immunity? Exposing children early on to germs and allergens pays dividends later, Bregman said, but for adults the costs of getting sick outweigh the benefits. So yes, most of us will probably get Covid, repeatedly. No need to rush it, though.More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion: Advertisement Pandemics Biggest Mistake Is Still Causing Confusion: Faye Flam Shanghais Covid Agony Wont Be Silenced: Shuli Ren Rapid Covid Tests Need to Come With Better Guidance: Faye Flam This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Justin Fox is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering business. He was the editorial director of Harvard Business Review and wrote for Time, Fortune and American Banker. He is the author of The Myth of the Rational Market. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Placeholder while article actions load OTTAWA Police wearing helmets and shields made several arrests Friday night in Canadas capital after facing off against protesters opposed to COVID-19 mandates. Big-rig trucks attempted to make their way to Parliament Hill as part of the Rolling Thunder rally, organized by Freedom Fighters Canada, a group dedicated to speaking out against COVID-19 mandates. Many of the protesters were also part of the three-week Freedom Convoy demonstration that gridlocked Ottawas downtown earlier this year with big rigs, prompting Canadas federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time. That protest ended after hundreds of police officers moved in to disperse the crowds, making dozens of arrests. Ottawa police promised earlier Friday that protesters would not be allowed to get a foothold for a prolonged occupation. Advertisement More than 800 reinforcements were called in from the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and regional police services to guard every major downtown intersection and prevent protesters from bringing vehicles into the core. Things started calmly, with shouts of Freedom! as protesters mingled and danced on Wellington Street, the main drive in front of Parliament Hill. Protesters also marched through the ByWard Market with a police escort. But early in the evening police warned of a large convoy trying to make its way into the city. Soon, hundreds of protesters were crowded around large trucks and campers just outside the parliamentary precinct. Protesters yelled hold the line, trying to push police officers away from the vehicles. Police attempted to push the crowds away from the trucks and back toward Parliament Hill. Advertisement By late Friday afternoon, city bylaw officers said they had issued 185 tickets and towed 20 vehicles related to the rally. Ottawa city councilor Jeff Leiper reported seeing police smash a truck window to take control of the vehicle. Police were seen making arrests on the street. On Saturday, the protesters plan to loop around the downtown, with a stop at the War Memorial and march to a rally on Parliament Hill. Vehicles involved in the rally wont be allowed into a zone that includes the war monument and Parliament, police say. Nor will they be allowed to stop along the route, but participants can walk through the area. The Rolling Thunder group has not been clear about the cause theyre rallying for, except to say they will be in Ottawa to peacefully celebrate our freedom. A statement on the Rolling Thunder website attributed to organizer Neil Sheard says the protesters plan to leave on Sunday, and they do not support blockades, obstruction of police performing their duties, damage to property or hate and vitriol directed to the residents of Ottawa. The statement also encourages supporters to follow the laws and says police will be held accountable in court for their actions during the event. GiftOutline Gift Article Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Statement condemning growing communal violence a matter of serious public health concern Demanding government accountability and action We, the members of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) are extremely concerned about the ongoing state-led and state-sponsored targeted violence and discrimination which is particularly directed against Muslims, while also affecting groups like Christians and Dalits. This violence has been particularly witnessed in Karnataka and BJP ruled states, as well as in some other states like Delhi and Rajasthan. JSA is a national level network working across various states on public health issues, with the belief that peoples right to health is intrinsically linked to their human rights, including the right to live and work without discrimination or fear of violence. In recent period India has seen Hindutva groups unleashing a wave of violence and orchestrated hatred against Muslims, supported through discriminatory practices and malign patronage by the State. The aggressive everyday efforts towards humiliating and subjugating the community are increasingly visible and are being practised with near impunity. This targeting of Muslims has denied them recourse to police support, judicial oversight and even objective media reporting. In Karnataka, thousands of young Muslim women and girls who are eager to learn have been subjected to daily harassment on the pretext of the hijab, which has become a tool to deny education. Karnataka has also witnessed vicious public campaigns to boycott Muslim businesses, instigated by sitting ministers and led by Hindutva groups. This includes the attacks on stalls of Muslim traders at fairs and festivals, calls to boycott Muslim drivers and tour operators, and seeking a ban on the Azaan. These along with regressive laws that ban cattle slaughter are pushing Muslim and Dalit communities to economic destitution. Such casteist methods of social and economic boycotts are discriminatory and are in clear conflict with the Constitutional principles as embodied in Article 19(1)(g) and violative of Articles 14 and 15 of the Indian Constitution. Jan Swasthya Abhiyan staunchly opposes the rise of Food Fascism across the country, which includes calls by Hindutva groups to ban meat shops along with Government targeting of meat sellers, imposing restrictions on sale of halal meat while harassing Muslim traders, attacks on Muslim fruit vendors referred to as fruit jihad, and denying provision of nutritious eggs to children through midday meals in BJP ruled states. Such highly discriminatory actions are adding to communal tensions, are causing huge damage to the economic security of vast masses of working people, and are blocking access to much-needed animal sources of protein and nutrients for deprived populations across the country. (JSA will be issuing a separate detailed statement soon on various aspects of this theme of Hindutva based assaults girls, irrespective of whether they wear a hijab or not, have inalienable fundamental rights of equality and equity in education, and all other aspects of life enshrined in the Constitution of India. We are outraged by the reprehensible targeting of Muslim women on GitHub (a free web platform), where Twitter handles and photographs of Muslim women were uploaded with the explicit aim of directing Women and sexualised hate and harm at these women. on food security and nutrition, which are deleterious to health, as well as being violations of health and human rights.) We are alarmed to note that during the recent Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti festivals, provocative and aggressive marches, processions around Masjids and Muslim bastis by communal groups took place in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi and other states, that led to the eruption of communal violence. Moreover, the governments in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi egregiously demolished the residences and shops belonging predominantly to Muslims, while selective arrests and harassment of Muslims in the context of the violence have obfuscated the obvious communal intent and motivation behind these actions. As Health activists we are shocked by this ongoing, systematic campaign which is unleashing hatred, prejudice and violence against Muslim communities, that can have several long lasting and adverse consequences for peoples health and wellbeing. Communal violence and discrimination have serious public health implications, that JSA has been foregrounding for many years. They aggravate barriers to accessing health care, due to non-inclusive, discriminatory services, differential treatment, delay and denial of health care. Communalisation of the public sphere also impacts key entitlements and services such as ICDS, mid-day meals and results in loss of livelihoods, wages and income, affecting peoples nutritional status and health. Most importantly, the real threat of violence and continuing discrimination have a direct, unambiguous impact on the health of individuals, families and communities. Poor mental health leads to a host of health concerns, which may include chronic headaches, suicidal thoughts/intent, gastritis, ulcers, insomnia, depression and many other adverse health outcomes. Girls and women are particularly affected physically and mentally by restrictions on their education, movement, and independent choices. We note with alarm that the State which is tasked with upholding the law and Constitution, has often itself become an enabler of orchestrated criminal and anti-social actions. The current situation is a blatant denial of the human rights to health and life, guarantees which are enshrined in the Constitution of India, including Article 21. We hold elected governments squarely responsible for tackling and preventing such targeted violence and discrimination against Muslims and vulnerable communities in their respective states. We urgently demand that they immediately take the range of necessary actions which are detailed below. As members of the peoples health movement in the country, we demand that: a. All involved governments must b. Involved State governments must act decisively against hate speeches, fake news and inciting of communal hatred on news channels and other media, calls for violence, as well as social and economic boycotts. c .Involved governments must abide by their political and constitutional commitments to ensure that all girls and women, irrespective of their religion, dress, caste, region, have equal and equitable access to education without discrimination. Government of Karnataka must ensure the security of girls/women in all educational institutions in the state to ensure that exclusion and denial of right to education and other human rights does not take place in any context. d. Courts in all states should take suo moto cognisance of any misinformation and false stories against vulnerable communities that aggravate their risk of being subjected to violence and discrimination. After following due legal procedure, punishment of offenders must be ensured. This includes misinformation through social media and other media platforms. e. All governments should take dedicated measures to ensure that equitable and adequate access to health services for Muslim communities and other discriminated groups is ensured at all levels and in all areas, including sexual, reproductive and mental health services. f. Governments must immediately eliminate official and non-official constraints on the food practices and nutrition rights of marginalised and deprived communities. These include calls to boycott and bans on sale of meat, removal of animal proteins from food supplementation programmes, and interfering in peoples choice of food and livelihood by imposing elite vegetarianism. g. The social determinants of health such as employment, education, food security, water, sanitation, nutrition must be addressed on priority basis, while ending any attempts to restrict these entitlements for Muslim communities and other marginalised and deprived populations. Jan Swasthya Abhiyan holds governments at state as well as central levels completely accountable for ensuring these constitutionally endorsed rights, through means of taking the entire range of relevant actions. In parallel we also call upon all concerned movements, networks, organisations and individuals to not keep silent, and to take all possible actions in the current situation. Communal discrimination, hatred, and violence are as much a public health crisis as the Covid pandemic, and can spread just as virulently. This epidemic of violence and hatred has its roots in both state as well as society, and hence needs to be countered and eliminated at both levels, in an integrated manner. This crisis needs as serious and urgent intervention as any other public health crisis; together we must stop the scourge of communal hatred and violence in its tracks, before it is allowed to spread any further. National coordination committee of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan All India Peoples Science Network (AIPSN) * All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN) * Asian Community Health Action Network (ACHAN) * All India Democratic Womens Association (AIDWA) * Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS) * Breast Feeding Promotion Network in India (BPNI) * Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI) * Centre for Community Health and Social Medicine, JNU * Christian Medical Association of India (CMAI) * SOCHARA * Forum for Creche and Child Care Services (FORCES) * Federation of Medical Representative Associations of India (FMRAI) * Healthwatch Forum * Joint Womens Programme (JWP) * Medico Friends Circle (MFC) * National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM) * National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) * National Association of Womens Organisations (NAWO) * Prayas, Rajasthan* Public Health Resource Network * SAMA Resource Group on Womens Health * SATHI Contacts: Sulakshana Nandi (9406090595), N.B. Sarojini (9818664634), Deepa Venkatachalam (9871642320) T. Sundararaman (9987438253), Amulya Nidhi (9425311547) In the more than two weeks since the USS The Sullivans began to list to its starboard side, stern expressions were common when officials discussed the state of the sinking naval ship. The news improved significantly Friday, however, as the U.S. Coast Guard and Buffalo Naval Park revealed that more than 33 holes have been plugged and the ship is not listing as much. The holes ranged in size from the diameter of a dime to two and half inches. "It's the first time in 16 days we've seen a lot of smiles being cracked around this whole situation," said Paul J. Marzello Sr., president and CEO of the Buffalo Naval Park. Among the positive developments was that the ship's list, once measured at 20 degrees, had dropped to 4 degrees by Friday's measurement, according to Capt. Lexia Littlejohn, commander of the Buffalo sector of the U.S. Coast Guard. Because oily waste and water have been pumped from the ship and no further large breaches have occurred, the Sullivans' stern previously resting on the silt on the bottom of the basin has begun to float again. As the stern was raised Friday, a diver discovered a hole that was previously blocked from sight. The hole was being evaluated before its repair. The ship's bow still touched the bottom of the Buffalo River. 16 feet of worry: Divers brave danger in trying to save USS The Sullivans In the eight days since the USS The Sullivans began leaning and taking on water, both organizations overseeing the dive and the divers have faced many obstacles: battering winds, the precarious position of the ship and murky water that limits visibility. T&T Salvage, an international recovery organization hired to help guide the Sullivans' rescue, had its plan to refloat the decommissioned U.S. Navy destroyer approved by a U.S. Coast Guard team, Littlejohn said. Twenty-two water pumps were on board on Friday, but not all the pumps would be used at once, Littlejohn said. Officials noted that the Sullivans' path to recovery could reach a new phase early next week. The emergency operation, which required help from T&T and the U.S. Coast Guard, would conclude and the previously planned repair phase conducted by the Naval Park and BIDCO Marine Group would begin. The repair phase, which was planned in 2018, long before the breach 16 days ago, will use two-part epoxy to patch or plug holes in the Sullivans' hull and is expected to take roughly three months. Several benchmarks need to be met before this phase change, however. Naval Park revisits long-term solutions as USS The Sullivans remains in crisis "Things have changed over the course of time. We're going to certainly take a look at all those options again," said Paul J. Marzello Sr., president and CEO of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park. "Once we get the vessel up to an even keel, right up to the point it's stable, we'll conduct another assessment," Littlejohn said. "We'll send divers around the entire vessel and make sure it's stable in a sense to where we can depart the scene and turn it over. " For Marzello, the head of the Naval Park, Friday's improvement prompted an emotional response. "The joy of seeing this historic landmark rise out of the water was a very meaningful and poignant time for all of us," he said. "Although we're certainly not going to take a victory lap right now, because there's plenty of work still yet to do, we're very pleased and very excited to be at this particular point in time." Ben Tsujimoto can be reached at btsujimoto@buffnews.com, at (716) 849-6927 or on Twitter at @Tsuj10. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. AFTER YANG PG, 96 minutes, rated PG What is it lately with arthouse sci-fi movies and tea? In the recent Swan Song the terminally ill protagonist (Mahershala Ali) was hired by an organic tea company to work on a packaging design, his final gift to humanity before stepping aside in favour of his android double. (From left) Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja and Justin H. Min play a family in After Yang. Credit:A24 In After Yang, set in a similarly tasteful near-future America, the motif is boldly carried forward. Colin Farrell stars as Jake, the proprietor of a shop specialising in imported loose-leaf tea, a vocation inspired by a Werner Herzog documentary he saw in his college years. The notion of a carefully assembled blend evidently strikes a chord with the Korean-American writer-director Kogonada (Columbus), who himself makes a point of blending elements from disparate cultures. Jake and his family live in a Japanese-influenced suburban home with sliding doors and untreated wood furniture, filmed in long takes from fixed camera angles after the fashion of the Taiwanese New Wave. Each week, we quiz a prominent person about their style and the inspiration behind it. Ahead, artist Louise Olsen. The 1960s and 70s was a wonderful creative time in fashion and art; people could be themselves to discover and experiment, says Olsen. How would you describe your style? Utility, tailored, classic. Whats the oldest thing in your wardrobe? A Liberty lawn dress with puffy sleeves my grandmother made me when I was five. I have such lovely memories of her making it especially for me. My daughter wore it, too. And the most recent addition? A Rick Owens kimono-style coat from Marais on Bourke Street in Melbourne. Its black, beautiful, fine wool it has a great silhouette. Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison will go head to head in a crucial second election debate on the Nine Network, less than two weeks before 17 million Australians cast their ballots. The hour-long debate will take place on Sunday, May 8 at 8.30pm at Nines Sydney studios. It will be broadcast on the networks main free-to-air channel, streaming service Nine Now and the websites of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age (Nine is the owner of this masthead). Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison will have a second debate on May 8. Credit:AP The second debate has been the subject of days of negotiation between the Coalition and Labor, with ALP officials wanting to see whether their leader had completely recovered from COVID-19 before agreeing to the date. The ABC and Seven networks have also pushed for debates on their free-to-air channels. Prince William has praised Australias emergency service workers and communities for the brilliant job they have done coping with the truly horrendous flooding that had devastated parts of NSW and Queensland. The Duke of Cambridge, second in line to the throne, heard first-hand about the aftermath of the flooding which devastated the region during a call with several emergency services and community leaders from northern NSW on Thursday (AEST). Prince William talks with community leaders and emergency services workers from flood hit NSW communities on Thursday. Credit:Kensington Palace On the video call, William acknowledged it was hollow words to sit in the comfort of his palace on the other side of the world, but he said he was committed to helping the communities raise and maintain awareness. He reassured them that he didnt want them to feel forgotten. Record rainfall in late February and March led to the declaration of a national emergency across the two states, leaving 22 dead on the east coast and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. In a room behind the altar, 10-year-old Otim Joseph and his friend, Christopher Soe, showed no hint of nerves. The two children were about to portray disciples in front of the busy pews of Our Lady of Hope Church on Lafayette Avenue, where Christophers older brother Elijah handled the title role last Sunday in a dramatic rendition of the Doubting Thomas tale. Otims family is from South Sudan, while Christophers parents are refugees from Burma. They are part of a passionate congregation, consisting mainly of new Americans, that electrifies the 11 a.m. Mass each week at the church, known as Annunciation until its 2008 merger with Our Lady of Loretto and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mass Mob packs the pews at Corpus Christi Group uplifts Corpus Christis parishioners by boosting attendance with 400 guest The children were about to perform as part of the Gospel reading. They knew their lines inside-out, including an astonished retort of It is true! when Elijah-as-Thomas, needing to see to believe, brushed off accounts of the resurrection. One key player, though, had yet to arrive. Jesus isnt here yet, said Christopher, 9, referring to Lay Wah Say, a teenage buddy lined up for that big part who soon showed up on time. I was at Our Lady of Hope for reasons that began as professional, then became deeply personal. Alan Oberst was one of the original organizers of the groundbreaking Buffalo Mass Mob, a collective of regional Catholics with a sense of wonder who do a kind of tour of Mass services at historic churches. Years ago, Oberst suggested that I might write a column at some point as the Mob prepared to do its bit, simply to let readers know they are invited. The 40th gathering in Mob history, which will be Sunday at Our Lady of Hope, seemed like the right time. The group is embraced by Bishop Michael Fisher, who said in a statement that the Mass Mob encourages "Buffalo's faithful to experience a diversity of parish communities." Christopher Byrd, a founder and organizer, said the original idea was to shine a little light on city churches having problems with attendance, while emphasizing how "these beautiful historic churches are an absolutely vital part of the fabric of the community. The visit to Our Lady of Hope will certainly reinforce the second point though the concern about attendance, at this Mass, is not a factor. Cheryl Walters, a church secretary raised in the neighborhood, said the parish includes about 450 families, many with roots in Burma, Congo, South Sudan, Burundi, Tanzania, Eritrea and other nations. These families, Walters said, they go to church. For a 21st century parish, that is no small thing. Byrd said Sundays Mass Mob, only the second significant gathering for the group since the harshest days of the pandemic, involves high anticipation. The Mob which has drawn anywhere from a few hundred people for a single Mass to beyond 1,000 was at Our Lady of Hope before, in 2018, but turnout in 2018 was affected by an ice storm. The pastor, Rev. Felix Nyambe, is a native of Zambia who serves with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, an order whose driving purpose is to help those in greatest need. He welcomes the Mass Mob into a 124-year-old church, designed in magnificent detail by architect Albert Post. Yet the real church, Nyambe said, is not about stone walls but what goes on inside. Refugees and immigrants from multiple nations including plenty of happy little kids come together each Sunday for a jubilant service in many languages. Translations are broadcast on screens in front of church with almost constant music provided by such varied choral groups as the St. Kizito Choir, which sings in Kirundi. To me, in Buffalo, in this church, the importance is the oneness of so many people from so many cultures, Nyambe said. Now, a confession, though not in the strict sense: While working on this column, impossible coincidence or whatever you choose to call it quickly amplified the connection. My late mother and father spent their teen years and 20s on the West Side of Buffalo, and it was not until I returned to Western New York to do this job that I learned, through a little digging, where they were married. My dad, who spent much of his childhood at Father Bakers orphanage, ended up on West Delavan Avenue, a few blocks from the church. He was living there when he met my mother, orphaned daughter of Scottish immigrants, who was staying with an older brother on Perkins Place. She soon converted to Catholicism, and they took their vows at Annunciation on May 2, 1942. Sean Kirst: A lost sister, a Central Terminal reunion, the long road home On Memorial Day, Sean Kirst writes about his sisters death as a toddler in 1944, his heartbroken mother and her change of heart after she wrote her soldier husband: Dont come That means Sundays Mass at Our Lady of Hope, picked by chance by the Mass Mob, is exactly one day short of the 80th anniversary of my parents wedding in that same church. The parish was also central to the hardest passage of their lives: When my sister Sharon died as a toddler in 1944, she was buried out of Annunciation. So, yeah. I felt it when I walked in there to learn a truth I know would matter to my folks: The church that was a pivot in their lives does not represent some sad song about past Buffalo glory and used-to-be. Instead, it is triumphant and absolutely hopping. Annunciation was always a good church but this? This is just tremendous, said Tom Regensdorfer, 80, a retiree from Trico and the postal service who married his wife Phyllis there, 58 years ago. All these cultures! What it is, really, is one big family. Regendsdorfer was at the entrance, volunteering side-by-side with Pan Kyaing of the Karen community, who serves as chief usher and has legendary stature at the church. Associate pastor Ron Thaler, 79, a parish fixture since the merger, remembers when the place was in danger of closing, and the arrival of the Oblates represented a last chance. Sean Kirst: Relentless sisters harvest hope for refugees on West Side Sister Kathleen Dougherty expected this phase in her career to involve peace and quiet. She had already retired three times from teaching jobs in South Carolina and Western New York. In 2015, she moved into the new St. Marys Center on Buffalos West Side, where her fellow Sisters of St. Mary of Namur needed someone who could play the Kyaing, who said he was routed to Our Lady of Hope years ago by Sister Mary McCarrick, then-director of Catholic Charities, was one of the first new Americans to walk through the front door. His arrival symbolized a turning point, and his faith, heart and patience now help define the place. Remembering how a civil war destroyed his Burmese village, Kyaing said finding a church in Buffalo was as important to what he needed as food and water in his new city. God led me here, said Kyaing, whose eight siblings were scattered around the world by their trials and who lost a brother, Andrew, to Covid-19. After each day of work at Wegmans, Kyaing said he dedicates himself to his family and his church. At Our Lady of Hope, he describes his mission as creating a welcoming community to provide solace and belonging to so many arriving in flight from violence, hunger and despair. That perspective is shared by Nininahazwe Agnes, 20, a SUNY Buffalo State junior. She settled in Buffalo as a 7-year-old after traveling with her family from a refugee camp in Tanzania. From day one, she said, attending church in her new community was not an obligation but an act of gratitude. They took us under their wings here, said Agnes, a longtime member of a multicultural youth choir overseen by John Panepinto and Jenny Serniuk. She spoke with appreciation about years of field trips and children's theatrical performances. One of her favorite moments is an annual Epiphany celebration that involves not just three kings but five or six or more, each representing the many nationalities within the church. The parishioners will greet this weekend's Mass Mob in the way they welcome all visitors. There will be hymns, prayer and a sign of peace offered in a fashion that needs no words, an elemental message of warmth from the old church that I have no doubt my parents would love to hear: Our Lady of Hope, every day, more than lives up to its name. Sean Kirst is a columnist with The Buffalo News. Email him at skirst@buffnews.com. The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian in his nightly video address to urge Russian soldiers not to fight in Ukraine, saying even their generals expected that thousands of them would die. He said Russia has been recruiting new troops with little motivation and little combat experience for the units that were gutted during the early weeks of the war so these units can be thrown back into battle. He said Russian commanders fully understand that thousands of them will die and thousands more will be wounded in the coming weeks. The Russian commanders are lying to their soldiers when they tell them they can expect to be held seriously responsible for refusing to fight and then also dont tell them, for example, that the Russian army is preparing additional refrigerator trucks for storing the bodies. They dont tell them about the new losses the generals expect, Zelenskyy said late Saturday. Every Russian soldier can still save his own life. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land, he said. KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukrainian forces fight Russia's grinding advance in eastern Donbas region Wives of Mariupol defenders appeal for soldiers evacuation from final holdout Some Ukrainians go back across front line toward homes, despite dangers Ukrainian women learn how to clear land mines at course in Kosovo Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: STOCKHOLM Sweden says a Russian military plane has violated Swedish airspace. The incident happened late Friday in the Baltic Sea near the island of Bornholm. In a statement Saturday, the Swedish Armed Forces said a Russian AN-30 propeller plane flew toward Swedish airspace and briefly entered it before leaving the area. The Swedish Air Force scrambled fighter jets which photographed the Russian plane. Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told Swedish public radio that the violation was unacceptable and unprofessional. In a similar incident in early March four Russian warplanes violated Swedish airspace over the Baltic Sea. Sweden and neighboring Finland are both considering NATO membership following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has warned that such a move would have consequences, without giving specifics. LONDON Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the progress of the U.N. effort to evacuate people from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol and offered the U.K.s continued economic and humanitarian support during a talk Saturday with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskky. The prime minister reiterated that he is more committed than ever to reinforcing Ukraine and ensuring (Russian President Vladimir) Putin fails, noting how hard the Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom, Johnsons Downing Street office said. He confirmed that the UK will continue to provide additional military aid to give the Ukrainians the equipment they needed to defend themselves, the statement said. The United Nations has been attempting to broker an evacuation in the port city where some 100,000 civilians remain. Up to 1,000 civilians are living beneath a Soviet-era steel plant in Mariupol, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has not said how many fighters are also in the plant, but the Russians put the number at about 2,000. A Russian rocket attack destroyed an airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-largest city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said Saturday. In a Telegram post, Ukraines Operational Command South said there was no way that the Odesa runway could be used as a result of the rocket attack. Local authorities urged residents of the area to shelter in place as Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing army sources, reported that several explosions were heard in Odesa. Odesas regional governor said that the rocket was fired from Russian-occupied Crimea. Maksym Marchenko said there were no reports of any injuries. Russian forces have embarked on a major military operation to seize significant parts of southern and eastern Ukraine, the countrys industrial heartland, and capture the countrys Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts. KYIV, Ukraine Ukraines national grid operator says it has has restored reliable power supply in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, around the site of the 1986 nuclear reactor disaster. In the afternoon, the last necessary 330 kV power transmission line was put into operation, the state-owned Ukrenergo wrote in a Telegram post Saturday. According to the same post, Ukrenergo also restored another 330 kV line in the northern Kyiv region last night, helping stabilize the energy supply in the capital. It said the reconstruction of further transmission lines in and around Kyiv remains underway. KYIV The mayor of the eastern Ukrainian town of Popasna said in a video interview that two buses headed to the town to evacuate residents had been fired upon and that contact with the drivers had been lost. Yesterday we evacuated 31 people from Popasna. Many more people were waiting; for that reason we dispatched two more buses to the evacuation point, Mayor Mykola Khanatov said in an interview posted on the Telegram channel of Serhiy Haidai, the Ukrainian governor of the eastern Luhansk region. We know that (the buses) reached the town and then came under fire from an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group, Khanatov said. There is no contact with people who were inside the vehicles and were organizing the evacuation. Russian forces have embarked on a major military operation to seize significant parts of southern and eastern Ukraine, the country's industrial heartland. KYIV, Ukraine -- Another mass grave has been found in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the scene of alleged mass executions of civilians before its recapture by Ukrainian forces in early March, the head of Kyivs regional police force said Saturday. On April 29, a pit with the bodies of three men was found in the Bucha district, regional police chief Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. The victims were tortured for a lengthy period of time. Bullet wounds were found on the extremities of their bodies. In the end, each of the men was shot through the ear. This is another mass burial made by the occupiers in the Bucha district, the long-suffering district where more than a thousand civilians have been killed and tortured, Nebytov added. According to Nebytovs post, the burial site was found in the forest near the village of Myrotske, 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of the town of Bucha. Nebytov said the three bodies were being sent for a forensic examination, following a preliminary inspection by the Kyiv regional police. KYIV, Ukraine -- Seven Ukrainian soldiers and seven civilians have been released in a prisoner swap Saturday with Russia, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on social media. Were bringing home 14 of our people: seven military personnel and seven civilians,Vereshchuk wrote on Facebook and Telegram. To me, this exchange is special: one of the female soldiers is five months pregnant. As of Saturday afternoon, the swap had not been confirmed by official Russian sources. NEW YORK Prices for Russian credit default swaps insurance contracts that protect an investor against a default plunged sharply overnight after Moscow used its precious foreign currency reserves to make a last-minute debt payment on Friday. The cost for a five-year credit default swap on Russian debt was $5.84 million to protect $10 million in debt. That price was just about half the price on Thursday, which at roughly $11 million for $10 million in debt protection was a signal that investors were certain of a Russian default. Despite the insurance contract plunge, investors remain largely convinced that Russia will eventually default on its debts for the first time since 1917. The major ratings agencies Standard & Poors and Moodys have declared Russia is in selective default on its obligations and earlier this week, the governing body over CDS contracts declared Russia in default. Ukraine evacuated more people Saturday in the eastern town of Lyman in the fiercely fought-over region of Donetsk, where at least half the residents have fled Russian shelling since the start of the war. About 20 mostly elderly people boarded a minivan amid the sounds of outgoing artillery and explosions in the distance. All the shops in the almost-empty town were closed and those who decided to remain rely on aid distributed by groups including the Ukrainian Red Cross. Those who remain say they are either too old, dont know where to go or dont want to leave their homes unattended. They seek shelter in their basements whenever the shelling starts. Meanwhile, in Dobropillya, further to the west, Russian shelling hit the town on Saturday, damaging buildings and slightly injuring seven people including three children, according to authorities. Ukraines deputy agriculture minister says Russian forces are seizing vast amounts of grain in territory they hold, while its president says the war-torn country is facing fuel shortages. Today, there are confirmed facts that several hundred thousand tons of grain in total were taken out of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, minister Taras Vysotsky told Ukrainian television on Saturday. Ukraine is one of the worlds major grain producers and the Russian invasion has curtailed exports, pushing up world grain prices and raising concerns about severe grain shortages in importing countries. Ukraine is also facing fuel shortages as Russia destroys its fuel infrastructure and blocks its ports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday night. Fuel shortages have been reported in Kyiv, Dnipro and other cities. Vehicles can be seen lining up at gas stations and drivers in most places can purchase only 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of fuel at a time. Zelenskyy promised that officials would find a fuel supply system within a week or two to prevent a deficit but called it a difficult task after the refinery at Kremenchuk was hit by a Russian missile. But, Zelenskyy said, there are no immediate solutions. PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron has conveyed to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy his wish to actively work to re-establish the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine during his second mandate, in coordination with allies, the presidential Elysee Palace says. Macron assured Zelenskyy in their hourlong conversation Saturday that military material and humanitarian assistance would keep flowing to Ukraine, the Elysee said. France has so far sent 615 tons of equipment and aid, including generators for hospitals, ambulances and food. France has been coy about its contribution in defensive weapons, but Macron recently mentioned Milan anti-tank missiles and a delivery of truck-mounted Caesar cannons among consequential equipment. This support will continue to strengthen, the French president told Zelenskyy, according to the Elysee. Macron was re-elected president of France six days ago. During his first term, Macron held numerous conversations with both Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin since Russias invasion Feb. 24. LVIV, Ukraine Russias foreign minister says Moscow has evacuated over 1 million people from Ukraine since the war there began. The comments Saturday by Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua come as Ukraine has accused Moscow of forcefully sending Ukrainians out of the country. Lavrov said that figure included more than 300 Chinese civilians. Lavrov offered no evidence to support his claim in the interview. Lavrov also said that negotiations continue between Russia and Ukraine almost every day. However, he cautioned that progress has not been easy. Lavrov in part blamed the bellicose rhetoric and inflammatory actions of Western supporters of the Kyiv regime for disrupting the talks. However, Russian state TV nightly has had guests who suggest that Moscow use nuclear weapons in the conflict. LVIV, Ukraine The British military believes Russian forces in Ukraine are likely suffering from weakened morale. The British Defense Ministry made that assessment in a tweet Saturday as part of a daily report it provides on Russias war on Kyiv. It says Russia still faces considerable challenges in fighting. The British military believes Russian forces have been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in northeast Ukraine. It offered no information on how it arrived at this assessment. However, analysts believe Russian forces that failed to take Kyiv at the start of the war have been redeployed without the time needed to properly rearm and restaff. The British believe Russia hopes to reorganize its effort and shorten supply lines. The ministry added: A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localized improvements. WASHINGTON A senior U.S. defense official said Friday the Russian offensive is going much slower than planned in part because of the strength of the Ukrainian resistance. We also assess that because of this slow and uneven progress, again, without perfect knowledge of every aspect of the Russian plan, we do believe and assess that they are behind schedule in what they were trying to accomplish in the Donbas, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the U.S. militarys assessment. He said the U.S. believes the Russians are at least several days behind where they wanted to be as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east. As the troops try to move north out of Mariupol so they can advance on Ukrainian forces from the south, their progress has been slow and uneven, and certainly not decisive, in any event, the official said. KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to destroy the Donbas and all who live there. The constant brutal bombardments, the constant Russian strikes on infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to empty this territory of all people. Therefore, the defense of our land, the defense of our people, is literally a fight for life, he said late Friday in his nightly video address to the nation. He said the cities and towns of the Donbas will survive only if Ukraine remains standing. If the Russian invaders are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones. As they did with Mariupol. Zelenskyy said Mariupol, once one of the most developed cities in the region, was now a Russian concentration camp among the ruins. In Kharkiv, a major city to the north, the situation was brutal but Ukrainian troops and intelligence agents have had important tactical successes, he said without elaborating. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said about 20% of the citys residential buildings have been so badly damaged that it will be impossible to restore them. Zelenskyy said rescuers were still going through the rubble in Kyiv after Thursdays missile strikes. He expressed his condolences to the family of Vira Hyrych, who was killed in the bombardment. He said she was the 23rd journalist killed in the war. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appears to have dismissed the need for the United Nations to help secure humanitarian corridors out of Ukraines besieged cities, striking a tough line a day after the U.N. chief toured war-wracked Kyiv with that very aim. As an interviewer at Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV tried to ask Lavrov about U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians, Lavrov cut him off. There is no need. I know, I know, an irritated Lavrov said. There is no need for anybody to provide help to open humanitarian corridors. There is only one problem humanitarian corridors are being ignored by Ukrainian ultra-nationals, he said. We appreciate the interest of the secretary-general to be helpful, he added. (We have) explained what is the mechanism for them to monitor how the humanitarian corridors are announced. During the hourlong interview, Lavrov also accused the West of sabotaging Russias peace talks with Ukraine. He claimed that thorny negotiations in Istanbul last month had been progressing on issues of Russian territorial claims and security guarantees until Ukrainian diplomats backtracked at the behest of the West. We are stuck because of their desire to play games all the time, Lavrov said. Because of the instructions they get Washington, from London, from some other capitals, not to accelerate the negotiations. When asked about the risks of war spilling into neighboring Moldova after a series of explosions rattled a breakaway border region within the country, Lavrov struck an ominous tone. Moldova should worry about their own future, he said. Because theyre being pulled into NATO. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. New York voters will go to the polls Aug. 23 for congressional and State Senate primaries, a state court judge in Steuben County ruled Friday, as fallout continued from a Court of Appeals ruling that district maps for those contests will have to be redrawn. Those contests were originally scheduled for June 28, the same day that primaries for governor, State Assembly and other state offices have long been scheduled. But now, New York voters could very well find themselves in the unprecedented situation of having two sets of primaries less than two months apart. In his order setting the Aug. 23 date, State Supreme Court Judge Patrick F. McAllister wrote: "This order will only pertain to the congressional and State Senate primary elections. It will be up to the legislature to determine whether or not to continue the currently scheduled June primary to coincide with the congressional and State Senate primary." The Aug. 23 date allows the required 45 days to pass between the mailing of military and overseas ballots set by McAllister for July 8 and the in-person primary. Court decision throws New York congressional races into limbo At a time when candidates expected to be gearing up for a June 28 primary, instead they found themselves not knowing what to do next. Also on Friday, McAllister moved up the date by which a court-appointed expert must finalize new district lines. Previously set for May 24, the new deadline for determining those new district lines is now May 20. The judge said he made that move in consultation with the State Board of Elections, which had asked that the process be speeded up, and Jonathan Cervas, the special master hired to draw up the new district maps. In addition, the judge gave State Senate Democrats, who are parties to the redistricting lawsuit, until Saturday to propose new congressional lines. Other interested parties will have until next Wednesday to submit their proposed district maps to the court, two days ahead of a court hearing on the matter in Bath, the Steuben County seat. The court action in Steuben County only hinted at the potential political chaos that resulted from Wednesday's Court of Appeals ruling that congressional and State Senate maps drawn up by the Democratic State Legislature conflicted with a 2014 state constitutional amendment that aimed to set up a nonpartisan redistricting process. Democrats continued to hint that they may go to federal court to try to rescue the maps that the state courts rejected. They cite a longstanding federal court order mandating that New York's congressional primaries be held on the fourth Tuesday of June. Reacting to the proposed Aug. 23 primary date, Democratic election lawyer Marc E. Elias tweeted: "Absent an order from the federal court, New York cannot comply with this state order." A State Board of Elections spokesman told the Associated Press that the board has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to review the matter to determine whether a federal court will have to review the new primary date. Meanwhile in Albany, state legislators are privately discussing moving all the state's primaries to Aug. 23. The Court of Appeals decision has ramifications far beyond Albany. Democrats in the State Legislature drew district lines aimed at benefitting Democrats, a move that could have cost Republicans three House seats. A new, less partisan map would no doubt mean more House districts in New York where Republicans can run competitive races, thereby increasing the chances that the GOP will win control of the House. Reflecting the gravity of the court's decision, Eric Holder, a former Democratic U.S. attorney general and current chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, weighed in Friday on the Court of Appeals decision. He said census data must guide the redrawing of the congressional map, which will shrink the number of House seats in the state from 27 to 26 because of nationwide shifts in population. A fair map is one that follows the census data and accurately reflects the way a states population has shifted in the previous decade," Holder said. "In New York that meant a population shift away from rural areas and into urban and suburban areas, and an overall increase in the number of people of color throughout the state. While a new map may look different than the one drawn by the legislature, it should still continue to reflect this truth from the census data." That's just one drop of the deluge of commentary that Cervas, who will draw the new district lines, is likely to receive in the next week. Proxies for individual members of Congress, fighting for districts that are to their liking, are likely to weigh in, too. For example, several dozen Western New York officials led by Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz, Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown and Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino wrote to the judge in the redistricting case on Friday, essentially asking that not much be changed in the district that currently includes Buffalo, Niagara Falls and many local suburbs. Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat, currently represents that district. That district "need not be altered in any way other than to add population to meet the new federal population standard," the public officials wrote. The state is already facing pressure from county governments to consolidate the primaries on one date. "While many questions remain unanswered, what is unquestionable is that a second primary will be a labor-intensive and costly endeavor for county boards of elections," said Stephen Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties. "State leaders have two choices: align primary dates or fully fund the $50 million it will cost counties to prepare for and run two different primaries this year." The Buffalo News: Good Morning, Buffalo The smart way to start your day. We sift through all the news to give you a concise, informative look at the top headlines and must-read stories every weekday. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. There's a danger in looking back. I've always believed that Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth is the great play of the century so far. I saw it three times after it first appeared in 2009 and thought it a glory. I even went to the Watermill Theatre to see the only UK production with a different cast and was still entranced. But I worried that this revival, with Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook returning to their original roles as Johnny Rooster' Byron, roistering king of misrule and his timid hanger-on Ginger, might somehow disappoint. Silly me! The production is, if anything, even better than before, the performances richer, the strain of melancholy that underpins its fierce comic energy stronger. It is a masterpiece of the first order. Butterworth once told me that essentially Jerusalem is a play about loss, and I've always seen it through that prism. In its portrayal of the group of disaffected rural youth who cluster around the gypsy outsider Byron partying on his plentiful supply of alcohol and whizz', sucking up his tall tales and his sheer sense of difference, it may capture some of the emotion of disaffection that led to Brexit. But it is no more about that, than it is about the plight of the travelling community who are being persecuted by this government's brutal Police Bill, as one essay in the programme suggests. It's a piece that defies reductive definition and in that lies its shining magnificence. From the moment it begins on Ultz's staggering set, with trees shimmering above the battered caravan from which Kennet and Avon Council are determined to evict its unruly owner on behalf of the residents of the new estate, its sheer force is almost overwhelming. So much of its power and its humour springs from the detail and flex of the writing. When Rooster tells the story of his encounter with a giant who built Stonehenge, it's the detail that they met "just off the A14 outside Upavon. About half a mile from the Little Chef" that is so perfect; funny and precise. In the same way, as the mood darkens, and the forces of respectability crowd in, the language acquires a rhythm and authority that is positively spellbinding. Butterworth has made some small alterations to accommodate our changing times, but the essence of his writing remains unchanged, its evocation of small-town Wiltshire life uncannily accurate. Watching again, as the action unfolds over a single day St George's Day, the day of the Flintlock fete, I was struck by how carefully modulated the three hour-long acts are: from the first full of comedy and hope, to the second packed with tall tales and decisions, to the third, where the sense of threat becomes almost overwhelming. Ian Rickson's beautifully calibrated direction holds these moods in a firm grip; he never lets any part of the play, or any performance slip out of balance. Rylance holds its centre, dictating its journey from the moment he first appears, flinging himself in a head-first handstand into a drinking trough, to its conclusion when he summons an ancestral line that means his blood is precious. "They need me" he says, even as the authorities try to drive him from his own wood. Charlotte O'Leary (Tanya), Mark Rylance (Johnny "Rooster" Byron), Mackenzie Crook (Ginger), Kemi Awoderu (Pea) and Ed Kear (Davey) Simon Annand His performance is such a wonder it's hard to describe. Every nuance is felt; his identification with the character so strong that he simply is. His energy in summoning anarchy is miraculous, as he lurches around the stage on a former stuntman's old bones, but so is his stillness, his gradual assumption of something other. His relationship with Crook's sad-faced, anxious Ginger is flawlessly delineated; the fact that Crook is older than in the production's first outing means the waste of his life and his desperation to belong somewhere and to someone is more poignant than ever. He is Rylance's perfect foil and the relationship between them has a fascinating, flickering anger running beneath it. Around them some members of the original cast return Alan David as the Professor, Gerard Horan as the disillusioned landlord, forced to wear Morris gear by the brewery ("It's a Swindon level decision"), Barry Sloane as the murderous Troy mining their roles with years of understanding. But the strength of the production is the way that the new group of youngsters who surround Rooster, treating him with both affection and contempt, are equally convincing and have found new ways into their characters with Indra Ove outstanding as Dawn, mother to Rooster's son, and both enchanted and frightened by his rough magic. It's a sign of the play's richness that it can change and yet retain its essence. It is quite simply just wondrous. Many significant accomplishments come to mind when assessing the 15-year tenure of outgoing Community Foundation President and CEO Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, who plans to step down at the end of the year. Two in particular stand out. First is the Say Yes Buffalo educational partnership, which Dedecker, along with Robert Gioia of the Oishei Foundation, began working toward in 2009 and launched in 2011, bringing in a broad network of other philanthropic organizations, as well as Buffalos entire educational infrastructure. Say Yes helps support Buffalo school students throughout the K-12 years and has provided thousands of students with tuition scholarships to colleges and universities. To date, more than 2,400 students have received college degrees with the help of Say Yes. Secondly, the Community Foundation cofounded a project that has become a lifeline throughout the pandemic. The WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund, again created through collaboration with dozens of other philanthropic organizations and more than 1,900 individual donors, has provided nearly $14.2 million in assistance as of November 2021. The common thread here is that Dedecker has always emphasized collaboration in the widest sense possible. Community Foundation may get the ball rolling, but, in the end, its projects are profoundly true to its name. In an admirably well-planned transition, Dedecker has named Betsy Constantine, the foundations executive vice president, as her successor. Thanks to Dedeckers leadership and commitment to finding common causes for all to support, Constantine takes over an indispensible and highly respected philanthropic resource. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. OTTAWA - Police in Ottawa made several arrests Friday while facing off against protesters opposed to COVID-19 mandates, wearing helmets and carrying batons as big-rig trucks and campers attempted to make their way to Parliament Hill. A temporary no-stopping sign is fixed with paper clips to a road sign near Parliament Hill, Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Ottawa. The area is part of a motorized vehicle exclusion zone set by the Ottawa Police Service. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Police in Ottawa made several arrests Friday while facing off against protesters opposed to COVID-19 mandates, wearing helmets and carrying batons as big-rig trucks and campers attempted to make their way to Parliament Hill. Protesters arrived Friday afternoon as part of the "Rolling Thunder" rally, organized by Freedom Fighters Canada, a group dedicated to speaking out against COVID-19 mandates. Many of the protesters were also part of the three-week "Freedom Convoy"demonstration that gridlocked Ottawa's downtown earlier this year with big rigs, prompting the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time. That protest ended after hundreds of police officers moved in to disperse the crowds, making dozens of arrests. Before the crowd arrived Friday, Ottawa police promised that protesters would not be allowed to get a foothold for a prolonged occupation this time. They called in more than 800 reinforcements from the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and regional police services to guard every major downtown intersection and prevent protesters from bringing vehicles into the core. It started calmly enough, with familiar shouts of "Freedom!" as protesters mingled and danced on Wellington Street, the main drive in front of Parliament Hill. Protesters also marched through the ByWard Market with a police escort. But early Friday evening, police warned of a large convoy trying to make their way into the city. Soon,hundreds of protesters were crowded around large trucks and campers just outside the parliamentary precinct. As night fell, protesters yelled "Hold the line," trying to push officers away from the vehicles. Police gradually attempted to push the crowds away from the trucks and back toward Parliament Hill as protesters called them "traitors." People were drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana throughout the crowd, and there were several clashes as police with helmets and batons moved the increasingly angry and adversarial group near the police line. Ottawa city Coun. Jeff Leiper reported seeing police smash a truck window to take control of the vehicle. Police were seen making arrests and handing out tickets on the street. City workers put up signs indicating a no stopping zone for motorists along the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, ahead a motorcycle convoy dubbed Rolling Thunder Ottawa that will take place over the weekend, in Ottawa, on Thursday, April 28, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Some of the vehicles left on their own, as a tactical police armoured vehicle led a tow truck to the scene. Organizers appealed to the protesters to move back to Parliament Hill for a "party" after the final big-rig truck was moved out. Much of the crowd dissipated before 10 p.m. The "Rolling Thunder" group had not initially been clear about the cause they're rallying for, except to say they would "peacefully celebrate our freedom," and they oppose the removal of veterans from the National War Memorial during the "Freedom Convoy." However, many faces in the crowd belonged to protesters from the "Freedom Convoy" months earlier. Angela Manella from North Bay, Ont., was in the national capital to protest the vaccine mandates in February. She said she's returned because the mandates are still in place. "My experience of the convoy protest was that there was so much love and connection and just such good energy," Manella said Friday next to the Centennial Flame. "I want to continue that energy and that momentum to continue to stand up for all of us." She said there was a sense of community among protesters at the convoy in February and that may be part of what is drawing them together again. Others who gathered near the War Memorial said they are only in Ottawa this weekend to honour veterans who police removed from the site along with the rest of the protesters in February. "It's mostly like a parade to honour them for what they have done, they stood up for the right causes," said a protester in a black leather vest who would only identify himself as Mario. The rally Friday night is expected to be followed by a convoy of hundreds of motorcycles through downtown Saturday, with a stop at the War Memorial and another rally on Parliament Hill. Vehicles that are part of the rally won't be allowed into a zone that includes the war monument and Parliament, police say, nor will they be allowed to stop along the route, but participants can walk through the area. It's also a chance for Ottawa's police force to win back the trust and respect of the community, after coming under heavy criticism during the February protest for allowing it to go on so long before taking action. For more than three weeks, protesters created encampments in downtown streets, which were packed with big rigs adorned with messages speaking out against vaccine mandates, COVID-19 restrictions and the prime minister. "I think we're going to have to wait and see. The Ottawa police lost a lot of trust last time. So this weekend is going to be a real test for them," said Brian Latour, one of the organizers of a counter-protest in Ottawa. Some nearby residents remember the last protest as a nightmare one they don't want to relive. "A lot of them are concerned, some are scared and some are mad," said Mary Huang, president of the Centretown Community Association, which represents the neighbourhood closest to Parliament Hill. She said neighbours are still traumatized after the protest. The loud airhorns droning on at all hours of the night meant that many couldn't sleep, and some people felt intimidated when they left their homes, she said. They're worried this weekend will be a repeat, before residents have even had a chance to recover, she said. Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Ottawa police have promised they won't allow another "illegal occupation" of the city, that there will be no tolerance for a long-term protest and any encampments will be dismantled. By 4 p.m. Friday, city bylaw officers said they had issued 185 tickets and towed 20 vehicles related to the rally. A statement on the "Rolling Thunder" website attributed to organizer Neil Sheard says the protesters plan to leave on Sunday, and they do not support "blockades, obstruction of police performing their duties, damage to property or hate and vitriol directed to the residents of Ottawa." The statement also encourages supporters to follow the laws, and says police will be held accountable in court for their actions during the event. "Lastly, as seen during the lawful protest in Ottawa, spread as much peace, love and patriotism to your fellow Canadians as possible," the statement says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2022. CHIPPEWA FALLS A 14-year-old boy accused of killing a 10-year-old Wisconsin girl knew the girl and planned the attack, knocking her down and choking her before sexually assaulting her, a prosecutor said Wednesday. The body of Illiana Lily Peters was found Monday along a walking trail just a day after she went missing while returning home from an aunts house a few blocks away, sparking anxiety in her small western Wisconsin community before the teenagers arrest Tuesday. The boy, identified only by his initials, appeared in adult court in Chippewa County by video from a juvenile detention center. Judge Benjamin Lane agreed to District Attorney Wade Newells request for $1 million cash bond. Lane said the high bond was necessary to protect the community given the teens statements regarding his intentions and his statements regarding that when he did get off the trail, he punched the victim in the stomach, knocked her to the ground, essentially strangled her, hit her with a stick, before strangling her to the point of death before he then sexually assaulted her, Newell told the judge at the bond hearing. The teen made statements that his intention was to rape and kill the victim from the get-go, Newell said. The defense had argued for $100,000 cash bond. The judge sealed the criminal complaint, but Newell said after the hearing that the boy is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child under age 13 resulting in great bodily harm. Wisconsin law generally calls for juveniles age 10 and up to be prosecuted as adults when they are charged with first-degree intentional homicide. The judge set a May 5 status hearing in the case. Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm announced the arrest of the suspect Tuesday evening, after police earlier executed a search warrant at the home of Lilys aunt and the last place the girl was seen before she disappeared. Kelm said police got more than 200 tips, calling them critical to the investigation. While nothing will bring Lily Peters back or change what happened, we are very grateful to be able to deliver this news for the family and for the community, Kelm said. People in the town of about 13,000 left drawings, flowers, candles and stuffed animals at Lilys elementary school and on a downtown bridge to remember the girl, with some residents dressing in purple to honor her. Chelsea Torgerson said she kept her daughter home from school Tuesday, before the arrest was announced, just for my own peace of mind. I know these things happen in the world every day, but this is just so close, she told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Torgersons daughter, 8-year-old Ava Johnson, attends Parkview Elementary School the same school where Lily was a fourth-grader. Its every parents worst nightmare, Torgerson said. One resident has started an online petition on Change.org to create what he called a Lily Alert for cases that dont qualify for traditional Amber Alerts. Currently, Amber Alerts may be issued only if a child is 17 or younger and thought to be in danger of serious bodily harm or death. Any parent would agree that when a child is missing, even for a short amount of time, and they need help then help should be sent, resident Eric Henry said in the petition. The community is devastated and rallied to start a search group for the missing child. We can do better as a community and must be proactive. We need an alert with less regulations around it so we can respond quicker to missing children. The petition had more than 56,000 signatures as of Wednesday night. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 JACKSON, Miss. (AP) After Truitt Pace admitted to law enforcement that he beat and shot his wife, her family expected a swift conviction. The 34-year-old mother of threes tiny frame was so bruised and traumatized that the funeral home suggested a closed casket. But as months went by, state prosecutors told Marsha Harbours family they were waiting on a key piece of evidence: the medical examiners autopsy report. CORRECTS TO DELETE THE MIDDLE NAME AND SAY HARBOUR WAS A VICTIM - Denise Spears holds a portrait of her late step-daughter Marsha Harbour, in her Meridian, Miss., office, Tuesday, April 12, 2022. Although Marsha's husband, Truitt Pace, admitted killing his wife, he was free on bond while court proceedings were partially held up because the Mississippi Medical Examiner's Office autopsy report was delayed for a year, and the trial got held up further because of the pandemic and other factors. Harbour was a victim of domestic violence. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) JACKSON, Miss. (AP) After Truitt Pace admitted to law enforcement that he beat and shot his wife, her family expected a swift conviction. The 34-year-old mother of threes tiny frame was so bruised and traumatized that the funeral home suggested a closed casket. But as months went by, state prosecutors told Marsha Harbours family they were waiting on a key piece of evidence: the medical examiners autopsy report. National standards recommend most autopsy reports be completed within 60 days. Prosecutors in Harbours case waited for a year. Across Mississippi, many families wait even longer. An Associated Press analysis based on state data and documents, as well as dozens of interviews with officials and residents, found that Mississippis system has long operated in violation of national standards for death investigations, accruing a severe backlog of autopsies and reports. Autopsies that should take days take weeks. Autopsy reports that should take months take a year or longer, as in Harbours case. Too few pathologists are doing too many autopsies. Some cases are transferred hundreds of miles to neighboring states for reports without their familys knowledge. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office was waiting for about 1,300 reports from as far back as 2011, records sent to AP in early April show. Around 800 of those involve homicides meaning criminal cases are incomplete. District attorneys have resigned themselves to long waits: Were at a point now where were happy if its only a year, said Luke Williamson, who's been a prosecutor for 14 years in northern Mississippi. The National Association of Medical Examiners, the office that accredits U.S. death investigations offices, dictates that 90% of autopsy reports should be returned within 60 to 90 days. Mississippis office has never been accredited. The majority of U.S. medical examiner agencies, which are chronically underfunded and face a shortage of forensic pathologists, are unaccredited. States such as Georgia have raised the alarm about autopsy report delays of up to six months. But nowhere is the issue more severe than in Mississippi. Mississippis delays are an emergency-level concern, said Dr. James Gill, the associations 2021 president and a leader in the College of American Pathologists. Thats a disaster situation where you need to do something drastic. Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell is a former Mississippi Court of Appeals judge who stepped into his role overseeing the state medical examiners office, the highway patrol and other agencies in May 2020. He called the backlog unacceptable and said he's made eliminating it the top priority of his administration. He said working as a judge, he saw how trials were delayed while prosecutors awaited reports. I knew it was bad, he told the AP. I didnt know it was this bad. Families deserve better. I'm sorry that they've had to experience delays in laying to rest loved ones, to getting closure in these cases, but were going to fix the problem. Tindell said hes instituted a policy that all reports must be back within 90 days. Using contractor pathologists in other states, the office began working to whittle down the backlog. Tindell said around 500 cases have been completed since summer. But Tindell who has hired two new pathologists, started university recruiting efforts and streamlined staff duties said its been a challenge trying to fix old problems while facing new ones: the pandemic and an unprecedented increase in violent crime. CORRECTS TO DELETE THE MIDDLE NAME AND SAY HARBOUR WAS A VICTIM - Denise Spears holds a cellphone snapshot of her late step-daughter, Marsha Harbour, in her Meridian, Miss., office, Tuesday, April 12, 2022. The photograph was taken at a conference shortly before her death. Although Marsha's husband, Truitt Pace, admitted killing his wife, he was free on bond while court proceedings were partially held up because the Mississippi Medical Examiner's Office autopsy report was delayed for a year, and the trial got held up further because of the pandemic and other factors. Harbour was a victim of domestic violence. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Mississippi saw 597 homicides in 2021 and 578 in 2020 record numbers for the state of 3 million. Thats compared with 434 in 2019 and 382 in 2018. Arkansas, with a similar population, had 347 homicides in 2021 and 386 in 2020. From 2020 to April 2022, Arkansas has employed five to seven pathologists performing autopsies. Mississippi has employed two to three, as people left jobs. Tindell said both the forensics laboratory and medical examiner's office haven't been a state priority for funding or staffing in over a decade. The forensic laboratory's budget has essentially remained unchanged since 2008. But during Mississippi's 2022 legislative session, lawmakers approved $4 million that must be used to address backlogged cases. Like most states, Mississippi does not perform an autopsy a post-mortem surgical procedure by a forensic pathologist to determine cause of death for all people. Autopsies are reserved for homicides, suicides, deaths of children and those in correctional facilities, and other unexpected cases. Forensic pathologists are responsible for performing autopsies at Mississippis two medical examiner offices one in the Jackson metro area, one on the coast. After the autopsy, pathologists complete a report explaining their findings and results, including an official cause of death. Reports can help determine whether a death was an accident, a suicide or a homicide. They shed light on child deaths, or show whether a person accused of murder acted in self-defense. In 2017, 93-year-old World War II veteran Durley Bratton died after two employees of a Mississippi veterans home dropped him and put him back in bed without telling anyone. Police began an investigation after a tip from the hospital where Bratton was taken. Arrests didn't come until 15 months later, after the autopsy report was returned, concluding the veteran died of blunt-force trauma. In the Harbour case, the autopsy report was the critical piece of evidence after Pace claimed self-defense for shooting his wife. At the December 2021 trial where Pace was sentenced to life in prison, a medical examiner said Harbour suffered from blunt force trauma wounds consistent with being beaten before she was shot. Harbour, who helped deliver babies as a surgical technician at a local hospital, had endured months of abuse. She once went to a domestic violence shelter. But she worried for her children's safety and never went to the police. Because Pace had no criminal record, he was released on bond days after his arrest. Harbours stepmother, Denise Spears, said she and her family felt dejected as they went to the mailbox month after month to find notices that the trial was being pushed back. Once the report came in, the trial was delayed further because of the pandemic. Pace didn't stand trial until more than three years after killing his wife. One of the worst parts was explaining to her grandchildren why the man who killed their mother was able to live free for years, Spears said. More than once, they came to her, afraid theyd run into him. CORRECTS TO DELETE THE MIDDLE NAME AND SAY HARBOUR WAS A VICTIM - Denise Spears holds a cell phone snapshot of the wrist bands made in honor of her late step-daughter, Marsha Harbour, in her Meridian, Miss., office, Tuesday, April 12, 2022. Although Marsha's husband, Truitt Pace, admitted killing his wife, he was free on bond while court proceedings were partially held up because the Mississippi Medical Examiner's Office autopsy report was delayed for a year, and the trial got held up further because of the pandemic and other factors. Harbour was a victim of domestic violence. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) They couldnt understand it, Spears said. It was hard for me to explain to them, because I couldnt understand it either. Ben Creekmore, a district attorney in northern Mississippi, said conversations with families about delays are always difficult. He worries about the impact the postponements have on trust in the criminal justice system. Those things dramatically impact our relationship with people who have suffered loss, he said. It undermines your credibility on everything else. Beyond effects on criminal cases, the lack of an autopsy report and official death certificate can prevent families from collecting benefits. Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said hes been contacted by families who cant get insurance payouts without a certificate. One that contacted us was a mom and two children whose husband died unexpectedly, he said during a fall budget hearing. They couldnt get their life insurance benefits, and thats the only money they had. More than money, families can also find closure. Rebecca Brown lost her brother unexpectedly in 2018. It wasnt until last June three years after his death that his report was completed. Her brother, in his early 40s, had a history of drug addiction but was in recovery. He lived with his mother, who worried hed started using again and had died of an overdose. When they finally learned the cause of death was a heart attack, Brown said she felt no relief just anger that it had taken so long. When she showed her mother a photo of the death certificate, she cried. "In my mind, what they did is they called for my mother to grieve harder for three years than she could have, Brown said. Tindell said the problems won't be fixed until the state is able to hire more pathologists. The National Medical Examiners Association standards recommend that pathologists perform no more than 250 autopsies a year. If pathologists perform more than 325 a year, the office risks losing accreditation. In 2021, two Mississippi pathologists performed 461 and 421 autopsies. Arkansass six pathologists completed an average of approximately 282 each. During most of the 1990s and 2000s, Mississippi had no state medical examiner, instead contracting with a private physician, Dr. Steven Hayne, who performed 80% of autopsies in the state. He completed as many as 1,700 autopsies a year. Haynes work was repeatedly attacked in court as sloppy and scientifically unsound. Verdicts in multiple murder cases in which Hayne testified were overturned by the Mississippi Supreme Court. In 2011, the state hired Pathologist Dr. Mark LeVaughn as its first chief medical examiner since 1995. During his tenure, LeVaughn spoke publicly repeatedly about a lack of resources, calling his office a critically understaffed public health risk. Tindell said a substantial number of autopsy reports that are pending are LeVaughn's. Because of the departments staff turnover rate, LeVaughn was the only forensic pathologist handling all the autopsies in the state at times and fell behind on paperwork. He was put in the impossible situation of trying to do all the autopsies for the entire state, and just unfortunately, he was not able to get it all done, Tindell said. LeVaughn resigned as chief medical examiner in January 2021. He has since been rehired as a pathologist finishing outstanding reports and testifying on them in trials. Tindell said the office expects an additional pathologist to start late next month, and that he's recruiting to hire another as soon as possible. In the meantime, to meet demand, the Mississippi Medical Examiners Office has been forced to send bodies to neighboring states such as Arkansas. In 2021, 284 autopsies were completed by contractor pathologists. The National Medical Examiners Association recommends autopsies be completed within 72 hours. The turnaround time in Mississippi has exceeded three weeks in some cases. The problem is especially severe in north Mississippi, where there is no medical examiners office. One family in Tupelo waited 24 days. After he was shot and killed in May of last year, Lorenzin Browns body was first brought almost 200 miles (322 kilometers) away for an autopsy at the Mississippi State Crime Lab in Pearl, the closest state facility that could do it. Brown lay for two weeks in the morgue before pathologists determined they couldn't get to his case fast enough. They decided he should be transferred to Little Rock more than 260 miles (418 kilometers) away for an autopsy by a contractor. His family wasnt notified that he was being transferred or told when hed be returned. Without updates, they struggled to make funeral arrangements. His father wondered if hed be able to see him before he was buried. To get a call saying that hes been murdered, it was already a tragic enough situation, said Browns uncle, Tim Butler, a pastor who organized the funeral. The grieving process is always bad. Under these circumstances, its made everything that much worse. His mother, Geisha, said she couldnt work while she waited for his body to be returned and to hold his service. It wasnt until a month and a day after he died that they were able to bury her son. Clayton Cobler coroner in Lauderdale County, where Harbour was killed said families try calling the medical examiners office for answers about the status of autopsies and reports, and they often dont hear back. Each of Mississippi's 82 counties has an elected coroner who's responsible for collecting and transporting bodies to the medical examiner's office. They end up acting as liaisons with families and answering desperate calls month after month, Cobler said. Ive got a grandmother that her grandson died in 2017, and she wants to know why," he said. "It just breaks my heart every time she calls, because I cant tell her. Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Cobler, who has worked in death investigations for decades, said he recently made the difficult decision not to run for reelection. More and more coroners or long-term coroners are saying, Im done. Im not going to run again, because its just too frustrating, and its too heartbreaking,' he said. Rocky Kennedy, the Lafayette County coroner, said many people who work with families feel the same fatigue. Its a waiting game, and I think everybodys patience ran out a long time ago," he said. "Words without results mean nothing." ___ Leah Willingham is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Premier Heather Stefanson said the $50-million venture capital investment, disclosed in the recent budget, will be managed through a fund-of-funds concept with a plan to have that structure in place before the end of the year. Premier Heather Stefanson said the $50-million venture capital investment, disclosed in the recent budget, will be managed through a fund-of-funds concept with a plan to have that structure in place before the end of the year. Stefanson seemed genuinely pleased to make the announcement on Friday, which marks the end of 15 years of Manitoba being on the sidelines of the venture capital business. This is something the business community has been asking for. They have told us access to capital was critical for the development and expansion of Manitoba businesses now and well into the future. We are listening and taking steps to create a dynamic venture capital framework here in Manitoba, she said. It is an ambitious plan in which the Manitoba venture capital fund could invest in several funds that would address different stages of investment needs and different sectors of the economy. A board of directors, with expertise in the complex capital markets, will be established for the main fund. The board will hire professional management who will vet proposals from professional fund managers, who would tap into the fund and be expected to bring their own capital to the table. It will leverage the provinces investment at least on a one-to-one ratio. Marshall Ring, the CEO of the Manitoba Technology Accelerator, will be the interim manager who will put together the initial board. Ring, who has stated his own goal to create multiple $100-million companies while making Winnipeg the startup capital of Western Canada, called it a tremendous day. Almost every single assessment over the past decade on Manitobas economy has concluded that one of the biggest challenges limiting our growth was a lack of venture capital, he said. This announcement today is working to solve a persistent and pervasive problem which has suppressed Manitobas economic ecosystem. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Michael Swistun, head of the provinces Economic Development Board, says following the announcement, the very smart guys will see this as a chance to de-risk the decision to set up in Manitoba. The province is hoping that seeding other funds from the $50-million pool will attract venture capital players who have up to this point chosen largely to overlook Manitoba. Michael Swistun, head of the provinces newly created Economic Development Board, said he and his team have been talking to interested parties and believes there will be plenty of interest from professional fund managers. The reality is, the market loves underserviced markets, he said. The very smart guys in the venture capital world will see this as a chance to de-risk the decision to set up in Manitoba. While he did not mention the Crocus Investment Fund by name, Swistun said the government will not have anything to do with the actual investment decisions of the funds something that was believed to have negatively impacted Crocus, which was shut down in 2005. One of the flaws of the former model and one of the things you want to avoid is government getting into the business of picking winners, he said. When you impose government parameters you get distortions and mal-investments. It is a recipe to underperform. Kim Furlong, CEO of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association agrees with that assessment. This is great news for Manitoba, she said. Im really glad they came to this conclusions to go with the fund of funds model. She noted that British Columbia recently set up a $500-million fund but they did not leverage private capital. Manitoba has chosen the same model the federal governments venture capital funds have used. The two federal programs have been a resounding success, Furlong said. Private capital just makes the pie bigger so why wouldnt you go down that route, even though you have less control (on which companies are actually invested in). MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Economic Development, Investment and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen, speaks after the announcement that the province is creating a venture capital fund during an announcement at Torque Brewing. While all the details have yet to be worked out the province has left open the opportunity for participating funds to raise money from individual Manitoba investors who would be able to take advantage of the 45 per cent small business venture capital tax credit. Bram Strain, the CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba whose members are likely to get a seat or two on the fund board, said he thinks that feature could be very effective attracting investments from high net worth individuals into the funds. It provides people the opportunity to invest in Manitoba, an opportunity to bet on themselves, he said. A 45 per cent tax credit takes away a lot of the risk right off the hop. The whole initiative presupposes there are attractive companies in Manitoba to invest in. Joelle Foster, the CEO of North Forge Technology Exchange, believes that wont be a problem. We have 40 founders out there raising capital right now, she said. But Foster said that diversity and inclusion must factor into the management of the funds. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. It is harder for women to raise capital and there needs to be a good lens around that and good representation on the board, she said. Catherine Metrycki, the CEO and founder of Winnipeg-based Callia.com, an online florist delivery operation, has raised about $10 million over the past years, about 80 per cent of which has come from outside the province. The Manitoba community is so supportive when it comes to backing entrepreneurs with time, advice and purchases, but there has been a huge gap in terms of capital available, she said. That was certainly a barrier to us in that we had to go outside the province for almost all of our funding. Callia now operates in 50 cities across the country. Metrycki believes there could be so many more companies like hers if there was a venture capital structure in the province like the one that is now being built. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian forces fought village by village Saturday to hold back a Russian advance through the countrys east, while the United Nations worked to broker a civilian evacuation from the last defensive stronghold in the bombed-out ruins of the port city of Mariupol. Olga Zhovtobrukh, 55, cries during an Easter religious service at a church in Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian forces fought village by village Saturday to hold back a Russian advance through the countrys east, while the United Nations worked to broker a civilian evacuation from the last defensive stronghold in the bombed-out ruins of the port city of Mariupol. An estimated 100,000 civilians remain in the city, and up to 1,000 are living beneath a sprawling Soviet-era steel plant, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has not said how many fighters are also in the plant, the only part of Mariupol not occupied by Russian forces, but Russia put the number at about 2,000. Russian state media outlets reported Saturday that 25 civilians had been evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks, though there was no confirmation from the U.N. Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said 19 adults and six children were brought out, but gave no further details. A top official with the Azov Regiment, the Ukrainian unit defending the plant, said 20 civilians were evacuated during a cease-fire, though it was not clear if he was referring to the same group as the Russian news reports. These are women and children, Sviatoslav Palamar said in a video posted on the regiment's Telegram channel. He also called for the evacuation of the wounded: We dont know why they are not taken away and their evacuation to the territory controlled by Ukraine is not being discussed. Kateryna Hodza, 85, takes a bus from a reception center for displaced people in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Friday, April 29, 2022. They fled from Mala Tokmachka, in Zaporizhzhia region, as thousands of Ukrainian continue to leave Russian occupied areas. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Video and images from inside the plant, shared with The Associated Press by two Ukrainian women who said their husbands are among the fighters refusing to surrender there, showed unidentified men with stained bandages; others had open wounds or amputated limbs. A skeleton medical staff was treating at least 600 wounded people, said the women, who identified their husbands as members of the Azov Regiment of Ukraines National Guard. Some of the wounds were rotting with gangrene, they said. In the video the men said that they eat just once daily and share as little as 1.5 liters (50 ounces) of water a day among four people, and that supplies inside the besieged facility are depleted. People fleeing the village of Ruska Lozova wait at a screening point in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, April 29, 2022. Hundreds of residents have been evacuated to Kharkiv from the nearby village that had been under Russian occupation for more than a month. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) One shirtless man appeared to be in pain as he described his wounds: two broken ribs, a punctured lung and a dislocated arm that was hanging on the flesh. I want to tell everyone who sees this: If you will not stop this here, in Ukraine, it will go further, to Europe, he said. AP could not independently verify the date and location of the video, which the women said was taken in the last week in the maze of corridors and bunkers beneath the plant. A rescue serviceman, right, inspects a crater after shelling in Mykolaivka, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Friday, April 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) The women urged that Ukrainian fighters also be evacuated alongside civilians, warning they could be tortured and executed if captured. The lives of soldiers matter too, Yuliia Fedusiuk told AP in Rome. In his nightly video address late Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian to urge Russian troops not to fight in Ukraine, saying even their generals expect that thousands more of them will die. The president accused Moscow of recruiting new soldiers with little motivation and little combat experience so that units gutted early in the war can be thrown back into battle. Destroyed houses are photographed in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Every Russian soldier can still save his own life, Zelenskyy said. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land. In other developments: Ukrainian Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotsky said in televised remarks that Russian forces have seized hundreds of thousands of tons of grain in territory under their control. Ukraine is a major grain producer, and the invasion has pushed up world prices and raised concerns about shortages. A boy looks out of a bus during an evacuation of civilians in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Andriy Andriyenko) A Russian rocket attack destroyed the airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-most populous city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said. The bodies of three men were found buried in a forest near the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the head of Kyivs regional police force said. The men, whose bodies were found Friday, had been tortured before they were shot in the head, Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. Ukrainian officials have alleged that retreating Russian troops carried out mass killings of civilians in Bucha. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators talk almost every day. However, he told Chinese state news agency Xinhua, progress has not been easy. A Ukrainian serviceman talks to a resident inside a basement used as a bomb shelter during Russian attacks in a village recently retaken by Ukrainian forces near Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) Two buses sent to evacuate residents from the eastern town of Popasna were fired upon, and contact with the organizers was lost, Mayor Nikolai Khanatov said: We know that (the buses) reached the town and then came under fire from an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group. Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in eastern Ukraine has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Also, both Ukraine and Moscow-backed rebels have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone. But Western military analysts suggested that the offensive in the Donbas region, which includes Mariupol, was going much slower than planned. So far, Russian troops and the separatists appeared to have made only minor gains in the month since Moscow said it would focus its military strength in the east. Oleksiy Onoschenko, 42, rescues books from his house destroyed during the Russian occupation in Irpin, in the outskirt of Kyiv, Ukraine on Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Numerically, Russias military manpower vastly exceeds Ukraines. In the days before the war began, Western intelligence estimated Russia had positioned near the border as many as 190,000 troops; Ukraines standing military totals about 200,000, spread throughout the country. Yet, in part because of the tenacity of the Ukrainian resistance, the U.S. believes the Russians are at least several days behind where they wanted to be as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east, said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the American militarys assessment. With plenty of firepower still in reserve, Russias offensive still could intensify and overrun the Ukrainians. Overall the Russian army has an estimated 900,000 active-duty personnel. Russia also has a much larger air force and navy. People sit in a bus during evacuation from Lyman, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance has flowed into Ukraine since the war began, but Russia's vast armories mean Ukraine's needs are nearly inexhaustible. Mariupol officials have described dire shortages of food, water and medicine. U.N. humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu said the world organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv, but he could not provide details of the ongoing evacuation effort "because of the complexity and fluidity of the operation. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. There is, right now, ongoing, high-level engagements with all the governments, Russia and Ukraine, to make sure that you can save civilians and support the evacuation of civilians from the plant, Abreu told AP. He would not confirm video posted on social media purportedly showing U.N.-marked vehicles in Mariupol. A view of a destroyed railway bridge over Siverskiy Donets river near Raigorodka, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling. ___ Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell and Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Trisha Thompson in Rome and AP staff around the world contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine LAS VEGAS (AP) A massive drought-starved reservoir on the Colorado River has become so depleted that Las Vegas now is pumping water from deeper within Lake Mead where other states downstream don't have access. Southern Nevada Water Authority maintenance mechanics, from left, Jason Dondoy, Patrick Smith and Tony Mercado install a spacer flange after removing an energy dissipator at the Low Lake Level Pumping Station (L3P3) at Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, outside of Las Vegas. The water supply for Las Vegas has marked a milestone, with the start of pumping through a new facility drawing water for some 2.4 million residents and 40 million tourists from deeper in Lake Mead and the dropping of the drought-depleted surface level falls below the first of three intakes at the crucial Colorado River reservoir behind Hoover Dam. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP) LAS VEGAS (AP) A massive drought-starved reservoir on the Colorado River has become so depleted that Las Vegas now is pumping water from deeper within Lake Mead where other states downstream don't have access. The Southern Nevada Water Authority announced this week that its Low Lake Level Pumping Station is operational, and released photos of the uppermost intake visible at 1,050 feet (320 meters) above sea level at the lake behind Hoover Dam. While this emphasizes the seriousness of the drought conditions, we have been preparing for this for more than a decade, said Bronson Mack, water authority spokesman. The low-level intake allows Las Vegas to maintain access to its primary water supply in Lake Mead, even if water levels continue to decline due to ongoing drought and climate change conditions, he said. The move to begin using what had been seen as an in-case-we-need-it hedge against taps running dry comes as water managers in several states that rely on the Colorado River take new steps to conserve water amid what has become perpetual drought. Southern Nevada Water Authority maintenance mechanics install a spacer flange after removing an energy dissipator at the Low Lake Level Pumping Station (L3P3) at Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, outside of Las Vegas. The water supply for Las Vegas has marked a milestone, with the start of pumping through a new facility drawing water for some 2.4 million residents and 40 million tourists from deeper in Lake Mead and the dropping of the drought-depleted surface level falls below the first of three intakes at the crucial Colorado River reservoir behind Hoover Dam. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP) We dont have enough water supplies right now to meet normal demand. The water is not there, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California spokesperson Rebecca Kimitch said this week. The agency told some 6 million people in sprawling Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties to cut their outdoor watering to one day a week, effective June 1, or face stiff fines. The surface level of another massive Colorado River reservoir, Lake Powell, dipped below a critical threshold in March raising concerns about whether Glen Canyon Dam can continue generating power for some 5 million customers across the U.S. West. Lake Mead and Lake Powell upstream are the largest human-made reservoirs in the U.S., part of a system that provides water to more than 40 million people, tribes, agriculture and industry in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and across the southern border in Mexico. In Arizona, falling Colorado River levels have prompted an emphasis on conservation and raised fears of reduced water deliveries to desert areas that include metro Phoenix, Tucson, tribal lands and farms. At Lake Mead, the new pumps are fed by an intake drilled nearer to the bottom of the lake and completed in 2020 to ensure the ability to continue to draw water for Las Vegas, its casinos, suburbs and 2.4 million residents and 40 million tourists per year. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The third straw draws drinking water at 895 feet (272.8 meters) above sea level below a point at which water would not be released downstream from Hoover Dam. Together, the pipeline and pump projects cost more than $1.3 billion. Drilling began in 2014, amid projections that the lake level would continue to fall due to drought. Increasingly dry conditions in the region are now attributed to long-term climate change. Lake Mead, between Nevada and Arizona, reached its high-water mark in July 1983, at 1,225 feet (373.4 meters) above sea level. On Friday, the level was 1,055 feet (321.6 meters) about 30% full. Some of the steepest cliffs bordering the lake show 170 feet (51.8 meters) of white mineral bathtub ring. Without the third intake, Southern Nevada would be shutting its doors, said Pat Mulroy, former longtime chief of the Las Vegas-based water authority, who is now a consultant. Thats pretty obvious, since the first straw is out of the water. A mid-level pipeline also can draw water from 1,000 feet (304.8 meters). The authority maintains that the Las Vegas water supply is not immediately threatened. It points to water conservation efforts that it says since 2002 have cut regional consumption of Colorado River water by 26% while the area population has increased 49%. The City of Winnipeg says it will close off and install signage at Mission Park and Weston Memorial Community Centre when the ground thaws due to levels of lead in the soil that are higher than national guidelines. The City of Winnipeg says it will close off and install signage at Mission Park and Weston Memorial Community Centre when the ground thaws due to levels of lead in the soil that are higher than national guidelines. The independent "Lead in Soil Testing in Winnipeg" report was commissioned by the Manitoba government as a follow-up to a 2019 report from Intrinsik that identified areas in Winnipeg that may have elevated lead concentrations in soil. It was released Friday. In the fall, more than 2,000 surface soil samples were collected from 53 school properties and 149 parks areas most often used by children under the age of seven, who are at greater risk from lead exposure, the report said. Children and unborn babies are more sensitive to lead exposure than adults; even low levels of exposure can have negative effects on their behaviour and intellectual development, the provincial government said. While 94 per cent of the samples had lead concentrations that were less than the national guidelines, several exceeded them, including six "high-priority" sites: William Whyte Park in South Point Douglas, Weston Memorial Community Club in Weston, La Verendrye Park in central St. Boniface, Mission Park in St. Boniface, Rejoice Fun Park in William Whyte and Immaculate Heart of Mary School on Flora Avenue. Rod Picklyk, Immaculate Heart of Mary School principal, said safety is the top priority and the school is going "above and beyond" the province's recommended mitigation strategies. "Immediate plans are underway to excavate, remove, and re-sod the affected areas." He said that since the start of pandemic, all students have been required to sanitize their hands multiple times a day " before recess breaks and lunch, after recess breaks, and throughout the school day during class changes." The other five "high priority" sites are at City of Winnipeg parks. The report recommends further action in 36 parks and six schools in Winnipeg. (Manitoba Environment, Climate and Parks) "For the majority of the priority sites, risk can be mitigated by maintaining good grass or other vegetative cover that will act as a barrier and prevent soil disturbance," city spokeswoman Julie Dooley said. Two sites the eastern corner of Mission Park and one outdoor site at Weston Memorial Community Centre require more active remediation, she said in an email. For now, the affected areas at both sites remain accessible because the frozen ground prevents leaching of any toxins from the soil. The city will install fencing and signage at both areas in consultation with the province, and work with the department on remediation, Dooley said. Of the 149 city-run park properties sampled,16 had minor exceedances for which no action was required; 14 were identified as low priority to remediate and 17 were identified as medium priority to remediate. Property owners of sites that have lead levels above the national guideline have been notified, the province said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. They will be required to take steps to reduce potential exposure. The action that will be required will depend on the amount of lead in the soil and how the land is used, and could include adding or improving sod cover. The risk of lead exposure is also significantly lower when soil is covered with grass, concrete, asphalt or other material, or when soil is frozen or covered with snow, it said. Although the health risk of exposure to lead in soil is low, the province said starting in May, elevated blood-lead levels will be reportable to Manitoba Health on an interim basis "to help identify significant sources of lead exposure and determine the next steps to address them." Lead exposure has declined significantly in Canada in the last 40 years with the removal of lead in gasoline, paint and other products, the province said. People are exposed to trace amounts of lead through air, soil, household dust, food, drinking water and consumer products. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca A Manitoba couple has been sentenced to four years in prison after admitting they recorded sex acts with two teenage boys, and in separate incidents, animals. A Manitoba couple has been sentenced to four years in prison after admitting they recorded sex acts with two teenage boys, and in separate incidents, animals. "We are truly embarrassed of our actions that resulted in us being here today," 61-year-old Donna Woodward told Queens Bench Justice Elliot Levin at a sentencing hearing Friday. "We truly hope we have not created any future trauma and issues for the victims." Woodward and her husband, Charles Woodward, 63, pleaded guilty to two counts of making child pornography and one count of bestiality. Police arrested the couple in November 2018 after one of the then-15-year-old boys disclosed an incident to his father. An RCMP report submitted to court says the couple provided the boys a ride to their home and plied them with alcohol. A video recording, which was later seized by police, shows the Woodwards and the boys topless, and the boys fondling Donna Woodwards breasts. In another part of the video, Donna Woodward is seen kissing one of the boys chest. Both Woodwards appear naked in the video. The videos did not depict any acts of intercourse and it was not alleged the Woodwards had shared the images with anyone, court was told. One of the boys was so intoxicated he had almost no memory of what had happened, Crown attorney Jay Funke told the judge. "If it hadnt have been for those events being memorialized in both video and still images, we wouldnt have a full extent of what happened here." Videos seized by police included images of two other teenage boys, but no charges were laid involving them. Mike Cook, the lawyer for Donna Woodward, and Michael Dyck, the lawyer for Charles Woodward, both said their clients were confused about issues of consent. "Ignorance of the law is not a defence," Cook said. "My client now understands very clearly what the law is." The police report says other seized videos show the couple engaged in "sexual activities with different dogs on different occasions" between 2008 and 2018. "We identified, at minimum, seven different animals, all of which were dogs, that both accused were engaged with," Funke said. Funke urged the judge to prohibit the couple from possessing any animals for life, arguing anything less would put any pets they kept at risk. "This is the type of offence that is extremely difficult to detect," Funke said. "Animals have no capacity to report offending behaviour." Levin ordered that the couple be prohibited from owning dogs for five years, saying it was unnecessary to impose a blanket pet ban that would include animals not subject to abuse, such as fish. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The four-year sentence was jointly recommended by the Crown and the couples lawyers. Levin said he was satisfied both offenders posed a low risk to the community when they are released from custody, noting their clean prior records and absence of breaches while on bail. "I will go out on a limb and predict I will never have to see either accused again in a courtroom," Levin said. Donna Woodward said she and her husband accepted whatever punishment the court considered reasonable. "We guarantee that we will never reoffend in any capacity," she said. The couples sentence included an order that their names be included on the national sex-offender registry for life and that they be prohibited from using social media for 10 years. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca A formal complaint has been filed in Court of Queens Bench alleging that Premier Heather Stefanson violated conflict of interest rules when she failed to disclose selling property for millions of dollars. A formal complaint has been filed in Court of Queens Bench alleging that Premier Heather Stefanson violated conflict of interest rules when she failed to disclose selling property for millions of dollars. Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont paid the $300 fee required to have a judge consider hearing his complaint. It follows a Jan. 27 Free Press report that the premier breached the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Conflict of Interest Act by not declaring the disposal of three properties sold for $31 million in 2016 and 2019. MLAs are required to file statements with the clerk of the legislative assembly within 15 days of the start of a new session listing potential conflicts from assets they or their spouses own. If they acquire or dispose of any assets afterward, theyre required to file a further statement of disclosure within 30 days. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont paid the $300 fee required to have a judge consider hearing his complaint. The premier received notice of the court action Thursday, Lamont said. The premiers office did not respond to a request for comment Friday. "It is a pretty extraordinary situation where a minister was selling millions of dollars of property, and that minister failed to disclose that to the legislature," said Lamont, who will appear before a judge May 18 to ask that the case be heard. Taking court action to allege a member of the legislature breached the act is also extraordinary, although its the only available remedy. "To the best of my knowledge, there has never been an application to court under the conflict of interest legislation governing MLAs," Manitobas ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor said Friday. It is a pretty extraordinary situation where a minister was selling millions of dollars of property, and that minister failed to disclose that to the legislature." Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont Until new legislation takes effect, the commissioner has no power to investigate an alleged breach of the act by an MLA, he said. The only recourse available is through the court. A voter can go to Court of Queens Bench and pay $300 to file a detailed affidavit asking a judge to authorize a hearing. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Heather Stefanson said in an email that failing to file any statements disclosing the disposals was an oversight. If a hearing is granted and the judge determines conflict-of-interest rules were broken, the member could be suspended for up to 90 days, pay a fine of up to $5,000, be removed from office and have to pay restitution to the government or Crown agency for any financial gain that resulted from the violation. Schnoor noted when new legislation The Conflict of Interest (Members and Ministers) Act goes into effect after the next general election, recourse can be sought through the newly renamed conflict of interest commissioner rather than going to court. When the Free Press first reported that Stefanson had listed three properties among her assets for several years and then stopped but failed to file any statements disclosing they had been disposed of when they were sold the premier said in an email that she should have done so, and that it was an "oversight." In 2019, the McDonald Grain Company Ltd. Stefanson is listed as a director sold The Ritz apartment block (859 Grosvenor Ave.) for $7 million and Drury Manor (1833 Pembina Hwy.) for $22.5 million without filing a statement disclosing the disposal of assets. In 2016, she failed to disclose the disposal of a storage facility on Saulteaux Crescent that the McDonald Grain holding company sold for $1.78 million. Stefanson owns 20 per cent of the shares in the real estate holding company. Lamont said pursuing a complaint has been a challenge and highlights the "long and complex process" for voters in Manitoba to hold elected officials accountable. He said it has taken three months and involved preparing affidavits, gathering evidence, title searches and corporate registry information in an effort to hold the premier to account. "We have to do the work, because I do think that this needs to be looked at by somebody independent. This is a pretty serious matter and it requires more than just political theatre and writing a letter to a commissioner who has no power to investigate," he said, taking a swipe at the NDP, which first raised the issue and wrote a letter to Schnoor asking for his opinion on whether the rules had been broken. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In what is likely the largest religious gathering since the pandemic started, thousands of Muslims expect to gather at the convention centre Monday morning for Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic festival that marks the end of 30 days of fasting during Ramadan. In what is likely the largest religious gathering since the pandemic started, thousands of Muslims expect to gather at the convention centre Monday morning for Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic festival that marks the end of 30 days of fasting during Ramadan. "It makes me feel elated to meet everyone and see everyone for the first time in two years," said university student Abdul Ahad of the celebration. JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS University of Manitoba student Abdul Ahad, president of Muslim Students Association. "This will be the biggest reunion for the community at large for three years." Manitobas Muslims last met for Eid prayers and celebrations at the convention centre in 2019. Events in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to lockdowns or public health restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19. "This will be a huge gathering that we havent had for three years," explained Ismael Mukhtar, author of a recent history book on Manitobas Muslim community. "Weve had a number of newcomers (to Winnipeg since then) and this will be a new experience for them." Doors open an hour before prayers begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by a short sermon, said Tasneem Vali, vice-president of the Manitoba Islamic Association. The event includes goodie bags for children and a photo booth, as well as time for socializing after the prayers. Although the 2019 Eid celebration attracted about 9,000, Vali said fewer people may attend this year, due to Monday being a workday and some people remaining cautious about large indoor gatherings. Instead of praying shoulder-to-shoulder as is the custom in congregational prayers, people with safety concerns can move to the back of the large meeting room for more space, suggested Vali. "Were telling people to be vigilant. Stay home if youre sick or vulnerable," she said, adding the prayers will be livestreamed on the associations Facebook page and YouTube channel. Thats exactly what Shahina Siddiqui plans to do. With a young grandchild not yet eligible for vaccination, Siddiqui and her multi-generational household plan to celebrate Eid at home, just as theyve done for the past two years. "Its been a different experience," said the executive director of Islamic Social Services Association about celebrating with family members who prayed and fasted alongside her. "Its so much more soul satisfying." That caution is echoed by Sumera Sahar, who plans to attend the Eid prayers downtown, but has friends who have chosen to celebrate in smaller circles. "We have taken the approach that as a family we take as many precautions as reasonable while still maintaining normal life," she wrote in an email message. "We are all triple-vaccinated and maintain physical distancing and masking in public spaces." Convention centre staff continually monitor air quality and levels of carbon dioxide to ensure the expansive venue with its 10-metre-high ceilings remains as safe as possible, said president and CEO Drew Fisher. "As soon as carbon dioxide levels rise, fresh air is automatically introduced into the space," he said. Although events have resumed at the convention centre, Fisher said attendance is down about 40 per cent from pre-pandemic levels. "Theres a little bit more caution in people getting back to public places," he said. But there is also joy alongside that caution, said Mukhtar, since Eid is one of the biggest religious and social gatherings in Islam, and Winnipegs event displays the multicultural character of the provinces Muslim community. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Everyone and their family attends and it will be an exciting moment for everyone," he said. "Its the largest gathering of the community." For some international students, Mondays celebrations will mark the first time theyve celebrated Eid with Muslims outside of university, said Ahad, president of the University of Manitoba Muslim Students Association. "The community is our family here," said Ahad, an economics student from Bangladesh. "We have such a strong bond." brenda.suderman@freepress.mb.ca Daniel Nemis surveyed the carpet of litter coating his North End boulevard and a nearby vacant lot Friday. Fed up with the discarded plastic oil bottles, bedding, pop cans and full trash bags, he is calling on the City of Winnipeg to take action. Daniel Nemis surveyed the carpet of litter coating his North End boulevard and a nearby vacant lot Friday. Fed up with the discarded plastic oil bottles, bedding, pop cans and full trash bags, he is calling on the City of Winnipeg to take action. The 72-year-old retired substitute teacher said the mess in the area of McGregor Street and Pritchard Avenue is an "assault on the neighbourhoods aesthetic" and is more than concerned residents can combat their own. "To me, its a reflection on the city What do visitors think?" Nemis said Friday. "I cant stand this. I dont want to walk through it. I dont want to see it." Nemiss son recently took it upon himself to clean a section of the front street. However, new trash carried in with the wind has erased much of the effort. The overflowing garbage cans in the back lane generated a mess too severe for one person to take on, Nemis said. "The city is owned by 750,000 people take pride." City of Winnipeg crews are scheduled to clean the entire street network over the next five to six weeks, beginning May 1 at 10 a.m., weather permitting. Crews will first tackle main routes, followed by bus routes and collector streets, then residential streets, the city said. The cleanup project will include bridges, sidewalks and active transport paths. Crews will start tidying boulevards, medians and civic parks May 8. The citys curbside yard waste collection program will kick off the week of May 9 for homes in collection area "A." Homes in yard waste collection area "B" can expect a start the week of May 16. Public works spokesperson Ken Allen encourages residents to call 311 to report areas that need attention. However, since the city is prioritizing specific routes, filing a report doesnt guarantee workers will address it sooner. "If its extremely bad, we would send somebody out to inspect it," Allen said. Nemis has lived in his North End home for nearly two decades. While his teaching career brought him to all corners of Winnipeg, he says never seen this much litter anywhere else. The garbage problem has been consistent over the years and rampant year-round, Nemis said. "There are children on this street. I dont know who a mother or father can allow their children to pass through this, because this is filth, this is disease, its dangerous." Nemis has called 311 to report his blocks garbage twice this spring, including one call Thursday. He believes its the citys responsibility to clear the litter but the onus also falls on citizens to report such messes. Less than two kilometres away, community leader Sel Burrows has also been dealing with excessive litter. Sprawling piles of trash spilling into the alley behind a Euclid Avenue residence have been the subject of multiple reports made to 311 in recent weeks. "In Point Douglas, we do take a little extra care in making sure people keep their backyard and front yards clean," Burrows said, adding five neighbours contacted him about this particular situation. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The city has been less responsive recently to complaints about litter, he said. "Sometimes, its four or five days before you get a response with an incident number," Burrows said. "They used to be very good. Within three, four days, somebody would be out." City officials were unable to provide a time frame by deadline as to when crews would clean the areas reported by Nemis and Burrows. "It just diminishes peoples sense of well-being if youve got boarded-up houses and garbage all over the place," Burrows said. "Several things happen: other people stop trying to keep their place nice, homeowners sell and leave, and the people who would be your natural leaders in a community also give up and leave if the city abandons them and allows this urban blight to continue." Due to this weekends expected storm, the Point Douglas community cleanup scheduled for April 30 has been postponed until May 7. fpcity@freepress.mb.ca Mary Ruta was by no means an imposing figure, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone more resilient than the diminutive former teacher. Mary Ruta was by no means an imposing figure, but you would be hard-pressed to find someone more resilient than the diminutive former teacher. Rutas son, Jim, recalls phoning her one particularly blustery January day, when the temperature had dropped to -40 C. His mom, then in her early 90s, said she had just returned home from the grocery store. I said, Did your car start OK? Jim says. My mom said, No, I didnt take the car It was about two kilometres to Sobeys. She said it was too cold for the car, so she walked there. She said it was really cold on her fingers carrying those two bags of groceries, but she was fine. Resilience and perseverance were staples of Rutas life, from her upbringing in the tiny town of Tolstoi until her final years. Ruta died Aug. 25, at the age of 97. She was predeceased by husband Walter in 2013, and is survived by sons Jim, Tom and Wally and their families. Jim says his mom often spoke about her childhood in Tolstoi, about 90 km south of Winnipeg. While she had many fond memories, there were struggles, too. Rutas parents, John and Barbara, had emigrated from Eastern Europe before settling in Tolstoi. Despite its size, the town was home to three Orthodox churches at the time, which posed something of a challenge for Ruta, her three siblings and parents, who were all Catholic. Mom used to say she was bullied as a kid because she was Catholic and not Orthodox, Jim says. Still, childhood was a mostly positive time. The siblings grew up on the familys two-acre property in the heart of Tolstoi, in a large house with a big, beautiful yard Jim says looked like something out of Little House on the Prairie. Rutas father was a huge influence on her. He attended college as a young man and was regarded as something of a Renaissance man. In addition to operating a gristmill, he built a windmill on his property used to supply electric power to the family home. (It caught the attention of the owners of the nearby Tolstoi Hotel, who asked him to do likewise for them.) In his spare time, he made caskets, as well as concrete cemetery monuments, many of which still stand at the Tolstoi cemetery. He was a real hard worker, which was my mom, too, Jim says. She was always the up-and-at-em type in the morning. It was always: lets go, lets get at it. Another huge part of Rutas early life was education. She attended school just outside of town and would often be driven there by her father in a horse-drawn sleigh in the winter. Because the school only offered grades 1 to 11, she had to transfer to Emerson for Grade 12, where she boarded with a local family. Emerson to Tolstoi is roughly 35 km, But at the time (the 1940s), it might as well have been Chicago. Mom couldnt come home every night and sometimes had to remain there even on the weekend, Jim recalls. After graduating from high school, Ruta announced she planned to attend college to become a nurse. Her dad hated the idea and wouldnt allow it. Since she loved helping people, Ruta decided the next best thing would be to become a teacher. With rural teachers in short supply due to the pressures of the Second World War, at 17, she became a permit teacher at Sunbeam School in the town of Sundown in 1942. After attending Teachers College in Winnipeg in 1945, she began teaching at Zora School in Cooks Creek, before moving on to Cloverleaf School near Beausejour, where she met future husband Walter. After the couple moved to Winnipeg, she taught at Aberdeen and Argyle schools before moving on to Glenelm School, where she would work for 20 years before retiring in 1985. She loved the kids and I think thats what kept her going for so long. She loved those kids and they loved her, Jim says. She could be strict but fair. She was the kind of teacher everyone wanted to have. I still run into people who went to Glenelm who say: Mrs. Ruta? That was your mom? I remember her and she hasnt been there since 1985. One former student who still fondly remembers is Caroline Krebs. Ruta was her Grade 2 teacher at Glenelm during the 1972-73 school year. It was a particularly trying year for Krebs, who suffered a serious burn and had to miss nearly three months of school while she recovered in hospital. Krebs recalls how Ruta went out of her way to make sure she felt comfortable upon her return to the classroom. My injury was pretty visible at the time. It started around my chin and went all the way down, she says. No one ever bullied me in the classroom. Mrs. Ruta created a very safe space for me to come back to for the remaining months of that school year. That was critical for me dealing with what I was dealing with. I have very, very fond memories of her and imagine hundreds and hundreds of other students do as well. She really created a lovely environment for learning and growing. Ruta continued to help others into retirement. She left teaching to care for her elderly mother-in-law, who was living with her and her husband at the time. She also volunteered at Holy Eucharist Ukrainian Catholic Church, where she was a member of the perogy-making crew, which allowed her to combine her love of people with her love of God. Faith was a huge part of Rutas life. She attended church every Sunday and, in later years, attended mass at Holy Eucharist almost daily. She used to say to me: Jimmy, youre a grown man now, I cant do anything for you anymore, but I can pray. Im just hoping God still listens to little old ladies, he says. Ruta was fiercely independent. She continued to drive until she was in her early 90s, and still cooked and cleaned her own home until an injury forced her into a seniors residence about two years before her death. She became frustrated about her declining physical health, largely because it meant she was no longer able to help others, Jim says. She had a real sense of duty. She felt that if there was something she could do to help others, she should do it. If a situation called for someone to take over, my mom would do it. passages@freepress.mb.ca Very sad to hear of the passing of Montreal's celebrated dj and producer ROBERT OUIMET. His contribution to disco music and the Montreal Sound is immeasurable. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND WE PRESENT THE COMPLETE "EMILY BRISK" SERIES - ONE AFTER THE OTHER! REDISCOVER OR READ FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS STRANGE SCIENCE FICTION TALE!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- link to original show for listening to this 'on demand': https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/131/34870.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Several boring hours had passed as Emily sat in a waiting room in some grim building on Governors Island. With her radio in her lap quietly playing electronic disco, Emily closed her eyes fondly recalling the way Charmaine came over and gave her a big hug before she boarded the coast guard boat. There was a delay while coast guard people were interviewing Mrs. Stanton and inspecting the island. During that delay Charmaine told her how Mrs. Stanton had said she could keep the mysterious radio. Such a sweetheart, Charmaine took out her knife and carefully carved Emily's initials on the back of the radio while saying, "If you ever come to the South Bronx you should come to my house at 94 Locust Avenue and visit us. My mom would love speaking English to you, and you and I could go over to Randal Island Park and fly my kite!" The trip into New York was terrifying and disturbing. The coast guard people wouldn't leave her side. They were extremely suspicious of Emily. As the boat neared Governors Island, Emily was freaking out looking at a Manhattan Island that was clean and green with no skyscrapers! There was no sign of the Empire State Building or the new One World Trade Centre. The tallest things she could see were church steeples! The coast guard people had never even heard of the word 'skyscraper'. The only thing that was keeping Emily going was that disco station on the radio. Although she didn't recognize most of the electronic disco that evening she did at least know "Heart of Glass" by Blondie. Listening to the radio gave her a sense of hope. It seemed to be the only connection to her past. Absolutely nothing else was making any sense! Finally a serious looking man signaled Emily to follow him to an interview room. She was told to sit at a table across from two men: " We apologize for the long wait. It was difficult to get English speaking officials as you keep insisting that you are not fluent in American. I am Foster Danian of the U.S.A. Coast Guard and beside me is Agent Jacob Samuel from the F.B.I." With a sigh of relief Emily quickly asked Agent Samuel if he had spoken to her sister Agent Brisk in Boston. Both men sat looking at each other and shaking their heads. The F.B.I. agent suddenly snapped, "Stop It! Stop this act right now! I'm not buying any of your story at all. I checked the government computers before I came. There is no Emily Brisk. There never has been an Emily Brisk in Boston. There is no such thing as a 'biotech' company. I can say also that there is no Agent Nancy Brisk in the F.B.I. anywhere at all. You are lying to everybody. I'm tired of your bullshit!" Emily froze in a shivering mess. She was suddenly sick to her stomach with a knot in her throat. She whimpered, "What are you doing to me? Why are you saying that? I'm not lying at all." As if they were playing that good cop/bad cop scenario, the Coast Guard official calmed Emily down, insisting that everything was going to be alright. He talked about logic, "You have to understand our position. It is hard to believe that somebody could just suddenly appear on a private island out of nowhere, without identification. It simply doesn't make any sense at all" Emily smiled for a second before sort of agreeing. "I wouldn't normally believe it myself" Agent Samuel politely asked to look at Emily's radio. As Emily nervously passed it across the table, he calmly started explaining his theory: "I think whoever sent you over to America didn't do their homework. They should have known that we have the Government Computer network at our disposal and that we could check out your story easily. Furthermore Boston, Massachusetts, like Roanoke Island, Carolina is a small tourist town established around the time of the Great Liberation. Travellers go there for the unique English Colonial feel. Boston only has about 2,000 inhabitants. There are surely no "biotect" companies and no F.B.I. office at all!" He took note of the fact that the radio was made in China. He had never seen anything made in China in America. He thought that to be very suspicious. As he turned it on and turned up the volume both men practically jumped out of their seats: "What is this noize!" Emily snapped back, "Disco music" Agent Samuel took on a corrective tone: "The word disco in American simply means a phonographic record. This is not music. It is just electronic noise to a simple beat. Where's the singing? Where's the harmony?" Emily quickly changed the subject: "What do you mean by the 'great liberation'?" Both men smiled and almost laughed before Agent Samuel said, " You can't begin to suggest you don't know about history! Come on. The Great Liberation was when the Spanish Armada invaded England in 1588 and escorted a liberation force that freed the English from the clutches of an evil and corrupt Monarchy. They brought England back into Catholic civilization" Emily sat in a state of complete shock by what he had just said. She began to panic inside, wondering where the hell she was. Agent Samuel turned the radio volume back up. He angrily responded to the vocals on a Krisma song, "The vocals say "Bomb Miami"! Bomb Miami? Do you and your people intend to attack the United States of America? Tell me the truth!" Emily sat in utter horror, shaking her head no. After a frightening silence, the men's faces radically changed. They talked among themselves quietly in Spanish. Agent Samuel suddenly looked right at Emily, and in a very official tone, said; We are now going to give you the opportunity to come clean and really tell us who you are and where you have come from." When Emily couldn't come up with anything but the truth again she was put in a cell for the night. Agent Samuel had put her under arrest and seized her "communication device from China". Emily was crushed. She felt lost forever without that radio. Emily ended up in the fetal position in the corner of the cell sobbing and crying continuously. As she cried away she recalled her sister's amazing cooking, her boyfriend Tom's corny jokes and conspiracy theories. She remembered driving her little car on the Interstate 93 into downtown Boston every morning. All of these and so many more memories made her anguish dig deeper. She couldn't stop crying. It was uncontrollable sobbing. At least seven Manitoba communities have now declared a state of emergency because of flooding as heavy rains continue. At least seven Manitoba communities have now declared a state of emergency because of flooding as heavy rains continue. "The worst isnt over yet," said Morden Mayor Brandon Burley, who declared a state of emergency following a special council meeting Saturday afternoon. The city of Morden issued roughly 50 evacuation notices to residents because of substantial overland flooding that is damaging homes and vehicles throughout the city. "Its not really isolated at this point," Burley said. The southern Manitoba community is one of several areas that have been among the hardest hit with another Colorado low system that brought more rain starting Friday night. Areas in and around Morden, Portage la Prairie and Selkirk were pummelled with 20-30 mm, while Winnipeg had already received about 25 mm as of early Saturday afternoon, according to Environment Canada. That rain could turn to snow Sunday morning before it tapers off by evening, Environment Canada meteorologist Shannon Moodie said. "Which I know nobody wants to hear about, but we could have a few flurries. But then it will warm up in the afternoon," she said. The federal agency renewed its rainfall warning on Saturday morning, predicting an additional 10-25 mms of rain over southern Manitoba, and between 20-40 mms in northern Interlake regions. Heavy rain had started overnight as part of a Colorado low system, the third consecutive weekend of excessive rain or snow in Manitoba. The rural municipalities of Morris, Montcalm, Cartier, Fisher, Headingley and Ritchot previously declared local states of emergency, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk said during the legislatures question period earlier this week. An overland flood warning is still in effect for much of southern Manitoba from the provinces Hydrologic Forecast Centre. The accumulation of snow and rain from previous storms caused Mordens Deadhorse Creek to spill its banks, washing out a bridge that was the only route out of a neighbourhood west of the creek. Emergency responders built a temporary exit and the city issued the evacuation notices, but some residents stayed, only to call for help later, Burley said. "We need co-operation from the public. Stay off the flooded roads. We have vehicles breaking down because they flood out, and in areas where we need access to, we have trucks that are driving down flooded roads, creating lakes that are flooding homes out. So we need people to listen to emergency personnel," the mayor said. Hes asking residents to shelter in place, saying some people are getting too close to the water. "I know theres a certain amount of drama and excitement associated with it, but we do not want drowning situations or rescue situations on top of this." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Provincial help hasnt been needed yet, Burley said. He thanked volunteers and emergency personnel for their ongoing work to sandbag and help prevent more flooding. The community hasnt experienced a flood like this in recent years. "This would be a first in most peoples recollection. Certainly in the past 40 years we havent seen something like this. Its substantial, and depending on what the weather does over the next 24 to 48 hours, if we get the precipitation theyre calling for, were going to be in an even worse position, so were trying to get ahead of that," he said. The devastating impact of this rain is undeniable, but there is some good news on the way. "Luckily after this system moves out, it looks like were getting into normal temperatures. Dare I say that the long-range forecast has 20s (C) in it, so if that pans out I think well all be really happy. I think we could all use some sunshine and some warm temperatures," Moodie said. "You can really see the impact of the rain, and theres just so much that people really have to be aware of right now," especially when travelling on highways and in communities affected by flooding. katie.may@winnipegfreepress.com It has been said that to win a war costs billions, but to lose a war costs everything you have. Opinion It has been said that to win a war costs billions, but to lose a war costs everything you have. Russian President Vladimir Putin has relearned a bloody lesson from military history: it is always easier to start a war than to win one or even to predict how it will unfold. As the fighting continues in Ukraine, cash-strapped governments around the world have found billions of dollars for armaments. Countries that had effectively closed their doors to refugees because of the financial cost and social upheaval involved have opened them wide for the millions of displaced Ukrainians looking for a safe haven. Economic sanctions crippling the Russian economy are damaging other economies, too, but the costs are considered a preferable alternative to an all-out global war that nothing (except cockroaches) would survive. Barring some form of divine intervention, all of this will continue to cost billions for a long time to come. It is a bitter fact that countries are always more willing to spend money on fighting a war than they are on making or keeping the peace. Whatever it takes to fight a war, weve got it. We will spend the billions needed, whatever the human and environmental consequences. No one ever says we cant afford to fight, because we believe the alternative is to lose everything, because we have seen it happen before. Scenes of devastation from Mariupol are paired with images of massacres in Bucha, as genocide stalks the killing fields of Ukraine, just as it once did in Rwanda, Bosnia and Cambodia. And while the eyes (and cameras) of the world are now focused on Ukraine, lower-tech butchery continues in Tigray, Afghanistan, Myanmar, the DRC, Sudan, Yemen and other places. Refugees continue to stream across other borders, by the millions, to a much less compassionate reception than Poland has provided. Of course, global disparity underpins all these situations. Human rights are everywhere trumped by economic rights; justice only comes out of the muzzle of a gun, not by rule of law, and all sides want to pull the trigger. We could change the context here to the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It became a war against the virus, one that mobilized countries to work together to create a vaccine in record time. Billions of dollars have been spent, billions of people have been vaccinated but there are still billions more who have not. While the privileged whine and complain about their freedoms being taken away because of mask or vaccine mandates, too many people elsewhere cant afford masks and only dream of getting a vaccine. At the start of the pandemic, governments recognized we were at war, and found the money to fight that one, too, changing policies and providing economic supports, even in the United States, that stretched the boundaries of social welfare. That money has now all but stopped, because these same governments have declared the war has been won and things are back to normal. Yet the virus ignores our politics and continues to wreak havoc, especially among people in developing countries, who are most at risk for other reasons. No doubt Putins generals also told him the war in Ukraine had been won, the day before the Black Sea flagship Moskva was sunk. Charitably, you might call these unrealistic attitudes wish fulfillment, or aspirational thinking. In truth, however, people who think and act on such delusions are dangerous. No war ever ends simply because one side claims a victory the other side does not accept. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. To make one last segue here, I began to write these thoughts about wars and what they cost on Earth Day 2022. In the federal budget, five times as much new money was announced to purchase F-35 fighter jets as was earmarked to deal with the climate crisis. Climate activists across the country were reduced to tears when, amid the vaguest inklings of green, the federal government brashly approved a huge new fossil-fuel project off the coast of Newfoundland. Yet the recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and thousands of studies over the past 50 years, have revealed that we are at war with the planet itself. We are creating conditions that will make the Earth unliveable for humans in the very near future. The devastation we are causing to planetary systems, and to the diversity of life with which we share our home, will soon reach a point of no return. We need to make peace with the Earth, to end the war we started, before it is too late. Somehow, we need to convince our political and business leaders the most important war we are fighting is with ourselves, with what we have done, with what we need to do differently instead, if we and our children all the children hope to survive. That war, fought across the whole planet, will cost untold billions to win but to lose it will literally cost us the Earth. Peter Dentons latest book is The End of Technology. Theres a reason why the Stefanson governments diagnostic and surgical recovery task force doesnt reveal how long people are waiting for the procedures its supposed to be tracking: the numbers are awful. Theres a reason why the Stefanson governments diagnostic and surgical recovery task force doesnt reveal how long people are waiting for the procedures its supposed to be tracking: the numbers are awful. The task forces new executive director, David Matear, gave Manitobans an update Thursday on the panels work. Like all of its updates so far, there was no data on how long Manitobans are waiting for surgeries, diagnostic tests or other procedures. The province doesnt want people to see those statistics. Whats becoming increasingly clear since this task force was launched in December is that its purpose is not to provide Manitobans with objective information on wait times, nor demonstrate with evidence how its eliminating surgical backlogs. This a political exercise meant to create the perception that its making progress on reducing hospital wait times. To do that, the task force has been cherry picking "backlog" data for some diagnostic tests the estimated number of people on a wait list and posting it online. It shows a slight decline in the number waiting, but doesnt reveal how long the waits are. And there is no data for surgical wait times. Its not that the panel doesnt have access to reliable data it does. A decision has been made not to release it to the public. "We have a good idea on most procedures what the average wait time is," Dr. Peter MacDonald, the Winnipeg surgeon recruited by the government to chair the panel, said during its March update. MacDonald also said patients are less concerned about how many people are on a wait list and more interested in how long they have to wait for a test or a surgery date. Hes right. Backlog data, while interesting to assess overall system progress, doesnt tell patients anything about how long they have to wait for a procedure. "Were starting to think that maybe we should be looking more at wait times, which is more important to the patient," MacDonald said. If the task force is looking more at wait-time numbers, as opposed to backlog data, it isnt sharing that information with the public. Manitoba Health has for years provided wait-time data on its website for certain procedures, including hip and knee, cataract and cardiac surgery, as well as for diagnostic-imaging tests. It shows wait times for many of those procedures are higher than they were a year ago. The task force could use that raw data to build its own online dashboard and provide the public with timely updates and targets on where it expects wait times to be in the future. But it hasnt done that. Unfortunately, Manitoba Health posts only "median" wait times, the halfway mark between shorter and longer waits. A more relevant metric is 90th-percentile wait times (the longest for nine out of 10 patients). It gives patients a more realistic time frame of how long they may have to wait. The latter is a common metric used for health-care waits across Canada. Its also used to measure emergency room wait times in Winnipeg. That data could be extracted for surgeries and diagnostic testing, but government refuses to do so. Even Doctors Manitoba, the physician group thats been tracking wait lists during the pandemic, has had trouble getting data from government. In a news release issued Friday, the organization said its had to submit freedom of information requests to try to get data from the task force. Its own data collection shows the backlog for surgeries and diagnostics tests has increased slightly, to just over 169,000 cases. Theres no doubt the pandemic is the chief cause of todays lengthy waits. Surgical staff were redeployed to treat COVID-19 patients, causing tens of thousands of procedures to be cancelled or delayed. However, as part of the provinces hospital consolidation plan implemented prior to the pandemic, the net number of surgical beds also declined. That will make it more difficult to catch up. According to internal Winnipeg Regional Health Authority bed-mapping figures obtained by the Free Press, the number of net surgical beds fell from 485 in April 2016 to 460 in December 2019. It may be one more reason the government refuses to release comprehensive and timely wait-time information. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, waves to villagers while visiting Maona, a village in the city of Wuzhishan, to learn about the alignment of rural revitalization with the achievements in poverty alleviation during his inspection tour in the southern province of Hainan, April 11, 2022. [Xinhua/Li Xueren] BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) For Wang Juru, a tea grower from an ethnic Li village on the tropical Hainan island, President Xi Jinping appeared to be an "ordinary guy" to whom the once impoverished farmer could easily relate. "He came to my home and asked about our lives, like how our house was built and how the government subsidies were provided," Wang said as she recalled Xi's tour earlier this month to the once impoverished mountain village of Maona. "He also visited our tea factory and asked about the business," she said. "It was just like chatting with family." During his about five decades in politics, Xi rose from a grassroots Party chief to the leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), from an ordinary citizen to the country's president, from an average military officer to the Central Military Commission chairman, all while remaining committed to a better life for Chinese citizens. The Son of the Loess Lands Xi visited the small village of Liangjiahe in northwest China's Shaanxi Province in mid-February to mark China's Spring Festival in 2015. It was a homecoming for the urban-born Chinese President. Fifty-three years back, Xi, just shy of turning 16, was sent to live in Liangjiahe as an "educated youth." He would spend the next seven of his most formative years living in that rural hamlet. That area, part of the Loess Plateau, was where the Communist revolutionaries, including his father, rose to found New China. "At that time, I did all kinds of work reclaiming wasteland, farming, hoeing, herding, hauling coal, mounding, and carrying manure," Xi later recalled. At the end of a day's labor, he would return to his primitive, flea-infested cave house and sleep on a simple clay bed. That first-hand experience with poverty would stay with him. For all its discomfort and bitterness, Xi's coming of age in that remote corner of China left him with an intimate understanding of rural life in this populous country, an acute self-awareness, and an ability to relate to people from many walks of life. Xi himself spoke of his time in Liangjiahe with fondness in the years to come. "As a public servant of the people, I have my roots deep in the northern Shaanxi plateau because it cultivated my unchanging mission: to do practical things for the people!" Xi wrote years later in an autobiographical work. "Wherever I go, I will always be a son of the loess lands," he wrote. Xi arrived in Liangjiahe as a slightly bewildered teenager and left as a 22-year-old man determined to serve the people. His love for the grassroots commoners eventually took him on an odyssey across China that saw him labor in different provinces and municipalities. In the 1980s, when many of his contemporaries were going into business or leaving to study abroad, Xi gave up his comfortable office job in Beijing and chose to work as the deputy Party chief of a small county in north China's Hebei Province. Later he became the Party chief of Ningde Prefecture, one of the poorest regions in east China's Fujian Province at the time. From his early years, Xi seemed uninterested in the trappings of offices. He would travel for days, sometimes into the mountains, to talk with people at the grassroots, learn about their difficulties, and help solve their problems. While in Ningde, Xi visited almost all its townships, including three of the four without access to paved roads. Xiadang, a township nestled deep in the mountainous area of Shouning County, was one of them. Back then, the average annual per capita net income of farmers in Xiadang was less than 200 yuan (about 31 U.S. dollars). It was one of the poorest townships in Fujian. At the time, the only road connecting the area to the outside world was a narrow path covered in thick brambles that winded along rocky cliffs. Xi and his team had to walk for two hours on his first trip to Xiadang. Xi decided it was essential to focus on accessibility for the area to take off. Work began on a highway just months after his first visit, and the road into Xiadang opened in January 1991. By 2020, Xiadang residents' per capita annual income had increased to 17,289 yuan (about 2,682 U.S. dollars). Similarly, he described his work in Zhejiang Province by saying he had seen "nearly all of Zhejiang's mountains and waters." He asked officials to "go to the countryside more often and visit farmers' homes more often" and get their boots dirty to grasp the realities of China the hard way. "Xi Jinping's experience in grassroots work has made him more aware of the hardships of ordinary people and more aware of their expectations," said Yan Shuhan, a professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. "His care for the people is the starting point and fundamental goal of his governance." The Servant of the Public Xi chose to serve the grassroots people in 1982. Thirty years later, the people chose Xi to lead the nation. On November 15, 2012, Xi Jinping was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. When he addressed journalists that day, he referred to "the people." "It is the people who have created history, and it is the people who are true heroes. The people are the source of our strength," Xi said. "The Chinese people's aspiration for a better life is the goal to strive for." Xi was elected Chinese president at the 12th National People's Congress four months later. Fulfilling the people's aspiration for a better life is always at the center of Xi's blueprint for the country's new journey towards "a great modern socialist country." He has made it a tradition to visit ordinary people, especially the country's least privileged groups, in nearly every one of his domestic inspection tours. He would see, for himself, what ordinary Chinese were eating, whether they had access to clean water and adequate heating in the winter, and learn about their concerns over food safety and environmental protection. In November 2013, during an inspection tour to the central province of Hunan, Xi visited Shibadong, an ethnic Miao village labeled "poor" at the time. "What should I call you?" asked illiterate villager Shi Basan as she welcomed Xi into her home. "I am a servant of the people," Xi introduced himself. During that tour, Xi put forward the concept of "targeted poverty alleviation" for the first time. Poverty had plagued China for thousands of years. Despite decades of economic boom, China in 2012 still had 98.99 million people living under the poverty line, with a per capita income of less than 2,300 yuan a year, or about one U.S. dollar a day. Xi set year 2020 as the deadline for China to eradicate absolute poverty, ensuring all Chinese could take their rightful place as citizens of a well-off society. Between 2012 and 2020, over 3 million public sector officials were sent from cities and towns to villages to fight poverty "on the front lines." Nearly 1.6 trillion yuan (about 248.4 billion U.S. dollars) of fiscal funds were invested into poverty alleviation programs. In February 2021, Xi announced a "complete victory" in eradicating absolute poverty, and with that, China created yet another "miracle" that would "go down in history," he said. But Xi's vision of a better life for the people goes far beyond the already unprecedented feat of feeding and sheltering all of China's 1.4 billion population. He wants "better education, more stable jobs, higher incomes, more reliable social security, better medical and health care, improved housing conditions, and a beautiful environment" for all. Over the past decade, Xi has led China to build the world's largest infrastructure network while staying committed to realizing fuller employment. China's GDP grew 8.1 percent year on year to 114 trillion yuan (18 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2021. He set the goals to achieve carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Last year, the share of days with good air quality rose to 87.5 percent, up 0.5 percentage points from 2020. The country has the world's most extensive social security system in scale and the largest middle-income group. Absolute poverty has been eliminated once and for all. Since 2012, his anti-corruption war has seen more than 400 officials at the ministerial level or above investigated or punished. Xi was re-elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in 2017 and Chinese president in 2018. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2022 China, an annual online survey in its 22nd year, 91 percent of Chinese respondents said they trusted the Chinese government. In his latest new year's address to the entire nation, Xi said: "The myriad of things we attend to boil down to matters concerning every household." "The concerns of the people are what I always care about, and the aspirations of the people are what I always strive for," he said. In an interview with the Guardian in 2017, Cheng Li, director of the John L. Thornton China Center with the U.S. think tank Brookings Institution said the Chinese people view Xi as a strong leader. "He gets things done. He makes Chinese people proud," Li said. The Pupil of the People Xi's people-centered philosophy also explains why he ordered unwavering efforts to save people's lives at all costs during the COVID-19 epidemic. For over two years, China has fought an unprecedented battle to fend off the epidemic, tackling resurgences by sticking to the dynamic zero-COVID policy instead of choosing to "live with" the virus. So far, this strategy has worked. The government's practice throughout the epidemic of trying to find and isolate every infected person has largely protected hospitals from becoming overwhelmed and staved off the deaths that have engulfed much of the world. In essence, what Xi commands to counter the epidemic is a "people's war" waged by the people and for the people. Under Xi's leadership, millions of community workers were mobilized to regularly disinfect public spaces, check body temperatures, register visitors, and take them to quarantine if necessary. Grid management and neighborhood watches were initiated in some cities to detect and isolate suspected cases and their close contacts as soon as possible. Tens of thousands of volunteers showed up to help. At one point, nearly every Chinese was fighting this anti-COVID war. "There are no heaven-sent heroes in this world, only ordinary people who stepped forward to face the challenge," Xi said. The people have been the very source of the CPC's strength and wisdom ever since the conception of the world's largest ruling party. Addressing a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in December 2017, Xi told members of the Political Bureau to "take the people as the teacher, and learn from the people." His words were well heeded. When Chinese authorities drafted the 14th Five-Year Plan, a key blueprint for the country's economic and social development between 2021 and 2025, more than 1 million comments poured in as public suggestions were solicited online in August 2020. In April, the CPC asked the Chinese public to contribute opinions on its 20th national congress to take place in the second half of 2022 over issues such as the strict Party governance, high-quality development, comprehensive opening-up, whole-process people's democracy, law-based state governance, socialist cultural advancement, people's livelihoods, and ecological progress. Xi's own governance philosophy is deeply rooted in the people's practical, innovative efforts. Back in the 1990s, limestone processing for cement manufacture used to be the source of livelihood for residents of Yucun in east China's Zhejiang Province. But the short-lived boom came with a high price for the locals -- they had to reel under dusty air and heavy pollution. By the early 2000s, the villagers decided to shut down cement factories to save the environment. During an inspection tour to Yucun in August 2005, Xi, the then Party chief of Zhejiang, spoke highly of the village's wise move to shut down mines. Xi put forward the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains as invaluable assets." That vision has become a guiding principle in China's ecological progress nationwide. Bayazeed Kasi, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party's advisor on cooperation with the CPC, said the Chinese-style democracy reflects the fact that the CPC heeds the call of the people and has rallied people's wisdom. The unique advantages of Chinese-style democracy are a key to China's great achievements, he added. "Looking back over the 100 years of history, always staying with the people is the secret of the CPC's great achievements in the annals of history," said former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. Overseas observers said the CPC, led by Xi, has been drawing its inexhaustible strength from the Chinese people to forge ahead with confident strides on its new journey. (Source: Xinhua) Journey to the library for a living history presentation on Saturday, May 7 at 2 p.m. Bill Hayes will present the story of the Lewis & Clark expedition through the eyes of its youngest member, George Shannon. In full costume, he shares the experiences that he had on the journey to the Pacific Ocean, and highlights some of the adventures (and misadventures) of the expedition party. At the end of the presentation, Bill steps out of character to give the audience the rest of the story about Shannon. This program is sponsored by the Humanities Nebraska. There are so many interesting facts about the Lewis and Clark expedition that we will be learning about. For instance, did you know that Meriwether Lewis first met Clark after being court-martialed by the army? Apparently, the 21-year-old Lewis challenged his lieutenant to a duel in a drunken dispute. He was found not guilty and transferred to a new commander, who just happened to be William Clark. Did you know that Lewis also served as Thomas Jeffersons secretary? It was Jefferson who sent Lewis to Philadelphia to study medicine, botany, and celestial navigation. Thomas Jefferson instigated the expedition, and he believed that the explorers would encounter mountains of salt, a race of Welsh-speaking Indians, and herds of wooly mammoths and giant sloths! Did you know that the Spanish sent soldiers to arrest the expedition travelers? The Spanish feared the expedition might lead to the seizure of their gold-rich territories. Luckily for Lewis and Clark, the hostile search parties never found them in the vast frontier. Did you know that Clark brought his slave on the journey? The Indians revered the tall manservant, thinking he had spiritual powers and called him Big Medicine. He was a valued member of the expedition, known for his hunting skills. He also assisted in helping to plan their journey. Another fact I did not know about the Lewis and Clark expedition was that their teenaged Shoshone Indian guide and translator, Sacagawea, was reunited with her long-lost brother during their long journey. She had been kidnapped by another tribe a few years earlier and taken away from her family. During the expedition, a band of Shoshone Indians accosted them. When Sacagawea discovered the chief was her brother, the tearful reunion helped facilitate peaceful relations between the two parties. Despite the treacherous journey, only one member of the group died. One of the worst injuries was suffered by Lewis who was accidentally shot in the buttocks after one of the hunting party mistook him for an elk! He was forced to spend a few miserable weeks lying on his belly in the canoe while the expedition floated down the Missouri River. After the expedition was over, William Clark took a shine to Sacagaweas son, Jean Baptiste, and offered to adopt him and raise him as his own child. Sacagawea initially declined his offer, but when Jean Baptiste was older, she sent him to Clark for her sons education in St. Louis. When she died, Clark became the legal guardian of both Jean Baptiste and her daughter, Lisette. Jean Baptiste grew up to become a trapper and a wilderness guide. Bill Hayes is an interesting and knowledgeable speaker and his presentation is worth attending! Make plans to bring your friends and family to this free program. The library will provide delicious treats for you to enjoy that afternoon. Starting Saturday, May 21 at 9:30 a.m. we are beginning a monthly Yoga class for adults with the talented Aude Boucly. Attendees must preregister using the online form or by calling Kelli at 402-562-4214. Funding provided by the Columbus Area United Way Endowment through the Columbus Library Foundation. A Food for Fines opportunity will be offered the week of May 22-28. Bring in your overdue books and DVDs to waive your late fees by bringing in at least three cans of food per account. This does not apply to lost and damaged items. Food will be donated to the Platte County Food Pantry. Kelli Keyes is the customer service manager of Columbus Public Library. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Welsh language provision at Wrexham Glyndwr set to expand with new appointment A familiar face to staff and students at Wrexham Glyndwr University is set for a brand-new role exploring ways to give students more opportunities to study through the medium of Welsh. The university is excited to announce a major new partnership with Y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, with the appointment of Elen Mai Nefydd as Head of Welsh Medium Academic Development. As part of a broader range of support, this new full-time post will provide a senior lead on developing and implementing a new strategy for expanding the provision of Welsh medium teaching and learning at WGU. She said: I am thrilled to be starting on this new and important role, and look forward to working with colleagues to develop new ideas for how we can increase the opportunities for our students to study through Welsh and indeed recruit more Welsh speaking students. Elen Mai brings her extensive knowledge, experience and enthusiasm as a senior academic and leader in Welsh academia. Having been part of the academic staff at WGU for 17 years, leading the theatre degree, Elen Mai has the opportunity to use this experience in connecting with colleagues to ensure that the Welsh language is considered by all staff and prospective students at the university. Creating this role is a positive step for the university. It means that it is getting to grips with Welsh language provision and looking to develop options for our students here in Wales. Elen Mai praised the university for making positive steps to support the language, with bilingual signage on campus and all communications and marketing materially being produced in both languages. The hope is to continue with the same energy within our academic programmes, she added. I think we are going to see more and more students staying locally and so there is an opportunity to attract students from the region to Glyndwr to study in Welsh. There are very positive developments in several programmes. There are a number of brand-new Health courses that are going to be validated for September, for example Speech and Language Therapy. Elen Mai also highlighted how the new initiative work also ties in with the Welsh Governments plan to have one million Welsh speakers by 2050. She said: I think its important that we as a university give our students the skills to use Welsh language but more importantly to be bilingual in their careers as well. With the dust settled on Prime Minister Boris Johnsons two-day visit to India last week, the picture that emerges is of Britains greatly diminished stature on the world stage. This was clouded at the time by the partygate storm dominating the media coverage centred on Johnsons personal travails. In the Guardians account, Johnson was feeling Westminster heat under the Indian sun. According to the Times, which reported frantic calls between Johnson and the Conservative Party back home, There was no respite for the PM overseas. Perhaps the most used word to describe his visit was overshadowed. ITVs deputy political editor Anushka Asthana wrote that from the perspective of the trip to India events back home in Westminster were a disaster. Comments focussing on Johnsons performance in India were no more flattering. The most publicised event was a photo-op at a JCB plant, British owned but made in India, touted Johnson (and owned by a Tory donor), where he posed on top of a bulldozer. But in the days before, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had used JCB machines to flatten Muslim homes and businesses as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments communalist campaign. The prime minister was branded ignorant and tone deaf. 22/04/2022. Delhi, India. Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives a press conference with Prime Minister Modi. (Flickr / Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street) His trip was certainly a flop. But the relentless focus on Johnsons personal failings, designed to underscore the argument of a broad section of the ruling class that he is now a liability for British imperialism, hides deeper causes that are as unpalatable to his critics as to Johnson himself. The Tory leader is playing his hand badly, but it was a bad hand to begin with. When the Guardians editors write, The UK PM ought to have taken greater note of [Indian Prime Minister] Narendra Modis refusal to speak out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or Labours Shadow Trade Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds argues, Not even raising the issue of Indias neutrality on Putins illegal invasion of Ukraine is a failure of leadership that shows a Prime Minister too distracted by trying to save his own skin to do his job properly, they are tapping into the same fantasy on which Johnsons trip was basedthat the UK can unilaterally exercise any such influence on its former colony. India, closely courted by the imperialist powers as a potential ally against China, was one of the countries to abstain from a United Nations vote censuring Russian over Ukraine. The Times explained that Johnson was on a mission to reduce the amount of arms it [India] buys from Russia and wean it off Russian fuel. He would offer India alternatives to Russia ties, according to Reuters. But a joint statement on the Johnson-Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks simply expressed in strongest terms their concern about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian situation in Ukraine and reiterated the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The Independent reported, Indias foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that Mr Johnson did not seek to put pressure on Modi to change his stance. In a press conference on the final day of his trip, the UK prime minister admitted, The position on Russia that the Indians have historically is well known. They are not going to change that, of course, thats true. For Johnson to have pushed the issue any further would have exposed the UKs tenuous position. As Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, International Institute for Strategic Studies fellow for South Asia and member of the UK-India Advisory Council, wrote in the Financial Times ahead of Johnsons visit, Rhetoric is far ahead of reality when it comes to UK-India ties. In terms of defence, Johnson reportedly offered to streamline the UKs licensing rules on military exports and assist India in developing its own fighter jets. But the UK is in no position to transform the current heavy reliance of the Indian military on Russian equipment and arms suppliers. Cooperation with the US and its allies in moves against Chinathe Indian navy joined NATOs UK-led Carrier Strike Group in the Bay of Bengal last year and the country participates in the anti-China Quad groupdoes not preclude for India its continued close relations with Russia, a critical security partner. Retired Lieutenant General Deependra Singh Hooda, former commander of Indias northern army, told Al Jazeera Indias dependence on Russia, despite plans to diversify and bring in-house its sources of military hardware, was huge, adding, Its just not possible to suddenly replace 60-70 percent of your equipment. That equipment includes fighter jets, transport aircraft, battle tanks, air defence systems, an aircraft carrier and a leased nuclear submarine, with four warships on order. The leading Swedish defence think tank SIRPI estimates that India imported 46 percent of its arms from Russia between 2017 and 2021. By contrast, the UK has over the post-Second World War period fallen from its position as Indias largest arms supplier to a market share in the last 10 years of just 3 percent. At the end of March, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss travelled to Delhi to discuss closer defence and security partnerships between the UK and India. But her visit was undermined by the welcome given to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov the same day. Lavrovs main purpose was to discuss the sale of discounted Russian oil, which Truss sought to pressure India into refusing. External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar pointedly answered the British foreign secretary, I think its natural for countries to go out and look for what are good deals theres a much broader spread of countries who have views and influence on how the world should be run. Since then Indian oil purchases from Russia have more than doubled on last year. The UK courted embarrassment again with Johnsons trip, leading to an argument over his helicopter transportation in India. According to the Times, the prime ministers advisors vetoed the use of a Russian-built Mi-17. An American Chinook had to be flown in from a base six hours away. Nor does Britain have any commanding economic leverage over India. The two countries now vie for the position of the fifth-largest economy in the world, with India set to outstrip the UK in the coming years. Not factoring in the very real threat of global economic and political convulsions, the International Monetary Fund predicts the UK economy will grow by 3.7 percent this year and 1.2 percent the next; Indias is forecast 8.2 percent, then 6.9 percent. While the UKs share of global exports declined from 5.3 percent in 2000 to 3.3 percent in 2019, Indias increased from 0.8 percent to 2.1 percent. As for direct ties, the UK fell from Indias second largest trading partner for goods in 1996/7, to its 18th largest in 2019/20. Britains trade balance with India for goods and services has been in deficit since 2001, standing at minus 4.3 billion in 2020. Between 2000 and 2019, the UK was the only G7 economy to see a decline (minus 3 percent) in its exports to the country. It was therefore Johnson trying to push Modi for a deal in India, urging a free trade agreement we are telling our negotiators, get it done by Diwali in October. He signalled during the trip that the UK would bring in reduced visa restrictions on Indian citizens, a long-term sticking point in the talks. Modi only went as far as saying India would make all efforts to conclude the FTA [free trade agreement] by the end of this year. The same reasons that made Johnsons India trip so lacklustre also made it necessary to undertake. With its economic and military weight in steep decline, the UK has sought to base its position on a close alliance with US imperialism. This special relationship has increasingly been shown for what it is: a necessarily slavish commitment to Washington. Brexit has supercharged this process, with the UK forced to make up for its diminished value as an American proxy in the European Union with an even more fervent proselytising of American interests. In recent months, this has meant playing the role of NATOs drill sergeant, barracking governments to unreservedly fall into line with the US war drive against Russia. Johnson went to India hoping to provide the same service, but only proved that the UKs scope for achieving its foreign policy objectives is extremely limitedthe prime ministers hailing of his special friend Modi and the UK and Indias long-term partnership notwithstanding. Away from the political spotlight, the ruling class is more sober. In January 2021, the leading British foreign policy think tank Chatham House issued A blueprint for the UKs future international role, authored by director Robin Niblett, which admitted Britain could not reincarnate itself as a miniature great power. It instead advocated Britain serving as the broker of solutions to global challenges. Niblett identified India as one of four difficult countries: It should be obvious by now that the idea of a deeper relationship with India always promises more than it can deliver. The legacy of British colonial rule consistently curdles the relationship. In contrast, the US has become the most important strategic partner for India, as recent US administrations have intensified their bilateral security relations, putting the UK in the shade. The reports less than flattering portrayal of India prompted an even blunter assessment from its former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal: Britains hope after Brexit to be a global broker reflects both its diminished status and its imperial nostalgia. These facts do not lessen but increase the danger posed to the UK and international working class by British imperialism. As recent years have proven, its response is to throw around what weight it does have, above all in the military sphere, even more provocatively in the hope of earning a share of the spoils of a world redivided by the US. Lauding a major foreign policy speech delivered by Truss this Wednesday, Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom Nile Gardiner wrote, As the great Iron Lady used to say, America needs friends and partners in the often lonely task of global leadership. And the US has no more powerful and robust ally than Great Britain. Funding such an aggressive foreign policy means squeezing the working class at home ever more tightly. Writing in the Times this week, Iain Martin cheered, Post-Brexit Britains back on the global stage, but wagged his finger, rhetoric must be matched by increased firepower. In her Wednesday speech, Truss decried a generation of underinvestment in the military and called for the 2 percent of GDP target for NATO members to be made a floor, not a ceiling. Thousands of rail workers attended a mass meeting Thursday night to launch a nationwide balloting campaign for strike action across Network Rail and the train operating companies. 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are being balloted over historic attacks on jobs, pay, terms and conditions as part of the Johnson governments Great British Railways re-privatisation project. Engineers working to repair the railway on a bridge (Credit: Network Rail) 3,500 RMT members registered for Thursdays meetingthe first online mass meeting in the unions history, and its largest in decades. Thousands more listened via Facebook livestream. The turnout demonstrated workers determination to fight. Balloting opens this week and closes on May 24. RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch outlined plans by the Johnson governments Department for Transport (DfT) and the rail employers for a generalised attack across all train operating companies and Network Rail. The railways employ more than 240,000 people, including 42,000 Network Rail infrastructure workers. The current dispute involves 41,000 members of the RMT across Network Rail and 17 train operating companies including, Chiltern Railways, Cross Country Trains, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Eastern Railway, South Western Railway, Island Line, GTR (including Gatwick Express), TransPennine Express, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Train. Lynch said the DfT had thrown down the gauntlet with a two-year pay freeze, massive job cuts, changes to working practices, terms and conditions, and attacks on the railway pension scheme, hugely increasing contributions and scaling back benefits. The cuts include: 2 billion in permanent consolidated cuts across the railways, 600 million of this to be achieved through workforce reforms Mass closure of ticketing offices Making Sunday part of the normal working week without compensation; scrapping current rostering principles, forcing all staff to work unsociable hours Stripping out jobs from station and retail grades, control rooms and catering services Multi-functionality between all station grades, including dispatch, gateline customer service, passenger assistance, security and revenue protection, retail and control Accelerated introduction of digital technologies and remote monitoring to undermine conditions and safety New technologies used as a pretext for Driver Only Operated (DOO) trains, with guards and conductors removed from operational and safety-critical role to onboard customer service 400 million in cash savings across Network Rail through workforce reforms 100 million in cuts to Network Rails maintenance section with a shift to risk based maintenance and removal of 2,500 jobs. Network Rail operators will be replaced by roving assistant technicians, allocated to no specific discipline, team or route, paid as little as 21,000 a year, rostered individually and using their own vehicles to travel to job sites De-skilling of signallers and controllers (including use of drones to replace physical inspections) and authority of signallers to be overridden by management grade controllers The Johnson governments agenda was spelled out in a White Paper last May by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and former British Airways CEO Keith Williams, launching Great British Railways. Seizing on the collapse of the TOC private franchise model during the pandemic, the Tories have unveiled a new model of privatisation managed by GB Railways. It will oversee a profit bonanza for transport corporations and other financial parasites. Our response has been certain and true, Lynch declared, The time is now on us. We have no choice but to launch a massive fightback. But his report was shot through with duplicity. Lynch stated that the pandemic had been used as a smokescreen for huge cuts, but was silent on the RMTs participation, alongside rail unions ASLEF, Unite, TSSA and GMB, in the Johnson governments Rail Industry Recovery Group (RIRG). Johnson and Shapps initiated the RIRG in December 2020, uniting the private rail operators, Network Rail executives and unions to restructure the railways. On January 13, 2021 the RMT signed up to its confidential terms of reference including plans to enforce massive cost savings, jobs cuts, attacks on conditions and the slashing of pensions. Lynch made just two passing references to the RIRG in his speech but was silent on the RMTs participation in this corporatist body. While paying lip service to rail nationalisation, the RMT advances no challenge to the re-privatisation agenda of the Johnson government. In the mid-1990s the RMT and other rail unions betrayed the fight against privatisation, claiming a Labour government would reverse the Tories move. But Blair and his fellow Thatcherites completed the rail sell-off begun under Tory minister Sir Malcolm Rifkind, and the RMT established a loyal partnership with the private TOCs, even as they looted billions, including 8.7 billion in dividend payments to shareholders since 1996. During the pandemic, this looting operation has been expanded. Emergency Measures Agreements (between March and September 2020) saw the TOCs pocket 98 million in taxpayer funded management fees. These were succeeded by Emergency Measures Recovery Agreements, expiring this month, with handouts of 231 million. National Contracts, running for five years, will begin this month, with TOCs set to receive 626 million. The Johnson government also covered the leasing payments of the rolling stock companies (which own the trains), allowing them to gift 950 million to shareholders in 2020. GB Railways is socialism for the rich, with the government acting as guarantor against any future losses to private TOCs. It will be modelled on Transport for London, with funding dependent on meeting a moving feast of efficiency targets, creating a relentless pressure to boost productivity and downgrade safety. Lynch outlined the RMTs demands: an end to the pay freeze, no compulsory redundancies, and an assurance there will be no detrimental changes to work practices and terms and conditions. But the Johnson government will make no such assurances. Its reforms, spelled out in the White Paper and in months of discussions at the RIRG, are a declaration of war against the working class. The RMT demands no compulsory redundancies, knowing that thousands of jobs will be permanently destroyed through voluntary redundancies, retirement, and natural attrition. According to the RMTs own estimate, 2,500 jobs have already been axed in recent months via the governments Voluntary Severance Scheme. The Socialist Equality Party calls for the widest mobilisation to return a yes vote for industrial action, but the dispute must not be left in the hands of the RMT. Rail workers must inscribe on their banner the fight for nationalisation of the railways under workers control. The train operating companies must be placed under public ownership and their profits seized to improve conditions and pay, expand the rail system and make fares affordable. Lynch declared Thursday, we cannot rely on others. But success depends on a unified movement. On the London Underground, the RMT and ASLEF are sitting on massive strike votes by their members, refusing to organise a joint offensive to defeat the Johnson governments plans being enforced by Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. Rank-and-file strike committees should be elected at every station and depot to turn out and win support across the railways and among transport workers in the UK and across Europe, who are facing the same attacks. The Oklahoma legislature passed an anti-abortion bill on Thursday that prohibits the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant, and allows private citizens to file civil lawsuits against abortion providers. Oklahoma State Capitol (Photo: Wikipedia) The bill is patterned after a bill with essentially the same provisions that took effect in Texas last September. Both bills effectively ban abortions, in defiance of existing US law as codified in the Supreme Courts 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. The Oklahoma abortion ban will be implemented as soon as it is signed into law by Republican Governor Kevin Stitt, due to an emergency clause incorporated into the measure. Senate Bill 1503, also known as the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act, prohibits abortions after a physician can detect early cardiac activity in an embryo or fetus. The law provides exceptions for when the mothers life is at risk, but not for rape or incest. SB 1503 was passed by the Republican-dominated House without any debate. Stitt is expected to sign it within days. We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country, Stitt said earlier this month, adding, We want to outlaw abortion in the state of Oklahoma. Hours after the House passed SB 1503 and sent it to the governor, the state Senate passed House Bill 4327. That version also allows private citizens to bring civil lawsuits against abortion providers. However, it prohibits abortions at any stage of pregnancy, with exceptions for medical emergencies and sexual assault. It has yet to be voted on by the House. The Oklahoma bill is the latest to be passed by state governments severely restricting abortion rights. It is part of a country-wide movement by Republican-led states to curtail abortion and other democratic rights. After the US Supreme Court refused to take up an emergency appeal and allowed Texas law to remain in effect, numerous other GOP-led states passed similar laws. Idahos governor signed the first Texas-inspired measure in March, although it has been temporarily blocked by the states Supreme Court. Oklahomas abortion ban will have significant consequences beyond the states borders. Since the law in Texas went into effect seven months ago, thousands of women have flocked to Oklahoma to receive the procedure. A recent study by the Texas Policy Evaluation Project at the University of Texas at Austin found that approximately 1,500 women traveled out of state every month to receive an abortion since September, with 45 percent visiting Oklahoma for the procedure. The passage of the anti-abortion legislation comes ahead of a Supreme Court decision in June, in which the court will review a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi and decide the future of Roe v. Wade. The decades-long counterrevolution against Roe v. Wade has eviscerated access to an abortion. Today, approximately 90 percent of all US counties have no abortion provider and seven US states have only a single abortion provider in the entire state. Twenty-seven large American cities have no abortion provider, with Texas being home to the largest number of cities in the United States where a patient must travel more than 100 miles for an abortion. The unraveling of abortion rights will have a disproportionate effect on working class women, many of whom cannot afford to travel to another state for an abortion, potentially forcing women to seek unsafe procedures that greatly increase the risk of death or mutilation. The attack on the right to abortion is bound up with the broader assault on democratic rights in the US. Amid the colossal growth of social inequality, the American ruling class is increasingly relying on more authoritarian means of rule. All claims that putting Democrats in office, including the White House, will secure the right of women to terminate pregnancy have been shattered. The same applies to voting rights, the right to due process, the fight against capital punishment and protection from police violence. As with all other democratic rights, the fight to defend abortion rights can be won only through the mobilization of the working class in a struggle to abolish the capitalist system. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and plantation workers action committees at the Alton and Glenugie estates in Up-cot and Maskeliya respectively organised demonstrations and protests on Thursday. The protests were part of the general strike across the island of millions of workers that day demanding the resignation of the President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his government. Alton Estate strike and protest march 29 April [WSWS Media] The central plantation districts were totally shut down, with workers across the area walking out and holding demonstrations in all the main townships, including Nuwara Eliya, Hatton, Maskeliya, Up-cot, Bogwanthalawa and Haputale. Shops were closed in support and all transport shut down by noon. Estate workers have been hard hit by the Rajapakse regime which has imposed the unprecedented economic crisis triggered by COVID-19 and the Ukraine war onto the working masses. Protests and strikes involving hundreds of thousands have been ongoing across the country since early April in response shortages of essentials, escalating price increases and power cuts. The rising cost of wheat flour, rice, bread and kerosene oil has drastically impacted estate workers. The plantation unions, including the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), National Union of Workers (NUW), Up-country Peoples Front (UPF) and Democratic Peoples Front (DPF), like other Sri Lankan unions, maintained a stony silence about the brutal social attacks. Confronted with the rising anger of plantation workers, the estate unions were compelled to call on their members to join Thursdays national strike. Striking estate workers with SEP demands, 29 April [WSWS Media] The political response of the SEP and the estate action committees on Thursday was completely different to the unions which back the Colombo political establishment and are desperately working to tie workers to the main capitalist parties. CWC leader Jeevan Thondaman was until April a cabinet minister in the Rajapakse government while the NUW, UPF and DPF are partners of the parliamentary opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). The Alton Estate Action Committee and the SEP demonstration and march, which attracted around 200 workers and youths, began at the Alton estate. Most of those participating were tea-plucking women and young girls. Several young mothers carried their babies to indicate their anger over the appalling social conditions they now face. Estate youth join protest march, 29 April [WSWS Media] Protesters walked from the upper to the lower division of the estate to Up-cot town where they were joined by other workers. They then marched to the nearby Gouraville estate where they held a public rally. Banners carried on the march included, Abolish executive presidency, bring down the Rajapakse government, Reject interim regimes, fight for a workers and peasants government, For a socialist program, repudiate foreign loans, Build the international unity of the working class, build Action committees, Stop US-NATO proxy war against Russia, Mobilise the international working class against capitalism. SEP Political Committee member M. Thevarajah addressed the gathering , telling protesters that the general strike was a high point in the mass struggle against the Rajapakse government. The plantation unions, he said, had tried to ignore the mass opposition but were forced call the strike. The NUW, DPF and UPF are aligned with the bourgeois opposition SJB and are campaigning for an interim administration. Like the Rajapakse government, any future interim regime will implement the IMFs restructuring program. This will be devastating for the masses. The only way out is to fight for a workers and peasants government based on an international socialist program. The plantations should be nationalised under workers control, as the workers government did when it nationalised big companies after 1917 Russian Revolution. Workers rights will be defended only in that way. M. Thevarajah addresses striking plantation workers [WSWS Media] Alton estate is one place where the treacherous role of the trade unions has been clearly revealed. The Horana Plantation Company, which runs Alton estate, has sacked 38 workers under bogus charges. Management was only able to carry out this attack because of the support of the unions, especially the Ceylon Workers Congress, Thevarajah explained. Another demonstration involving over 750 workers was organised by the Glenugie Workers Action Committee (GWAC) and the SEP. Protesters marched to Maskeliya, a main town in the area. Glenugie workers were joined by others from the Mocha, Deeside, Adams Peak and Brunswick estates. Workers from the Mocha Estate walked about 5km to Mallihaipoo Junction where the protest began, linking up with the others and then marching through the Brunswick estate. K. Kandipan, the GWAC secretary and a prominent SEP member in the area, addressed workers at Mallihaipoo Junction. He called for the ousting the Rajapakse administration but insisted that the struggle had to be based on the fight for socialist policies and for a workers and peasants government. The official political establishment and its parliamentary parties were rotten to the core, he said, pointing out that the trade unions defended the capitalist state and big companies. Kandipan explained that workers needed to establish independent action committees to fight for their rights. The cultural boycott against Russian artists, museums and scientific institutions is assuming an increasingly vindictive character. Any artist who refrains from making a political declaration of solidarity with Ukraine and opposition to Russia is treated as an accomplice of Vladimir Putin by various cultural organisations, regardless of that artists contribution to global culture in the fields of music, art or literature. Artists and scholars of Russian origin are being excluded from cultural activities in a manner that threatens to resemble the fate of Jewish artists in Nazi Germany almost 90 years ago. At the same time, however, there is a growing chorus of artists and intellectuals who oppose the anti-Russian campaign. To a certain extent, they articulate the sentiments of millions of workers and young people who are deeply concerned about the massive rearmament taking place and the growing danger of nuclear wara danger that is not being addressed by political parties or the media. The recent courageous declaration by the Belgian national opera La Monnaie in Brussels that it would continue to perform Russian works in the coming season because its task was to create art, not wage war (make art, not war), has found a resonance in other countries, including Germany. One recent example is the awarding of the Osnabruck Music Prize to young Russian violinist Dmitry Smirnov for a concert in which he played a concerto by the Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov. The programme for the concert was deliberately changed and took place under the motto Dont Burn Bridges. Instead of the music of Haydn, the focus of the concert became pieces by Ukrainian composers and the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Confiscation of works of art The anti-Russian cultural boycott has become a central component of the current hysterical war propaganda. Contrary to their deep roots in mankinds yearning for peaceful and humane social relations, art and culture as a whole are being turned into weapons of war by those responsible for cultural policy. In a criminal act, Finnish customs officials recently confiscated famous works of art by European masters worth about 42 million that were on loan to Western European museums. The artworks were on their way back to Russia after the Russian government ordered its museums to retrieve their possessions. Titian, 'Portrait of a Young Woman with Feather Hat' (1536), Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg Among the confiscated paintings and sculptures from Russian museums, which until recently was on display in the Gallerie dItalia in the Palazzo Reale in Milan and in the Fondazione Alda Fendi in Rome, is Titians world-famous work Portrait of a Young Woman with Feather Hat (1536). It was loaned to the Milanese museum along with other works by Titian, as well as paintings by the high-Renaissance artist Giovanni Cariani and Pablo Picasso. The masterpiece Winged Cupid by Antonio Canova was also exhibited in Milan. The works came from the collections of the Hermitage and the Tsarskoe Selo State Museum in St. Petersburg, and the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. The confiscation by customs at the Vaalimaa border crossing in southern Finland was justified on the basis of European Union (EU) sanctions against Russia. That such sanctions should include the confiscation of works of art recalls barbarous acts carried out by the Nazis. In the Second World War, Finland was allied with Germany and participated in the war against the Soviet Union with its own divisions from 1941 to 1944. Now the Finnish government is seeking to join NATO as soon as possible and is attempting to whip up extreme hostility toward Russia. Similar efforts in France to confiscate artworks from Russian owners have so far been rebuffed. In the past few months, over 1 million visitors have viewed the Morozov collection of modern art at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. The collection includes some 200 works by artists such as Pierre Bonnard, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet and Picasso. When the exhibition ended, there were calls made to confiscate these works under EU sanctions or even auction them off to help Ukraine. Such a move, however, was declared impermissible by French lawyers. Other museums are now having to cancel exhibitions featuring Russian works of art or otherwise alter their plans. This not only affects art museums; the archaeological museum in Chemnitz, Germany has had to review its schedule. A mummified Scythian figure from Novosibirsk was due to be exhibited in the museum, which had procured a special cooling device to preserve the figure. Joint research projects and cooperation between German and Russian museums, universities and scientific institutions, some of which have existed for decades, have also been abruptly terminated. For example, the director of Berlins Museum of Prehistory and Early History, Dr. Matthias Wemhoff, expressed his regret that a planned exhibition dealing with excavations carried out by famed archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (1822-1890) due to open in May, will not go on later to Moscow as previously planned. Tchaikovsky and Dostoevsky targeted The current culture wars even affect composers and poets from past centuries, active long before Putins birth, and at a time when Europes elites were favoured guests in the court of the Tsar. In addition to cancelling performances by first-rate Russian musicians, such as conductor Valery Gergiev and soprano Anna Netrebko, spineless education and cultural officials are seeking to erase immortal works of literature and music from the cultural heritage. In Cardiff, Wales, a concert programme of works by Tchaikovsky was cancelled, even though the composer was very fond of Ukraine, the birthplace of his grandfather. The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra cancelled a performance of Tchaikovskys Slavonic March and instead played a hymn by the Ukrainian composer Mychailo Werbyzkis. In Szczecin (Poland), Tchaikovskys music was replaced in a concert by pieces by Antonin Dvorak and Ludwig van Beethoven. In Bydgoszcz in northern Poland, Tchaikovskys opera Eugene Onegin was cancelled along with a performance of Mussorgskys Boris Godunov at the Polish National Theatre. Back in March, the Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni cancelled all performances of Tchaikovskys Swan Lake with the Bolshoi Ballet, triggering a storm of protest. Dozens of Greek Facebook users posted angry comments addressed to Mendoni. You are ridiculous to a dangerous degree and, of course, outrageously ignorant, and let us know when the book burning starts. And: Soon well be reading Tolstoy in the cellar and hiding Tchaikovskys records in a basket with the dirty laundry. Mendoni is a disgrace to culture in Greece. Statue of Dostoevsky in Cascine Park, Florence (Photo-Facebook, City of Florence) Even world literature in the form of works by Tolstoy or Dostoevsky has been targeted. The University of Milan, for example, sought to cancel a Dostoevsky lecture in order to avoid tensionsa move that also led to fierce protests. The lecturer who was going to give the lecture, Paolo Nori, wrote: What is happening in Ukraine is terrible and makes me weep, but these reactions are ridiculous. When I read this email from the university, I couldnt believe it. Dostoevsky, he said, had not only been sentenced to a labour camp for taking part in an uprising against the tsarist regime, he was also in frequent trouble with censors. We should talk more about Dostoevsky or Tolstoy, the first to promote non-violent movements and who were greatly admired by Gandhi. For a university to ban this course of study is incredible! In a tweet, Nori also pointed out that the famous author Mikhail Bulgakov was born in Kiev, but had always written in Russian. Even a statue of Dostoevsky in Florence has become the object of an absurd attack. It stands in Cascine Park and, according to so-called culture warriors, should be removed to disappear into a depot. Increasing protests The ferocious campaign against Russian culture inevitably brings to mind the era of Nazi rule in Germany and the exclusion of all Jewish artists and their works of art from cultural life. What gives us as Germans the right to equate Russian culture with war? Dont we remember what German culture meant after the world war? wrote film producer Gunter Rohrbach in an angry comment in the Suddeutsche Zeitung. He referred to the crimes committed by the German Wehrmacht in its war of extermination in the Soviet Union and asked how serious were the confessions of guilt that our politicians make year after year with good reason at the places of our shame?! Rohrbach continued: What gives us, we Germans of all people, the right to ban Russian artists, scientists, and athletes from public life, to prevent them from practising their profession, to demand they make statements resembling confessions? Do we no longer know who we are, where we come from? In another critical article in the Suddeutsche Zeitung, the well-known filmmaker, film producer and writer Alexander Kluge (b. 1932) expressed his horror that great Russian artists are being pressured into making convenient statements. He stated forthrightly: A war is a challenge to art. In times of war, art is often used by both sides for propaganda purposes. It is not suitable for such a purpose. Actually, it belongs to the popular resistance against war. Therefore, obstructing artists cannot be an act against war. Among the few critical voices that have found a hearing in the German media are the writer Christian Baron, the philosopher and former Minister for Culture Julian Nida-Rumelin and the writer and vice-president of the Berlin Academy of the Arts, Kathrin Roggla. On Saarlandischer Rundfunk, the Austrian-born Roggla expressed her opposition to the deranged debate about a blanket cultural boycott of Russia. She warned of the dangers if people were once again exposed to currents such as xenophobia or nationalism. Working people, young people, artists and intellectuals across Europe must not allow any repeat of this abuse of art. The bloodletting of Jewish culture in the 1930s has left deep scars up until this day. A renewed racist and nationalist suppression of human cultural achievements and works of art would inevitably pave the way for barbarism. Workers, youth and serious intellectuals must protect and preserve the art and culture of all countries by building an international and socialist anti-war movement. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) launched its Australian federal election campaign on Monday with a strong and lively online public meeting. SEP candidates outlined the partys anti-war, socialist and internationalist perspective, which stands in direct opposition to all other political parties. Labor and the Liberal-National Coalition alike are committed to a massive military expansion and the drive to war. Whichever party forms government will continue the murderous let it rip COVID-19 strategy already responsible for millions of infections and thousands of deaths. The meeting explained that the only alternative to the capitalist program of war, mass illness and austerity is for the working class to take up a fight for socialism. After the event, World Socialist Web Site reporters spoke with attendees, who warmly received the revolutionary socialist perspective put forward by the speakers. Dmitri Dmitri, a 23-year-old writer in the South Australian state capital Adelaide, said the meeting provided a good outline of the history of politics in Australia, as well as internationally. Speaking on the anti-Russia and anti-China campaign accompanying the aggressive US-led war drive against both those countries, Dmitri said it was the first time I saw the full force of propaganda. He added that this is happening at a time of crisis for capitalism and for our whole ecological system. He said: So-called left parties like Labor and the Greens, and the unions, have a history of being complicit in anti-Chinese sentiment. Dmitri noted that, in the election campaign, parties are scrambling to get support. Im pretty sure its one of the times with the least enthusiasm for the major parties. You have [the far-right, ultra-nationalist] One Nation capitalising off the chaos. I think, broadly speaking, most workers would agree with a Marxist analysis, Dmitri said. He noted that the SEP is not just trying to get elected. Theyre trying to actually dispense information and to form new structures and organs that can actually deal with issues. Instead, the current state of democracy doesnt represent the working class, and only represents a very small contingent, the ruling class. Penny and Rob Smith, a registered nurse and high school science teacher in Queensland, were appreciative of speakers contributions on the COVID-19 pandemic and answers to questions on the persecution of Julian Assange and the SEPs program and history. It was really interesting to hear the background of the SEP, Rob said. The meeting went for over two hours, so a lot of people think the issues are urgent, as I do. I was particularly baffled by the lack of airplay being given in the elections to Assange. The SEP clarified that. Both the Labor and Liberal parties are kowtowing to the US. That is disturbing but enlightening. Rob said that he had previously supported the Greens, but the meeting explained their close collaboration with the Labor Party and that they would not resolve the environmental catastrophe. To stop the use of fossil fuels and plastics is all about corporate interests. Penny said the speakers reference to the significance of Pine Gap to the aims of US imperialism in the Asia-Pacific region was very true. She and Rob had lived in Alice Springs, less than 20 kilometres from the US satellite communications and missile guidance base in central Australia. Its very secretive, Penny commented. It was very interesting what you said about the expansion of the base to guide new missiles and for space war. Rob said he was currently infected with COVID-19, which was circulating widely at his school. Shocked by the deadly live with the virus policy, he commented: I see the normalisation of the abnormal. The numbers speak for themselves. I see three or four kids dropping out of class every day. They just disappear and the only question is, whos next? Nobody has to wear a mask in the school. I would only see half a dozen masks in a school of 800 to 900 students. Its all about the economy. The silence in the media about the pandemic is deafening. From the meeting, I can see this is profit-driven, for the main benefit of the ultra-rich. I have started to see the point made by the SEP. Susan, a primary school teacher in Melbourne, Victoria, said the meeting highlighted what I already knew about the SEP, that it really does provide the only alternative to whats happening at the moment. Agreeing with the analysis put forward by the speakers that the federal election is one of crisis, Susan said: Either way, Labor or Liberal, were in a terrible spot. The world is in an absolute catastrophe and hurtling towards world war and COVID being absolutely mismanaged or not managed at all. Australia is in no way different to any other country. Were making alliances with the US and UK which puts us in a precarious position. She added that the years-long provocations against China are a stepping stone towards all-out war. Susan denounced the media justifications for aggression against China and said, having read the WSWS, I understand the motivations behind it and the lies that have been fed to the general public. The educator also noted the link made by the SEP candidates between the drive to war and austerity and the criminal response of governments to the COVID-19 pandemic. If the governments happy for 50 people to die every day, thousands over the last couple of months, clearly theyre not going to care about people dying in war. Its an obvious next step. No ones looking after the working class apart from the SEP. Susan said Labor present themselves as being a little bit less bad than the Liberals, but that they have no policy difference. She used to think the Greens were better. But clearly, absolutely not. Their link with Labor makes them no different. She agreed with the SEPs internationalist perspective, saying climate change, COVID, the cost of living are all whole world issues and need a whole world solution. James In Sydney, New South Wales, young worker James referred to the contribution to the meeting by Deepal Jayasekera, who spoke about the situation in Sri Lanka, where workers are engaged in mass anti-government protests sparked by rising food and fuel prices. James said that the problems confronting workers here and in Sri Lanka are international in nature. The biggest looming threats are COVID, climate change and war, and these cannot be tackled on a national basis. The track record of both parties is such that it is evident that neither will tackle any of these issues affecting the working class, James said. Neither party has any mass support. The cost of living has risen everywhere, mirroring the Sri Lankan situation, and therefore there is the possibility of similar protests here. James noted that the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and natural disasters are so destructive because of the criminal neglect of successive Labor and Liberal governments. People affected by natural disasters such as the floods in Lismore are left without assistance, but there are no resources and money because these are mobilised for war, such as in the Ukraine or bailing out big business and the banks, he said. Working-class unrest can erupt suddenly, said James. But workers need a program and perspective, as outlined in the SEP meeting. Vicki Vicki is a worker in Adelaide. She said she liked the contribution from the member of the Sri Lankan SEP. It was really interesting to have someone to look at events from an international perspective. It helps you understand that the struggle is a global struggle. She said it was clear the Australian political establishment was in crisis especially within the context of COVID and the way the governments have handled it, and the fact that Australia is involved in the Ukraine conflict as well, which could lead to nuclear conflict and even trouble with China. It is definitely a crisis. Labor and the Liberal-National Coalition are just the same, they really have no different policies, Vicki added. Its like the Australian people dont have any option, theyre both the same party. On the issue of war, Vicki said the threat of world war is very frightening. She added, the fact that the US is talking about nuclear war and not even bothering to talk about peace is very scary, and it does have the potential to lead to nuclear conflict. Im not saying Russia is perfect by any means, but I believe the US and NATO are the aggressors. Vicki said: There are lots of people who dont know about the Socialist Equality Party, they dont know theres an alternative. They see the pseudo-left, as if thats going to be the opposition to Labor and Liberal, but theyre really just all part of the same flock. The capitalist politicians arent going to make any changes, because theyre the ones who have brought us to this situation in the first place, due to the nature of the capitalist system. Contact the SEP: Phone: (02) 8218 3222 Email: sep@sep.org.au Facebook: SocialistEqualityPartyAustralia Twitter: @SEP_Australia Instagram: socialistequalityparty_au TikTok: @SEP_Australia Authorised by Cheryl Crisp for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. The United States government has confirmed its threat to invade the small South Pacific country of Solomon Islands in the event that China establishes a military base there. An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet is seen on the deck of the U.S. Navy USS Ronald Reagan in the South China Sea, 2018 (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The blatantly illegal ultimatum was personally issued to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare by a US delegation led by National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, Kurt Campbell, on April 22. Following the 90-minute meeting, the White House issued a menacing statement: If steps are taken to establish a de facto permanent military presence, power-projection capabilities, or a military installation, the delegation noted that the United States would then have significant concerns and respond accordingly. The State Department has since left no doubt as to what is meant by respond accordingly. On April 26, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, who was part of the delegation with Campbell, spoke with the media. He was asked directly whether the US would take military action against Solomon Islands if China established a base there. His refusal to rule out such an intervention means that is exactly what is under discussion in Washington. Kurt Campbell in 2013 [Source: University of South Carolina US-China Institute] Weve outlined the specific concerns that we have regarding the potential for a permanent military presence or power-projection capabilities or a military installation, and weve indicated that should those events come to pass, that the United States would respond accordingly. And I think its best if I leave it at that and not speculate on what that may or may not mean, Kritenbrink replied. The State Department official added that the recently signed Solomon Islands-China security agreement had implications for the security interests of the United States and our partners, and that in the meeting with Sogavare, we wanted to be crystal-clear about what that may mean. These thuggish declarations have been echoed by the Australian government. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stated he will not allow the establishment of a Chinese base on Australias so-called door step, adding that this would represent a red line, that is, a trigger for military action in Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands-China agreement has erupted as the most prominent issue in the federal election campaign, with the opposition Labor Party seeking to position itself as the most reliable and ruthless advocate of Australian and US imperialist interests. What has emerged underscores the advanced nature of US plans for a military assault on China. Wracked by enormous social and political crises at home, and confronting a weakened position within the world economy, American imperialism is on a global rampage. The Biden administration previously pledged to end the forever wars in the Middle East only in order to better prepare for war against its great power rivals, Russia and China. Washington has committed $33 billion to the US-NATO proxy war against Russia that has been provoked in Ukraine. US and Australian threats against Solomon Islands have further exposed the hypocrisy of imperialist geopolitics. Ukraines moves to join the aggressive NATO alliance is defended as an absolute right, and Russian objections to additional US bases being established on its western land border dismissed out of hand. For Solomon Islands, on the other hand, despite being separated from the US landmass by 10,000 kilometres of ocean, the governments decision to enter into a security agreement with Washingtons chief rival brings with it threats of retaliatory invasion. This demonstrates the reality behind US talk of a rules-based orderand the sovereign rights of small nations under international law. The Solomon Islands government has insisted it has no plans to house a Chinese military base. Prime Minister Sogavare delivered a defiant speech to the parliament in Honiara yesterday. He raised rioting in 2006, which occurred during the neo-colonial, Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), and the three days of destruction that followed last Novembers failed coup attempt by US-backed forces from the province of Malaita. Obviously, the security agreement with Australia is inadequate to deal with our hard internal threats, he stated, adding that for the wellbeing of our people and the economy of our country we had look elsewhere. Sogavare insisted that Canberra had informed his government that Australian police and military would not protect Chinese assets and infrastructure during their deployment to the Solomons last year. This allegation has been met with angry denials by Australian officials. Sogavares speech also exposed the hypocrisy of US-Australian complaints of a lack of transparency with the China security agreement, by pointing to their failure to consult regional countries before signing the AUKUS military pact with the United Kingdom directed against China. I learnt of the AUKUS treaty in the media, he told parliament. One would expect that as a member of the Pacific family, the Solomon Islands and members of the Pacific should have been consulted to ensure this AUKUS treaty is transparent. But I realise that Australia is a sovereign country, and that it can enter into any treaty it wants to, transparently or not, which is exactly what they did with AUKUS treaty. [] When Australia signed up to AUKUS, we did not become theatrical or hysterical about the implications this would have for us. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was yesterday asked if he thought Sogavare was parroting Chinas rhetoric. Completely ignoring what Sogavare actually said, he replied, Well, theres a remarkable similarity between those statements and those of the Chinese government. There can be little doubt that Washington and Canberra intend to step up their destabilisation campaign against the Sogavare government. Separately from their discussion with Sogavare last week, Kurt Campbell and the State Department team met with Matthew Wale, Solomon Islands opposition leader. Wale has long sought to curry favour with Washington and Canberra, and has pledged that if he is prime minister he will rescind not only the military agreement with China but also the 2019 diplomatic switch from Taiwan to China. The US also continues its highly provocative financial and political support for violent separatist forces in the province of Malaita. The provincial leader Daniel Suidani has insisted he will not recognise Beijing and has barred Chinese personnel from entering Malaita. Suidanis supporters in the proscribed Malaita For Democracy (M4D) group have previously issued pogromist threats against ethnic Chinese people on the island, and led the failed coup attempt last November that involved three days of looting and arson in Honiara. The US and Australian media have maintained a blackout on Washingtons support for these forces, which threatens to reignite sectarian divisions that wracked the impoverished country between 1998 and 2003. A downpour the night before and some mud didn't stop Habitat for Humanity volunteers from starting work on the nonprofits New Hope 2 subdivision. Columbus newcomers are building the home. Five of the 11 volunteers are coming from Michigan to help Habitat for Humanity of Columbus blitz build. We got a call that people needed help, said Scot Norris who is one of the five volunteers coming out of state for the build. We recruited and a lot of people decided to come. The build is the home for recipient Kelly Garcia and her children, Juan and Meilani. The house will go from foundation to complete enclosure within two weeks. The goal is to have the home completely built around the Fourth of July. Typically, the family moves in around Labor Day but the date was moved up due to supply issues, professional labor shortages and the familys needs. We wouldnt have a building project run as smoothly as we are now without them coming, Habitat of Humanity of Columbus Executive Director Lori Peters said. (Thats) because we just could not find the labor force that we needed to make our Habitat a reality this year. They really kind of saved the day that way. The five Michigan volunteers have a combined total of over 100 years of volunteering with Habitat. Norris said this is the second of three out-of-state builds he helped erect this year. A couple of weeks ago, he traveled to Oklahoma to assist there. On the first day of the blitz build, volunteers were working on the basement to put the floor in, Norris said. Norris has experience in construction as he worked in the field for several years before retiring. He said he wanted to use his expertise by working with Habitat for Humanity. It (Habitat) was a worthwhile group and a worthwhile enterprise, he said of why he started volunteering at the nonprofit. We started and met all my new friends. A lot of old men go to the barbershop on a Saturday (but) we come out and hammer nails. Garcias home will be the first one to be at Habitats New Hope 2 subdivision which is on 41st Avenue between 13th and 14th streets. It also comes equipped with a basement. The homes at the nonprofits New Hope 1 subdivision do not come with ones. Although the out of state helpers will do quite a bit of the work, Peters said volunteers are needed to finish the house. Individuals can work a half-day or full one day. Habitat will try to work with volunteers schedules if needed. If it isnt possible to work during the week, there will be five Saturdays available to assist. No experience is required. Habitat is also hosting a womens build day on Tuesday, May 10. There are three shifts for the day. Shift one will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the second will be from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the final shift will be from noon to 4:30 p.m. Lunch will be from noon to 1 p.m. on that day. To volunteer for womens build day or any other build day, contact Peters at info@hfhcolumbusne.org, search Habitat for Humanity of Columbus, NE on Facebook or call 402-564-4663. Norris said what he and the other helpers do is a labor of love. This is a way to do something for people who need it, he said. There are so many needy people and you cant do everything for everybody but you pick your spots and say, I can help make somebodys life better. Hopefully, thats what were doing here. Andrew Kiser is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at andrew.kiser@lee.net. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Are you a nurse? We want to hear from you: Tell us about the conditions at your hospital and what you think about this tragedy. Comments will be published anonymously. A nurse at Kaiser's Santa Clara Medical Center died by suicide this week while at work in the emergency room. Sources told NBC Bay Area that the nurse brought a loaded gun to work and on Wednesday night tragically shot and killed himself halfway through his shift. Kaiser Permante's Santa Clara Medical Center campus The nurse has not yet been named, but reports by coworkers on social media confirm the nurse carried out the suicide in the supply room while he was on shift, and that the event took place in front of a coworker. Kaiser reported that during the investigation ambulances were diverted to nearby hospitals while the ER remained open for walk-in patients. The suicide took place as 5,000 nurses at Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital are on strike in the San Francisco Bay area. These nurses are fighting for safe staffing, wage increases, safer working conditions and mental health services. They are leading a counteroffensive after years of burnout and overwork in the countrys hospital system which has left countless nurses and health care workers overwhelmed. News of the horrific suicide has sent shock throughout health care workers, which many are referring to as yet another on-shift nurse suicide. One nurse who works at Kaiser Santa Clara told the WSWS that Kaiser is notoriously bad with their mental health services, so this is obviously not a good look for them. Nothing will change. Nurses are burnt out and COVID highlighted how undervalued our labor is and we are nothing but a commodity to hospitals. The sad thing is his coworkers will feel his loss deeply but Kaiser will have his shift filled before his body is in the ground without addressing the bigger issue which is their abysmal mental health services for their patients and staff. High rates of burnout and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) plague the profession as giant hospital chains prioritize profits over saving lives. A recent study published by the CDC showed that more than 70 percent of health care workers in the US suffer from anxiety and depression, 38 percent have symptoms of PTSD and 15 percent have had recent thoughts of suicide or self-harm. Read more: Behind the mental health crisis in nursing: Testimonial from a traveling California nurse Even before the pandemic hit, a 2019 report by Judy Davidson, a UC San Diego nursing and psychiatry researcher found that nurse suicides were 41 percent higher for male nurses and nearly 58 percent higher for female nurses as compared to the general population. Facing continued waves of the pandemic and mass infection among staff and coworkers, nurses have suffered gravely on the front lines and suicides remain at an all time high. In December 2020 an ICU nurse in Southern California told the WSWS that she felt like she was experiencing an endless conveyor belt of death. Tragically, in January, just thirty minutes away at Stanford Health Care, travel nurse Michael Odell committed suicide in the middle of his shift. Odell, like many nurses, had previously struggled under the weight of the physical and emotional toll of the pandemic. In April 2020 he made his first suicide attempt. He then took a long hiatus from nursing and surrounded himself with support from friends, family and attended therapy. He then planned to reenter the nursing field in January 2022 as a travel nurse at Stanford Health Care on the cusp of the Omicron wave. Odell reportedly walked out of his shift early that morning. His body was later found by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office dive team in waters near San Francisco's Dumbarton Bridge. During three months ending in February 2022 Omicron caused 80 million new infections compared to the 3.3 million to 6.6 million monthly cases during the Delta wave which began in the winter of 2020, according to data from the CDC. The mass infection policies pursued by the Trump administration and continued by Biden forced the reopenings of schools and workplaces, creating the conditions for the virus to spread with minimal restraint. Moreover, the conscious and criminal decisions made by the ruling class not to pursue a Zero-COVID policy ensured the development of COVID-19 mutations, and continuous waves of infection which pummeled health care systems, driving health care workers from the profession in droves. Before his death, Odell wrote on social media about his experience working as a nurse during the pandemic. In one post he spoke about his COVID-19 patients: I feel for them as deep as human empathy can allow, but I fear the long-term effects this may have on every clinical worker navigating this pandemic and in these situations. Please dont think me selfish; I get that my level of suffering cannot compare to what these patients and their families are experiencing. But the fact is that I have an amazing support system and people who love me and tell me frequently that they do; I fear for those who do not. The deep tragedy is that had the proven elimination polices called for by leading Zero-COVID scientists and physicians been carried out, there would never have been a Delta or Omicron wave. Not only would health care workers not be leaving the profession and carrying out tragic acts of suicide, but millions of lives would have been spared. The Biden administration, meanwhile, is requesting $33 billion in military funding to Ukraine, while funding to fight the pandemic has all but dried up, under the false pretext that the pandemic is over. This amount would have been a sufficient start to begin carrying out the policies to build hospitals, create and distribute the highest quality of PPE, support workers through lockdowns and put billions toward temporary high quality online education. A striking Stanford nurse told the WSWS, In our strike right now a big issue that nurses want to fight for is better mental health benefits. It should be a given that mental health resources for nurses are provided by the hospitals, but free counseling is not the central issue. There must be a major shift in the health care industry. The pandemic must be brought to an end, we nurses are at the forefront of a larger crisis, our patients are desperate, sometimes homeless, mentally unstable and where this nurse was in the ED things are much worse. Our patients cry because they cant afford their care, we have lost so many to COVID, not just patients but coworkers, friends and family. All the while we continue to face abuse through short staffing because the hospitals keep just barely enough staff and we never have enough resources. Its all of this that needs to change. No amount of counseling sessions are going to resolve this. A powerful movement of health care workers is breaking out. From Stanford to Cedars Sinai, the University of Michigan and Sutter Health, health care workers are fighting back throughout the world. These struggles create the conditions for a broader offensive by the working class to end the subordination of lives and health to private profit, and finally bring the pandemic to an end. A humane and scientific approach which devotes the needed resources to eliminating COVID-19 will not only save countless lives from the virus, but prevent further tragedies as that which occurred last week in Santa Clara. Stanford nurses at a mass picket Around 2,000 teachers in the Oakland Unified School District took part in a one-day strike Friday against school closures and layoffs being planned by the district. Across the San Francisco Bay area, 5,000 Stanford Health Care and Packard nurses completed the fifth day of their open-ended strike. Five hundred Chevron oil refinery workers in nearby Richmond have also been on strike for over a month. The coincidence of these three strikes shows the objective social power of the working class and the possibility of a united struggle of workers across the state, and around the world, in defense of their standard of living. The WSWS discussed this question with nurses and teachers Friday afternoon. Jazmine, a striking teacher at Oakland Unified for Success Academy, spoke out in support of Stanford nurses and stated, I want to say I am in full support of the nurses strike. I understand how we are connected as workers serving the public. And our people deserve a higher level and a higher standard of care across the board both in education and with their health. I know that as [COVID-19] cases continue to rise, nurses are expected to go into work even if they are experiencing symptoms and I think that is completely unfair. I see how we are connected in terms of how the district wants us to behave in the classroom is causing cases to go up. That is causing a stress on multiple facets of our society. I think it's unjust. I am 100 percent in support and I think we are creating a working class movement for people to feel inspired by and that's really important. I urge everyone who sees this to fight in whatever capacity that you can. Get plugged in and get involved. We are all connected here in the Bay Area, here in California, and we are part of a rich history of people who have fought for what is ethical and what is right. Steven, a retired teacher from Life Academy in Oakland, California with 25 years of teaching experience, joined teachers on the picket line. I support Stanford nurses, he said. We need to figure out a way to fight offensively. It is not enough to fight sporadically and separately. When there is critical mass it will happen. Weve seen it happen in history. Margot, a teacher at Life Academy, said of the Stanford nurses strike: Wow, how are you telling me there are not enough resources for workers who have been risking their lives every day of the pandemic? [Teachers] would love to support Stanford nurses. I didnt even know they were on strike. We face the same tough conditions. Schools shouldnt close! Nurses should get everything they need to do their job safely! A WSWS reporting team distributed roughly 250 leaflets to striking Stanford nurses yesterday, who responded enthusiastically to the call for a statewide strike. The Committee for the Recognition of Nursing Achievement (CRONA) union instead is attempting to corral nurses behind toothless appeals to the Democratic Party, which has presided over decades of austerity in the state. CRONA brought in Senator Alex Padilla to speak at the picket lines. Isabella, a nurse at Stanford, said, I am striking because of my personal experience. You see people need mental health support. We are highly skilled nurses and a lot of our job that we are doing is while we are understaffed. With COVID, things were especially hard but this job has always been hard.' Referencing the recent on-the-job suicide of a local nurse at Kaiser, Isabella continued, I am a nurse, but still my heart goes out to nurses. I saw the news today about the suicide [of a nurse] in Santa Clara. It shows how hard things are in this job. They [the administration of the hospital] are cutting our healthcare. If they really cared about us they wouldnt do that. They would listen to us instead of threaten us. We are struggling. Nurses already live far away and cant live closer to the hospital. We are asking for decent wages. I am showing up here, and supporting my team. We started this and we need to be here until it is finished. We are asking for what we deserve. After some discussion about how nurses are supporting themselves during the strike, for which CRONA is distributing no strike pay, Isabellas coworker added, We are staying united, but it is hard. I know a lot of people are taking temp jobs or working part time to support themselves during the strike. Taylor, a nurse at Stanford with seven years, told the WSWS, We are demanding more time with our kids and the ability to have a work, life balance. We need more vacation and better mental health support. I do not work in a COVID unit, but we were still impacted by the pandemic. They canceled elective surgeries at first, but as soon as they could do them again we were swamped. Now the hospital is canceling our healthcare. This is the healthcare that my kids are on. Asked if she had a message to other nurses who are working without contracts or those set to expire soon, she stated, Feel empowered! There is strength in numbers. Lisa, a nurse in the Good Samaritan hospital system, explained why she was picketing in solidarity with Stanford and Packard nurses: I really support what they are doing here. Nursing is challenging and it has an extremely high turnover, if you want to keep nurses you need to increase wages and give us all respect. The health and conditions for nurses means that we can treat patients better. I believe that this strike could help the rest of us in the Bay Area. The contract at Good Sam [the nickname for Good Samaritan] will end soon. We need to send a message of solidarity to each other and that we support each other. A Kaiser San Diego nurse told WSWS, 'I support the Stanford nurses who are fighting for lower patient ratios. These are important to all healthcare workers because without them we run the risk of making critical errors because we are so exhausted. She emphasized that this is the central question in the RaDonda Vaught case, in which a Tennessee nurse was criminally convicted for a medication mistake, noting, Its absolutely terrible she is liable for a systematic error while the hospital was not held to account at all. Without lower staff-to patient-ratios, as well as not being able to take much needed rest periods/ break times, there will always be the possibility of making errors when it pertains to patient care. Last fall, Kaiser Permanente worked in concert with the California Nurses Association, UNAC/UHCP (United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals), the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), and several other unions to push through deeply concessionary contracts on tens of thousands of Kaiser workers across the West Coast. The unions called off mass strikes at the last minute. A maintenance worker from the same hospital also expressed solidarity with Stanford and Packard nurses: 'I agree with the nurses strike. They are just trying to provide a better service for their patients. I think its pretty obvious that everyone can agree that we want to be treated with the best service at a hospital. I think the hospital trying to rob them of their benefits is wrong. I encourage them to keep fighting so that they can provide the best service for their patients. These statements highlight the fact that nurses and educators want to unite with each other and with other workers as well. We call on nurses, educators, and oil workers to exchange contact information and build networks of rank-and-file committees, independent of and hostile to the conservative trade unions, the Democrats, and the Republicans. The WSWS stands ready to support nurses, educators, and oil workers who would like to build rank-and-file committees. Socialist Equality Party (SEP) Political Committee member Kapila Fernando addressed a meeting of over 2,000 postal, bank, power, health and divisional administration employees and teachers in Chilaw in northwestern Sri Lanka on Thursday. The event, which followed a demonstration and march in Chilaw, was part of Thursdays one-day general strike. Fernando is a teacher and the convener of the Teachers-Students-Parents Safety Committee. Kapila Fernando addressing strike meeting in Chilaw, 29 April [WSWS Media] SEP members and supporters joined the march, chanting slogans such as, Abolish the executive presidency, Bring down the government, Repudiate foreign loans, Build workers action committees! and Fight for workers and peasants government. Other demonstrators also began chanting these slogans. Addressing the crowd, Fernando supported the call for ouster of President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his government and added: The Rajapakse government should be replaced, not with another capitalist government, but a workers and peasants government dedicated to implementing socialist policies. Whether an interim regime, or any other capitalist government, comes to power in a future election, it will have no alternative but impose to huge job cuts, health and education expenditure cuts, increased tax burdens and the privatisation of state-owned enterprises as dictated by the IMF. We should therefore not give the opportunity for any future interim government to bide time. The Teacher-Student-Parent Safety Committees says action committees should be built at every workplace in order to take matters into our own hands. Through these committees the working class should mobilise its political and industrial strength to fight to bring a workers and peasants government to power. Through these action committees, Fernando continued, workers can fight for nationalisation of the large corporations, the large estates, and the banks, placing them under the democratic control of the working class. The repayment of foreign loans should be refused. These policies can only be implemented with the support of the international working class, who, like us, also face serious attacks. All these attacks are the result of a systemic breakdown in the global capitalist system. As part of the international working class, we need to defeat the attacks of capitalist governments all over the world and fight to oppose the US-NATO war drive against Russia in Ukraine, he said. While participants listened attentively to Fernandos address, the area union leadership were hostile to his speech. Saman Thelesinha, who leads the Puttalam district trade union coordinating committee and is aligned with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), attempted to shut down the meeting before Fernando spoke. Thelesinha failed to end the event, however, after teachers involved in the march helped Fernando address the crowd. After the meeting, one teacher told the WSWS: Everywhere people are speaking politics. Theyre contemptuous of the ruling and opposition parties and want an alternative. The trade unions shout Rajapakse go home but do not present any program. Commenting on the desperate conditions facing workers, he explained that he had bought a cooking-gas cylinder the previous day for 4,890 rupees ($US15), more than double the previous weeks price. The unions, he said, had betrayed last years 100-day strike by teachers by accepting the meagre salary increase offered by the government. In the run-up to the International May Day Online Rally sponsored by the International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site, reporters from the WSWS spoke to workers and young people across Germany about the danger of nuclear war and the significance of the May Day event. We call on all our readers to send us statements and to participate in the international May Day rally at 9 p.m. Central European Time on May 1. Register now and make this important event known to your colleagues, friends and family. *** Savi, a student from Berlin: The war has an impact on everything. I think many people still underestimate what is happening here: the system is showing its true face. People are now acting very surprised and talking about the first war in Europe, but there have been wars for years. The middle and upper classes do not see what is going on in the working class. We need education and health care, not weapons. The health system is collapsing and people are waiting for months for treatment. Savi It is disgusting to see how Russian people are now being discriminated against and how the situation facing the Ukrainian people is being exploited. At the same time, the other refugees fleeing from war are discriminated against. We should not build weapons. We should build comfortable housing for everyone. I come from southern Germany and have seen how many weapons are produced there and how Germany has benefited from the conflicts all over the world. It really hurts, we should not support a country with weapons. I think it is imperative that we unite. The working class is the hardest hit by the crisis. The rich people can still fill up their SUVs. But our families do not even know how to buy food for their children this week. I could talk about it for hours. We need to do more than sign petitions and demonstrate. I prefer strikes because they have a more drastic effect: the capitalists lose money through strikes. If everyone stopped working for a few days, it would mean a lot. I will definitely be there for your event. Harald, a teacher from Duisburg: Konstantin, a high school student in Husum, Schleswig-Holstein: The omen of an uninhabitable world is emerginga world in which progress is being sold and people enslaved. War, pandemic and climate catastrophe are the buzzwords of our time. More and more people in the hard-working population are realising: the war arises from an imperialist world order, the pandemic from a world community lacking solidarity and the climate catastrophe from an economic order whose main slogan is capital and not people. At the same time, both nationally and internationally, it is not the warmongers or climate destroyers who bear the consequences of their actions, but those who die in their wars. The ugly face of capitalism is emerging at an ever-increasing pace. International solidarity is important precisely because the situation in the world continues to heat up. And that is why the unification of the workers must be central on May Day. The ruling class long ago sold our future and abandoned belief in a better world. We have not done so. Kevin, an IT worker from Augsburg: Karin H., who lives near Dusseldorf: I am taking part in the International May Day Online Rally because I support all activities that seek to help workers unite internationally against war and exploitation. She criticised the blatantly right-wing pro-NATO war propaganda and the hypocrisy with which petty-bourgeois commentators adapt to it, adding, At the same time, those who publicly discuss the possibility that war crimes may have been committed in Ukraine by forces other than Russian forces are denounced as willfully blind Putin apologists. The political analysis shows that the Ukraine war is a US proxy war against Russia. That is why opponents of war in the NATO states must target the US/NATO, not Russia. This does not imply support for Putin, but corresponds to Karl Liebknechts recognition that the main enemy is at home. Japan has backed the US-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and exploiting the conflict to justify its own military buildup and remilitarization. In particular, Tokyo is aggressively asserting its territorial claims to the Kuril Islands in its longstanding dispute with Moscow, while accusing China of preparing to invade Taiwan. Fumio Kishida in October 2017. (Photo: Wikimedia commons) The Japanese foreign ministry released its annual Diplomatic Bluebook for 2022 on April 22. The document refers to four islands in the Kuril Island chain just to the north of Japan, which it calls the Northern Territories, as being illegally occupied by Russia. It insists that the Northern Territories are islands over which Japan has sovereignty, and are an inherent part of the territory of Japan. Russia refers to the four islands as the Southern Kurils. It is the first time since 2003 that the words illegally occupied have appeared in the bluebook while the phrase an inherent part of Japanese territory has not been used since 2011. The report also attacked Russias military intervention in Ukraine as an outrage that undermines the foundation of the international order not only in Europe but also in Asia. Relations between Tokyo and Moscow have rapidly soured since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in February and the Japanese governments decision to side with the US in denouncing Russia and imposing economic sanctions. Tokyo is also increasing monetary aid to Ukraine to $US300 million and plans to supply Kiev with surveillance drones and hazmat suitsthereby supporting Washingtons unsubstantiated allegations that Russia could be preparing to use chemical weapons. Tokyos decision to side with the US against Russia is a clear turning point in relations with both Moscow and Beijing. An official in the prime ministers office cited in the Asahi Shimbun described the sanctions against Russia as a landmark political decision in the history of Japanese foreign diplomacy. On March 21, Russia formally broke off negotiations with Japan over the Kurils, due to the impossibility of discussing the core document on bilateral relations with a country that has taken an openly hostile position and is striving to cause harm to the interests of our country. On March 25, Russias Eastern Military District said it was conducting military drills on the Kuril islands with more than 3,000 troops and associate military hardware. The Kuril Islands are located to the northeast of Hokkaido, stretching from there to Russias Kamchatka Peninsula. Only four of the chains island groups are disputedthose closest to Hokkaido: Etorofu/Iturup, Kunashiri/Kunashir, Shikotan, and the Habomai Islands. The Soviet Union took control of the islands following Tokyos surrender on August 15, 1945. Disputed Kuril Islands map [Wikipedia] During World War II, the Alliesthe Soviet Union, the US and Britainagreed to strip Japan of all its colonies and islands, except its four main islands and other islands as they saw fit to return to Tokyo. The Yalta Agreement specifically stated that the Kurils would be handed to the Soviet Union. In the immediate aftermath of World War II, the US relied on the betrayals of the Soviet Stalinist regime to restabilize capitalism, in Europe where the Communist Parties in France and Italy entered bourgeois governments, and in Japan, where the Japanese Communist Party suppressed the huge strike movement. Having restabilized global capitalism, the US went on the offensive, leading to the start of the Cold War. Japan was transformed into a bastion of anti-communism and a base of military operations in the region in particular during the Korean War. As a result, Japan and the Soviet Union never signed a treaty to formally end their conflict during World War II. During the 1950s, US intervention into negotiations prevented a resolution to the dispute and signing of a peace treaty, with the dispute over the Kurils serving as one excuse for Washington to maintain its military presence in Japan and the region. The dispute has continued to fester after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In 2018, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with a view to concluding a peace treaty and resolving the dispute over the Kurils, but could come to no agreement. Following Japans publication of the latest bluebook this month, Moscow insisted on its territorial rights over the Kurils. Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated the four islands were Russias integral territory and denounced Tokyo for its hostile actions towards Moscow, saying any peace treaty talks in the future had become unlikely. Japans aggressive stance towards Russia is bound up with its own remilitarization that intensified under the previous prime minister, Shinzo Abe, who boosted military spending. He also set out to undermine and rewrite the countrys postwar constitution that formally bars Japan from maintaining a military or deploying it overseas. The current government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has continued that policy. While he stepped down in 2020, Abe remains highly influential within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. In February, he called on the government to hold discussions on hosting US nuclear weapons in Japan, thus integrating it more directly in US war plans, especially against China. While Kishida dismissed Abes remarks at the time, the LDP quietly began discussion his proposal in March, well aware that it would provoke widespread public opposition. Abe has also been prominent in stoking tensions with China over Taiwan. He met online with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in March discuss the war in Ukraine. In her remarks to Abe, Tsai stated, This kind of unilateral use of military force to change the status quo and infringe on the sovereignty of a democratic nation absolutely cannot be permitted to occur in the Indo-Pacific region. While not explicitly mentioning Beijing or Taipei, Tsais comments come close to referring to Taiwan as a sovereign nation and openly challenging the One China policy. The policy states that Taiwan is a part of China, though both Beijing and Taipei agree to differing interpretations so long as the latter does not declare independence. Nations with diplomatic relations with Beijing, including the US and Japan, adhere to the One China policy and do not recognize Taiwan as an independent country. Abe declared that he was interested in visiting Taiwan. Such a visit would almost certainly be interpreted as a major provocation by Beijing. Though no longer prime minister, Abes influence and status as a major supporter of remilitarization would be interpreted as a serious challenge to the One China policy. Beijings Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbi responded to the Abe/Tsai meeting by saying, Taiwan is Chinas business, not Japans. Tokyo is attempting to capitalize on the barrage of anti-Russian and anti-Chinese propaganda to further push its goal of remilitarization. This has nothing to do with support for democratic or human rights in Russia or China, but is aimed at drowning out the widely held anti-war sentiment throughout the working class and among young people. By Trend More than 20,000 bee colonies are planned to be relocated to pastures of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar district [liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 second Karabakh war] in 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture told Trend. According to the ministry, over 28,000 bee colonies have been registered in the electronic agricultural information system of the Kalbajar district. More than 500 farmers have been registered on the ministrys portal to transfer beekeeping farms to Kalbajar, and the registration process will end on April 30. Besides, according to the ministry, its planned to transfer breeding sheep farms from various regions of Azerbaijan to the pastures of Kalbajar this year. On May 10-12, heads of the beekeeping farms will take part in the trainings of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action. The transfer of five bee farms to pastures of Kalbajar began on April 29. Speaking at a ceremony organized in connection with this in the Goygol district, the head of the livestock organization and monitoring department of the Ministry of Agriculture Eldar Hasanov noted that for the first time, beekeeping farms were transferred to pastures of Kalbajar and Lachin in 2021 within a pilot project. According to him, more than 4,500 bee colonies were relocated to the pastures of Kalbajar and Lachin last year, and this year, more than 20,000 bee colonies are planned to be transferred to the territory of the Kalbajar district alone, added Hasanov. Andover, Kan., found itself in the path of a damaging twister on Friday -- almost exactly 31 years after a deadly F5 tornado roared through the city. As many as 50-100 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed by the twister, American media outlets reported. No fatalities have been documented, but there were accounts of minor injuries. Thousands were left in the dark afterwards. SEE ALSO: Andover, Kansas' 1991 tornado is America's scariest home video According to city fire Chief Chad Russell, more than 950 buildings were in the pathway of the tornado. "We had many buildings in Andover take very tough damage," said Russell, during a press conference, noting some homes were "completely blown down." He also stated that recovery efforts will take years. "Unfortunately, we've been through this before," he added, referencing the destructive and deadly F5 tornado that struck the city on April 26, 1991. As a result of the severe weather, a state of emergency was declared by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. Andover, Kansas tornado/Storyful (Josie Bahr/Storyful) TORNADO OCCURS THREE DAYS AFTER ANNIVERSARY OF 1991 EVENT Just a few days ago was the 31-year anniversary of the 1991 F5 tornado that killed 17 people. It was part of an outbreak on April 26 that hit the central U.S., producing at least 55 tornadoes that killed 21 people in a 19-hour window. The Andover tornado was more than 600 yards wide at its peak, destroying a large part of the community. Andover F5 Tornado 1991 Andover, Kan., tornado that killed 17 people on April 26. (National Weather Service) The tornado was on the ground for an hour and travelled almost 74 kilometres. Andover's population at the time was around 4,300. The tornado destroyed 300 homes, leaving a third of residents homeless. The tornado also flattened 10 businesses and two churches. Friday's tornado developed from a supercell that came to fruition over Wichita, ahead of a cold front. The standalone cell quickly evolved, strengthening from a non-severe thunderstorm to a supercell that produced a tornado in about 30 minutes, according to reports. Story continues Tracking through Andover, about 16 kilometres to the east, the twister chucked debris as high as 21,000 feet into the air. A damage rating has yet to be determined, but preliminary analysis suggests it could be designated an EF-3. Andover tornado damage/Storyful (Blake Robinson/Storyful) The twister was spawned from the same Colorado low that is threatening Manitoba and northwestern Ontario with flooding rains this weekend. The Andover tornado wasn't the only one reported Friday -- with 14 total accounts from the Plains that were received by the National Weather Service (NWS). Of which, 11 of them originated in Kansas and three in Nebraska. This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by Chris Mei from The Weather Network, featuring stories about people, communities and events and how weather impacted them. -- Thumbnail courtesy of Josie Bahr/Storyful. Follow Nathan Howes on Twitter. Formal charges have been filed in St. Francois County against an area man allegedly involved in a gunfire exchange with law enforcement, leading to an hours-long standoff in Iron Mountain Lake on Wednesday. Robert W. Taylor, 45, of Iron Mountain Lake, has been charged with two counts of first-degree assault or attempt/serious physical injury or special victim, two counts of armed criminal action, and one count of resisting arrest for a felony. According to a probable cause statement, on Wednesday, two uniformed St. Francois County deputies arrived at a Washington Drive residence and located a vehicle matching the description of a suspect vehicle being sought for leaving the scene of an accident. The report states a fully marked St. Francois County Sheriff's Department vehicle was parked at the entrance of the driveway, in plain view, while officers approached a chain-link gate leading to the door of the camping trailer. The officers were then reportedly met outside the camper by a woman. The deputies had been looking for Taylor for outstanding felony warrants. They had tried to approach the camping trailer to ascertain if the man was inside, according to police. The report states the female stood in front of the door and refused to allow the deputies to approach through the chain link fence gate. The woman reportedly tried to push the officers away from the door. At about the same time, Taylor reportedly began firing a long gun at the deputies. The initial discharge of the long rifle by Taylor came from inside the camper, with the man shooting through the camper's walls, authorities said. The deputies retreated away from the door to seek cover. The report states Taylor exited the camper onto a porch, where he continued to fire rounds at police. The deputies returned fire, and the man reportedly retreated back into the camper, where he continued to fire through the walls from inside. The officers returned fire, and one round struck Taylor in the right forearm, according to the report. One officer was reportedly struck in the forehead by a fragmented projectile from rounds being fired by Taylor. Following the discharge of rounds, Taylor allegedly closed the door of the camping trailer and refused to exit. During negotiations through a cell phone, the report states Taylor informed officers that he had been struck in his arm by a bullet but refused to open the door and exit the camper or request medical treatment. Taylor reportedly spoke with law enforcement negotiators for several hours on his cell phone before leaving the camper and allowing himself to be taken into custody. Following the incident, the report notes a search warrant was executed. The search reportedly revealed a 7.62x39 caliber long rifle and an altered .410 gauge shotgun inside the camper. Spent casings and live rounds from the long guns were located inside the camper and seized as evidence, according to police. Taylor was treated for his gunshot wound at a local hospital and released into police custody Thursday morning. He remains in custody without bond at the St. Francois County Jail. An initial court appearance in the case is scheduled for Tuesday. Court records show Taylor has previous convictions for possession of marijuana/synthetic cannabinoid less than 10 grams and passing a bad check. Court filings indicate that Taylor has previously been arrested for firearm-related offenses. Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 4 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Hedgecorth has filed a petition in court contesting an election opponent's eligibility to run for the office. Hedgecorth's verified petition for election contest was filed last Thursday, alleging that John Ira Jones IV does not meet residency requirements to be elected as Prosecuting Attorney of Washington County in the upcoming election. Hedgecorth and Jones each filed to run for the prosecutor's office on Feb. 22, ahead of the general election for the position on Nov. 8. Jones is running as a Republican. Hedgecorth is running as a Democrat. The petition states that in Jones' candidate declaration form filed with the Washington County Clerk's office, Jones swore and affirmed that he resides in Washington County. However, Hedgecorth's claim is that Jones was "not a bona fide resident of Washington County" on Nov. 8 or Nov. 9, 2021. The Washington County Clerk's Office confirmed that for a candidate to be eligible to run for office, they must have lived within the county for at least one year prior to the date of the election. The candidate must also be a registered voter in the county. The petition asks the court to set the matter for hearing, allowing time for discovery so that Hedgecorth may produce proof of Jones' failure to meet the residency requirements of a candidate for the prosecutor's office. The court filing further requests the court to order that Jones' name be deleted from the certified list of the candidates who have filed a declaration of candidacy for the office to be voted on in the primary election set for Aug. 2. Additionally, the petition asks the court to notify the election authority of Washington County not to print Jones' name on the ballot. Lastly, Hedgecorth's petition asks the court to order Jones to pay the attorney's fees associated with having to bring this action before the court. The Daily Journal spoke with Jones, who responded to the filing of the petition. "I'm confident of my eligibility to serve, and I'm glad that we'll get to suss it out in civil court," said Jones. Following a judge recusal and judicial transfer request, Associate Circuit Judge Daren Adkins of the 43rd Judicial Circuit was assigned to the case. A court hearing in the matter is scheduled for May 23. Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Heat Waves in Southern California Allen J. Schaben (Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Thousands of beach-goers in Huntington Beach, Calif., on April 25. Police have shot and killed two coyotes believed to be involved in an attack near the Huntington Beach Pier in California. Officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department fired at the coyotes shortly after a young girl was attacked on the beach around 9:45 p.m. local time Thursday night, according to an updated statement shared Friday by the department. Police say the first animal was shot in the area of Goldenwest and Pacific Coast Highway, while the other was shot near the pier. Officers located the first coyote, which had died, on Friday morning in the same area in which it was shot, per the HBPD. The second coyote was located later in the day near Atlanta and Huntington and captured by officers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Orange County Animal Control Officers. RELATED: Aggressive Turkey Is Attacking People on Popular D.C. Riverwalk: 'He Almost Clawed My Face!' The animal was found injured but alive underneath a trailer at a trailer park "very near the Huntington Beach Pier," said the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in its joint release with the HBPD. Officials eventually euthanized the animal, which they hope "is the second coyote that had been shot by Huntington Beach Police" later Thursday night. coyote Getty A coyote Forensic scientists in Sacramento will attempt to determine if the coyote is indeed the one involved in Thursday's attack by attempting "to compare the samples of DNA from either of the carcasses to that of the samples taken from the victim's bite wounds," California Fish and Wildlife said. Both coyotes will be tested for rabies as well. "At this time, we believe both coyotes observed on the beach last night have been captured," the HBPD said Friday. RELATED: Hero Pet Pig Credited with Saving Veteran Owner from New Jersey Apartment Fire Story continues The young girl attacked Thursday night is now recovering after suffering "serious" but" "non-life-threatening" injuries, police said in their initial statement early Friday morning. California Fish and Wildlife Captain Patrick Foy later told KTLA that the attack appears to be completely unprovoked. "They had done nothing to provoke or inadvertently initiate some kind of attack by this coyote, but in fact, the coyote did go up and attack their little girl," he said. Foy also lauded the girl's family for their quick thinking after hearing the girl being attacked. He said the family's rapid response to the girl's cries caused the coyotes to run away. Virus Outbreak California, Huntington Beach, United States - 27 Jun 2020 Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP/Shutterstock People hit the beach in Huntington Beach, California "It was enough to terrorize that poor little girl," he said, "and, thankfully, the family was there because it would not have ended well and the nature of the injuries were enough to get the little girl to the hospital." Earlier this month, the HBPD warned locals to not leave food out for coyotes in a Facebook post outlining the dangers of feeding the animals. The post was made after the department "received numerous reports of residents leaving food out to feed coyotes," which they noted "is not only dangerous, but also illegal." RELATED: Marine Life Could Experience 'Mass Extinction' if Humans Don't Take 'Rapid Action' Against Climate Crisis "Leaving food in residential areas encourages coyotes to return to the area and creates hazardous conditions for residents, pets, & coyotes," the department said in its post, promising to provide "additional tips & information" about the department's plan to "work with the community to address coyotes" in the Huntington Beach area. California Fish and Game also warns against feeding coyotes on its website. Doing so, they say, can result in "deadly conflicts with pets or livestock, or serious injuries to small children." The department also cautioned against leaving small children and pets unattended when outside. In search of something good to read? USA TODAY's Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this weeks hottest new book releases. All books are on sale Tuesday. 1. "Out of the Corner," by Jennifer Grey (Ballantine, nonfiction) Out of the Corner, by Jennifer Grey. What it's about: The Dirty Dancing star takes readers on a candid tour of her life and career, from her breakout performance in Ferris Buellers Day Off through her Season 11 win on Dancing With the Stars, sharing life lessons learned along the way. The buzz: "Grey emerges as a resilient star in her own story, candidly sharing with readers all her joy, confusion, and hard-won wisdom along the way. Fans wont want to miss this," says a starred review from Publishers Weekly. 'I was no longer me': Jennifer Grey on the late Patrick Swayze, nose job that made her 'invisible' 2. "Book Lovers," by Emily Henry (Berkley, fiction) What it's about: Cutthroat literary agent Nora Stephens goes on a sisters' trip to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, with visions of sunny picnics and handsome country doctors dancing in her head, and instead runs into brooding editor Charlie Lastra. He can't be the one can he? The buzz: "A heartfelt and hilarious read about books, sisters, and writing your own love story," says a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. 3. "Trust," by Hernan Diaz (Riverhead, fiction) What it's about: "Trust" weaves a literary puzzle with interlocking narratives that span over a century in a story of money, power and unchecked American capitalism. The buzz: "Once again, Diaz makes the most of his formidable gifts," says a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Exclusive cover reveal: Check out Stephen Kings unsettling new story Finn 4. "Elektra," by Jennifer Saint (Flatiron, fiction) Elektra, by Jennifer Saint. What it's about: The author of Ariadne reimagines another of Greek mythologys heroines. Elektra, the daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, only wants to see her beloved father return from war. But are they all inextricably bound to the familys bloody ancient curse? Story continues The buzz: "Out of a canonical myth, Saint has built a commanding story of rebellious women," says a starred review from Publishers Weekly. 5. "The Marvellers," by Dhonielle Clayton; illustrated by Khadijah Khatib (Henry Holt and Co., fiction) What it's about: Arcanum Training Institute draws Marvellers from around the world to practice their arts. Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the school's first Conjuror, and she discovers many at the school don't trust her "unnatural" magic. When a dangerous criminal known as the Ace of Anarchy escapes prison and her mentor disappears, Ella becomes a suspect and must work fast to save her teacher before it's too late. The buzz: A starred review from Kirkus Reviews calls it "An enthralling fantasy adventure full of bravery, love, and humor." 'The Marvellers' exclusive excerpt: Visit Dhonielle Clayton's magic school in the sky This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jennifer Grey's 'Out of the Corner,' Emily Henry: Best new books DEAR ABBY: I'm a widow in a new relationship. I was molested for years by an older sibling. When my behavior became troublesome -- skipping school, becoming antisocial -- I was sent to a reform school for several years. The sibling was sent into the army. When I was released from the school, I drifted into worse relationships and into the sex trade. I got out of that after six months. I've always felt like a "good girl," but the past haunts me. I used to talk about the abuse constantly. It was always in the back of my mind. It still pops up on a regular basis, but I have not told my new partner. A friend once told me that people don't need to know everything about you, and I believe that. Some folks blamed me for the abuse, although it started before I was 8. Sometimes I feel I should tell my partner, as it does affect my behavior -- I have low self-esteem, etc. I've had counseling, but it didn't help me. When I confronted my abuser years later, he told me it was my problem. Do I need to share this to be completely honest about who I am? I have never felt "normal." It's as if I'm carrying a dreaded secret. Any advice? -- GOOD GIRL IN WASHINGTON DEAR GOOD GIRL: What you suffered as a child was not your fault. You needed counseling then, not blame. Because you didn't receive it at that time, it isn't surprising your problems followed you wherever you went. Not knowing your partner, I cannot decide for you whether you should reveal your history to him. I can, however, strongly recommend that you contact the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). When you do, you will be talking with a trained counselor who can guide you. Nothing you confide will be a shock to that person, and you may be put in touch with help in your local area. The RAINN website is rainn.org and its toll-free phone number is 800-656-4673. Please don't wait to reach out. Everything is confidential. DEAR ABBY: My close friend, "Lizzy," broke up with her boyfriend six weeks ago. At first, she was very depressed about it, but she has gradually gotten over him. A few days ago, Lizzy's ex-boyfriend asked me out. I really wanted to say yes, but I decided to ask her first if it was OK. When I did, she flipped out and told me she wouldn't be my friend anymore if I did. I've known Lizzy for four years, and I don't want to lose her friendship. A day later, I found out from another friend of mine that Lizzy was dating my twin brother. She never asked me if I was OK with that, let alone informed me that they had feelings for each other. Does this give me the right to date Lizzy's ex? -- BREAKING GIRL CODE IN ALABAMA DEAR BREAKING: I think so. But don't do it without first clearing the air with her, because if things work out with your twin brother, you are likely to be seeing a lot of Lizzy in the future. DEAR ABBY: A few months ago, I offered to help a longtime friend with some landscaping. The area to be landscaped is tiny. I was concerned a professional landscaper would overcharge her. She contacted a landscaper anyway -- not to hire him, but to pick his brain. When he arrived, it was obvious he didn't want the job, and she didn't offer it to him. She took me up on my offer. She then procrastinated for a couple of months, during which time I got busy on other projects. But I carved out time for her, and we sat down to look at her project. She confessed she had no experience with landscaping and plant selection, and she needed my help with that, too. After she pooh-poohed the most viable suggestions I offered, we proceeded to look at plants -- LOTS of plants -- none of which she liked. After a few frustrating hours, she mentioned she'd just plant what she had originally thought about planting. I told her if she did that, she did not need my help. She told me I needed to be more patient, and had she known I wouldn't help her she would have hired the landscaper after all. (It wasn't true. She never had any intention of hiring him.) I told her she needed to be more decisive, and even though she had told me she needed my experience, she wasn't accepting of it. She also couldn't see that she had wasted hours of my time. We've barely spoken since. So, am I in the wrong here? -- GREEN THUMB IN TEXAS DEAR GREEN THUMB: No, you are not in the wrong. No good deed goes unpunished. Consider yourself lucky that you have barely spoken since. And then do not broach the subject again unless you want to experience more frustration. DEAR ABBY: I am the activities director at a nursing/rehabilitation home in Montana. My residents and I want you to know how much we enjoy your column. We read it every day and discuss what kind of advice we would give to your letter writers. Your column is a highlight of our afternoons. We would also like to remind your readers that there are plenty of homes like ours, filled with people like us. We would appreciate and benefit from being acknowledged by our communities, not just during holidays, but all year long. These homes are full of your grandparents, parents and other family members and friends. Our community has always been loving and supportive toward us. We hope homes in other locations are as fortunate as we are. Thank you for your column. We look forward to more! -- FAITHFUL RESIDENT, DEER LODGE, MT DEAR RESIDENT: Thank you for your kind words and thoughtful letter. I'm pleased your residents enjoy support from the good citizens of your community; it says nice things about the folks in Montana. I know my column is discussed around many breakfast tables and water coolers because it's a sure-fire conversation generator. That's the reason it is popular in many nursing homes and rehab facilities. I hope more readers will find time to visit the residents in these homes, not only for the joy it will bring to them, but also to avail yourselves of the wealth of experience these individuals have acquired during their long lifetimes. While visitors are plentiful during the holidays, they are very quiet at other times. DEAR ABBY: My cousin "Scotty" invited my husband and me to see his new house. He made it clear, several times, that my sister and her husband, "Ian," are not invited because his wife doesn't like Ian. My sister and brother-in-law would have no problem if they never saw Scotty again, and I didn't intend for them to accompany us on this visit. However, every time I speak to Scotty, he reiterates not to bring my brother-in-law along. I admit, Ian is a difficult guy to get to know, but I have known him for 40 years, and he really has a heart of gold. I think Scotty is being disrespectful to me by repeating that Ian isn't welcome. How can I resolve this in a way that won't result in not communicating with Scotty ever again? -- RELATIVE DRAMA IN FLORIDA DEAR RELATIVE DRAMA: The next time Scotty starts on his rant about Ian, head him off by interrupting him and saying, "You have already told me that. You don't need to repeat it." Then change the subject. DEAR ABBY: When my wife of nine months makes a dental or medical appointment, she gives her last name as her late husband's last name. He died 10 years ago. Should I be disappointed with my bride since, before we were married, she said she would adopt my last name? -- NEWLYWED IN FLORIDA DEAR NEWLYWED: Why your bride would be hesitant to do this, I can't guess, but because it bothers you, discuss it with her before it festers. Informing health care professionals about a name change is fairly simple. All one has to do is inform the receptionist that a new name should be entered into the computer. DEAR ABBY: My dear husband died suddenly last year. It's been difficult, but I am blessed to have good friends and close family. The hardest part, however, has been the four-plus months it took to decipher his online accounts. He left me few passwords, and many of his contacts were uncooperative, some even cruel. Why should it be impossible to pay someone else's bill? I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a log or written account of passwords and usernames. It could have saved countless hours of stressful negotiations. -- LESSON LEARNED IN MICHIGAN DEAR LESSON LEARNED: Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your husband. You are not the only spouse who has written about this very real problem. Sometimes the concept of a world without us in it can be difficult to comprehend, hence the hesitancy to share passwords. But death can come at any time, and, as in your husband's case, with little -- or no -- warning. Readers, it can spare your loved ones a world of unneeded stress to log those passwords and make sure your spouse, trustee or attorney can access them in case of emergency. DEAR ABBY: I have been with my husband for 41 years, married for 30, but we lived together for five years before we tied the knot. I have just learned he has a son who is two months younger than our son. The mother is a woman he slept with while I was pregnant with our first child. She put the baby up for adoption, and the young man has just reached out to my daughter. My husband claims he didn't find out about the child until after he was relinquished, and he didn't believe the woman ever really gave birth. I am devastated. I feel like my entire marriage to him has been a lie. He says after we were married 31 years ago, he never cheated on me, and I should move past it. What do you think I should do? -- UNABLE TO LET IT GO DEAR UNABLE: You have my sympathy. I agree with your husband that you need to move past this, but that doesn't mean you should forget it. Solid marriages are based on trust, and yours has understandably been shattered. If his behavior since your wedding has been as exemplary as he claims, you should be able to review his financial records and see where the marital assets have been going. He should also be willing to discuss this in the office of a licensed marriage and family therapist. If he is unwilling to do this, it is another red flag, and you should consider consulting a lawyer. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069 Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This page recaps the news on the war in Ukraine for Saturday, April 30. Click here for the latest updates on Russia's invasion in Ukraine from Sunday, May 1. An estimated 1,000 civilians and more soldiers taking shelter in the Azovstal steel plant's underground bunkers are running out of food, water and medicine, but continue to hold out against Russian forces. On Saturday, reports said a small group of civilians were evacuated as the United Nations continues to try to broker a deal to get people to safety. According to Russian state media outlets, a group of 19 adults and six children were brought out of the steel plant in the bombed-out city of Mariupol. A Ukrainian commander, Capt. Svyatoslav Palamar confirmed that an evacuation convoy brought out women and children, according to The New York Times. The situation in Mariupol, the Ukrainian port city that has been under siege by Russian attacks, is like a "Russian concentration camp among the ruins," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Friday. People in the Azovstal steel plant, the last holdout still under Ukrainian control in the city, are protected to an extent by underground bunkers in the Soviet-era facility. But Russians have been dropping "bunker buster" bombs, making the situation more dire. Locals who manage to leave Mariupol say it is hell, but when they leave this fortress, they say it is worse, Mayor Vadym Boichenko said, according to a translator. They are begging to get saved. He added: There, its not a matter of days, its a matter of hours. USA TODAY ON TELEGRAM: Join our Russia-Ukraine war channel to receive updates straight to your phone Latest developments: Ukraine Red Cross office in Dobropillia, a city located in Donetsk region in war-torn eastern Ukraine, was bombed and destroyed Saturday, the organization posted on Twitter, making the eighth Ukraine Red Cross office to be damaged or destroyed since Russia invaded. Story continues Former U.S. marine Willy Joseph Cancel, 22, was killed while working for a military contracting company that sent him to Ukraine, his family told CNN. It is the first known death of an American citizen while fighting in the war against Russia. A Russian missile strike targeting Kyiv killed at least one person following a meeting between U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called the attack an attempt to "humiliate" the U.N. Vira Hyrych, a journalist for the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe, died in the attack. The United Nations General Assembly will hold a vote next month on a country to replace Russia on its human rights council after suspending the nation for its actions in Ukraine. Russians slowed by strong Ukraine defense, Western leaders say Russian forces have continued strikes across Ukraine in a bid to seize the Donbas, but their progress has been slower than expected, according to Western officials. A senior U.S. Defense official, speaking to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, said that Ukraine's strong defensive efforts have stalled Russia's advance by "at least several days." We also assess that because of this slow and uneven progress, again, without perfect knowledge of every aspect of the Russian plan, we do believe and assess that they are behind schedule in what they were trying to accomplish in the Donbas, the official said. The British military also said in a tweet on Friday: Due to strong Ukrainian resistance, Russian territorial gains have been limited and achieved at significant cost to Russian forces. Russian strike destroys Odesa airport runway A Russian rocket attack destroyed an airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-largest city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said Saturday. In a Telegram post, Ukraines Operational Command South said there was no way that the Odesa runway could be used as a result of the rocket attack. Local authorities urged residents of the area to shelter in place as Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing army sources, reported that several explosions were heard in Odesa. Odesas regional governor said that the rocket was fired from Russian-occupied Crimea. Maksym Marchenko said there were no reports of any injuries. More bodies found outside Kyiv; authorities estimate 900+ killed in total Another mass grave has been found in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the scene of alleged mass executions of civilians before its recapture by Ukrainian forces in early March, the head of Kyivs regional police force said Saturday. On April 29, a pit with the bodies of three men was found in the Bucha district, regional police chief Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. The victims were tortured for a lengthy period of time. Bullet wounds were found on the extremities of their bodies. In the end, each of the men was shot through the ear. This is another mass burial made by the occupiers in the Bucha district, the long-suffering district where more than a thousand civilians have been killed and tortured, Nebytov added. According to Nebytovs post, the burial site was found in the forest near the village of Myrotske, 6 miles northwest of the town of Bucha. Nebytov said the three bodies were being sent for a forensic examination, following a preliminary inspection by the Kyiv regional police. Zelenskyy spokesperson Serhiy Nikiforov said on Friday that about 900 corpses have been found in the Kyiv region. Ukraine official accuses Russia of grain seizures Ukraines deputy agriculture minister says Russian forces are seizing vast amounts of grain in territory they hold. Today, there are confirmed facts that several hundred thousand tons of grain in total were taken out of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, minister Taras Vysotsky told Ukrainian television on Saturday. RISING PRICES: How Russia's war against Ukraine could make our food prices from bread to beer more expensive Ukraine is one of the worlds major grain producers and the Russian invasion has curtailed exports, pushing up world grain prices and raising concerns about severe grain shortages in importing countries. Ukraine is also facing fuel shortages as Russia destroys its fuel infrastructure and blocks its ports, Zelenskyy said Friday night. Fuel shortages have been reported in Kyiv, Dnipro and other cities. Vehicles can be seen lining up at gas stations and drivers in most places can purchase only 2.6 gallons of fuel at a time. Zelenskyy promised that officials would find a fuel supply system within a week or two to prevent a deficit but called it a difficult task after the refinery at Kremenchuk was hit by a Russian missile. But, Zelenskyy said, there are no immediate solutions. Firefighters try to put out a fire following an explosion in Kyiv, Ukraine on Thursday, April 28, 2022. Russia mounted attacks across a wide area of Ukraine on Thursday, bombarding Kyiv during a visit by the head of the United Nations. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) ORG XMIT: EM127 14 Ukrainians returned home in prisoner exchange Seven Ukrainian military members and seven civilians were returned home Saturday in a prisoner exchange with Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram. One of the 14 Ukrainians released is five months pregnant, Vereshchuk said. For me, this exchange is special: one of the military women (is) in the fifth month of pregnancy, she said. God bless you! Five other prisoner exchanges have taken place in April, according to Ukrainian Pravda. The most recent was held April 28, where 45 Ukrainians were released from Russian captivity. Eight exchanges have occurred in total. US diesel fuel prices hit record due to Russia's latest moves In another blow to the U.S. economy, diesel fuel prices are skyrocketing to new records in reaction to Russia's move against its European neighbors. The cost of a gallon of diesel fuel in the U.S. topped $5.25 a gallon Saturday, up 7 cents in a single day and 18 cents in a week, AAA's Fuel Gauge Report shows. That easily smashed the previous record of $5.13 a gallon set March 12. The price rise is being driven by the fallout from Russias decision to use its natural gas exports as an economic weapon against Ukraine's allies. It announced it will cut off supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, apparently in retribution for the two nation's support of Ukraine following Russia's invasion. As diesel prices skyrocket, gasoline prices have moderated, falling more than 2 cents a gallon for the week to an average of $4.12 a gallon. The Biden administration ordered more oil pumped from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve recently after an outcry about high gasoline prices. The price spread between diesel and gasoline has widened. Diesel cost 20 cents more a gallon a year ago when the oily fuel averaged $3.08 a gallon. On Saturday, the difference between the two was $1.13 and rising. - Chris Woodyard Ghost of Kyiv killed in March, identity revealed: reports The identity of a fighter pilot dubbed the Ghost of Kyiv, whose single-handed conquests against Russian forces made the then-unnamed pilot the stuff of legends, was made known Friday more than a month after he was reportedly killed in combat. The pilot was identified as Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, by British newspaper The Times. He was killed when the MiG-29 he was flying was shot down on March 13, the Times reported. Tarabalka went to heaven during an air battle with overwhelming forces of the Russian invaders, Ukraines Defense Ministry said, according to the Kyiv Post. MYTH DEBUNKED: Fact check: Claim that Sam Hyde is the 'Ghost of Kyiv' is a hoax According to some estimates, Tarabalka shot down 40 Russian aircrafts since Feb. 24, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kyiv Post and other Ukrainian media outlets wrote. On March 19, Zelenskyy posthumously awarded Tarabalka with the Order of the Golden Star, Ukraines top medal for bravery in combat, and the Hero of Ukraine title. Destroyed houses are photographed in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. Zelenskyy: Russia trying to destroy Donbas Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to destroy the Donbas and all who live there. The constant brutal bombardments, the constant Russian strikes on infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to empty this territory of all people. Therefore, the defense of our land, the defense of our people, is literally a fight for life, he said late Friday in his nightly video address to the nation. He said the cities and towns of the Donbas will survive only if Ukraine remains standing. If the Russian invaders are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones. As they did with Mariupol," he said. Ukrainians using cheap drones against Russian forces Consumer-grade drones, costing about $1,000 and modified to drop explosives on Russian troops and fighting vehicles, have been taking center stage in Ukraine's resistance against the Russian invasion. Videos of such attacks are widely available on Twitter, proudly shared by Ukrainian fighters and their supporters. Unlike the sophisticated drones that many militaries use, the drones are widely available at stores like Best Buy, easily modified and hacked to turn them into lethal weapons. And experts say such drones are opening up a new front for both warfare and terror attacks. Now, the Biden administration is renewing efforts to protect domestic infrastructure from potential drone attacks. Read more about the use of drones in the war, and its implications in the U.S. -Trevor Hughes Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine steel plant rescues; bodies found outside Kyiv In the early days of COVID, airlines felt the pressure of lost revenue as flights were canceled all over the world. STS Technical Services, a staffing company that serves clients in the aviation industry, had a front-row seat as the disaster unfolded. The commercial aviation industry was crushed in 2020. Nobody was flying anywhere, said Bryan Shaw, the companys marketing director. Regular clients began to put projects on hold as the need for aircraft mechanics and other service personnel dwindled. As company leaders watched other staffing companies lay off parts of their workforce, the STS team didnt panic, Shaw said. Instead, they took things one step at a time and transitioned their staffing team to remote work, while shifting to meet the needs of clients outside the commercial aviation sector. Members of the STS Technical Services Inter-Company Hockey Team. STS is a Top Workplace for the first time. The flexibility resulted in new successes. During 2020, Oshkosh Defense awarded STS a contract to provide workforce services to build a fleet of Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLVTs) that will replace U.S. military Humvees. Shaw describes the contract as a huge win for us while staring COVID in the face. This is the companys first year on the Top Workplaces list, ranking fourth out of all midsize companies. Employees describe an environment that is rewarding, independent and supportive. I can see that what I'm doing matters, one employee said. I'm able to help people further their career and I'm given the support and tools I need to succeed. Founded in 1986, STS Technical Services began in Reno, Nevada. It started as a staffing company for aviation alone, but acquisitions and partnerships over the decades brought it into other sectors such as aerospace and industrial manufacturing. The staffing team recruits for hundreds of technical, trade and engineering jobs, hiring skilled workers who can provide labor for a variety of clients all over the world. Today, STS is headquartered in Brookfield and has several offices around the United States. Story continues Despite the international focus, STS serves a number of Wisconsin companies, including Harley-Davidson and Oshkosh Defense. Nearly 90% of the staffing team works remotely, Shaw said. I think STS has been able to handle that transition really, really well, he said. They implemented a lot of tools that allow the team to stay connected. One of those tools is a bonus system to reward employees. Shaw said he thinks it is important that hard work is recognized and rewarded within the company, whose mission is to promote the growth and well-being of our employees by investing in a cultural atmosphere that emphasizes our values and strives towards excellence through collaboration and fostering a sense of PRIDE in workmanship, reliability, innovation, generosity and spirit. The companys PRIDE initiative, which stands for professionalism, respect, integrity, dependability and enthusiasm, seeks to reward those who go above and beyond. The five attributes represent the qualities that team members strive for. When someone excels in one of these categories, they receive a token that can be exchanged for a monetary reward once theyve collected all five. And outside the workday, employees also meet up for virtual happy hours to connect and chat. Although I am fully remote, my managers at STS have always worked to make me feel included and valued, one employee said. Remote work will remain a facet for the company going forward. Future plans include the continuation of projects in various sectors and securing new clients and contracts. Our team is slated to grow, Shaw said. By the end of 2022, he said the companys revenue is expected to expand 15% to 20% from pre-pandemic levels. I think that's a huge testament to what we've been able to accomplish, the hurdles we've been able to overcome, and some of the big, new client signings and projects that we have coming up in the pipeline. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Top Workplaces: STS Technical Services benefited from strategy change Guy D'Alema/FX So far, Atlanta has had three standalone episodes this season excluding the main cast. This number sounds small (its still about 50 percent of what weve seen at this point). But on a show that boasts some of the best, most fascinating young actors working todayBrian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz, and Donald Gloverthree entire episodes devoid of their chemistry and magnetism is, frankly, one too many. Which brings us to Trini 2 De Bone, tonights heavy-handed examination of wealthy white people and the immigrants and/or Black people they hire to raise their children. I think more than any other episode this season, this one highlights the identity crisis Atlanta is currently experiencing regarding who its audience is and who the writers are crafting stories for. Listen, I get it. A lot has happened in the four years since the show last aired that would alter the direction and energy of any show. I also wouldnt be surprised if Robbin Season walking away with zero Emmys in 2018 made Glover overthink some things. Atlanta Exposes the Black Lives Matter Industrial Complex Despite all the ideas and complexity you can extrapolate from a single episode of Atlanta, the reasons I and the Black people Ive talked to like the show are very simple. The jokes are funny. The characters feel like people you know or have met before. (Bring back Tracy!) The performances are stellar (you desperately want to hug Paper Boi). And the show has also feltforgive me for using this phraseunapologetically Black, in that Glover and the writers dont need to explain in-house cultural references or jokes to the shows white audience members. That being said, the simple premise of Earn, Al, Darius and Van having dumb adventures in Europe and encountering weirdos is way more interesting than whatever obvious racial commentary and fables about whiteness the writers seem insistent on telling this seasonone of which I enjoyed and thought was well-conceived. But Im firmly good on just one. Story continues But lets actually get into the episode written by Jordan Temple and directed by Glover. We start out with a white man named Miles (Justin Hagan) returning to his New York penthouse to find his son Sebastian (Indy Sullivan Groudis), who he stares at like an intruder, and wife Braunwyn (Christina Bennett Lind) there. Suddenly, he gets a call that a woman named Sylvia, who we find out is Sebastians Trinidadian nanny, passed away. The main running bit throughout the episode is that Sebastian has spent so much time with Sylvia that hes absorbed all this knowledge of her culture, from food to language to music. Later on, at her funeral, we meet a white man with a fake Caribbean accent who says that he was also raised by Sylvia. Even before we get to the upsetting Chet Hanks cameo, the joke is already stale. Likewise, the episode centers around the family attending Sylvias funeral in a Trinidadian neighborhood. (I am notably not from New York and will not guess where). Braunwyn has conflicted feelings on allowing Sebastian to see a dead person at such a young age, which we can assume is just masking her fear of having to go to a foreign, predominantly Black space. Miles, just as dubiously, wants to use Sylvias funeral as an opportunity for Sebastian to confront human death for the first time. Throughout the episode, he also keeps receiving a piece of Sylvias mail at his door that he tries and fails to return to the sender. When the family pulls up to the funeral at a storefront church, Miles and Braunwyn are just as visibly uncomfortable as you would expect. But Sebastian feels at home, exchanging sayings with Sylvias daughter Khadija (Khadija Speer) when she greets them. If youve attended any sort of Black homegoing or church service, a lively and jubilant environment is not unusual. But the rowdiness of the service obviously confounds Miles and Braunwyn. On the other hand, Sebastian, whos clearly been brought to this church by Sylvia regularly, is joining in on the call-and-response. Oh yeah, and Chet Hanks is there. (We dont need to talk about it). Things escalate when Sylvias other daughter Princess (Alia Raquel) grabs the microphone during a dance performance to Trini 2 De Bonewhich Sebastian knows by heartand tells the congregation that her mother was never there for her and her siblings because she was always taking care of white peoples children. Her brother interjects that their mother was providing for them. This eventually escalates into a big melee, and Miles, Braunwyn and Sebastian promptly leave. Back at home, Miles and Braunwyn try to digest what they just witnessed, like every white person reacting to a slap at the Oscars. Braunwyns also worried that her and Miles werent present enough in Sebastians upbringing, but Miles assures her and, by extension, himself, that they were. In the episodes final sobering moment, all of Miles' insistence that he and his wife have been a crucial part of his sons life are undone when he receives Sylvias mysterious package outside his door once again. He finally opens it to find family photos of Sebastian and Sylvia that seemingly dont exist of their biological family. Justin Hagan as Miles, Indy Sullivan Groudis as Sebastian Warner, Christina Bennett Lind as Bronwyn Warner in Atlanta's "Trini 2 De Bone." Guy D'Alema/FX As a Black viewer, Im not sure what I was supposed to feel during this episode or take away from its overarching lesson that I dont already know. Even if you dont personally understand what its like to have all of your labor taken for granted by white people, we all saw The Help in 2011. And this episode doesnt do a better job of centering a Black, female domestic workers humanity than that movie. Instead, this episode inadvertently reduces Sylvia to a series of functions because we understand who she is primarily through a white gaze. Miles and Braunwyn only come to realize Sylvias value toward the end of the episode because it exposes what they lack as parents. They still dont know or care about who she is as a person. Aside from a brief eulogy, the script doesnt supply her with much interiority or even a sense of defiance, as she occupies these underappreciated and often abused roles in the lives of white people. The fact that Sylvia is merely a teachable moment in Miles and Braunwyns lives is not really subverted or challenged. But that would be an entirely different episode with a different approach. According to the description, Trini 2 De Bone was at least partially written with white viewers in mind. Hopefully, the next five episodes are less concerned about upsetting white people like its a litmus test for good Black television. I simply want to hang with my boys and Van, particularly in situations where theyre not just props for exposing the nature of white folks. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. WASHINGTON With federal voting rights legislation stalled in Congress, Democratic lawmakers and civil rights activists are calling on the Biden administration to issue a new executive order aimed at better protecting voters against restrictive state election laws. Democrats and activists are increasingly disappointed with the lack of progress on passing sweeping voter protection legislation. And with high-stakes midterms elections looming, there's also growing concern about ballot access for voters of color historically a key voting bloc for Democrats. Rep. Joyce Beatty, , an Ohio Democrat and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said the Biden administration should "do whatever is necessary, whether that's an executive order, whether that is us figuring out a legislative approach that we can get through." White House officials said they havent ruled out any avenues. "Everything's on the table, Cedric Richmond, senior advisor to the president and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement told USA TODAY. He added: Where there's constitutional things we can do you can look for us to do them. More: Laws aimed at voter suppression are the worst since Jim Crow. How Black voter trends could be impacted. Vice President Kamala Harris (center) marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with civil rights activists to commemorate the 57th anniversary of 'Bloody Sunday' in Selma, Alabama on March 6, 2022. Harris, who is leading White House efforts to protect voting rights, said earlier this year, We are fighting, all of us, together every day to safeguard and to strengthen the freedom to vote. Executive authority has limits Biden signed an executive order last March marking the commemoration of Bloody Sunday, when peaceful voting rights activists were beaten by state troopers in 1965 as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The order directs federal agencies to expand access to voter registration and election information. Among other things, it urges federal agencies to allow workers to volunteer as poll workers and sets up a steering group to look into ways to improve voter access for Native Americans. Voters of color have long faced barriers to casting ballots, including poll taxes and intimidation. Advocates contend election laws adopted by GOP-controlled legislatures aim to suppress turnout. Story continues Republicans have said the bills protect against voter fraud. By mid January, lawmakers in at least 27 states had introduced, pre-filed or carried over 250 bills with restrictive provisions, including imposing stricter ID requirements, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. From early on, Biden backed Democratic measures to expand federal voting rights protections. He also urged Congress to pass the bills in his State of the Union address last month. Vice President Harris, who has been tasked with leading the White House fight for voting rights, joined civil rights activists in Selma last month for the annual commemoration of the march. Later that month, Harris unveiled recommendations to improve access for Native Americans and voters with disabilities. We are fighting, all of us, together every day to safeguard and to strengthen the freedom to vote, she said. More: Harris steps into high-wire act on voting rights as pressure builds on election bills More: Time to march: Hundreds gather in Selma to commemorate 57th anniversary of Bloody Sunday Former Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., heads the White House Office of Public Engagement. He said the White House has made protecting voting rights a priority. White House officials defend their efforts, including last year's executive order. They said they had to first figure out what authority Biden had so they focused on federal agencies and pressing them to be innovative on voting rights. For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs is trying to be designated as a voter registration location and the Department of Education is trying to distribute voter education to students. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, chairman of the House Administrations elections subcommittee, said he and other lawmakers have had discussions with White House officials about possibly issuing another executive order on voting rights. But Butterfield, a Democrat from North Carolina, said he recognizes there are limitations to that authority. We cant ask the president to sign an executive order that is unconstitutional so we have to make sure that it is permitted by law, he said. Some election experts agree theres only so much the White House can do. The White House is doing what it can, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, noting its efforts to make it easier to register at some federal agencies. But there's not a lot that the White House can do on its own about congressional action. Some voting rights supporters say even an executive order wouldn't be enough. What I would like to see is legislation passed because what I don't want is for my rights to be up in the air based on someone rescinding an executive order, said Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams, a Democrat who has pushed for federal voting rights legislation. These are constitutional rights. My right to the ballot box should not be up to the whim of an executive order by which president is in office. More: Voting rights in the USA: Inside a pivotal year for changes to American elections More: New election laws could create barriers for voters with disabilities Pushing for voting rights bills Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who has made voting rights one of her signature issues, said Biden and Harris are also pushing to ensure states get more funding to run elections. But some of the pushback against restrictive elections laws must come from grassroots efforts in states. Some of this is a not on the official side, it's on the political side in terms of getting groups going in each state when these bills come up and putting a big spotlight on them, said Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., praised the voting rights efforts of Kristen Clarke and Vanita Gupta at the Justice Department. I just don't think it could be in better hands, Klobuchar said. Don't sell them short about what they can get done. The House has passed voting rights bills, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which sought to restore provisions in the 1965 Voting Rights Act requiring states with a history of voting discrimination to get federal approval before making election changes. The Senate has yet to approve the measures. Klobuchar said there are still efforts to pass legislation. We will never be giving up on the long term, which is the Freedom to Vote Act, she said. We didn't sit in that room all summer just to let that die on the vine.'' Williams called it frustrating that the legislation has stalled in Congress. I applaud the Biden administration for putting the weight and the power of the White House behind this conversation, she said. But at the end of the day, we have work to do in the United States Senate. There are elections coming. We're continuing to educate people on the changes that have occurred. We shouldn't have to organize our way out of voter suppression. Richmond, the White House senior advisor, said talks are still underway to try to reach a compromise. Harris has a leading role in that effort, he said. But what we won't do is compromise our values or let anyone infringe upon the right to vote, Richmond said. That's going to be a fight that we're going to take to the people. We're going to take it to Congress and we're going to take it to the courts. More: Voting rights activists are pushing to speak the language of all voters. It's not always English. More: Senate said no to voting rights. Here's how civil rights activists are reigniting the fight Rep. James Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina, spoke at a watch party for Senate candidate Jaime Harrison, Nov. 4, 2020. Clyburn said there should be more efforts to address voting rights concerns. Justice officials urged to do more on voting rights But some advocates demand more. Id like to see the President use his bully pulpit to connect the assault on democracy and Ukraine to the assault on democracy here at home, said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, adding that nothing, however, substitutes for the passage of these bills. Rep. Raul Ruiz, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said no president has advocated more for voting rights than Biden. He noted that Harris, top White House officials and Bidens cabinet have been outspoken on the issue. He has been pushing the envelope, period. Do we want more? We all want more, said Ruiz, a Democrat from California. Is it important to continue making this a salient issue? Yes.'' Advocates also say the responsibility to protect voter rights falls on the Department of Justice. Morial said the administration must make sure Justice officials have enough resources to challenge restrictive laws adopted by states. They inherited a DOJ that had been hamstrung, said Morial, noting that several of the agencys leaders, including Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for Civil Rights, werent confirmed until late in 2021. South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, the Democratic whip, called out Attorney General Merrick Garland for not doing enough on voting rights. When it comes to voting, the attorney general needs to step up his game, Clyburn said. Becker, of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, said lawsuits filed by the Justice Department are pending in states like Georgia and Texas, and hes sure agency officials are going to be out in force observing elections and primaries. To help, the administration has doubled resources in the agency's Civil Rights Division and nominated voting rights leaders like Clarke and Vanita Gupta, now the associate attorney general, to head those efforts, said Richmond. He said the White House also isn't giving up on winning the legislative fight, including pushing to change Senate rules to pass the bills. We're continuing to do the necessary work to galvanize or create momentum behind it," he said. ''The president has said that he thinks we should do whatever is necessary to get it across the finish line.'' Follow Deborah Berry on Twitter: @dberrygannett This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Voting rights: Biden urged to consider executive order to protect voters Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. Getty Johnny Depp's defamation trial against Amber Heard just wrapped its third week with no end in sight. This week, witnesses testified about the finances of their divorce and an infamous fecal incident. We also learned more about the fate of Depp's sliced-off finger and whether Heard really loved Elon Musk. Depp finished up testifying. He said he wouldn't have cut off his own finger because he loves playing guitar. Actor Johnny Depp testifies in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, April 25, 2022. STEVE HELBER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Monday started with Depp finishing his own testimony in the case, spending a total of four days on the stand. Depp faced intense grilling over how he severed his finger during a fight with Heard in Australia in 2015. Depp said the injury was the result of Heard smashing a vodka bottle on his hand, while Heard has claimed in court documents that Depp injured it himself by slamming a plastic phone. Depp tried to strengthen his story on Monday, saying he never would have risked injury to his hand as a guitar player. "There's no way I would cut my own finger off to ruin this beautiful opportunity to start playing guitar," Depp said, referencing the fact that he was about to go on tour with his band, The Hollywood Vampires, a few months after the Australia fight. Experts told Insider that Depp performed well on the stand, coming across as "vulnerable" and "credible." But they said he has an uphill battle to victory due to the multiple audio and video clips of the couple fighting aired during the trial. "It's becoming increasingly more difficult to show that there was no abuse," Law & Crime Network host Jesse Weber told Insider. "It's becoming increasingly more difficult to show that she lied in that 2018 article." Johnny Depp testified that his plans for wrapping up the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise were dashed Johnny Depp earned an Oscar nomination for playing Jack Sparrow. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Part of Depp's defamation case is that Heard, in publishing a Washington post op-ed describing herself as a victim of domestic violence, cost him movie roles. Following the publication of the op-ed, Warner Bros. announced he would no longer be in the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise and Disney put the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie series on ice. Story continues In his testimony, Depp talked about how he crafted the role of Captain Jack Sparrow throughout the five "Pirates" movies, rewriting his lines and developing plot points. "Captain Jack Sparrow was a character that I had built from the ground up and was something that I put a lot of you put a lot of yourself into characters," he said. Depp testified he had planned to make sure the characters should have a "proper goodbye" before the series ended, rather than stopping short after the fifth movie. "And there's a way to end a franchise like that," Depp testified on Monday. "And I thought the characters should have a way out, to end the franchise on a very good note. And I planned on continuing until it was time to stop." Depp's house manager described finding part of the actor's finger wrapped in a bloody paper towel Actor Johnny Depp holds up his bandaged finger, injured while he and his ex-wife Amber Heard were in Australia in March 2015. Johnny Depp Legal Team/Handout via REUTERS While shooting the fifth "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie in Australia, Depp and Heard lived on an island house. It was there, the night of April 7, 2015, that the couple got into a dramatic fight that ended with part of Depp's right middle finger cut off. How that happened exactly Depp said Heard threw a glass vodka bottle at him; Heard said Depp did it himself while intoxicated is for the jury to decide. But after Depp was whisked off to the hospital, his employees needed to hunt around the house for his fingertip. Depp's house manager, Ben King, testified on Monday about finding it in a bloody paper towel near the house's marble bar, which had a chunk taken out of it and was surrounded by broken glass, empty cans, and "bodily fluids." "There was a scrunched-up piece of kitchen paper with lots of blood on it," Ben King, the manager, testified using a British term for paper towels. "So I thought that was probably a pretty good place to look." Multiple witnesses threw water on Heard's claims she was injured after a fight with Depp in May 2016 Heard was seen with what appeared to be a bruise on her face when she appeared in court in May 2016 to get a restraining order against Depp. Richard Vogel/AP Depp's legal team sought to taint the credibility of Heard's physical assault claims related to a fight the couple had at their downtown Los Angeles loft in May 2016. A few days after the fight, Heard showed up in court with an apparently bruised face, to petition for a restraining order against Depp. Heard claimed in court documents that Depp hit her face with a cellphone and spilled wine all over their apartment when she told him she was leaving him. But multiple police officers who responded to a call about a domestic disturbance at the couple's apartment testified that they didn't see any signs of damaged property or bruising on Heard's face. The officers said that Heard did not speak to them about what had occurred. They said they didn't write up a report since they didn't see any signs of a crime. A security guard testified that Heard admitted to pooping in the bed she shared with Depp and throwing his phone out the window after an April 2016 fight Amber Heard speaks to one of her lawyers inside the Fairfax County Circuit Court on April 28, 2022. MICHAEL REYNOLDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images The jury also heard more details about the aftermath of an April 2016 fight between the couple, from one of Depp's longtime chauffeurs and security guards, Starling Jenkins. Earlier in the trial, Depp spoke about how he left the apartment after getting into a fight with Heard about being late to her birthday party. Depp said that after he left the apartment, his security team found poop in the bed he shared with Heard. Depp testified that Heard later blamed the defecation on their two teacup Yorkies, Pistol and Boo. But Jenkins testified that he later spoke to Heard, who took responsibility for the poop. Jenkins said he had "a conversation pertaining to the surprise she left in the boss's bed" and that Heard called it a "horrible practical joke." He was working the morning shift the day after the fight and says one of the first things Heard told him when he showed up to his shift was that she and Johnny had a fight the previous night and she threw several of his personal items out the window and onto the street below, including his cellphone. Jenkins went on to explain how he used the Find my iPhone app to track the phone down to Skid Row, a neighborhood of LA known for its homeless population. A homeless man turned the phone over to him, and Jenkins said he rewarded the man with $420, chicken tacos, chips, apples, and Fiji water. Amber Heard's initial ask for a divorce settlement was $4 million Johnny Depp is pictured attending court on April 28, 2022. MICHAEL REYNOLDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Heard filed for divorce on May 23, 2016 just 15 months after she and Depp married. On May 27, she filed a restraining order against Depp, citing the "loft incident" which she says left her with a bruise on her face. The divorce was finalized in early 2017. Edward White, Depp's business manager, testified on Thursday that Heard asked for $4 million at the beginning of divorce negotiations. Then it grew. But she got more than the announced $7 million sum if you count all the debts and taxes Depp draws in a sketch pad during his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard on April 27, 2022. JONATHAN ERNST/POOL/AFP via Getty Images After the $4 million settlement request, White testified, Heard kept upping the amount she wanted. Eventually, White said, she received $7 million, plus another $500,000 given to her legal team all tax-free. But one of the biggest items, which hasn't been previously disclosed, was that Depp would be on the hook for all "community liabilities," a term that typically refers to jointly owned assets and debts. Overall, White testified, Depp gave $14.25 million to Heard from the divorce. Heard tried to get back together with Depp a few months after filing for divorce, according to their former agent Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. John Sciulli/Getty Images for Perrier-Jouet Champagne On Wednesday, jurors heard testimony from Christian Carino, an agent who worked with Heard starting in the mid-2000s, and with Depp in 2016. He said that he tried to help Heard and Depp with their relationship troubles, introducing them to Laurel Anderson, a marriage counselor who testified earlier in the trial. Depp and Heard both confided in him about their relationship, he said. "She talked with me about the state of their relationship from the beginning to the end," Carino testified, referring to Heard. Heard filed for a restraining order against Depp in May 2016, shortly after filing for divorce. A few months later, Carino said, Heard wanted to arrange a meeting. According to Carino, Heard told him to "Please tell him I love him." Depp "was reluctant at first and then agreed" to meet with Heard, but needed Carino to secure her promise to not accuse him of violating the restraining order. Once that was secured, Carino secured a meeting at a friend's home. The couple talked for hours, and eventually had to move to a hotel room in San Francisco. They talked for hours more and eventually left at around 6 a.m. the next morning, Carino said. Amber Heard admitted in a text message that Elon Musk was just 'filling space' in her heart Elon Musk and Amber Heard. Getty Carino testified that he later learned that Heard may have been dating billionaire Elon Musk by the time he set up the San Francisco meeting between Depp and Heard. Testimony from Carino also revealed that Heard and Musk's relationship was one-sided. In a text message Carino sent Heard after her breakup from Musk made the news in August 2017, he told her: "You weren't in love with him and you told me a thousand times you were just filling space." "I know, but I wanted time to grieve and recover in my own time," Heard responded. Heard failed to fulfill her promised donation to the ACLU. The organization said a chunk of donations in her name came from Musk. Spectators in the court watch as evidence is presented on screens during the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial on April 28, 2022. MICHAEL REYNOLDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Musk's name came up several times in testimony this week, including during questioning over Heard's promise to donate half of her $7 million divorce settlement to the ACLU. Terence Dougherty, chief operating officer and general counsel of the ACLU, testified that the organization only ever received $1.3 million in donations made in Heard's name, and that he believes $500,000 of that amount came from Musk. He also read from emails indicating that Heard's representatives wanted the Washington Post op-ed which is at the center of Depp's lawsuit to be published after the release of of her film "Aquaman." Depp's lawyers have argued that Heard used the domestic violence allegations against Depp in the op-ed to boost her own career. Depp and Heard racked up a $160,000 bill with a wine merchant, Depp's business manager testified Johnny Depp embraces his business manager, Ed White, after the latter finished testifying in Fairfax, Virginia, court on April 28, 2022. MICHAEL REYNOLDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images By the end of their marriage, Depp and Heard rang up a $160,000 wine bill at a Los Angeles wine company, Ed White, Depp's business manager, testified on Thursday. White said that the bill with Twenty Twenty Wine Merchants was one of the debts that the couple had to settle as they were finalizing their divorce. Since the couple's divorce, White says that Depp's wine bill has shrunk to "virtually zero" since he "does not continue to consume much in the way of wine." White said that Heard had an affinity for a particular Spanish wine that cost $500 a bottle. A clinical psychologist said Heard had personality disorders linked to lying and violence Clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. Shannon Curry testifies in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse on April 26, 2022. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images One of the most riveting witnesses this week was Shannon Curry, who testified Tuesday. A clinical psychologist, she was hired by Depp to evaluate Heard after Heard claimed to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder following her relationship. Curry evaluated Heard for 12 hours over two days and had her answer hundreds of questions for psychological exams. She said Heard greatly exaggerated her symptoms and didn't have PTSD. Curry did, however, diagnose Heard with borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder. Heard's psychological profile, Curry testified, matched Depp's narrative of Heard as someone who was emotionally domineering and physically and psychologically abusive, while also fearing abandonment in her relationship. Someone like Heard, Curry said, might use threats and escalate violence to keep their relationship intact. "They might say that they are going to file a restraining order or claim abuse, or they might do these things, to essentially try to keep their partner from leaving," Curry testified. "In the moment, they're not consciously thinking, 'I'm going to keep my partner from leaving right now.' They're just thinking, 'I can't stand this. I hate my partner.'" Heard also had a "code type" associated with "cruelty," Curry said, as well as people who are "very attention-seeking" and "prone to externalizing blame, to a point where it's unclear whether they can even admit to themselves that they do have responsibility." People with histrionic personality disorder, Curry said, often might even lie about their circumstances to seek attention and take on a "victim role." "They might take the victim role or the princess role, and even make up stories," Curry said. "Sometimes, those are to bolster the victim role. Sometimes, those stories are just to make them look more interesting or accomplished in their mind so that they can get respect and attention that way." Read the original article on Insider Jossara Jinaro, a veteran television actress, filmmaker, producer and SAG activist, died of cancer on April 27, according to a post on her Facebook page by her husband, Matt Bogado. With great sorrow, I announce the passing of my wife, Jossara Jinaro on this date, April 27, 2022. Jossara bravely fought cancer and came home to be surrounded by family. Jossara was an amazing wife, mother, artist, and friend. She had the most beautiful, kind soul and wouldnt take no for an answer. Even in her last moments, she was still fighting. She is now resting in peace and will be remembered forever. Myself, Liam, and Emrys will miss her so deeply, although we know she is in our hearts and guiding us every step of the way. More from Deadline Bogado added that a public memorial service will be held in the Bay Area at some point. Jinaro had a long Hollyood career, appearing in various drama series, including ER (NBC, 1994-2009), Judging Amy (CBS, 1999-2005) and Strong Medicine (Lifetime, 1999-2005). Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she grew up in Colombia as the adopted daughter of a diplomat. When her step-father was held hostage by guerillas, the family moved to the US. Leaving home at age 16, she moved to Chicago and quickly signed with her first agent, who got her involved in stage work. Her powerful presence led another agent to suggest a move to Los Angeles, where she soon went to work with Columbia Tri-Star to play Virginia Bustos in the Alma-nominated sitcom Viva Vegas. She made her television debut on as a recurring on Judging Amy as Cheech Marins daughter, then segued to ER. Her role on Passions was nominated for a 2006 GLAAD award. She went back to Colombia in 2009 to work on the Novela La Bella Ceci y El Imprudente, then returned to Hollywood for the series East Los High. . Story continues Jinaro began producing her own short films, expanding into a feature that was accepted into Panavisions new filmmakers program. Shes made the film festival rounds with Desert Road Kill which garnered her a Best Supporting Actress award. Her film resume includes Devils Rejects, a Rob Zombie film, Havoc, with Anne Hathaway, TenTricks with Leah Thompson, Fly Boys, with Stephen Baldwin, Oliver Stones World Trade Center, with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena, and Lionsgates hip-hop movie Go For It! Survivors include her husband and two children. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A new musical about the Titanic, featuring Celine Dion songs and a character based on the pop icon is coming to New York. "Titanique," produced by Tony Award-winning producer Eva Price, is set to star Broadway actress Marla Mindelle as Celine Dion, who narrates the stage send-up of the 1997 movie "Titanic." The musical will include performances of Dion's hits "My Heart Will Go On," "All By Myself" and "To Love You More." "Titanique" is a "musical celebration that turns one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterical and joyful slay-fest," according to a press release. "Want to find out what really happened to Jack and Rose on that fateful night? Just leave it to Celine Dion to casually hijack a Titanic Museum tour and enchant the audience with her totally wild take, recharting the course of Titanic's beloved moments and characters with her iconic song catalog." Mindelle, who starred in "Sister Act" on Broadway and in Netflix's "Special," is joined by Constantine Rousouli, who co-authored the show and will play Jack, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the original film. Fellow Broadway actress Alex Ellis will play Rose, portrayed by Kate Winslet in the movie. Other characters include Frankie Grande as Victor Garber and Jaye Alexander as The Iceberg. Tony Award-winning producer Eva Price, who also worked on "Jagged Little Pill" and "Oklahoma!" is producing the show. Tye Blue is set to direct. The pair co-wrote the show with Rousouli. The "strictly limited engagement" will begin previews off-Broadway on June 14, 2022, and is set to open on June 23. The show, is set to run at the Asylum Theater through September 25. It is unclear if Dion herself is involved in the musical. CBS News has reached out to Dion's record labels for comment and is awaiting response. Story continues Dion recently canceled the North American leg of her "Courage World Tour" due to her ongoing recovery from serious health issues. The shows were rescheduled from 2020, when the pandemic began and thwarted the tour. However, Dion "recently has been treated for severe and persistent muscle spasms which are preventing her from performing, and her recovery is taking longer than she hoped," according to a press release. "Her medical team continues to evaluate and treat the condition." Twitter reportedly finalizing deal with Elon Musk French President Emmanuel Macron wins reelection against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen Judge orders Trump held in contempt in New York fraud investigation Former Vice President Mike Pence and former President Donald Trump, pictured left, and Rep. Greg Pence, pictured right. Getty Images Donald Trump has endorsed Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana former Vice President Mike Pence's brother. Trump did not mention his former president in his statement of endorsement. Trump and his former vice president publicly fell out after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed the congressional re-election campaign of Rep. Greg Pence of Indiana, despite publicly falling out with his younger brother former Vice President Mike Pence. "Congressman Greg Pence is doing a great job representing the people of Indiana's 6th Congressional District," Trump said in his endorsement on Friday. "A former First Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, Greg continues to proudly serve our Country in the US House of Representatives," Trump continued. The endorsement continued, "Greg is working hard to reverse Joe Biden's disastrous record of out-of-control Inflation and restore the respect our Country deserves from abroad. He is Strong on the Border, Protects Life, Defends the Second Amendment, and Supports our brave Military and Vets. Greg Pence has my Complete and Total Endorsement!" Trump did not mention the former vice president in the endorsement. There has been a feud between him and the younger Pence following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Pence, 62, said he has not spoken to Trump since last summer, pointing to January 6 as a "difficult" period. Last month, Trump confirmed in an interview with the Washington Examiner that the pair haven't had a conversation "in a long time." He said he was "disappointed" in his former president, adding that he is unlikely to select Pence as his running mate should he run again in 2024. In the former president's interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan, broadcast on Monday, Trump referred to Pence as "foolish" and "weak." The rift between the pair started after the former president repeatedly pressured Pence to block the certification of Joe Biden's presidential win, according to reports. Story continues "I hope our great vice president comes through for us," Trump said in the days leading up to the Capitol riot. "He's a great guy. Of course, if he doesn't come through, I won't like him very much." Trump was reportedly furious with Pence's refusal to follow his instructions. The Wall Street Journal, citing a source, reported that Trump told Pence he didn't want to be his friend. The former president continued to argue that Pence had the right to overturn the election but, in February of this year, Pence rebuked him and dispute these claims. "President Trump is wrong," he said at a conference in Florida, per The Guardian. Greg Pence, 65, has remained steadfastly loyal to Trump. He voted to object to Pennsylvania's certified Electoral College votes for Biden and against the establishment of a House select committee to investigate the January 6 attack. Read the original article on Business Insider ADRIAN Three leadership positions at the Adrian campus of Siena Heights University have recently been filled. Emily Barnes joins SHU as provost and vice president of academic affairs, Susan Shelangoskie has been named the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Joanne Yastik will serve as the universitys director of nursing. In a news release, SHU President Sister Peg Albert said the university is looking forward to working with its three new hires. Siena Heights University is so blessed to welcome these three competent, committed and innovative women to our university community, she said. Emily Barnes Barnes begins her new role at Siena Heights July 5. Barnes served as the 11th president (interim) of Cleary University in Howell and was the universitys first woman provost and its first woman interim president. The release said she is known as the academic thought leader behind The Cleary Mind, which is described as a new, unparalleled business arts educational approach. Emily Barnes joins Siena Heights University as provost and vice president of academic affairs beginning July 5. Barnes previously served as the 11th president (interim) of Cleary University in Howell and was the universitys first woman provost and its first woman interim president. She acquired her doctorate in higher education leadership from Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri. Her graduate studies were completed in library and information science at Indiana Universitys School of Informatics and Computing. She earned a bachelors degree in humanities and philosophy from Indiana University. Her first faculty appointment, the release said, was in 2010, and Barnes continues to serve as the program chair at Clearly University for graduate leadership programs. Prior to joining Cleary, she was an academic entrepreneur for six years where she implemented digital education, learning management systems, technical infrastructure and online training programs for a variety of colleges and universities. Barnes specializes in organizational strategy, data analytics, education technology, systems infrastructure, learning and curriculum design, and inclusive pedagogy, the release sa. Susan Shelangoskie Shelangoskie, currently the chair of the English department and director of the digital and media studies program at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio, will begin her new role at SHU July 11. In her more than 15 years at Lourdes, Shelangoskie served in a wide range of capacities, the release said. Story continues Her university service demonstrates her commitment to shared governance and faculty-driven initiatives, the release said. Susan Shelangoskie has been named the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Siena Heights University and will begin her new role July 11. She comes to SHU from Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio, where she served as the chair of the English department and director of the digital and media studies program. Shelangoskie served as the faculty e-learning coordinator, was elected Faculty Senate president three consecutive years, and served as the chair of the rank and promotion committee, the general education revision task force and the curriculum committee. She earned her Ph.D. in British and American literature from the University of Utah and her undergraduate degree in English and mathematics from Cleveland State University. The development of the digital and media studies program at Lourdes was a notable accomplishment that demonstrates her approach to curriculum development and student-centered education, the release said. This interdisciplinary program was designed with core study in a liberal arts field contextualized by theory and practice in technology, the release said. Joanne Yastik With a health care career spanning more than 30 years including 25 years of nursing education experience in clinical, classroom and administrative roles Joanne Yastik will begin her new role as director of nursing at Siena Heights May 2. She completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing in 1989 at Mercy College of Detroit and her Master of Science in nursing at Madonna University in Livonia in 1997. She also holds a post-masters certificate in teaching in nursing education from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Her Ph.D. in nursing was completed at Wayne State University with her research being focused on online health information seeking. Joanne Yastik will soon become the new director of nursing at Siena Heights University, taking over the leadership position Monday, May 2. Yastik has been part of the health care field for more than 30 years with 25 years of nursing education experience in clinical, classroom and administrative roles. "I am looking forward to becoming part of the community at Siena Heights University and making a positive impact on future nurses and the entire campus community, Yastik said in the release. After 16 years in clinical practice mainly in emergency and post-anesthesia care Yastik pursued a faculty role at her alma mater, the University of Detroit-Mercy. The release said she was an assistant professor there until 2012. Yastik has taught various undergraduate nursing courses in both face-to-face and online formats, the release said. She has served in a director of nursing role over the past seven years and she obtained the National League of Nursing credential of certified nurse educator in 2019. She is a member of the American Association of Men in Nursing, the Organization for Associate Degree nursing research committee, and the Michigan Council of Nursing Education Administrators. Her research interests include nursing education and diversity in nursing. This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Siena Heights University fills 3 leadership positions A destroyed Russian military tank with its turret blown off, pictured on April 21, 2022 in Dmytrivka, Ukraine. Alexey Furman/Getty Images Russian tanks have a design flaw making them susceptible to being decapitated in Ukrainian attacks, CNN reported. Unlike Western tanks, Russian ones carry multiple shells of ammunition in their turrets. The flaw means the Russian tank crews are sitting ducks, experts told CNN. Images of destroyed Russian tanks with their turrets blown off have become common since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Experts say that Russian tanks have a design flaw that makes them vulnerable to being decapitated by Ukrainian attacks, called a "jack-in-the-box effect," CNN reported. The issue lies in the fact that Russian tanks carry their supply of up to 40 shells in their turrets, which means that even an indirect hit can cause the entire ammunition store to explode. "What we are witnessing with Russian tanks is a design flaw," Sam Bendett, an adviser with the Russia Studies Program at CNA, told CNN. "Any successful hit quickly ignites the ammo causing a massive explosion, and the turret is literally blown off." One video posted on Twitter appeared to show a Russian tank turret that had landed on the fifth floor of an apartment building in Mariupol after an attack. Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 21, 2022 A similar video from Chernihiv showed a turret lodged on the second floor of a house. The issue is particularly prevalent in Russian-made T-72 and T-80 tanks because they have autoloading mechanisms that typically store about 20 rounds when fully loaded, Steven Zaloga, an expert on Russian and Soviet armor, told military publication Task & Purpose. He added that the internal volume of Russian tanks is much smaller than Western ones. "If you get a penetration to the interior of the tank, there's a high probability you're going to hit something," Zaloga told the outlet. Story continues it is not a new issue many Russian-made T-72 tanks used by Iraq during the Gulf wars in 1991 and 2003 were similarly decapitated. Nicholas Drummond, a defense industry analyst and former British Army officer, told CNN that Russia hadn't learned the lessons from Iraq, which is why many of its tanks in Ukraine feature similar design flaws. The flaw means the Russian tank crews are sitting ducks, Drummond told the outlet. "If you don't get out within the first second, you're toast," he said. Despite the newer Russian T-80 and T-90 tanks having upgraded armor, they suffered from similar ammunition loading systems problems, making them vulnerable to the same fate. The issue also affects other Russian vehicles deployed in Ukraine, such as the BMD-4 infantry fighting vehicle, operated by a crew of three and can carry another five soldiers. Drummond told CNN that the vehicle was a "mobile coffin" that was "just obliterated" when hit by a rocket. Russia's BMD-4M, a new generation amphibious infantry fighting vehicle, seen at a fair in Kubinka town in Moscow, Russia on June 25, 2019. Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Open-source intelligence monitoring website Oryx has documented at least 300 Russian tanks destroyed in Ukraine, and over 280 that have been damaged, abandoned, or captured, as of April 29. The site only includes destroyed tanks of which photo or video evidence is available, so the true figure is likely to be much higher. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace on Monday estimated that Russia had lost as many as 580 tanks in Ukraine. The latest statistics, published by the Ukrainian Land Forces, claim 873 Russian tanks have been destroyed, along with 2238 armored vehicles, per reports. Read the original article on Business Insider A look at some of today's top stories, the weather forecast and a peek back in history. The total number of state House and Senate candidates shrunk by nine this week after Friday's deadline for challenges to who will appear on the ballot. Amid bipartisan pushback, the Homeland Security Department details a plan to deal with an expected increase in migrant encounters. After two years of absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Phoenix Zoo is celebrating children by paying homage to Mexico's official Children's Day. Today, you can expect it to be sunny, with a high near 96 degrees. Mostly clear at night, with a low near 65 degrees. Get the full forecast here. For more stories that matter, subscribe to azcentral.com. Today in history On this date in 1913, the first vodka in sample lots was received in Tucson by a local collector of curios. In 1920, the Grand Canyon National Park was dedicated. In 1922, the Phoenix-Miami-Globe railroad, connecting the Salt River Valley with the Gila Valley was opened at a celebration attended by hundreds in Miami. In 1927, Mrs. William Henry Brophy gave $250,000 and 25 acres of land to endow and build the Jesuit College in Phoenix. In 1975, the Vietnam War ended as the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ Briefing: 9 AZ Legislature candidates kicked off ballot NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: A view of tribute photograph on display at the Andre Leon Talley Celebration of Life at The Abyssinian Baptist Church on April 29, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for the Estate of Andre Leon Talley) Bennett Raglin/Getty Andre Leon Talley's celebration of life was a star-studded event commemorating the longtime Vogue editor's legacy, taking place at his house of worship The Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York on Friday. Talley died at the age of 73 after battling chronic illness on Jan. 18. Anna Wintour and Naomi Campbell were two of the speakers at the church, joined by Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg, Paula Wallace and others who all helped tell the story of Talley's life from being raised by his grandmother in Durham, North Carolina, to earning his master's degree at Brown University, to being one of the leaders of Vogue, and becoming one of fashion's most iconic figures. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: Naomi Campbell speaks onstage at the Andre Leon Talley Celebration of Life at The Abyssinian Baptist Church on April 29, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for the Estate of Andre Leon Talley) Bennett Raglin/Getty RELATED: Naomi Campbell Pens Emotional Tribute to Andre Leon Talley: 'Rest Easy King' Celebrated fashion journalist Derek Blasberg, actress Julianne Moore and designer Zac Posen were some of the other famous guests to attend. Blasberg posted from the celebration of life to his Instagram, calling the ceremony "incredibly moving, spirited, ornate, over the top" and adding, "We cried and we sang and we cried some more." NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: Anna Wintour speaks nstage at the Andre Leon Talley Celebration of Life at The Abyssinian Baptist Church on April 29, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for the Estate of Andre Leon Talley) Bennett Raglin/Getty RELATED: Inside Andre Leon Talley and Anna Wintour's Decades-Long Close Relationship "When I couldn't sleep last night, I dug up some old emails to remind myself what a singular, spectacular presence he was in the lives of so many," Blasberg continued. "His emails evoked how much he loved his church, how exacting he was with directions, how supportive he was early in my career, how much he loved Liza Minelli, how he refused to suffer fools, how much he adored Michelle Obama, and how he was a perfect Southern gentleman to the very end." He ended by remarking "how lucky the fashion world was to have lived amongst this great man." Talley first joined Vogue in 1983 as the magazine's fashion news director. He quickly rose to creative director and editor-in-chief Wintour's right-hand a position he held from 1987 to 1995. Story continues He left Vogue in 1995 and moved to Paris, where he returned to W Magazine after working at the publication earlier in his career. He continued contributing to Vogue as an editor until he rejoined the magazine in 1998 full-time as the editor-at-large, writing the monthly column Style Fax. RELATED VIDEO: Christian Siriano On the Loss of Icons Andre Leon Talley, Thierry Mugler and Virgil Abloh Known for his over-the-top personality and fierce dedication to style, he stayed in this role until his final departure from Vogue in 2013. Over his career, Talley also contributed to Women's Wear Daily, The New York Times, and Interview Magazine. He is also the subject of the documentary The Gospel According to Andre, which was released in 2018. 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. His many other accomplishments include releasing two autobiographies, A.L.T.: A Memoir in 2003 and The New York Times Best Seller The Chiffon Trenches in 2020, as well as accepting the 2003 Eugenia Sheppard Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the prestigious Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France last year. Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast For more than 60 years, scientists have been pointing radio antennas at the sky, hoping to overhear a broadcast from an alien civilizationproof that were not alone in the universe. But the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI, is like listening for a whisper in a hurricane. Space is incomprehensibly big. Theres noise sputtering from every direction, especially from the countless number of stars dying and being born. A signal from E.T. might be faint. Weve got only so many instruments and so much time, money and manpower for our intergalactic eavesdropping. Worse, we might not even recognize an alien broadcast when we hear it. After all, who knows how E.T. would actually communicate? Ross Davis, a specialist in information and communication sciences at Indiana University, is willing to venture a guess at what aliens sound like from afar. He hopes that could be enough to help SETI scientists cut through the noise and narrow their search. All of this to help us arrive closer to the answer of one of humanitys most important questionsis there life elsewhere in the universe? Davis told The Daily Beast. In a new study that has not yet been peer-reviewed, Davis described how a high-tech alien civilization might use long-range microwave radio to relay messages from planet to planetand also help navigate between them. With this dual-purpose technosignature as a guide, SETI practitioners could direct their attention to the spots in space where possible alien broadcasts make the most sense, thereby eliminating huge chunks of the galaxy from the SETI search pattern. Its a potentially elegant solution to an old problem in radio-based SETI. Historically, radio SETI has searched only a small portion of the sky for technosignatures, Davis said. How Little Lasers Might Light Our Way to Extraterrestrials Our slow, narrow, and random search of the vastness of space is one possible reason weve never actually found any alien signals. Its like scooping just a single glass of water from the ocean, Davis said, paraphrasing astronomer Jill Tarter, an early SETI advocate. Story continues Daviss approach, if it stands up to peer review and finds widespread acceptance in SETI, could shrink that cosmic ocean. The hunt for alien signals would still face long odds. Just slightly less long. Many scientists consider it a mathematical likelihood that theres other life out there, somewhere. Why would our planet, and our planet alone, evolve life? Earth is not the center of the universe, Martin Dominik, an astronomer at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told The Daily Beast. Why should we be the only ones? If these scientists are right and Homo sapiens is just one of many sentient species in the Milky Way, then Daviss technosignature could help bring forward the day when we finally meet them. What we now call the research field of SETI got its start in 1960, when Cornell University astronomer Frank Drake pointed an 85-foot-wide radio telescope in West Virginia at the stars Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani. The former is similar to our own sun. The latter occupies a place in the galaxy that makes it visible from most of Earths surface. He did a quick scan, listening for a signal that sounded artificial. That is, a signal that would repeat within a narrow bandwidth. He heard nothing. Just random noise. The Very Large Array, a collection of 27 radio antennas located in Socorro, New Mexico. Instruments like this are vital to SETI research. Alex Savello/NRAO SETI has gotten a lot more sophisticated since then. There are scientific bodies all over the world listening for alien chatter. Scientists have also begun scanning for patterns of laser light that could hint at extraterrestrial space-exploration efforts, a practice they call laser SETI. But the expansion of our SETI efforts havent turned up any evidence of E.T., leading some scientists to believe its time to take a closer look at just a few places of interest. We could start by trying to put ourselves in the aliens shoes. We need to imagine what much more advanced extraterrestrials would do, Douglas Vakoch, who heads METI International, a SETI research organization in San Francisco, told The Daily Beast. Davis proposed we start by asking ourselves where an alien civilization might thriveand expand to the point where it starts beaming signals we might detect here on Earth. Wade Roush, a science lecturer and author of Extraterrestrials, told The Daily Beast he endorses that approach. We need to go back to first principles and figure out what we think we're looking for, The place to start looking, Davis posited, is among the known exoplanets. That is, planets beyond our own star system but still within our galaxy and close enough to glimpse. Astronomers peering through increasingly powerful telescopes have been identifying exoplanets since 1992. Today, NASAs running list includes around 5,000 of these faraway planets. Even 5,000 planets is too many for an intensive search. We could pick the best candidates for a careful SETI survey by mapping them in relation to each other. A tight cluster of exoplanets, perhaps spread across a handful of neighboring stars, might make more sense as the seat of a sprawling alien civilization than, say, one lonely exoplanet spinning all by itself around some isolated star. The idea is that any alien civilization broadcasting signals we might overhear from hundreds or even thousands of light-years away would, by definition, be sophisticated enough to also create offworld colonies around its own home star, as well as neighboring ones. The latter might even be a prerequisite for the former. After all, why would aliens just randomly shoot radio signals across the galaxy? In Rosss thinking, its more logical that theyd beam information-rich, wideband microwave messages between their homeworld and surrounding colonies. Messages we might be able to eavesdrop on, if were lucky enough to be in the path of a stray signal. The result of Rosss network-first approach to SETI would be a map of a potential alien civilization. One with a central hub, outlying nodes and potential connections between them. An organization not unlike our own species computer networks, but spread across several light-years. It makes sense that an advanced civilization would organize itself in this way, Vakoch said. Aliens who have expanded beyond their home planet might establish a communications network that looks like a wagon wheel. Their home world would be at the hub of the network, and strong, directed radio signals could travel in straight lines to distant colonies, like a series of spokes radiating out from the central hub. The TRAPPIST-1 system, about 40 light-years from Earth, contains a total of seven known Earth-sized planets. Three of them are located in the habitable zone of the star, where temperatures are just right for liquid water to exist on the surface. Its conceivable that intelligent life would be able to colonize multiple planets in the system. NASA/JPL-Caltech The groups of exoplanets with the most potential close connections are the one we should be searching for signals, Ross said. Specifically, we should be listening for repeating, wideband microwave broadcasts with embedded coordinates. A repeating, wideband signal implies deliberate construction. That is, a message with lots of information. Interstellar HD television, is how Vakoch characterized it. The embedded coordinates would tell us that one alien is trying to tell another alien where they are in relation to each other. The galactic equivalent of dropping a pin on your map app. Find both, and you may have found E.T. If theres a downside to Daviss technosignature approach to SETI, its that it hinges on big assumptions. You start by assuming aliens would communicate like we would, with a broad microwave signal chock-full of information. Then you go looking specifically for that kind of broadcast. Theres a kind of human vanity baked into that attitude. We tend to view the technologies and opportunities for SETI through the lens of our latest technologies, Roush explained. Daviss approach risks overlooking different kinds of communications as well as possible extraterrestrial civilizations inhabiting seemingly unlikely corners of the galaxy. The Chances of Finding Alien Life on Jupiters Moon Europa Just Shot Way Up But Davis countered that people and aliens might have no choice but to communicate in similar ways. The aliens on these exoplanets and we here on Earth have a common denominatorthe scientific laws of the universe that we both have to deal with. And considering the scale of the probleman entire galaxy to listen in on, and only so many scientists with so much time to do the listeningDaviss assumptions, however imperfect, might still be pretty helpful. It does make sense to focus our attention and resources, Roush said. If searching for E.T. is like scooping cupfuls of water from the ocean, shrinking the ocean to a lake at least could keep us from despairing at the seeming hopelessness of the task. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Tens of thousands of people roared with excitement as Gator football legend Tim Tebow walked up to the microphone to address the 2022 graduating class of the University of Florida. For a moment, the atmosphere seemed reminiscent of an intimate version of a home SEC rival game during the Gator's 2009 national championship run. Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, addressed more than 3,000 graduates on the field he once dominated at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Friday night, reminding the sea of black cap and gowns that the evening wasn't about him. Tonight is about you," he said. "I want you to be encouraged because you have achieved something special. University of Florida graduates enter the Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony being held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, in Gainesville Fla. April 29, 2022. Florida Gators great Tim Tebow was the commencement speaker. He talked about not just being successful, but being sure that you were being significant. Graduation: More than 50,000 people, including Tim Tebow, expected to go to UF's graduation ceremony Desantis visits Williston: Gov. Ron DeSantis stops in Levy County to award local governments with funding First-round draft pick: Former Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam drafted 23rd overall by Buffalo Bills Throughout his address at the University-Wide Commencement Ceremony, Tebow graced the crowd with humor, encouragement and emotion. University of Florida graduates cheer for the cameras during the Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony being held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, in Gainesville Fla. April 29, 2022. Florida Gators great Tim Tebow was the commencement speaker. He talked about not just being successful, but being sure that you were being significant. He shared his experiences in the Philippines where he did humanitarian work, speaking of an impoverished and malnourished little boy that he saw wearing his football jersey. Tears were flowing down my face when I saw this boy, said Tebow, who was awarded the UF Distinguished Alumnus award prior to taking the stage. I hope youre successful," he said. "I hope whatever you do, you crush it. But I hope it doesnt stop with success because you know where success stops (with) you. But significance is about other people. Be successful, but also be significant." University of Florida great Tim Tebow delivers the commencement address during Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony being held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, in Gainesville Fla. April 29, 2022. Florida Gators great Tim Tebow was the commencement speaker. He talked about not just being successful, but being sure that you were being significant. [Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun] People from all over the world filled the stands in support of the graduating class. The graduating class represented six continents, 89 countries and all 50 states in America, including 794 first-generation college graduates, UF President Kent Fuchs said. Two sisters, Tracy Ruda and Valerie Marvin flew in from out of town to attend the ceremony. Ruda from Fort Wayne, Indiana and Marvin from Pearland, Texas said they were excited to see their niece finally walk across the stage. Story continues Before people were allowed to enter the stadium for the event, lines formed in front of the Lee Chira Family Heisman Plaza, where graduates and family posed in front of the Tim Tebow, Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel bronze statues. The wait allowed attendees like Ruda to stroll parts of UF's scenic campus prior to graduation starting on the cool, breezy evening. The oak trees with the moss, the buildings, its a gorgeous campus," Ruda said. Alaska-native Raynell Jones, who earned her masters degree in forensic science Friday, said her time at UF has been a "great experience." Jones' family was just one of the thousands who cheered and applauded in recognition of the important milestone as each person walked across the stage. A University of Florida graduate does the Gators Chomp as she makes her way into the Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony being held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, in Gainesville Fla. April 29, 2022. Florida Gators great Tim Tebow was the commencement speaker. He talked about not just being successful, but being sure that you were being significant. [Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun] As a father of four grown children, I know how important this day is also for the families and friends of these graduates, Fuchs said. And I want to congratulate and thank the family members and friends present today for your support and devotion to these graduates. We feel your joy and your relief. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Tim Tebow speaks to thousands at UF graduation CHILLICOTHE In celebration of National Parks Week, the National Park Service Director Chuck Sams visited parks in southeast Ohio. He used this opportunity as a way to shine light on some of the lesser-known national parks. During this trip, Sams visited Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce and Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe. He also met staff from the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and the William Howard Taft National Historic Site. NPS Director Chuck Sams was briefed by staff on the nomination of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site while touring the park. During his visit to the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park, Sams was briefed about the parks upcoming 100th anniversary and nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage list that is currently under evaluation by the World Heritage Committee. A final determination is expected in the summer of next year. Sams also observed a distance learning class. The park regularly interacts virtually with K-12 classes, college and adult learning groups across the country and in Canada. Park Ranger Kate Owen was working with a class of 2nd graders from Tacoma, Washington. Through this type of learning the park has reached more than 300 students in the past six months. While visiting Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument Sams saw the progress on the major restoration of the historic home of Charles Young, an 1889 West Point graduate and decorated commissioned officer in the United States Army. Young served in the 9th Cavalry and, as part of his military duties, was the first African American national park superintendent. This is the first major investment in the infrastructure of this historic home since it became a part of the National Park Service in 2013. The renovation will restore the home back to its period of historic significance when Colonel Charles Young and his family occupied the home in the early to mid-1900s. This $5.4 million project is expected to be completed by the end of summer next year. Director Sams also met with active-duty military members from the Marauder Battalion R.O.T.C at Central State University and from the B2 Office at Wright Patterson Air Force Base who volunteer at the park and recently completed several projects in honor of National Park Week. The director presented them with the America the Beautiful Military Passes, which grant active-duty military members, veterans and Gold Star Families with free access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas including all national parks. This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: National Park Service Director visits Chillicothe CHICAGO -- One year ago, Phillip Hanks was enduring the first of two surgeries. One was almost eight hours to give him a new intestine, stomach, liver and pancreas. The following day, Hanks was back on the operating table to get a kidney. Hanks, a father of six, received a multivisceral transplant a simultaneous transplant of multiple organs at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis in April 2021. Since then, Hanks, of Joliet, Illinois, said he doesnt want to say its been easy, but his health has been smooth sailing. No hiccups on the health front, no drama. In fact, Hanks celebrated birthday 51 on April 23. Hes still driving to Indianapolis for hospital checkups, but not as frequently. I feel great. Im back in the gym slightly, trying to get more strength, he said. On Tuesday, the end of National Donate Life Month, Hanks was celebrating the transplant milestone in Illinois Secretary of State Jesse Whites office, surrounded by family. White read the Chicago Tribune story about Hanks journey in 2021, and recruited him to be a spokesperson for the secretary of states Organ/Tissue Donor Life Goes On program and registry. As one of 12 spokespeople, Hanks has been talking to youth in schools and at secretary of state facilities in the area. He said hes averaging a couple dozen talks every two weeks, and even shot a public service announcement. White calls it a perfect match. Hes been there, done that and now hes able to tell his story and spread the news of this wonderful program. White presented Hanks with a commemorative framed license plate with 5ALIVE on it. A family friend made a replica of his dream car (a 1967 Mercury Cougar XR7) in cake form to commemorate the occasion of his second chance at life through organ donation. Phil has been so incredibly instrumental and inspiring to the program. Our mission is to strengthen the Illinois organ and tissue donor registry through outreach and registration initiatives and one of the ways we are able to do that is partnering with individuals, organizations, faith-based institutions, learning institutions ... we have coordinators go out and lead the charge and serve as advocates to help us with that mission, said Connie Boatman, director of Life Goes On. Phil hit the floor running. Its been incredible to have him on board. Story continues As you know so many minorities believe that organ and tissue donation doesnt work or they have questions about it and were constantly working to debunk those myths. Hes a prime example that organ and tissue donation does save lives and it doesnt matter your race, ethnicity or gender. Boatman said since Whites tenure in office, which began in 1998, Life Goes On has registered 7.3 million people for the donor program. Hanks still gets teary-eyed when reliving April 26. He was on the transplant list by Dec. 31, 2020, and received his organs four months later. Hanks wife, Tiva, calls it a miracle. Im feeling very blessed, she said. We were reminiscing about the actual day: He was asking me questions about what was I feeling? How did it go? How long did it take? It was a mind-blowing experience. I was there by myself in the middle of COVID and it was scary, I spent a lot of the time on the phone with my auntie. My family was really my rock. I spent all that time in the waiting room, just talking on the phone, texting the family, giving them updates on where they were in the procedure and then afterward, she and I talked to the doctors and were felling very grateful that everything went so well. It was an out of body experience to say the least. Hanks was beaming from ear to ear about his supportive family getting him through it all, sister, aunts, sons and daughters. Tuesday, his 4-month old granddaughter (Gianna Guyton ) was by his side, serving as motivation We dont realize how close we are to it until it happens to us, thats why its important for us to get involved, Boatman said. Thats why what Phillip does is so important because you have to have representation. He is an awesome representation that it does work. Black people do get organs and you dont have to be rich, you dont have to be a celebrity. Its important that we educate ourselves and we exercise our due diligence to share our positions with our families to let them know what our wishes are. ____ Wilfried Zaha won it at the death for Palace (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Wire) Wilfried Zaha came off the bench to score a stoppage-time winner for Crystal Palace as they snatched a 2-1 win at Southampton. The Eagles looked to have rescued a point when Eberechi Eze scored his first goal of the season to cancel out Oriol Romeus early goal, but a moment of magic from Zaha saw Palace leave St Marys with all three points. The result lifts Patrick Vieiras side above Southampton and within touching distance of the top half of the table with four left to play. Vieira had left Zaha on the bench after a bruising encounter at Leeds in the Eagles last outing, but he came on for the final 25 minutes to remind everyone just how indispensable he is to the club. Romeu had missed two excellent headed chances in Southamptons recent defeat at Burnley but scored one here from James Ward-Prowses inswinging corner in the ninth minute. The Spaniard rose above Joel Ward at the far post to head in off the crossbar and give Ralph Hasenhuttls side the lead. Neither Zaha nor Tyrick Mitchell were fit enough to start the game and they struggled to find openings in the early stages. They did threaten after 25 minutes as Eze and Jeffrey Schlupp combined to create a chance for Jean-Philippe Mateta, whose near-post shot was saved by the legs of goalkeeper Fraser Forster. With the primary objective of survival already achieved, the pressure was off both sides, making for an open game. Conor Gallagher and Ward-Prowse may well end up competing for the same place in Gareth Southgates World Cup squad and both were prominent. Gallagher broke well towards the end of the first half and Ward-Prowse did just enough to deflect his dangerous cross onto the roof of the net and prevent the ball from reaching the unmarked Mateta. Eberechi Eze scored Palaces equaliser (PA) Forster, soon to be out of contract at Southampton, was then needed to make a smart save as Jordan Ayew headed Ezes corner towards the top corner. After a slow start, it was Palace who now looked the more threatening. Five minutes after the break, Ayew got to the byline and Forster pushed away his cross, with Schlupp seeing a point-blank shot blocked by defender Jan Bednarek. Story continues They deservedly equalised when Ayew fed former Saints full-back Nathaniel Clyne and his deep cross was volleyed low between Forsters legs by Eze. It was Ezes first goal since tearing his Achilles last May, with the former QPR player having struggled to regain his place since returning from injury in November. Vieira introduced Zaha from the bench as Palace looked for a winner. They had strong penalty claims waved away when Gallagher went down under Romeus awkward challenge. Hasenhuttl responded by bringing on Armando Broja and Stuart Armstrong and the latter might have won it when he blazed over after Romeus flick had found him in the six-yard box. Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 8 AM PDT TUESDAY... * WHAT...Overnight temperatures expected to drop into the low to mid 30s with sub-freezing temperatures as low as 30 to 32 in the cold prone areas of these zones. * WHERE...In Washington, Kittitas Valley and Yakima Valley. In Oregon, Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon and Foothills of the Southern Blue Mountains of Oregon. * WHEN...From 2 AM to 8 AM PDT Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Sensitive plants and vegetation should be protected. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above- ground pipes to protect them from freezing. && LOS ANGELES A judge on Friday threw out part of the case against Kim Kardashian in former reality TV star Blac Chynas lawsuit while the jury deliberates on the elements that remain. Judge Gregory Alarcon ruled that Chynas attorney Lynne Ciani did not provide any statement during the trial from Kardashian that was defamatory toward Chyna. The case against Kardashian for interference with a contract remains alive. The jury, in its first full day of deliberations, is deciding on that and both defamation and contract-interference cases against Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner. Chynas lawsuit alleges that the women falsely told television producers and executives that Chyna had violently attacked her then-fiance Rob Kardashian in December 2016 in an attempt to get her reality show, Rob & Chyna, canceled. Ciani argued during closing arguments Thursday afternoon that the women had no reason to believe the attack had occurred, as testimony, photos and video from the time showed no significant injuries to Rob Kardashian. He didnt have a mark on him, Ciani said. There was no call to the police, no trip to the hospital, not even a Band-Aid. Kardashian attorney Michael G. Rhodes argued during his closing that the women had every reason to believe the accounts of the attack from Rob Kardashian and from Kris Jenners longtime boyfriend Corey Gamble, who broke up the dispute and was a key defense witness. Do you remember how Rob looked on the stand yesterday? His pain was real, Rhodes said. This is a real family. Yeah, theyre famous, but theyre real people. He got really badly hurt here. Ciani provided clear examples of statements via text messages and emails from Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, telling the shows producers and the E! network, which the show appeared on, about the abuse allegation. But the case she made against Kim Kardashian was more vague. After Alarcon read the jury its instructions Thursday, Rhodes pointed out that there was no potentially defamatory statement in them from Kim Kardashian. Ciani was angered by the assertion, but the frustrated judge rebuked her, saying she had agreed to the jury instructions before the trial began. A similar argument emerged in court Friday over Alarcons unusual method of jury selection. Instead of choosing 12 jurors and four alternates, the judge had the lawyers select 16 jurors, then chose by random drawing after closing arguments which four were the alternates. The judge again pointed out to Ciani that she had agreed to the process before trial. In the civil case, nine of the 12 jurors will need to agree on whether three of the Kardashian defendants either knowingly lied about Chyna abusing Rob Kardashian, or spread the word about it with reckless disregard for the truth. The same number will need to decide whether each of the four illegally interfered with Chynas contract with the E! network. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Albemarle County is asking community members for feedback on what they think is important in how the county plans for growth. The county is in the first phase of the update of its comprehensive plan, a long-term planning document that will guide land use growth and development for the next 20 years, a process the county calls AC44. The first phase will update the countys growth management policy through the lenses of equity, climate action and capacity projections. Community members can provide feedback at five pop-up events during the next two weeks or in an online survey available at engage.albemarle.org/ac44. The online survey will be available until May 16. We will be asking community members to share their experiences and input on what an updated growth management policy should prioritize, the officials said. The first pop-up will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the Flow Festival at Darden Towe Park. The countys current policy directs development into specific, identified growth areas while conserving the remainder of the county for rural uses, such as agriculture, forestry, resource protection, and others that rely on these uses. Development areas make up about 5%, or about 37 square miles, of the countys land. The online survey is seven questions long and asks community members how well the current policy captures their vision for future growth. It also asks how growth management in Albemarle has affected them, how successful they think the policy has been in specific areas and what should be prioritized in the update. The survey also asks what changes to the policy should be considered to further the countys commitment to equity and inclusion and climate action. The county opened applications for an AC44 working group and received 102 applications. That convinced officials to create five working groups of about 20 members each, which will each serve for approximately six months. Broadly speaking, successful work groups have between 10 and 20 members to allow for everyone to have an opportunity to actively participate in discussions, county spokesperson Emily Kilroy said in an email. Based on the number of applicants and the phases of work, an approach of five working groups was developed. Approximately 19 applicants have been invited to join the first working group, Kilroy said, with invitations issued via a random number generator. The group list will be finalized at the first meeting. Those invited include: Kenneth Wilkinson, H Rothenberg, Whitney Briggs, Wesley Jenkins, Kathy Ralston, Stuart (Fred) Carwile, Sharon Korinek, Gwendolyn Gale Cassady, Christine Perot, Peter Thompson, Rod Walker, Rex Linville, Andrew Cueva, Olivia Branch, William Hoare, Doug Horwitz, Chet Seapy, William Brase and Ronald H. Rosenberg. Kilroy said the meetings are invited meetings as opposed to open meetings. Progress and materials will be posted on the AC44 website throughout the process to document feedback and on-going work. she said. Anyone who would like to request access to materials and/or feedback opportunities can reach out to the countys Community Development Department for assistance at (434) 296-5832. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. President Janos Ader has asked Viktor Orban, the incumbent prime minister and leader of the election-winning Fidesz party, to set up Hungary's next government. Orban was nominated for the post by the Fidesz-Christian Democrat party alliance. Ader confirmed that Orban had accepted his request and added he would make a formal proposal to parliament on Monday. Ader said the recent election was the first of its kind in various ways among the nine democratic elections held since 1989. For the first time, two multi-party formations were competing the Fidesz-led alliance and the opposition coalition and the number of national lists was at a record so low, he said, adding that April 3 had seen the highest number of foreign observers and the fewest complaints received. The results of the election, and the decision voters made are clear: the election was lawful, constitutional, free and democratic, the president said. The legitimacy of the new parliament and the next government cannot be questioned, he added. In a press statement made in the presence of the president, Orban said that a decade of perils lay ahead of Hungary: There is war, prices are rising in Europe, and signs of a serious energy crisis are apparent. MTI Photo In an unusual late-campaign move, ads for Charles W. Herbster temporarily went dark on broadcast and cable TV this week. The campaign blames an error with wiring money, but political observers say the incident and explanation raise questions. Herbsters campaign for governor altered TV ad buys across Nebraska on Tuesday. Then, Wednesday, an agency that shares political ad news tweeted that the campaign had gone completely off broadcast and cable TV. The Herbster campaign said Tuesday it hadn't canceled anything and placed blame on a money-wiring issue. Wednesday, spokesperson Emily Novotny said that the ads went dark because of a time lapse after the issue was addressed. Rod Edwards, Herbster's deputy campaign manager, declined to offer any more detail on what happened. "We're up on advertising," Edwards said. "We're going to be up on advertising for the rest of the campaign. We're not going to discuss internal financial transactions or decisions." With less than two weeks until the gubernatorial primary and mailed ballots already in many voters hands, experienced political consultants were puzzled by the rare pause. "In a big, contested race like this you want to avoid leaving the airwaves open to your opponents uncontested you want to do everything you can to avoid that," said Ryan Horn, president of Bullhorn Communications and a Republican media strategist. In analyzing Federal Communications Commission filings for about a dozen TV stations across Nebraska, the World-Herald found that the Herbster campaign revised its buys at many of the stations Tuesday. At Omaha TV station KETV, for example, the campaign canceled spots planned for Wednesday-Saturday, which dropped a roughly $98,000 buy to about $42,000. The next day, it bought more than $7,000 worth of ad time for Thursday-Saturday. At KOLN in Lincoln, the campaign canceled Wednesday-Saturday spots, dropping a roughly $58,000 buy to about $23,000. Then, Wednesday, it bought just over $5,000 worth in ad time. A buy at Kearney-based KHGI-TV was revised and went from $15,000 to $6,000, then the campaign bought about $2,000 in ad time the next day. The World-Herald asked the campaign if money saved from such moves was shifted elsewhere, but Edwards did not give an answer. "Its an indication that it is a campaign that is making very quick changes, trying to find their footing, trying to change their message," Horn said. "Its not a campaign thats closing this campaign the way they would have liked to have planned, thats for sure." Tuesday, the Herbster campaign launched an ad aimed at GOP candidate and University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen, prominent Pillen supporter Gov. Pete Ricketts, and state Sen. Julie Slama, who has accused Herbster of touching her inappropriately at a 2019 political event. Herbster has maintained that the allegations from Slama and seven unidentified women, reported by The Nebraska Examiner, are a political hit job designed by Pillen and Ricketts. His new ad focuses on that. Medium Buying tweeted Tuesday about the Herbster campaign canceling ads for Wednesday through Saturday, and then the next day about the campaign going dark on broadcast and cable. (An employee with Medium Buying is listed as state Sen. Brett Lindstroms gubernatorial campaign's buyer on FCC filings.) What the pause indicates, political consultant Chris Peterson said, is a "good question." Peterson could think of only one other time it has happened in the last two decades. "The answer would have to be an error or a campaign reassessing how to deploy finite resources in the closing days of the campaign," he said. Herbster has largely self-funded his campaign, donating a total of $8.9 million from his own pocket through April 5, the last date included in the latest public report. Friday, Herbster, a Republican megadonor and Conklin Co. CEO, is scheduled to be a "special guest" at a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump in Greenwood. Herbster has described himself as the "host" of the event to the World-Herald. Edwards said he didnt know anything about the financing for the rally, but he said it had nothing to do with the wire-transfer issue. Sam Fischer, a retired Nebraska-based Republican political consultant who worked on 11 gubernatorial races in seven states, said a wiring issue at this point in the race "would be colossal malpractice." But he did say theres a scenario where the wiring issue is believable: If Herbster were unable to free up enough capital in time for a deadline. Fischer isnt working with any campaign, but he is supporting Lindstrom and has donated money to his campaign. Asked whether Herbster has enough money available to sustain the campaigns spending habits, Edwards rejected the idea that funding may be running low: "The campaign is fully funded through the end of the election," he said, adding, "Our message will be getting to Nebraskans loud and clear." Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on April 29 said that the work on the Regional Ring Road (RRR) around Hyderabad will commence in three months. He said that the northern part of the RRR has already been sanctioned by the Centre and a Detailed Project Report (DPR) is in the final stage of preparation. He further assured the Telangana government that the Centre will consider its request for sanctioning the southern part of the project. Gadkari was speaking at a programme in Hyderabad for laying foundation stone and dedication to the nation of 12 national highways and 7 Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) projects. The projects of a total length of 460 km are estimated to cost Rs 8,000 crore. The Union Minister praised the Telangana government for its offer to bear 50 percent cost of the acquisition of lands for the project. Also read: Now book bus tickets in Gurugram on Uber app, Metropolitan City Bus Services partners cab company He suggested to the state government to have planned cities, industrial clusters, logistic parks along the RRR and acquire lands for them. He pointed out that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is also developing logistic parks. The proposed RRR Ring Road will traverse around Hyderabad at an average distance of 40 km to 50 km and it will have a length of about 340 km. The overall cost of the project will be Rs 16,003 crore. Telanganas Roads and Buildings Minister Vemula Prashanth Reddy said land acquisition work for the 158-km long northern part will be expedited and completed during the current financial year. The southern part, which will be 182 km long, is yet to be notified as a National Highway by the Union Ministry. Gadkari described Hyderabad as a world-class city in the information technology sector and a growth engine for the country. He said a lot of development is happening around the city. Also read: Noida Extension Metro: Authority passes budget for Greater Noida West metro phase 1 He said if Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and $5 trillion economy is to be achieved, Telangana will also have to become a strong and prosperous state. He assured that by the end of 2024, the road infrastructure of Telangana will be at par with the US. He said from 2014 to 2024, a total amount of Rs 3 lakh crore would have been spent on national highway infrastructure in the state. Stating that 26 green express highways are being developed in the country, he said 5 of them will pass through Telangana. The Indore-Hyderabad highway, which is 787 km long and being developed at a cost of 17,000 crore, will pass through Telangana to a length of 136 km. Surat-Solapur-Kurnool-Chennai highway, being developed at a cost of 50,000 crore, will pass through Telangana to a length of 78 km. Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam highway is being developed at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore while Rs 12,000 crore will be spent on the Nagpur-Vijayawada highway. (With inputs from IANS) Live TV #mute FlyBig airlines on April 29 announced that it will start flights on the Shillong-Delhi route from May 2 onwards using its Q400 aircraft. The flights will operate twice a week, its statement mentioned, as reported by PTI. The flight will depart from Shillong at 9:20 am and arrive at Delhi at 12:25 pm, it noted. The return service will depart from Delhi at 12:55 pm and arrive at Shillong at 4:20pm, it said. flybig to Shillong for a refreshing break from the rising heat of Delhi. enjoy our direct flights from Delhi to Shillong . visit https://t.co/ghNTxHp31c and book now!#flybig #delhi #shillong #vacation #delhiheatwave pic.twitter.com/LAJKHerbEv flybig (@flybigairlines) April 29, 2022 To spread the word, airlines tweeted on Twitter about the same. "Flybig to Shillong for a refreshing break from the rising heat of Delhi. enjoy our direct flights from Delhi to Shillong . visit http://flybig.in and book now!" read the tweet. Also read: Thailand and Singapore rank as most popular international destinations this Eid Regional carrier Flybig airlines said it currently operates flights connecting 12 cities in the country. Live TV #mute A new incident of an electric vehicle catching fire has been reported in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district today (April 30). This is the first EV fire incident of Okinawa since the company has recalled its electric scooters due to battery related issues. Satish, a resident of Hosur in Krishnagiri district, bought the Okinawa electric scooter last year. Today, Satish started out for his office on his electric scooter. Soon, he found smoke emanating below the seat. Soon after he lifted the seat, he saw fire which later burnt his scooter. With the help of some locals, Satish put out the fire, however, the scooter got totally damaged. In recent times, electric two-wheelers going up in smoke have become frequent. Also read: Hero Electric makes zero dispatches in April; chip shortage hampers production A few days ago Okinawa recalled 3,215 Praise Pro scooters to address any battery-related issues. The batteries were to be inspected for loose connectors or other damage and serviced for free at any of the Okinawa licenced dealerships in India. The electric 2W maker is working closely with the dealer partners to ensure that the repair experience is as per the convenience of its customers, for which the vehicle owners will be contacted individually. This voluntary campaign is in the wake of the thermal incident that took place few weeks ago. As per the reports, the cause of the fire in these incidents is being investigated. Other electric two-wheeler maker like Ola, has also recalled several of their vehicles. (With inputs from IANS) Live TV #mute New Delhi: Model-actress Urvashi Rautela, was recently spotted heading for a private jet as she flew off to an undisclosed location looking simply sensational. She opted for a mini dress in an electric blue colour from the limited edition collection of the international brand CILVR, which was their Cilvrstudio's debut collection which was worth Rs 1.5 lakh. Urvashi chose a short shirt dress with full sleeves with white buttons attached to it along with pockets. She paired the dress with a black belt with a silver studded design on it as she rounded her waist. She skipped heels and opted for a comfy pair of Air Jordan yellow and white shoes worth Rs 48,000. Not only that, but she kept her makeup very subtle with a nude matte lip shade. She rounded off her entire look with a yellow mini with a Hermes Birkin Handbag whose price is a whopping amount worth Rs 28 lakh. The entire look of the actress costs a whopping Rs 30 lakh approximately. On the work front, Urvashi was last seen judging the Miss Universe Pageant 2021, and also bagged appreciation for her international song Versace Baby alongside Arab superstar Mohamed Ramadan. Urvashi is making her big Hollywood debut along with 365 Days star Michele Morrone. which will be produced by Netflix, Tomasz Mandes, and will be directed by 365 Days director Barbara Bialowas. Urvashi will be soon seen in Inspector Avinash opposite Randeep Hooda in the lead role. The actress is going to play the lead role in a William Shakespeare bilingual thriller Black Rose based on the Merchant of Venice, along with the Hindi remake of the superhit Thiruttu Payale 2. She will be making her Tamil debut with a multilingual film The Legend opposite Saravana and will also be seen opposite international superstar Jason Derulo in her next international music single. New Delhi: We all are aware that actors are busy with different shoots round the clock, leaving them with little time for themselves. Once in a while it so happens that actors have a moment of happiness which coincides with their reel and real life! A similar incident happened with Manoj Pahwa who stars in Disney+ Hotstars upcoming series Home Shanti. The veteran actor was pleasantly surprised with the turn of events. Manoh Pahwa shared, When we were shooting for Home Shanti, I was in the process of building my own home as well. There was a sequence wherein we talked about getting the plot cleared to start work, and on the other hand I had also purchased a small plot in Badlapur and the same work was ongoing. I was thinking that the same thing is happening with me, I have to visit the plot and get the Bhoomi Pujan done and all. So in a way, the same thing is happening with me for what we were shooting for Home Shanti. It was truly a happy moment. Hotstar Specials presents Home Shanti offers viewers a warm hug with its storyline surrounding the lovably chaotic lives of a comic Hindi newspaper columnist, Umesh Joshi, his stoic retired government school vice-principal wife, Sarla Joshi, and their 22 and 16-year-old children, Jigyasa Joshi and Naman Joshi. It traces the journey of this non-descript middle-class family of Dehradun, offering a heartfelt story that is generic, yet specific to all who one day aspire to build their own homes. Home Shanti is a joyful watch that explores the relationship between parents and siblings and how they strengthen in the face of adversaries. Penned by writers Akshay Asthana, Aakanksha Dua, Nidhi Bisht, Mayank Pandey, Nikhil Sachan and Saurabh Khanna. Produced by Posham Pa Pictures, the series will release on Disney+ Hotstar on 6th May. Hotstar Specials presents Home Shanti offers viewers a warm hug with its storyline surrounding the lovably chaotic lives of a comic Hindi newspaper columnist, Umesh Joshi, his stoic retired government school vice-principal wife, Sarla Joshi, and their 22 and 16-year-old children, Jigyasa Joshi and Naman Joshi. It traces the journey of this non-descript middle-class family of Dehradun, offering a heartfelt story that is generic, yet specific to all who one day aspire to build their own homes. Home Shanti is a joyful watch that explores the relationship between parents and siblings and how they strengthen the face of adversaries. Amid the Centre-state blame game for the coal shortage and power crisis in several parts of North India, Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) saying there was no coal shortage after Raghav Chadhas allegation and assured that there is no need for any panic, reported ANI. "AAP`s new leader (Raghav Chadha) is very close to the so-called super Chief Minister of Punjab (Bhagant Mann) and (AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal. This party has a habit of lying; they have never met me and they are saying that they have, taking my name and spreading lies," the Union Coal Minister told ANI. The response came after AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Friday slammed the Centre over the coal shortage in the country stating that over 16 states including Punjab have only one or two days of remaining coal supply left. "Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann went to meet union coal minister (Pralhad Joshi) in Delhi a few days ago; the latter assured of no coal shortage. Still, more than 16 states including Punjab, are seeing only 1-2 days of coal supply left. Centre has to fulfil its responsibility," Chadha told ANI Delhi power crisis Meanwhile, AAP led Delhi government on Thursday also expressed its concern over the possible shortage of coal in power plants that supply electricity to the national capital and had written a letter to the Central Government urging it to ensure adequate coal supply. As per the Delhi government, the Dadri-II power plant was only left with a day`s worth of stock and the Unchahar power plant had two days` worth of stock left. Centres response to Arvind Kejriwal Speaking further, Joshi said, "Id like to say, 11 units of Dadri and Unchahar power plants are running at full capacity and have a stock of 2.3 lakh tonnes (of coal), which is also replenished on a daily basis. The leader also added that the coal companies have around 73 million tonnes of coal stock at their end while the thermal power plants have coal stock of 21.5 million tonnes. No need to panic, says Centre Emphasising that there is "no need to panic", Joshi assured that the Central government is monitoring the situation. "Whatever stock we have left of 7-10 days all over the country, is being daily replenished," he said. The demand for power has risen in April due to heatwave and people in different parts of the country are facing power cuts. The problem has been accentuated by a steep rise in prices of imported coal due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and some power plants not operating to their full capacity. Jharkhand, Haryana, Bihar, Punjab, and Maharashtra are among the states seeing power outages. (With ANI inputs) Live TV Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police informed on Saturday morning that as many as 45,773 loudspeakers have been removed from various religious places across the state. In a conversation with ANI, Additional Director General of Police ( Law and Order) in Uttar Pradesh, Prashant Kumar said, "So far 45,773 loudspeakers have been removed from various religious places across the state while the sound level of 58,861 loudspeakers was reduced and brought down to the level of standard parameters." This news comes days after the Uttar Pradesh government ordered the removal of illegal loudspeakers from religious places. Prior to this announcement, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued directions for restricting the volume of loudspeakers at religious places, earlier this month. "The order to remove illegal loudspeakers from religious places in the state was issued on Saturday. A compliance report (from the districts) in this regard has been sought by April 30," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said. "The police have been directed to establish conversations with the religious leaders, and ensure the removal of the unauthorised loudspeakers by coordinating with them," said Awasthi. On April 13, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has given an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government and reiterated his demand that loudspeakers from mosques be removed. He has asked the government to act before May 3 failing which the government can face consequences, he said. Several leaders came out in support of MNS chief by saying that they will play Hanuman Chalisa instead of Azaan at mosques. Live TV Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said Gen M M Naravane, in his role as the Army Chief, contributed to strengthening India's defence capabilities and preparedness. The Defence Ministry said his tenure will be remembered for the "resolute reply" to the Northern adversary in Eastern Ladakh and for a determined push towards self-reliance in defence besides embracing niche and disruptive technologies to fight future wars. General Naravane retired from service on Saturday after an illustrious career spanning 42 years. General Manoj Pande took charge as the new Army Chief. "Had a wonderful meeting with the Army Chief, General MM Naravane, who is going to retire today after serving the nation for 42 years. His contributions as a military leader have strengthened India's defence capabilities and preparedness," the defence minister tweeted. "I wish him success in his future endeavours," he said. General Naravane called on President Ram Nath Kovind, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces. "His tenure in the office will be remembered for ensuring the health of Indian Army personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic, resolute reply to the Northern adversary in Eastern Ladakh, and a determined push towards Atmanirbharta, besides embracing niche and disruptive technologies to fight future wars," the defence ministry said. It said General Naravane gave impetus to military diplomacy, was instrumental in furthering good relations with India's partner nations, and enhanced the country's comprehensive national power. "His tenure saw the completion of the restructuring of Army HQ in New Delhi, resulting in a much more leaner and integrated decision-making body. "He was an enthusiastic supporter for theaterisation and was familiar with the challenges involved in creating synergies amongst the three services," the ministry said in a statement. It said Gen Naravane also pushed for the operationalization of integrated battle groups (IBGs). "General Naravane was a soldier's soldier and was concerned about the welfare of the troops. He visited the forward areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Eastern Ladakh and the Northeast number of times and actively pursued the cases for rapid construction of accommodation and habitats for the newly inducted troops in Eastern Ladakh, post-April 2020," the ministry said. The eastern Ladakh standoff began in May 2020. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, he was commissioned in the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980. He is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Higher Command Course, Mhow. Gen Naravane had taken charge as the Army Chief on December 31, 2019. Under his leadership, the Indian Army significantly enhanced its overall surveillance and preparedness along the Line of Actual Control with China following the eastern Ladakh standoff that began in May 2020. Gen Naravane was accorded a guard of honour at the South Block lawns before he demitted the office of the Chief of Army Staff. Kerrville, TX (78028) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 93F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. New Delhi: The Government of India launched the historic Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) on September 23, 2018. This was launched as the worlds most ambitious public health insurance (PHI) programme. The scheme was envisaged under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a focus to provide free access to health insurance to the low-income group in the country. True to its name, the scheme has been delivering value and promise of health to an ever-increasing section of the target group, which roughly comprises the bottom 50% of the country in the socio-economic pyramid. The scheme promises all eligible beneficiaries with cashless and paperless healthcare benefits of up to 5 lakh per family per year. As a result, it has empowered many disenfranchised sections of the society and has prevented them from falling prey to a vicious cycle of poverty and harassment by loan sharks for as basic a need as healthcare. Since its inception, the scheme has been consistently bringing both private and public health facilities within its coverage network. Until August 2021, the government had brought about 23,000 public and private empanelled hospitals within its ambit to provide health services to patients in 33 states and union territories of the country. As it stands, over 2 crore hospital admissions have been completed under this scheme, and about 25,000 crore worth of treatment has been dispensed. The dream of an Ayushman Bharat is being continuously achieved through the relentless contribution of state governments in bringing its eligible citizens under the ambit of the scheme. Some of the states have shown tremendous commitment to the central governments mandate by leading the tally in the verification and enrolment of eligible beneficiaries. According to the data released last year by the Union Health Ministry, Madhya Pradesh has led the tally with 24,791,352 crore registrations, followed by Tamil Nadu (24,727,508), Uttar Pradesh (14,189,874), Chhattisgarh (13,240,939), Karnataka (9,782,602), Jharkhand (8,992,890), and Gujarat (7,641,318). In terms of disbursing health benefits through authorised hospital admissions, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have been ahead of other states having provided a value of over 3800 crore and 3600 crore, respectively. Meanwhile, other states like Andhra Pradesh (3500+), Karnataka (1700+), Kerala (1900+), Chhattisgarh (1500+), Maharashtra (1200+) and Madhya Pradesh (1200+) have also contributed substantially to making the scheme a roaring success. We need to commit to continuously improving the public health services at the grassroots through innovative approaches. For instance, Madhya Pradesh Health Department has deployed an innovation by working on implementing an online facility to train Lok Seva Kendras (LSKs) and Mitra Kiosks (MKs) at empanelled hospitals to make the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY cards and increase enrolment, bringing more eligible beneficiaries under the ambit of the scheme. Madhya Pradesh has also received national accolades for its intent and execution to include left-out poor families within the ambit of Ayushman Bharat. In a coordinated effort with the state government, the State Health Agency (SHA) identified Sambal Yojana and the National Food Security Act to secure the list of poor families receiving the benefits under these schemes. These names were then included in the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 (SECC-2011) database through Samagra ID, which is a live database of citizens and has been used to verify left-out families to provide PM-JAY benefits. In the same direction, the central government also designed a slew of innovative incentives to promote state-of-the-art healthcare service delivery under AB-PMJAY. The public hospitals empanelled under AB-PMJAY are reimbursed for treatment provided under the scheme at par with the cost reimbursed to their private sector counterparts. These funds can be leveraged by such institutions to carry out infrastructural development and establish state-of-the-art facilities. The National Health Authority (NHA) had issued necessary guidelines and instructions to the SHAs and public hospitals to encourage this. In fact, many states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, among others have effectively used the funds allocated to public hospitals for infrastructure up-gradation and for providing better amenities to beneficiaries. The NHA has partnered with the Quality Council of India to develop a quality certification program for empanelled hospitals. AB-PMJAY quality certifications include Bronze, Silver, and Gold Quality certifications. The hospitals achieving PMJAY Gold, Silver and Bronze certifications are provided 15%, 10% and 5% higher package rates, respectively. In the last two years, healthcare facilities across the world have suffered a major setback under the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the limitations posed by the pandemic, India has successfully ploughed through this unprecedented time having shown a matchless example of tough political will both at the centre and especially at the state levels. During the pandemic, while there was a noticeable impact on the uptake of the scheme on account of factors such as restriction of mobility, restrictions on elective surgeries, reluctance from scheme beneficiaries to visit hospitals due to fear of infection and designation of public facilities as dedicated COVID centres, AB-PMJAY provided valuable support to the healthcare ecosystem by ensuring that beneficiary registration process was kept active and empanelled hospitals continued to provide services to the scheme beneficiaries. Today, as we observe the Ayushman Bharat Diwas, it is evident that the Ayushman Bharat scheme has shown deep commitment in its vision to promote health and wellness to the poor and also to provide insurance benefits to them. We are nearing the momentous day when PM Modis vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, in the area of health and wellness, will be achieved by an effective implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. (Disclaimer: This is a brand desk content) On the ongoing Navneet Rana Hanuman Chalisa controversy, Union Minister of State for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Friday attacked Uddhav Thackeray and said that the soul of Bal Thackeray, a staunch Hindu and founder of Shiv Sena would have been hurt over the arrest of someone who wanted to recite Hanuman Chalisa, reported PTI Of late, I have seen here that arrests were made for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa or taking the name of Lord Ram. The soul of Thackeray saheb (late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray) would have been hurt," Kumar told reporters in Pune. The statements came as a political controversy erupted in Maharashtra after Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana were arrested by Mumbai police after the couple had earlier announced their plan to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Uddhav Thackeray`s private residence `Matoshree` in Mumbai. Both were arrested over the charges of sedition on March 23. A Mumbai court earlier denied bail to the politician couple. Another bail hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday. Shiv Senas response Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said that his party is fighting against those who plan to divide the country by causing riots in the name of Hanuman Chalisa, and party founder, late Bal Thackeray, would have been happy with the party cadres for resisting such attempts. "We know what Hanuman is. Maharashtra is a worshipper of Lord Ram and Hanuman. You don't worry about Balasaheb Thackeray," the Sena leader added. The Rajya Sabha member also said Thackeray "may have shed a single drop of tear after the BJP betrayed the Shiv Sena". Shiv Sena blames BJP Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena has blamed the BJP for orchestrating communal unrest in the state by instigating the Rana couple to start the Hanuman Chalisa. Loudspeaker Row The Union Minister further urged the state governments to follow norms regarding loudspeakers adding that "people are facing several problems due to noise pollution." "Norms and rules are available to combat it. Loudspeakers should not be used late at night or early in the morning. If any state government is following the norms, then it is good," he said. The minister was making a reference to the Uttar Pradesh government`s data which claims that nearly 11,000 thousand loudspeakers have been removed from religious places and the volume of 35,221 has been lowered. The loudspeaker controversy began after the MNS chief and Uddhav Thackerays estranged cousin Raj Thackeray asked the state government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3 while warning that if the demand isn`t met, his party members will put loudspeakers to play `Hanuman Chalisa outside the mosques. Live TV Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday (April 30) accused the BJP of conspiring to divide Hindus in the state. Thackeray made the comments during his online address to Shiv Sena's district chiefs from the Konkan region, and from western and north Maharashtra, according to the points shared by the party from his speech. Without naming the BJP, Thackeray alleged that it was trying to paint Maharashtra as "anti-Hindu" as it allegedly did in the cases of West Bengal and Kerala - both non-BJP ruled states. The BJP has been targeting its erstwhile ally, the Shiv Sena, over the issue of Hindutva ever since the Thackeray-led party formed government in Maharashtra by joining hands with the NCP and the Congress. "We always say Maharashtra shows the direction. Now, Maharashtra should show the direction again. It is the BJP's conspiracy to divide Hindus and Marathis and non-Marathis in Maharashtra," Thackeray alleged. Interacting with media persons after Thackeray's address to the party leaders, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut told reporters here that the former laid emphasis on building the party organisation. Thackeray also made a pitch for retaliation if political attacks are made on the Shiv Sena, Raut said. "He (Thackeray) said we will need to unmask the pretentious elements. There is no challenge of duplicate Hindutvavadis before the Shiv Sena," Raut said. The Parliamentarian added that Thackeray also expressed his resolve to visit parts of Maharashtra in the near future. Live TV New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday (April 30) asked if the BJP is planning to dissolve the Gujarat Legislative Assembly and announce early polls. Kejriwal made these remarks on Twitter and wondered if this would be done because of AAPs fear. "Is the BJP going to dissolve the Gujarat Legislative Assembly and announce the Gujarat elections next week? So much fear of AAP?" tweeted the Delhi CM. ? ? Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 30, 2022 Later arriving in Gujarats Surat today, Arvind Kejriwal reiterated his claim. "Friendly matches used to be played between Congress-BJP. Now, AAP has come. They want AAP to not get much time so they're in mood for early polls. Sources say they might dissolve Assembly within 7-10 days and declare polls, Kejriwal was quoted as saying by ANI. The AAP supremo will jointly address 'Adivasi Sankalp Mahasammelan' with Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) chief Chhotu Vasava in Bharuch, on Sunday (May 1) in Surat. Gujarat | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal arrives in Surat He says, "Friendly matches used to be played b/w Congress-BJP. Now, AAP has come. They want AAP to not get much time so they're in mood for early polls. Sources say they might dissolve Assembly within 7-10 days & declare polls" pic.twitter.com/quKfaozyOy ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2022 After its landmark victory in Punjab, AAP is now seeking to expand its base in BJP-ruled Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, where elections are expected to be held later this year. Earlier in April, Delhi CM Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann had held a mega roadshow in Ahmedabad city seeking "one chance" for the AAP to rule the state. The leaders had also visited the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad as part of their two-day visit to the city. Last year, Kejriwal had said AAP will field candidates on all 182 Gujarat assembly seats. AAP had made an unsuccessful debut in Gujarat in the 2017 assembly polls. However, in the 2021 local bodies elections, AAP managed to bag 42 seats. (With agency inputs) BOI Recruitment 2022: The Bank of India (BOI) has released the official notification to invite applications to fill vacancies for the officers posts. Through this recruitment drive, the bank will be filling up 696 vacancies across the posts of Economist, Statistician, Risk Manager, Credit Analyst, Credit Officers, Technical, and IT Officer. Those who are interested can apply online for these posts online by visiting the official website of Bank of India- bankofindia.co.in and scroll down for more details. Bank of India Recruitment 2022: Important Dates Commencement of Application: April 26 Last Date to Apply: May 10 Date for Age/Qualification/Experience: Dec 1 Bank of India Recruitment 2022: Vacancies Economist: 2 posts Statistician: 2 posts Risk Manager: 2 posts Credit Analyst: 53 posts Credit Officers: 484 posts Tech Appraisal: 9 posts IT Officer - Data Centre: 42 posts Manager IT: 21 posts Senior Manager IT: 23 posts Manager IT (Data Centre): 6 posts Senior Manager IT (Data Centre): 6 posts Senior Manager (Network Security): 5 posts Senior Manager (Network Routing & Switching Specialists): 10 posts Manager (End Point Security): 3 posts Manager (Data Centre) - System Administrator Solaris/Unix: 6 posts Manager (Data Centre) - System Administrator Windows: 3 Posts Manager (Data Centre) - Cloud Virtualization: 3 Posts Manager (Data Centre) - Storage & Backup Technologies: 3 Posts Manager (Data Centre - Network Virtualization on SDN-Cisco ACI): 4 Posts Manager (Database Expert): 5 Post Manager (Technology Architect): 2 Posts Manager (Application Architect): 2 Posts Bank of India Recruitment 2022: How to apply Visit the official website of the Bank of India- bankofindia.co.in Go to the homepage, then click on careers Then click on the link Recruitment of Officers in various streams up to Scale IV- Project No. 2021-22/3 Notice dated 01.12.2021 Now, click on 'Apply Online' Now, click the tab Click here for New Registration' and enter your name, contact number and Email-Id A provisional registration number and password will be generated Now, fill in all the details and click on save and next Click on Validate your details and the Save & Next button Candidates can upload their photos and signature Click on COMPLETE REGISTRATION after rechecking the form and the uploaded documents. Now pay the application fees and submit Live TV New Delhi: The Uttarakhand government has not made a negative Covid-19 report or vaccination certificate mandatory for devotees embarking on the Char Dham Yatra beginning from May 3. The Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government has asked all the devotees to register on the states portal operated by the Tourism Department before their arrival, however, a Covid-19 test or vaccination certificate has not been made compulsory. On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary SS Sandhu with the concerned officers including the Uttarakhand police chief, secretaries of health and tourism departments, officials of the Mandir Samiti and the district magistrates on Friday night to set out clarity on whether Covid-19 tests of travelers and pilgrims coming from outside Uttarakhand will be required. Sandhu directed officials to ensure that the Char Dham Yatra is conducted smoothly. As per current guidelines in the state, it is not mandatory for passengers and devotees arriving from the state borders to undergo testing for coronavirus or present a vaccination certificate. Checking pilgrims coming from outside the state for a negative Covid report or vaccination certificate will not be mandatory till further orders, Sandhu said, as per PTI. He said this is done so that devotees do not face any inconvenience on arrival and to avoid crowding on the state's borders. Sandhu added that the situation will be continuously monitored at the government and administration level. Char Dham Yatra will begin on May 3 this year with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri temples, while Kedarnath will open on May 6 and Badrinath on May 8. It is expected that a high number of pilgrims will visit the Himalayan temples this year as the Covid-19 curbs have been lifted. Hotels and Dharamshalas located along the route to the Char Dham Yatra say they are fully booked in advance, PTI reported. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: With 3,688 new Covid-19 infections being reported in the last 24 hours, India's total tally of cases rose to 4,30,75,864, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday (April 30, 2022). The active caseload increased to 18,684. The country also reported 2,755 recoveries in a day. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,25,33,377, while the case fatality rate has been recorded at 1.22 per cent. COVID19 | 3,688 new cases in India today; Active caseload rises to 18,684 pic.twitter.com/9NB1foJONC ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2022 An increase of 883 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The ministry also informed that the active cases comprise 0.04 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.74 per cent. The daily positivity rate was recorded as 0.74 per cent and the weekly positivity rate as 0.66 per cent. The cumulative doses administered under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 188.89 crore on Saturday at 8 am. The last 24 hours saw a total of 4,96,640 Covid-19 tests being conducted in the country. Live TV Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Saturday said the state government will take care of the medical treatment cost of a 24-year old woman who was attacked with acid by her spurned lover earlier this week, and assured that the culprit won't be spared. The minister visited the victim, who is being treated in the ICU at St. John's Hospital, and spoke to her and expressed solidarity with her family. "The government will not spare the culprit who is responsible for such a heinous act...The government stands with them (victim and her family) and the treatment of the woman will be taken care of by the government," Sudhakar said. READ ALSO: Encourage local languages in court, it will boost confidence of common citizens: PM Narendra Modi Condemning the acid attack, he said, "This is an inhuman incident which is shameful and unbecoming for a civilised society, and cases like these must be trialled in fast-track courts and the culprits must be punished quickly. Only then, we can send a stern message to such anti-social elements and create a deterrent." A jilted man identified as 27-year-old Nagesh threw acid on the woman in Bengaluru on Thursday. Police have registered a case and according to them, he was dismayed when the victim turned down his proposal. Stating that the health department will extend all support for the treatment of the victim, Sudhakar said the woman has suffered 35 per cent burns and is being treated in the ICU. "Skin graft necessary for treatment will be sourced from the skin bank at BMCRI (Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute). I have decided to personally give Rs 5 lakh to the victim. Our government will ensure all support to the victim and her family, be it treatment, rehabilitation and securing the future of the girl," he said. Society needs to collectively think and act to ensure that such incidents are not repeated and work towards building a safe environment for women, the minister added. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant, who also met the victim, said an investigation is on and seven teams have gone to various places, including other states, to gather information about the culprit and will be successful in the efforts to nab him very soon. Live TV #mute New Delhi: Amid a widening rift with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) (PSPL) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav on Friday (April 29, 2022) did not rule out forming a front with jailed SP leader Azam Khan and said that a decision on this will be taken at the right time. When asked by a reporter about the chances of him and Khan forming a new morcha, Yadav said, "A decision on this will be taken at the right time... After he comes out of jail." Akhilesh's uncle added that he will discuss the matter with party leaders after Eid. Shivpal Yadav, however, reiterated that he was not joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He had earlier hit out at Akhilesh's remarks alluding to the former's apparent closeness to the ruling BJP and dared the SP chief to expel him from the legislature party. "Under his leadership, the Samajwadi Party's (SP) approach of launching a struggle for people's causes is nowhere to be seen today," he had said in an apparent dig at Akhilesh. Speaking in favour of Azam Khan, the PSPL chief said he is being harassed over "small cases". Shivpal, who visited Khan in Sitapur jail last Friday, also rued that the Samajwadi Party under the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav should have agitated in parliament on the Azam Khan issue. It is notable that Azam Khan's bail plea is expected to come up in the Supreme Court on May 2. The 10-time MLA from Rampur Sadar is in Sitapur jail for over the past two years in connection with multiple cases. "Had Mulayam Singh Yadav sat on a dharna in front of the Lok Sabha on the Azam Khan issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has tremendous respect for Neta Ji would have heard him out sympathetically," he claimed. (With agency inputs) The Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) members led by its president K Veeramani were detained by the police for attempting to tar the Hindi letters on the signboards at the Egmore railway station here on Saturday. The members, who came in a procession from DK's office nearby, to efface the Hindi letters during a protest against the imposition of Hindi were detained by the police before they could reach the railway station. They were later let off. Earlier, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan handed over tar and brush to Veeramani to mark the launch of the protest against the central government for allegedly thrusting Hindi through the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Speaking on the occasion, Veeramani claimed that the protest was only the beginning of a series of demonstrations against thrusting Hindi upon the state. "Our struggle will continue till we attain victory," he said. Live TV A body of the woman who went missing while kayaking on the Long Tom River has been found, according to a news release from the Benton County Sheriffs Office. On Friday, April 29, the family of Mariana Dukes, 23, recovered her body from the river, according to BCSO. The body was found about 75 yards downriver of a fish ladder in Lane County. Dukes was first reported missing along with her kayaking partner Joseph Bendix, 26, on Sunday, April 24 after the pair did not return from the river to Monroe City Park as planned. The two were from Eugene. Authorities located Bendix deceased on Monday, April 25. The two kayakers had launched their kayaks Saturday, April 23 near Ferguson Road, south of Monroe, according to BCSO. Deputies responded to a concerned family members call the next evening and began a search for the pair. The search involved multiple agencies as well as drones, boats, a K9 unit and more. Again Id like to thank all the agencies and volunteers for their help over the last five days, as well as private property owners who willingly allowed access to the river and their resources, Benton County Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall said in the news release. While were all processing this tragedy, we ask members of the media to allow the families space to grieve the loss of Mariana and Joseph. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 6 Angry 1 A journalist has filed a complaint against the Punjab Police officials for allegedly misbehaving with him during Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Manns joint press conference, reported IANS. According to the victim, journalist Naresh Vats, when he went to cover the press conference on April 26, he was stopped by security personnel at the entry gate and was harassed by the police officials. "I showed them my PIB (Press Information Bureau) card. But on the pretext of checking they took it and after a few minutes they told me that I was not a reporter and will not be allowed to enter the press conference room," Vats claimed. The man further alleged that when he asked the Punjab Police what was the criteria to define a reporter, they allegedly misbehaved with him. "One of them asked other cops to have me arrested. When I again opposed, they dragged me out of the room. In CCTV, it could be seen." The journalist has now requested the two Chief Ministers to take action against the accused Punjab Police officials. About the case, a senior police official said that they were looking into the matter. Meanwhile, an agreement on knowledge-sharing was signed on Tuesday between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Singh Mann, who said 117 schools and mohalla clinics will be developed in his state. Mann said education, health and power were a priority of his government and Punjab can learn from Delhi where a lot of work has been done in these fields. Delhi can also learn from Punjab about agriculture, he said. Kejriwal said India will progress if every state starts learning from the good work done by others. (With agency inputs) Live TV Mobile internet services have been temporarily suspended in Punjabs Patiala after two groups clashed during an anti-Khalistan march on Friday, announced the Department of Home Affairs, Government of Punjab. The internet services will remain affected in Patiala from 9:30 am to 9 pm on Saturday. This comes after a clash broke out between two groups in Punjabs Patiala on Friday which forced the police to fire in the air to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control. There were reports of stones being hurled during the incident. At least two people have been reportedly injured in the violence which took place near a temple while a march was being taken out by one of the groups. Soon after the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered heavy police deployment at the spot to maintain law and order situation and imposed a curfew in the city from 6 pm Friday to 7 am (Saturday.) Patiala Inspector General of Police Rakesh Agarwal told reporters in Patiala that the situation was now under control. Meanwhile, Patiala Deputy Commissioner told ANI that FIRs have been lodged against the accused. "FIRs have been lodged, raids are underway. We appeal to the public to maintain peace. From 9.30 am to 6 pm today mobile internet services will remain temporarily suspended as a step of abundant caution by the govt. One person has been arrested," ANI quoted Patiala Deputy Commissioner as saying. Bhagwant Mann transfers current Patiala IG, SSP On directions of Chief Minister Mr Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab government on Saturday transferred the Inspector General of Police (IG) Patiala range, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Patiala and Superintendent of Police (SP) with immediate effect. Divulging the details a spokesperson of the Chief Ministers Office said that Mr Mukhwinder Singh Chinna has been appointed as new IG Patiala, Mr Deepak Parik has been appointed as the new SSP of Patiala and Mr Wazir Singh has been appointed as the new SP of Patiala. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann termed the incident as deeply unfortunate and said he was in touch with the DGP of Punjab police. The incident of clashes in Patiala are deeply unfortunate. I spoke with the DGP, peace has been restored in the area. We are closely monitoring the situation and will not let anyone create disturbance in the State. Punjabs peace and harmony is of utmost importance. Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) April 29, 2022 "The incident of clashes in Patiala is deeply unfortunate. I have spoken to the DGP; peace has been restored in the area. We are closely monitoring the situation and will not let anyone create disturbance in the state," CM Mann said in a tweet. Live TV Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday described the Patiala violence as the outcome of "administrative incompetence and reckless political opportunism" of the AAP government in Punjab. Two groups had clashed over an anti-Khalistan march in Patiala on Friday, hurling stones at each other and brandishing swords, forcing the police to fire in the air to bring the situation under control. Hitting out at the AAP government over the incident, Badal said, "These are the direct outcome of the utter administrative incompetence and reckless political opportunism which have become the hallmarks of the present rulers in the state." "In just a few weeks, they have undone the fruits of the decades of sacrifices of Punjabis for peace and communal harmony, and have brought the state to the edge of a dangerous communal precipice. This is the direct outcome of the politics of confrontation and communal hatred that the AAP has been practising in Punjab in recent years," he said in a statement here. Earlier in the day, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the clashes were between two political parties and not two communities, as he blamed the Akali Dal and the BJP for the violence. "This was a clash between two political parties and not between two communities. In Punjab people live in peace. A probe is going on over who instigated the violent incidents. No one will be spared," he told reporters in New Delhi. Mann was in the national capital to attend a conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts. Terming the clashes a matter of grave concern, the SAD chief asked Mann to understand the gravity of the situation and shun the "politics of mindless sensationalism, cheap theatrics and address the issues of the state and its people with sober and responsible approach to governance". "The Punjab tragedy of the 1980s and 90s had been caused by the reckless opportunism of some non-Punjabi politicians trying to control Punjab from Delhi," he added. "You must be watchful that history does not repeat itself here," Badal said. He also asked AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal and his team to understand that a sensitive border state like Punjab cannot afford their "ambitious opportunism and adventurism". The SAD chief appealed to the people of the state to resist divisive ideologies and political opportunists. He, however, said his party would wholeheartedly and unhesitatingly welcome and support any meaningful initiative by Mann or his government for the restoration of Punjabi unity, peace and communal harmony. "Where peace and harmony are concerned, we are all in it together. Politics can wait," Badal said, and appealed to the chief minister to take every community, section and political party along for ensuring peace and harmony in the state. Friday's clashes took place outside a Kali Mata temple in Patiala when members of an outfit that calls itself Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) began a 'Khalistan Murdabad March'. Some Sikh activists, including Nihangs, took out another march against the Sena event. Four people were injured. Live TV New Delhi: As many states are hit by power cuts amid intense heatwave, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (April 30) targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking derisively who is to be blamed for the crisis. Taking to Twitter, the Congress MP asked Modi who he would blame for the current power crisis former PM Jawaharlal Nehru, state governments or the people of the country. In a tweet in Hindi, Gandhi asked, "The prime minister's promises and intentions have always been disconnected. Modi ji, who will you blame for your failure in this power crisis? Nehru ji or states or people?" The video is a compilation of recent news reports and past speeches of PM Modi on electricity, wherein in 2017 he can be heard claiming that there were no more headlines on power crisis or coal crisis. , ? ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/fNDMz6rMt1 Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 30, 2022 On Friday, the Wayanad MP had attacked the Modi government and said it should stop running the "bulldozer of hatred" and run power plants instead. "On April 20, 2022, I told the Modi government to stop running the bulldozer of hatred and start power plants in the country. Today, the coal and electricity crisis has created havoc in the entire country," Gandhi said in a Facebook post. Reacting to Gandhi's post, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi had called him a "fake astrologer". "Rahul Gandhi has become a fake astrologer these days. Instead of telling what is going to happen due to the shortage of coal in the country, he should tell the country how big a coal scam happened during his government and how much loss the country incurred due to this fraud," the union minister said in a Facebook post. The Congress on Friday had alleged that the central government was not providing logistical support for coal distribution to power plants, leading to power outages across the country. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday (April 30) raked up Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths old remark on Hanuman to hit out at the BJP. Amid the Hanuman Chalisa row in Maharashtra, Raut said the Shiv Sena is combating those who plan to "divide the country by causing riots" in the name of the Hindu deity, adding that party founder, late Bal Thackeray, would have been happy with the party cadres for putting up the fight. The Shiv Sena MP was referring to Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey's dig at the Maharashtra government over 'arresting people for reciting Hanuman Chalisa'. Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut said, "He (Choubey) need not worry about Balasaheb Thackeray. The Shiv Sena is fighting those who plan to divide this country by causing riots in the name of Hanuman Chalisa. Balasaheb Thackeray will shower us with flowers for doing so...He will be happy seeing us do this." Bringing up UP CM Yogi Adityanath's 2018 remark that Lord Hanuman was a "Dalit and a forest dweller", Raut said, "If people who make such statements are telling us about Hanuman Chalisa, then Choubey should read 'Yogi Chalisa'." "We know what Hanuman is. Maharashtra is a worshipper of Lord Ram and Hanuman. You don't worry about Balasaheb Thackeray," the Sena leader was quoted as saying by PTI. BJP leader and Union Minister Choubey had said in Pune on Friday, "Of late, I have seen here that arrests were made for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa or taking the name of Lord Ram. The soul of Thackeray saheb (late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray) would have been hurt." On Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's meeting with party leaders today, Raut said the former asked the leaders to give answers to "anti-social organisations and elements" who have "conspired to defame" the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra. "We observed restraint in some cases earlier since we are in power (in Maharashtra). But if water starts flowing above our head (if things are going out of control), then we will have to drown others in that water," the Rajya Sabha MP stated. Amravati MP Navneet Kaur Rana, her MLA-husband Ravi Rana, had announced that they would recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra CM's private residence 'Matoshree' in Mumbai last Saturday. The couple was later arrested and booked under sedition and other charges. (With PTI inputs) Earlier this year, schools across India reopened for physical classes as the country saw a significant decline in the Covid-19 cases. However, after coronavirus schools are now battling scorching summer as heatwaves have swept India. With increasing temperature, many states and UTs have declared summer vacations in schools to provide relief to the students. However many states are cutting the summer vacations short this year to compensate for the loss in education due to the Covid-19 lockdown. States which have announced the summer vacations Punjab: The Punjab government has declared summer vacation in all schools from May 14 in view of the severe heatwave scorching the state. In a tweet in Punjabi, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that considering the sudden intense heatwave and suggestions of thousands of parents and teachers, it has been decided to declare summer vacation in all schools of Punjab from May 14, reported PTI. Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh announced summer vacation from May 6. The 2022-23 academic year would commence with the re-opening of schools on July 4, said School Education Commissioner S Suresh Kumar. Puducherry: Students of classes 1 to 9 in the Union Territory will get summer vacations from April 30. Chhattisgarh: Education department in Chhattisgarh had announced the summer holidays in schools from April 24 to June 14. Karnataka: Summer vacations in the state of Karnataka will commence from April 10 to May 15. Odisha: Odisha government announced summer vacation for educational institutions in the state from June 6 to June 16. Odisha govt cut short the holidays by 35 days, this year. Uttar Pradesh: In Uttar Pradesh, schools have announced 51-day summer vacations from May 21. The holidays will continue till June 30. Maharashtra: The Maharashtra government issued a circular announcing summer vacations for students of Classes 1 to 9 from May 2 to June 12. Meanwhile, Northwest and central India experienced their hottest April in 122 years with average maximum temperatures reaching 35.9 and 37.78 degrees Celsius respectively, the weather office said on Saturday (April 30), reported PTI. According to a PTI report, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana - will continue to experience above-normal temperatures in May as well, said IMD. (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will embark on a three-day visit to West Bengal starting May 4 with an aim to strengthen the BJP in the state. On May 4, 5, and 6, Shah will attend party-related programs in West Bengal. Besides this, he will also attend a BSF program there. Shah`s visit holds importance as West Bengal BJP units need proper guidance about the working style of the party. West Bengal BJP Vice President Soumitra Khan, party Vice President Dilip Ghosh, and National Secretary Anupam Hazra have already appealed to the Central Government to give directions to strengthen the West Bengal BJP unit. West Bengal Vice President Soumitra Khan told ANI today, "Shah will be holding a meeting with party workers and senior party leaders in Kolkata on May 4 in which, he will give directions to strengthen the party`s organizational structure in the state and know about the status of West Bengal BJP unit at present." "Shah will also take feedback from workers in the meeting. Apart from meeting with workers in Siliguri on April 4, and Kolkata on April 5, Shah will also participate in BSF`s `Tin Bigha Corridor` program. Apart from this, North Bengal and South Bengal units of the party will hold important meetings with Amit Shah in both the places," he said. This is going to be Shah`s first visit to the state after the results of the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections poured in. Previously, many party leaders left BJP and joined TMC, including Mukul Roy, and Babul Supriyo to name a few. Apart from this, there is a need to strengthen the party ahead of the 2024 elections. Hence, Shah`s visit holds importance in the state. Soumitra Khan said that we have urged that there is a special need for the intervention by the Centre to strengthen the party at this time, otherwise the situation of the party can worsen. "I hope this visit of Amit Shah will give new life to the party and will infuse new energy," he added. New Delhi: Bihar Police Sub-Ordinate Services Commission (BPSSC) has released the Enforcement Sub-Inspector and Range Officer of Forest PET admit cards. Candidates can visit the official website at bpssc.bih.nic.in to download their admit cards. According to the official notification, Physical Eligibility Test (PET) for Range Officers of Forest and Enforcement Sub-Inspector posts will be held from May 13 to 16 and on May 12, respectively. Candidates can access their admit cards by entering their registration number/ interview roll number or mobile number and date of birth. BPSSC Admit Cards: How to download 1. Visit the official BPSSC website at bpssc.bih.nic.in. 2. Click on the Enforcement Sub Inspector or Range Officers of Forest admit card link on the homepage. 3. Login using credentials and submit. 4. Your BPSSC admit card will appear on the screen. 5. Download and take a printout for future reference. Direct link to BPSSC admit card of PET for the post of Range Officers of Forest HERE. Direct link to Admit card of PET for the post of Enforcement Sub Inspector HERE. New Delhi: NTPC Limited is looking to hire professionals for various Executive posts. Interested candidates can apply on the official website at careers.ntpc.co.in. The last day to submit the online application forms is May 13, 2022. The recruitment drive aims to fill a total of 15 vacancies in NTPC on a fixed term basis for 3 years. NTPC Recruitment 2022: Vacancy details Executive (Solar PV) 5 posts Executive (Data Analyst) 1 post Executive (Land Acquisition/Rehabilitation & Resettlement) 9 posts NTPC Recruitment 2022: Remunerations Executive (Solar PV) Rs 1,00,000 per month Executive (Data Analyst) Rs 1,00,000 per month Executive (LA/R&R) Rs 90,000 per month NTPC Recruitment 2022: Age limit Executive (Solar PV) 40 years upper age limit Executive (Data Analyst) 35 years upper age limit Executive (LA/R&R) 35 years upper age limit NTPC Recruitment 2022: Application fees Candidates from General/ EWS/OBC categories will have to pay a non-refundable registration fee of Rs 300. No fees are required to be paid by SC/ST/PwBD/XSM category and female candidates. NTPC Recruitment 2022: Selection process Candidates will be selected on the basis of Written Exam/Interview. For more details, read the official notification HERE. ALSO READ: BSF Recruitment 2022: Apply for several Group-B vacancies, check details here New Delhi: Losing a partner of 45 years was "difficult and painful", said Neetu Kapoor as she paid tributes to her late actor husband Rishi Kapoor on his second death anniversary. Rishi Kapoor died on April 30, 2020 at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. In an Instagram post on Saturday, Neetu Kapoor said following her husband's demise she found solace in work. "Today is two years since Rishi ji left us. loosing a partner of 45 years was difficult and painful at that time the only way to heal my heart was to keep myself mentally occupied. Movie and television helped me achieve that." "Rishiji will always be remembered and will stay in everyone's heart forever," she wrote alongside a video clip of a woman paying tribute to Rishi Kapoor on dance reality show 'Dance Deewane Juniors', where she features as one of the judges. Daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahini also shared a throwback photo of her with father Rishi Kapoor and simply captioned it as "Papa" with a heart emoji. Neetu Kapor will next be seen in Dharma Productions' "Jug Jug Jeeyo". The film, directed by Raj Mehta, also features actors Anil Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani. By Trend The EU will seek to increase oil imports from the Gulf countries, Nigeria, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, the New York Times says citing sources, Trend reports. As noted, this will happen against the backdrop of the expected decision of the EU to abandon Russian oil. "European Union countries are likely to approve a phased embargo on Russian oil as early as next week. The planned embargo, although gradual, is likely to affect world oil prices. The permanent representatives of the bloc will meet on Wednesday, May 4, and by the end of next week they will announce the final approval of the embargo," the edition says. As noted, the ban on oil imports from the Russian Federation will be the most significant measure in the sixth package of EU sanctions. Greater Albany Public Schools is offering several options this summer for students who are in need of credit recovery or are at risk of failure for the school year. Additionally, juniors and seniors can take free summer school courses at Linn-Benton Community College for high school or college credit, and students in grades 6-12 can attend various LBCC summer camps for free, according to information provided by the district. Here are the options GAPS is offering this summer: Surfs Up Summer Learning This free program is for students in grades 1-8 and will focus on math and literacy. It will run from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday-Thursday from July 11 to Aug. 4. Surfs Up Summer Learning will be located at Meadow Ridge Elementary School and Timber Ridge School. Lunch, transportation and learning materials will be supplied. Waves of Enrichment This program is the afternoon portion of Surfs Up Summer Learning, and students who attend the morning program will have priority enrollment for the afternoon program. The afternoon camp will have fun activities such as science experiments and arts and crafts. The program runs from noon until 4:30 p.m. after Surfs Up Summer Learning at Meadow Ridge and Timber Ridge. Space is limited, and registration will be decided by a lottery. Two-week recovery program All high schools are participating in this option for students to work with their teachers on assignments and improve their final grades. Albany Online also offers a credit recovery program, which will require a summer commitment from participants. Schools will contact the families of students who are in need of this type or program, but students can reach out to their home school offices for information about the program on their own if theyd like. Summer courses at LBCC Any junior or senior can take these free summer courses at LBCC, whether they are in need of credit recovery or not. Students may get high school or college credit through this program. Registration is first come, first serve, and all students must attend a virtual orientation to sign up for the classes. The virtual form is available at www.albany.k12.or.us/schools/summer-programs. Registration closes May 20. LBCC summer camps GAPS students in grades 6-12 are welcome to attend the more than 70 LBCC summer camps, both in-person and virtual, focusing on STEM, art, sports, technical career introductions and more. Camps are free until all funding is spent. Email getinvolved@linnbenton.edu with questions. Bridge camps This free program is for incoming sixth- and ninth-graders, as well as a similar program for kindergarteners. Students will learn about classroom expectations, building routines, bell schedules and more before the school year begins. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. Jump Start Kindergarten is at participating elementary schools from 9 a.m. until noon Aug. 8 through Aug. 11 and Aug. 15 through Aug. 18. Registration opens May 3 and will be available on the district website. The bridge program for incoming middle schoolers is tentatively planned for 8:30 a.m. until noon Aug. 8 through Aug. 11. Confirmed dates and times will be provided as the program nears. The bridge program for incoming high schoolers at South and West Albany high schools does not have a set time and date, and it will eventually be posted on each schools website. 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_. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 New Delhi: Elon Musk has lined up a new CEO for Twitter and informed banks that agreed to help fund his $44 billion takeover offer about his plans to monetize tweets, reveals a new report from Reuters. Musk has decided on who he will choose as the new CEO of Twitter, a source told Reuters, but the source did not name the person. Parag Agrawal, who took over as CEO when Jack Dorsey stepped down in November, is anticipated to stay on until the deal is finalised. According to Reuters, Musk told Twitter chairman Bret Taylor that he has no faith in the company's management, a stance he has expressed in SEC filings as well. According to the company's latest proxy filing, if the transaction closes and Musk hires new management, Agrawal will receive $38.7 million as a result of a stipulation in his contract. According to Reuters, Musk told banks that he intends to invent more ways to profit from tweets. He stated, for example, that he intends to develop a means to monetise tweets that become viral or include vital information. He also proposed charging a fee when third-party websites quote or embed verified users' tweets. According to the Washington Post, Musk also mentioned paying influencers to create content for the platform, which has proven to be a successful revenue model for TikTok. Musk is also thought to be intrigued by the concept of offering subscription services through the company. Musk indicated big changes to Twitter Blue, the social media giant's membership service, in deleted tweets from earlier this month. Twitter Blue is presently priced at $2.99 per month. Musk proposed lowering the price, adding a dogecoin payment option, and prohibiting advertising. Musk added in another now-deleted tweet that he wants to wean Twitter off its reliance on advertising for a large portion of its revenue. Musk had also warned the banks that in order to minimise costs, he may cut executive and board salaries at Twitter. According to Reuters, Musk claimed in his pitch to banks that Twitter's gross margin is substantially lower than other social media platforms like Facebook and Pinterest, and that there are methods to manage the firm more cost-effectively. The transaction, which was unanimously authorised by the board, is expected to finalise this year after shareholder and regulatory approvals, as well as "the satisfaction of other normal closing conditions," according to Twitter. According to a recent SEC filing, if Musk does not complete his acquisition of Twitter, he will be required to pay a $1 billion termination fee. Twitter would be required to pay the same price under certain conditions, according to the document, which details the terms of the agreement. Live TV #mute New Delhi: Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal sought to quell employee anger on Friday during a company-wide meeting where employees demanded answers to how managers planned to handle an anticipated mass exodus prompted by Elon Musk. The meeting comes after Musk, the Tesla chief executive who sealed a $44 billion deal to buy the social media company, repeatedly criticized Twitter`s content moderation practices and a top executive responsible for setting speech and safety policies. At the internal town hall meeting, which was heard by Reuters, executives said the company would monitor staff attrition daily, but it was too soon to tell how the buyout deal with Musk would affect staff retention. Musk has pitched lenders on slashing board and executive salaries but exact cost cuts remain unclear, according to sources familiar with the matter. One source said Musk would not make decisions on job cuts until he assumes ownership of Twitter. "I`m tired of hearing about shareholder value and fiduciary duty. What are your honest thoughts about the very high likelihood that many employees will not have jobs after the deal closes?" one Twitter employee asked Agrawal, in a question read aloud during the meeting. Agrawal answered that Twitter has always cared about its employees and would continue to do so. "I believe the future Twitter organization will continue to care about its impact on the world and its customers," he said. Executives said during the meeting that the employee attrition rate has not changed compared to the levels before the news of Musk`s interest in buying the company. In recent days, Musk has tweeted criticism of Twitter`s top lawyer, Vijaya Gadde, who is a Twitter veteran and widely-respected across Silicon Valley. Musk`s attack triggered a barrage of online harassment targeting her. Employees also told executives they feared Musk`s erratic behavior could destabilize Twitter`s business, and hurt it financially as the company prepares to address the advertising world in a presentation next week in New York City. "Do we have a strategy in the near-term on how to handle advertisers pulling investment," one employee asked. Sarah Personette, Twitter`s chief customer officer, said the company was working to communicate frequently with advertisers and reassure them "the way that we service our customers is not changing." After the meeting, a Twitter employee told Reuters there was little trust in what executives had to say. "The PR speak is not landing. They told us don`t leak and do a job you are proud of, but there is no clear incentive for employees to do this," the employee told Reuters, noting that compensation for non-executive staffers is now capped because of the deal. Agrawal is estimated to receive $42 million if he were terminated within 12 months of a change in control at the social media company, according to research firm Equilar. During the meeting, Agrawal urged staff to expect change in the future under new leadership, and acknowledged that the company could have performed better over the years. "Yes, we could have done things differently and better. I could have done things differently. I think about that a lot," he said. Twitter declined further comment. Live TV #mute A powerful explosion killed more than 50 worshippers after Friday prayers at a Kabul mosque, its leader said, the latest in a series of attacks on civilian targets in Afghanistan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The blast hit the Khalifa Sahib Mosque in the west of the capital in the early afternoon, said Besmullah Habib, deputy spokesman for the interior ministry, who said the official confirmed death toll was 10. The attack came as worshippers at the Sunni mosque gathered after Friday prayers for a congregation known as Zikr - an act of religious remembrance practised by some Muslims but seen as heretical by some hardline Sunni groups. Sayed Fazil Agha, the head of the mosque, said someone they believed was a suicide bomber joined them in the ceremony and detonated explosives. "Black smoke rose and spread everywhere, dead bodies were everywhere," he told Reuters, adding that his nephews were among the dead. "I myself survived, but lost my beloved ones." Resident Mohammad Sabir said he had seen wounded people being loaded into ambulances. "The blast was very loud, I thought my eardrums were cracked," he said. A health source said hospitals had received 66 dead bodies and 78 wounded people so far. The United States and the United Nations` mission to Afghanistan condemned the attack, with the latter saying it was part of an uptick in violence in recent weeks targeting minorities and adding that at least two U.N. staff members and their families were in the mosque at the time of the attack. "No words are strong enough to condemn this despicable act," said Mette Knudsen, the U.N. secretary general`s deputy special representative for Afghanistan. Emergency Hospital in downtown Kabul said it was treating 21 patients and two were dead on arrival. A worker at another hospital treating attack patients said it had received 49 patients and around five bodies. Ten of the patients were in critical condition, the source added, and almost 20 had been admitted to the burns unit. A spokesman for the ruling Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, released a statement condemning the blast and saying the perpetrators would be found and punished. It was not immediately clear who was responsible. Scores of Afghan civilians have been killed in recent weeks in blasts, some of which have been claimed by Islamic State. Emergency Hospital said it had treated more than 100 patients wounded in attacks in Kabul in April alone. The latest attack came on the last Friday in the month of Ramadan in which most Muslims fast, and before the religious holiday of Eid next week. The Taliban say they have secured the country since taking power in August and largely eliminated Islamic State`s local offshoot, but international officials and analysts say the risk of a resurgence in militancy remains. Many of the attacks have targeted the Shi`ite minority, however, Sunni mosques have also been attacked. Bombs exploded aboard two passenger vans carrying Shi`ite Muslims in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif on Thursday, killing at least nine people. Last Friday, a blast tore through a Sunni mosque during Friday prayers in the city of Kunduz, killing 33. Moscow: More than 1 million people have been evacuated from Ukraine into Russia since Feb. 24, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published early on Saturday. The 1.02 million includes 120,000 foreigners and people evacuated from Russian-backed breakaway regions of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People`s republics, which Russia recognised as independent just before launching its invasion. According to data from the United Nations, more than 5.4 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the invasion. Moscow calls it a "special operation" to demilitarise and "denazify" its neighbour. Ukraine and the West say Russia launched an unprovoked war of aggression. ALSO READ: Russia-Ukraine war updates: UK sends war crimes experts to Ukraine, Russian missiles hit Kyiv Lavrov, in comments to China`s official Xinhua news agency published on the Russian foreign ministry`s website, said 2.8 million people in Ukraine have asked to be evacuated into Russia. Ukraine has said that Moscow has forcefully deported thousands of people to Russia. Efforts to evacuate civilians from some front-line areas, including the besieged southern port of Mariupol, have repeatedly broken down, with each side blaming the other. Lavrov said that if the United States and NATO are "truly" interested in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, they should stop sending weapons to Kyiv. "By publicly expressing support for the Kyiv regime, the NATO countries are doing everything to prevent the ending of the operation through political agreements," Lavrov said. Live TV #mute New York: The United Nations has condemned a "deadly explosion" at a Sufi mosque in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, on Friday, which reportedly killed at least 10 people and injured over 15. The blast at the Khalifa Sahib mosque, located in the Darulaman area in the west of the city, is the latest in a series of attacks on civilian targets in the capital and provinces. The explosion tore through the mosque, damaging the roof, which caved in on worshippers, the UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) in the country said, citing initial reports. According to UN News, local hospitals reported far higher casualty figures, with dozens said to be killed and injured, including many children. A hospital ran by the non-governmental organization Emergency, alone received more than 20 victims, two of whom were dead on arrival, the UN News said. Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, issued a statement condemning the "heinous" attack. ALSO READ: Kabul Mosque blast kills over 50 people during Ramadan's Friday prayers: Report "Today`s blast, which comes on the last Friday of the holy week of Ramadan, is yet another painful blow to the people of Afghanistan who continue to be exposed to unremitting insecurity and violence," he said. The deadly explosion at a mosque in Kabul on Friday totally disregards human lives and religious sanctity, said @Metknu, the UN deputy special representative in Afghanistan.https://t.co/d8eA5EHm2U UN News (@UN_News_Centre) April 29, 2022 "It is unconscionable for civilians to be targeted indiscriminately as they go about their daily business, gathering for prayers, going to school or the market, or on their way to work," he added. On Thursday, at least nine people were killed, and 15 wounded, in separate blasts on two minibuses in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. Alakbarov reiterated that directing attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including mosques, is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law. Live TV #mute Inside a cavernous stone fortress in downtown Pittsburgh, attorney Robin Frank defends parents at one of their lowest points when they risk losing their children. The job is never easy, but in the past she knew what she was up against when squaring off against child protective services in family court. Now, she worries she's fighting something she can't see: an opaque algorithm whose statistical calculations help social workers decide which families should be investigated in the first place. "A lot of people don't know that it's even being used," Frank said. "Families should have the right to have all of the information in their file." From Los Angeles to Colorado and throughout Oregon, as child welfare agencies use or consider tools similar to the one in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, an Associated Press review has identified a number of concerns about the technology, including questions about its reliability and its potential to harden racial disparities in the child welfare system. Related issues have already torpedoed some jurisdictions' plans to use predictive models, such as the tool notably dropped by the state of Illinois. According to new research from a Carnegie Mellon University team obtained exclusively by AP, Allegheny's algorithm in its first years of operation showed a pattern of flagging a disproportionate number of Black children for a "mandatory" neglect investigation, when compared with white children. The independent researchers, who received data from the county, also found that social workers disagreed with the risk scores the algorithm produced about one-third of the time. County officials said that social workers can always override the tool, and called the research "hypothetical." Child welfare officials in Allegheny County, the cradle of Mister Rogers' TV neighborhood and the icon's child-centric innovations, say the cutting-edge tool which is capturing attention around the country uses data to support agency workers as they try to protect children from neglect. That nuanced term can include everything from inadequate housing to poor hygiene, but is a different category from physical or sexual abuse, which is investigated separately in Pennsylvania and is not subject to the algorithm. "Workers, whoever they are, shouldn't be asked to make, in a given year, 14, 15, 16,000 of these kinds of decisions with incredibly imperfect information," said Erin Dalton, director of the county's Department of Human Services and a pioneer in implementing the predictive child welfare algorithm. This story, supported by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, is part of an ongoing Associated Press series, "Tracked," that investigates the power and consequences of decisions driven by algorithms on people's everyday lives. Critics say it gives a program powered by data mostly collected about poor people an outsized role in deciding families' fates, and they warn against local officials' growing reliance on artificial intelligence tools. If the tool had acted on its own to screen in a comparable rate of calls, it would have recommended that two-thirds of Black children be investigated, compared with about half of all other children reported, according to another study published last month and co-authored by a researcher who audited the county's algorithm. Advocates worry that if similar tools are used in other child welfare systems with minimal or no human interventionakin to how algorithms have been used to make decisions in the criminal justice systemthey could reinforce existing racial disparities in the child welfare system. "It's not decreasing the impact among Black families," said Logan Stapleton, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University. "On the point of accuracy and disparity, (the county is) making strong statements that I think are misleading." Because family court hearings are closed to the public and the records are sealed, AP wasn't able to identify first-hand any families who the algorithm recommended be mandatorily investigated for child neglect, nor any cases that resulted in a child being sent to foster care. Families and their attorneys can never be sure of the algorithm's role in their lives either because they aren't allowed to know the scores. *** SAFER, FASTER Incidents of potential neglect are reported to Allegheny County's child protection hotline. The reports go through a screening process where the algorithm calculates the child's potential risk and assigns a score. Social workers then use their discretion to decide whether to investigate. The Allegheny Family Screening Tool is specifically designed to predict the risk that a child will be placed in foster care in the two years after they are investigated. Using a trove of detailed personal data collected from birth, Medicaid, substance abuse, mental health, jail and probation records, among other government data sets, the algorithm calculates a risk score of 1 to 20: The higher the number, the greater the risk. Given the high stakes skipping a report of neglect could end with a child's death but scrutinizing a family's life could set them up for separation the county and developers have suggested their tool can help "course correct" and make the agency's work more thorough and efficient by weeding out meritless reports so that social workers can focus on children who truly need protection. The developers have described using such tools as a moral imperative, saying child welfare officials should use whatever they have at their disposal to make sure children aren't neglected. "There are children in our communities who need protection," said Emily Putnam-Hornstein, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Social Work who helped develop the Allegheny tool, speaking at a virtual panel held by New York University in November. Dalton said algorithms and other predictive technologies also provide a scientific check on call center workers' personal biases because they see the risk score when deciding if the case merits an investigation. If the case is escalated, Dalton said the full investigation is carried out by a different social worker who probes in person, decides if the allegations are true and helps determine if the children should be placed in foster care. CMU researchers found that from August 2016 to May 2018, the tool calculated scores that suggested 32.5% of Black children reported as being neglected should be subject to a "mandatory" investigation, compared with 20.8% of white children. In addition, the county confirmed to the AP that for more than two years, a technical glitch in the tool sometimes presented social workers with the wrong scores, either underestimating or overestimating a child's risk. County officials said the problem has since been fixed. The county didn't challenge the CMU researchers' figures, but Dalton said the research paper represented a "hypothetical scenario that is so removed from the manner in which this tool has been implemented to support our workforce." The CMU research found no difference in the percentage of Black families investigated after the algorithm was adopted. The study found the workers were able to reduce this disparity produced by the algorithm. The county says that social workers are always in the loop and are ultimately responsible for deciding which families are investigated because they can override the algorithm, even if it flags a case for mandatory investigation. Dalton said the tool would never be used on its own in Allegheny, and doubted any county would allow for completely automated decision-making about families' lives. "Of course, they could do that," she said. "I think that they are less likely to, because it doesn't make any actual sense to do that." Despite what the county describes as safeguards, one former contractor for the child welfare agency says there is still cause for concern. "When you have technology designed by humans, the bias is going to show up in the algorithms," said Nico'Lee Biddle, who has worked for nearly a decade in child welfare, including as a family therapist and foster care placement specialist in Allegheny County. "If they designed a perfect tool, it really doesn't matter, because it's designed from very imperfect data systems." Biddle is a former foster care kid turned therapist, social worker and policy advocate. In 2020, she quit, largely due to her growing frustrations with the child welfare system. She also said officials dismissed her concerns when she asked why families were originally referred for investigation. "We could see the report and that decision, but we were never able to see the actual tool," she said. "I would be met with 'What does that have to do with now?'" In recent years, movements to reshape or dismantle child protective services have grown, as generations of dire foster care outcomes have been shown to be rooted in racism. In a memo last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cited racial disparities "at nearly every major decision-making point" of the child welfare system, an issue Aysha Schomburg, the associate commissioner of the U.S. Children's Bureau said leads more than half of all Black children nationwide to be investigated by social workers. "Over surveillance leads to mass family separation," Schomburg wrote in a recent blog post. With discussions about race and equity looming large in child welfare circles, Putnam-Hornstein last fall took part in a roundtable of experts convened by the conservative American Enterprise Institute and co-authored a paper that slammed advocates who believe child welfare systems are inherently racist. She said she collaborated with the group that suggested there are "racial disparities in the incidence of maltreatment" because she sees the need for reforms, and believes "that the adoption of algorithmic decision aids can help guard against subjectivity and bias." Some researchers worry that as other government agencies implement similar tools, the algorithms could be allowed to make some decisions on their own. "We know there are many other child welfare agencies that are looking into using risk assessment tools and their decisions about how much fully to automate really vary," said Stapleton. "Had Allegheny County used it as a fully automated tool, we would have seen a much higher racial disparity in the proportion of kids who are investigated." *** 'LAB RATS' A decade ago, the developers of Allegheny's tool Putnam-Hornstein and Rhema Vaithianathan, a professor of health economics at New Zealand's Auckland University of Technology began collaborating on a project to design a predictive risk model for New Zealand's child welfare system. Vaithianathan and colleagues prototyped a new child abuse screening model that proposed using national data to predict the risk that the child protection system would confirm allegations that a child had been mistreated by age 5. The plan was scrapped after documents revealed the Ministry of Social Development's head sharply opposed the project, declaring: "These are children, not lab rats." The minister wasn't the only one concerned. Emily Keddell, a professor of social work at Otago University in New Zealand who analyzed the tool in the peer-reviewed Critical Social Policy journal, found that it would likely have resulted in more Maori families being tagged for investigation, reinforcing "existing structural inequalities by contributing to the ongoing stigmatisation of this population." In response, Vaithianathan said that she and her collaborators are open to community criticism and committed to showing their work, even if jurisdictions decide against it. She added that she has worked extensively with Indigenous Maori researchers. "We encourage agencies to listen to those critical voices and to make leadership decisions themselves," she said. Vaithianathan and Putnam-Hornstein said they have since expanded their work to at least half a dozen cities and counties across the United States and have explored building tools in Chile and Australia. Brian Chor, a clinical psychologist and child welfare researcher at the University of Chicago's Chapin Hall, said the pair are respected for confronting ethical and racial concerns in creating the tool. He also said that Pittsburgh was the perfect place to create a model algorithm for other public welfare agencies. "Allegheny County is probably an early adopter where the stars seem to be aligned, where they have the data," Chor said. "They have a solid recipe that I think is replicable." In several public presentations and media interviews, Vaithianathan and Putnam-Hornstein said they want to use public data to help families in need. "We're researchers and we're trying to model what good, good approaches look like in this field," Vaithianathan said in an interview. The developers also noted in a document sent to Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services last year that demand for their tools had increased due to the pandemic, as the state weighed a proposal for a statewide tool that would cost $520,000 to develop and implement. Vaithianathan has said the tool ultimately can help address racial bias, and has pointed to a 2019 Stanford University evaluation commissioned by Allegheny County that suggests it may have had a modest impact on some disparities. "I've always felt that these are tools that have the opportunity to improve the quality of decision making," Vaithianathan said at a November panel. "To the extent that they are used with careful guardrails around them, I think they also offer an opportunity for us to try and address some of those systemic biases." But when AP asked county officials to address Carnegie Mellon's findings on the tool's pattern of flagging a disproportionate number of Black children for a "mandatory" child neglect investigation, Allegheny County questioned the researchers' methodology by saying they relied on old data. The researchers reran the analysis using newer data to address the county's concerns and reached many of the same conclusions. In response to AP, Allegheny County provided research that acknowledges the tool has not helped with combating disparities in the rates at which Black and white child neglect cases are investigated. A recent unpublished analysis written by the developers themselves determined "no statistically significant effect of the algorithm on this disparity." "We don't frame the entire decision-making process around race, though clearly it's an important thing that we think about," Dalton said. Dalton said her team wants to keep improving the tool and is considering new updates, including adding available private insurance data to capture more information about middle class and upper income families, as well as exploring other ways to avoid needless interventions. Dalton also downplayed the algorithm's role in neglect investigations. "If it goes into court, then there's attorneys on both sides and a judge," Dalton said. "They have evidence, right?" Chor disagreed, saying Allegheny's tool is applied at the most important point of the child welfare system. "The very front end of child protection decision-making is understandably the most impactful decision that you can make on a child's life, because once you come into contact with the hotline, with an investigator, then your chance of being removed, of course, is increased," Chor said. The latest version of the tool excludes information about whether a family has received welfare dollars or food stamps, data that was initially included in calculating risk scores. It also stopped predicting whether a child would be reported again to the county in the two years that followed. However, much of the current algorithm's design remains the same, according to American Civil Liberties Union researchers who have studied both versions. The county initially considered including race as a variable in its predictions about a family's relative risk but ultimately decided not to, according to a 2017 document. Critics say even if race is not measured outright, data from government programs used by many communities of color can be a proxy for race. In the document, the developers themselves urged continuing monitoring "with regard to racial disparities." "If over a million dollars have been spent creating and maintaining this tool, only for call screeners to disagree with it, for racial disparities to stay essentially level, and for screen-ins to continue at unreasonably high rates, is that the best use of Allegheny County's resources?" asked Kath Xu, an attorney at the ACLU. Child welfare agencies in at least 26 states and Washington, D.C., have considered using algorithmic tools, and at least 11 have deployed them, according to a recent ACLU white paper by Xu and colleagues. *** LITTLE TRANSPARENCY, GROWING INFLUENCE Family law attorney Frank says she's always worried about the lack of due process and secrecy surrounding Allegheny County's child welfare algorithm. Some of her clients have asked if the system was surveilling them because they used public assistance or community programs, but she can't answer. "I just don't understand why it's something that's kept in secret," Frank said. Once, Frank recalled, a judge demanded to know a family's score, but the county resisted, claiming it didn't want to influence the legal proceeding with the numbers spat out by the algorithm. Bruce Noel, who oversees call screeners using Allegheny's tool, said that while the risk score advises their decision on whether to launch an investigation, he is torn about sharing that information with families because of the tool's complexity. He added that he is cognizant of the racial disparities in the underlying data, and said his team didn't have much input into development. "Given that our data is drawn from public records and involvement with public systems, we know that our population is going to garner scores that are higher than other demographics, such as white middle class folks who don't have as much involvement with public systems," Noel said. Dalton said she personally doesn't support giving parents their score because she worries it could discourage people from seeking services when they need them. "I do think there are risks and I want the community to also be on board with the risks and benefits of transparency," Dalton said. Other counties using algorithms are taking a different approach. Larimer County, Colorado, home to Fort Collins, is now testing a tool modeled on Allegheny's and plans to share scores with families if it moves forward with the program. "It's their life and their history," said Thad Paul, a manager with the county's Child, Youth & Family Services. "We want to minimize the power differential that comes with being involved in child welfare we just really think it is unethical not to share the score with families." In the suburbs south of Denver, officials in Douglas County, Colorado, are using a similar tool and say they will share scores with families who request it. Oregon does not share risk score numbers from its statewide screening tool, which was first implemented in 2018 and inspired by Allegheny's algorithm. The Oregon Department of Human Services currently preparing to hire its eighth new child welfare director in six years explored at least four other algorithms while the agency was under scrutiny by a crisis oversight board ordered by the governor. It recently paused a pilot algorithm built to help decide when foster care children can be reunified with their families. Oregon also explored three other tools predictive models to assess a child's risk for death and severe injury, whether children should be placed in foster care and if so, where. For years, California explored data-driven approaches to the statewide child welfare system before abandoning a proposal to use a predictive risk modeling tool Putnam-Hornstein's team developed in 2019. The state's Department of Social Services spent $195,273 on a two-year grant to develop the concept. "During the project, the state also explored concerns about how the tool may impact racial equity. These findings resulted in the state ceasing exploration," department spokesman Scott Murray said in an email. Putnam-Hornstein's team is currently working with one of the nation's largest local child welfare systems in Los Angeles County as it pilots a related tool. The embattled agency is being audited following high-profile child deaths, and is currently seeking a new director after its previous one stepped down late last year. The "complex-risk algorithm" helps to isolate the highest-risk cases that are being investigated, according to the county's Department of Children and Family Services. So far, the experiment has been limited to the Belvedere, Lancaster, and Santa Fe Springs offices, the agency said. The tool also has allowed the agency to generate and review reports about cases involving Black children and families who were deemed low-risk, but were still investigated and didn't result in any conclusive or substantiated allegations, the county said. In the Mojave Desert city of Lancaster, U.S. Census shows 22% of the city's child population is Black. In the first few months that social workers started using the tool, county data shows that Black children were the subject of nearly half of all the investigations flagged for additional scrutiny. The county did not immediately say why, but said it will decide whether to expand the tool later this year. Back in Pittsburgh, family law attorney Frank is still trying to untangle how, exactly, the county's algorithm is impacting each client she shepherds through the system. To find strength on the brutal days, she keeps a birthday calendar for the children she's helped and sends them handwritten cards to remember times when things went right. She's still haunted by a case in which she says she heard a social worker discuss a mother's risk score in court around 2018. The case ultimately escalated to foster care, but Frank has never been able to understand how that number influenced the family's outcome. County officials said they could not imagine how a risk score could end up in court. "There's no way to prove it that's the problem," Frank said. *** Associated Press reporter Camille Fassett contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Your morning rundown of the latest news from overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. An expat goes shopping on Book Street in HCMCs District 1. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran The monthly incomes of foreign experts ranged between US$8,500 and $34,000 last quarter, according to a recent report by recruitment firm Navigos Search. The report said enterprises operating in Vietnam "pay very high salaries" to attract foreign candidates. Navigos Search said some sectors like garment, tourism and hospitality have high demand for foreign personnel due to a shortage of local expertise. The garment industry, for instance, lacks Vietnamese talent for jobs requiring high levels of expertise like pattern development, innovation and quality control, while candidates from Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan are interested to work in Vietnam due to competitive salaries and opportunities to work abroad. The resumption of international flights last month has fast-tracked recovery of the tourism and hospitality sectors, driving demand for senior managers, Navigos Search added. The previously reported highest salaries in Vietnam were VND400-600 million ($17,520-26,275) paid to HCMC-based general managers in the healthcare sector with more than five years experience, according to headhunting agency Adecco Vietnam. HCMC ranked sixth among top cities for expats to live and work last year in a survey by InterNations, with 75 percent of respondents saying their income was more than enough to cover expenses, and 77 percent satisfied with their financial situation. By Trend Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) delivered cargo to the Baku Hovsan International Sea Trade Port via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) for the first time, the ASCO told Trend. The cargo has been brought to the port by the 'Maestro Niyazi' vessel, which is part of the shipping company's fleet. "The cargo ship arriving from the Kazakh Aktau port transshipped 140 20-foot containers to the Port of Hovsan. The container ship is currently being unloaded at the port," said the statement. Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio (center) is seen at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, April 30, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy Japans Prime Minister Kishida Fumio arrived in Hanoi Saturday to begin his two-day official Vietnam visit. The visit comes five months after Kishida became PM. He is also the secretary general of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Union. Vietnam and Japan, who established diplomatic ties in 1973, have an extensive strategic partnership since 2014. Japan is Vietnams biggest official development assistance provider, the third biggest inbound tourism market and the fourth largest trade partner. Bilateral trade last year was worth US$42.7 billion, and Japan has invested $64.4 billion in Vietnam, third behind only South Korea and Singapore. Vietnamese is the biggest foreign group in Japan with over 450,000 people living in 47 localities, mostly in Aichi, Tokyo, Osaka, Saitama, Chiba and Fukuoka. Over 51,000 Vietnamese students are studying in. Japan, the second biggest student group there. Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Japan in November last year and was the first foreign leader that Kishida welcomed after taking office. Fuel supply not to be hit even if Nghi Son output remains low: ministry A staff pumps gasoline into a car at a station in Hanoi on March 10, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Pham Chieu There will be no shortage of gasoline even if the giant Nghi Son refinery works at below full capacity, with imports filling any possible gap, the government has assured. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai said Friday his ministry has instructed 10 fuel distributors to increase their its imports by 2.4 million cubic meters in the second quarter to ensure demand is fully met. Nghi Son, one of Vietnams two refineries and which accounts for 35-40 percent of domestic demand, has not announced its output schedule for the third and last quarters, and the ministry has asked for it by early May, he said. The refinery in the central province of Thanh Hoa started to cut production in February due to a cash crunch and has not resumed normal operations since, causing shortages in several localities. Gasoline prices have risen by 20.2 percent since the beginning of the year. But the ministry said it has used the stabilization fund to keep them lower than global rates. The environment tax on fuel was cut by VND2,000 ($0.09) per liter on April 1. The ministry and the Ministry of Finance are studying the possibility of lowering more fuel taxes. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed his readiness to speak with Russian representatives on humanitarian, tactical and strategic issues, although he acknowledged that this dialogue is hindered by what the Russians "leave behind." "I have to hold on to trying to negotiate My heart and soul is with my people, but if there is one chance, we must speak," he said in an interview with Polish journalists on Friday. In particular, according to Zelensky, now "through the UN we will try to unblock Mariupol and take people away." "Tactical solutions unblocking, supply of water, medicines, nuclear power plant. It is not certain that it will work. Need to try. And strategic agreements, if they are possible in principle," the president said. He explained the desirability of a meeting with the Russian president by the fact that in Russia everything "is decided by one person." At the same time, Zelensky said, "the risks that the conversations will be closed are high. Because of what they leave behind. It seems that they [the Russians] have a manual on murders." The president of Ukraine said after what people saw after the occupation in different areas, they just want to kill. After Bucha, Mariupol, people want to kill them. When such an attitude, it is difficult to talk about something. Govt must fulfill task of providing fuel, no matter how difficult it is Zelensky The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine must fulfill the task of providing fuel, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in a traditional video statement on Friday evening. "Members of the government promise that within a week, a maximum of two, a systemic supply of fuel to Ukraine will be provided. Such a system that can prevent shortages," he said. "The occupiers purposefully destroy the infrastructure for the production, supply and storage of fuel. Russia has also blocked our ports. Therefore, there are no lightning-fast solutions to replenish the deficit," Zelensky said. According to him, "after the Russian missile attack on Kremenchuh refinery, this is indeed a difficult task, but members of the Cabinet of Ministers, together with fuel suppliers, together with traders, must complete this task, no matter how difficult it may be. I am sure they will do it." Ukraine is counting on the International Tribunal for Russian war criminals, but there are many Ukrainians who will look for Russian soldiers themselves, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes. "We know that the tribunal is long, but we know for sure the history of fascism, Nazism, we know the history of Israel and Yugoslavia. We know that these steps are long, and people will not have enough patience, and sometimes it happens that family life is not enough... We will insist on an international tribunal. If there are people, there will be sentences. It is a matter of time," Zelensky said in an interview with Polish media in Kyiv. According to the head of state, after all the war crimes committed by the Russian army, there are many Ukrainians who will independently look for instigators for "revenge, just revenge." "I know that in our society there are people who will look for all of them. I know. And there is nothing you can do. there are a lot of such people in Ukraine. As our people fought, they have already proved that there are many of them. Therefore, someone will wait for the international court, and someone will wait, as they say, for the night," he said. At the same time, Zelensky said "one revenge will still be forgotten, but there must be historical justice." "[People] should not say that we will not wait for anything [tribunal] and we will take revenge. It will not work out like that, because there must be justice in history. One murder or one revenge they will be forgotten anyway. But historically when the international community, a court, a tribunal pass judgment on people, the military-political leadership of an invading state, this is very important. Sometimes, excuse me, this is more important than revenge," he said. "Since historically no one will forgive this, it should remain in books. It should be passed on to generations so that such things do not happen again. Because it should be offensive to the people and the state that took part in this. Even to subsequent generations. Like with Germany. They feel it. Modern Germans, of course, have nothing to do with it, we understand this, but they still feel that they are related to this historical responsibility. This is important," the president said. Rosatom trying to take full control of Zaporizhia NPP seized by Russia IAEA The state concern Rosatom has sent a group of eight nuclear experts to Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in an attempt to take control of the plant, the International Nuclear Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a daily update, citing Ukraine's nuclear regulator. "Rosenergoatom a unit of Russian state nuclear company Rosatom had sent a group of nuclear specialists to the Zaporizhia NPP, naming eight. It said they demanded daily reports from plant management about 'confidential issues' on the functioning of the NPP," the IAEA's Ukraine said on the Daily Update on Friday. According to the Daily Update, the reports cover aspects related to administration and control, maintenance and repair, security and access control, as well as the management of nuclear fuel, spent fuel and radioactive waste. The IAEA said that, according to the Ukrainian side, the personnel of Zaporizhia NPP "are working under unbelievable pressure." Russian invaders shelled 12 settlements in Donetsk region on Friday, among civilians there are killed and wounded, one dead and several wounded children are known, the National Police of Ukraine said in the Telegram channel on Saturday. "As a result of Russian strikes, at least 36 civilian objects were destroyed residential buildings, a hospital, a school, an industrial workshop, and railway infrastructure," the police said. Air strikes, Hailstone multiple launch missile systems, tanks, heavy artillery were launched against the cities of Mariupol, Lyman, Avdiyivka, Siversk, Mykolaivka, Velyka Novosilka, the villages of Pryvillia, Soloviove, Novoselivka and others. The police opened criminal proceedings under Article 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The world community should use all possible means to force Russia to allow the evacuation of people from the city of Mariupol in Donetsk region, boxer Volodymyr Klitschko, brother of Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, said. "It is vitally important for thousands of Mariupol residents that the world community by all possible means force Russia to give not even a green, but I would say a 'corridor of life' for all the people who are now at Azovstal. Wounded, exhausted, without food, medicine and water. For many of them, it is a matter of hours... Such a corridor has been promised for a long time, but so far this has not happened," Klitschko said in an interview with the French channel BFMTV. According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to intimidate representatives of the civilized world, as evidenced, in particular, by the shelling of the Ukrainian capital at a time when UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was in Kyiv. "Yesterday's shelling of Kyiv, while the UN Secretary General was in the city, indicates that Putin's army wants to intimidate representatives of the civilized world so that they do not travel to Ukraine, to Kyiv. Therefore, attacks on the capital continue. Again killed, again wounded" Klitschko said. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday appealed for $514 million to support its continued response to the humanitarian needs of war-affected people in Ukraine and neighboring countries. According to the IOM, since the start of the war, over 7.7 million people have become internally displaced persons in Ukraine, while over 5 million refugees, and at least 233,000 third-country nationals, have sought safety across the border in neighboring countries. "Humanitarian needs in the region continue to rise, with affected population requiring critical support The IOM Flash Appeal aims to reach over 10 million people; eight million in Ukraine and two million people who have fled the country. Persons targeted for assistance include internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, third-country nationals, and vulnerable populations including women, children, elderly people and those with disabilities," the organization said on its website. The Organization will continue to support national and local governments, as well as non-governmental and civil society partners, across a variety of sectors. A key component of the response will be to enhance capacities to manage collective informal shelters, accommodation centres, reception and transit sites in a safe and dignified manner. IOM will also provide temporary shelter and non-food items to those in need. "Faced with mounting health needs, IOM will continue to improve access to healthcare In addition, IOM is working to improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene infrastructure and service provision The Organization's established supply chain in the region will continue to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to populations in hard-to-access areas," IOM said. By Trend The ARTIM Project Space has hosted the opening of the Ad Infinitum (lat. to infinity or forevermore) solo exhibition by Erkin Alakbarli, a member of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan, organized by YARAT Contemporary Art Space, Trend reports. 30-year-old Erkin Alakbarli graduated from the Faculty of Painting of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts in 2014 with a bachelor's degree and in 2016 with a master's degree. The young artist works in the field of painting, graphics, installation. He has participated in the various group exhibitions such as The City of the Sun (ARTIM Project Space, 2021); Fogs turned into epic story in my head (YARAT Centre, 2020); "Neither War, Nor Peace" (ARTIM Project Space, 2017), etc. Ad infinitum exhibition is a result of the artist's inwardly emotional and spiritual journey. It's similar to a personal confession and is full of interconnected narratives, complex feelings, inmost experiences, and close observations, as the artist intends to refer to a reoccurring inner battle in the 'minefield' of life. These artistic observations of various fragments of human fates resulted in the creation of a series of paintings in which the artist expresses his contemplations and pursuits on the Janus-faced topics of life and death, remorse and guilt, memory and nostalgia, fate, vulnerability, unrealized and tense feelings, expectations, suspicions, and many other topics. The solo exhibition is influenced by the famous Chilean poet Pablo Nerudas poems, which set the tone for the whole atmosphere and the rather poetical approach of the artist. Site-specific installations and paintings, specially commissioned by YARAT, as well as a video installation, which is a new experiment for the artist, are inspired by extreme melancholy and an irrepressible desire for the knowledge of being and love. Despite the promises of a fatalistic vision and melancholy, the artist's works do not give the impression of hopelessness, but rather are a reflection in connection with all the initial feelings experienced again, so that they begin to live a new life. Continuing the "marine" motif, often found in Neruda's poetry, the artist sings of the highest form of spiritual activity, love. The exhibition will be held until June 26 at the ARTIM Project Space (5, Kichik Gala str., Icheri Sheher). American instructors are training the Ukrainian military in Germany and other European countries as part of providing assistance to the Ukrainian army, Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing on Friday. "This new training effort in Germany and at other locations in Europe is in direct support of recent U.S. security assistance packages that are designed to help Ukraine," he said. At the same time, he said the United States does not plan to conduct such training on the territory of Ukraine. "The training that we'll do will be outside of Ukraine. We are exploring, on some of these systems, the possibility of doing virtual training, so where the trainers would be obviously outside Ukraine but able to communicate with Ukrainian troops inside Ukraine virtually," Kirby said. According to Kirby, "Since 2021, the United States has committed more than $4.3 billion in security assistance to support Ukraine's Armed Forces." Both chambers of the Canadian Parliament unanimously recognized Russia's military actions in Ukraine as genocide, Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk has said. "I thank the deputies of California State Senate and the speaker George Furey for recognizing the act of genocide against the Ukrainian people. The Senate of Canada has unanimously passed a resolution identical to that of the House of Commons of Canada. We feel the strong support of Canada and we are moving towards victory together!" Stefanchuk said on Facebook on Friday. On Wednesday, a similar decision was made by the House of Commons of the Parliament of Canada. "By unanimous consent, the House of Commons adopted a motion concerning acts of genocide against the Ukrainian people," the House of Commons said onTwitter. The website of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) said the initiative was introduced by New Democratic MP Heather McPherson. The petition states that the killing of civilians in Ukraine, the desecration of corpses, the forcible removal of Ukrainian children to the territory of Russia, as well as torture and rape committed by Russian soldiers, are genocide. After the vote, McPherson said she filed the proposal as a way to push the Liberal government to take stronger action against Russia. "Sanctions have been implemented too slowly, they have been implemented very, very late, they have given an opportunity for Russian oligarchs to hide their wealth so they have not been appropriate," she said. McPherson also said she wants the International Criminal Court to receive more federal funding needed to conduct investigations into atrocities in Ukraine. "From my perspective as a parliamentarian in the House of Commons, this is a tool to urge our government to do more. This is a tool to say that the conflict in Ukraine is not over, that the support we've been providing has not been enough and we need to do more for the people of Ukraine," she said. French President Emmanuel Macron, during a telephone conversation on Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, promised to intensify the provision of military and humanitarian assistance to Kyiv, BFMTV channel said, citing sources. According to the channel, Macron "promised to increase support for Ukraine by transferring weapons and humanitarian aid." Zelensky, Macron discuss defense cooperation, interaction on path of Ukraine's membership in the EU President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed defense cooperation, interaction on the path of Ukraine's membership in the EU. "Grateful for French humanitarian aid, readiness to treat Ukrainian defenders, decision to continue the work of mission to assist in the investigation of Russia's crimes," Zelensky said on Twitter on Saturda Ihor Zhdanov, Information Defence Project , Open Policy Foundation Informational Defence of Ukraine provides a daily review of the military-political situation in Ukraine as of the past day of April 29th, based on an analysis of open sources. 1. The Armed Forces of Ukraine heroically restrain the enemy's attacks in the decisive battle for the Donbas. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, russians continue to conduct offensive operations in eastern Ukraine in order to establish full control over the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and maintain the land corridor with the temporarily occupied Crimea. In the Donetsk and Tavriia directions, enemy units are trying to launch an offensive attack in the Lymanskyi, Severodonetskyi, and Popasnyanskyi directions. The enemy continues to establish full control over the settlements of Rubizhne and Popasna and prepares to advance on the Severodonetsk direction. In the Mariupol direction, the enemy continued to launch air strikes on Mariupol. The enemies focused their main efforts on blocking the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the Azovstal plant, and transferred some units from Mariupol to the Kurakhiv direction. In the Slobozhanskyi direction, the enemy group of the 6th General Army, the coastal troops of the Baltic and Northern Fleets is focusing on maintaining positions in the area north and southeast of Kharkiv, trying to deploy additional artillery units. The Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated the village of Ruska Lozova in the Kharkiv region from the russian occupiers. This is a strategically important settlement located on the Kharkiv-Belgorod highway. It is from this suburban area that the enemy fired at the civilian infrastructure and housing estates of Kharkiv. In the Izium direction, the enemy is operating with units of the 1st Panzer Army, the 20th Military Army of the Western Military District, the 35th Military Army, the 68th Army Corps of the Eastern Military District and the Airborne Troops. The enemy's main efforts are focused on conducting reconnaissance and inflicting fire damage on units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the Pivdennyi Buh and Bessarabian directions, the enemy is trying to fight with its available forces in order to improve its tactical position. It continues to regroup, increasing systems of fire damage and improving the engineering equipment of its positions. The total combat losses of the enemy from February 24 to April 28 were: combatants - approximately 23,000 (+200) people were eliminated, tanks - 986 (+16) units, armoured combat vehicles - 2418 (+29) units, artillery systems - 435 +4) units, MLRS - 151 (+0) units, air defence means - 73 (+1) units, aircraft - 189 (+2) units, helicopters - 155 (+0) units, automotive equipment - 1695 (+7) units, ships / boats - 8 (+0) units, fuel tanks - 76 (+0), UAVs of operational and tactical level - 229 (+14), special equipment - 31 (+0), launchers TBM / BRBM (tactical ballistic missile / battlefield range ballistic missile) - 4 (+0). The greatest losses of the enemy of the past day were observed in the Izium direction. russia has fired 1,300 missiles at Ukraine during the war, costing the aggressor at least $7.5 billion. 2. Information summaries, reviews and assessments of foreign, Ukrainian intelligence and think tanks. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, in the captured village of Kyselivka in the Kherson region, a shootout took place between russian soldiers of Buryat and Chechen origin. More than 50 participants from each side took part in the night incident. The exact number of wounded and dead is currently unknown. The causes of the interethnic conflict are the reluctance of the Buryats to conduct offensive hostilities and the "inequality" of their conditions compared to the Chechens. 3. The shelling of Kyiv during the visit of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Because of a russian missile strike on the evening of April 28th in a residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv, 10 people were injured. The body of the dead person, Radio Svoboda journalist Vira Hyrych, was found under the rubble of the house. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is shocked that russia has launched a missile strike on Kyiv while in the Ukrainian capital. European Minister of Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said he was shocked and astonished by the evening shelling of Kyiv by russian troops, when UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov were visiting the capital of Ukraine. 4. The russian occupiers are violating international humanitarian law and committing mass genocide of Ukrainians. International and national investigation into the mass genocide of the russian occupiers against Ukrainians. The UK will send a team of war crimes experts to Ukraine to help with evidence documentation and investigations. russian aggressors kill Ukrainian children. The officially confirmed number of Ukrainian children killed in the war has risen to 219, and the number of wounded reached 398 people as a result of documenting crimes committed by the russian army. The most affected children were in the Donetsk region - 139, the Kyiv region - 115, the Kharkiv region - 95, the Chernihiv region - 68, the Kherson region - 44, the Mykolaiiv region - 43, the Luhansk region - 37, the Zaporizhzhia region - 27, the Sumy region - 17, Kyiv City - 16, the Zhytomyr region - 15. In Krasne, in the Chernihiv district,the Chernihiv region, in the first week of March on the highway near the village, a car exploded on a mine, children aged 2 and 14 were killed. A 10-year-old boy was injured during an artillery shelling by the occupiers of the Romanivskyi Bridge in Irpin. On April 28th, as a result of shelling by enemy troops, a 10-year-old girl was injured in the village Tsyrkuny of the Kharkiv district of the Kharkiv region. On April 28th, four adults and one child were injured in the shelling of Zaporizhzhia. russian occupiers kill and abduct civilians, hold them hostage and torture them. As of April 27th, 243 crimes against journalists and media were registered in the 16 regions of Ukraine. Seven journalists were killed in the line of duty during the war, 15 were missing, 14 died as participants in hostilities or as a result of russian shelling (not in the course of their professional duties), 9 were wounded as a result of shelling by the russian occupiers, 8 journalists were captured and abducted. Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov has said that the abduction of people by russian occupiers at checkpoints and just on the streets has become more frequent, so it is currently dangerous to move around the city and district. Dominique Byrne, co-founder of a network of charities working in Ukraine, was quoted by the BBC saying that two members of the UK humanitarian organisation had been taken into custody by the russian military in the Zaporizhzhia region. According to Byrne, yesterday two British people tried to help a mother with two children to leave the russian-occupied settlement. The occupants stopped the UK citizens at the checkpoint; their future is unknown. russian invaders are launching missile and bomb strikes on civilians, towns and villages. In the evening of April 28th, the russian army launched missile strikes on Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as the Khmelnytskyi region, on the morning of April 29th, it shelled villages in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk and Kherson regions continue to sustain losses due to constant shelling. The Kharkiv region: on the night of April 29th, artillery and MLRS shelling of residential areas of Kharkiv continued. During the day, the occupiers continuously fired on the Kharkiv district, the settlements of Pokotylivka, Khroly, and Kotriari. According to preliminary information, no one was injured. The Luhansk region: during the entire day, there was shelling of Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Hirske, Pryvillia. In each of these cities there is damage to housing and farm buildings. No civilians were killed. Donetsk: shelling at the entire frontline: "Hrady", artillery, mortars, aircraft, and missiles. On Thursday evening, there was a missile strike on the outskirts of Kramatorsk. Mariupol - at least one Ukrainian defender was killed under the rubble of a field hospital at the Azovstal plant, and nearly a hundred other wounded were injured. An operation to withdraw civilians from the Azovstal plant is scheduled for Friday, April 29th. The Kherson region: in the area of explosions and shelling, the enemy is trying to take control of settlements, resorting to threats and abductions. In the Dnepropetrovsk region, the night was quiet, but in the morning, russians from "Hrads" fired at two villages on the border with the Kherson region. The civilians were not affected. The Kyiv region: in the evening of April 28th, a missile strike was launched on the infrastructure of the Fastiv community, two people were injured. In Kyiv, a house was damaged due to the rocket attack on the city center, and 10 people were injured. The Khmelnytsky region: in the evening there was a rocket attack on an infrastructure facility in one of the territorial communities of the Shepetivka district in the Khmelnytsky region. 5. Evacuation of civilians, exchange of prisoners. The Office of President of Ukraine has informed that "an operation is planned today to remove civilians from the plant," but the details were not specified. According to Ukrayinska Pravda, the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal was scheduled for Thursday, April 28th, but the process was halted by a night of airstrikes on the hospital at Azovstal . According to the Ukrayinska Pravda interlocutors from the authorities, after the evacuation of civilians, Ukraine will try to evacuate the most seriously wounded people from the plant. 6. Adoption of the law on land lease - a radical change in the philosophy of military assistance to Ukraine. The House of Representatives approved a bill to restore the program during the World War II. The new bill will allow more efficient sending of weapons, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine. The document, known as the Law on Land Lease for the Defense of Ukraine's Democracy of 2022, will speed up the transfer of important military equipment and other critical supplies to Ukraine by reducing bureaucratic red tape. Prior to that, on April 6, the bill was unanimously approved by the US Senate. The law must now be sent to President Biden for signature. According to Information Defence analysts, the adoption of this bill means that cooperation between Ukraine and the United States has reached a qualitatively new level, and the philosophy of providing American assistance has changed radically. Now, before the Lend-Lease Act comes into force, the President of the United States must ask Congress each time to provide military assistance to Ukraine for a certain amount, such as $800 million. After receiving the decision, the detail of supplies first is confirmed and only then, there is a supply of weapons. This is a rather long bureaucratic process, and if the set limit is exhausted, it is necessary to apply to Congress again. With the adoption of the law on land leases, military assistance is no longer limited to certain financial frameworks. Payment for military equipment and weapons is made after the war. Only equipment and ammunition that was not destroyed during the war are payable. Furthermore, there is no need to pay if Ukraine decides to return the surviving military equipment and weapons back to the United States. Also, with the adoption of the law, the range of weapon supplies is significantly expanded. Virtually all types of military equipment and weapons can be supplied to Ukraine, except, of course, nuclear weapons, which are produced in the United States or can be purchased on the international arms market. Thus, Ukraine can count on modern Patriot air defence systems, F -16 and F -18 and even F -35 aircraft, volley fire systems, Abrams tanks and other state-of-the-art weapons and equipment. The adoption of the law on land lease will significantly simplify the procedure for military supplies to Ukraine, remove unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions, create more favourable financial conditions for military assistance to Ukraine and the supply of state-of-the-art weapons. 7. Political and socio-economic situation in Ukraine, economic losses due to the russian aggression. The government and society demonstrate unity, patriotism and faith in victory. Vinnytsia decided to transfer 420 tons of artesian water to Mykolaiiv which has suffered without a water supply for more than 2 weeks. This year, the authorities plan to provide more than 53,000 apartments for temporary residence of displaced people. Signs of recovery of the Ukrainian economy. Almost every second Ukrainian business has fully or partially returned to work after the forced suspension on February 24. This is stated in the results of the Opendatabot poll. 8. International support and assistance to Ukraine. Political support for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has assured that Ukraine will demand maximum-security guarantees from its partners and allies in order to prevent a repeat of the russian invasion in the future. On Friday morning, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba called on the world states to decide what security guarantees they are ready to provide to Ukraine. UN Secretary-General Guterres said the UN Security Council had not done what it was supposed to do in the context of russia's attack on Ukraine. The OSCE will soon close down the work of the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. This decision was the result of a lack of consensus in the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on 31 March 2022 to extend the mission's mandate. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the President's Office, believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and russian president putin will meet later, but now their negotiations are "out of time." The UK Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons announced her return to Kyiv. The Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kyiv are resuming their work on April 29th. Military assistance to Ukraine. The administration of US President Joe Biden says that the request for $33 billion in aid for Ukraine is urgent, because of the $3.5 billion allocated for military security, about $250 million remains. Poland has supplied Ukraine with more than 200 T-72 tanks and several dozen infantry fighting vehicles. The South Air Command has received the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system from partner countries (Slovakia) - SAM is already performing combat missions in the southern region. Financial assistance to Ukraine. Ukraine will receive an additional grant of 495 million from Norway, Austria and the United States. The grant will be used to provide priority social and humanitarian expenditures, health care expenditures, and support for internally displaced persons. Humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The United Nations plans to provide cash payments to a significant number of Ukrainians under conditions that are unusual for the organisation. UN Secretary General Guterres stated this at a press conference in Kyiv. He said that the UN agencies were making payments to the victims of the russian attack: "We are ready to provide cash payments - 1.3 million by the end of May, 2 million by August, but it will be in coordination with the Ukrainian government." From June, Ukrainians seeking protection from the war in Germany will be provided with a better level of social protection and job search support. Starting from June 1, Ukrainians who have received a residence permit will receive at least 449 euros in social assistance. Billionaire Elon Musk, in addition to Starlink satellite Internet stations, handed over solar panels and energy saving systems to Ukraine from Tesla Powerwall. 9. Political and socio-economic situation in russia, the impact of international sanctions on it. According to the Ministry of Finance, a week before the end of the grace period, russia paid coupons on Eurobonds maturing in 2022 and 2042 in dollars, as required by the contracts. New sanctions and restrictions against russia. The Norwegian government has decided to join the EU sanctions and close the land border for trucks from russia, and close the ports for russian ships. President Joe Biden said the United States would not allow russia to avoid the consequences of aggression using oil and gas: Yesterday, russia threatened our two allies to cut off energy supplies. I will say clearly: we will not allow russia to avoid sanctions through intimidation or blackmail. And we will not allow it to use its oil to avoid the consequences of aggression. Eni intends to comply with the existing contractual terms for the purchase of russian natural gas and therefore has not opened a ruble account. The leading Danish energy company rsted has refused to pay for the supply of russian gas in rubles. The Binance Exchange blocked the accounts of Polina Kovaleva, the stepdaughter of russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov; Elizaveta Peskova, the daughter of Dmitry Peskov who is a press secretary of the russian president; and the son of billionaire Konstantin Malofeev, who is under OFAC sanctions. *** The Open Policy Foundation (hereinafter - the Foundation, http://openpolicy.org.ua ) is a well-known public organisation that conducts analytical research and information campaigns, in particular on Ukrainian and foreign policy, protection of the rights of young people from the temporarily occupied territories to receive higher education in Ukraine. With the beginning of the russian aggression, the Foundation's experts, together with other leading Ukrainian analysts, have joined a team to implement the Information Defence of Ukraine project. Experts of the project prepare daily reviews of the military-political situation in Ukraine in Ukrainian, English, and Russian, the first review was released on February 26th, moderate the telegram channel Information Defence of Ukraine, https://t.me/info_defense_ua . For three months now, we have been working on a volunteer basis, free of charge in the conditions of hostilities, sometimes under the sounds of air attack sirens. If you like our reviews and want to continue to receive a quality analytical product that describes the objective picture of the Ukrainian-russian war, we ask you to provide charitable assistance to our team. Help in UAH: you can transfer the money to the Oschadbank card 5304 0999 9952 1978, on the name of Ihor Zhdanov. Help in USD: you can transfer to the account 1. Beneficiary name (exact name of bank account holder): Ihor Zhdanov ( ) 2. Beneficiary city and country: City Kyiv Country Ukraine 3. Name of bank: Acc. 04-095-334 PJSC "State Savings Bank of Ukraine" 4. IBAN number: UA513226690000026207001378162 6. Swift number: COSB UA UK KIE 7. Full address of bank (street, city and country): Hospitalna str., 12 G, Kyiv, Ukraine 8. Other information (Bank code, ABA number, BSB number): Intermediary bank: Citibank NA, New York, Swift: CITIUS33 Thank you for each of your donations, it is very important and necessary for us. Glory to Ukraine! Egypt recorded a daily average of eight coronavirus infections over the past week, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population announced on Saturday, with the countrys daily infections dropping to their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic. Muslim nations according to astronomical calculations will celebrate the three-day Eid El-Fitr starting Monday, 2 May, said the President of Egypts National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) Gad El-Qady on Wednesday. In a statement El-Qady said that in Cairo and in all the Islamic and Arab capitals and cities the crescent will not be spotted at sunset on 29 Ramadan Saturday, 30 April and hence Monday will be the 30th of Ramadan. According to Islamic tradition, Eid El-Fitr begins when the new moon can be spotted with the naked eye, indicating the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, which is either 29 or 30 days long, according to the lunar calendar. The official announcement is expected to be made by Egypt's Dar El-Iftaa, the main authority responsible for issuing religious edicts, after observing the crescent moon of Shawwal, the 10th month in the Islamic calendar, on 29 Ramadan. The crescent sighting is a religious ceremony that has been observed by all Muslim countries for centuries. If the crescent is spotted after sunset in any place in the country, this indicates the end of the Holy month. In recent years, however, many Muslim-majority countries, including Egypt, have been depending on astronomical calculations to define the start of Islamic lunar months, though crescent sighting remains a tradition, especially in Ramadan. Earlier this week, Egypt's cabinet announced that the period between Saturday 30 April and Thursday 5 May will be a paid holiday, marking both Labour Day, which falls on 1 May, and Eid El-Fitr. Eid El-Fitr is one of two major religious holidays in Islam, along with Eid El-Adha, which falls on the 10th day of Dhu El-Hijjah, the 12th month in the Islamic calendar. Search Keywords: Short link: The Journalists Syndicate praised the Public Prosecution decision to release 41 pretrial detainees on Sunday, calling it important and constructive and expressing hope that authorities would release other journalists not involved in any terror-related cases. In a statement on Sunday, the syndicate said: "We hope that this step will be followed by other steps soon to release those pretrial detaineees whose hands have not been soiled by blood or have not been involved in terrorism crimes, especially our colleagues members of the Journalists Syndicate who have nothing to serve their country and profession with except their pens, cameras, and drawing quills. The syndicate stressed that its members abide by all the duties and rights stipulated in the Egyptian constitution and laws. Egyptian law allows the government to hold those accused of crimes for up to two years pending a referral to trial. The release of dozens of pretrial detainees yesterday was met by widespread praise in various political quarters. Mohamed Anwar Esmat El-Sadat - the head of the liberal-oriented Reform and Development Party who have been lobbying the government to release those detainees not involved in terror-related crimes - celebrated in a statement on Sunday the release of those who had been in pretrial detention on political, freedom of opinion, and expression cases, and ascribe to various political orientations. Meanwhile, Moushira Khattab, the President of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), expressed optimism in a statement on the potential positive outcomes of such release. Khattab stressed that the upcoming period would witness further legal revisions for the conditions of a number of pretrial detainees who applied for the presidential pardon. She also lauded the recent steps taken by the Egyptian state represented by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in furthering human rights in the country. Khattab noted that there is clearly a true political will to promote and enhance human rights in a way that is in line with international human rights standards and conventions in light of the new Egyptian republic, which aims to ensure a decent life for all Egyptians. For his part, El-Sadat who is also deputy chairperson of the NCHR echoed Khattabs remarks that the upcoming period would witness legal and humanitarian revisions to release more of the pretrial detainees and prisoners who meet the conditions of the presidential or conditional pardon. Search Keywords: Short link: The U.N. General Assembly is scheduled to vote on May 10 on a country to replace Russia on the world organization's leading human rights body following its suspension over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Assembly spokeswoman Paulina Kubiak said Thursday that the Czech Republic was the only candidate for the seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council. Seats on the Geneva-based council are divided among regional groups and a replacement for Russia has to come from an East European country. After the General Assembly suspended Russia, its deputy ambassador Gennady Kuzmin told U.N. members that Russia withdrew from the Human Rights Council before the vote. Council spokesman Rolando Gomez said that by withdrawing, Russia avoided being deprived of observer status at the rights body. Since its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost its spot on multiple U.N. bodies, including the executive boards of UN Women and the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, the Committee on Non-governmental Organizations and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Russia was also suspended this week from the World Tourism Organization. Search Keywords: Short link: Russia confirmed Friday it carried out an airstrike on Kyiv during a visit by the UN chief, the first such attack on the Ukrainian capital in nearly two weeks, and in which a journalist also died. Vera Gyrych, a producer for the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, died when a Russian missile slammed into the building where she lived in Kyiv, the media group said. Russia's defence ministry said it had deployed "high-precision, long-range air-based weapons" that it added "have destroyed the production buildings of the Artyom missile and space enterprise in Kyiv". Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strikes, which immediately followed his talks with Guterres, were an attempt by Russia "to humiliate the UN and everything that the organisation represents". Earlier that day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had toured Bucha and other suburbs of Kyiv where Moscow is alleged to have committed war crimes. Russia denies killing civilians. Germany condemned the "inhumane" attack that showed Russian President Vladimir Putin has "no respect whatsoever for international law". Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said there had been "two hits in the Shevchenkovsky district", with one hitting "the lower floors of a residential building". The powerful blast had ripped out walls and doors, leaving piles of rubble on the ground. Mykhailo Vovchynskyi, who had just moved into the destroyed building, said that if the Russian deemed that to be a "high-precision attack, that is pretty cynical". "It's inhuman behaviour," the 22-year-old told AFP. "I think Russians aren't afraid of anything, not even the world's judgement," Anna Hromovych, deputy director of a heavily damaged clinic, told AFP as she and others were cleaning up the devastation on Friday. More Than 8,000 Alleged War Crimes "It is a war zone, but it is shocking that it happened close to us," said Saviano Abreu, spokesman for the UN's humanitarian office who was travelling with Guterres, adding that the delegation was safe. Guterres, who was in Kyiv after talks in Moscow with Putin, had called war "evil" after visiting Bucha and demanded the Kremlin cooperate with an International Criminal Court investigation into the accusations. Ukrainian prosecutors said they have pinpointed more than 8,000 alleged war crime cases and have opened investigations into 10 Russian soldiers for suspected atrocities in Bucha, where dozens of bodies in civilian clothes were found following Moscow's retreat. Those cases involve "killing civilians, the bombing of civilian infrastructure, torture" and "sexual crimes" reported during Russia's occupation of various parts of Ukraine, prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova told a German broadcaster. Britain will send a team of experts on war crimes in May to help Ukrainian investigators as they compile evidence and witness statements, said Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. "We're also using British intelligence to help show the links between what is happening on the front line and the Russian authorities because it's important that everybody in the chain of command is held to account," she added. Three months into an invasion that failed in its short-term aim of capturing Kyiv, Russia is now intensifying operations in the breakaway eastern Donbas region and tightening its noose around the devastating strategic southern port city of Mariupol. Ukrainian authorities said they planned to evacuate civilians Friday from the besieged Azovstal steel plant, the last holdout in Mariupol where hundreds of people are sheltering with Ukrainian troops. Mariupol Shelling In an early morning statement on Telegram, defenders of the factory said shelling had struck a field hospital inside the plant, causing it to collapse. "Among the already wounded servicemen are dead, newly wounded and injured," the statement said without providing specific casualty numbers. With the war claiming thousands of lives, Kyiv has admitted that Russian forces have captured a string of villages in the Donbas region. But Ukrainian forces, which have been armed by Western allies, also reported small victories elsewhere along the frontline. In the region of Kharkiv, Ukrainian forces said they recaptured a key village, Ruska Lozova, from the Russians. "This is a strategically important settlement on the Kharkiv-Belgorod motorway. It is the settlement from which the enemy carried out aimed fire on civilian infrastructure and residential districts of Kharkiv during the siege," Ukraine's army command said. More Western armaments are due to arrive in Ukraine, with US President Joe Biden on Thursday seeking a $33 billion aid package for the country. The bulk -- $20 billion -- would be weapons and other security assistance, while $8.5 billion will be economic aid. "The cost of this fight is not cheap. But caving to aggression is going to be more costly if we allow it to happen," said Biden, whose announcement was hailed by Zelensky as an "important step" A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the spending package would keep Ukraine's government and military going through to the start of October. While Biden said the United States was sending 10 anti-tank weapons for every Russian tank, Ukraine's air force commander said his country's anti-aircraft systems were unable to strike higher altitude bombers. British Exercises "We need medium and long-range anti-aircraft systems" and "modern fighters", said Mykola Olechchuk. Britain meanwhile said it was deploying about 8,000 troops for exercises across Eastern Europe in a show of Western allies' resolve against Russian aggression. The cost of the war has reverberated across Europe, with Brussels publishing data showing that output growth for the eurozone has slowed to 0.2 percent, while consumer prices have leapt by a record 7.4 percent in April. But that pales in comparison to the plight of Ukrainians, more than 5.4 million who have fled their country since the invasion, according to UN estimates. Another 7.7 million others are displaced internally, the IOM said, appealing for $514 million to help. "We're left with only one hope: to return home," said pensioner Galina Bodnya in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia. Search Keywords: Short link: By Trend Restoration work in Azerbaijani lands liberated from Armenian occupation [in the 2020 second Karabakh war] is proceeding at an incredible pace, Executive Director of Pakistani Center for Global & Strategic Studies Khalid Taimur Akram told reporters, Trend reports. Akram made the remark at the international conference on "South Caucasus Development & Cooperation" in ADA University in Baku on April 29. Its necessary to stop the propaganda campaign of Armenia, and the international community itself must see the real picture of what is happening, how productive the restoration work is going in Azerbaijans Karabakh," he said. Akram added that he met with several residents in Shusha and they are very pleased with how the restoration is going and how the Azerbaijani state is taking care of its citizens. He also noted with regret that over the past year, more than 100 Azerbaijani citizens died due to mine explosions in the liberated lands. Earlier, the center's head took part in the international conference on "South Caucasus Development & Cooperation" in Shusha. Egypt recorded a daily average of 46 coronavirus infections and five deaths over the past week (23 to 29 April 2022), as the countrys rates of infection and death continue to drop. Last week, Egypt reported a daily average of 89 infections and six deaths over the period of 16 to 22 April 2022, continuing the decline in confirmed cases that has been ongoing since the end of the fifth wave of the coronavirus in February. According to the Ministry of Health and Populations weekly update on the coronavirus pandemic nationwide, a daily average of 62 people were discharged from hospitals over the past seven days, bringing the total number of recoveries since the outbreak began in February 2020 up to 445,139. More than 44.9 million people have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine; more than 34.4 million have been fully vaccinated; and more than 2.6 million individuals have received their booster shoot since the start of the countrys mass vaccination campaign last year. The ministry previously said that for life in Egypt to return to the way it was pre-pandemic, 70 percent of the population must be vaccinated a goal that the country seeks to achieve by mid-2022. As of mid-March, the health ministry started to issue weekly instead of daily reports on the number of coronavirus infections and deaths. Due to the decline in the rate of infections, the country has reduced the number of isolation hospitals nationwide. Egypt has also eased many of its coronavirus restrictions during the holy month of Ramadan, which started earlier in April. This included lifting a two-year suspension on the traditional Ramadan charity banquets and allowing mosques to conduct afternoon prayer sermons (El-Asr) and mass Ramadan night prayers (Taraweeh) during the holy month. For the first time since the start of the pandemic in 2020, The Ministry of Religious Endowments allowed Ramadans late-night prayers (Tahajjud) at all large mosques on the last three nights of the holy month. The ministry also allocated 600 open-air areas countrywide for Eid Al-Fitr prayers, ending a two-year ban due to the pandemic. Search Keywords: Short link: Ahram daily newspaper talked to Guy Ryder, the director-general of the International Labour Organisation, about the new challenges facing workers and economies across the world amid a multitude of crises, especially the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahram: In light of crises like the COVID epidemic, supply chain disruptions and the Russian-Ukrainian war, what are the challenges that the International Labour Organisation sees? Guy Rider: What we see in every crisis is that the most vulnerable people suffer the most. Even during recovery processes, it is often the most disadvantaged that profit the least. Furthermore, these crises hit the world when labour markets were already faced with the impact of the challenges like new and old demographic realities, uneven technological changes, and climate change in addition to persistent labour market realities such as gender inequalities, high levels of unemployment especially for young people, informality, lack of social protections and increasing working poverty. Progress made in these areas, which were modest in many countries, are now at risk. There is a danger that we can lose decades of achievements in labour markets around the world. These are the unprecedented obstacles we need to overcome to ensure a human-centred recovery. A: The world will celebrate Labour Day on the first of May. What is your message to workers on their holiday? GR: Labour Day serves as a reminder of the importance in our lives of each and every worker, ranging from health workers to store workers, bakers to delivery staff, farmers to pharmacists, barbers to waiters and waitresses, domestic workers to taxi drivers. The outbreak of COVID-19 has primarily hit lives and livelihoods of those that had already been in precarious situations prior to the crisis. Informal economy workers, among whom women, migrants and young workers are overrepresented, and workers in precarious work arrangements or new forms of work such as in the platform economy have seen income and employment fall dramatically, threatening to plunge millions of workers into poverty. The labour market recovery in 2022 will be slower than initially projected and global unemployment is expected to remain above pre-COVID-19 levels until at least 2023. Particularly worrisome, is the deepening inequalities within and among countries, a damage that is likely to require years to repair, with potential long-term consequences for labour force participation, household incomes and social cohesion. But we must also recall that such inequalities are not just a consequence of the current crisis, much as they have been exacerbated; and nor is this by any means the only crisis we have faced in the recent past. The relevance of the Centenary Declaration, adopted by the International Labour Conference in 2019, to the impact of COVID-19 on the world of work was further underlined unanimously by the ILO constituents with the adoption of the call to action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis at the International Labour Conference in June this year. What we need to do now is to focus on a human-centred recovery that creates decent work, especially in the green, care and digital economies to contribute to a just transition to carbon neutral economies.That is what we are trying to achieve at the ILO. A: The three crises previously mentioned eliminated millions of jobs. What is the role of the organisation in setting policies to limit the impact of this on developing countries in particular? What lessons can be learned from the COVID-19 crisis in formulating a vision for social protection? GR: The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a stress test for gauging national crisis preparedness. Pervasive challenges such as high levels of economic insecurity, persistent poverty, rising inequality, extensive informality and a fragile social contract have been exacerbated by COVID-19. The crisis also exposed the vulnerability of billions of people who seemed to be getting by relatively well but were not adequately protected from the socio-economic shock waves it has emitted. The pandemics socio-economic impacts have made it difficult for policymakers to ignore a number of population groups including children, older persons, unpaid carers, and women and men working in diverse forms of employment and in the informal economy who were covered either inadequately or not at all by existing social protection measures. In revealing these gaps, ILOs reports show that the pandemic has propelled countries into unprecedented policy action, with social protection at the forefront. Countries with solid social protection systems in place before the crisis could rely on pre-existing schemes that automatically fulfilled their protective function, while injecting further financing where needed and focusing on emergency programmes to help groups in need of additional support. Countries with weaker social protection systems faced greater challenges, having to urgently fill gaps by introducing new measures or extending the coverage. Let us not forget that right now more than half of the global population, some four billion people, have no social protection at all. Gaps in the coverage, comprehensiveness and adequacy of social protection systems are associated with significant underinvestment in social protection, particularly in Africa, the Arab states and Asia. Countries spend on average 12.9 percent of their GDP on social protection (excluding health), but this figure masks staggering variations. High-income countries spend on average 16.4 percent, or twice as much as upper-middle-income countries (which spend eight percent), six times as much as lower-middle-income countries (2.5 percent), and 15 times as much as low-income countries (1.1 percent). The crisis has poignantly demonstrated not only that from the viewpoint of human rights it is unacceptable to deny people their fundamental rights and jeopardise their human dignity, but that we are all only as safe as the most vulnerable among us. Consequently, it is essential that countries governments, social partners and other stakeholders now resist the pressures to fall back on a low-road trajectory and that they pursue a high-road social protection strategy to contend with the ongoing pandemic, and to secure a human-centred recovery and an inclusive future. A: During the past two years, there have been "serious consequences" for two billion workers in the informal sector in the world. What is your vision to reduce these consequences in terms of job security and the minimum wage? GR: Indeed, two billion people more than six out of ten workers in the world make their living in the informal economy. The ILO estimates that some 1.6 billion of these workers have been significantly impacted by the COVID pandemic. Among them, women and young workers have been particularly hard hit. In the early stages of the pandemic, in countries characterised by large informal economies, informal workers were more likely than formal workers to lose their jobs or be forced into inactivity by lockdowns and other measures. In response, a significant number of governments have included the informal workers among the beneficiaries of their policies and measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis. As the crisis recedes, governments can move from emergency responses to more sustainable mechanisms. This means realising one or several of the following actions: (1) extending legal coverage to those excluded or insufficiently covered; (2) providing an adequate level of legal protection and (3) ensuring an effective compliance with laws and regulations. Minimum wages is one of the laws and regulations which tends to be poorly complied with wage employees in the informal economy. The latest Global Wage Report shows that, even before the pandemic, there were an estimated 266 million wage workers (15 percent of all wage earners) who were paid less than the minimum wage. Although difficult to quantify, it is very likely that the pandemic has dramatically increased the number of people who work in the informal economy for less than the minimum wage. At the end, formalisation of the economy is a complex and long-term process that often requires to combine interventions on laws and regulations with those aiming to foster productivity and the ability to generate wealth. For part of the workforce, the reduction of decent work deficits is the first step toward a progressive formalisation in the longer term. The significant reduction of informality in some countries illustrates that achieving results is largely possible. In this regard, tripartite and bipartite social dialogue should be the bedrock of policy responses. Employers and workers organisations can play a critical role in delivering or advocating for support services, such as access to technologies, finance and business development services, and fostering linkages with formal enterprises as an incentive for formalisation. To be even more effective, the measures should strengthen dialogue and cooperation between the tripartite partners and the organisations representing those in the informal economy. Therefore, effective consultation with social partners is essential to prevent possible negative impact of such actions on the overall economy. A: How do you explain the decline in union affiliation in all its professional sectors? And how this is affecting their capacities in supporting workers for COVID-19 recovery? GR: Trade union membership worldwide has been going down over time in certain sectors, despite a number of bright spots in certain African or Latin American countries where membership increased. Different factors come into play in this overall decrease such as the shift from manufacturing to service jobs, the outsourcing of unionised jobs, the informalisation of the economy and the changing employment relationship, and automation. Trade union membership is lower for people in non-standard or precarious types of employment, such as temporary and own-account workers or workers in the informal and gig economy Furthermore, legal restrictions and violations of trade union rights, such as the right to organise and to bargain collectively, are widespread. This affects trade unions ability to organise, to represent and to service workers. Not surprisingly, trade union membership is lower there where there are violations of trade union rights. On the other hand, we have seen how the lives and livelihoods of workers and their families have been seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that to date has infected over 250 million people and cost over five million lives across the world. The relevance of the Centenary Declaration to the impact of COVID-19 on the world of work was further underlined unanimously by the ILO constituents with the adoption of the Call to Action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis at the International Labour Conference in June this year. Despite the challenges, what is needed for inclusive, sustainable and resilient recovery is the participation of a strong and representative labour movement in social dialogue processes at national, sectoral and international level. We need workers representatives to be part of the design and implementation of economic and social policies that support all workers in order to attain a truly human-centred recovery. Above all, we need to strengthen those labour institutions that have been built over the past century and a half, and ensure that their coverage extends to all workers, especially those who are the most vulnerable in society. A: In the midst of all these calamities and crises, the shortage of skilled manpower still represents a major challenge facing many developing countries in many sectors. What is required to meet these challenges? GR: Labour market challenges are becoming increasingly complex and demand more elaborated skill sets. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries were experiencing a persistent gap between the skills needed in the labour market and skills available. Employers are now expecting workers to be more adaptable, to be equipped with stronger core work skills and to develop their competency profiles at a much quicker pace than ever before. Companies also need these new skills to create the decent jobs at the heart of the intended human-centred recovery. We need to give workers access to the skills development opportunities to evolve within increasingly complex education pathways and careers. The main solutions required for education and training in developing countries revolve around four issues: how to increase access, in particular to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups; how to ensure that the training programmes are market-relevant and training providers are accountable for employment outcomes; how qualifications can be perceived and trusted as reputable signals of competence on the labour market; and how skills systems can effectively transition to digital and blended learning. A: With the loss of millions of jobs, a new crises stemming from jobs at risk due to the rise of automation remains a new dilemma. How can it be dealt with? GR: There is much concern today that new automation technologies and robotics will displace humans in the workplace. Yet, there is little knowledge about how automation will actually play out on the shopfloors and assembly lines of companies and enterprises in different sectors, or the bottlenecks at the practical level. These will affect the extent and speed with which new automation technologies are adopted, and have an impact on employment at the firm, sector and aggregate levels. Automation will be felt differently across the world of work. Workers in advanced economies or with high level of skills will benefit from new technologies that make them more productive, help them deliver their products and services faster or make their workplaces safer. For many workers in emerging markets, or with less advanced skills, however, these new technologies represent a threat to their jobs. But let us be clear: There is a difference between what could, in theory, be automated, and what will be automated. Furthermore, while it may appear that many routine jobs in labour-intensive industries can easily be done by robots, there may be bottlenecks to deploying new technologies. These technological and economic bottlenecks are often overlooked and unappreciated, but could create significant constraints for actual adoption of new technologies. To tackle these challenges, we need to help all workers access the right skills and education to be able to switch jobs. Young people need to be able to access the labour market with a sufficient level of competencies. Retraining and reskilling needs to be available at all ages and experience levels. The education system needs to offer true life-long learning opportunities.At the same time, workers in transition need to receive the necessary support. This requires an adequate social security system for those who have lost their jobs. A: Egypt will organise this year the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27). There are major repercussions of climate change on the rights of workers, the labour market and the productive sectors. What is required to face these repercussions? GR: Climate change is a significant threat to the advancement of social justice and the realisation of decent work for all. The ILO has estimated that an increase in heat stress resulting from global warming could lead to global productivity losses equivalent to 80 million full-time jobs in the year 2030. Six million jobs could be lost in the fossil fuel industries, notably in the Middle East and Africa. But at the same time, some 24 million new jobs could be created through measures to promote renewable energy development, energy efficiency and sustainable transportation. Integrated policies are indispensable. This implies comprehensive national policy frameworks including for skilling, industrial and sectoral policies, enterprise development, social protection, all underpinned by effective social dialogue, policy and institutional coherence. Last February, the ILO organised a Global Policy Forum, which brought together heads of state and government, heads of international organisations and multilateral development banks, and employers and workers leaders from around the world to propose concrete actions to build back better and strengthen the level and coherence of the international communitys response to the social and economic fall-out of the pandemic. As countries work to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, the world faces unprecedented environmental challenges related to climate change, pollution, and plummeting biodiversity, with crucial repercussions on employment. At the forums session on Just Transition, his excellency Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, president of the Arab Republic of Egypt delivered a keynote address underlining the importance of international organisations support for economic recovery efforts and cooperation for a just transition. Indeed, COVID-19 recovery and the response to the climate crisis cannot be disconnected, nor can they be sequenced. Rather, it is imperative to act concomitantly on both for a strong, coordinated and sustainable recovery. The COP27 meeting that Egypt will host is a key milestone to advance the alignment of climate and decent work agendas, delivering on practical ways to support countries in the implementation of nationally determined contributions and net zero targets in ways that create decent work and advance social justice, thereby ensuring a just transition for all. A: The ILO reached its ratification target for the landmark Social Security Convention No.102. Is the mission of the ILO still perceived by different states as intervention in their internal affairs? GR: Achieving the goal of decent work in the globalised economy requires action at the international level. The world community is responding to this challenge in part by developing international legal instruments on trade, finance, the environment, human rights and labour. The ILO contributes to this legal framework by elaborating and promoting international labour standards aimed at making sure that economic growth and development go hand-in-hand with the creation of decent work. International labour standards, including Convention No. 102, are the result of discussions among governments, employers and workers, in consultation with experts from around the world. They represent the international consensus on how a particular labour problem could be addressed at the global level. The legal nature of the standards means that they can be used in legal systems and administrations at the national level, and as part of the corpus of international law which can bring aboutgreater integration of the international community. A: Concerning the countries suffering civil wars and breakdown of production like Yemen, Libya and Syria, what do you offer to the workforces that were laid off? GR: Across the Arab region, the ILO is implementing several programmes to support both host populations and forcibly displaced populations to become resilient through better access to decent work and contribute to long-term economic and social development. The ILOs experience in addressing the employment and decent work needs of refugees and host communities in the region has given us the knowledge, tools, and outreach to respond to the economic and livelihoods challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have moved quickly to adapt our experiences to address these challenges some examples include: conducting impact assessment of COVID-19 and other crises on the labour market in different countries. Using the Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) as an entry point to address inequalities and further expanding to include additional countries in the region like Yemen or promoting skills transfer and e-learning in various occupations for host communities and Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. Search Keywords: Short link: The divided UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution extending its political mission in Libya by just three months, with Russia vetoing a longer prolongation until a new UN envoy is appointed. The text extends "until 31 July 2022 the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL)" and "calls upon the Secretary-General to appoint a SRSG (emissary) promptly" to be based in the capital Tripoli. The resolution requires the UN chief report monthly on its implementation until the end of July. Since the resignation in November of Slovak envoy Jan Kubis, the Security Council has been marked by growing Russian opposition to any common agreement on Libya. UNSMIL's annual mandate was renewed in September for only four months, before being extended in January for another three months. According to diplomats, at the start of negotiations, Britain presented its 14 partners in the Security Council with a draft text renewing UNSMIL's mandate for one year. But faced with Russian resistance, the text transformed into a technical renewal of the current mandate for only three months. On April 19, during a closed-door meeting, the UN Secretariat had called for an longer renewal to give time to recruit an envoy. Russia instead called for an appointment to be made as soon as possible before deciding on a more prolonged mandate for UNSMIL, diplomatic sources told AFP. Libya has been mired in conflict for long stretches since longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi was deposed and killed in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. Plagued by divisions between competing institutions in the east and west, Libya remains split between rival forces, with two opposing executives in place since February. Earlier in April, a rival government selected by parliament in the east met for the first time, challenging a cabinet brokered by the UN and based in the capital Tripoli in the west. The UN resolution adopted Friday urges "all parties to refrain from any actions that could undermine the political process" or a 2020 October ceasefire. Search Keywords: Short link: A Russian reconnaissance plane briefly violated Sweden's airspace on Friday, Swedish defence officials said on Saturday, as the Scandinavian country ponders a bid for NATO membership after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "A Russian AN-30 propeller plane violated Swedish airspace on Friday evening," the Swedish defence ministry said in a statement, adding that its teams had followed the incident and photographed it. Search Keywords: Short link: Two rockets targeting a base in western Iraq hosting US-led coalition troops on Saturday crashed near the complex without causing casualties or damage, security sources said. "Two rockets fell outside the Iraqi base of Ain al-Asad," a security forces statement said, adding there were no "losses". The base, controlled by Iraq, is located in the desert in the western Anbar province and hosts foreign troops from the coalition fighting the Islamic State group. A coalition official told AFP there was "no impact on the installation reported" and "no coalition personnel injuries reported". A previously unknown group calling itself "International Resistance" claimed the attack on a pro-Iran channel of messaging app Telegram. Rockets and drones frequently target the Ain al-Asad base. On April 8, the coalition said it shot down an armed drone targeting the facility, reporting no casualties or damage. Dozens of rocket and armed drone attacks have targeted US troops and interests in Iraq in recent months. Western officials have blamed hardline pro-Iran factions for the attacks, most of which go unclaimed. The coalition ended its combat mission in Iraq in December, four years after the Baghdad government declared victory over the jihadists. But roughly 2,500 American soldiers and 1,000 coalition soldiers remain deployed in three Iraqi-controlled bases across the country, including Ain al-Asad, to offer training, advice and assistance to national forces. Search Keywords: Short link: The Egyptian Public Prosecution has released journalists Amer Abdel-Moneim, Hany Gerisha and Essam Abdeen, Head of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate Diaa Rashwan announced late on Saturday. In a Facebook post, Rashwan congratulated all members of the syndicate on the release of their three colleagues, who he said will have the Suhur meal with their families today. Better is coming, God willing, for the rest of [our] colleagues, Rashwan said, in reference to the journalists who are still behind bars. The syndicates head thanked Prosecutor-General Hamada El-Sawy, the Public Prosecution, the Egyptian judiciary, and other relevant authorities for the release decision. The decision comes less than a week after the prosecution decided last Sunday to release 41 pretrial activist detainees. The syndicate praised the decision, expressing hope that authorities would release other journalists not involved in any terror-related cases. In a statement last Sunday, the syndicate said: "We hope that this step will be followed by other steps soon to release those pretrial detaineees whose hands have not been soiled by blood or have not been involved in terrorism crimes, especially our colleagues members of the Journalists Syndicate who have nothing to serve their country and profession with except their pens, cameras and drawing quills. The syndicate stressed that its members abide by all the duties and obligations stipulated in the Egyptian constitution and laws. Egyptian law allows the government to hold those accused of crimes for up to two years pending a referral to trial. The release of the 41 detainees was met by widespread praise in various political quarters. Egypts newly reactivated Presidential Pardon Committee also announced on Saturday the preparation of a new list of prisoners who will be pardoned on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr. The committee, created in 2016, was reactivated as per President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis directives during the Egyptian Family Iftar banquet that was held on Tuesday. The committee is in charge of reviewing the cases of those imprisoned for political crimes and others who meet certain criteria, such as having more than one relative in jail. The scope of the committee, which started work immediately upon reactivation, has been expanded to cooperation with state institutions and NGOs and to include male and female indebted prisoners. On Wednesday, 3,273 inmates received presidential pardons on the occasion of Sinai Liberation Day on 25 April. Search Keywords: Short link: The Ministry of Religious Endowments allocated on Saturday 600 outdoor spaces at large mosques nationwide for the millions of worshippers who are expected to partake in the Eid El-Fitr prayers, ending a ban on outdoor Eid prayers - in place since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Egyptians have traditionally performed Eid prayers, which are held after sunrise on the first day of the religious feast, in open spaces due to the large mass of worshippers. In a statement on Friday, the endowments ministry said that mosques across the country will be allowed to open their doors for congregants at least 30 minutes before the prayers to utter the Takbeerat a set of religious supplications chanted ahead of Eid Prayers. Areas designated for women in large mosques nationwide will be open as well, the ministry stressed. Children will be allowed [this year] to attend the prayer to bring cheer and joy to them, the ministry added. Outdoor prayers for both Islamic Eids El-Fitr and El-Adha have been banned since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they were allowed last year indoors at large mosques only. Eid El-Fitr is set to start on the Monday, 2 May, as per astronomical calculations. Dar El-Iftaa the main authority responsible for issuing religious edicts in Egypt said it will attempt on Saturday evening to spot the crescent that would herald the advent of the month of Shawwal and the beginning of Eid El-Fitr. The ministrys decision on Friday to allow prayers outdoors this Eid is a reversal to its previously announced decision to hold the prayers only inside major mosques without opening outer courtyards. The ministry noted that the new decision was taken in coordination with the relevant authorities that are tasked with managing the pandemic. Egypt has been witnessing a sharp drop in coroanvirus cases and linked deaths, registering a daily average of 89 coronavirus infections and six deaths from 16 to 23 April. Last week, the ministry allowed Ramadans late-night prayers (Tahajjud) at all large mosques nationwide on the last three nights of the holy month. The ministry made the decision following a public outcry due to a previous announcement that these prayers would be suspended due to health concerns related to the coronavirus. Search Keywords: Short link: At least eight children were killed and five others were rescued in the northern Beheira governorate as a tricycle vehicle they were in overturned and sank into a canal in the early hours of Saturday. The bodies of the dead children were recovered at night amid dozens of people who gathered around the canal crying and screaming. Authorities have deployed ambulances to the area of the Sahel Morkos canal in Itay Al-Barud city in eastern Beheira as well as civil protection and river rescue vehicles, which are still combing the area in search for other victims, an official statement said. The Public Prosecution is investigating the incident. The eight children, whose ages ranged from 12 to 15-years-old, died while returning from work in a factory five kilometres away from their home in Al-Sawalem Bahari village at around 2am. An unknown number of the surviving children were injured, some seriously, and moved to nearby university hospitals for treatment. Hundreds of people in Itay Al-Barud have gathered to bid farewell to the deceased before their burial. The accident has caused sorrow and uproar among people of the governorate and on social media with users calling the deceased children the breadwinning victims. They tried to run from poverty and they crashed into death, one user said on Twitter. While the state has upgraded and paved thousands of kilometres worth of roads nationwide, many roads, especially in the countryside, are still unpaved. Search Keywords: Short link: Pope Tawadros II, the pope of Alexandria and the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, has greeted Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb on the occasion of Eid El-Fitr. In a phone call on Saturday, the pontiff wished El-Tayyeb and Muslims all the best on this occasion. For his part, El-Tayyeb thanked the pope for the gesture, wishing Egypt further progress and stability. The three-day Islamic holiday Eid El-Fitr will start in Egypt on Monday 2 May, Dar Al-Iftaa the main authority responsible for issuing religious edicts in Egypt has announced as Shawwal moon was not sighted. Muslims will be able to perform Eid El-Fitr prayers of the Islamic year 1443 in the early morning on Monday at 5:36am in Cairo, according to astronomical calculations, with slight differences in time in other governorates. Head of the Evangelical community in Egypt Andrea Zaki visited El-Tayyeb on Thursday to greet him on the occasion of Eid El-Fitr. Zaki, who was accompanied by a delegation of Evangelical leaders, extended greetings to all Muslims in Egypt and around the world on the occasion of Eid, wishing Egypt continued progress and prosperity. He praised the recent stances by the grand imam of Al-Azhar, the world's leading Sunni Islamic institute, on the relationship between Muslims and Christians in the country, describing them as "healing in the homeland and authentic positions that contribute to safeguarding peace and common existence in society." Zaki also expressed his pride in his relationship with the grand imam, describing him as not just an imam for Muslims, but an imam for all Egyptians. El-Tayyeb, for his part, said that he greatly appreciates the greetings of the Evangelical community, which he said is always at the forefront of well-wishers on all occasions. Eid El-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, is one of two major religious holidays in Islam, along with Eid Al-Adha. Egypt's cabinet has designated the period between 30 April and 5 May a paid holiday for public employees, extending from Labour Day, which falls on 1 May, to the end of Eid El-Fitr holidays. Search Keywords: Short link: The Israeli military on Saturday launched a manhunt in the northern West Bank as it searched for a pair of Palestinian attackers who shot and killed a security guard at the entrance of a Jewish settlement. The fresh attack, combined with the death of a Palestinian man elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, could further fuel tensions that have soared over the past two months. A string of Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have left 15 Israelis dead, while at least 27 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces in recent weeks. The security guard was shot outside Ariel, a major settlement in the northern West Bank, late Friday night by a pair of assailants in a car, the army said. It said the guard stood in front of another guard who was with him, saving her life. Israeli forces on Saturday set up checkpoints and were conducting searches for the attackers in the area, the army said. It said it arrested two purported members of the Hamas militant group, but there was no immediate indication that the men were involved in the attack. Hamas praised the killing of the guard but stopped short of claiming responsibility for the shooting. In a separate incident, Israeli troops shot and killed a 27-year-old Palestinian man in Azoun village near the town of Qalqilya early Saturday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The army said it had opened fire after a group of suspects threw firebombs toward the soldiers. Tensions have been heightened in recent weeks by Palestinian shooting attacks in Israeli cities, an Israeli military crackdown in the northern West Bank, where some of the attackers came from, and recurring confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli police around Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, and increasing numbers of Palestinians go there to pray during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The hilltop compound is also the holiest site for Jews, who call it the Temple Mount because it was where the biblical Temples were situated. The site is a frequent flashpoint of tensions, and violence there last year helped spark an 11-day war between Israel and Gaza militants. In recent weeks, Israeli police and Palestinians have clashed there on a number of occasions, including Friday morning. Israeli authorities accuse Hamas of inciting violence and say security forces were forced to intervene to halt stone-throwing. The Palestinians say the presence of Israeli police at the site, and regular visits by increasing numbers of nationalist and religious Jews, are a violation of decades-old informal arrangements governing the site. The visits were halted last week for the last 10 days of Ramadan, which concludes this weekend. Search Keywords: Short link: By Trend It's important for Azerbaijan and France to develop bilateral relations, Jean-Michel Brun, Director General of French Lagazetteaz.fr newspaper, founded by Trend news agency, a participant of the international conference "South Caucasus: Development and Cooperation", held on April 28 in Shusha, said, Trend reports. He shared his impressions about the three-hour meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev with the conference participants in Baku. "President Aliyev has outlined Azerbaijan's relations with neighbors, other countries, the EU, as well as China. Thereat, it's essential to develop ties between Azerbaijan and France, as one of the key EU countries. Furthermore, France is the Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, which currently seems to lose its relevance," Jean-Michel Brun stated. Sudan will raise the capacity of its power grid link with Egypt from 70 MW to 300 MW and later to 1,000 MW after static compensators were delivered this week, the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum announced in a statement Thursday. The capacity of the grid will be raised after the new compensators are installed, the embassy said, noting that the equipment had already been moved from Port Sudan to the northern area of the country. The Sudanese equipment deal was fully funded by the Egyptian government, informed sources told Ahram Online. The Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum congratulates the brotherly Sudanese people on this large and positive development and affirms Egypts continued support to brotherly Sudan in all fields, which is a priority to the Egyptian government and people, the embassys press release added. In remarks to Ahram Online, Salah Ezzat, the official in charge of the southern regions affairs at the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), said work is underway to raise the capacity of the power grid link with Sudan using the Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) technology. Ezzat expects work to raise the grid capacity between the two countries to 300 MW to be completed by the end of the year. In March last year, the state-run EETC and the Sudanese Electricity Transmission Company awarded Siemens Energy a contract for the supply and installation of two STATCOMs in the Dongola and Merowe stations in northern Sudan. The first phase of the project aims to supply Sudan with electricity with a capacity of 70 MW, while the second phase will raise it to 300 MW, said the Egyptian cabinet. The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy announced at the time that the implementation period of the contract would be around 18 months from the date of its signing. This project will help Egypt export reliable power to its neighbor, bringing it closer towards its goal of becoming a regional power hub, said Siemens Energy Egypts Managing Director Emad Ghaly in March 2021. Egypt and Sudans electricity grids were officially linked in April 2020 at a voltage of 220 KV, a year after the 100 km electricity line between the two countries was completed, according to the cabinet. In the same month, Sudan's Ministry of Energy and Mining announced the completion of the extension of the grid to Sudans northern areas. Egypt, a country with an electricity surplus of more than 25 percent according to officials, seeks to act as a regional electricity hub, exchanging electricity with nearby countries during peak demand and exporting electricity to countries in need. The country has existing electricity links with Libya and Jordan and plans to transfer electricity to Iraq with a capacity of up to 700 MW for the first phase. Egypt and Jordan agreed in November last year to double the capacity of their electricity grid link to 1 GW. In October, Egypt and Saudi Arabia awarded contracts to EETC and Saudi Electricity Company for the implementation of a project to link their power grids and allow the exchange of up to 3,000 MW of electricity at a value of $1.8 billion. In the same month, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus also signed a trilateral agreement on power linkage few days after Egypt signed an accord with Cyprus on linkage between the two countries electricity transmission networks. Search Keywords: Short link: Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine: Kharkiv shelled, again Ukraine's second city Kharkiv is hit by multiple Russian shellings, though President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian forces are making "tactical successes" in the region. Although Ukraine has retained control of Kharkiv, the city has been repeatedly battered by Moscow's forces and still faces daily attacks. One person was killed and five were injured "as a result of enemy artillery and mortar strikes", Kharkiv's regional military administration says on Telegram. Moscow admits Kyiv strike Russia confirms it carried out an airstrike on Kyiv as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited. The Russian defence ministry says "high-precision, long-range air-based weapons... destroyed the production buildings of the Artyom missile and space enterprise in Kyiv." US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty says its journalist and producer Vera Gyrych died when a Russian missile hit the building where she lived. Putin's G20 invite The United States is unimpressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to November's G20 summit in Indonesia. "The United States continues to believe that it can't be business as usual with regards to Russia's participation with the international community or international institutions," State Department deputy spokeswoman Jalina Porter says. Russians 'behind schedule' The Russian campaign to seize control of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine is moving slowly and behind schedule, a Pentagon official says. Stiff resistance from Ukrainian troops and caution after Russia's failure to capture Kyiv has led to "slow and uneven progress" in Donbas, the official tells reporters. Britain, Dutch to send war crimes sleuths Britain will send war crimes investigators to Ukraine next month to gather a "wide range of evidence, witness statements, forensic and video evidence," UK foreign minister Liz Truss announces. The Netherlands too will send a team, which will be working together with local Ukrainian and International Criminal Court teams to probe possible mass atrocities, including in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, where at least 20 bodies were discovered on April 2. 'Stop arms supply' says Lavrov Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has urged the US and NATO to stop supplying Kyiv with arms if they are "really interested in resolving the Ukraine crisis", Chinese state media reports. "If the US and NATO are really interested in resolving the Ukraine crisis, then first of all, they should wake up and stop supplying the Kyiv regime with arms and ammunition," Lavrov tells China's official Xinhua news agency. But he insists that the "special military operation... is proceeding strictly according to plan". American killed The US Defense Department warns Americans against going to fight in Ukraine after a former marine was killed on Monday. Willy Joseph Cancel's mother, Rebecca Cabrera, told CNN her 22-year-old son died while working with a private military contractor, having travelled to Ukraine in mid-March. African consequences UN chief Guterres will visit several West African countries starting this weekend to highlight the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the African continent, the United Nations says. Romania hit by cyberattacks A pro-Russia criminal group launches cyberattacks on Romanian government websites over the country's support for Ukraine, Romania's cybersecurity agency says. A series of so-called Ddos attacks, where multiple requests are sent to a website to overload it, hit "public institutions and private entities", Romania's National Cybersecurity Agency says. UK show of strength The UK government says it is deploying about 8,000 troops for exercises across eastern Europe in a show of strength after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Britain is deploying 72 Challenger 2 tanks and 120 armoured fighting vehicles along with artillery guns, helicopters and drones for the exercises, some of which are already underway. Russia pays debt in dollars Russia's finance ministry says it has completed payments on two dollar-denominated bonds amid mounting fears that the sanctions-hit country may be forced to default on its foreign debt. In early April, Moscow had attempted to make payments on these bonds in rubles after the United States barred Russia from making debt payments using dollars held by American banks in the wake of the Ukraine conflict. Ukrainian grain exports resume A ship loaded with 70,000 tonnes of Ukrainian corn leaves a Romanian Black Sea port, allowing Kyiv to dodge a Russian blockade of its key grain exports. Romania made the port of Constanta available to Ukraine after the country's ports were cut off in the wake of Russia's invasion. The ship's destination was not immediately revealed. 13 million uprooted More than 5.4 million Ukrainians have fled their country since Russia invaded two months ago, with tens of thousands joining their ranks every day, the United Nations says. Beyond the refugees, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates more than 7.7 million people have been displaced within Ukraine, meaning that more than 13 million people overall have been uprooted by the conflict. Search Keywords: Short link: A Russian rocket attack destroyed an airport runway in Odesa, Ukraine's third-largest city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said Saturday. In a Telegram post, Ukraine's Operational Command South said there was no way that the Odesa runway could be used as a result of the rocket attack. Local authorities urged residents of the area to shelter in place as Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing army sources, reported that ``several'' explosions were heard in Odesa. Odesa's regional governor said that the rocket was fired from Russian-occupied Crimea. Maksym Marchenko said there were no reports of any injuries. Russian forces have embarked on a major military operation to seize significant parts of southern and eastern Ukraine, the country's industrial heartland, and capture the country's Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts. Search Keywords: Short link: Ahram: In light of crises like the COVID epidemic, supply chain disruptions and the Russian-Ukrainian war, what are the challenges that the International Labour Organisation sees? Guy Rider: What we see in every crisis is that the most vulnerable people suffer the most. Even during recovery processes, it is often the most disadvantaged that profit the least. Furthermore, these crises hit the world when labour markets were already faced with the impact of the challenges like new and old demographic realities, uneven technological changes, and climate change in addition to persistent labour market realities such as gender inequalities, high levels of unemployment especially for young people, informality, lack of social protections and increasing working poverty. Progress made in these areas, which were modest in many countries, are now at risk. There is a danger that we can lose decades of achievements in labour markets around the world. These are the unprecedented obstacles we need to overcome to ensure a human-centred recovery. A: The world will celebrate Labour Day on the first of May. What is your message to workers on their holiday? GR: Labour Day serves as a reminder of the importance in our lives of each and every worker, ranging from health workers to store workers, bakers to delivery staff, farmers to pharmacists, barbers to waiters and waitresses, domestic workers to taxi drivers. The outbreak of COVID-19 has primarily hit lives and livelihoods of those that had already been in precarious situations prior to the crisis. Informal economy workers, among whom women, migrants and young workers are overrepresented, and workers in precarious work arrangements or new forms of work such as in the platform economy have seen income and employment fall dramatically, threatening to plunge millions of workers into poverty. The labour market recovery in 2022 will be slower than initially projected and global unemployment is expected to remain above pre-COVID-19 levels until at least 2023. Particularly worrisome, is the deepening inequalities within and among countries, a damage that is likely to require years to repair, with potential long-term consequences for labour force participation, household incomes and social cohesion. But we must also recall that such inequalities are not just a consequence of the current crisis, much as they have been exacerbated; and nor is this by any means the only crisis we have faced in the recent past. The relevance of the Centenary Declaration, adopted by the International Labour Conference in 2019, to the impact of COVID-19 on the world of work was further underlined unanimously by the ILO constituents with the adoption of the call to action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis at the International Labour Conference in June this year. What we need to do now is to focus on a human-centred recovery that creates decent work, especially in the green, care and digital economies to contribute to a just transition to carbon neutral economies.That is what we are trying to achieve at the ILO. A: The three crises previously mentioned eliminated millions of jobs. What is the role of the organisation in setting policies to limit the impact of this on developing countries in particular? What lessons can be learned from the COVID-19 crisis in formulating a vision for social protection? GR: The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a stress test for gauging national crisis preparedness. Pervasive challenges such as high levels of economic insecurity, persistent poverty, rising inequality, extensive informality and a fragile social contract have been exacerbated by COVID-19. The crisis also exposed the vulnerability of billions of people who seemed to be getting by relatively well but were not adequately protected from the socio-economic shock waves it has emitted. The pandemics socio-economic impacts have made it difficult for policymakers to ignore a number of population groups including children, older persons, unpaid carers, and women and men working in diverse forms of employment and in the informal economy who were covered either inadequately or not at all by existing social protection measures. In revealing these gaps, ILOs reports show that the pandemic has propelled countries into unprecedented policy action, with social protection at the forefront. Countries with solid social protection systems in place before the crisis could rely on pre-existing schemes that automatically fulfilled their protective function, while injecting further financing where needed and focusing on emergency programmes to help groups in need of additional support. Countries with weaker social protection systems faced greater challenges, having to urgently fill gaps by introducing new measures or extending the coverage. Let us not forget that right now more than half of the global population, some four billion people, have no social protection at all. Gaps in the coverage, comprehensiveness and adequacy of social protection systems are associated with significant underinvestment in social protection, particularly in Africa, the Arab states and Asia. Countries spend on average 12.9 percent of their GDP on social protection (excluding health), but this figure masks staggering variations. High-income countries spend on average 16.4 percent, or twice as much as upper-middle-income countries (which spend eight percent), six times as much as lower-middle-income countries (2.5 percent), and 15 times as much as low-income countries (1.1 percent). The crisis has poignantly demonstrated not only that from the viewpoint of human rights it is unacceptable to deny people their fundamental rights and jeopardise their human dignity, but that we are all only as safe as the most vulnerable among us. Consequently, it is essential that countries governments, social partners and other stakeholders now resist the pressures to fall back on a low-road trajectory and that they pursue a high-road social protection strategy to contend with the ongoing pandemic, and to secure a human-centred recovery and an inclusive future. A: During the past two years, there have been "serious consequences" for two billion workers in the informal sector in the world. What is your vision to reduce these consequences in terms of job security and the minimum wage? GR: Indeed, two billion people more than six out of ten workers in the world make their living in the informal economy. The ILO estimates that some 1.6 billion of these workers have been significantly impacted by the COVID pandemic. Among them, women and young workers have been particularly hard hit. In the early stages of the pandemic, in countries characterised by large informal economies, informal workers were more likely than formal workers to lose their jobs or be forced into inactivity by lockdowns and other measures. In response, a significant number of governments have included the informal workers among the beneficiaries of their policies and measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis. As the crisis recedes, governments can move from emergency responses to more sustainable mechanisms. This means realising one or several of the following actions: (1) extending legal coverage to those excluded or insufficiently covered; (2) providing an adequate level of legal protection and (3) ensuring an effective compliance with laws and regulations. Minimum wages is one of the laws and regulations which tends to be poorly complied with wage employees in the informal economy. The latest Global Wage Report shows that, even before the pandemic, there were an estimated 266 million wage workers (15 percent of all wage earners) who were paid less than the minimum wage. Although difficult to quantify, it is very likely that the pandemic has dramatically increased the number of people who work in the informal economy for less than the minimum wage. At the end, formalisation of the economy is a complex and long-term process that often requires to combine interventions on laws and regulations with those aiming to foster productivity and the ability to generate wealth. For part of the workforce, the reduction of decent work deficits is the first step toward a progressive formalisation in the longer term. The significant reduction of informality in some countries illustrates that achieving results is largely possible. In this regard, tripartite and bipartite social dialogue should be the bedrock of policy responses. Employers and workers organisations can play a critical role in delivering or advocating for support services, such as access to technologies, finance and business development services, and fostering linkages with formal enterprises as an incentive for formalisation. To be even more effective, the measures should strengthen dialogue and cooperation between the tripartite partners and the organisations representing those in the informal economy. Therefore, effective consultation with social partners is essential to prevent possible negative impact of such actions on the overall economy. A: How do you explain the decline in union affiliation in all its professional sectors? And how this is affecting their capacities in supporting workers for COVID-19 recovery? GR: Trade union membership worldwide has been going down over time in certain sectors, despite a number of bright spots in certain African or Latin American countries where membership increased. Different factors come into play in this overall decrease such as the shift from manufacturing to service jobs, the outsourcing of unionised jobs, the informalisation of the economy and the changing employment relationship, and automation. Trade union membership is lower for people in non-standard or precarious types of employment, such as temporary and own-account workers or workers in the informal and gig economy Furthermore, legal restrictions and violations of trade union rights, such as the right to organise and to bargain collectively, are widespread. This affects trade unions ability to organise, to represent and to service workers. Not surprisingly, trade union membership is lower there where there are violations of trade union rights. On the other hand, we have seen how the lives and livelihoods of workers and their families have been seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that to date has infected over 250 million people and cost over five million lives across the world. The relevance of the Centenary Declaration to the impact of COVID-19 on the world of work was further underlined unanimously by the ILO constituents with the adoption of the Call to Action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis at the International Labour Conference in June this year. Despite the challenges, what is needed for inclusive, sustainable and resilient recovery is the participation of a strong and representative labour movement in social dialogue processes at national, sectoral and international level. We need workers representatives to be part of the design and implementation of economic and social policies that support all workers in order to attain a truly human-centred recovery. Above all, we need to strengthen those labour institutions that have been built over the past century and a half, and ensure that their coverage extends to all workers, especially those who are the most vulnerable in society. A: In the midst of all these calamities and crises, the shortage of skilled manpower still represents a major challenge facing many developing countries in many sectors. What is required to meet these challenges? GR: Labour market challenges are becoming increasingly complex and demand more elaborated skill sets. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries were experiencing a persistent gap between the skills needed in the labour market and skills available. Employers are now expecting workers to be more adaptable, to be equipped with stronger core work skills and to develop their competency profiles at a much quicker pace than ever before. Companies also need these new skills to create the decent jobs at the heart of the intended human-centred recovery. We need to give workers access to the skills development opportunities to evolve within increasingly complex education pathways and careers. The main solutions required for education and training in developing countries revolve around four issues: how to increase access, in particular to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups; how to ensure that the training programmes are market-relevant and training providers are accountable for employment outcomes; how qualifications can be perceived and trusted as reputable signals of competence on the labour market; and how skills systems can effectively transition to digital and blended learning. A: With the loss of millions of jobs, a new crises stemming from jobs at risk due to the rise of automation remains a new dilemma. How can it be dealt with? GR: There is much concern today that new automation technologies and robotics will displace humans in the workplace. Yet, there is little knowledge about how automation will actually play out on the shopfloors and assembly lines of companies and enterprises in different sectors, or the bottlenecks at the practical level. These will affect the extent and speed with which new automation technologies are adopted, and have an impact on employment at the firm, sector and aggregate levels. Automation will be felt differently across the world of work. Workers in advanced economies or with high level of skills will benefit from new technologies that make them more productive, help them deliver their products and services faster or make their workplaces safer. For many workers in emerging markets, or with less advanced skills, however, these new technologies represent a threat to their jobs. But let us be clear: There is a difference between what could, in theory, be automated, and what will be automated. Furthermore, while it may appear that many routine jobs in labour-intensive industries can easily be done by robots, there may be bottlenecks to deploying new technologies. These technological and economic bottlenecks are often overlooked and unappreciated, but could create significant constraints for actual adoption of new technologies. To tackle these challenges, we need to help all workers access the right skills and education to be able to switch jobs. Young people need to be able to access the labour market with a sufficient level of competencies. Retraining and reskilling needs to be available at all ages and experience levels. The education system needs to offer true life-long learning opportunities.At the same time, workers in transition need to receive the necessary support. This requires an adequate social security system for those who have lost their jobs. A: Egypt will organise this year the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27). There are major repercussions of climate change on the rights of workers, the labour market and the productive sectors. What is required to face these repercussions? GR: Climate change is a significant threat to the advancement of social justice and the realisation of decent work for all. The ILO has estimated that an increase in heat stress resulting from global warming could lead to global productivity losses equivalent to 80 million full-time jobs in the year 2030. Six million jobs could be lost in the fossil fuel industries, notably in the Middle East and Africa. But at the same time, some 24 million new jobs could be created through measures to promote renewable energy development, energy efficiency and sustainable transportation. Integrated policies are indispensable. This implies comprehensive national policy frameworks including for skilling, industrial and sectoral policies, enterprise development, social protection, all underpinned by effective social dialogue, policy and institutional coherence. Last February, the ILO organised a Global Policy Forum, which brought together heads of state and government, heads of international organisations and multilateral development banks, and employers and workers leaders from around the world to propose concrete actions to build back better and strengthen the level and coherence of the international communitys response to the social and economic fall-out of the pandemic. As countries work to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, the world faces unprecedented environmental challenges related to climate change, pollution, and plummeting biodiversity, with crucial repercussions on employment. At the forums session on Just Transition, his excellency Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, president of the Arab Republic of Egypt delivered a keynote address underlining the importance of international organisations support for economic recovery efforts and cooperation for a just transition. Indeed, COVID-19 recovery and the response to the climate crisis cannot be disconnected, nor can they be sequenced. Rather, it is imperative to act concomitantly on both for a strong, coordinated and sustainable recovery. The COP27 meeting that Egypt will host is a key milestone to advance the alignment of climate and decent work agendas, delivering on practical ways to support countries in the implementation of nationally determined contributions and net zero targets in ways that create decent work and advance social justice, thereby ensuring a just transition for all. A: The ILO reached its ratification target for the landmark Social Security Convention No.102. Is the mission of the ILO still perceived by different states as intervention in their internal affairs? GR: Achieving the goal of decent work in the globalised economy requires action at the international level. The world community is responding to this challenge in part by developing international legal instruments on trade, finance, the environment, human rights and labour. The ILO contributes to this legal framework by elaborating and promoting international labour standards aimed at making sure that economic growth and development go hand-in-hand with the creation of decent work. International labour standards, including Convention No. 102, are the result of discussions among governments, employers and workers, in consultation with experts from around the world. They represent the international consensus on how a particular labour problem could be addressed at the global level. The legal nature of the standards means that they can be used in legal systems and administrations at the national level, and as part of the corpus of international law which can bring aboutgreater integration of the international community. A: Concerning the countries suffering civil wars and breakdown of production like Yemen, Libya and Syria, what do you offer to the workforces that were laid off? GR: Across the Arab region, the ILO is implementing several programmes to support both host populations and forcibly displaced populations to become resilient through better access to decent work and contribute to long-term economic and social development. The ILOs experience in addressing the employment and decent work needs of refugees and host communities in the region has given us the knowledge, tools, and outreach to respond to the economic and livelihoods challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have moved quickly to adapt our experiences to address these challenges some examples include: conducting impact assessment of COVID-19 and other crises on the labour market in different countries. Using the Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) as an entry point to address inequalities and further expanding to include additional countries in the region like Yemen or promoting skills transfer and e-learning in various occupations for host communities and Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. Al-Azhar condemned Friday terrorist attack on a mosque in Afghanistans capital Kabul that left dozens of worshippers dead and injured. Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim worlds top religious institution, reiterated in a statement on Friday evening its rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism that target places of worship. It also offered its condolences to the Afghan people and the families of the victims, wishing the injured a speedy recovery. The attack against the Khalifa Aga Gul Jan Sunni mosque in eastern Kabul, which came in the form of an explosion, killed and injured more than 50 worshippers after the last Friday prayers of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The source of the explosion remains unidentified, and no one has claimed responsibility for the blast as of yet. The explosion is the latest in a series of relentless terrorist attacks across the Sunni-majority country against civilians and mosques, both Shia and Sunni, some of which have been claimed by Islamic State (IS). IS has been stepping up its attacks across Afghanistan to become the primary enemy of the Taliban since their takeover of the country last August. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypts newly reactivated Presidential Pardon Committee has finished preparing a new list of prisoners who will be pardoned on the occasion of Eid El-Fitr, an official statement read on Saturday. The statement, issued following the committees first meeting after reactivation, did not reveal the names or the number of people included in the list and whether they would include both prisoners and pretrial detainees. The committee, created in 2016, was reactivated as per President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisis directives during the Egyptian Family Iftar banquet that was held on Tuesday. The committee is in charge of reviewing the cases of those imprisoned for political crimes and others who meet certain criteria, such as having more than one relative in jail. The scope of the committee, which started work immediately upon reactivation, has been expanded to cooperation with state institutions and NGOs and to include male and female indebted prisoners. The restructured committee said it will receive pardon requests through many avenues, including through the National Youth Conference website. The committee will also receive requests through the complaints committee of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) and via email to the human rights committees in both the House of the Representatives and Senate. Pardon requests can also be submitted directly to the members of the pardon committee, according to the statement. The committee will complete its work after Eid El-Fitr, examining all pardon requests it receives from youth as well as male and female indebted prisoners, the statement said. The committee will also hold a series of meetings with political parties, syndicates and civil society organisations to discuss their pardon requests. Over the past week, thousands of inmates were released from Egyptian prisons. This included 3,273 inmates who received presidential pardons on Wednesday on the occasion of Sinai Liberation Day on 25 April. Also, 41 pretrial activist detainees were released on Sunday. In press remarks last week, veteran journalist Khaled Dawoud said he submitted a presidential pardon request for a list of 25 pretrial detainees and eight prisoners who received sentences, including renowned activists. The list included the names of "Amal Cell" convicts former MP and lawyer Ziad El-Eleimy, journalists Hisham Fouad and Hossam Mones, said Dawoud. Mones was released last week. The list also includes lawyer Mohamed El-Baqer and blogger Mohamed Ibrahim (aka Mohamed Oxygen), said Dawoud, who was released in April last year after being detained for two years pretrial. Dawouds remarks came shortly after he had side talks with President El-Sisi during the Iftar banquet on Tuesday. The NCHR has hailed the decision to reactivate, restructure and expand the scope of work of the pardon committee. In a statement, the NCHR said the step confirms that there is real intention to close a file that tends to distort Egypts image abroad and have negative effects on any opportunities to conduct an effective and integral political dialogue. Search Keywords: Short link: China will take steps to support its economy, including embattled internet platforms, as risks grow from its COVID-19 outbreaks and conflict in Ukraine, a top decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party said Friday, lifting markets. The coronavirus and conflict in Ukraine have contributed to economic headwinds in a crucial year for China and President Xi Jinping, who is expected to secure a precedent-breaking third leadership term in the autumn. Private economists have said Beijing's target for economic growth of about 5.5 percent this year will be hard to achieve without significant stimulus, as lockdowns and other tough measures to battle the pandemic create havoc for supply chains. Friday's Politburo meeting chaired by Xi said it would support COVID-hit industries and small firms, speed work on infrastructure, and stabilize transport, logistics, and supply chains, according to a statement on the central government's website. "We will strengthen macroeconomic policy adjustments to stabilize the economy, and strive to achieve the expected economic and social development goals for the full year," the statement quoted the Politburo as saying. Top leaders conceded that efforts to stabilize growth, employment and prices were facing new challenges. Prices of everyday goods are going through the roof as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sent grain and feed prices soaring. Poor harvests, rising oil prices and increasing wages are exacerbating inflation. CJ Cheiljedang and Pulmuone raised the prices of their frozen pizza by W1,000 on Thursday (US$1=W1,262). CJ Cheiljedang's Gourmet Chili Gambas Pizza went up from W8,980 to W9,980, while Pulmuone's No Edge Pizza from W6,980 to W7,980. Earlier, Domino's Pizza raised the prices of 10 of its products by W1,000 earlier this year, Mister Pizza by W2,000 and Papa Johns by W1,000 to W2,000. Fried chicken prices are also going up. BBQ will raise the prices of 39 raw ingredients it supplies to franchises by up to 70 percent from June 2. The chain already said it will jack up the prices of its products by W2,000 by that same date. "Grain and feed prices have surged, while the minimum wage also rose, forcing us to raise the costs shouldered by franchisees," a spokesman said. KYODO NEWS - Apr 30, 2022 - 22:20 | All, Japan The mobile phone of the captain of a tour boat that sank off Hokkaido was unreachable during most of its last trip, sources familiar with the case said Saturday, highlighting an apparent failure by the operator of properly managing its communications system. The finding came as 12 people were still unaccounted for a week after the 19-ton Kazu I went missing in rough waters while sightseeing around the scenic Shiretoko Peninsula. The finding highlighted a series of flaws in the communications system by the operator Shiretoko Yuransen, including a broken radio antenna at its office on the day of the accident. It was also found that a Shiretoko Yuransen employee did not know the number of the satellite mobile phone believed to have been kept on the boat, according to the sources. Three days before the accident, Noriyuki Toyoda, the 54-year-old captain of Kazu I, won approval from a regulator to use his mobile phone rather than the satellite mobile phone on the boat as a means of communication, according to the transport ministry. The regulator approved the change because Toyoda said the mobile phone would be reachable on the sea, the ministry said. A call seeking help from the Japan Coast Guard was made using a passenger's mobile phone, sources from the coast guard said. A distress call from the radio on Kazu I was also picked up by another boat operator. The boat had 26 people aboard in total. So far the bodies of 14 people have been found since contact with the boat was lost on April 23. The boat was found underwater on Friday, with the coast guard and the Maritime Self-Defense Force continuing the search of the surrounding waters and Kazu I using an underwater camera. The coast guard is investigating the incident with the operator likely to face charges of professional negligence resulting in death. Shiretoko Yuransen's owner publicly apologized Wednesday, admitting his decision to give the green light to depart despite the chance of bad weather was inappropriate. Related coverage: Missing tourist boat found underwater off Hokkaido Captain of missing Hokkaido boat forced to sail despite high waves Operator of missing Hokkaido boat apologizes for "wrong judgment" KYODO NEWS - Apr 30, 2022 - 15:23 | Arts, All, Japan Japanese film director Takeshi Kitano was honored Friday with a lifetime achievement award at the 24th Far East Film Festival in Italy for his contributions to the industry over more than 30 years. Kitano, known by his stage name Beat Takeshi in Japan, was recognized with the Golden Mulberry Award for Lifetime Achievement for crafting "stories that were personal and universal, that amused and shocked and captivated audiences everywhere," a presenter at the award ceremony said. "Many Italian film fans have grown up with his movies, the biggest Kitano film fan club is in Italy. It is a kind of Kitano religion here," the presenter said. The Far East Film Festival, dedicated to recognizing works made in Asia, started on April 22 for nine days in Udine. "Thank you for (granting me) this amazing award," said Kitano during the ceremony, which he attended virtually from Japan, as he received a huge round of applause from the audience present at the event. "I want to visit Italy with a new movie (next time), to express my apology and gratitude," he added. Kitano's popular works include crime drama "Hana-Bi," which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1997, and "Zatoichi," for which he received the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the same festival in 2003. Kitano, who appeared in the war film "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence," received the Legion of Honor, France's most prestigious award in 2016. Japan's Joe Hisaishi, who has composed music for Studio Ghibli, and kung fu movie star Jackie Chan have previously received the Far East Film Festival's lifetime achievement award. President Ilham Aliyev has said that Azerbaijani Army is becoming even stronger than during the 44-day war with Armenian in 2020. He made the remarks while visiting a military unit of the Defence Ministry Special Forces on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of its establishment on April 30. Reforms are underway in other armed forces as well. New military units capable of conducting special operations are being established, and the Azerbaijani Army is becoming even stronger. Today, our army is even stronger and more powerful than during the war, he said. Noting that a year and a half passed since the second Karabakh war, Aliyev added that one of the factors that preconditioned the victory is patriotism. We have demonstrated to the whole world that we are a great nation and we have fought the war with dignity, he said. The president mentioned that the situation in the region is completely different now. He stressed that Azerbaijan is multiplying its strength as a victorious nation and as a victorious country. He underlined that Azerbaijan has achieved what it wanted, restored historical justice, honorably fulfilled its duty to the people, to history, and to future generations, and doesnt want war. But we must always be alert. Because revanchist forces are still raising their heads in Armenia. There are still those in Armenia who make territorial claims against Azerbaijan. We must always keep it in the spotlight and must not be indifferent to that. This is why additional funds were allocated for army building after the second Karabakh war, he said. Aliyev added that from 2004 to date, military expenditure is and will be the number one expenditure, including the number of special forces. I do not want to say anything about the numbers now, but I can say that after the second Karabakh war, the number of special forces has doubled. The process of selection is now even tougher and the interest is greater, he said. Speaking about the special forces, Aliyev noted that they have made an immense contribution to Azerbaijans victory in the Patriotic War in 2020. I know this as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and I have told the Azerbaijani public about it. All the people of Azerbaijan know this, and the enemy knows it. The liberation of our villages from the first days of the war shook up the enemy. They did not believe that the Azerbaijani Army could achieve this historic victory by breaking through five or six lines of defence with its chest, shedding blood and giving martyrs, he said. The president underlined that from the very first days of the war, Azerbaijans army was moving forward and never took a step back. Recalling that there were more than 10,000 deserters in the Armenian army during the war, he emphasized that there was not a single deserter in the Azerbaijani army. These are the moral qualities of the Azerbaijani people. These are our national spirit and love of the Motherland. It was the love of the homeland, but at the same time, training and professionalism that drove us forward, he said. The president also emphasized the role of special forces, along with other military units, in liberating Azerbaijani cities and villages. After a series of successful operations, our path to Shusha was opened. By saying path, we understand there was no road... From the first day to the last day of the war, our goal was to liberate Shusha, our beloved city, the crown of Karabakh, from Armenian occupation, and we achieved that, you achieved that, the special forces achieved that. Our tireless heroes took days to cross through those valleys and forests, with only light weapons in their hands. They liberated many villages along the way, shed blood, gave martyrs, but did not stop and only marched forward, he said. He added that the number of people going to Shusha through the Victory Road has significantly increased of late, both Azerbaijani and foreign citizens. During their subsequent contacts with me, people ask me how we could build this road in Azerbaijan in such a short time? And I say in reply that this is not the main issue just imagine how our soldiers and officers passed through those forests, paving that road, and by naming this Victory Road, we have inscribed this glorious Victory in our history once again, he said. Recalling that the special military unit was established in Azerbaijans armed forces on the basis of national leader Heydar Aliyevs decision, Ilham Aliyev stressed again that since then special forces have played a tremendous role in achieving the historic victory, having covered a great and glorious road and showing unparalleled heroism in the Patriotic War. The historic victory of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces will forever remain in our history. We will live forever as a victorious nation and as a victorious state. It was our children, soldiers and officers who gave us this joy. All the Armed Forces made a valuable contribution to this Victory, and in this historic Victory was achieved in a matter of 44 days, he said. By Yoshino Matsui, KYODO NEWS - Apr 30, 2022 - 13:45 | Feature, All, Japan, World Once declared to be squatters in a ruling by the nation's top court, descendants of wartime Korean laborers in western Japan opened a museum Saturday, aiming to celebrate the civic collaboration that eventually secured their right of abode. The Utoro Peace Memorial Museum, located in Kyoto Prefecture's Uji, chronicles 77 years of struggle, starting with the first generation of Korean residents there who chose to stay in Japan at the end of World War II, partly because of the difficulties of returning to the Korean Peninsula. They had been involved in building an airfield when the war came to a close in 1945, but Japan's defeat stopped construction. An estimated 1,300 workers from the peninsula, then under Japanese rule, were engaged in the construction of the airfield, according to the operator of the three-storied museum. Often facing discrimination in Japanese society, those who continued living in bunkhouses for Korean airfield laborers formed a community that became known as Utoro. Residents supported each other in the years after the war, and with cheaper rents, the neighborhood also attracted Koreans from other parts of Japan. But while the nation overall quickly recovered from the war's destruction, Utoro households went entirely without water due to the lack of legal land ownership until 1988, when Uji city authorities finally laid water pipes after obtaining approval from the landowner at the time. Despite the lack of such a basic utility, which forced them to draw water from wells, the residents were allowed to continue living in the community for decades. They built houses and raised children who then started families of their own in Utoro. But their life was upended when a real estate firm in Osaka Prefecture, which had obtained the legal ownership of Utoro's land, filed a lawsuit with the Kyoto District Court in February 1989, demanding the residents vacate the 2-hectare plot and their houses. The real estate firm had purchased the land from Nissan Shatai Co., a member of the Nissan Motor group, which manufactured aircraft during the war and had been the owner of the Utoro property. Facing the threat of eviction, the residents sent representatives to the United States while placing an ad in The New York Times to appeal for support in protecting their homes. The residents thought support from American consumers could sway Nissan, which they said had ignored their request for negotiations. As the plight of the Utoro community became more widely known to surrounding Japanese neighborhoods through the lawsuit, a group of Japanese citizens in Kyoto Prefecture, including scholars, formed the Association to Protect Utoro in March 1989. Akiko Tagawa, the current leader of the association, said she started helping people of Utoro after becoming acquainted with a woman from the community who was the same age as her. "She told me there was no running water or sewage and she could see the stars in the sky at night from inside her house" through gaps in the roof, said Tagawa, also director of the museum. "I was shocked at how different it was from the environment I grew up in." The legal battle dragged on until November 2000, when the Supreme Court upheld lower court rulings in favor of the real estate developer, giving the green light to the eviction of all Utoro households. As Japan's local and central governments stood by, remaining uninterested in the dispute, it was the United Nations that actively supported the Utoro community. In July 2005, the U.N. special rapporteur on racism, Doudou Diene, visited the community to witness the precarious conditions in which the ethnic Koreans lived, and met elderly first-generation residents who told him about their fear of losing a place to live. In a report on his visit to Japan to the U.N. Economic and Social Council, the Senegalese jurist wrote that sanitary conditions in Utoro were "deplorable," with many families still having no running water and there being no sewage pipes, while residents suffered from frequent floods and sewage reflux. "The poor existing basic infrastructures were built by the inhabitants: public authorities never came to this area," he said. Lamenting that the Koreans lived under the constant threat of eviction, the U.N. special rapporteur called on the Japanese government to take immediate action to save them from becoming homeless. Support also grew notably in South Korea. A South Korean NGO sent a fact-finding team to Utoro. Citizens raised funds to help Utoro residents purchase the land on which they lived. In December 2007, the country's National Assembly approved 3 billion won of public funds to be spent on Utoro residents. Using the funds raised from Korean residents in Japan, Japanese citizens and South Korean citizens and the South Korean government, about a third of the Utoro property was purchased by 2011. The residents later agreed with the central and local governments to tear down their houses so that public housing could be built, and implementing a range of works to improve the local living environment. The museum, built entirely with donations, is part of an ongoing plan being promoted by the city of Uji and the residents to better the living climate. In January 2018, the phase-one construction of public housing was completed and 40 Korean households moved into the brand-new building. But just when a bright new chapter seemed to have opened for Utoro, the community was hit by an arson attack in August 2021. Although no one was injured, the fire gutted or damaged seven buildings. About 40 signs that used to stand on Utoro streets, which were to be on display at the museum, were also burned down. A 22-year-old Japanese man indicted over the attack last December later told Kyodo News in written correspondence that he committed the crime in order to draw attention to what he called the residents' "illegal land occupation," despite the fact the residents were now the legal landowners. The museum exhibits old household items used by the residents as well as photos and videos. Outside the museum stands an old wooden house that is the only surviving bunkhouse from the wartime period, showing visitors how the Korean laborers used to live. It also has a multipurpose hall and an outdoor exhibition space where various events can be held to promote exchanges between visitors and local residents. The museum is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is 100 yen ($0.75) for elementary school pupils and 300 yen for anyone older. "Utoro is a town created by war, but this museum is a place to pray for peace. I hope many Japanese, especially young people, will visit," Tagawa said. Since the arson attack forced the museum operator to enhance security measures, it is soliciting additional donations from the public. Related coverage: Ethnic Korean singer hopes hometown's changeover will spur inclusiveness Civic group denounces arson attack on Korean settlement in Japan Timeline of key events in history of Utoro community of ethnic Koreans The following is a chronology of key events in the history of Utoro, a community of ethnic Koreans in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture in western Japan. Around 1943 -- Bunkhouses built in the current Utoro quarter for Korean workers constructing an airfield. Aug. 1945 -- Airfield construction suspended following Japan's defeat in World War II. Estimated 1,300 Korean laborers left abandoned, some of them continue living in Utoro. 1988 -- Waterworks system installed in Utoro. Until then, residents had to draw water from wells. Feb. 1989 -- Real estate firm in Osaka Prefecture, legal owner of Utoro land at the time, files a lawsuit with Kyoto District Court, demanding residents vacate the 2-hectare plot and their houses. March -- Japanese citizens in Kyoto Prefecture form Association to Protect Utoro. March 1993 -- Residents place a full-page ad in New York Times, seeking support from Americans in the land ownership dispute. 1998 -- Kyoto District Court rules against Utoro residents. Appeal filed with Osaka High Court, but later dismissed. Residents appeal to Supreme Court. Nov. 2000 -- Supreme Court upholds lower court rulings. July 2005 -- Doudou Diene, special rapporteur of U.N. Commission on Human Rights, visits Utoro. Dec. 2007 -- South Korea's National Assembly approves 3 billion won of public funds to be spent on Utoro residents. 2010 and 2011 -- Using donations from Korean residents, Japanese and South Korean citizens and the South Korean government, about a third of Utoro land is purchased from the real estate firm. June 2016 -- Uji city begins tearing down old houses to build public housing in Utoro. Jan. 2018 -- Phase-one construction of public housing completed. 40 Korean households move into the building. Aug. 2021 -- Utoro hit by arson attack. No one injured but fire guts or damages seven buildings. Dec. -- 22-year-old Japanese man indicted over the attack. April 30, 2022 -- Utoro Peace Memorial Museum opens. KYODO NEWS - Apr 30, 2022 - 16:06 | World, All North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reiterated his intention to "pre-emptively" use the country's nuclear weapons if the nation is threatened by what it regards as "hostile forces," state-run media reported Saturday. While praising top military officials who directed a vast military parade in Pyongyang earlier in the week, Kim was quoted by the official Korean Central News Agency as expressing his eagerness to continue developing nuclear weapons. North Korea will "pre-emptively and thoroughly contain and frustrate all dangerous attempts and threatening moves, including ever-escalating nuclear threats from hostile forces, if necessary," Kim told the military officials, according to the news agency. On the occasion of the military parade on Monday to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's army, Kim pledged to bolster development of nuclear weapons at a faster pace and use them if the country's fundamental interests are jeopardized. Kim's remarks were an apparent warning to the United States, which has recently deployed a nuclear aircraft carrier to the Sea of Japan, and South Korea, where conservative President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol will take office on May 10. South Korea has said it has detected activity to restore tunnels at North Korea's only known nuclear test site. In May 2018, Pyongyang said it had "completely" demolished the Punggye-ri site in the presence of foreign reporters. The United States and its security allies South Korea and Japan have strengthened surveillance of North Korea, with concern mounting that Pyongyang will launch an intercontinental ballistic missile or conduct its seventh nuclear test in the near future. On March 24, North Korea conducted the first launch of an ICBM since November 2017, marking an end to its self-imposed moratorium on such firings stretching back to April 2018. KCNA said the missile was a Hwasong-17. Pyongyang said earlier this year that it may resume all "activities" it had temporarily suspended to build trust with former U.S. President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden's predecessor, while urging Washington to change its "hostile policy." On April 17, KCNA reported Kim observed the test-firing of a "new-type tactical guided weapon" the previous day. Some foreign affairs experts say that it could carry a tactical nuclear weapon for a limited strike. North Korea's media, meanwhile, said that Kim and outgoing South Korean President Moon Jae In exchanged personal letters and shared the view that inter-Korean ties "would improve" if both sides "make tireless efforts with hope." The United States and North Korea remain technically in a state of war as the 1950-1953 Korean War, in which U.S.-led U.N. forces fought alongside the South against the North supported by China and the Soviet Union, ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. North Korea's last nuclear test, its sixth, took place in September 2017. Trump called on Kim to scrap all of the country's nuclear facilities, including undeclared ones, but it is uncertain whether Pyongyang has dismantled them. Related coverage: North Korea's Kim vows to boost nuclear arms, use them if provoked North Korea holds military parade in Pyongyang to mark key anniversary North Korea test-fired "new-type tactical guided weapon": KCNA KYODO NEWS - Apr 27, 2022 - 00:09 | All, Japan Sonar readings have detected multiple objects on Tuesday in the search for the tour boat that disappeared off Hokkaido, with one near the scene already ruled out after diving investigations were curtailed by bad weather, the coast guard said. As part of search operations for the 19-ton Kazu I that went missing on Saturday with 26 people aboard, a sonar reading from a depth of around 30 meters taken near where the boat issued its first rescue call showed an object. A Japan Coast Guard official said later that "the possibility is low that Kazu I can be found" around the area of the object detected. Of the 26 including two crew, 11 fatalities were confirmed as of Monday, with the remaining 15 unaccounted for. Diving operations were cut short by high waves Tuesday, and strong winds are expected over the next few days. The president of the boat's operator Shiretoko Yuransen plans to hold the firm's first press conference on the boat incident on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The coast guard is investigating the incident with an eye to building a case against the boat's operator on charges of professional negligence resulting in death or endangering traffic. Kazu I sailed off Japan's northernmost main island, despite bad weather forecasts and warnings, to view the peninsula in northeastern Hokkaido known for drift ice tours. "I thought we could still go ahead" with the trip, the operator's president said when asked by relatives of the passengers. At a press conference Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he has told the transport ministry to establish a review committee to discuss prevention and safety measures that include legal controls. The search has expanded to waters controlled by Russia, with the coast guard notifying the Russian authorities on Monday in line with the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue. In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference that Russia had told Japan it would share any relevant information. Beyond the peninsula lie four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan. The islets in the long-standing territorial dispute are called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia. Matsuno, the top government spokesman, said the search operations were "not affected" markedly by Japan's relations with Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Japan has joined the United States and other Western nations in imposing economic sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in late February. The boat left port in Shari to cruise along the peninsula designated a World Natural Heritage site in 2005 and home to many rare species of animals and plants. Before contact was lost, the vessel crewed by 54-year-old captain Noriyuki Toyoda and a deckhand told the Shari-based operator at around 2 p.m. Saturday that it was listing 30 degrees, according to the coast guard. Local fishing boats remained in port due to high waves and strong winds, and acquaintances warned Toyoda not to go to sea. In May last year, three passengers were left injured after Kazu I collided with a floating object, while in June it ran aground in shallow water shortly after leaving port, according to the transport ministry. The coast guard referred Toyoda to prosecutors over the June incident, in which no one was injured. Related coverage: Fatalities from missing boat rise to 11 after girl confirmed dead Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema waves during the Kaunda Day celebration in Lusaka, Zambia, on April 28, 2022. Zambians on Thursday marked the inaugural Kaunda Day in honor of the country's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda with a call to promote the value of unity that he espoused. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua) LUSAKA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Zambians on Thursday marked the inaugural Kaunda Day in honor of the country's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda with a call to promote the value of unity that he espoused. Former President Edgar Lungu declared April 28, the day Kaunda was born, as a public holiday during Kaunda's funeral last year to remember the sacrifices he and other freedom fighters made to free the country from colonialism. Kaunda ruled Zambia from 1964 when the country got its independence to 1991. He died on June 17, 2021. The event was marked by various activities, including the launch of a cleaning exercise in the central business district of Lusaka, the country's capital, by President Hakainde Hichilema, and the opening of the Kenneth Kaunda Temporal Exhibition at the Lusaka Museum by Vice-President Mutale Nalumango. Hichilema, who participated in the clearing of the garbage, said it was important to emulate the life of Kaunda which included hard work and service to the people. He said Kaunda was a special person not only to Zambia and the region but to the rest of the world, adding that he offered himself for the service of the people from a young age. He said the unity Kaunda promoted during his 27-year reign must be emulated by all citizens, adding that anything that promotes disunity must be frowned upon. According to him, Kaunda espoused a humane spirit that must be carried forward by the current and future generations. The Zambian president said there was a need to inculcate the spirit of keeping the environment clean which needs to be localized and promoting a culture of cleanliness, and a clean environment will go a long way in lessening the disease burden in the country. "We must clean our surroundings; we must be orderly and raise our children in a clean environment so that when they grow up they can understand that dirty surroundings are not good," he said. People take part in a cleaning activity on the Kaunda Day in Lusaka, Zambia, on April 28, 2022. Zambians on Thursday marked the inaugural Kaunda Day in honor of the country's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda with a call to promote the value of unity that he espoused. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua) Soldiers take part in a cleaning activity on the Kaunda Day in Lusaka, Zambia, on April 28, 2022. Zambians on Thursday marked the inaugural Kaunda Day in honor of the country's founding leader Kenneth Kaunda with a call to promote the value of unity that he espoused. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua) People stand outside the hospital where wounded people receive treatment after an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 29, 2022. At least 10 people were killed and 20 others wounded after an explosion ripped through a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, officials and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) KABUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and 20 others wounded after an explosion ripped through a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, officials and eyewitnesses said. "The initial reports found that 10 people were killed and 20 wounded. The number of the killed and wounded may change as the casualties were transported to multiple hospitals," Abdul Nafeh, a spokesman of the Interior Ministry, told Xinhua. "The blast occurred roughly at 3:45 p.m. (local time), more than one hour after Friday prayers. The worshippers in Khalifa Sahib Mosque in Sera-e-Allawoddin area of Karta-e-Sah locality were the apparent target of the blast. The nature of the blast has not been determined. It could be a suicide bomb blast," witness Mohammad Bashir told Xinhua. The attack came when a group of worshippers were making a ritual prayer in observing the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The neighborhood is located in Police District 6 in the western part of the city. The Taliban security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. In recent weeks the war-torn country has been hit by a series of terror attacks reportedly staged by militants of the Islamic State (IS) group opposing Afghanistan's Taliban-led caretaker government. Two explosions targeting two buses in northern Mazar-i-Sharif city left 11 people dead and 17 others wounded on Thursday evening, the Tolo News TV reported. According to the report, the IS group claimed responsibility for the Mazar-i-Sharif blasts. A security member stands guard near an explosion site in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 29, 2022. At least 10 people were killed and 20 others wounded after an explosion ripped through a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, officials and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) People send an injured man to a hospital after an explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 29, 2022. At least 10 people were killed and 20 others wounded after an explosion ripped through a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, officials and eyewitnesses said. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Ships and facilities are seen at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Antwerp, Belgium, April 28, 2022. The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge have merged into Europe's largest port, allowing for exports of 147 million tons per year. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) BRUSSELS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge have merged into Europe's largest port, allowing for exports of 147 million tons per year. At a ceremony for the new Antwerp-Bruges port held in Antwerp, Belgium, on Thursday, the port authority said the merger will allow the two ports to boost their roles as green energy hubs within Europe, and as global players within the supply chain. With an overall throughput of 289 million tons per year, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a critical hub in worldwide trade and industry, and a crucial link for the handling of containers, breakbulk and vehicles. It is also home to 1,400 companies, and creates around 164,000 jobs, which generates an added value of 21 billion euros. The newly-unified port plans to further strengthen its position in the international logistics chain, and take a leading role in energy and digital transition. In addition, by 2028 the Port of Antwerp-Bruges should have the capacity to receive the first green hydrogen molecules on its platform, playing a key role in the roll-out of the hydrogen economy. In February 2021, the City of Antwerp and the City of Bruges announced the launch of the merger process for their respective ports. On April 22 this year, the two cities signed the shareholders' agreement of the unified port company. Ships and facilities are seen at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Antwerp, Belgium, April 28, 2022. The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge have merged into Europe's largest port, allowing for exports of 147 million tons per year. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Ships and facilities are seen at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Antwerp, Belgium, April 28, 2022. The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge have merged into Europe's largest port, allowing for exports of 147 million tons per year. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Annick De Ridder (C), Vice Mayor of Antwerp and President of the board of directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Dirk De faux (R), Mayor of the City of Bruges and Vice President of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and CEO of Port of Antwerp-Bruges Jacques Vandermeiren attend the merger ceremony in Antwerp, Belgium, April 28, 2022. The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge have merged into Europe's largest port, allowing for exports of 147 million tons per year. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) A protester hurls stones at Israeli soldiers during clashes following a protest against the closure of Azoon village entrance in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, April 30, 2022. A 27-year-old Palestinian, Yahia Odwan, was killed and three were injured late Friday night by Israeli soldiers in clashes near the West Bank city of Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) RAMALLAH, April 30 (Xinhua) -- A 27-year-old Palestinian was killed and three were injured late Friday night by Israeli soldiers in clashes near the West Bank city of Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Yahia Odwan was killed during clashes that broke out in the village of Azoon, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, the ministry said in a short press statement. Israeli authorities have not given any immediate comment on the incidents. But Israeli media said that Odwan is a former prisoner recently released from an Israeli jail and tried to carry out a ramming attack against Israeli soldiers in the area, who then chased his car and opened fire on it. The killing of Odwan coincided with a shooting attack carried out by Palestinian gunmen near the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the West Bank, Israeli media reported. An Israeli security guard was killed, and Israeli soldiers and security services have launched a massive hunt for the suspects. Relatives of Palestinian Yahia Odwan, who was killed by Israeli soldiers, mourn during his funeral in Azoon village, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, April 30, 2022. A 27-year-old Palestinian, Yahia Odwan, was killed and three were injured late Friday night by Israeli soldiers in clashes near the West Bank city of Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) Israeli soldiers are seen during clashes with Palestinians following a protest against the closure of Azoon village entrance in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, April 30, 2022. A 27-year-old Palestinian, Yahia Odwan, was killed and three were injured late Friday night by Israeli soldiers in clashes near the West Bank city of Qalqilya, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) A craftsman sells his handicrafts aboard a slow train running in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 28, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Passengers take selfies aboard a slow train bound for Urumqi in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 29, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) This combo photo shows (top) a layer of sand on the junction of two train carriages as the train runs though areas hit by the ravaging wind-blown sand on April 27, 2022, and (bottom) a train steward cleaning the sand on the junction of two train carriages of a slow train running in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 27, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A senior passenger talks with a kid aboard a slow train bound for Hotan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 27, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A train attendant studies the reference for Uygur language and Mandarin Chinese translation aboard a slow train running in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 29, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A train steward waits for passengers on the platform beside a slow train bound for Hotan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 27, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Passengers take a rest aboard a slow train bound for Hotan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 27, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A train conductor learns about the health condition of a passenger with disability aboard a slow train bound for Hotan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 27, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Passengers choose handicrafts aboard a slow train running in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 28, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Passengers get off a slow train in Hotan Railway Station in Hotan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 27, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) This combo photo shows (top) passengers walking to Hotan Railway Station in Hotan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 28, 2022 , and (bottom) passengers walking out of Urumqi Railway Station in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 29, 2022, As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Train attendants wait for passengers on the platform beside a slow train bound for Hotan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 27, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A passenger takes photos of scenery along the rail route aboard a slow train bound for Urumqi in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 29, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A train steward helps a passenger put the luggage in place aboard a slow train bound for Urumqi in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 28, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Children play toys aboard a slow train bound for Hotan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 27, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Passengers look out of a window aboard a slow train bound for Urumqi in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 28, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) A passenger plays the guitar aboard a slow train bound for Hotan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 27, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) Passengers have their tickets checked to board the train 7558 bound for Urumqi in Hotan Railway Station in Hotan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 28, 2022. As bullet trains zoom through stations in many parts of China, the seemingly outdated, rumbling slow-speed trains have continued to serve residents of remote areas with stable ticket prices and services. Though home to the world's most developed high-speed railway network, China still regularly operates 81 slow train services. The trains 7556/7557 and 7558/7555, running between Xinjiang's capital Urumqi and Hotan, are typical examples. The whole journey of the trains is 1,960 km, with 66 stops along the way. Since the trains' operation in June 2011, the fares have remained affordable for locals to help them shake off poverty and embrace better lives. People adore taking the slow-speed trains to carry goods to markets, send children to schools, and head for megacities as migrant workers. The slow trains, carrying the hope of local people, move forward steadily and surely with a unique rhythm that has not changed for years. (Xinhua/Ding Lei) DAMASCUS, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday issued a general amnesty pardoning the crimes committed before April 30, state news agency SANA reported. The pardon covers terror-related crimes that didn't cause any deaths, SANA reported, citing a copy of the presidential decree. Assad has issued several pardons during the nearly 11-year civil war in Syria, aiming to allow the Syrians who broke certain laws to return to normal life. This one comes a day before the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr. BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- It was an ordinary day in the 1980s. As Feng Yuming toiled in the cotton fields, a young man parked his bike by the fields and approached him. "Hello, uncle Feng! I'm here to learn how to grow cotton from you," the young man politely greeted Feng, who was regarded as a local expert in cotton cultivation. Feng was initially taken aback by the courteous demeanor, and was even more surprised when he realized that the young man was 29-year-old Xi Jinping, who was then deputy chief of the Communist Party of China committee of Zhengding county, Hebei Province. Xi has never been someone who likes sitting idly by. Early in his life, he has fostered the habit of going on field trips to forge close ties with the people and hear their thoughts. In Zhengding, his passion for making such trips to connect with local residents has left a lasting impression on his colleagues. When Xi first came to work in the county, he didn't start giving orders and instructions right away, recalled Li Yaping, a former county official who worked closely with him. "Instead, he spent the first three months visiting places in the county to get familiar with local situations." Xi's down-to-earth attitude toward work enabled him to identify the most pressing issues that needed to be addressed. Zhou Weisi, a former journalist who interviewed Xi in 1984, recalled a field trip during which Xi inspected school conditions in a local village. Shocked by the poorly equipped classrooms with shattered windows at a primary school, Xi immediately questioned the principal, "How can you bear to see children studying in such run-down classrooms?" Upon learning that the village was financially capable of refurbishing the school but did not allocate the funds, Xi instructed, "You are to discuss the matter tonight and submit a rectification plan next week to the county education bureau." Of course, Xi's inspection trips were more than just discovering problems. Along the way, he also made new friends at the grassroots level, and Feng was one of them. Recalling those days, Gao Peiqi, who worked in the county's publicity department at the time, said that not long after meeting Feng in the cotton field, Xi spent time learning cotton-growing techniques from the veteran farmer, and developed a close friendship with him. "Later, Xi promoted the techniques across the county," said Gao, adding that these efforts resulted in a significant increase in local cotton yield, bringing tangible benefits to the cotton growers. Even after becoming the country's top leader, Xi has never alienated himself from the people. Whenever his inspection tour takes him to local households, he always asks specific questions to learn about their livelihoods and find out their needs. Xi had made up his mind to devote himself to the country and the people early in his life, Li Yaping summarized. Four-month trade surplus hits US$2.53 billion Vietnam posted a trade surplus of US$1.07 billion in April, bringing the total in the first four months of this year to US$2.53 billion, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). Total import and export turnover over the four-month period reached US$ 242.19 billion in which, exports hit US$122.36 billion and imports reached US$ 119.83 billion. Vietnam enjoys a trade surplus of US$2.53 billion during the first four months of this year. In the January-April period, the domestic economic sector suffered a trade deficit of US$ 9.2 billion, while the foreign-invested sector enjoyed a surplus of US$11.73 billion. Export turnover in April alone was estimated at US$33.26 billion, down 4.2% over the previous month and up 25% on- year. So far this year, 22 goods groups have seen export revenue exceeding US$1 billion, including five each with a revenue of more than US$5 billion. Exports of fuel and mineral products accounted for 1.3% of the total export revenue, while the contribution from the processing sector is 89%, and that of the agro-forestry and fisheries sectors, 6.8% and 2.9%. In the period, the trade surplus generated from the EU market stood at US$10.4 billion, representing a year-on-year of 36.1%. In order to promote export in the time to come, the Ministry of Industry and Trade reminded exporters to apply measures against risks while trading with foreign businesses. Local exporters were also advised to fully utilize the advantages of 15 free trade agreements (FTAs) that Vietnam has signed to boost market diversification. Throughout the reviewed period, the US remained Vietnams largest export market with US$35.7 billion, while China was the largest goods supplier with US$37.1 billion worth of goods. By Trend Jean-Michel Brun, Director General of French Lagazetteaz.fr newspaper, founded by Trend news agency, said he was impressed by the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's speech in foreign language at the international conference on "South Caucasus: Development and Cooperation", Trend reports. Brun made the remark on the sidelines of the mentioned conference held on April 29 in ADA University in Baku. "President Ilham Aliyev talked to us without making any notes for three hours. It's great," he said. Brun pointed out that the president spoke at the conference about the situation in Azerbaijans Karabakh, relations with Turkey, Iran and Russia, as well as with Europe, and about the conflict with Armenia. "The Armenian diaspora, numbering about 700,000 people, has great influence in France. Therefore, some politicians support Armenia. However, Im sure that after the current presidential election in France, ties between Azerbaijan and France will be stronger in the future," he added. Brun also noted that hes currently writing a book about Azerbaijans Shusha [liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 second Karabakh war]. JERUSALEM, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military is operating in the West Bank on Saturday in an attempt to apprehend two suspected militants who shot dead an Israeli security guard in the West Bank settlement of Ariel late Friday. The manhunt begun immediately after the attack and is being conducted through intelligence and on the ground with special forces and in cooperation with Israeli police and the General Secret Service, an anonymous military official told reporters. The official added that two operatives from the Hamas militant organization were arrested overnight, but he did not confirm whether they were related to the attack. Roadblocks and checkpoints were set up around the West Bank in the aftermath of the incident. The escalation comes at a time of heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians over the past few weeks. Israeli forces have beefed up their presence in the Palestinian cities in the West Bank since a series of attacks in recent weeks have killed 15 Israelis. CANBERRA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has promised to cut the cost of medications if re-elected in May. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday announced the Coalition would spend 150 million Australian dollars (105.9 million U.S. dollars) to reduce the out-of-pocket costs of medicines from 2023 if elected on May 21. Under the plan, the maximum cost of all medications subsidized by the government under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) would be reduced from 42.50 Australian dollars (30 U.S. dollars) per prescription to 32.50 Australian dollars (22.9 U.S. dollars). Morrison said the measure would offer immediate cost of living relief to 19 million Australians. "In the Budget this year, we understood the need to take action to provide relief on cost of living pressures, and we know those pressures are real," he told reporters. "There are many things you can't control... but you can make the safety net more generous to help people who are on these medications, and you can reduce this non-concessional payment down by 10 Australian dollars on every single script." According to the Health Department of the Australian government, as of Friday afternoon, the country has recorded more than 42,000 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to more than 5.7 million. The death toll stood at 7,189. Saturday marked day 20 of the election campaign and three weeks until polling day. According to opinion polls, the Coalition has failed to make up significant ground on the Opposition Labor Party during the campaign. Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Saturday hit the campaign trail in Western Australia (WA) ahead of officially launching the party's campaign on Sunday. On Saturday he promised a Labor government would establish a royal commission into the Robodebt scheme -- an automated government system for recovering debts from welfare recipients that was ruled unlawful in 2019. Morrison, who was the Minister for Social Services when Robodebt was launched, has denied any responsibility for the scheme, which pursued more than 400,000 wrongly-issued debts. Albanese described it as "a human tragedy, wrought by this government." "Against all evidence, and all the outcry, the government insisted on using algorithms instead of people to pursue debt recovery against Australians who in many cases had no debt to pay," he said. "It caused untold misery. Only an Albanese Labor government will find out the truth," he said. BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered search and rescue efforts at all costs after a self-constructed residential building collapsed in central China's Hunan Province. Xi made the instruction immediately after the incident, which took place at 12:24 p.m. on Friday in Wangcheng District in the provincial capital Changsha. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged all-out efforts to save the injured and prevent secondary disasters. Xi ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident and the disclosure of authoritative information promptly. Xi asked for a nationwide special campaign to defuse risks with self-constructed buildings to protect people's lives and property and ensure social stability. Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, urged swift efforts to rescue the trapped and ordered local authorities to address the risks in the construction sector, especially with self-constructed buildings used for operating businesses, to prevent major accidents. State Councilor Wang Yong and officials from central and local authorities have arrived at the scene, and the search and rescue efforts are still underway. State Councilor Wang Yong and officials from central and local authorities guide the search and rescue work at the collapse site of a self-constructed residential building in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, April 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) A medical worker takes a swab sample from a resident for nucleic acid testing in Daxing District, Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2022. Many districts of Beijing on Saturday launched the third round of nucleic acid testing amid efforts to contain the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the city. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) A medical worker takes a swab sample from a resident for nucleic acid testing in Daxing District, Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2022. Many districts of Beijing on Saturday launched the third round of nucleic acid testing amid efforts to contain the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the city. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) People line up to take nucleic acid tests in Daxing District, Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2022. Many districts of Beijing on Saturday launched the third round of nucleic acid testing amid efforts to contain the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the city. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) A medical worker takes a swab sample from a resident for nucleic acid testing in Daxing District, Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2022. Many districts of Beijing on Saturday launched the third round of nucleic acid testing amid efforts to contain the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the city. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) A medical worker takes a swab sample from a resident for nucleic acid testing in Daxing District, Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2022. Many districts of Beijing on Saturday launched the third round of nucleic acid testing amid efforts to contain the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the city. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) JAKARTA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has invited both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Group of 20 (G20) summit in November, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Friday. "Indonesia is ready to contribute to the peace effort," Widodo said in a virtual press conference. "Indonesia wants to unite the G20. Do not let there be a split. Peace and stability are the keys to the world economic development." The G20, he said, plays a catalyst role in the recovery of the world economy, adding that he had telephone conversations with both leaders of Russia and Ukraine this week. On Thursday, Widodo and Putin discussed issues of Russian-Indonesian cooperation and various aspects of the activities of G20 in a phone conversation. In a conversation with Zelensky on Wednesday, Widodo turned down a request for arms from the Ukrainian president, saying that Indonesia is ready to provide humanitarian assistance. HANOI, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Along with smaller registered capital of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the first four months of this year, Vietnam has continued to see bigger realized capital that helps boost its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Vietnam licensed 454 new FDI projects with a total registered capital of 3.7 billion U.S. dollars between January and April, recording an increase of 0.7 percent in the project number while a decline of 56.3 percent in the registered capital compared to the same period last year, said the General Statistics Office. However, in the four-month period, 323 operational FDI projects increased their capital by roughly 5.3 billion U.S. dollars, posting a year-on-year surge of 92.5 percent. Meanwhile, realized capital of FDI projects surpassed 5.9 billion U.S. dollars, up 7.6 percent year on year. In the first quarter of this year, realized capital of FDI projects stood at more than 4.4 billion U.S. dollars, witnessing a year-on-year rise of 7.8 percent, the highest growth in the last five years, said the office. Among the realized capital of over 4.4 billion U.S. dollars, more than 3.4 billion U.S. dollars, or 77.8 percent of the total, came from manufacturing and processing sectors; 8.6 percent from electricity, gas, hot water and air conditioning production and distribution; and 7.9 percent from real estate trading. Realized capital of FDI projects in Vietnam also increased remarkably in the 2012-2019 period, by an average nearly 10.4 percent a year. More and more foreign capital are being poured into manufacturing, processing, science and technology sectors. "Bigger FDI realized capital reflects foreign investors' hope on Vietnam's economic recovery. The bigger amount of money means expanded production of economic sectors, creating favorable conditions for economic recovery amid the global pandemic and economic growth in the coming months," Do Thi Thu, a lecturer at the Banking Academy of Vietnam, told Xinhua on Saturday. The convergence of FDI, both registered capital and realized capital in manufacturing and processing sectors and some other industrial sectors is an important factor for accelerating economic restructure to the modernity and sustainability, contributing to enhancing the capacity of launching more value-added products and services in 2022 and the following years, she said. Nguyen Mai, head of Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises, has predicted FDI realized capital would rise some 10 percent this year, while registered capital would increase by 10-15 percent. The country attracted nearly 31.2 billion U.S. dollars in total foreign investment in 2021, up 9.2 percent from 2020, with top foreign investors being Singapore, South Korea, Japan and China. Many free trade agreements, especially the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), have already taken effect, bringing trade advantages to Vietnam, and subsequently stimulating investment, including FDI in the country, he told local reporters. Contributing factors to continuous flows of FDI into the Southeast Asian country in general and bigger FDI realized capital in particular include stable, favorable investment and business climate, effective investment promotion campaigns at home and abroad, low labor cost, basic containment of COVID-19, timely resumption of international tourism from March 15, and more simplified entry-exit procedures for foreigners, according to officials and experts. In late April, the Vietnamese government decided to allow foreigners to enter Vietnam using electronic visas through Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh, expanding the list of such airports in the country to total nine, which include Noi Bai in capital Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat in the southern Ho Chi Minh City, Cam Ranh in the central province of Khanh Hoa, and Phu Quoc in the southern province of Kien Giang. Le Xuan Dong, head of market research and consulting services at FiinGroup, a leading financial data and analytics provider in Vietnam, said the country has recently adopted more measures to support enterprises, improve business environment and attract FDI, including a decision on promoting digital transformation and encouraging investments in high-tech projects and startups. At present, the Ministry of Planning and Investment is working on a specific set of criteria to attract more FDI, with focus on investment unit cost, labor, technology, technology transfer, connectivity and spillover effect, environment, and national defense and security. However, the existing measures are not still enough, Nguyen Mai said, who believes that Vietnam should center on speeding up administrative reform, and improving infrastructure. The country should establish more specialized research and development centers in order to make full use of foreign investment and foster high-quality human resources training, he added. "Vietnam will face challenges in transitioning to higher-skilled jobs without continuing reforms in education, skills development, and a transformation of the labor market, which is characterized by slow growth of high-skilled occupations, high informality, and an aging workforce. Improving the quality of higher education will be an important step," the World Bank in Vietnam has recently said. Meanwhile, many experts have made a proposal concerning creating a specific legal corridor for more foreign-invested enterprises to become public companies and then list their shares on the local stock market. According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam currently has 34,815 valid FDI projects with a total registered capital of more than 422.8 billion U.S. dollars. But only eight foreign firms currently list shares on the Vietnamese stock market, accounting for 0.3 percent of market capitalization. "In the coming years, some Vietnamese sectors will attract stronger FDI, such as logistics, technology, financial services, utility, healthcare and education services, manufacturing and industrial real estate," Le Xuan Dong told Xinhua on Saturday. Foreign investment in environmentally friendly sectors are also encouraged by both the Vietnamese government and provincial authorities, he added. Vietnam's economy is expected to rebound to 6.5 percent this year and further expand to 6.7 percent next year, from 2.6 percent last year, thanks to high vaccination rates, trade expansion, and continued accommodative monetary and fiscal policies, the Asian Development Bank said in April. NEW YORK, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Gun theft is rising in major cities across the United States, which police and criminologists say is leading to more and more homicide, said an article published by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Thursday. "The number of stolen guns reported to police rose by 29 percent in 10 major U.S. cities over the past two years," said the article. Earlier this month, a stolen handgun that had been fired 28 times was found at the scene of a gang shooting in Sacramento, California, where six people died and 12 were injured, the WSJ quoted local police as saying. Police officials tie the climb in theft to the rise in first-time gun owners, said the article, explaining that guns are frequently being stolen from cars after their owners left them there, something more-experienced owners know not to do. A record number of Americans bought guns over the past couple of years, driven by concerns related to the pandemic, protests and rising crime, it added. YAOUNDE, April 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people have been kidnapped by militants of terror group Boko Haram in Cameroon's Far North region, local and security sources said on Saturday. The hostages, including motorbike taxi drivers and their clients, were abducted on Friday as they drove through Bargaram locality, a stronghold of the terror group in the region. Boko Haram fighters blamed them for using the road in defiance of a ban on movement which they impose in the area, a security officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The army has launched a search and rescue mission of the hostages, according to officials. Boko Haram has intensified attacks on civilians in the region in the last one week, killing at least five and looting property, according to security reports. People stand outside the gate of a hospital where wounded people receive treatment after a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman safi/Xinhua) "The initial reports found that 10 people were killed and 20 wounded. The number of the killed and wounded may change as the casualties were transported to multiple hospitals," said a spokesman of the Interior Ministry in Afghanistan. KABUL, April 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and 20 others wounded after an explosion ripped through a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday, officials and eyewitnesses said. "The initial reports found that 10 people were killed and 20 wounded. The number of the killed and wounded may change as the casualties were transported to multiple hospitals," Abdul Nafeh, a spokesman of the Interior Ministry, told Xinhua. "The blast occurred roughly at 3:45 p.m. (local time), more than one hour after Friday prayers. The worshippers in Khalifa Sahib Mosque in Sera-e-Allawoddin area of Karta-e-Sah locality were the apparent target of the blast. The nature of the blast has not been determined. It could be a suicide bomb blast," witness Mohammad Bashir told Xinhua. People send an injured man to a local hospital after a blast in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman safi/Xinhua) The attack came when a group of worshippers were making a ritual prayer in observing the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The neighborhood is located in Police District 6 in the western part of the city. The Taliban security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. In recent weeks the war-torn country has been hit by a series of terror attacks reportedly staged by militants of the Islamic State (IS) group opposing Afghanistan's Taliban-led caretaker government. Two explosions targeting two buses in northern Mazar-i-Sharif city left 11 people dead and 17 others wounded on Thursday evening, the Tolo News TV reported. According to the report, the IS group claimed responsibility for the Mazar-i-Sharif blasts. CAIRO, April 30 (Xinhua) -- At least eight children were killed on Saturday as a passenger tricycle overturned and sank in an irrigation channel in Egypt's Nile Delta province of Beheira, said the country's public prosecution in a statement. The eight were among 12 passengers riding the tricycle on their way home from work at a factory in a town in Beheira, north of the capital Cairo, according to the statement. The other four survived the accident. The prosecution detained and interrogated the 19-year-old tricycle driver on charges of involuntary manslaughter and driving an unqualified and unlicensed vehicle in a poor condition. He was also suspected of involvement in human trafficking and using child labor. By Trend April 30 marks anniversary of the Azerbaijani Special Forces establishment. A participant in the 2020 second Karabakh war, soldier of the Special Forces Vasif Malikov commenting on the anniversary spoke about his battle path, high professionalism of his colleagues, the courage shown by them during the second Karabakh war and the ability to cope with the most difficult combat missions. According to Malikov, the main factor of Azerbaijan's victory in the war was the trust of the servicemen in the Azerbaijani people, state and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev. Each address of President Ilham Aliyev to the people, when the head of state announced our victories, inspired us, and the resolve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief gave us strength. Therefore, we moved forward every day, successfully completing the most difficult combat missions, he said. All of us - from the private to the commander of the Special Forces - went forward with fights. From the first day of the war until the surrender of Armenia, the Special Forces fought on the front lines. We took revenge on the Armenians and we are proud of this. Malikov said the Azerbaijani Special Forces taught the Armenian armed forces a lesson both during the April battles of 2016 and the 2020 second Karabakh war. According to him, the Azerbaijani Special Forces are improving their professionalism every day. LIBREVILLE, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Operations have been halted following a major crude oil leak at Cap Lopez terminal, near Port-Gentil, Gabon's economic capital, the terminal's operator said on Friday. "The priority is the safety of people and facilities. Operations of receiving, storing, and shipping the crude oil remain suspended," Perenco, the Anglo-French energy firm that manages the terminal, said in a statement. On Thursday, at 11:00 a.m. local time, an oil leak was reported on one storage tank at Cap Lopez Terminal, located near Port-Gentil, in Gabon's southwestern province of Ogooue Maritime. The defective tank contained 50,000 cubic meters, or 300,000 barrels, of crude oil awaiting loading for export. According to Perenco, all the oil could be contained in the holding tanks, and no marine pollution has been reported at this stage. "The teams are hard at work to install floating dams as a preventive measure (against pollution)," the statement said. A source close to the government told Xinhua that the oil and environment ministers will visit the site on Saturday. Gabon producers 11 million to 12 million tonnes of oil a year. KHARTOUM, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A delegation comprised of officials from France, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union on Friday called on Sudanese authorities to end the state of emergency. In a statement issued after a visit to Khartoum, the delegation called for immediate progress towards a civilian transitional government, agreed through the Sudanese-led political process being facilitated by the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, the African Union, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development. The delegation voiced concern about the Sudanese economy's rapid deterioration and the immense challenges that the Sudanese people are facing. They pledged to continue humanitarian and other forms of direct assistance to the Sudanese during this difficult time. They underscored that international financial support for the Sudanese government, including debt relief, could only come after the establishment of a credible civilian government, warning that Sudan might otherwise risk losing billions of U.S. dollars in development assistance from the World Bank and debt relief from the International Monetary Fund, according to the statement. Sudan has been suffering a political crisis after the general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government. Since then, protests in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, and other cities have persisted to demand a return to civilian rule. VIENTIANE, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Laos reported 916 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, including 908 community cases, according to the Lao Ministry of Health. Among the newly recorded community cases, 309 were detected in Lao capital Vientiane, Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control under the Lao Ministry of Health Sisavath Soutthaniraxay told a press conference on Wednesday. Meanwhile, eight imported cases were recorded, with four in Vientiane, three in Champasak, and one in Savannakhet province. The country also registered seven new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, raising the national death toll to 464. The new deaths included four in Vientiane and one each in Savannakhet, Bolikhamxay and Sekong province. Laos reported its first two confirmed COVID-19 cases on March 24, 2020. PHNOM PENH, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia had expelled 3,594 illegal immigrants in more than 40 nationalities to their birth countries in 2021, according to a report released by the General Department of Immigration (GDI) on Thursday. Some 2,899, or 80 percent, of the deportees are Thais, the report said. GDI Director General Kirth Chantharith said on Wednesday that any alien living in the country without valid documents such as passports and visas and foreign fugitives are subject to deportation. "Despite challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the GDI has worked actively to administer foreigners living in Cambodia, aiming to maintain security, public order and safety as well as social development," he said during the GDI's annual conference. According to the report, from 2014 to 2021, Cambodia had expelled a total of 20,824 illegal aliens in 107 nationalities to their birth countries. Apart from deportations, last year, the Southeast Asian nation had also arrested 4,311 foreigners for committing various crimes in 896 cases, the report said. NEW DELHI, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in India have canceled 42 passenger trains across the country to allow fast and free movement of coal carriages, officials said Saturday. The move has been taken to replenish coal stocks at thermal power plants that are currently running low, forcing blackouts and outages in many states. According to officials, 753 trips of these trains have been canceled to free up tracks for the smooth running of coal rakes. Reports said 713 trips of the South East Central Railway (SECR) have been canceled until May 25, while 40 trips of the Northern Railways (NR) have been suspended until May 8. "These trains have been canceled indefinitely with coal stocks depleting rapidly in thermal power plants," a railways official said. "The railways are trying to take steps at war-footing to transport coal and also cut down the time it takes to move coal to power plants." The cancellations will primarily impact passengers traveling from key coal-producing states, including Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. Many states have flagged a crisis of depleting coal stocks to the federal government. On Friday, Delhi's local power minister Satyendar Jain said crucial power plants, supplying electricity to the capital city, are left with less than a day of coal, which can cause blackouts and lead to interruptions in key services like the metro and government hospitals. "There are no backups as electricity can't be stored," he said. "There are no payments due from our side. The center (federal government) should increase coal rack allocation. There is a lack of coordination that needs to be addressed." Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the state has somehow managed to provide power in the face of a crisis but concrete steps were immediately needed to resolve the situation. The power outages have come at a time when many states in India are reeling under a heatwave. Pesky power cuts have been reported in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Punjab, Haryana and Indian-controlled Kashmir at a time when mercury continues to rise. The state-run Coal India, which accounts for 80 percent of India's coal output, said on Saturday that a 20 percent increase in coal offtake and 12 percent increase in coal production have been recorded in April. Joshi Friday evening rebuffed the reports of coal shortage in the country, saying supplies were being replenished to the plants on a daily basis. "The coal companies are having around 73 million tons of stock at their end. The thermal power plants have about 21.5 million tons," he said. "There is no need to panic and we are monitoring the situation." About 70 percent of India's electricity is generated by coal. Blackouts and power cuts have hit normal life and industry in parts of India. HANOI, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam reported 5,109 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, a fall of 959 from Friday. The health ministry said the new infections, recorded in 56 provinces and cities, were all domestically transmitted. The Vietnamese capital Hanoi remained the epidemic hotspot with 837 new cases recorded on Saturday, followed by the provinces of Phu Tho with 379 and Yen Bai with 250. The newly reported infections brought the total tally to 10,649,809 with 43,041 deaths. Nationwide, as many as 9,262,255 COVID-19 patients, or nearly 87 percent of the total infections, have so far recovered. Approximately 214.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the Southeast Asian country, including more than 195.9 million shots on people aged 18 and above, according to the ministry. Vietnam has by far gone through four coronavirus waves of increasing scale, complication and infectivity. As of Saturday, it has registered more than 10.6 million locally transmitted COVID-19 cases since the start of the current wave in April 2021, said the health ministry. Workers install a China-donated solar panel at a house in Gwadar, Pakistan, March 14, 2022.(Str/Xinhua) by Misbah Saba Malik ISLAMABAD, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Abdul Khaliq, a laborer from Gwadar district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, used to suffer in hot weather and have his pre-dawn fast-breaking meals in darkness due to power outages during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. "Power outages are a suffering during other months too, but during Ramadan it is at their worst. Rich people of the district have other arrangements like solar panels to face the situation, but poor laborers like me had no choice, but to keep on suffering," Khaliq told Xinhua. This year during Ramadan, Khaliq met a pleasant surprise when one morning, staff from the district administration came to his doorstep to install a solar panel gifted by the Chinese government. During a ceremony held in Gwadar in July last year, the Chinese government signed with the Pakistani side a Memorandum of Understanding to donate 3,000 sets of solar systems for the Pakistani people in an effort to address climate change. "It was a complete set, not only the solar panel but also fans and bulbs and wires. I did not have to pay a single penny for it, and the installation teams quickly fixed the most valuable gift I have ever received from someone at my house," the 42-year-old said. The Chinese aid not only light up thousands of houses but also strengthens the bond of Pakistan-China friendship in people's hearts. Athar Abbas Raja, assistant commissioner of Gwadar, under whose supervision units of solar panels are being installed, told Xinhua that they held a survey in the district and distributed the aid to the most underprivileged people. "There are some people who were living in a bad condition, and could not buy the solar panels on their own, so with the support of China, we brought ease in their lives. The process is still underway, over 1,000 panels have already been installed and the remaining will be installed after the Eid al-Fitr holidays next month," Raja said. Talking about the electricity shortage in Gwadar, Raja said electricity in Gwadar is being bought from Iran and due to long transmission lines, there are power outages and people particularly the poor suffer a lot. The solar panel units were a much-needed solution to the people of Gwadar and they are joyous to receive them before the peak of summer when the electricity problem is at its worst, he added. The local official said Chinese companies have also been taking beneficial initiatives for the people of Gwadar who have got employment opportunities under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) program, and are hopeful that with the industrialization process in the second phase of CPEC, their living standards will further improve as the Chinese people have successfully eliminated abject poverty in their own country and they know how to uplift the socio-economic structure. "Not only solar panels, the Chinese have also facilitated local fishermen's work in a big way by providing them with the state-of-the-art nets, and hundreds of local fishermen got benefit from it," Raja said. Hameed Ullah, a leader of local fishermen from Gwadar, said many of the local fishermen have received costly nets which will help them in deep-sea fishing and make more money for their families. "The nets are so big and good. My own net was getting old and I was saving money to buy a new one which had to cost me over 50,000 rupees (about 270 U.S. dollars), which was a big money for me," he said. "I am overwhelmed that I just got the gift from the Chinese when I wanted it the most. Other fishermen are so happy too. With new nets, some are planning to engage their unemployed son or brother into the business and increase their family income." Pakistani experts believe that the Chinese help and generation of economic and business opportunities for locals are gradually transforming the lives of people. Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, CEO of Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development, said the recent Chinese assistance to locals is an excellent example of boosting socio-economic development through bilateral cooperation, and it will help the Pakistani people not only overcome challenges of daily life, including hot weather, but also help create business opportunities. Workers install a China-donated solar panel at a house in Gwadar, Pakistan, March 14, 2022. WARSAW, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Poland will downgrade its classification of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-May, recognizing an epidemic threat instead, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski has announced. Niedzielski told the Polish Press Agency that the decision had been discussed at various government levels, and was made "through a legal analysis." Poland formally declared COVID-19 a full epidemic on March 20, 2020, giving the government powers to enact national restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. These measures included quarantine requirements and a mask mandate. However, most restrictions have gradually been lifted, with only mask-wearing in health institutions remaining obligatory. Almost 6 million cases of COVID-19 have been officially registered in Poland since 2020, causing 116,042 deaths. Nearly 22.5 million people have been fully vaccinated against the disease, in a country of 38.5 million inhabitants. KIEV, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine has appropriated billions of U.S. dollars to the defense ministry amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Friday. The Ukrainian government has allocated 119 billion hryvnias (about 4 billion dollars) for the ministry, Shmyhal said on Telegram. "We are trying to provide maximum support for our fighters." The funds will be used to pay salaries to Ukrainian troops, and supply them with equipment, fuel, food, protective devices and weapons, Shmyhal said. MEXICO CITY, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday urged his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, to organize the upcoming Summit of the Americas without exclusions. In a phone conversation with Biden, Lopez Obrador confirmed his country's participation in the event, while proposing "that all the countries of the Americas receive an invitation, without excluding anyone," the Mexican presidency said in a statement. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Tuesday that Lopez Obrador planned to urge that the summit should be inclusive, after Cuba voiced its concern on the U.S. plan to exclude it from the summit. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Monday said Washington was exerting "extreme pressure" on regional governments that oppose the exclusion of Cuba, which participated in the previous two summits at the request of several regional countries following years of exclusion. The Summits of the Americas are periodic meetings of regional heads of state and government to address diplomatic and trade issues of importance at the continental level. This year's session is to be held in the U.S. city of Los Angeles from June 6 to 10. Its first edition was held in Miami in 1994, and since then the event has been accused of excluding countries with political ideologies different from that of the United States, such as Cuba and Venezuela. By Trend President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is actively promoting a new era in the Caucasus - an era of peace and cooperation, Trend reports. Recently, the Armenian government accepted the five fundamental principles put forward by Azerbaijan. Moreover, within the proposal of Azerbaijan, Armenia agreed to establish a joint working group with it to start the process of border delimitation. This was an important reflection of recent events, which also showed that today, one and a half years after the 2020 second Karabakh war, the leadership of Armenia understands the need for peace. If a peace treaty is signed and the above fundamental principles are practically realized, then peace in the Caucasus will become long-term and sustainable. A researcher at the Center for the Study of Central Asia and the Caucasus of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Stas Pritchin commenting on the issues said that the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia is an important stage. According to Pritchin, at the same time, its necessary to resolve the issues of the border and communications which will connect the two countries. "This is due to the fact that in political terms, the agreement forms common approaches to the settlement principles, and since for 30 years there have been no agreements between the countries which usually regulate economic relations, its clear that this vacuum needs to be filled in order to economically push relations towards development," he noted. The expert also noted that along with opening borders and creating infrastructure, its also necessary to create a legal framework between the two countries. "A lot of work should be done for this. Nevertheless, more pragmatic approaches to building relations with Azerbaijan are already visible from the Armenian side. This opens up huge opportunities for entering post-conflict development," Pritchin further said. Speaking about the significance of the Declaration on Allied Cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan, the expert noted that in general it actually reflects both the nature and spirit of relations between the two countries. "At the legal-regulatory level, the declaration essentially consolidates the spirit of the current relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, these common interests in cooperation and the nature of our current relations which formed over 30 years of Azerbaijan's independence," he said. According to Pritchin, the aspects specified in the declaration show that its comprehensive in terms of subject matter and also prescribes security issues. "Speaking at ADA University on April 29 [during international conference on "South Caucasus Development & Cooperation"], President Ilham Aliyev mentioning the Declaration on Allied Cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan in the context of the Shusha Declaration [between Azerbaijan and Turkey], didnt equalize them, but noted that these two documents are key for Azerbaijan, and that both Turkey and Russia are key foreign political and economic partners of Azerbaijan," concluded the expert. WASHINGTON, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Some U.S. experts have attributed the tense China-U.S. relationship to Washington, and urged it to take real actions to change the current stalemate between the two countries. The United States has been trying to contain China's development as part of its tactics to maintain its global hegemony, they said. "Americans would fall into a state of despair if they no longer believed that their exceptional and indispensable nation exists as an ideal for humanity," said Peter Isackson, Fair Observer's chief strategy officer. With so many serious and worsening problems undermining the American consensus, the cultivation of a shared enemy may be the necessary key to maintaining that order, Isackson explained in an opinion piece on an independent news website. Andrew Latham, professor of international relations at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, said the U.S. foreign policy under President Joe Biden is "an incoherent mess." The policy swings wildly, even chaotically, between three incompatible geopolitical visions, namely to contain China, to defend the global liberal order and to remain restrained, Latham said in an article on The Hill. To solve the problem, the United States should choose one vision, which the author believed should be the vision of Restraint -- "a strategic vision grounded in a clear-eyed sense of both American national interests and the objective realities of today's international order." Some observers have suggested creating a "problem-solving approach" to improving China-U.S. relations, calling on the U.S. side to settle one small problem after another in coordination with China. "There is no doubt the U.S.-China relationship will remain competitive going forward," according to an article co-authored by Paul Haenle, the Maurice R. Greenberg Director's chair at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and research assistant Sam Bresnick. However, preventing bilateral ties from becoming even more hostile and adversarial should constitute a common aim for both countries, read the article published earlier this year. "Perhaps the United States and China should devote more energy toward trying to create a problem-solving approach for addressing more pointed irritants, such as limits on journalist visas and consulate closures," it said. By committing to this pragmatic approach, the United States and China may be able to find a way to lay the foundation for taking on the larger structural issues in areas, like trade and technology, which will be key to determining the future health and welfare of the U.S.-China relationship over the long term, the article said. ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian security forces have arrested 373 people suspected of being involved in a violent riot in a northern city, an official said. According to reports, Desalegn Tassew, the chief of the Amhara region's peace and security department, the suspects are accused of involvement in disturbances in Gonder city earlier this week. Tassew was reported by state media outlet Fana Broadcasting Corporate as saying that security forces who failed to respect their duties to prevent the deadly violence would be held criminally guilty. The Amhara Region Islamic Affairs Council, a local religious authority, stated on Wednesday that "extremist Christians" had slain at least 20 people in Gonder city the day before. Tassew, the security chief for the Amhara region, did not disclose how many people were killed in the incident. According to accounts in the media, adherents of the Islamic and Christian faiths have long had competing claims to territory surrounding a graveyard. The cemetery where the incident took place is close to a mosque and a church, and has been the site of a long-running feud between Muslims and Ethiopia's major Christian community, the Orthodox Christians. The violence reportedly occurred as people fought over whether stones from the area could be used for burial purposes, and if the materials should be taken from the cemetery or the church property, Missing tourist boat located underwater off at Hokkaido in Japan UN Security Council approves technical rollover of the UN mission in Libya's mandate Kabul: Explosion at Sunni mosque during Jumei prayers, 30 killed in two explosions CANBERRA Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated on Saturday that if his party wins the May 21 election, the ruling Coalition will invest Australian Dollar 150 million (USD 105 million) to lower out-of-pocket drug expenses starting in 2023. According to the state report, the maximum cost of all pharmaceuticals funded by the government under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) would be decreased from A$42.50 to A$32.50 under the plan. Morrison said that the plan would provide 19 million Australians with immediate cost-of-living assistance. "We saw the need to take action this year in the Budget to provide relief from cost of living constraints, and we know those concerns are real," he told reporters. "Many things are beyond your control... However, you can make the safety net more generous to aid those who are on these medications, and you can lower the non-concessional charge on each script by A$10." According to polls, the Coalition failed to make major gains over the Labor Party throughout the election campaign. Labor leader Anthony Albanese was on the campaign trail in Western Australia on Saturday, ahead of the party's official launch on Sunday. On Saturday, he stated that a Labor administration will set up a royal commission to investigate the Robodebt scheme, an automated government system for collecting arrears from welfare users that was found to be illegal in 2019. Morrison, who was the Minister for Social Services at the time Robodebt was established, has denied any involvement in the scheme, which chased over 400,000 debts that were incorrectly issued. Scott Morrison pledges no cuts to universal healthcare if re-elected Australian scholar praises China's Shenzhou-13 mission as success Central Bank of Russia lowers Benchmark rate to 14 pc Kathmandu: The Nepalese Election Commission sent poll symbols to all registered candidates on Saturday, allowing them to begin campaigning for the local body elections on May 13. Candidates who filed nomination papers from registered political parties on April 24 were given party symbols, while independents were given new symbols, according to Shaligram Sharma Paudel, the electoral body's spokesperson. The Election Commission had scrutinized nomination papers and investigated objections lodged against them earlier this week before releasing the final candidate list on Friday. According to the electoral authority, 79 parties from around the country have filed nomination papers for the local body elections, with the main opposition CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist) fielding candidates for 33, 503 positions. Similarly, the Nepali Congress (NC) has candidates for 31,425 positions, while the CPN (Maoist Center) has candidates for 22,279 positions. Similarly, the CPN (Unified Socialists) has 11,330 candidates, while the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) has 9,481. The Loktantik Samajwadi Party (LSP) has put out 4,761 candidates, while 12,220 independents are running. For the May 13 local level elections, 152,465 candidates filed nominations for 35,221 positions in 753 local body units. Many of the opposition candidates have withdrawn their candidacies. In the upcoming local elections on May 13, there are a total of 12,789 independent candidates running for various positions. The Election Commission (EC) has stated that it will provide 40 different kinds of election symbols. Nepal imposes restrictions on the import of luxury goods as economic crisis deepens UN Sec-General on Ramadan solidarity visit to Africa Western officials urge Sudan to lift state of emergency TEHRAN, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) unveiled two new ballistic missiles at a demonstration in Tehran commemorating Quds Day, according to the semi-official Mehr news report. The "Emad-3" missile is a new version of Iran's Emad surface-to-surface ballistic missiles that was demonstrated by the IRGC on Friday. Emad-3 is Iran's first wholly indigenous long-range missile with the capacity to be guided and controlled until it strikes the target, according to the report. It was developed by the IRGC's Aerospace Force. The other missile is the solid-fueled "Kheibar Shekan," which is part of the third generation of domestically built long-range missiles with a range of 1,450 kilometres. According to the report, the tactical missile is capable of hitting a target with great agility and speed, as well as breaching missile shields with great mobility. Quds Day is an annual ceremony held in Iran and numerous Arab nations on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to support the Palestinian cause. Turkish President meets Saudi King Salman, Crown Prince MBS during key visit US confirms the first human case of H5 avian bird flu Canada plans to reopen embassy in Ukraine shortly: Melanie Joly Srinagar: PDP supremo and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti's love for Pak has once again come out in the open. Talking to Maida, he said, "Due to AFSPA, people in the Valley have become disturbed. So much strength has been given to the security forces, yet the sarpanch is dying, and people are being fired upon. So according to me, there is some deficiency in our house itself, somewhere we are seen to be failing. We have no other choice but to talk to Pakistan, no matter how many troops we bring, we have to talk.'' Holding the central government responsible for the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "Kashmir is being destroyed. The Centre wants to end Jammu and Kashmir in a complete manner. This Government wants to end our existence. Perhaps because it is a Muslim majority state. There is an attempt to weaken us from all sides. Not only this, Mehbooba also blamed the Modi government at the Centre and the BJP for the violent incidents taking place in the country and said that suddenly the issue of loudspeakers came, before that the hijab issue came, next will be halal. Mehbooba says that all this seems to be a conspiracy to divide society.'' Mehbooba accused the central government and said that there is a crisis of employment and electricity and water in the country, in such a situation, the easiest thing is to pit Hindus and Muslims against each other. "If this continues like this, our situation will get worse in the future. Our neighbour was devastated by the misuse of religion. They are bearing the brunt of it till today.'' PM Modi attends a meeting of CMs and High Court CJs AAP woman leader Nisha Singh jailed for 7 years for inciting riots, attacked police by inciting mob Covid-19 Updates: India has reported 3,688 new cases in the last 24-hrs New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit three countries from May 2. During this time, PM Modi will attend 25 events and during the three-day visit, he will spend about 65 hours in those countries. Government sources informed in this regard on Saturday that PM Modi will hold bilateral and multilateral meetings with eight leaders of seven countries. Sources said pm Modi will also hold discussions with 50 global businessmen. PM Modi will leave on a three-day visit to Germany, Denmark and France on May 2. This is his first trip abroad this year. He said that PM Modi will first go to Germany, then Denmark and then on May 4, he will stay in Paris for some time on his return. Sources said the Prime Minister will spend one night each in Germany and Denmark. His visit comes at a time when the Ukraine crisis continues and Russia's actions have united almost the whole of Europe against it. This visit and meetings of PM Modi are considered very important. PM Modi on Friday said that India is moving towards a strong economy and the consumption of semiconductors in the country is likely to cross USD 110 billion by 2030. It is the world's fastest-growing start-up 'Eco-System'. PM Modi said India is fully prepared to lead the next technology revolution and investments are being made in developing capabilities in 5G, among other things. 'Those who have objections to Hindi, should leave the country...', Yogi's minister's big statement on language dispute Raj Thackeray has betrayed and cheated Balasaheb: Sanjay Raut 'Mayawati is alive because of BJP...', BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj's big statement JAKARTA Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been invited to the G20 summit in November. "Indonesia is ready to contribute to the peace endeavour," Widodo said in a virtual press conference."Indonesia wants to bring the G20 together. Do not allow a schism to occur. The cornerstones to global economic progress are peace and stability." He said that the G20 plays a catalytic role in the global economy's revival, and that he had phone conversations with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine this week. In a phone discussion on Thursday, Widodo and Putin discussed issues of Russian-Indonesian collaboration as well as various aspects of G20 events. In a conversation with Zelensky on Wednesday, Widodo declined the Ukrainian President's request for guns, adding that Indonesia is prepared to deliver humanitarian aid. Guterres to meet with Putin, Zelenskyy to press for peace Putin ordered troops to block Mariupol's Azovstal complex Western countries' economic blitzkrieg against Russia fails: Putin UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will undertake a "Ramadan solidarity travel" to Senegal, Niger, and Nigeria on Saturday, his Deputy spokeswoman said. President Macky Sall of Senegal, who assumed the African Union president earlier this year, will meet Guterres and enjoy an Iftar dinner with him. He will also join President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger in Eid celebrations, and he will meet Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. On Friday, deputy spokesman Farhan Haq added. Monday is Eid al-Fitr, a religious holiday commemorating the conclusion of Ramadan, which is observed by Muslims all over the world. The Secretary-General will meet with senior government officials as well as civil society representatives, including women, youth groups, and religious leaders, in each of the three nations. According to Haq, he will visit with families that have been badly affected by the Sahel's violence and instability, including internally displaced individuals and refugees. The UN head will also witness firsthand the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities, as well as monitor progress and obstacles in the Covid-19 recovery, he said. When Guterres was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, he began making yearly Ramadan solidarity visits. He's continuing a tradition that had been halted by Covid-19. Following his visits to Moscow and Kiev to promote peace in Ukraine, he will travel to Africa. In Moscow, the UN Secretary-General met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. UN Sec-General condemns Security Council for failing to avert Ukraine-Russia war UN Coordinator embarks Mariupol, Ukraine, to prepare for evacuation UN Sec-General arrives in Ukraine after Russia trip Lucknow: A student of Deoband Darul Uloom has been arrested by the UP ATS team in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur. The arrested student is a Bangladeshi national. He had been living as an Indian citizen and studying in Deoband since 2015 on the basis of fake papers. Late at night, the UP ATS team went to Deoband Darul Uloom and arrested him from room number 61. The arrested Bangladeshi has been identified as Talha Talukdar bin Farooq. He is a resident of Barguali under Dawood Kandi police station area of Kummila district in Bangladesh. From Talha's possession, ATS has recovered the Aadhaar card, PAN card, ID card of Darul Uloom Deoband, lifetime membership card, Bangladeshi currency, photocopy of Bangladeshi passport and Rs 150 Indian currency. It is being said that the accused has also undergone training in Pakistan. UP ATS has also issued a press note in this regard. According to it, the ATS had received inputs that a person named Talha was living in Darul Uloom Deoband on the basis of fake papers and was involved in anti-national activities. The statement said that the ATS team conducted an inquiry-based on this information, it was found that a person named Talha was studying Arabic Alim in room number 61 of Darul Uloom Deoband. The ATS has reported that after Talha was called for questioning, he described himself as an Indian citizen and showed him an Aadhaar card, PAN card and life membership card of Darul Uloom to confirm his point. However, he could not give satisfactory answers to the questions of the officials. According to the press note, when the authorities checked him, a photocopy of a Bangladeshi passport was found from his purse to which he could not give a satisfactory reply and he confessed to being a Bangladeshi citizen. The statement said that the ATS has registered a case against Talha Talukdar at Thana Deoband under relevant sections including cheating, tampering with documents, foreigners act and arrested him. According to the ats' official statement, it is being investigated how Talha Talukdar created the Indian documents and his Indian links are also being ascertained. Severe heatweave to Sweep in Tamil Nadu in coming days: IMD Student forgot to take pen to school, teacher did such act Owaisi again provoked Muslims under the guise of religion, see what he said in the viral video? By Orkhan Amashov As of 2022, the kaleidoscope of the South Caucasus remains in a somewhat shaken state. Its constituent parts are in flux and, before they settle into a sedimentary state, it is incumbent upon President Ilham Aliyev to complete the first phase of reordering the entire region around his country. The Second Karabakh War was a test of gargantuan proportions for Azerbaijan and its leader. At that Shakespearean moment of "to be, or not to be", President Aliyev felt the testosterone of a high crisis, which he navigated with verve and aplomb. This triumph at a time of existential import vindicated his own faith in his judgement, his ability to command the nation's confidence and his powers of persuasion on the international stage. But success is never final. However grand, age-defining and epochal a given triumph may be, the ultimate point of irreversible fixation is always elusive. Conclusiveness in international affairs can only be potentially imagined and envisioned, but not outrightly experienced as such, except for interim periods, which are mere spells in the history of the human race. Imbued with a strong sense of history, President Ilham Aliyev is acutely aware of the critical importance of translating the hard-won gains of the Second Karabakh War into a grand and pervasive peace agenda. Only when this happens will Azerbaijan's colossal triumphs remain as such in perpetuity. Connectivity During his address to the high-profile participants of the "South Caucasus: Development and Cooperation" meeting hosted at ADA, President Aliyev articulated his vision of the future. Needless to say, his worldview has Azerbaijan and its priorities at its epicentre, but it is by no means parochial. In fact, it is quite the reverse. The Azerbaijani leader views the future in holistic terms and believes that lasting stability, prosperity and growth can only be achieved through the enhancement of connectivity. In President Aliyev's mind, the reconstruction of Karabakh and East Zangazur is inextricably connected with wider regional integration and prosperity. Azerbaijan's military victory has, amongst other achievements, created fertile ground to reverse the historic processes that led to the original conflict and achieve a higher degree of cooperation in the South Caucasus on a megalithic level. If there is one actor who may drive this process, it is Azerbaijan, due to its resources, independence, non-aligned status, vision of the future and internal consolidation. Baku feels the weight of this responsibility and acts accordingly. President Ilham Aliyev understands only too well that, for Azerbaijan to be an even more consequential player, it needs to be at the driving seat of change. Non-military peace-enforcement The "3+3" format is a case in point. This is not a mere aspirational manifestation of how Baku sees the future of the region, but the journey upon which it has already embarked. It is integral to President Aliyev's foreign policy that Azerbaijan must have excellent relations with all its three big neighbours - Turkey, Russia and Iran. Ankara is Baku's first-rate ally and the relations have already been brought to an unprecedented level thanks to the Shusha Declaration, which was ratified in both parliaments forthwith and became enshrined in law. The Moscow Declaration signed on 22 February strengthened ties with Russia, upgrading them to the level of allied interaction. Some of the difficulties Baku experienced with Iran in the past may have seemed intractable, but relations have improved immeasurably over the past few months. The tripartite gas swap deal with Iran and Turkmenistan was the first step towards adding a sufficient dose of mutual trust in relations with Tehran. This was followed by the Memorandum of Understanding signed in March of this year, enabling Baku to connect its East Zangazur region with Nakchivan. Azerbaijan and Georgia have already become highly integrated through transport and energy linkages, and there is room for even greater harmony. Then Armenia... And here we need to go back to the original premise of the "3+3" platform which predicated on wider integration. Aliyev does not only call for an all-embracing connectivity, waiting to see the reaction. He is taking the necessary measures to create sufficiently auspicious circumstances for that ideal to be within easy reach. The peace-enforcement measures meticulously executed by Azerbaijan eventually compelled Armenia to capitulate and sign a ceasefire deal in November 2020. That was an emanation of virtue through the swift application of the nation's will via military means. We are now at the post-conflict normalisation stage, yet Yerevan continues to be obdurately stubborn in its reticence to accept what is undoubtedly beneficial to its future, as this is hard for the deluded populace to stomach. What Aliyev is doing now is also some form of non-military peace-enforcement. Baku is set on changing the wider region through its multilateral diplomacy, and the logical end of this process is bound to Armenia's unreserved acquiescence and understanding of the new reality. A man of strong emotional intellect, President Aliyev is by no means a romantic. His politics is aspirational, but there is no place for wishful thinking. Aliyev does not believe the world owes him and his country anything. But he also expects justice. When the EU distinguishes between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of their economic strength, and provides a far bigger financial package to Yerevan, this is perceived as a measure militating against proportionate justice. It is Azerbaijan whose liberated lands are in dire need of reconstruction; demining is incredibly costly, and the fact that only 25 percent of the mine maps provided by Armenia are authentic exacerbates the difficulties associated with the task. "Your President knows his files well, he is precise and straight to the point, unlike many world leaders today," I was told by one high-profile guest who attended the meeting with President Ilham Aliyev at ADA. This is undeniably the defining trait of his rhetoric. Sufficient crispiness and the ability to explain inherently complex subjects in simple language have long been recognised as the key characteristics forming the President's indubitable forte. The post-war future of Azerbaijan and the wider region is a complex subject encompassing everything from political accord to economic connectivity. Unlike Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is continuously forced to vacillate, President Aliyev is crystal-clear on very much everything upon which he deliberates. He does not need to prevaricate or obfuscate. President Aliyev has already gone down in the annals of history as Azerbaijan's greatest war-time leader. But continuously striking triumphalist notes is not something he delights in indulging. Neither is he given to schadenfreude over the enemy's misfortunes. The timeless adage mandates that the future is happening today, and the past, however glorious, should not divert the nation from the journey to the innermost depths of profusion. Now President Aliyev's Azerbaijan is dictating the tempo and forging the future. It is not that the nation has entered a new age of credulity, but there is an unmistakable sense of optimism in the air. The task ahead is again of Shakespearean scope. In magnitude, it is no less colossal than winning the war. Before and during the Second Karabakh War, sinews were stiffened and the nation's spirit was elevated to its full height, although this is no longer needed in its wartime sense. Today, Azerbaijan is engaged in propounding and then gradually implementing its vision. The fate of this venture will seal the future of the region, and failure is neither expected, nor perceived to be the remotest possibility. SUDAN: group of officials from France, Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union has urged Sudanese authorities to lift the state of emergency. The delegation called for immediate progress toward a civilian transitional government in a statement issued after a visit to Khartoum on Friday. The UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, the African Union, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development are facilitating the Sudanese-led political process. The group reportedly expressed concern over the rapid deterioration of the Sudanese economy and the enormous hardships that the Sudanese people face. During this trying time, they promised to continue providing humanitarian aid and other sorts of direct help to the Sudanese. According to the statement, they emphasised that international financial support for the Sudanese government, including debt relief, could only come after the establishment of a credible civilian government, warning that Sudan would otherwise risk losing billions of dollars in World Bank development assistance and IMF debt relief. Sudan has been in a political crisis since Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, announced a state of emergency and dissolved the Sovereign Council and government on October 25, 2021. Protests in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, and other cities have continued since then, calling for the restoration of civilian authority. Turkish President meets Saudi King Salman, Crown Prince MBS during key visit US confirms the first human case of H5 avian bird flu Canada plans to reopen embassy in Ukraine shortly: Melanie Joly The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg warned what would happen if states restricted access to abortions. In the 2016 Supreme Court case Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt, Ginsburg wrote in a concurring opinion, "When a State severely limits access to safe and legal procedures, women in desperate circumstances may resort to unlicensed rogue practitioners, faute de mieux, at great risk to their health and safety." She wrote that because it had happened for many years before Roe v. Wade was decided. Botched abortion killed my great-grandmother My great-grandmother was one of the pre-Roe era's less fortunate. She died after a botched clandestine abortion in the 1930s. Decades later, in 1967, a female relative arrived at Mexico City International Airport. She came for an abortion. The procedure was illegal in both countries, but she had heard from a female gynecologist that a hospital in Mexico City provided affordable and safe abortions. Death Certificate of my great-grandmother Joyce Hubbard, who died from a botched, illegal abortion. My relative was 19 at the time. Before the pregnancy, she had gone to a male gynecologist for birth control. He told her he "absolutely would not give me birth control." Then, she got pregnant. She lost a lot of blood in the surgery and needed a transfusion, so she spent the night at the hospital. Because she couldn't afford to stay longer, she flew back to Colorado the next day. She was alone, with intense pain and still bleeding. It was hell. In 1973, Roe v. Wade established a woman's constitutional right to an abortion. In 1992, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, that decision was upheld. Women's rights are under attack Women's rights were progressing, and my relative thought that girls would never again have to travel out of the country for an abortion. She was wrong. Now, in 2022, states across the USA are rolling back women's rights to what feels like the Dark Ages, while the Supreme Court with its conservative majority teeters on reversing Roe. Story continues Abortion rights are under unprecedented attacks in the United States. On April 14, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law banning abortions after 15 weeks. In Kentucky, legislators passed similar legislation. In Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, restrictive abortion legislation also has passed or is in the works. All that's left is to overturn Roe, and American women will be without legal recourse for an abortion in many states. Mexico increases access to abortion In Mexico, the opposite is happening. In 2021, the Mexican Supreme Court declared that abortion can no longer be considered a crime. In Mexico City the procedure is legal and accessible as it is in Baja California, Veracruz, Oaxaca and Hidalgo. Other states are sure to follow. At a demonstration in Mexico City on in 2020, a woman holds a banner reading in Spanish, "Legal, safe and free abortion." What's happening in the United States hasn't gone unnoticed in Mexico. Attorney Luisa Garcia is the director of Profem, a reproductive rights clinic that sits half a block from the U.S.-Mexico border in Baja California. In a phone interview, she told me that women from the USA are traveling to her clinic for abortions because the wait time and the cost are significantly less. "We have only been open for about six months and have barely advertised our services," she said. "I am sure we will be getting more as time goes on. ... We can provide a medical or procedural abortion the same day they get here, no wait time. It also costs only about $200. In the U.S., it costs at least $500," she said. She said most American patients are from Arizona and California. Carli Pierson Lina-Maria Murillo, an assistant professor of Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies, History, and Latina/o/x Studies at the University of Iowa, said it's hard to know how many women are traveling to Mexico for abortions because "it is not easy to track clandestine trips across borders for access to reproductive care." She said in places like El Paso, Texas, abortion clinics are no longer open. So, women are crossing to border cities such as Ciudad Juarez to obtain the abortion pill, misoprostol, at pharmacies. She also said abortion funds organizations that help women bypass logistical and financial barriers to abortion in states like Texas are hesitant to talk about organizing trips to Mexico because they are operating on the fringes of the law and are overwhelmed with trying to help patients access care. Women have always sought out abortions, and they will continue to do so, whether they are legal or not. Nearly a century after the death of my great-grandmother, and five decades after my relative had to leave the country to have an abortion, American women's reproductive rights are under attack. But we will not stop fighting. Carli Pierson is an attorney, former professor of human rights, writer and member of USA TODAY's Editorial Board. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abortions in Mexico? If Roe v. Wade is overturned, options still exist The union working to organize Activision Blizzard workers the Communications Workers of America filed a complaint today with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), accusing the video game company of forbidding workers from discussing ongoing sexual and workplace harassment lawsuits. This isnt the first time Activision has been accused of shutting down workplace dissent. Last September, CWA accused Activision of union-busting and intimidating workers who engaged in walkouts and other protests. CWA filed its latest complaint after an incident in which an Activision worker posted a link to an article on their departmental Slack channel about an ongoing California Department of Fair Housing and Employment lawsuit against the company. The union shared no details about whether the worker was fired or reprimanded. Engadget has reached out to CWA for more information about the incident and will update when we hear back. Under federal law, employees have the right to discuss matters relating to wages, hours and working conditions. Former Blizzard test analyst Jessica Gonzalez said Activision used similar tactics during her time at the company after she spoke out about workplace sexual harassment. It is unfortunate that Activision continues to take the low road, but my hope is that everyone in the video game community understands how having a union on the job can encourage a workplace free from harassment and discrimination, which translates to better video games, said Gonzalez in a statement. Hopes that Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness would break the curse of Marvel movies not being released in China may now be dashed. The Benedict Cumberbatch-starrer has made waves on local social media over a scene in the opening bit of the sequel where a newspaper kiosk bears the Chinese characters for The Epoch Times, an international multi-language newspaper and media company which opposes the Chinese Communist Party. We understand that Doctor Strange 2 has been submitted to the Chinese authorities for review, and that a release has not yet been nixed or approved. It appears the current brouhaha has been fueled by netizens doing a frame-by-frame analysis of the scene in question. More from Deadline To wit: Doctor Strange battles Gargantos on the streets of New York, with the kiosk in the background. Its off to the left of the screen and appears briefly. Having seen the footage for the first time at CinemaCon this past week, we didnt notice it; we were focused on the action and the story. But, thats evidently not so for some who are digging into every detail. (Blink and youll miss it in the video below.) Disney is not commenting, but it would be difficult for the studio to not be aware of the situation. There have indeed been a lot of hopes riding on Doctor Strange 2, whose predecessor grossed $109M in the PRC and where no movie featuring a Marvel character has been released since Avengers: Endgame. And thats not only from a Hollywood perspective on the recent anniversary of Endgames 2019 release, Chinese social media lit up with mentions of I love you 3000. That movie did $629M in China. Story continues What followed amid the pandemic was the apparent blackballing of Marvel. Black Widow, Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home were not granted dates. There are varying theories as to why this happened, perhaps going back to Black Widows depiction of communism, while the slate of films may have been a no-go as soon as years-old comments allegedly made by Eternals helmer Chloe Zhao surfaced back in the early part of 2021. Similarly, 2017 comments by Shang-Chi star Simu Liu also came to light, evidently further complicating matters in the mind of the government, and the propaganda department which oversees film. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty With tensions between the United States and Russia at a level not seen since the Cold War, and likely not abating no matter the direction the war in Ukraine takes, our national security depends on the integrity of our intelligence community. The FBI and CIA must be able to securely plan covert operations, and to employ Russian double agents to carry them out. In this context, just imagine an American FBI agent with top-secret clearance writing this letter to the Russian intelligence chief stationed in Washington: Soon I will send a box of documents. They are from certain of the most sensitive and highly compartmentalized projects of the U.S. Intelligence community. All are originals and aid to verifying their authenticity. Please recognize for our long-term interests that there are a limited number of persons with this array of clearances. As a collection they point to me I trust that an officer of your experience will handle them appropriately. I believe they are sufficient to justify a $100,000 payment to me. I Was a Double-Agent for Russia and Theyre at It Again Sound farfetched? Not possible? Think again, because Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent assigned to counterintelligence and with top-secret clearances, began his nearly 20 years of spying for the Russians with a letter almost identical to this one. Hanssen, who started spying in the 1980s, is locked in federal custody and will remain so for the remainder of his life. But he was responsible for the betrayal of our double agents in Moscow, and leaked a steady pipeline of American intelligence to Russia for two decades. His legacy of treachery continues to reverberate today. As the daughter of an FBI agent and a third-generation federal prosecutor, I grew up believing the men and women of the FBI were always the good guys, combatting crime and working hard toward the ultimate goal of keeping us all safe. My father was that kind of FBI agent, and so were the people I worked with. My father said Hanssens case was a devastating black mark against the Bureau. Story continues While so many were working hard to keep Americans safe, Robert Hanssen was working just as hard to betray the agency he had sworn allegiance to and the people and country he had sworn to protect. His selling of national secrets to the Russians cost lives, including that of Dmitri Polyakov, one of our most effective Russian assets, and gutted operations critical to national security. According to the Webster Commission report done after Hanssens arrest, Hanssen carried out of the FBI building a volume containing top-secret and special-access program information about an extraordinarily important program for use in response to a nuclear attack. The report puts a $10-billion value on the information he gave the Russians. In the process, he also besmirched the reputation of the FBI and branded it in ways that echo still: that it is an agency under siege, one unable to regulate itself from within, and one that is prone to infiltration. A 2003 report by the Justice Departments Office of the Inspector General is harsh in its criticism: [The FBI] suffered from a lack of cooperation with the CIA and from inattention on the part of senior management The FBI failed to work cooperatively with the CIA to resolve the cause of these losses or to thoroughly investigate whether an FBI mole could be responsible for these setbacks. In short, the FBI failed to police itself. Hanssen is where he should be, in jail for the rest of his life, but still at large are questions about his motives, his psyche, and the damage he caused; whether the FBI has blinded itself to the lessons it should have learned; and whether we are any better protected today from a new Robert Hanssen than we were from the actual one who ripped the guts out of Americas secrets. In writing my book, A Spy in Plain Sight, about Hanssen and the damage he caused to the FBI and to our country, I interviewed scores of past and present FBI and CIA agents, and I asked all of them the same question: Can there be another Hanssen today? The answer was a unanimous and emphatic Yes! This answer was often followed by an even more chilling qualifier: And there probably already is. These agents know that the FBI and CIA have implemented more procedural safeguards because of Hanssen, including increased polygraphing of agents, and extensive financial disclosures by them. But fractured domestic politics and policies encourage present-day would-be spies. For example, when the majority of the Republican Party refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of Bidens presidency, or when seasoned senators and the minority leader of the House of Representatives continue to paint the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol as a tourist prank gone awry, the fabric of the nation is weakened. These fissures quickly become wide cracks, not just on the American body politic, but in places like the FBI that are dedicated to defending the Constitution and on the front lines of upholding the rule of law. Such an onslaught has exponential ramifications, as it fundamentally undermines morale and functioning. It gives implicit license to those within such organizations who might have financial problems or are discontented with their career advancement or exist at the edge of a group cultureor are simply looking for a thrill to perk up their bureaucracy-bound livesto give in to their own worst instincts, the dark angels of their psyche. When that line gets crossed, you can institute all the polygraphs you want, run all the credit checks imaginable, but theres always going to be one special agent with a high security clearance who slips through the net, scoops up a handful of vital secrets, and writes a letter to the Russians. How the KGB Closed In On Its Most Notorious Double Agent For a recent example of just how this line gets crossed, consider Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, the Maryland couple arrested last year for trying to sell some of Americas most closely guarded nuclear submarine secrets. Jonathan Toebbe, a nuclear propulsion expert who worked for the U.S. navy as a civilian, allegedly tried to sell nuclear propulsion secrets to an undercover FBI agent through a series of dead drops featuring memory cards hidden in peanut butter sandwiches, Band-Aid wrappers, and gum packages. Toebbe allegedly sent a brown envelope to an unidentified foreign government in April 2020. Inside the envelope were sensitive U.S. Navy documents and instructions on how the countrybelieved by security experts to be a U.S. allyshould reply using an encrypted email service. In Toebbes case, the foreign government turned over the contents of his envelope to the FBI, which began an undercover operation to catch him. But what if Toebbe had sent the envelope to the Russians? Would the Russians have turned over valuable intel to the FBI? I think not. Of the 150 U.S. citizens convicted of or prosecuted for espionage between the start of World War II and shortly after Hanssens arrest, 42 percent of them were government employees. As Dave Szady, former assistant director of the FBIs Counterintelligence Division, told me: Is it going to happen again? Well, is the bank going to be robbed again? Is somebody going to be murdered again? How about corruption? Youd think politicians would learn that corruption isnt a good idea, but do you think it will occur again? Of course it will. People commit crimes, and theyre not going to stop. And espionage is a crime. FBI agents arrest counterintelligence agent Robert Hanssen (C) near his home February 18, 2001 in Vienna, Virginia. According to the FBI, Hanssen had just placed a package of classified material in a park he had been using since 1985 to exchange documents with Russian spies. Hanssen is currently serving a prison sentence of life without parole. Getty FBI Special Agent Jack Thompson, who was involved in the Hanssen mole hunt, said, After 30 years in the FBI, 17 of those as the counterintelligence officer at the Department of Energy (DOE), I have no reason to believe that there isnt a recruitment in place right now in the FBI, the CIA, and the DOE. And, if the FBI has a mole, how can it act effectively against another Hanssen or Toebbe? Even in a mature democracy, the rule of law can hang by a slim thread. An FBI that fails to police itself adequately or allows its mission to become subverted or its vast investigative powers to be abused could be the only difference between government of, by, and for the people and government by a tyrannous few. Odds are, one special agent or officer may have already crossed that fateful line, and sold secrets to the Russians. And this time its not only U.S. assets and operations abroad that are endangeredits democracy itself. The only way to strengthen institutions like the FBI and CIA is to restore integrity and confidence in the rule of law. To do that, we must stop politics from bleeding into intelligence agencies. Political fissures should always be secondary to the importance of the Constitution and democracy. In analyzing Hanssens motive for spying, money is certainly a factor. But, according to his psychiatrist, Dr. David Charney, and his best friend Jack Hoschouer, Hanssen was also motivated by the glamour of being a James Bond-type character, by his constant need to be appreciated for his brilliant work, and by a warped sense that in turning over secrets to the Russians he would somehow make America stronger in the long run. These motivations are hardly unique to Robert Hanssenthey are universal in application. A source I can identify only as one of the nations leading authorities on cutting-edge forensicsthe kind of expert both Fortune 100 companies and government agencies rely on to avoid penetrations and find the culprits when they happentold me, Once youve been cleared and youre inside the FBI or CIA or NSA, youre trusted, so nobodys watching you, and you can do anything you want. The kind of information that you have access to at that point would just blow anyone away. Its better than make-believe. Real life, not make-believe, is warning us: We had better learn from past failings, like Hanssen, lest history repeats itself. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Jack Dorsey is at it again. The twitter co-founder shared another rambling tweetstorm , in which he mused about Twitters shortcomings, user trust and whether or not the platform should be permanently banning users. The comments come on the heels of a turbulent week for Twitter, which is facing uncertainty about what will happen to its platform with Elon Musk at the helm. But if people were hoping Dorsey could add some clarity to the discussion, theyll likely be disappointed. Every decision we made was ultimately my responsibility, he said. In the cases we were wrong or went too far, we admitted it and worked to correct. The comments may have been an oblique reference to Elon Musks earlier tweets targeting a top Twitter policy official, but he didnt directly address the situation. Instead, he shared some vague thoughts about what Twitter should do to fix itself. Some things can be fixed immediately, and others require rethinking and reimplementing the entire system. It is important to me that we get critical feedback in all of its forms, but also important that we get the space and time to address it. All of that should be done publicly. jack (@jack) April 29, 2022 Some things can be fixed immediately, and others require rethinking and reimplementing the entire system, he said. A transparent system, both in policy and operations, is the right way to earn trust. Whether its owned by a company or an open protocol doesnt matter _as much as_ deliberately deciding to be open about every decision and why it was made. Dorsey also seemed frustrated by what current CEO Parag Agrawal has referred to as noise about whats happening to the company. Doing this work means youre in the arena, Dorsey tweeted. Nothing that is said now matters. What matters is how the service works and acts, and how quickly it learns and improves. My biggest failing was that quickness part. Im confident that part at least is being addressed, and will be fixed. Story continues Dorsey added that its crazy and wrong that individuals or companies bear this responsibility, in an apparent reference to past unpopular decisions. I dont believe any permanent ban (with the exception of illegal activity) is right, or should be possible. This is why we need a protocol thats resilient to the layers above. Doing this work means youre in the arena. Nothing that is said now matters. What matters is how the service works and acts, and how quickly it learns and improves. My biggest failing was that quickness part. Im confident that part at least is being addressed, and will be fixed. jack (@jack) April 29, 2022 Musks buyout has rocked Twitter, a company whose own executives have told employees they are unsure what direction Musk will take the platform. Musk, who has said he has no confidence in the companys current leadership, has suggested that he would drastically scale back the companys existing content moderation policies and, potentially, its staff. Whether Musk has Dorseys backing has been a major source of speculation. Dorsey said earlier in the week that Elon is the singular solution I trust, and said that his buyout is getting the company out of an impossible situation in which it is tied to an ad-based revenue model. Both Dorsey and former Facebook board member Peter Thiel reportedly encouraged Musk to take Twitter private, according to The Wall Street Journal. Musk has reportedly floated the idea of charging organizations to embed tweets on other websites, and ramping up Twitters subscription product Twitter Blue. He also reportedly wants to replace Agrawal with an executive of his own choosing, Reuters reported Friday. Dorseys comments are also notable for what he didnt say. He didnt mention Musk by name, and he didnt defend Twitters employees, though he said the company has always tried to do its best given the information it had. Paul Manafort arrives for a hearing at US District Court on June 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. - A judge revoked Manafort's bail and sent him to jail over claims he was tampering with witnesses in the case against him brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Paul Manafort The U.S. Justice Department has filed suit against ex-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, arguing that he failed to disclose more than 20 offshore bank accounts, and seeking to recover some $3 million from those undeclared accounts. At least some of that money the Justice Department argued in a lawsuit filed in federal court in West Palm Beach was related to 73-year-old Manafort's consulting work in Ukraine, which became a key focus of the Mueller investigation during Trump's time in office. The Justice Department alleges in its suit that Manafort failed to disclose the money on his income tax returns. "From 2006 through sometime in 2014, [Manafort's consulting company] earned consulting income from Ukrainian sources. This income was deposited into accounts Manafort directed to be opened in the countries of Cyprus, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the United Kingdom," the suit alleges. The suit seeks nearly $3 million in fines and penalties from Manafort. RELATED: Dr. Birx Wished She Was in Twilight Zone When Trump Suggested Injecting Disinfectant to Treat COVID This is the latest in a long string of legal troubles for Manafort, who was a central player in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Manafort, a longtime Republican consultant and lobbyist, has also consulted for a number of non-U.S. clients including oligarchs leading a pro-Russian party in Ukraine (which is now under invasion by Russia). Shortly before Trump took office, in August 2016, the New York Times reported on a secret ledger that allegedly showed Manafort had been paid nearly $13 million from the pro-Russian party. Manafort resigned from his role as Trump's campaign chairman just days after the Times report was published, though he remained close with Trump and his allies. His problems multiplied in later years. Story continues In August 2018, a federal jury in Virginia convicted Manafort on eight felony counts of bank and tax fraud. At the time, he was the first campaign associate of then-President Donald Trump to be found guilty by a jury as part of Mueller's investigation. In September 2018, Manafort pled guilty to two criminal charges one count of conspiracy against the U.S. and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice as part of a cooperation deal that required him to cooperate with the investigation. He was later sentenced to 47 months in prison for the tax and bank fraud charges, but given a full pardon by then-President Trump in December 2020. Mueller's investigation stemmed from a consensus among American intelligence officials that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election in an effort to boost Trump's chances over Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton largely through the Russian hacking of Clinton-related emails and then, via WikiLeaks, their release. RELATED: Trump Downplays Report He Is 'Antsy' to Return to Social Media While New App Launch Is Months Away Both Trump and the Russian government have always adamantly denied any conspiracy. As part of his investigation, Mueller also looked at whether the president obstructed justice, according to the Washington Post. The president gave written answers to questions from Mueller's team but did not sit for an interview. Several Trump campaign and administration officials were eventually ensnared in Mueller's investigation, though Trump pardoned many during his time in office. Isabel Crist, who graduated from New Mexico State University in May 2021, has received the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship. Later this year, she will travel to Romania and spend 10 months there teaching at a university. LAS CRUCES - Isabel Crist has always had a passion for travel. In high school, Crist spent time in France through the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. She also has a passion for teaching, inspired by her father, a Las Cruces English teacher. It was an easy decision for Crist, who graduated from New Mexico State University in 2021, to apply for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program. She received word last month that she was chosen for an assistantship in Romania, where she will be teaching at a university there. She is still awaiting word on exactly where in Romania she will be teaching. Ive always been interested in Eastern European history, Crist said. When she learned she had received the assistantship, she was on a plane with her boyfriend traveling home from Brazil, where she had been teaching English. More from NMSU: NMSU National Agri-Marketing Association team competes in semifinals at nationals There was someone sitting in the middle seat between my boyfriend and I, and when the plane landed and I got the email, I was silently freaking out, because I didnt want to disturb the person sitting between us, Crist said. Crist earned bachelors degrees in history and foreign languages from NMSU. She is a graduate of Centennial High School and grew up in Las Cruces. Her father, Joel Hutchinson, has been an English teacher in Las Cruces for decades. Crists mentor, Glenn Fetzer, head of the Department of Languages and Linguistics at NMSU, helped Crist with preparing her application for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program. Crist also received help from Andrea Orzoff, director of NMSUs Office of National Scholarship and International Education, Honors College Dean Phame Camarena and other NMSU faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences. More from NMSU: NMSU engineering making a niche in hypersonic research and education Isabels Fulbright is more evidence of her talent and perseverance, and to the way NMSU faculty work in community to support our students, Orzoff said. Story continues Fetzer called Crists selection for the Fulbright teaching assistantship a noteworthy accomplishment. Crist had previously applied for the program but was not selected. When she applied this year, she had a better understanding of the process. I worked with Dr. Fetzer on some materials from my previous application, which I had started mostly on my own, but I submitted everything to my mentors as if I was really submitting my application, Crist said. They gave me feedback on anything that was unclear, and after that, I had a chance to redo it and submit it to Fulbright. Crist said she benefitted from being in a smaller department at NMSU, because faculty advocated for and helped her during her time there. Dr. Fetzer specifically went out of his way to help me get grants and awards, Crist said. Being in such a large school with small departments made that possible. My professors went out of their way to help. In fact, it was Fetzer who inspired Crist to pick Romania for her assistantship. He had traveled there previously and told Crist about the country. During her 10 months in Romania, Crist will also work on a supplemental research project studying the transition from the struggles of communism into a democracy. Adriana M. Chavez writes for New Mexico State University Marketing and Communications and can be reached at 575-646-1957 or by email at adchavez@nmsu.edu. Others are reading: This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: NMSU alumna awarded Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Romania Russian law firm sues Apple for $1.3 million after the company pulled its payment service from the country A Russian law firm is suing Apple for pulling its payment service from Russia, Reuters reports. Apple suspended sales and restricted services in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The law firm said Friday it is seeking $1.26 million in damages, per Reuters. A Russian law firm has filed a lawsuit against Apple seeking $1.26 million (90 million roubles) in damages after the company pulled its payment service from the country, Reuters reported. Moscow-based law firm Chernyshov, Lukoyanov and Partners said on Friday it is suing the tech giant, accusing it of violating Russian consumers' rights when it restricted the use of its Apple Pay service, per Reuters. Apple halted all product sales in Russia and suspended some services including Apple Pay in March, citing the invasion of Ukraine. Many companies have pulled out of Russia following the invasion, including brands like McDonald's, Goldman Sachs, and Uniqlo. The law firm said it filed the lawsuit with a Moscow court and is seeking compensation for damages including "moral damage," Reuters reported. The law firm said restricting services lowered the value of Apple devices, which it said was unfair and discriminatory under Russian law, Reuters reported. The law firm said it is still inviting claimants to join the suit which could raise the total damages sought, per Reuters. It also wants Apple to resume full operation of its payment service in Russia, Reuters reported. The same law firm filed a lawsuit against Netflix, which also suspended its service in Russia, in April. Insider reached out to Grigory Chernyshov, a partner at the law firm, but did not immediately get a response. Apple did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of normal working hours. Apple released a statement in March after suspending its services saying it was "deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all the people who are suffering as a result of the violence." Read the original article on Business Insider During his first night in Ukraine, Richard Campos said he was kept awake by the sounds of children crying as he laid on the floor of a bomb shelter. I was just thinking, This isnt right, this isnt right, Campos said. Weeks ago, they were in the comfort of their own homes, but now theyve been torn away from their homes because of the actions of one person. Campos, a Stockton native and U.S. Marine veteran, traveled to Ukraine in March to help Ukrainian civilians and soldiers affected by the war. Live updates: Ukraine in 'a fight for life' in Donbas region, Zelenskyy says in nightly address But this isnt the first time Campos has traveled to a war-torn country to provide humanitarian aid. Richard Campos, a Stockton native and U.S. Marine veteran, smiles for a picture with Ukrainian military members during his first humanitarian trip to Ukraine in March 2022. Ive been a humanitarian for years, Campos said. The majority of my humanitarian efforts have been in the northern part of Iraq. Ive been going there since 2009. Campos said he believes he has been there often because thats where his unit was called to serve during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Ive seen the atrocities and Ive seen what war does to innocent people, Campos said. Since that time, Ive lost a friend and then I lost another friend to war, so Ive just made it my lifes mission to somehow honor their names and honor the soldiers that tried their best to make a difference. Campos said he has taken over 35 trips to Iraq to distribute donations to Iraqi families. His last trip to Iraq was in March. Thats when he heard the news about the ongoing war in Ukraine. Richard Campos, a Stockton native and U.S. Marine veteran, poses with Ukrainian children he met in a bomb shelter during his first humanitarian trip to Ukraine in March 2022. When I was traveling back home from Iraq, the urge was for me to go to Ukraine, Campos said. I just wanted to witness it and see what I could possibly do to help out. Once Campos arrived back home, he said he contacted a friend who is a part of Domus Orientalis, a Poland-based nonprofit organization providing emergency assistance to Ukrainians. Campos asked if he could join the organization on their next trip to Ukraine and they said he was more than welcome. Story continues I booked my flight to Warsaw and then from there I went to another city in Poland, called odz, where they are based out of, Campos said. From there, they load up vans with supplies, food, clothing and medicine for the Ukrainian people and drive to the border. Eventually, we were let into Ukraine because we were a part of a nonprofit. Campos said he spent five days in Ukraine. Three of those days were with refugees, in a church that was turned into a bomb shelter. I befriended them and we got along really well, even though we had a huge language barrier, Campos said. On my last day there, they asked me if I could stay and I said, No, Im sorry, but I will be back. Following his stay at the bomb shelter, Campos said he met with Ukrainian military members before returning to the U.S. I asked them what their greatest need was and they said they really needed medical kits, Campos said. They said a lot of their soldiers were dying in the field by just bleeding out and they didnt have the ability to stop it. Campos said he is planning another trip to Ukraine in May. He is currently raising funds to help supply medical kits that he will distribute to Ukrainian military members. I have a strong desire to continue helping, Campos said. I have this desire to not stop. I told them I would be back and I promised them I would bring these things, so thats foremost in my mind. Those who are interested in helping Campos raise funds for medical kits may contact him through his Facebook profile, facebook.com/richard.campos.92505, or donate to Domus Orientalis directly by visiting domwschodni.pl. Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman . Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at recordnet.com/subscribenow. This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton Marine veteran plans Ukraine trip to aid civilians, soldiers By Trend Turkey and Saudi Arabia are striving to increase all kinds of political, military and economic relations to start a new era, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said early Friday, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah. "We paid a visit to Saudi Arabia upon the invitation of Hadimu'l Haremeyn," or "the Servant of Mecca and Medina," said Erdogan, referring to Saudi King Salman. "As two brotherly countries with historical, cultural and human ties, we are striving to increase all kinds of political, military and economic relations between us and to start a new era," said Erdogan on Twitter. Increased cooperation with Saudi Arabia in health, energy, food security, agricultural technologies, the defense industry and finance is in the common interest, said Erdogan, adding the two countries have serious cooperation potential in renewable and clean energy technologies. Erdogan also said that Turkey attaches great importance to the security and stability of the Gulf region. "We express on every occasion that we attach as much importance to the stability and security of our brothers in the Gulf region as our own," he said. "We underline that we are against all forms of terrorism and that we attach importance to cooperation with the countries in our region against terrorism," he added. "I believe we will take our relations to a level beyond what they were previously," said Erdogan, adding his visit during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan "will open the doors of a new era with our friend and brother Saudi Arabia." jetcityimage / Getty Images Formerly known as food stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the most important anti-hunger initiative in America. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), SNAP provided food security to about 41.5 million people in 2021, with an average benefit of $218.14 per person. Recipients use Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards to receive funds and make purchases, and they can use those cards to buy a whole lot more than just standard groceries. Here's a look at some of the more unusual things that SNAP will pay for. Find: SNAP Benefits Available in Your State in 2022 SNAP Schedule 2022: April Payments Twin Design / Shutterstock.com Energy Drinks -- Some, at Least You can use SNAP funds to buy energy drinks, but only if they meet the USDA's strict standards. If the energy drink has a "nutritional facts" label, it makes the cut, according to New York SNAP EBT. If it has a "supplemental facts" label, it's considered a supplement and cannot be purchased with EBT. That means Red Bull, Rockstar and Starbucks Double Shot make the grade, but 5 Hour Energy, Bang Shot and Tweaker do not. POLL: How Much Do You Expect Your Tax Refund To Be This Year? Feyyaz Alacam / Shutterstock.com Coffee and Tea -- the Kind You Make Yourself You can use SNAP to buy packaged coffee -- not to mention creamer -- and that includes Keurig-style K-cups. You cannot, however, buy coffee that's ready to drink. If you're thinking that you'll make your own coffee at home and just switch to tea when you're out, that won't work either. Tea, too, is limited to packaged and unbrewed because the USDA doesn't allow SNAP funds to be used to buy any hot beverages. CSNafzger / Shutterstock.com Hunting and Fishing Gear -- But You Have to Live Way, Way Out There Even if you live in a rural area and kill what you eat, you can't just swipe your EBT card to pick up a new fiberglass rod at Bass Pro Shops -- but hunting and fishing gear is SNAP-eligible for a very specific and very tiny population. According to the USDA, some residents in the most remote parts of Alaska rely almost exclusively on hunting and fishing to feed their households because of the extreme difficulty involved with buying food at stores. Story continues The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services gives qualifying households special identification cards. They can't buy guns and ammo, but they can buy things such as nets, rods, harpoons, lines and knives. hapabapa / iStock.com Restaurant Meals -- for Certain People in Certain Places You can't use SNAP to pay for dine-in restaurant meals -- unless you qualify for the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) and live in a state that participates in it. RMP serves vulnerable populations like the elderly, people experiencing homelessness and the disabled. Participating restaurants must offer meals at "concessional prices" to qualifying diners. While it's not as limited as Alaska's subsistence hunting program, very few states participate in RMP. It's available all over California, Arizona, Michigan, Maryland and Virginia, as well as in select counties in Rhode Island. Good Question: Does KFC Accept SNAP EBT Cards? Kyselova Inna / Shutterstock.com Seeds and Plants The USDA allows SNAP recipients to buy edible plants like basil or food-producing plants like tomato plants with their EBT cards, as well as seeds for growing their own food. The USDA says you can grow $25 worth of produce for every dollar spent on seeds and fertilizer, yet Modern Farmer says this important inclusion is one of the least known parts of the whole SNAP program. You can use your EBT card to get seeds and plants at any SNAP-approved retailer, including farmer's markets. Walmart.com Gift Baskets -- Depending on What's Inside The USDA allows you to spend SNAP funds on gift baskets and similar purchases as long as at least half of what's inside is edible. Even if they contain eligible edibles, nonfood items such as toys, stockings and tins don't count if "the value of the non-food part of the item clearly accounts for more than 50% of the purchase price," according to the USDA. The agency gives the example of a stuffed holiday bear that comes with a small package of chocolate: That won't count. A gift basket containing mostly meat and cheese, however, would be acceptable. Stephanie Botkin / Shutterstock.com Live Lobsters Like tobacco, alcohol, vitamins and medicine, live animals are on the USDA's list of items that you can't buy with SNAP benefits. There are, however, a few rare exceptions, including shellfish, "fish removed from the water" and "animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store." That means that, while you can't use your EBT card to buy a puppy from a pet store, you can use SNAP to buy a lobster to bring home to meet its unfortunate fate on your kitchen stovetop. dontree_m / Getty Images/iStockphoto Snacks of All Kinds Most people probably know that SNAP recipients can use their EBT cards to buy household grocery staples such as meat, milk, eggs, vegetables and bread, but what's not as well known is the long list of snacks that are on the USDA's approved list. It includes everything from marshmallows and marzipan to pudding and popsicles. Cakes, pies, doughnuts, muffins, pastries and all sorts of other things cakey and flaky make the list, as do chips, crisps, popcorn and finger food of all stripes. Ice cream, candy, chocolate, custard, scones, churros and much, much more all get a pass from the USDA -- in fact, if a kid can dream of it, chances are good SNAP will pay for it. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Surprising Things You Can Buy With Food Stamps Willy Joseph Cancel Jr., a former U.S. Marine believed to be the first American killed in the fighting in Ukraine, came from a family of servicemembers, according to his uncle, who lives in Spotsylvania County. My nephew was [an] extremely brave and humble person, Christopher Cancel wrote in an email. I truly believe [he] grew up inspired by many of his family members who served and this was his destiny. To help those in need. The family of Cancel, 22, was told earlier this week that he was killed on Monday, fighting alongside Ukrainian forces in the war against Russia. He had been in Ukraine since March and was working as a private contractor along with men who volunteered to be there from other countries, fighting the Russians. Willys all about doing the right thing, regardless of the possible outcome or consequences, his uncle said. He knew the dangers, he knew the risks, but he was still willing to help the people of Ukraine. Willy Cancel leaves behind a wife, Brittany, and 7-month-old son, Anthony. On a GoFundMe page set up on their behalf, his family said he made the decision to put himself in the face of danger in order to protect the innocent. He said, I have to do it because nobody else will. In addition to serving in the Marine infantry, Willy Cancel was a volunteer fireman in Walden, New York, and a prison guard in Tennessee. His widow, who also served in the Marine Corps, was notified on Tuesday that hed been killed but his body had not been located. Our entire family is simply distraught and we have no idea how to continue, stated the post on GoFundMe. Willy Cancel was born and raised in the Hudson Valley area of New York, about 45 minutes north of New York City, said Christopher Cancel, whos both his uncle and godfather. Christopher Cancel and his two brothers, including Willys father, served in the Marines and Army and did multiple combat tours. They also have worked as police officers and firefighters. When he grew up, he was surrounded by us serving and he just wanted to be like us, his uncle said. Christopher Cancel, whos lived in the Fredericksburg area since 2013, served with the Caroline Sheriffs Office and the Dumfries Police Department. The U.S. has not confirmed the reports of Willy Cancels death, according to the Associated Press. The State Department said it was aware of the reports, is monitoring the situation but had no comment, the AP story stated. The Marine Corps said Cancel served four years but was given a bad-conduct discharge and sentenced to five months confinement for violating orders, according to the Associated Press. No details on the offense were given. Christopher Cancel said one of the hardest parts about losing his nephew is not having confirmation of his death. He added that a fellow squad member who last saw him, after a missile attack, said he was bleeding out. The other soldier had no choice but to flee as the Russians advanced. Everybodys looking for some kind of closure but nobody can confirm anything, the uncle said. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. It may take a long time, but a former United States ambassador to Ukraine believes the country will triumph over Russia as long as the U.S. and other NATO countries supply a military arsenal. I am convinced that the Ukrainians will prevail in this fight, in this war, if we continue to support them, Bill Taylor told a group of 200 residents at the Fawn Lake Country Club on Thursday night. The Ukrainians will not stop fighting. They will fight until they win and the Ukrainians dont say after the war. Ukrainians say after our victory. Taylor visited the Spotsylvania County neighborhood at the invitation of resident Don Pressley, chairman of the country clubs board and a friend since 1995. The two men worked together on systems for former Soviet Union countries when Pressley was with a foreign aid program. William B. Taylor Jr., 74, has become a bit of a rock star lately, Pressley said, as he shares his experiences in Ukraine, war predictions and his stance on the need for ongoing support from America on nationally broadcast news shows. On Thursday, he stood at a small podium in the country clubs dining room, which was decorated in Ukrainian colors with blue tablecloths and yellow linen napkins. The event also was a fundraiser for the Ukrainian Crisis Fund of the international organization, CARE. Each attendee donated at least $70, netting more than $14,000 for Ukrainian refugees. Taylor is a former senior U.S. career diplomat, government official and, as Pressley pointed out to the many military members in the audience, a West Point graduate who served in Vietnam as an infantry patrol leader with the 101st Airborne Division. He was Americas ambassador to Ukraine from 200609 and again from 201920 and observed markedly different situations in those two periods, he told the Fawn Lake audience. In the earlier timeframe, Ukraine was an emerging democracy, he said, noting that Pressley and his colleagues had helped the country develop its institutionsparliament, press corps, civil society, the judiciaryall those things you need in order to have a successful democracy, and it was coming along, Taylor said. There were strong debates and two separate arguments emerged. People in the eastern and southern parts of the country aligned themselves more with Russia, while those in the west and north favored a European model and association with NATO. There also were debates about language. While Ukrainian is the mother tongue, there was a question about the status of the Russian language, which many Ukrainians spoke. In elections, the country flip-flopped between picking presidents who favored the Russian or European models, Taylor said. Then, Russia invaded Crimea in 2014 and not a shot was fired, as we know, Taylor said. When he returned to Ukraine in 2019 as acting ambassador, he noticed that attitudes toward Russia had done an about-faceeven before the brutal atrocities shown on the nightly news since the Feb. 24 invasion. When I was there earlier, the Russians were their neighbors, business colleagues, family, the Russians had a pretty good attitude toward Ukrainiansa little bit condescending, I would say, but nonetheless, it was a good relationship, Taylor said. Today, it is a hatred, it is a fierce hatred even among people that I know well who you would not expect to have strong feelings against anybody, but they have this because of whats going on now. As a result, Ukraine has now consolidated politically in a way that it never had before and is united in its support of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Taylor said. Another remarkable thing about this is the Ukrainian commitment to values that we all recognize, that we all espouse, that we all hold, Taylor told the group. They want to live in peace, they want to be able to elect their own leaders, educate their kids, take care of their parents. They dont have big demands. They want to be a democracy. While theyre fighting for their own independence, Taylor said theyre also defending the United States against Russia. If Russia were to take over Ukraine, Russia would be on the border of NATO and would be a real threat to us since were committed to NATOs defense, he said. While Taylor focused on Ukraines current position, Pressley asked Fawn Lakes own military expert to give his assessment. He summoned to the podium Gen. John Jumper, a retired four-star general who served as the chief of staff for the U.S. Air Force from 200105. Jumper said he continues to meet regularly with other four-star generals who have shoved their narrative of what should be taking place to the higher-ups. The consensus among military leaders and retired folks that I know is that we havent been aggressive enough in the help that weve given, he said as some in the audience applaudedbut not as loudly as when Taylor said Ukraine will prevail. He wishes the artillery thats making its way to Ukraine had been sent earlier and that we could be doing more with UAVs, drones or unmanned aerial vehicles used for everything from surveillance to carrying bombs. The artillery is finding its way in there, a little late, and its a robust package and I think its going to make a difference, the retired general said. As to questions about Russian President Vladimir Putins military, Jumper said whats been conveyed in the news is accurate. Morale as well as supplies are down. Taylor estimated the Russians have about 30% of the munitions it had at the start of the war. I think Putin runs out of munitions quicker than we think, hes unable to resupply himself and at some point, hes forced to make up a reason to slow down and back off, Jumper said. Thats what I believe. After a question about the likelihood of Putin crossing the nuclear threshold, Taylor said that America has to be ready for this. But he does not believe that Putin is crazy, suicidal or that he would attack a NATO nation. Jumper said that as long as Ukraine keeps up the appearance of being on the defensivedefending their territory, people and rightsand dont try to turn this into a counter-offensive any more than necessary, then Putin cant give the excuse that hes being invaded and has to resort to a nuclear attack. One thing about the Russians and the protocols we had all during the Cold War, they do understand the power of nuclear weapons, the retired general said. They do understand that to cross that threshold brings us into a whole new weapon of conflict on a global scale. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. By the spring of 1865, a weary, war-torn nation had had enough. Americas deadliest war was sputtering to a bloody close. Its first president to die at an assassins hand had just been murdered and was awaiting burial. Next, the killer was killed. Then came a tragedy so immense that it still holds a record today. It wasnt supposed to have turned out that way. It should have been the opposite, a Hollywood-style happy ending for men who had sufferedand survivedsome of the Civil Wars worst horrors. Yet in an instant, the Disney tale turned into a horror movie. In 1865, hundreds of steamboats chugged the Mississippi River from Minnesota to New Orleans carrying products and people. It was a busy place then, the quickest way to travel long distances when you were in a hurry. The men in blue were indeed in a hurry to get home. After all, most of them were Union soldiers recently released from the Andersonville POW camp in Georgia. With the war over, the weakened survivors wanted to put it behind them. Enter the steamboat Sultana. It was designed to carry cotton on runs from St. Louis to the Big Easy. But money is money, and Sultanas owner supplemented his income by ferrying federal troops up and down the river. When used as a passenger vessel, it was authorized to carry 376 people. The Sultana was docked at Vicksburg, Mississippi, when an Army officer came looking for Capt. James Mason. The officer knew the war had hit Masons bottom line hard and that he desperately needed cash to keep his boat in business. The officer had a problem of his own, too. A temporary holding camp outside town was overrun with soldiers liberated from Andersonville and another POW camp in Alabama. So, he offered a deal. The Army paid $2.75 for each enlisted man and $8 for every officer transported up the river. If Mason would turn a blind eye to the number of men crammed on board, plus give a generous kickback to the officer, the Sultanas trip upriver would be her most lucrative ever. They shook hands. When the anchor was weighed and her side paddlewheel began churning on the night of April 24, an estimated 1,960 liberated prisoners, 22 other soldiers, an additional 70 paying travelers, plus a crew of 85 were aboard. That was 2,137 peopleon a boat designed to carry 461. The sight was so unusual when the Sultana docked upriver at Helena, Arkansas, 36 hours later, photographer Thomas Bankes rushed to the levy to capture the scene. Photography was cumbersome and time-consuming then, meaning such an overloaded boat was so extraordinary it was considered worth preserving. The image clearly shows Sultana lilting to port from the excess weight. A few hours later it took off again. There had been engine trouble. Worse was to come. It was slow going, paddling against the ferocious current with a weight the boat was never intended to bear. On top of everything else, the Mississippi was at flood stage just then. The boats complex steam engine, prone to problems even in ideal conditions, strained to provide power. It reached Memphis about 7 p.m., dropped off 200 men and 120 tons of sugar freight while taking on several tons of coal, then resumed plodding northward at midnight. Two hours later, it happened. There was a massive explosion. A giant fireball lit up the spring night. Bodies and pieces of wreckage flew everywhere. Survivor Anna Annis recalled, My husband, with our child, jumped overboard. I held on to the rudder till I was obliged to let go by the fire. Solomon Bogart said, I jumped overboard among countless numbers of drowning men and made my way to the bank after hard swimming for eight or nine miles. Well never know the exact number of fatalities. Estimates range from 1,100 to as many as 1,547. Recent research suggests it was likely close to 1,200. Some people suggested it was an act of late-war sabotage. While theories about the explosions cause abound, it was most likely mechanically related. Two things are beyond dispute. First, no one was held accountable. Capt. Mason died in the blast. The Army officer who bribed him was found guilty in a court-martial, but his sentence was later overturned. Second, it remains the worst disaster in American maritime history. The approximately 1,200 lives lost puts it on par with the Titanics 1,500 death toll. So given the magnitude, why dont many remember it today? Because it happened at the wrong time. It occurred at the end of a month that had already seen more than its share of death. It was finally one tragedy too many. Americans simply wanted to forget. And forget they did. Holy Cow! History is written by novelist, former TV journalist and diehard history buff J. Mark Powell. Contact him at HolyCow@insidesources.com. It was the afternoon of April 7. Jane Crofton and her husband, Craig, were returning home to Elwood from an appointment. Thats when she noticed something. All the small towns firetrucks were gone. Before long, the couples daughters, Brooke, a senior, and Kara, a seventh-grader, ran into the house. They said English teacher Dennis Seberger, a volunteer firefighter, had been called to a bad fire. A dead tree had hit a powerline sparking a fire due to drought conditions about 5 miles southwest of Elwood. The fire spread rapidly. To date, wildfires have destroyed thousands of acres in Gosper County, where the Croftons live, and nearby Furnas County. Firefighters from across the state put their lives on the line to help battle the blazes. Two men lost their lives. Jane and Craig Crofton are former North Bend residents, who live in Elwood, about 15 miles southwest of Lexington. The Croftons know the fires have been tough for people in their area. They appreciate the support shown by other Nebraska communities including North Bend, where kids donated books for Elwood-area students affected by the fires. After first hearing about the fire on April 7, the Croftons daughters learned they could provide supplies to volunteer firefighters. Brooke used her own money to buy three cases of bottled water, which they took to the fire hall at Elwood. Kara baked two batches of brownies. With COVID, were so used to individually wrapping everything so that was nothing new for her, Jane Crofton said. The brownies went to the local library. Volunteers then took them to a plant seven miles south of Elwood, which had become a headquarters for firefighters. Fire whistles continued to sound throughout the night. Early in the next morning, Jane Crofton, who teaches science for grades eight through 12 at Elwood, received an email from school Superintendent Daren Hatch. Hatch said staff and students needed to be in her science room for a short meeting. Crofton figured the meeting was fire-related. It didnt cross my mind that it would have involved one of our firemen, she said. But it did. The group learned Elwood Fire Chief Darren Krull, 54, had died the previous evening. A story in the Kearney Hub states that Krull was a passenger in an SUV when the vehicle collided head-on with a truck hauling water to a large range fire southeast of Elwood. The Nebraska State Patrol reported that fire and smoke in the area had created zero-visibility conditions at the time of the crash. They just couldnt see because of the dust and the smoke, Crofton said. Hatch said firefighters and law enforcement personnel believed the best place for students to maintain some normalcy on April 8 would be in school. Counselors would be available to talk to students. Everyone in a small town knows everyone, Crofton explained. Fires burned not only near Elwood, but near the neighboring community of Arapahoe, which is 20 miles south of there and Cambridge, which is 18 miles west of Arapahoe. Elwood is in Gosper County and Arapahoe and Cambridge are in Furnas County. Crofton isnt certain what started the Cambridge fire, but the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency estimates two large fires have burned almost 80,000 acres in Gosper and Furnas counties. Of that figure whats known as the Road 702 fire has burned an estimated 44,024 acres alone. NEMA officials told the Tribune on Friday this fire is 97% contained. At least 15 firefighters were injured in the fires. On April 22, fire also claimed the life of John P. Trumble, 66, a former Cambridge fire chief. The Associated Press reported that Trumble was overcome by smoke and fire after his vehicle left the road because of poor visibility from smoke and dust. The fires have taken a toll on people in other ways. Our firefighters are physically and emotionally exhausted, Crofton said. Students in Elwood have been affected, too. They have friends in Cambridge and Arapahoe, Crofton said. They know people who have lost their homes. Its affecting them emotionally. Crofton said none of her students lost homes, but some of their families have lost land and some cattle. In addition, many farmers tried to disc their land to help keep the fire under control. They (students) were scared for their parents, because their parents were disking right next to the fire and they were trying to haul cattle out, Crofton said, adding, Most of the peoples livelihood around here is their cows and their crops. Crofton is pleased that Chris Gross-Rhode, school librarian, spearheaded a collection of books at North Bend Elementary School. More than 20 books were collected and mailed to Elwood. Crofton said books will be divided among students in Elwood, Arapahoe, Cambridge and Southern Valley. Everyone in those towns are emotionally drained right now and there are people who have lost their homes, she said. Crofton believes the books will help the students. I think it will bring them a little hope, a little brightness, she said. Crofton also was touched by the procession that took place in honor of the Elwood fire chief. Firefighters came from as far away as Arlington and Ralston to pay tribute to Krull. It brings tears to my eyes, Crofton said. There are still really good people and I feel like in Nebraska we do care about each other. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Should I be offended by the fact I never got kicked off Old Twitter? Its wokesters-in-charge must have missed some of the mean things I tweeted about Dr. Fauci, Joe Biden and MSNBCs insufferable and barely watched Joy Reid. Old Twitter never gave me a blue check mark to prove Im really me, either. But maybe Elon Musk will give me one when he officially takes over and retools Twitter into the free, open and politically diverse Internet forum for debate, commentary and verbal egg-throwing that it should be. Free speech is the last thing the liberal-left mob wants, of course, which is why they are in full meltdown mode this week over Musks purchase of Big Techs most influential bullhorn of information and opinion. O my God, someone who truly believes in free speech has bought Twitter! What if he lets just anyone tweet whatever disinformation they want about the ineffectiveness of COVID vaccines or Hunter Bidens laptop! The left didnt have a problem with Old Twitter being owned by a billionaire plutocrat as long as it was one of their billionaire plutocrats. Democrats and the liberal media werent worried about Old Twitters harmful influence on political discourse as long as its in-house thought police threw the right people like President Trump and Tucker Carlson off the platform. And I guess everything was equally peachy as long as Old Twitters computer engineers rigged the algorithms to make sure the wrong political ideas, government criticisms or even jokes were shadow banned or deep-sixed entirely. But now when a zillionaire who believes in absolute free speech for all buys Twitter and breaks up the lefts monopoly on Big Tech, the future of democracy in America is at risk? Really? From Left Coast to Left Coast, Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren and the liberal media mob are whining that under Musk an un-moderated and non-partisan New Twitter will be able to affect election results and spread disinformation. But come on, man. Is there anyone who hasnt noticed that for the last decade the left has been using Twitter, Facebook, Google and the social media to influence elections, censor their political enemies and push their poisonous political and cultural ideas on the rest of us? With their hysterical reactions to Musks purchase of Twitter, the left has shown the whole country what rotten hypocrites they really are. They dont believe in free speech not for you, anyway. They never did. They believed only in free speech for themselves. Old Twitter being purchased by a non-leftist who actually believes in free speech for everyone is not a threat to democracy, its a threat to the authoritarian left. The left is all about being in control government control of everything from education to health care and information and limiting individual choice wherever possible. In reaction to Musks promise to turn Old Twitter into a non-partisan, transparent, open market of information and free expression, the control freaks running the Biden administration have just decided to set themselves up as arbiters of disinformation. This week they announced the formation of a Disinformation Governance Board, which sounds like something George Orwell wished he had thought of for his great book 1984. The boards Orwellian and dangerously open-ended job is to coordinate countering misinformation related to homeland security and will reportedly focus specifically on irregular migration and Russia. While we wait to see if publicizing the information contained in Hunter Bidens laptop meets the boards definition of disinformation, its not hard to predict that Musk and New Twitter are going to be harassed or punished by at least a few federal regulatory agencies. The control freaks of the left will try to do anything they can to hurt Musk for being a free speech absolutist because they only agree with their own speech. So beware, Elon. Michael Reagan, the son of President Ronald Reagan, is an author, speaker and president of the Reagan Legacy Foundation. Send comments to reagan@caglecartoons.com and follow @reaganworld on Twitter. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Just as its a waste of time for Republicans to refight the results of the 2020 election, it certainly does no good for anti-MAGAs to refight what happened in the previous race. Nevertheless, I wince on occasion when I contemplate how our country wouldve been far better served if the popular vote winner in 2016 had ascended to the Oval Office. Wednesday was one such occasion, truly winceworthy. While eulogizing Madeleine Albright at the Washington National Cathedral, I was struck by these passages: Freedom cant be taken for granted. Democracy must be defended. Peace must be won. And there is no time to waste doing any of that(Albright) continued to issue blunt warnings about the dangers posed by authoritarianism and fascism with undeniable moral clarityShe talked about the importance of what President Biden is doing to rally the world against Putins horrific invasion of Ukraine and the urgent work of defending democracy at home and around the world. She knew better than most and she warned us in her book on fascism, that yes, it can happen here, and time and courage are of the essenceThis must be a season of action. And yes, once again, we must heed the wisdom of her life and the cause of her public service. Stand up to dictators and demagogues, from the battlefields of Ukraine, to the halls of our own capital. Defend democracy at home, just as vigorously as we do abroad. Albright indeed warned us about encroaching fascism in 2018, she said: There are conditions out there that provide the petri dish for something terrible to happen but lets not forget that back when it mattered most, with America at a crossroads, Hillary Clinton warned us, over and over, about what would happen if the oppositions demagogue was handed the reins of power. She had faults as a candidate, but ultimately it was not her fault that a small but fatal share of clueless, oblivious, feckless, or willfully deaf Americans stayed home in the handful of states that swung the antiquated Electoral College. She got it right during the 2016 debates when she spoke directly to Trump: (Putin) would rather have a puppet as president. (We know) that the Russians have engaged in cyberattacks against the United States of America, that you encouraged espionage against our people, that you are willing to spout the Putin line, sign up for his wish list, break up NATO, do whatever he wants to do. And that you continue to get help from him, because he has a very clear favorite in this race. She got it right in 2016 when she warned about the MAGA movements animosity toward people of color: Trump is reinforcing harmful stereotypes and offering a dog whistle to his most hateful supporters. Its a disturbing preview of what kind of president hed be. She got it right in 2016 when she warned that the GOP would target gay people all over again, regardless of the progress that we fought for, that many of you were on the front lines for. It may not be as secure as we once expected. She got it right in a 2016 speech when she warned that a fringe element has effectively taken over the Republican Party. And this is part of a broader story the rising tide of hardline, right-wing nationalism around the worldSo no one should have any illusions about whats really going on here. She got it right in 2016 when she warned about a fragile future for womens reproductive rights: The fact that our next president could appoint as many as three or four justices in the next four years (demonstrates) that we cant take (those rights) for granted. Just consider Donald Trump, the Republicans presumptive nomineeHe has pledged to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. WadeAnd thats why this election is so important. The outcome of Novembers contests is going to be a deciding factor in whether our elected officials and our courts defend or attack a womans right to health care for generations to come. Shes still getting it right, by the way. Last year she noted: There is a plot against the country by people who truly want to turn the clock back. They believe that the progress weve made on all kinds of civil rights and human rights, the cultural changes that have taken place, are so deeply threatening that they want to stage a coup. If that coup is completed in 2024, dont say that Hillary didnt warn us. Dick Polman, a veteran national political columnist based in Philadelphia and a Writer in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania, writes at DickPolman.net. Email him at dickpolman7@gmail.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 At least 10 people died on April 29 in a bomb blast at a mosque in Kabul, said a spokesman for the Taliban-led government police force. More than 30 people were injured in the blast in the Afghan capital's Darul Aman district at around 4 p.m. local time. A Taliban official said earlier that seven were killed and 15 were injured but warned the numbers would probably increase. "The death toll from the blast has risen to 10 and the number of injured to 30. Detectives and security forces have launched a serious investigation into the incident," Khalid Zadran, the Taliban's police spokesman in Kabul, said in a text message to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Hundreds of worshippers had gathered for prayers at the mosque on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The source of the explosion was not immediately known and no one has claimed responsibility for the blast. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid released a statement condemning the blast and saying the perpetrators would be found and punished. Eyewitnesses told Radio Azadi that they had seen dozens of dead and injured at the site of the blast and that the number of dead was higher than what security authorities had indicated. A similar blast one week ago at a Sufi monastery in Kunduz's Imam Sahib district killed at least 30 people and wounded dozens more. Afghan Hazaras, predominantly Shiite Muslims, and several Sunni Sufi groups have been the target of a series of attacks and bombings in Afghanistan recently. Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) has claimed responsibility for many bombings against Afghan Shia. The leader of Kabul's Khalifa Sahib Mosque, which was targeted by an apparent suicide bombing on April 29 as worshipers gathered, has claimed that more than 50 people died in the attack. "Black smoke rose and spread everywhere, dead bodies were everywhere," mosque leader Sayed Fazil Agha told Reuters. Agha said that the explosion at the Sunni mosque in the Afghan capital's Darul Aman district went off after someone believed to be a suicide bomber joined a ceremony following Friday prayers. The blast reportedly took place during a congregation known as Zikr, an act of religious remembrance that is seen as heretical by some hard-line Sunni groups. The mosque, a former Sufi monastery, was holding services on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as worshipers prepared to celebrate Eid. The official casualty count, according to a spokesman for the police force of the Taliban-led government, stands at 10 killed and more than 30 injured. "The death toll from the blast has risen to 10 and the number of injured to 30. Detectives and security forces have launched a serious investigation into the incident," Khalid Zadran, the Taliban's police spokesman in Kabul, said in a text message to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Eyewitnesses told Radio Azadi that they had seen dozens of dead and injured at the site of the blast and that the number of fatalities was higher than what security authorities had indicated. An unidentified health worker told Reuters that hospitals had received more than 65 dead and at least 78 wounded. Condemnation of the attack, for which no one has claimed responsibility, was swift. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid released a statement on April 29 in which he said the perpetrators would be found and punished. Mette Knudsen, the UN secretary-general's deputy special representative for Afghanistan, said she was appalled by the attack. "No words are strong enough to condemn this despicable act," Knudsen tweeted. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry responded to the attack by saying that "we express support and solidarity to the Afghan brethren in effectively countering the challenge of terrorism." The U.S. special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights, Rina Amiri, tweeted that she was "deeply saddened to hear of yet another attack on a mosque in Kabul during the sacred month of Ramadan," and called for such violence to end and for the perpetrators to be held accountable. A similar blast one week ago at a Sufi monastery in Kunduz's Imam Sahib district killed at least 30 people and wounded dozens more. Afghan Hazaras, predominantly Shiite Muslims, and several Sunni Sufi groups have been the target of a series of attacks and bombings in Afghanistan recently. IS Khorasan (IS-K) has claimed responsibility for many bombings against Shia Afghans. With reporting by Reuters By Trend Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Rostam Qasemi and his Russian counterpart Vitaly Savelyev signed a comprehensive agreement on Friday on different transportation areas, Trend reports citing IRNA. Qassemi had traveled to Moscow on Tuesday night for transportation discussions. Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Russian minister expressed hope that bilateral cooperation between Iran and Russia on transportation will deepen day after day. The North-South Corridor can serve as a base for expansion of cooperation between Russia, Iran, Central Asian countries and the Caucasus, Savelyev said, noting that implementation of this major project requires a document to be signed. He expressed hope that the Rasht-Astara rail project will be completed as part of the North-South Corridor through mutual cooperation of Iran and Russia. Savelyev said that once the rail road projects, the Rasht-Astara in particular, are completed, North Europe will be linked to India which will have many benefits for the countries on the way, including Iran and Russia. The Iranian minister, for his part, said that Iran is willing to expand relations with the neighboring countries, Russia in particular with which Iran has many historical common grounds. Underlining the role of transportation ties, the Iranian minister said that any trade requires the promotion of transportation and any transportation agreement between Iran and Russia is possible. Shaunti Meyer, medical director at the STRIDE Community Health Center in Aurora, discloses her sexual orientation to patients when it feels appropriate. LGBTQ+ patients often deal with stigma in health settings. They feel more connected because Im part of the community, Meyer says. Gov. Jared Polis also penned a Friday op-ed in The Washington Post in which he said the federal education department should go back to the drawing board on the changes. FILE PHOTO: The words "OMICRON SARS-COV-2" are seen reflected in a drop from a syringe needle in this illustration taken December 11, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. By Trend India on Thursday achieved a major milestone in the field of air navigation services. The Airports Authority of India successfully conducted a light trial using an indigenous satellite based augmentation system (SBAS) called GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) at the Kishangarh airport in Rajasthan, Trend reports citing Hindustan Times. Jointly developed by the AAI and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), GAGAN is the first system developed for India and the neighbouring countries in the equatorial region, the ministry of civil aviation said. The system was certified by the Director General of Civil Aviation in 2015 for Approach with Vertical Guidance (APV 1) and en-route (RNP 0.1) operations. Including GAGAN, there are only four Space-based augmentation systems available in the world, the others being US (WAAS), Europe (EGNOS) and Japan (MSAS). An Indigo Airlines aircraft flew an Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) with LPV minima of 250ft, using GAGAN Service, the ministry of civil aviation said. A Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) allows aircraft guided approaches that are operationally nearly equivalent to Cat-IILS, without any need for ground-based navigation infrastructure. The service relies on the availability of GPS and GAGAN Geo Stationary Satellites (GSAT-8, GSAT-10 and GSAT-15), launched by ISRO. The tests at Kishangarh Airport were performed as part of initial GAGAN LPV flight trials along with DGCA team on- board. After the final approval by DGCA, the procedure will be available for usage of commercial flights. The LPVs will enable aircraft to land at airports which are not equipped with expensive instrument landing systems, including several small airports. Rod Pelton is State House Representative for House District 65, which includes Morgan, Logan, Yuma, Kit Carson, Phillips, Sedgwick, and Cheyenne counties. He sits on Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services Committee. A chart from the Transparency Matters use of force study shows how much more likely certain racial groups are to face disproportionate use of force compared to their percentage of the population, the arrestee population and the criminal suspect population. By Trend Moroccan authorities and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) signed the document on $14.3 mln funding for the second phase of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project, Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) news agency reported, Trend reports citing TASS. The study co-funded by the Islamic Development Bank comprises preparation of documents for the implementation of the NMGP project and completion of the related technical, financial and legal analysis, the news agency said. "The project is intended to be a catalyst for the economic development of the North-West African region," MAP said. The gas pipeline is expected to be laid in the Atlantic along the West African coast. JOHNSTON U.S. Senate candidate Abby Finkenauers criticisms of a state judge whose ruling would have knocked her off the ballot were not appropriate, Iowa state auditor and fellow Democrat Rob Sand said Thursday. Sand said he called Finkenauer at the time to convey his feelings. Sand, a lawyer by trade who previously worked in the Iowa Attorney Generals Office, said he is proud of the state court system and defended the judge who ruled against Finkenauer. That judge did his job, Sand said Thursday for this weekends episode of Iowa Press on Iowa PBS. He worked all weekend to get that report issued on a Sunday night in order to give whoever was going to be the losing party a chance to appeal. And its a well-respected judge. Iowa Republicans challenged some signatures on Finkenauers candidate paperwork, threatening her status on the ballot for Iowas 2022 elections. A state panel in a split vote ruled in Finkenauers favor, but Republicans appealed to the courts, and state judge Scott Beattie overturned the panels decision, effectively kicking Finkenauer off the ballot. Finkenauer challenged the judges ruling, and the Iowa Supreme Court ruled unanimously in her favor. The former congresswoman and state legislator from Cedar Rapids will remain on the ballot as one of three Democrats running in Iowas U.S. Senate campaign. Before the Supreme Court reversed Beatties decision, Finkenauer called the lower courts ruling partisan, misguided, outrageous and a gift to Republicans. Republicans criticized Finkenauers comments at the time. Sand said judges have political views, but that he believes Iowas court system prevents those views from impacting court rulings. Judges, theyre human beings. They have their political views, Sand said. But we have a very good system in Iowa that sorts out the people who want to go in there and be political. And so what we end up with is a body of judges who do a good job of applying the facts to the law. Sand said most people in the legal community agree with his views on Finkenauers comments. Sand also credited Finkenauer for pulling back on her criticism after he spoke to her. To Abbys credit when this was happening I called her and I told her how I felt about it. She and I have known each other for four years now. We have a pretty good relationship. I told her what I thought, Sand said. And to her credit, she said, Thank you for this. Were going to step back some of this and tone some of this down. In a recent interview on WHO-TV in Des Moines, Democratic U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, when asked about Finkenauers criticism of the judge, said it was something she probably wouldnt do. Im not going to presume how a judge made their decision since Im not a judge and dont have that legal background, Axne said on WHO-TV. Im not going to wade into why Abby may have said one thing or another. I hope we can rely on our judges to do the right thing. The Finkenauer campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. The other Democrats running for the U.S. Senate in Iowa are Mike Franken, a U.S. Navy veteran from Sioux City; and Glenn Hurst, a physician from Minden. The Republican incumbent is longtime U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley. He faces a primary challenge from Jim Carlin, a lawyer and state senator from Sioux City. Iowas primary election is June 7. Iowa Press can be seen at 7:30 p.m. Friday and noon Sunday on Iowa PBS and online at iowapbs.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to bolster his nuclear forces at maximum speed and threatened to use them if provoked in a speech he delivered during a military parade that featured powerful weapons systems targeting the United States and its allies, state media reported Tuesday. His remarks suggest he will continue provocative weapons tests in a pressure campaign to wrest concessions from the U.S. and other rivals. The parade Monday night was to mark the 90th anniversary of North Koreas army the backbone of the Kim familys authoritarian rule and comes as the country faces an economy battered by pandemic-related difficulties, punishing U.S.-led sanctions and its own mismanagement. We will continue to implement measures aimed at strengthening and developing our countrys nuclear forces at the maximum speed, Kim told his troops and the crowd gathered for the parade at a Pyongyang plaza, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The fundamental mission of our nuclear forces is to deter war, but if an undesirable situation emerges on our land, our nuclear forces cannot be limited to a single mission of preventing war, Kim said. If any forces, regardless of who they are, try to infringe upon our fundamental interests, our nuclear forces will have no choice but to absolutely carry out its unexpected second mission. The parade featured marching troops shouting hurrah! and an array of modern weapons including missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. homeland as well as shorter-range missiles that can be fired from land vehicles or submarines and threaten South Korea and Japan. One of the weapons showcased at the brightly illuminated Kim Il Sung Squar,e named after Kims late grandfather and state founder, was North Koreas biggest, newly built intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-17. North Korea claimed to have test-fired that missile last month in its first full-range ICBM liftoff in more that four years. South Korea disputed that, saying North Korea launched a smaller, existing Hwasong-15 ICBM following a failed launch of the Hwasong-17. Despite the outside doubts, the missile fired on March 24 flew longer and higher than any other missile North Korea has launched, demonstrating potential ability to reach deep into the U.S. mainland. KCNA said spectators at the parade raised loud cheers when they saw the Hwasong-17, which it said showed the absolute power of Juche (self-reliance), Korea and the strategic position of our republic to the world. North Korea often commemorates key state anniversaries with huge fanfare to boost an internal unity. Tuesdays KCNA dispatch praised Kim for accomplishing "the historic great cause of completing the nuclear forces by making a long journey of patriotic devotion with a death-defying will in order to make sure that the people would eternally enjoy happiness free from the horrors of war generation after generation. Kim has also been reviving nuclear brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept North Korea as a nuclear power and to remove crippling economic sanctions. Analysts say North Korea is exploiting a favorable environment to push forward its weapons program as the U.N. Security Council remains divided over Russias war in Ukraine. Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled since 2019 because of disagreements over the potential easing of U.S.-led sanctions in exchange for North Korean disarmament steps. Kim has stuck to his goals of simultaneously developing nuclear weapons and the countrys dismal economy in the face of international pressure and has shown no willingness to fully surrender a nuclear arsenal he sees as his biggest guarantee of survival. North Korea has conducted 13 rounds of weapons tests this year, including its claimed launch of the Hwasong-19. There are also signs North Korea is rebuilding tunnels at a nuclear testing ground that was last active in 2017, possibly in preparation for exploding a nuclear device. In 2017, North Korea claimed to have acquired an ability to launch nuclear strikes on the U.S. mainland after a torrid run of nuclear and missile tests. The North had halted such high-profile tests before it entered the now-dormant diplomacy with the United States. The North has spent much of the past three years focusing on expanding its short-range arsenal targeting South Korea as nuclear negotiations with the United States stalled. Kims aggressive military push could also be motivated by domestic politics since he doesnt otherwise have significant accomplishments to show to his people as he marks a decade in power. He failed to win badly needed sanctions relief from his diplomacy with then-President Donald Trump, and the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed further shocks to the countrys broken economy, forcing him to acknowledge last year that North Korea was facing its worst-ever situation. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. By the time an individual goes to the hospital suffering from chronic conditions, sometimes its too late to reverse the trends of permanent damage. That can often lead to more troubles and a downward spiral. Thats especially true in Danville, a locality ranked as one of the worst for health outcomes in Virginia, according to a new report out this week. The problem, explained by Dr. Sheranda Gunn-Nolan, market chief medical officer for Sovah Health, all comes down to a simple area of focus: prevention. We continue to work as a health system to educate and motivate early preventative care, she told the Register & Bee. The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute on Wednesday published its 2022 list of County Health Rankings. Danville landed only six slots from the bottom at No. 127 out of 133 areas of Virginia for negative health outcomes. Its the identical position from the 2021 list. Pittsylvania County considered to be in the lower-middle range slid to No. 98, down from 90 in 2021. The long term factors, such as where people live, work, play and pray seems to be the primary determinants of our overall health, individually and collectively, said Dr. Scott Spillmann, director of the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District. Residents of Danville on average live to be about 71 years old, far below the national age of 80, according to the report. Life expectancy is higher in Pittsylvania County at 75 years old. About half of the health outcomes are attributed to environment and socioeconomic factors, Maggie Richardson, regional coordinator for The Health Collaborative, said. Communities with a lot of wealth and resources are near the top, while places with comparatively less wealth and fewer resources are near the bottom, Richardson said. Across Virginia, Falls Church ranked as the healthiest locality and Petersburg was the least healthy. Richardsons group is on a mission to unite other organizations and create somewhat of an action plan to put Dan River Region residents on a pathway to better health. Rurality also plays a role in health outcomes, she explained. In Danville, we have higher rates of poverty which leads to fewer resources for our schools, higher rates of food insecurity, higher levels of housing instability, and fewer opportunities overall. That means many people face hurdles of not being able to find or afford healthy options. However, the rankings dont always show the true picture, Richardson explained. I think the ranking system is helpful for highlighting the disparities that exist, but I dont think they are useful for measuring progress over time, she wrote via email. Our community has made great strides over the last several years that arent necessarily reflected here. Its more important to look at the data points that factor into the ranking, she explained. The major problems A 2019 local health equity report showed the two leading causes of death were cancer and heart disease, Dr. Cassandra Shelton explained. Shelton is the project manager for the Regional Engagement to Advance Community Health known as REACH. The report also noted the mortality rate of diabetes and unintentional injuries including overdoses was dramatically above the national average. In 2019, about 1-in-5 Dan River Region residents had diabetes, the highest rate in Virginia, Shelton said. This weeks County Health Rankings report shows that 43% of Danville residents are obese, compared with about 39% of people who live in Pittsylvania County. Also, about 23% of both city and county residents smoke. Shelton acknowledged medical literacy and mistrust of the health care system also are factors playing into poor health. Some health experts interviewed by the Register & Bee also drew a correlation between the regions low COVID-19 vaccine rates due to skepticism and the low rankings. Unfortunately, this is something we see to be accurate, not only in Danville, but in similar communities across the country, Gunn-Nolan explained, when asked if there was a link. I think that some of the underlying issues of poverty, limited education, lack of access to resources and distrust have created real barriers for people to both preventative care and vaccines, Richardson said, also admitting she wasnt sure if data would show as strong of a correlation or that this correlation would be consistent across different communities. Spillmann feels that increasing the COVID-19 vaccine percentages in the region would have an equal impact to raise the bar for public health. No easy solution Local experts agree theres no one magical solution to the regions health woes. But they believe the actual health issues stem from unrelated causes. To really move the needle on these metrics, we have to work to change policies and systems in ways that improve the conditions of our communities and better support community health, Richardson explained.That goes well beyond just medical help, she said. Affordable housing, higher paying jobs and better access to health care all play a role. But addressing these challenges at the policy and systems level is really hard work that takes a long time, she said. We have had a lot of success bringing people together across sectors and helping connect and align efforts, but its hard to focus on this long-term work when there are still so many immediate needs in our community that organizations have to address. In Danville, the median household income is about $36,600, dramatically below the national average of about $75,000. And for both localities, child poverty is getting worse, the report found. Spillmann also said finances and jobs in addition to access to food and health care factor into an individuals overall health. There is no quick fix, he said. Doing the right things take time and effort by us all. At the local health department, Spillmann said they are working to partner with communities more closely to engage in strategies to effect positive changes. Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic will help provide more resources to these projects, Spillmann recently said. Over the last two years, nearly all efforts were centered on the virus, taking away from the public health aspect of their jobs. In addition, the pandemic helped to create a network of partnerships with local organizations. The goal is to build on those relationships for the overall betterment of community health. Catching problems early The pandemic also presented its own set of problems and Sovah Health is trying to get residents back on track for annual checkups and preventative screenings. Similar to the cardiac care delay that occurred during the pandemic, people have put off early goal-directed therapy for far too long, Gunn-Nolan said. The changing landscape of health care as a direct result of COVID-19 has made it easier for residents to simply put their own health on hold, she said. Once again, we must continue to address this as people are simply waiting too late for care. New initiative In addition to The Health Collaborative, REACH is another new medical partner for the region. The REACH Partnership is comprised of Community Health Workers and Community Paramedics who are trusted members of the community and serve as a link between health care, social services, and community members, Shelton explained. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research was recently awarded more than $203,558 from the Public Health AmeriCorps grant to boost the health care effort. The REACH Partnership and Public Health AmeriCorps strive to improve the overall health of the Dan River Region by providing support to overcome barriers to receiving care and addressing the social determinants of health, Shelton explained. Those health workers and paramedics help connect vulnerable residents to not only medical care, but social services as well. They do an amazing job of not only helping people manage their own health, but also in advocating for policy and systems changes that would better support their clients and overall community health, Richardson said. Since Health Collaboratives mission is to work for policy and system changes, theres one upcoming project that particularly excites Richardson. Working with the city of Danville, they are building whats called Health in All Policies framework, a process that mixes health considerations into decision making. The City has decided to apply this health lens to its upcoming comprehensive planning process which will result in a long-term master plan for reaching the citys community development goals, she said. With health embedded in this guiding document, the City will be able to grow in ways that produce better health outcomes and quality of life for everyone. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WENTWORTH Community and Rockingham Community College leaders will join Tuesday to break ground on RCCs Center for Workforce Development, a major new facility funded by the countys quarter-cent sales tax that voters approved in 2018. The 42,398-square-foot facility will house the Machining, Industrial Systems, and Electrical Systems programs for the college, as well as the Small Business Center, faculty offices, a corporate meeting space and more. Construction is expected to be completed in late fall 2023, college officials said in a news release. The groundbreaking ceremony will be on campus at 10 a.m. at 215 Wrenn Memorial Road, just across from RCCs Administration Building. The program will feature remarks from RCC President Mark Kinlaw, Scott Barham, chair of RCCs Board of Trustees, Thomas Stith III, president of the North Carolina Community College System, N.C. Sen. Phil Berger, N.C. Rep. Reece Pyrtle, Kevin Berger, chairman of the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners, Lance Metzler, Rockingham County Manager, Don Powell and Keith Duncan, co-chairs of Citizens for the One-Fourth Cent Sales Tax to Benefit RCC, and Bobby Wharton, president of the Rockingham Community College Foundation. GREENSBORO When Michael Collins saw the customer at Lowe's fall to the floor, he rushed to the man's aid. Collins immediately recognized the signs of a stroke. The man's speech was slurred. He couldn't respond to questions about his name or pain. He couldn't move his arms. A Lowe's sales specialist, Collins quickly summoned an assistant manager in the Battleground Avenue store where he works. "Get the ambulance here real quick," Collins recalled saying, "because we had a man that was having a stroke." While Collins knew stroke signs, he didn't know the man exhibiting them on that June day last year. It was local sculptor and painter Jim Barnhill. Barnhill had become known for creating the February One monument at N.C. A&T where he has taught for 25 years, the General Greene statue on a city roundabout and Minerva on the UNCG campus. He has sculpted a bust of Pedro Silva, longtime executive director of the N.C. Shakespeare Festival in High Point. He has created pieces beyond Guilford County, and had several more in the works at the time of his stroke on June 23, 2021. Collins and other Lowe's employees sprung into action that day. They called 911 and tried to keep Barnhill comfortable until the ambulance arrived to take him to Cone Hospital. "The thing that was going through my mind was that I needed to react real fast," Collins said. "The longer we wait, the worse the conditions would be and the longer the rehab would be." Months later, Collins and Barnhill would cross paths again. * * * * In those 10 months, Barnhill, 66, has come a long way from hospital to home. He still wears a brace on his right leg. But he has progressed from a wheelchair, to a walker, to walking with a cane. He's not driving. Others drive him out to breakfast and lunch with neighbors and friends weekly. He can understand what people say. But his own speech has returned slowly and haltingly. Although his "yes," "yeah," "yup" and "no" are easy to understand, other words can be more difficult. "He has not lost any of his mental faculties or his ability to understand or reason," said retired ophthalmologist Dr. Wilson McWilliams, who is married to Barnhill's sister Katherine. They drive from Pinehurst to share caregiving duties with Barnhill's longtime partner, Edie Carpenter, and others. "I think he knows what he wants to say, but it doesnt come out as he wants it to, sometimes," McWilliams said. Barnhill practices his speech via Zoom with Club Aphasia of The Triad. Led by speech-language pathology faculty members at UNCG, the aphasia community conversation group caters to those who struggle to comprehend or formulate language because of brain injury. Twice a week, he goes to Cone Health Neurorehabilitation Center for physical therapy with Chloe Gilgannon and Emily Parker. During a recent session, he walked on a treadmill, climbed slowly up and down a few steps, even walked outside with assistance. "Very nice, Jim," Gilgannon says after he walks down a few steps. He can't sketch with his dominant right hand. So he has taught himself to draw and write with his left no easy feat for many who are right-handed. "He is pretty inspiring," said Carpenter, director of artistic and curatorial programs at GreenHill Center for North Carolina Art in Greensboro Cultural Center. Barnhill hasn't been able to sculpt again yet. Asked if he plans to sculpt again, he replies "yeah." Have any of his medical caregivers said when? "I don't know," Barnhill replies. Some of his paintings and sculpture created before his stroke appear in the current exhibition downtown at GreenHill. Titled "H20," it focuses on environmental stewardship. The "H2O" exhibition originally had been scheduled for two years ago. But the COVID-19 pandemic postponed it until now. A few days before the opening, Barnhill came to GreenHill with Carpenter and Denisa Simmons, one of his caregivers. A whale that Barnhill carved from crabapple wood, created in 1993, hangs from the ceiling of the GreenHill gallery. Two of his paintings in oil paint and tar on marine-grade wood panel show major environmental disasters. They're huge. "Yeah!" Barnhill says in agreement. "Big or go home," he adds, slowly pronouncing each word of the popular phrase. One from 2012 depicts the oil tanker Exxon Valdez. It ran aground in 1989 in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling 11 million gallons of oil. Another from 2013 shows the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, considered to be the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. What does it feel like to show his work to the public? "Genius!" Barnhill said, then laughs with the small crowd around him. Simmons sees strength. "Ive never looked at art until I met Jim," Simmons said. "When I walked in here, it just resembled him. It's strong." Three days later, Barnhill returned to the exhibition opening. He listened as Carpenter explained his work to visitors. His A&T students have not forgotten him, either. On Friday, Barnhill was honored at the exhibition for senior art students, held at the African American Atelier in the cultural center. Six of Barnhill's sculptures are now at Carolina Bronze Sculptures in Seagrove, awaiting casting. The foundry serves artists from around the world. Barnhill created the pieces in plaster. From here, Carolina Bronze follows a complex set of steps. It makes molds from the plaster, then from the molds makes wax copies of the originals. From the wax copies, it will cast the pieces in bronze, using the "lost wax" process. "Jim normally makes his own plaster molds," co-owner Melissa Walker said. "However, we made this batch because of his stroke." The sculpture will be displayed this summer in GreenHill's "Presence: A Figurative Art Survey," another exhibition postponed from 2020. Others have driven Barnhill to the foundry. Walker, who owns Carolina Bronze with her husband, Ed, has watched Barnhill's improvement. She calls Barnhill "an outstanding sculptor" and "a great guy." "We were just devastated to hear about his stroke," Walker said. "We are hoping he makes a full recovery." * * * * The day before Barnhill suffered the stroke, Carpenter didn't notice anything amiss. He had recently returned from a sailing trip. They dined together. As usual, she reminded him to take his medication on time to control his atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. Those with atrial fibrillation are at increased risk of stroke. When Carpenter saw him the next day, Barnhill was in a hospital bed. He couldn't move his right side. He couldn't speak. "At first, it was very scary," Carpenter said. "We knew that the injury was pretty severe." Barnhill had an ischemic stroke, in which there is insufficient blood flow to the brain. "People with atrial fibrillation are put on anticoagulants to try to prevent blood clot formation," said McWilliams, his brother-in-law. "The question was whether he was taking his anticoagulants properly." Barnhill spent more than a month in intensive care and in-patient therapy before returning home. A bout with pneumonia brought him back into the hospital. His atrial fibrillation is under control. This year, both he and Carpenter had a bout of COVID-19. He resumed drawing while in the hospital. At home, he's surrounded by art he has created over the years. And he's surrounded by family and friends. Carpenter, McWilliams, his sisters Katherine McWilliams and Becky Oxholm, caregivers from Hand and Heart and others have helped out. "One thing that has saved Jim and aided his recovery," Carpenter said, "is that hes never been bitter." Jim has always had a facility for reaching out to people, from the checkout person at the grocery store to his students," Carpenter said. "Many former students remember him telling jokes in his studio classes or offering advice when they had a personal problem." Family and friends remain grateful to Dr. Katyucia de Macedo Rodrigues of Greensboro Radiology, the physician who treated him; Collins and others, for helping to save Barnhill's life. Later this year, Barnhill plans to resume teaching at Art Alliance, which offers classes in the cultural center. Dates have not been confirmed yet. He will teach how to create art with the non-dominant hand, as he has done with sketching. * * * * Several weeks ago, Barnhill returned to Lowe's. Collins, 66 and a Lowe's sales specialist for 19 years, recognized him. They embraced and shed some tears. "He looked at me," Collins said, "and he said, 'You saved my life.'" Contact Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane at 336-373-5204 and follow @dawndkaneNR on Twitter. 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. A Mebane man is accused of helping bury a body transported from New York in Alamance County, according to a news release from the Alamance County Sheriff's Office. Ronnie Pulliam, 56, was charged with felony accessory after the fact of felony murder, the release said. The body of Lori Campbell was found April 19 in a shallow grave off a cul-de-sac after New York authorities had contacted the sheriff's office about the missing woman, authorities said. According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Pulliam's brother, Dwayne Doc Pulliam, killed Campbell because he suspected she was stealing drugs from him. On March 9, Dwayne Pulliam of Patterson, New York, asked Gregory Stone Garland to help move an Acura that belonged to Campbell. Dwayne Pulliam told Garland that he had confronted Campbell about the alleged theft and she began screaming when he wouldn't let her leave, the Justice Department said. Dwayne Pulliam, 59, told Garland that he stopped her from screaming and that this was not the first time he had done this, the Justice Department said in the release. Garland saw Campbells body wrapped in a sheet in the apartment and Dwayne Pulliam threatened to kill Garland's family if he didn't help him move the body, the release said. They used Dwayne Pulliam's Honda Accord to transport the body to his mother's home in North Carolina, where they got shovels, a bag of lime and plastic wrap from a shed, the Justice Department said. Ronnie Pulliam drove a separate vehicle while his brother and Garland followed in another vehicle to the place where they buried Campbell's body, the sheriff's office said. Ronnie Pulliam is being held on $500,000 secured bail at the Alamance County Jail. The Justice Department said Dwayne Pulliam is charged with one count of traveling in interstate commerce, and using a facility in interstate commerce, with intent to engage in a business enterprise involving narcotics, and thereafter committing murder to further that unlawful activity; and one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams and more of crack cocaine. It could not immediately be determined what, if any, charges were filed against Garland. Calls seeking further information for New York authorities were not immediately returned. GREENSBORO An After School Satan Club thats trying to make a point about separation of church and state has been denied at least for the time being from renting Joyner Elementary Schools facilities. Guilford County Schools is also, at least temporarily, prohibiting the Good News Club, an after-school Bible club for children that had been renting space at Joyner and another district school and working to expand to a couple more. Both groups have previously filed lawsuits against school districts that have banned them, charging that their constitutional rights are being violated. Most recently the Satanic Temple filed a lawsuit against an elementary school in Pennsylvania that denied access for the After School Satan Club that it gave to other clubs. The After School Satan Club had hoped and planned to hold the first of two announced monthly meetings at the school in Greensboro after dismissal on Friday, but was not able to do so due to the districts decision. The requests for rental of GCS facilities by the Good News Club and the After School Satan Club are under review and neither is authorized to use GCS facilities at this time, wrote Rebecca Kaye, the districts chief of staff, in a statement shared by the district. Neither of the two clubs are sponsored by Joyner Elementary nor were they solicited by the school. GCS is currently reviewing with its legal counsel how fliers for non-school sponsored clubs and events are distributed, as well as the districts obligation to grant organizations equitable access to our public facilities. On Friday, a group of about 30 or so people gathered in a yard two or three houses down from Joyners bus drive just after school for an extended Christian prayer session that touched on many topics. Participants asked God to guard against demonic influence, expressed thanks that the After School Satan Club had not met at the school that day, and expressed hope that God would make it so that the school would have a Good News Club, but not the After School Satan Club. An online flier for the After School Satan Club at Joyner said the club would promote benevolence, empathy and critical thinking and that likely activities could include crafts and science experiments. Fliers for the Good News Club say its an exciting, fun-filled weekly club where the Bible is taught with songs, stories and games. Bobby Fowler is the state director who is in charge of the Good News Club for Child Evangelism Fellowship of North Carolina Inc. He said in a phone interview this week that he hopes and trusts that the district will soon let both groups rent the facilities. Fowler said The Good News Club had been in six Guilford County Schools before the pandemic. Now as schools are reopening the use of facilities for outside groups his organization is re-engaging, he said. In Guilford County, he said the club either pays rent in dollars or offers volunteer hours to the schools of commensurate value to the rental price. In a recent letter he wrote to the Guilford County Board of Education and superintendent, Fowler pointed to a 2001 Supreme Court Case, Good News Clubs vs. Milford Central School district. The Good News Club had sued the district for not letting them use a school facility. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the court ruled that under the First Amendments freedom of speech clause, the Good News Club could not be denied the use of a local public schools facilities after school hours since the facilities were available to other groups promoting similar issues, such as scouting or 4-H, that also looked to provide moral instruction and character development for children. Fowler said he gets why many people recoil at the idea of an After School Satan Club, but he said the Supreme Court ruling that protects the Good News Clubs ability to have its program in schools after school absolutely also applies to the other group. He said he views the after-school club as atheists masquerading as Satanists who may be strategizing to get the Supreme Court case overturned to kick the Good News Club out of school buildings. He said that from what his organization has observed, the After School Satan Clubs few school clubs across the country have been small and short-lived, and, like the Good News Club, require a parent permission slip to participate. I hope they allow the club, he said. Theres no reason for them not to allow it, just like they allow ours. The After School Satan Club is a program of the Satanic Temple, a non-theistic religious organization founded in 2013. According to the organizations website, the group does not believe in Satan as a supernatural being but rather draws on the character of Satan as portrayed in religious texts and literature as a symbol for resistance to tyrannical authority. The group says its mission is to, Encourage Benevolence And Empathy, Reject Tyrannical Authority, Advocate Practical Common Sense, Oppose Injustice, And Undertake Noble Pursuits. It has made news for its campaigns to support abortion rights and for its challenges to the displays of the Ten Commandments on government property. Reached by phone this week, June Everett, the campaign director for the After School Satan Club, said she first got involved with the Satanic Temple after being appalled that child members of the Good News after-school club at her childrens school were evangelizing to her children. Everett said her children told her that club members were telling them things like they needed to be going to the after-school club or would be otherwise going to hell. She said that young children may not grasp distinctions about what is the teachings of their school, and whats the teachings of the outside after-school group at their school, especially if or when school teachers volunteer to be the after-school Bible activity leaders. She also said that her group never plants clubs in schools that dont have a Good News Club or similar club, and they only do so after being invited by parents. In this case, there were multiple families that invited them, who were unhappy about fliers for the Joyner Good News Club that they saw come home with their students, she said. They expect about five or six families to participate. She said they followed the districts requirements to rent the space and distribute fliers. However, within a couple of hours of their district-approved flier going up on a website for electronic communications with families, the flier started making the rounds on social media and the district yanked it back down again. Everett said that clubs thus far have been small and children seem to be having a good time, and do not seem to be experiencing bullying from peers for attending. She said that shes hopeful that the clubs the group has opened recently as schools open up after the pandemic will be longer-lived than those in prior years, due to a more organized and centralized approach by the organization now. A couple of the activities the children have done at the monthly meetings have included making gifts for dogs and cards for sick children at a childrens hospital, she said. Despite Satan being depicted as a cartoon on their fliers, Everett said their plans for the clubs dont include talking about Satan at all, or even religion in general, and that the activities are really reminiscent of groups like the Girl Scouts. Ideally, she said, she and her group would absolutely prefer that religious after-school groups like the Good News Club be kept out of schools nationwide, even if that would also bar the Satan Clubs. Still, she said, shes feeling a little disappointed about the screeching halt to them being allowed into Joyner, since plans were well underway with training the local volunteers to start the club. Wanda Edwards, the districts director of communications, said earlier this week that it might be a couple of weeks or even longer before the district would be able to share an answer on whether the clubs would be allowed in the schools. Contact Jessie Pounds at 336-373-7002 and follow @JessiePounds on Twitter. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Note: District 6 includes Guilford County and part of Forsyth County; District 10 includes all of Yadkin, Surry, Stokes, Rockingham, Lincoln, most of Catawba and Iredell and part of Forsyth counties; District 13 includes all of Davie, Davidson, Rowan, Randolph, Alamance, Caswell, Person and parts of Chatham and Lee and a small section of Iredell counties. These boundaries will change with the new Congress after the 2022 election. WASHINGTON Heres a look at how area members of Congress voted recently. U.S. House Fisheries research: The House has passed the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act to create an American Fisheries Advisory Committee that would advise the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on grants for fisheries research. The vote on Tuesday, April 26, was 404-11. Not voting: U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-Denver, 10th District, U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, R-Advance, 13th District Yeas: U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning, D-Greensboro, 6th District, Russia, Ukraine, and China: The House has passed the Assessing Xis Interference and Subversion Act. The bill would require the State Department to report to Congress on support from China for Russias invasion of Ukraine. The vote on Wednesday, April 27, was 394-3. Yeas: Manning, McHenry, Budd Russia and Georgia: The House has passed the Georgia Support Act to require sanctions against foreign individuals over Russias occupation of two sections of the country of Georgia. The vote on Wednesday, April 27, was 406-20. Yeas: Manning, McHenry, Budd Telecommunications in Europe: The House has passed the Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act to direct the State Department and other federal government agencies to support efforts by Eastern and Central European countries to improve their telecommunications security. The vote on Wednesday, April 27, was 366-60. Yeas: Manning, McHenry Nays: Budd Russia and Africa: The House has passed the Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act to require the State Department to send Congress, every year, a report on U.S. measures to counter Russias activity in Africa. The vote on Wednesday, April 27, was 415-9. Yeas: Manning, McHenry, Budd Relations with Caribbean countries: The House has passed the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act to develop a State Department disaster response strategy for Caribbean nations and authorize spending on the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. The vote on Wednesday, April 27, was 340-86. Yeas: Manning, McHenry Nays: Budd Malnutrition overseas: The House has passed the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act. The bill would require the U.S. Agency for International Development to take steps to address and prevent malnutrition globally. The vote on Wednesday, April 27, was 384-44. Yeas: McHenry R-NC (10th), Budd R-NC (13th), Manning D-NC (6th) Taiwan and the WHO: The House has passed a bill to require the State Department to make a strategy for regaining observer status in the World Health Organization for Taiwan. The vote on Wednesday, April 27, was unanimous with 425 yeas. Not voting: McHenry, Budd Yeas: Manning Aid to Ukraine: The House has passed the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act to waive regulations in order to facilitate the lending or leasing of military weapons to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries affected by Russias invasion of Ukraine. The vote on Thursday, April 28, was 417-10. Yeas: Manning, McHenry, Budd U.S. Senate Federal Reserve: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Lael Brainard to be vice chairman of the Federal Reserve banks board of governors. Brainard, a member of the board since mid-2014, was previously an Obama administration Treasury Department official. The vote on Tuesday, April 26, was 52-43. Nays: U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, both R-N.C. Federal Reserve board: The Senate has rejected a cloture motion to end debate on the nomination of Lisa DeNell Cook to be a member of the Federal Reserve banks board of governors. Cook, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration, is an economics professor at Michigan State University. The vote to end debate on Tuesday, April 26, was 47 yeas to 51 nays. Nays: Burr, Tillis California judge: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Sherilyn Garnett to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Garnett was an assistant U.S. attorney in the district for 13 years then, in 2014, became a judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The vote on Wednesday, April 27, was 62-33. Yeas: Burr, Tillis Abortion and family planning funds: The Senate has rejected a motion to proceed to consideration of a resolution that would have disapproved of and voided a Health and Human Services Department rule barring abortion providers from receiving federal funds through the Title X Family Planning Program. The vote on Wednesday, April 27, was 49-49. Yeas: Burr, Tillis Targeted News Service Among many potential benefits to older North Carolinians, long-term care industry representatives and state officials have different takes about the possibilities of a single additional 8 ounces of milk for assisted living residents. Specifically, the industry would like to know, whos going to pay for it? To be sure, no one has directly opposed the concept of supplying an extra glass of milk to people who live in assisted living centers with help from Medicaid. The proposal is part of the ongoing revamp of state regs, so whats holding it up? Details and cost are the bumps in the road for the change proposed by the state Department of Health and Human Services. Ongoing discussions over a milk mandate generally represent the way such changes get made, or are blocked, with practiced voices speaking up for their constituents. Based on what Ive seen in my involvement on the Rules Committee, the industry only cares about how the rules impact costs, said Steve Gugenheim, a Raleigh attorney who is among advisers to the state Rules Review Commission. New costs eyed by industry Hearings at the state-chartered Rules Review Commission only hit the news occasionally, but they can be closely watched when a guideline is to be changed, added or shot down. This was initially raised by the industry in response to rule modification, Gugenheim, often a plaintiffs attorney in long-term-care cases, said in an email exchange. So, due to industry objection, a fiscal impact study is done, any time changes to rules increase costs. Although far from being a household name, the 10-member rules commission can reject proposals such as the one to increase dairy consumption for residents of assisted living facilities. An important cog in the wheel of government action, the Rules Review Commission is charged with periodic examination of state rules to make sure they are still necessary. Coming down from the federal level, theres support from the Food and Drug Administration for giving more dairy products to older people. For industry representatives, the rub comes with a likely lack of state funding for any such mandate. Preferences, inclusion and budget considered Basically, the new guidelines say that you need three servings of dairy (daily) and we just pointed out that this is going to cost money, Jeff Horton, executive director of the N.C. Senior Living Association, said in a phone interview. State research prepared in the wake of questions about the proposal showed that the change would cost a total of about $5.7 million annually across the state, based on the extra expense of some $1.28 per resident per day. To complicate things further, some facilities already provide three servings. Then well say, Youre going to help us pay for this? Horton said. And theyll probably say no, but I was just pointing out that they made these rules without concern for what it costs. State DHHS presented the proposal to increase dairy servings from two to three daily, and to add equivalents to the list of yogurt, cheese, low-lactose or lactose-free dairy products, fortified soy beverages, and soy yogurt. The update would put the state in line with U.S. Department of Agriculture standards, as well as give residents more food choices. The USDA hit other policy notes in citing the change as a framework for dairy recommendations to include personal preferences, cultural inclusion and budget-conscious options. Bring on the calcium Upping the ante, the feds also say that dairy foods help strengthen teeth and bones by bringing more calcium and Vitamin D to the table. With damage from falls a major concern for older people, USDA also cites a two-year randomized trial from Australia that shows a striking risk reduction of one-third of all fractures and 46% of possibly deadly hip fractures. Thats important because research has shown that older adults are as much as 3 to 4 times more likely to die in the year following a hip fracture. The agency proposes to adopt those guidelines because the benefits of increased dairy intake have been proven to reduce falls and fractures among older adults residing in residential care, says a report from the state DHHSs Adult Care Licensure Section on the proposed change. But wait, says Horton, with the assisted living industry: Lots of older people are lactose-intolerant or simply dont drink a lot of milk. However, a study of dozens of different data-based looks at the question says its far from certain that older people are more apt to have bad reactions to milk. The evidence suggests that women, the elderly or specific racial groups are not more susceptible to lactose, but rather dose, body size and genetic differences in lactase non-persistence (LNP) are the primary drivers of intolerance symptoms, say the authors of a study in the academic journal Nutrients. Got milk? How much? How much milk do older people in fact drink? According to the USDA, about half of people 50 and older drink milk, a higher rate than those from 20 to 49, although both declined between 1978 and 2006. How much milk should older people drink? The USDA says two glasses a day supply enough calcium for adults. However, that comprehensive Australian study of long-term care residents showed significant improvements in all fractures and in particular, hip fractures, incurred by residents whose daily allocation of milk and milk products increased from 2 to 3.5 cups a day. Thats an increase half again as much as the one proposed by the state of North Carolina. This article first appeared on North Carolina Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. North Carolina Health News is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit, statewide news organization dedicated to covering all things health care in North Carolina. Visit NCHN at northcarolinahealthnews.org . As someone who just moved here in October of 2021, I have to say that Helena truly is a beautiful place. I had visited Montana a few times before moving here, so it was not altogether new for me, but visiting a place is not the same as living there. I was born and raised in California, so I am no stranger to the beauty of the natural world. The California coast is one of the most breathtaking places you could ever see, but its very different from the landlocked mountains here that seem to reach high enough to brush against the heavens. I love looking out over Helena from my vantage point at the church, and seeing the snow-covered mountains in the distance. The way the mountains encircle the plains where the city rests is so beautiful. This is the first time that Ive lived in a place where it snows, and even after a full winter of snow, seeing it falling from the sky still captivates me. I love the way that it covers everything in a blanket of white, and how it takes on the slightest of pink hues when the sun is setting. This is a place where a person has to be in tune with nature, because nature is so much a part of everyday life here. Thats why I was so surprised the first time I talked to the search committee at Plymouth Congregational Church and found out that they didnt have a Green Team to deal with environmental concerns, nor did they ever talk about the environment on Sundays. Being involved with the mainline Christian denominations in California, talking about the environment was part and parcel of what we did at church. I took it for granted, and assumed, even in Montana, that a United Church of Christ congregation would hold up environmental care as one of its core tenants. As a youth minister in California, I knew that the kids that I worked with were all extremely concerned about the state of the world that they would be inheriting. I all but chastised the Plymouth search committee for not being more involved in the effort to take care of the planet, thinking that it might be my one and only chance to talk to them, and so I was brutally honest. Because of that, I didnt think the interview went very well, and I assumed that I wouldnt be hearing from them again. So, imagine my surprise when they contacted me a month later to continue our conversation and then ask me to be their pastor. For a long time, there seemed to be a disconnect in our nation between God and the natural world. Environmentalism and Christianity seemed to be at odds with one another, which is strange, because the first chapter of the Bible describes how God created the natural world. The earth is a gift from God. Shouldnt we take care of something beautiful that a loved one gives to us? Imagine if you had built a home as a gift for someone who you really cared about, and that person knew that they could live there as long as they wanted, but that when they left that home, it would be gifted to another person who was just as important to you. And, say you went to visit one day, and that person had just absolutely trashed the house that you gave them. Theres mold growing everywhere, theyve tracked mud through the carpet, theres holes in the walls. How would that make you feel? We need to treat this gift, this home, thats been given to us with the respect that it deserves. I have come to learn that there are plenty of people here in Helena who care about the environment. And, how could you not, when two of the most famous national parks in the country, Yellowstone and Glacier, are right in your backyard? With the growing awareness of our climate crisis, more and more people across the religious spectrum have come to embrace the idea of creation care. More and more, we hear about people finding God in wild places, while hiking, or surfing, or fly-fishing. Of course, finding God in the wilderness is nothing new, there are several biblical precedents for it. I think the reason these wild spaces resonate so much with us is because God made them, just like God made us. Gods fingerprints are evident in nature. Nature reveals Gods presence to us, and we cant help but recognize our shared origin. We, too, are a part of nature, created by God. God has given the Earth into our care, but we havent done the best job of taking care of it. We respect God by respecting the Earth. And, we have to preserve our wild spaces, not only for our physical survival, but for our spiritual survival, as well. None of the myriad other causes that we might care about matter if we dont have a planet to live on. Its all tied together. So, go out into the wild spaces, and see what you can find there. Be nurtured and fed, there. Meet the Creator in the midst of creation, and remember how important it all is. And, lets all do our part to take care of this planet that is our home, before its too late. Rev. Charles Wei is the Designated-Term Pastor at Plymouth Congregational Church in Helena. Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 At a coroners inquest Friday morning in Missoula, a jury confirmed a young Native American man died by suicide last summer during a chase with Missoula police, clearing the officer involved of any liability. Close to midnight on Aug. 12, Missoula Police Officer Garrett Brown initiated a traffic stop on a car driven by Brendon Galbreath, who was 21. Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Coroner Jessie Billquist-Jette oversaw the inquest held at the Missoula County Courthouse. It was Billquist-Jette's second inquest for a fatal officer-involved shooting in two days. An inquest jury found a Missoula County Sheriff's deputy not criminally liable for shooting Johnny Lee Perry II to death in August. According to the Washington Post, 1,046 people have been fatally shot by law enforcement in the past year. Dash and body camera footage played for the public at Fridays inquest showed that during the stop, Galbreath apologized profusely for not using a turn signal when he turned. Brown testified he thought Galbreaths driving was indicative of someone under the influence. That stop didnt have to go the way that it did that night," said Galbreaths mother, Eva Racine. "He was a 21-year-old who did not have to die. When Brown spoke with Galbreath, the officer asked if he had consumed alcohol, which Galbreath denied. Bloodwork done later returned positive results for both THC and alcohol. Brown went back to his patrol car to gather information and Galbreath drove off. He traveled east on Broadway through downtown Missoula, eventually turning south on Orange Street. At the intersection of Beckwith and Stephens avenues, he made a u-turn and shortly after stopped the car. As Brown exited his police car, he heard a gunshot from Galbreaths vehicle. Footage showed Galbreath firing a handgun on himself. Brown fired a single shot with his service pistol, which went through the front windshield but did not hit Galbreath. Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation Major Case Investigator Edward Tommy Teniente recalled officers on scene called for medics about nine seconds after shots were fired. Missoula County Sheriff's Office Deputy Coroner Stephen Gorr was tasked with determining the cause and manner of Galbreaths death. He confirmed at the inquest Galbreath died from a gunshot wound to the head. Several of Galbreaths loved ones were at the inquest on Friday at the Missoula County Courthouse. They wept as the video footage was played in the courtroom. In his closing arguments, Missoula County Chief Deputy Attorney Matt Jennings said the inquest process leaves Galbreath's family with many unanswered questions about why things happened the way they did. Brown described the situation as the worst-case scenario in his testimony. Community response Around noon on Friday about 35 people waited outside the Missoula County Courthouse for the final result of the inquest and to show their support for Galbreaths family. That number grew to over 50 after jury deliberations concluded. Some brought signs with messages of Justice for Brendon and Transparency Now. Others brought brightly colored flowers. I just want to thank you guys for being here and creating and holding space, said Terrance LaFromboise, Galbreaths brother. It creates that safe space for us as a family to take this all in and realize this experience is a big part of what were going to carry for the rest of our lives. LaFromboise and the rest of Galbreaths family were first shown police footage from the incident on Thursday, the day prior to the inquest. Its everything that weve just been asking for, its the sign behind me, LaFromboise said, standing in front of a sign, strewn across the front of the courthouse reading Transparency for Brendon in black letters outlined in yellow and red. The family waited seven months and 11 days by LaFromboises count to view the footage from the night Galbreath died. Thats something that I just feel is the most important thing, LaFromboise said. "Weve just been asking for communication nothing more, nothing less." LaFramboise said he felt dismissed for asking these questions. Galbreaths friends and family members called for improved response from law enforcement when working with people who struggle with their mental health. LaFromboise said that in the footage from the incident he never heard a mention of Galbreaths mental health status, nor did responding officers offer empathy toward his state of mind. Additionally, during the inquest, Brown mentioned that he had completed training in firearms, demobilization and high-stress situations, but never mentioned any mental health or crisis intervention training, according to LaFromboise. LaFromboise sang songs for the crowd and performed one that he created for Galbreath after the incident. He sang through tears. The beat of his drum echoed across the courthouse lawn with each strike. Later, OShay Birdinground and Zach Rides At The Door, who was Galbreaths best friend growing up, joined LaFromboise to sing more Blackfeet songs. The final song that they sang at Fridays event was meant to represent the two new journeys that Galbreath and his family are each on now, LaFromboise said. "With life we have to then take the precious moments we have to cherish every single second," LaFromboise said. "Because we never know you just never know when we want that second back." In the next legislative session, LaFromboise hopes to help create legislation in Galbreaths name to support agencies within the criminal justice system to be better equipped to respond to those experiencing a mental health crisis. Were going to that point where we have to ask our state for more, he said. Second inquest in a week Galbreaths inquest is the second being held in Missoula this week. The first cleared Missoula County Sheriffs Deputies of any criminal wrongdoing in the shooting death of Johnny Lee Perry, a Black man who reportedly was threatening someone with a machete at a campsite southwest of Missoula. Since 2015, there have been over 5,000 fatal police shootings, according to the Washington Post. Black Americans are killed at a substantially higher rate Black people are twice as likely to be killed by police than white people in the United States. Most people killed by law enforcement are men between the ages of 20 and 40. Thirty years ago today, four police officers were acquitted of assault and excessive force beating of Rodney King. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. Near record high temperatures. High 94F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 72F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. ABINGDON, Va. Hanna Smith is 18. She drives a red Jeep Wrangler to school each day. She loves agriculture and caring for her horse Christy and four dogs. But thats not all. Just weeks shy of receiving her high school diploma, the Abingdon teen will walk across the stage as one of the towns newest female entrepreneurs. Smith, a senior at Abingdon High School, launched her own storefront earlier this year, already seeing a small profit since she opened in February. Her store is HS Branded Buckle, a Western clothing and accessories store for the entire family that offers many top brand names in the industry like Ariat, Whiskey Bent Hat Co., Myra shoes and the ever-popular Hey Dude shoes that she cant keep in stock. While juggling a busy school routine, Smith operates the store from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday. Smiths mother, Demetra, opens the store at 10 a.m., and her daughter takes over after leaving class in the afternoon. Its no big surprise that the teen, who loves horses and everything to do with agriculture, chose to open a store that leans toward Western attire. Give her a good pair of jeans, a Western graphic T-shirt and a pair of Hey Dude shoes, and shes good for the school day. I always have on a pair of jeans. Im actually obsessed with jeans, laughed the teen, whose mother started dressing her in Western clothing when she was a toddler. Although her style may be a little different from other teens, Smith loves the way she looks. I embrace it, she said. The Western attire she sells in her store represents her love of agriculture and her support of local farmers. Smith has been an active member of FFA since she was a freshman in high school, competing in livestock judging and veterinary science. She placed third in livestock judging at the Washington County Fair last year. The teen plans to attend Virginia Highlands Community College in the fall to pursue a business degree. In the meantime, she wanted to open her own store because she said the time was right. And she didnt have to go to the bank to make it work. After receiving inheritance money from a family friend who was like a grandmother to her, Smith decided shed take the plunge and open the store. I didnt want to waste the money. I wanted to invest it, said Smith, who received the money when she turned 18 in December 2021. Im very grateful, but Im still in shock, said Smith, who will use the inheritance money to pay the monthly rent and to purchase inventory. The teen and her new store were featured on the Facebook page for the Washington County Commissioner of Revenue Office in April. Chase King owns the building that is rented by the teen. He said he feels encouraged to see someone as young as Smith have the drive to open a business. Ive expressed my encouragement to her directly and told her Im impressed by her desire to run her own business. Im definitely happy for her. I think its great, said King. The rate of new small businesses in the country has increased sharply in the past decade, and todays youth can account for some of that. According to an online article by CNBC, todays teens are thinking outside the box when it comes to their future careers. About 60% of teenagers would rather start their own business than work a traditional job, according to a survey conducted by Junior Achievement USA. Wendy Davis, assistant principal at Abingdon High School, believes young entrepreneurs like Smith are vital to growing small businesses and the local economy. Female entrepreneurs are much needed not only to narrow the wage gap but to model female leadership for youth women. Hanna is doing so much more than starting a business. Shes inspiring young women who look up to her to do the same. Smiths plan for the first year is to reinvest profits back into the operation of the store and not take any pay. Long-range goals are to expand the stores inventory, offering more Western brands like Cinch Jeans and Clothing, a company at the forefront of the Western clothing industry. Western wear can be expensive, but I want to offer reasonable prices, Smith said. Shed also like to set up her inventory to sell at local rodeo events this year, one of which is Rodeo in the Valley in Bristol, Virginia. The student confessed that she is starting her business with little experience. Instead, she is following one of the most preferred paths of an entrepreneur relying on a mentor. For Smith, that mentor is her mother, who is giving her daughter advice and guidance along the way. The teens parents formerly owned and operated an auto repair business in Pearisburg, Virginia. Before opening the store, the mother and daughter decorated the store, painting the walls a turquoise color with a cowhide design. Im really proud of her, said the mother. She needs some guidance here and there, but shes actually doing really well with it. It was a big step, but we knew if anyone could do it, she could. I think its a good investment with her money, and I believe shell make her money back in time. Smith hopes her decision to open the store will inspire other youth to follow their dreams. Follow what your heart says, Smith said. HS Branded Buckle is located at 1283 W. Main St. in Abingdon in the former Pine Hill Center. The store is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, but hours will be extended this spring. Follow HS Branded Buckle on Facebook. YBO - A range of activities to enjoy the custom of pounding banh day (round glutinous rice cakes) of the Hmong ethnic minority people were held recently at the Yen Bai Provincial Museum in Yen Bai city, attracting students from local schools. Hmong students from the Yen Bai Culture, Arts, and Tourism College demonstrate pounding "day cakes. "Day cakes are a traditional dish and an indispensable part of Hmong festivals. The cakes are not only a symbol of love and loyalty among Hmong men and women but also symbolise the moon and the sun, the origin of humans, and all things on earth. Students had the opportunity to take part in making a "day cake, from soaking, washing, and steaming sticky rice to pounding and moulding the cake. It is hoped this will help them appreciate and preserve the traditional culture of local ethnic minority groups. Other activities such as throwing "pao, mandarin square capturing, and playing Hmong flutes were also featured. Students try pounding a "day cake. Students from the provinces ethnic minority boarding school shape "day cakes. Walking on stilts is also an interesting experience for the students. Students take part in the throwing "pao ball game. Mandarin square capturing - a childhood game of Vietnamese children. The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office has charged a Roanoke police officer with injuring anothers person's reputation in connection with a Facebook blog called "The Down & Dirty News of Southwest Virginia." Larry K. Kenny Bowman has been charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor: combining to injure others in their reputation, trade, business or profession. Tazewell Countys Chief Deputy Harold Heatley said the misdemeanor was served in Tazewell because the person who claims to have been harmed by Bowmans social posts resides in that county. Heatley said the Facebook page has been taken down, but a page with the same name was accessible on Facebook Thursday morning. A pinned post from July 2020 says the blog was designed to publish satire. Lately the news pages you regularly see on Facebook pick and choose what they want you to see and how they want you to see it. Most without ever siting [sic] their sources or checking facts. Even real newspapers in our area do this, presenting their opinions as news, the pinned post says. At least with this page youll be aware that the posts are shit. But another post also dated July 2020 says the blogger behind the scenes was publishing opinions that had been cherry picked from stolen articles. I discovered that I can steal peoples articles and call myself a news page on Facebook, the post reads. People must really love me, since I get so many clicks. Bowman received regional attention seven years ago for his social media activity. In April 2015, he shared a video on YouTube in which he stopped his children in their toy truck for being too cute. The video went viral. As of Thursday, it had nearly 1.4 million views, and Bowmans YouTube channel had 1,120 subscribers. Heatley said the Tazewell County department's investigation of Bowmans Facebook activity is ongoing. We are cooperating with the Roanoke City Police Department Internal Affairs Division, the chief deputy said. The Roanoke police department said it is aware of the allegations made against Bowman, one of its employees. "We will conduct an internal investigation," the department said in an email Thursday. "As this is a personnel matter, we will not be making any comments as to the status of the employee." Bowman could not be reached for comment on Friday. " " Presenters from the pirate radio ship Caroline photographed at the police station after being rescued after their ship ran aground on the beach at Frinton-on-Sea, United Kingdom, January 20, 1966. Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Pictures If you've been binge-watching movies lately, you may have come across "Pirate Radio." Director Richard Curtis' 2009 comedy-drama stars the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Count, a disc jockey for an unlicensed rock radio station that broadcast from a rusty, decrepit ship off the British coast in the mid-1960s, defying government authorities to spin the rock records that weren't allowed on the BBC at the time. The plot is based loosely on the saga of an actual former pirate station, Radio Caroline, that was founded by an offbeat Irish entrepreneur named Ronan O'Rahilly, the inspiration for the character portrayed by Bill Nighy. "Pirate Radio" is a period piece, set in a time when the Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together" and the Who's "My Generation" were still scandalous and controversial rather than nostalgic anthems for today's aging baby boomers. So you couldn't be blamed for assuming that it depicts a long-vanished phenomenon, like Nehru jackets with iridescent scarves and psychedelic-patterned paper mini dresses. To the contrary, though, more than a half-century later, pirate radio is still a thing. In fact, it's possibly more widespread than it was in the 1960s, even in an age when streaming internet services such as Spotify and Pandora put the equivalent of a jukebox in the pocket of everyone with a smartphone. And as a bonus, Radio Caroline still exists though, ironically, it's gone legal. In the U.S., pirate stations have popped up in recent years all over the country, from West Virginia to Washington state, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which plays a continual game of whack-a-mole in an effort to keep them off the airwaves used by licensed broadcasters. Unauthorized stations are particularly prolific in the New York City area, where a 2016 study by the New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA) found that there actually were more pirates then on the FM band than legal licensed stations. "Pirate radio continues to exist in the internet age for a variety of reasons," John Nathan Anderson, a broadcasting scholar and author who is working on a book about pirate radio, explains via email. "One is cost. It's eminently cheaper to purchase or build an unlicensed radio station than it is to set up a robust streaming channel online, especially if you're looking to cover a local area. All you need is a location to host the antenna and access to electricity unless you've got batteries, then just the location." Additionally, pirate broadcasters don't have to deal with all the legal complexities of setting up and running a streaming internet service, such as writing terms of service or meeting contractual obligations, he notes. And audiences can get the station on inexpensive radio receivers there's no need to have a computer or a smartphone with 5G, or to pay a monthly subscription fee or worry about blowing through their data limits. They just twist the dial. Very old school, and cheap enough for anyone's budget. Thanks to e-commerce, it's also easier than ever for a would-be pirate to find the necessary equipment and have it delivered to his or her door, as FCC enforcement official David Dombrowski described in this 2019 podcast. Powerful, uncertified transmitters manufactured in foreign countries easily slip through customs at U.S. ports. Advertisement Pirate Radio's Quirky History Unlicensed radio broadcasters have been around practically since governments started trying to control and regulate the airwaves. That was particularly true on the other side of the Atlantic, where the U.K. allowed only state-controlled radio from the 1920s through the mid-1960s. "The government decided that radio was too influential as a means of mass communication to be in private hands," Peter Moore explains in an email. He's the station manager for today's legal, land-based version of Radio Caroline, which obtained a license to broadcast at 648 Khz on the AM band in 2017, but still strives to preserve the rebellious spirit of the original operation. "Private radio was prohibited and only the British Broadcasting Corporation, which was part of the political establishment, sent radio to the British people with the remit to be morally uplifting, informative and educational," Moore says. But by the 1960s, the postwar baby boom filled the U.K. with millions of teenagers who were eager to hear the rock 'n' roll records that the BBC declined to play. Enter Ronan O'Rahilly, who learned that the U.K. government's jurisdiction ended 3 miles (5 kilometers) off the coast, and that stations from other countries already were exploiting that loophole by putting transmitters on offshore ships, according to Moore. " " Radio Caroline founder, Ronan O'Rahilly, in Amsterdam, 1967. Wikimedia Commons (CCO 1.0) "He created Radio Caroline operating in that way and the station was at once called a 'pirate,'" Moore says. As this 2009 article from the Independent, a British newspaper, details, O'Rahilly obtained a 63-ton (57-metric ton), Danish passenger ferry, the MV Frederica, and renamed it Caroline, after the daughter of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy. He anchored the ship in international waters in the North Sea, just off Frinton, Essex, and hired a crew of DJs to play music around the clock at the time, a revolutionary concept. On Easter Sunday in 1964, the station went on the air, playing the Rolling Stones' single "It's All Over Now" as its first song. "By playing nonstop current pop music in a situation where this had never before been available, Caroline had within months a larger audience than all the BBC stations combined," Moore explains. Here's a 12-minute recording of Radio Caroline DJ Tony Blackburn's show in 1965, which includes both a breakfast cereal commercial and the Animals' "House of the Rising Sun" and "For Your Love" by the Yardbirds: Because the station had to fill so much airtime DJs had to come up with 2,500 tracks to play each week Radio Caroline helped foster what Moore calls "an explosion of new artists and bands who may have started recording conventional pop music, but who then expanded their musical abilities. The Moody Blues are one example of this." Having that exposure helped boost the careers of scores of British bands whose music eventually made it to America. The Who actually paid homage to Radio Caroline and other offshore broadcasters by parodying them on their 1967 concept album "The Who Sell Out," as music historian John Atkins has written. Radio Caroline because so influential that, pretty soon, other ships were broadcasting rock off the coast as well. The Offshore Radio Museum website commemorates many of those pirates. Advertisement Offshore Broadcasts Become Illegal The British government, though, didn't appreciate what Radio Caroline and other pirate broadcasters were doing. In 1967, Parliament enacted the Marine Broadcasting Offenses Act, which made offshore broadcasts from ships illegal, on the pretext that their broadcast interfered with marine weather radio and distress signals, as this contemporaneous New York Times account notes. Violators faced two years of imprisonment and fines. But O'Rahilly was undeterred, even after his ship was seized briefly by Dutch authorities. He got the craft back and kept at pirate radio for nearly another quarter century. Ex-Beatle George Harrison was sufficiently appreciative of Radio Caroline's mission that he even wrote a sizable check in the early 1970s to help keep the ship in operation, according to Ray Clark's book "Radio Caroline: The True Story of the Ship That Rocked." The original converted ferry sank in 1980, but the five DJs on board and the ship's canary, Wilson, named after British Prime Minister Harold Wilson all were rescued, according to O'Rahilly's New York Times obituary. He then obtained another ship, a German trawler called the Ross Revenge, which continued to host the station until it ran aground along the British coast in 1991. " " The pirate music station ship, Radio Caroline, after it sank in heavy seas in the Thames Estuary. The crew of five were saved from the ship after it broke away from its permanent moorings near Southend and drifted on to a sandbank. PA Images/Getty Images Even then, though, Radio Caroline wouldn't go away. It eventually regrouped and resurfaced as an internet station, which gave it a global reach. "Caroline now has two stations, one playing album music and one playing the original pop music for which the station is remembered," Moore explains. Meanwhile, the Ross Revenge was repaired and converted into a floating museum for tourists. "While Radio Caroline is no longer 'illegal' the philosophy is unchanged," Moore says, noting that the station's staff has the motto "New Technology, Same Ideology." Advertisement Pirate Radio in America The U.S. has had its share of pirate broadcasters over the years as well. A few of them broadcast from ships, such as Rev. Carl McIntire, a fundamentalist preacher who briefly broadcast fire-and-brimstone sermons from a converted minesweeper off the coast of New Jersey, as this 2014 NJ.com article details. In the late 1980s, unlicensed operators tried broadcasting from a Honduran-flag freighter in the waters off Long Island, according to The New York Times. But most of the current American pirates are based on dry land, broadcasting from clandestine antennas on rooftops in places such as Brooklyn. Unlike the rock 'n' roll hipsters of 1960s British pirate radio, who aimed at a mass audience, most of Brooklyn's unlicensed broadcasters seem to be immigrants and members of ethnic and religious minorities trying to reach their own groups and neighborhoods. David Goren, a veteran radio producer who's created programming for National Public Radio, has spent years studying pirate broadcasters. In addition to this 2019 BBC documentary, Goren also has created the Pirate Radio Map, which documents pirate radio stations in Brooklyn and even includes brief samples from their broadcasts. "One reason I've found as to why people are still using pirate radio is that these communities have very strong cultural and historic connections to radio," Goren explains. "In Haiti during the Duvalier regime, people depended on radio to get news from independent sources off the island. To have a radio station here helps to establish the station's operator as an important source of information and influence in the community." For many of the people in those communities, who may not be able to afford a computer or a smartphone and a broadband connection, pirate radio is an affordable medium. "I spoke with a pastor of a church in the community which had a station and the antenna was taken down by the FCC," Goren says. "He was waiting several months to come back on the air (and therefore was only willing to speak off the record to me). I asked him why he would still take the risk to go back on air and he said he wanted to reach the homeless, the shut-ins, the elderly who couldn't access the internet." " " Britain's most famous pirate radio station took to the airwaves again for a month in 2014 from the Mersey Bar Lightship in Liverpool. The original pirate radio station which was named after President Kennedys daughter Caroline was based on two ships anchored outside U.K. territorial waters to avoid government control. Beverley Goodwin /Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) But the FCC, Congress and the commercial broadcasting industry don't see the pirates as serving such a benign purpose. In January, President Donald Trump signed into law the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act, which gives regulators the ability to hit pirate stations with fines of up to $2 million, according to this summary from Radio World. "These transmissions can interfere with licensed radio signals including broadcasters' sharing of vital public safety information with their communities," FCC chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement. "To enforce the law and protect American radio listeners and lawful businesses, the Federal Communications Commission has made a concerted effort in recent years to step up our enforcement efforts against pirate radio stations." But just as the British government's stiff penalties didn't deter Radio Caroline, at least so far, the U.S. government's crackdown doesn't seem to have deterred the pirates. Goren, who's been monitoring the airwaves since the law was passed, notes that on a typical day, he picks up about 26 pirate stations in Brooklyn alone. HowStuffWorks may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Now That's Interesting Radio Caroline founder Ronan O'Rahilly had another claim to fame, in that he influenced actor George Lazenby to give up the role of James Bond after playing in just one film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," in 1969. "He convinced me to not stay on as Bond I'd be in danger of becoming part of the Establishment," Lazenby wrote on in an Instagram tribute after O'Rahilly's death in April 2020, noting that he had no regrets about taking that advice. " " The Newton Boys organization included Doc, the two younger brothers Joe and Jess, and Brentwood Glasscock, an expert with high explosives. The Digital Research Library of Illinois History Journal Willis Newton and his brothers may not be, for most of us, as easily identifiable as Charley Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd. Or "Baby Face" Nelson. Or John Dillinger. Or Al Capone. They certainly weren't as renowned as either Bonnie Parker or Clyde Barrow. That, though, may go a long way toward explaining why Newton and his gang were infinitely more successful at their particular brand of bad guy-ness than any of them. For much of their career, nobody even the cops knew who the Newtons were. As robbers and thieves, nobody was better than the comparatively low-profile Newton and his brothers, who later were popularized in a middling 1998 movie as "The Newton Boys." In a blink of about five years in the 1920s, the Newtons (and an occasional accomplice) pulled off about 70 bank heists (give or take a dozen), ripped off six trains and, in their piece de resistance, cleared somewhere around $3 million on one job. It remains the largest train robbery ever. Calculate this: That single $3 million take in 1924 would be a $45 million getaway today. As old men, after their thieving mostly was over, they surfaced in a 1975 documentary, coming off as both proud and practical. "Jes' like a doctor and lawyers and everybody else," Willis said straight-faced to the camera, "it was our business to do that." The youngest of the Newton brothers, Joe, even made his way onto "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1980 and was practically, well, charming. "Well, if you got a good car and a potful of money and [you're] a young man," Joe said when Carson asked him about his appeal to women as a bank robber, "yeah ...". In 1979, a few months before his death at the age of 90, Willis Newton sat down in his home in Uvalde, Texas, for a wide-ranging and sometimes contentious interview about his life and crimes. Historian and author G. R. Williamson walked away from that talk with an entirely different impression of Willis, the driving force behind the gang. "I truly believe," says Williamson, who wrote "Willis Newton: The Last Texas Outlaw" and several other books, "he was a flat-out evil person." " " While other train robbers at the time were still using horses, the Newton Gang was using stolen cars, like this one used in the infamous Rondout, Illinois, train robbery. Cook Memorial Public Library Advertisement The Start of the Newton Gang The sons of poor Texas sharecroppers, the four Newton Boys Willis, Wylie (aka "Doc"), Jess and Joe mostly left school early and fell immediately into petty crimes and stints in jail. Willis was about 25, with a lengthy rap sheet already to his name, when he first robbed a bank, making off with about $4,700 from a job in Cline, Texas. That's about $120,000 in 2019 dollars. In 1916, with some other outlaws, Willis took a share of about $10,000 (about $237,000 today) from a robbery. Willis was hooked. And he eventually brought his brothers into the new family business. Early on, as the brothers and an occasional accomplice lined up jobs, Willis laid down some ground rules that would help the gang become the most prolific bank robbers in history. They were rules, though, that the gang may not always have been able to follow. "They were full-blown criminals, but here's the thing," Williamson says. "Willis had the wisdom to know that if they killed somebody, that would change everything about how the police came after them. So it was his mandate to his brothers that they never kill anybody." The gang at its height, it was the four brothers and an explosives expert named Brent Glasscock robbed banks and the occasional train across Texas, Oklahoma, through the Midwest and even into Toronto, Canada. On at least one occasion, they robbed two banks in one day. In Canada, in a rare daytime heist, they were involved in a shootout during morning rush hour that sullied their reputation for clean hits and easy getaways. But, normally, a little preparation, some nitroglycerine, perhaps, to blow the door off a safe, and the Newtons would be on their way, loot in hand. "Compared to the Newtons, John Dillinger was a two-bit operator. Jesse and Frank James were mere amateurs. Butch Cassidy was a small fry," Williamson says. "The Newtons made blowing safes and robbing trains a big business." " " The boys regularly robbed banks and trains, like this one from near Rondout, Illinois, but stayed under the radar by following "rules" set by Willis Newton, which included never killing anybody. Cook Memorial Public Library Advertisement Staying Ahead of the Law The Newton boys were as busy as anyone ever has been in their profession largely because of the era in which they worked and their desire to keep working. Dillinger, by comparison, robbed only a couple dozen banks. "They wanted to fly under the radar. They didn't want notoriety. Bonnie and Clyde, they had actual photographs of them, and they did all sorts of stuff that kept taunting the police. John Dillinger did a similar type thing. So did Pretty Boy Floyd," Williamson says. "Because the public did not know what the robbers that were doing these bank jobs and train robberies looked like, [the Newtons] weren't having to run from the law. "At one point, Willis said, 'We wasn't mugs, like Bonnie and Clyde. We was just quiet businessmen. What we wanted was the money.'" It helped, too, that the Newtons mostly did their work at night. They didn't barge into banks brandishing shotguns and yelling "Stick 'em up!" And banks, compared to today, were much easier to rob. Many of the banks that the Newtons knocked over were in small towns with little security. "Remember, the only communications in the 1920s was telegraph and telephone. No internet. No national database of fingerprints. No national database of mugshots or anything like that," Williamson says. "So they could pull these things off and nobody knew it was the Newtons." In between jobs, when it was convenient, they'd go back to the family home in Uvalde and lay low until they needed more money. "The general opinion of the [people in Uvalde] at that time was that all the Newton boys were ne'er-do-wells, and they were probably up to criminal activity," Williamson says, "but nobody knew that they were the robbers." When they were on business trips outside of Texas, as Joe told Carson on "The Tonight Show," they'd stay in the nicest hotels and eat at the best restaurants. At least two of the brothers regularly attended sporting events like the Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500. They spent lavishly until their money ran low, then planned the next job. "Boy," says Williamson, "did they ever enjoy their work. They lived like rich Tulsa oilmen." " " The Rondout, Illinois, train robbery haul netted the Newton boys an astounding $3 million in cash. That's the equivalent of about $45 million today. Cook Memorial Public Library Advertisement The Biggest Job Ever The Newton gang's biggest heist was the one that brought them down, a train robbery outside of Chicago in Rondout, Illinois. That was the one that netted them somewhere around $3 million in cash and securities. On June 12, 1924, the Newtons, along with Glassock and a few newcomers, stopped a train on its way to dropping off cash to several banks along its route. The gang quickly loaded 63 bags of loot into four stolen cars, but in the confusion of the nighttime raid, and after a train brakeman escaped and alerted authorities, Glasscock accidentally shot Doc Newton several times, mistaking him for a guard. The men all got away, placing the wounded Doc atop bags of cash, but authorities quickly found the men. A corrupt postal inspector who was in on the job, gave himself away under wiretap, a tip that led authorities to the doctor who treated the wounded Doc. Willis made it across the border into Mexico, and oldest brother Jesse escaped for a while to Texas, along with about $35,000 (about $528,000 today). But within months, everyone involved was arrested and headed to trial, including the convalescing Doc, who was taken into the proceedings on a stretcher. From the Cook County Library: By the end of the November 1924 the trial was over and the robbers were on their way to prison sentences. In all, eight men were convicted ... Despite the amount of money stolen, most of the robbers received rather light sentences ... None of those convicted served their entire sentence and all were eventually released for good behavior. Doc and Willis tried to rob a bank in Rowena, Texas, later in life, when Doc was well into his 70s and Willis was 80, but the Newton brothers spent the rest of their lives mostly on the right side of the law. Their exploits are often now considered, when the Newtons are acknowledged at all, as brothers simply trying to make a living. Advertisement The Postscript "I'd knowed all them bankers was rich and they didn't care about hurting us poor farmers," Willis told documentarians, "so why should I care about hurting them? Why shouldn't I steal from them? It's just one thief a-stealin' from another." But the romanticized story, as told by Willis, his brothers and many historians, is not necessarily the true one. "They were made to look a lot better than what they really were," Williamson says. "They were crooks. They were criminals." Williamson points out that in at least a few of their robberies, a lot of gunplay was involved, and a lack of planning could have been disastrous. "A majority of the times, when they got into these robberies where they actually had guns out and so forth, they screwed up so bad, they should've been killed," he says. "Willis was good at planning, but the execution sometimes was completely out the window." In his research, Williamson uncovered damning newspaper accounts of a shootout during one of their train robberies in Illinois in which he claims a black porter by the name of Moon died three days after the robbery from gunshot wounds. Though the Newtons swore they never killed anyone, that may not have been the case. Nevertheless, the Newtons the last living member of the gang, Joe, died in 1989 retain their status as folk heroes to many. And they remain, unquestionably, the most successful bank robbers the country has ever seen. "We was crazy for doing it," Joe told Carson in 1980. "But you're young then." NOW THAT'S INTERESTING One of the enduring mysteries surrounding the Newtons springs from the Rondout train robbery: Whatever happened to the rest of the money? Most of the haul from the train was recovered, but the $35,000 in 1924 currency that Jesse hauled home still is the source of legend. Some say it's still buried on the outskirts of San Antonio. "Whether there was any loot buried, where it was buried, if anybody got it, we don't know," Williamson says. "The rumor there always was that Willis and Joe went and got the lost Newton loot. But that was all just supposition." ST. LOUIS A Taylorville man has been re-charged in his wifes 2019 fatal fall from a downtown St. Louis parking garage. A St. Louis grand jury on April 19 indicted Bradley S. Jenkins, 33, on one count of third-degree felony domestic assault for allegedly striking his wife on June 2, 2019. Jenkins wife Allissa L. Martin, 27, was found dead that same day, at the bottom of a parking garage near Busch Stadium after a Cardinals-Cubs game. Jenkins and Martin were Illinois prison guards. Jenkins was previously charged with felony domestic assault but the Circuit Attorneys Office dismissed that case in September 2019 after a St. Louis grand jury declined to issue an indictment against him. The new indictment was filed April 19. Jenkins pleaded not guilty Friday in a St. Louis courtroom. He told a judge he was arrested in Illinois on April 22 and brought to St. Louis on Wednesday. In a detention hearing Friday, an assistant prosecutor asked St. Louis Circuit Judge Christopher McGraugh to hold Jenkins without bail because of the background facts were dealing with here. Jenkins was released in 2019 after posting bail in his prior assault case. Martins brother Luis Cook spoke by video in court Friday, alleging that Jenkins beat Martin weeks after being released from probation in another case. He should not be given another opportunity by the judicial system to hurt someone else, Cook said. McGraugh set Jenkins bail at $5,000 cash-only after reviewing the prior case and noting no contacts with law enforcement since 2019. McGraugh ordered Jenkins to surrender his passport and have no contact with any of Martins immediate family. Jenkins posted bail Friday and was released. About 1:45 a.m. June 2, police found Martins bloodied body on the ramp of the Stadium East parking garage at 200 South Broadway, just east of Ballpark Village downtown. Charges in the old case said Jenkins was straddling Martins body and appeared agitated and intoxicated when police responded to a 911 call about the womans fall. Police found Martins cellphone on the seventh floor of the garage, its video camera still rolling, charges said. The recording showed her pointing the camera toward herself, Detective Mark West wrote in a probable cause statement. She then turned the camera toward this defendant and he was shown on camera. They were arguing. Martin can be heard on the recording yelling at Jenkins to stop punching her face, charges said. She then dropped the phone. Shortly after that, you hear her scream as she falls, West wrote. Jenkins told police he and Martin were married May 22, 2019, in Las Vegas, charges said. He told police their coworkers had accompanied them to the Cardinals-Cubs game at Busch Stadium and that they had argued during the June 1 game. West said Jenkins told me several lies, including claims that he hadnt been on the garage roof with Martin and that they hadnt become physical, charges said. The cellphone video and audio refute those claims. Contact Scott Perry at (217) 421-7976. Follow him on Twitter: @scottperry66 Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0 CHICAGO A former Chicago alderman convicted of tax evasion has been released from federal prison and is now living at a halfway house in Chicago. Federal Bureau of Prisons records show Edward Vrdolyak, 84, is under the supervision of a Chicago residential reentry management office, or halfway house, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday. He was released after five months at federal facility in Minnesota. A federal judge sentenced Vrdolyak to 18 months in prison in December 2020, but he did not begin serving his sentence until November 2021 after several delays related to the pandemic. Vrdolyak is a former Chicago alderman nicknamed "Fast Eddie" for his backroom dealing. He pleaded guilty in March 2019 to a tax charge alleging that he obstructed an IRS investigation into payments to and from his friend and associate Daniel Soso related to Illinois' the state's $9.3 billion settlement with tobacco companies in the late 1990s. Prosecutors said Vrdolyak had been paid at least $12 million in fees stemming from the settlement even though he did no legal work on the case. Vrdolyak sought an early release from prison due to his age, medical conditions and the omicron-fueled COVID-19 surge. A federal judge in March had denied his request for compassionate release. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ive mentioned before that House Speaker Chris Welch has said since the day he was elected to his chambers top job last year that he is fully committed to protecting all of his incumbents, whether in the primary or in the general election. That wasnt always the case with his predecessor, House Speaker Michael Madigan. None of Welchs candidates have yet faced a voter since he made that pledge in January of 2021, but Welch has so far tried to clear the paths for some members facing primary challengers (with varying degrees of success) and has put together nominating petition drives for incumbents who didnt do enough (or any) work for themselves. But Ive been hearing two very different things lately: 1) Speaker Welch will make sure members win their primaries and generals no matter what effort they put into their own campaigns; and 2) Welch will not help those who dont or wont help themselves. Which is it? I checked in with the House Speaker last week to find out. Speaker Welch pointed to a March 19 political caucus meeting when he said he told his members: We need to get back to the basics and focus on how to win elections. Thats door knocking and direct communication. Welch said he also told his caucus, If you don't hit it hard back home after the session is over, then I'm not sure that there's any amount of money or paid communication that can overcome what we're about to face. The House Speaker was, of course, referring to the enormous political headwinds facing Democrats this year. He continued: And then I said to them, And so far, I'm not impressed with quite a few of you, and what youve shown us. And then I said to them, Do not be surprised if we don't continue to invest in you if you're not investing in yourself. Now, that message was received very well from our caucus. Up to that point in the interview, I hadnt mentioned any names. But when Welch claimed that his Get to work message had been received, I asked him if he was sure about that. Id been meeting with people and making a lot of calls and some folks have been complaining that Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago) is still not on the program. Rep. Harper just barely survived a strong challenge to her petitions, mainly because she relied on others to pass petitions for her, and Welch had to come in at the end. And then some legal heroics by her attorney Mike Kasper kept her from being tossed off the ballot. Harper faces Chicago police officer Carolynn Crump in the primary. Crump is expected to receive top billing from the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police and will likely attack Harper, who chairs the joint House/Senate Black Caucus, over the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform law. If Black Caucus Chair Harper should lose a Democratic primary in a Black district to a Black police officer and criminal justice reform is an issue used against her well, all heck might break loose. Welch wouldnt address Harpers specific situation because, he said, I'm treating Rep. Harper like I'm treating every other incumbent. All of them are being treated equally. Speaker Welch then reiterated that he and his team are committed to protecting incumbents. But its not a blank check, he warned. What we have asked everyone to do is to be committed to themselves, to be committed to their districts and to show us that they're working, Welch said. We're keeping track, we're going to be paying attention throughout the course of these primary campaigns. We're going to invest in campaigns and candidates that are investing in themselves. We're not going to just have a spigot that keeps on running, especially for persons that havent invested in themselves. And that applies to any of our incumbents. Welch said he and his caucus have a mantra that hes used since he was elected House Speaker: Winners do the work. He also claimed hes been hearing his members use the phrase more and more. They're starting to believe in that. Winners do the work. This is a simple formula. Winners do the work. If you work, you win. And we're going to invest in those who are working. Well see. Rich Miller publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD As overdose deaths continue to rise nationwide, Illinois lawmakers this month took aim at the drug contributing to many accidental overdoses. On the last day of its spring session, the Illinois General Assembly passed, with no opposition, a bill that will allow pharmacists and physicians to dispense fentanyl and other drug testing supplies. Some local pharmacists say it could be instrumental in preventing overdose deaths and fighting the fentanyl crisis in Illinois. There really isnt a reason why we shouldn't also have this ability to have testing equipment available for patients, said Lauren Young, the operations manager for Dale's Southlake Pharmacy in Decatur and the other Colee family pharmacies in Decatur and Forsyth. If House Bill 4556 is signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, pharmacists will be able to provide, for some patients, tests that determine if certain drugs have been laced with fentanyl. These tests are helpful, Young said, because many people who suffer from fentanyl-related overdoses or deaths never intended to take fentanyl in the first place. Allowing individuals to test drugs for the presence of fentanyl before they take them means more people will have the chance to avoid accidental and unknowing fentanyl overdoses, she said. This is not just a gateway drug or anything like that, Young said. A lot of times the people that are impacted by this are someone who has been dealing with pain issues for a long time, and they have just exhausted all of their avenues, and so they end up turning to a different supplier. Health care providers know illicit drugs are being manufactured, sold and consumed, Young said. They still want their patients to be aware of what theyre consuming and to be able to prevent death when possible. As pharmacists and part of the health care team, we know that they're fighting that addiction every single day, said Erica Colee, Youngs sister and one of the pharmacists at the Colee family pharmacies. So its not that we want them to be able to have access to (illicit drugs), but I want them to at least not be blindsided with what they have. Colee's Community Pharmacy is located inside Crossing Healthcare, which operates an addiction treatment facility. Both Young and Colee said they see the devastation of opioid addiction on their patients and in their community. It doesn't matter what anyone's background is. It affects everyone, Colee said. It could be your brother, your grandma, your aunt, your uncle. Its a quiet addiction. Amid the ongoing opioid epidemic, concerns about fentanyl have grown in recent years. In its pharmaceutical form, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid reserved for treating severe pain, usually for patients whove suffered from serious trauma like car accidents or gun violence, said Cindi Reed, pharmacist and owner of Oakwood Apothecary in Sullivan and Dicks Pharmacy in Arthur. Its often prescribed in the form of a transdermal patch, but those prescriptions arent very common, she said. Between her two pharmacies, she distributes only about 30 fentanyl patches a month for three patients. Reed said fentanyl is rarely used because its so potent and because health care providers are wary of the ways it can be abused. According to the CDC, most recent fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths in the United States are linked to fentanyl made and sold illegally and mixed with other drugs, with or without the users knowledge. Fentanyl in any form is extremely powerful, about 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Fentanyl is so concentrated. It's incredibly potent. Most of the opiates that we normally talk about, the hydrocodones, the oxycodones, you're talking in milligrams, Reed said. Fentanyl is dosed in micrograms. But illicit drug manufacturers dont carefully measure doses like pharmacists do. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a persons size or other factors. Opioids, many linked to fentanyl, are the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States. Recent data from the CDCs National Center for Health Statistics showed the United States topped 100,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period from April 2020 to April 2021, a 28.5% increase from the year before. Young said the pandemic worsened already existing mental health and addiction problems for many people. I think with everything that's happened, people are just trying to get to a better place, she said. And I think with the pandemic, that made it hard for people to hide some of those habits they were having, whether it was addiction issues or something else. Colee said HB4556 is a first step toward empowering health care professionals to fight against the rise in overdoses. How to fight back against increasing numbers of fentanyl overdoses across the state was a recurring debate for legislators in the last few weeks of session. State Sen. Sally Turner, R-Beason, said she voted for HB4556 because access to drug testing supplies could help not just individuals struggling with addiction, but health care and emergency workers, too. Turner would have liked for the bill to include a stipulation requiring health care providers to dispense information about addiction and treatment along with the testing strips. Spreading awareness about the dangers of fentanyl should be a priority, she said. It's like a loaded gun, Turner said of the drug. Its a death sentence. Turner opposed another bill meant to address the fentanyl crisis, House Bill 0017, which would have granted immunity from prosecution for possession of small amounts of fentanyl to people seeking medical treatment for an overdose. She and many of her Republican colleagues in the Senate took issue with specific language in the bill referring to 3 grams of a substance containing fentanyl. While Democrats argued that language was necessary because small amounts of fentanyl are often used to lace larger amounts of other drugs, Republicans said it was easy to misinterpret, and likely to be confusing in the courts. During Senate debate on HB0017, Turner and another senator, Patricia Van Pelt, D-Chicago, grew emotional discussing loved ones lost to accidental fentanyl overdoses. We had a son die of fentanyl, and he had no idea that fentanyl was laced in what he had, Turner said on the Senate floor. So, what Im saying today is that fentanyl doesnt even compare with any of these (other) drugs. HB0017 was pulled from the record before the Senate could issue a final vote, an attempt by its sponsor to find a way to pass the bill in the future. Turner said lawmakers need to be careful when crafting bills addressing fentanyl because of how dangerous even a small amount of the substance could be. Any drug dealer thats adding fentanyl into their drugs, they're trying to get those people more addicted. But they aren't chemists, so they dont even know what the difference is if you put 1 gram, a half a gram, whatever, Turner said. They're killing people. That's the way I look at it. I have no sympathy about fentanyl whatsoever. HB4556 was sent to the governors desk April 20, and with no opposition in the General Assembly, its likely to be signed into law soon. While the bill wont solve the fentanyl overdose crisis, it will likely help ease the pain, Reed said. If it saves a single life, it's totally worth it. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON The French novelist Honore de Balzac was right: The secret of great fortunes with no obvious source is a crime, forgotten because it was well-executed. In the United States, Southern plantation slavery has dominated historical memory. But Harvard Universitys 134-page report on how slavery benefited the nations oldest, richest and most prestigious institution of higher learning bluntly illustrates a crime many Americans prefer to ignore: The whole nation, not just the South, grew rich and powerful from the unpaid labor of enslaved African Americans. Between Harvards founding in 1636 and the abolition of slavery in Massachusetts in 1783, Harvard faculty, staff, and leaders enslaved more than 70 individuals, the report says. But that is only the beginning. More important is the fact that many major donors whose gifts helped the University build a national reputation, hire faculty, support students, grow its collections, expand its physical footprint, and develop its infrastructure made their money from the profits of slavery. The report says: These financial ties include donors who accumulated their wealth through slave trading; from the labor of enslaved people on plantations in the Caribbean islands and the American South; from the sale of supplies to such plantations and trade in goods they produced; and from the textile manufacturing industry in the North, supplied with cotton grown by enslaved people held in bondage in the American South. During the first half of the 19th century, more than a third of the money donated or promised to Harvard by private individuals came from just five men who made their fortunes from slavery and slave-produced commodities. The crucial acknowledgment that Harvard makes is that this slavery-derived wealth compounded over the decades and centuries, much as money in an interest-bearing bank account grows in a steepening curve over time. The same thing happened on a far grander scale to the wealth that the nation as a whole realized from the coerced, uncompensated labor of enslaved Black men, women and children. The bounty that industrial-scale agricultural slavery produced in the South benefited the North as well. Some of the biggest slave traders were based in Rhode Island. The cotton grown in Alabama and Mississippi supplied the mills of Massachusetts. Financing slavery-based agriculture and trading in its products were so profitable for Wall Street that the powerful mayor of New York, Fernando Wood, lobbied unsuccessfully for the city to remain neutral during the Civil War. Universities have taken the lead, among U.S. institutions, in admitting the ways in which they benefited from slavery and are beginning to redress some of the grievous harm they caused. Universities Studying Slavery, a consortium of 94 schools founded by and based at the University of Virginia, meets twice yearly to further efforts at scholarship and atonement. One of the most egregious episodes in the sordid history of financing higher education through slavery happened at Georgetown University, one of the premier Catholic universities in the nation. In 1838, with the university facing financial ruin, the Jesuits who ran the school sold 272 enslaved Black people to plantations in Louisiana, where living and working conditions for the enslaved were as harsh as anywhere in the country. The money from that sale kept Georgetown afloat. Like most U.S. colleges, Georgetown discriminated against African Americans in admissions and hiring well into the 20th century. The question before us now is how best to reckon with these realities and atone for our past, Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow and Harvard Radcliffe Institute Dean Tomiko Brown-Nagin wrote this week in The Post. Acknowledging the truth is not enough. We have a moral obligation to take action. The authors pledged that Harvard will spend $100 million to marshal Harvards intellectual, reputational and financial resources ... to address the harms of the universitys ties to slavery, with most of the money apparently earmarked for research and education. The Georgetown revelations prompted even more concrete action: The Jesuit order has promised to raise a $100 million fund administered in partnership with the descendants of the 272 enslaved workers Georgetown sold. Some of that money will fund other organizations, but it will also support both education and elder care for the posterity of Georgetowns former slaves. Acknowledgment, research and scholarships are a start. And Bacow and Brown-Nagin may be right that we can never fully remedy the incalculable damage caused by Americas original sin. But they and their peers could try a lot harder. Most deserving Black students, after all, cannot identify an ancestor who was enslaved by a well-endowed major university. The whole nation stole centuries of labor and wealth from African Americans. Any real recompense requires the nation as a whole to come to terms with this monstrous crime. Eugene Robinsons email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com. Q: How can I find out the outcome of a trial? H.B. Answer: A spokesman for the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts explains how to find the information you want. Practically all court records are public from speeding citations to divorce to murder and everything in between. The only exception is juvenile records. The clerk of superior court is the custodian of records in North Carolina, so contacting the local clerks office, either by phone or in-person, is the best way to determine the outcome of a trial. If you have a case number, that will make it much easier. You can learn more about how to obtain court records on our website at this link: https://www.nccourts.gov/help-topics/court-records/obtaining-court-records, the spokesman said. Hope du Jour to be Tuesday Crisis Control Ministry will hold its annual Hope du Jour fundraiser Tuesday. Participating area restaurants pledge a percentage of their sales to the ministry. The ministry helps people who need financial assistance by helping with food, medicine, and housing and utility payments. For a list of participating restaurants, go to hopedujour.org. Tree removal, trimming to close one lane of Old Salem Road As part of the Liberty-Main street conversion to two-way traffic, one lane of Old Salem Road, northbound, between Academy Street and Brookstown Avenue will be closed beginning Monday to allow crews to remove four trees and trim two others. The work is scheduled to be completed Thursday. The work will allow Duke Energy to relocate utility poles for the widening realignment of Old Salem Road. Converting Liberty and Main streets to two-way traffic wont begin until the spring of 2023. Work has begun on converting First and Second streets to two-way traffic. Poles for the new stoplights should be in place by the end of July. Wiring and installation of the new signals will follow. The final leg of the project will be resurfacing First and Second streets. First and Second streets project is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The projects are worth $6.4 million and were approved by voters in a 2018 bond referendum. Upcoming shredding eventsThe World Mission Team of Home Moravian Church will sponsor a shredding event from 9 a.m. to noon May 7 in the parking lot of Sunnyside Ministry, 510 Haled St., Winston-Salem. A donation of $5 per bag or box is suggested. Proceeds will support World Mission Projects. (Note location change.) Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 1730 Link Road, Winston-Salem, Knights of Columbus #10504, will have a shredding event from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 21, rain or shine. Donations of $5 or more will be accepted. Collections will be in the churchs back parking lot. No CDs, metal binding, plastic and clips. Hopewell Moravian Church will have a shredding event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 25 at the Griffith Volunteer Fire Department, 5190 Peters Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem. Trinity Moravian Church, 220 E. Sprague St., Winston-Salem, will hold a shredding event from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 15th. A $5 per box or a donation is appreciated. If your group is planning a shredding event and you want to be included on the list, you can email the information to asksam@wsjournal.com or mail it to Ask SAM, 418 N. Marshall St., #100, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Email: AskSAM@wsjournal.com Write: Ask SAM, 418 N. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Winston-Salem man died Friday night after he was shot and seriously wounded earlier that day in the 3100 block of Carver School Road, authorities said Saturday. Tyreik Davierre Elliott, 25 of Carver School Road died at a local hospital, Winston-Salem police said. Elliott's next of kin has been notified of his death. Officers responded at 2:48 p.m. to 3171 Carver School Road on a reported shooting, police said. After the officers arrived, they found Elliott unresponsive in the front yard. Elliott was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Elliott was taken to an area hospital for treatment. Police are treating Elliott's death as a homicide, police said. Investigators determined that the shooting was an isolated incident, police said. Elliott's death is the city's 17th homicide so far this year, as compared to nine homicides during the time period in 2021, police said. Anyone with information about this shooting can call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or its Spanish line at 336-728-3904. Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County is on Facebook. The Text-A-Tip program at 336-276-1717 allows people to text tips, photos and videos to the police. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Winston-Salem teenager was shot and wounded Saturday morning in the 4300 block of Old Walkertown Road, authorities said. Winston-Salem police were dispatched at 1:46 a.m. to the scene after they received a report of someone firing a gun there, police said. When officers arrived, they found evidence of gunfire on the property, but no injured people, police said. A short time later, Diamond Manns, 18, arrived at a local hospital with a non-life threatening gunshot wound that happened at Old Walkertown Road, police said. No other victims were found. Investigators haven't identified a suspect in the shooting, police said. Winston-Salem police are asking for the public's assistance in this case. Anyone with information regarding this shooting can call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or its Spanish line at 336-728-3904. Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County is on Facebook. The Text-A-Tip program at 336-276-1717 allows people to text tips, photos and videos to the police. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. After his resurrection, Jesus remained on earth for 40 days until his ascension. This post-resurrection period is presented in a meaningful way in the New Testament. The followers of Jesus and his disciples were fearful of the countrys leaders and priests. They were cautious about the resurrection. At the first meetings with the resurrected Jesus, some followers did not recognize him. Thomas, a disciple, doubted him. Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:27-28, Put your fingers here. See my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Then Thomas said, My Lord and my God. Jesus responded in John 20:29, Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Jesus comment supports the importance of having faith. As his disciples were convinced that he was the Messiah, their anxiety diminished. Jesus assured his disciples with a promise in John 14:16-17, And I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that he may abide with you forever the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. Descriptions of the post-resurrection appearances provide insight into this period and explain some of the important elements of Christian beliefs. First, his appearances proved that he had defeated death. With his crucifixion, he provided redemptive love and life without death for the faithful. Second, the power of leaders and priests did not stop Jesus from his teaching ministry. References to his teaching mission can be found in three passages. In John 20:16, When Mary Magdalene recognized him, she called him Rabboni (teacher). Also, his teaching mission was recorded in John 21:1-25. Peter, Thomas, and two other disciples were fishing. A stranger appeared and told them to cast the net on the right side of the boat. When they followed his advice, the net became filled with fish. Later Jesus revealed himself, and they enjoyed a meal. By teaching them to fish and feeding them, they learned how to feed his sheep. As a teacher, He appeared to more than 500 brothers and sisters at the same time. (1 Corinthians 15:6) Third, he encouraged his disciples to go out and spread his word. An example for the third point is the great commission given to the disciples, and found in Matthew 28:18-20, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. This commission is a reminder for all Christians to spread his message by words and to act in ways that will reveal Christian priorities. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. (John 7:38) After 40 days, Jesus had completed his mission. When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. (Luke 24:50-51) He sat at the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19) Most Christians believe that Jesus will be with God until the final judgment. The ascension was a confirmation of redemptive love and a connection with God. With the understanding of their mission, the disciples spread the word. According to scripture and tradition, they faced many difficulties for their faith. King Herod was responsible for the death of James, the brother of John. Peter was crucified upside down in Rome. Andrew died on a cross, Thomas died from spear wounds, and Paul was beheaded. John was exiled to Patmos where, it is told, he wrote Revelation and died in old age. Followers continued to face persecution and death. The dedication and sacrifices of these early Christians should serve as a motivational message to uphold the faith in the name of Jesus. Some of the material in this column has been presented in the past, but it is important to think about and celebrate the important Christian events each year. Ascension day this year will be on Thursday, May 26. Pray for peace and healing! May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. (Romans 15:5) Earl Crows column is published Saturdays in the Winston-Salem Journal. Email him at ecrow1@triad.rr.com. A candidate running for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education owes the Internal Revenue Service thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes, according to a federal tax lien filed in the Sacramento County (Calif.) Recorders office. The Notice of a Federal Tax Lien was issued to Jason Lucero in 2017. Lucero is one of 10 Republicans running in the school boards District 2. Luceros then-wife, Kristle Gieser, is also named on the tax lien. Gieser said Wednesday that the lien expires in 2026. The lien was for $35,500 in unpaid taxes. In addition to the lien, Lucero was issued a court order in 2019 to pay child support for a son that another former wife, Felecia Nichols, has said he has never supported. In court documents, Lucero said he is not the biological father of the child, but he has never filed a motion for a paternity test in the state of Tennessee, where the son, now 20, was raised. Lucero said it was cheaper for him to pay the final part of a monthly child-support bill of $765 than pay for a paternity test. By the time Forsyth County filed a complaint to establish support in early 2019, the son was nearly 18. Most child support ends when the child turns 18. If elected to the school board, Lucero, 44, would be making financial decisions involving millions of dollars of taxpayer money. The school board votes annually on a budget that has grown to nearly $800 million, most of which comes from federal, state and local taxpayers. Early voting for the May 17 primary elections began on Thursday. Twenty-eight people are running for the school board. All nine seats are up for grabs. Most recently, Lucero has won the endorsements of Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R-District 31) and a local committee, Put Children First. On her website, Krawiec said she is supporting candidates endorsed by Put Children First, which she says supports conservative principles, including banning Critical Race Theory and allowing parents to choose masking in schools. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools does not teach Critical Race Theory. The other candidates winning both the endorsement of Krawiec and Put Children First are: Holly Pegram, Steve Wood, Robert Barr, Tabitha Hackett, Robert Capizzi, Sarah Absher and Michael Hardman. Krawiec did not immediately return messages seeking comment on her endorsement. Lucero blamed the federal tax lien on events in his life including a job change and a divorce in 2021. I missed a filing, he said. However, the federal tax lien covers unpaid taxes from 2013-2015, years before his divorce from Gieser. According to the Notice of Federal Tax Lien filed in Sacramento County, the couple failed to pay $15,185 in taxes in 2013; $14,620 in 2014; and $5,695 in 2015. Lucero said knee-jerk exposure to events in a persons past is wrong. I think the reality is that were talking about things from 25 years ago vs. who people are today, which is a more accurate way to decide these things, he said. Clearly, people arent who they were. Lucero said he found it interesting that the Journal contacted him about these incidents but not about his candidacy. The Journal emailed him twice about filling out a questionnaire emailed to all candidates. Twenty-one of 28 candidates responded. Lucero said he decided to run for school board so he could be a voice for people. I imagine all parents dont have the tenacity I have, he said. Whos their voice? Thats what prompted me to run and to have influence on children and their education. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Winston-Salem man was shot and seriously wounded Friday in the 3100 block of Carver School Road, authorities said. Winston-Salem police responded to the scene at 2:48 p.m. Officers then found Tyreik Davierre Elliott, 25, of Carver School Road unresponsive in the front yard. Elliott was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said. He was taken to an area hospital where he remained in critical condition Friday night. Investigators determined that the shooting was an isolated incident, and no suspects are being sought at this time, police said. The investigation is in the early stages, and the scene is still very active, police said. Officers temporarily blocked a section of the Carver School Road Friday as investigators gathered evidence. Anyone with information about this shooting can call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or its Spanish line at 336-728-3904. Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County is on Facebook. The Text-A-Tip program at 336-276-1717 allows people to text tips, photos and videos to the police. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. When was the first time you felt beautiful? Not the kind of beauty you see in a mirror, but the kind you feel when you know that to someone who loves you, youll always be a beauty. Six months after my brother Joe was born, my mother was told he was totally blind and suffered from cerebral palsy, a condition that would impair his walking, but not his will. I was 4 years old and had no clue what a gift Joe would be to me. Growing up, he was a thorn in my flesh, making me tell him stories or sing him to sleep. And if his tricycle got stuck in a ditch, as it always did, hed yell for me to get him out. Worst of all, he made me tell him what things looked like. Id try my best to describe, say, the colors of a sunrise. The legs on a rooster. Or the cars on the trains that rattled past our house. Id try and try again. But if I didnt get it exactly as he saw it in his head, hed say, Thats not it, Sister. Try again. When I was 8, I accidentally broke my permanent front tooth. A porcelain crown would cost more than my family could afford. So for years, my front tooth was a shiny silver crown. Some boys at school meant no harm, but took great delight in chanting, Here comes the Lone Ranger and her silver bullet! At first I liked the attention, such as it was. But it got old. One day, Joe heard me crying. Whats wrong, Sister? Nothin! I said. Go away! He wouldnt let it go. When he got something in his head, he was like a dog with a bone. So I told him. And he laughed. A silver bullet! he said, clapping. What a hoot! Then I began to bawl and he hushed, took my face in his hands and ran his fingers over my eyes, my nose, my mouth. Sister, he said. Youre a beauty. Dont forget it. And if them boys dont leave you alone, tell em your blind baby brother will teach em some manners. I wish you couldve seen the looks on those boys faces when I told them what Joe had said. At 18, Joe decided he had learned enough at the school for the blind, got a job running the courthouse snack bar and rented an apartment to live on his own, 30 miles from our mother. I was happy for him. Mama was not. Then one day she called me up in a hissy fit. He got MARRIED! she said, to a STRANGER of all things! Weve got to do SOMETHING! Calm down, Mama, I said, Ill call him. HURRY! she said. Joe answered on the first ring. Hey, Sister, I figured youd be calling. Yes, I got married. My wife is a real beauty. Weve only known each other three weeks, and I know Mamas not happy about it. But even a blind man can fall in love at first sight. His bride, Tommie Jean, was also blind. Theyd walk hand-in-hand with Joe tapping the way with his cane. Rarely more than an arms reach apart, they were always laughing and whispering secrets. Their happiness made everyone who saw it happier, even in due time, our mother. In the eyes of the world, Tommie Jean was no beauty. She never saw her own face, but she radiated joy in a way that made her shine. She and Joe shared 10 good years before he lost her to cancer. And for him, she will always be a beauty. When I sit down to do my makeup at a table filled with products that promise to work miracles, I remind myself that miracles can happen. Then I begin. Foundation. Concealer. Eye shadow. Mascara. Lipstick. Finally, I look in the mirror hoping to see not the face I woke up with, but the one my brother sees when he pictures me. Some days I can almost hear him say, Thats not it, Sister. Try again. But heres what I learned from his beloved: True beauty cant be seen in a mirror. It can only be felt in our heart and soul and in the touch of one who loves us. The best beauty secret is love. Sharon Randall is the author of The World and Then Some. She can be reached at P.O. Box 922, Carmel Valley CA 93924, or at www.sharonrandall.com. Zach Hammack K-12 education reporter Zach Hammack, a 2018 UNL graduate, has always called Lincoln home. He previously worked as a copy editor at the Journal Star and was a reporting intern in 2017. Now, he covers students, teachers and schools as the newspapers K-12 reporter. Follow Zach Hammack 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 Move over Ringo. Incoming Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Paul Gausman is no slouch at the drums. Just ask the percussion students at Lincoln North Star who got a special lesson in the intricacies of drumming from Gausman himself Thursday. The Sioux City, Iowa, superintendent, who was spending a couple of days in Lincoln visiting schools and working on transitioning into his new role, swung by North Star to check out a rehearsal of the school's annual Electrophonic concert. The concert, which includes percussionists and performers from the school's concert and jazz bands, orchestra and color guard, blends musical performance with stage flair, a la the percussion group Stomp or the Broadway show "Blast!" On Thursday, students were prepping for their first performance when Gausman came in, climbed behind a drum set and walked students through some beats. "Our jaws were just on the floor," said orchestra director Rob Salistean. Gausman, who was hired in February to take over for the retiring Steve Joel, was a drummer for the Cornhusker Marching Band at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he got his bachelor's in music education. One of his fellow band members was Lance Nielsen, LPS' director of music. Following stints as a music teacher and band director including in Lincoln Gausman got into administration, but he still enjoys harkening back to his music roots. "I do have the arts as my second language, and it's important to me," he said. "The arts are a blend of all subject areas." Gausman is a performing artist and clinician for the Yamaha Corp. of America and has been known for whipping out the drumsticks during school visits in Sioux City. North Star band director Joe Albright helps Salistean direct the Electrophonic concert and was impressed by the new superintendent's skills and his willingness to ask questions and learn about the school's program. "He's easy to talk to and does his best to relate to students." It's also nice to know that a musician will be leading the district come July 1, Gausman's first day. "The world would be a better place if it was ran by band directors," Albright said. Lincoln East makes top 10 Lincoln East is the best high school in Lincoln and sixth-best in Nebraska, according to U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings of the nation's top high schools released Tuesday. Elkhorn South took top honors in Nebraska in the report, which takes into account schools' test scores and graduation rates, among other factors. The rest of the top five in Nebraska were Elkhorn High, Millard North, Bennington and Millard West. Lincoln Southwest was ranked 11th, while Southeast came in at 26th. Lincoln East was ranked sixth in last year's report as well. Last fall, U.S. News and World Report released its list of the nation's best elementary and middle schools. Lux Middle School ranked the highest among middle schools in Lincoln, coming in at No. 7, while Adams Elementary was the highest elementary school in Nebraska at No. 20. You can find the complete high school rankings at usnews.com/education/best-high-schools?src=usn_pr. A note on Arbor Day Last week I wrote about how LPS' calendar committee is beginning to raise questions about the district's longstanding practice to take Good Friday off. On the calendar, it's officially called spring break, but some are concerned it gives the impression that a public school district is endorsing a religion (separation of church and state and all that). Some on the committee threw out Arbor Day as a potential replacement. I failed to note that LPS also had Arbor Day, which was Friday, off this year anyway, in addition to Good Friday. That's just because of how the calendar calculus played out this year, associate superintendent John Neal told me. LPS tries to evenly balance the fall and spring semesters and also end the year before Memorial Day but also after NSAA activities have wrapped up. Because of how New Year's Day fell this year, having Arbor Day off helped keep that balance. In the spring, students always have MLK Day, the weeklong quarter break and Good Friday off, but other days such as Presidents Day or Arbor Day are sometimes off-days, too. "Each year," Neal says, "it's a little bit of a puzzle." Contact the writer at zhammack@journalstar.com or 402-473-7225. On Twitter @HammackLJS Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WAVERLY In Emily Standages six years of teaching music in School District 145, only two students have impressed her as capable of performing with the best in the world. Standage nominated them both to audition for the prestigious Honors Performance Series, which invites talented musicians to perform together at New Yorks Carnegie Hall. Only one of the two students, Waverly eighth-grader Sammy Linscott, was accepted. Sammy first began training under Standages tutelage when she joined band in the fifth grade. She took a liking to alto saxophone at first because it was kind of cool looking. But it has held her interest, especially for its dynamic range. She has the musical feeling to be able to play hushed melodies contrasted with loud alto blasts that overpower the rest of the band. Thats the part of Sammys playing that excites Standage the most. Her ability to be expressive when she plays is above what a typical eighth-grader (can do), Standage said. But Sammy has earned her skill and the trip to New York. Standage and Sammy meet twice a week for jazz band rehearsal and weekly for one-on-one lessons. When Standage gives the homework for the next week, Sammy returns seven days later with the piece down pat. And I am totally impressed and blown away, Standage said. She is not only talented, but just her ability to work hard and put the work in to improve is pretty outstanding for her age. Those things just come easy because shes putting in the work. I just feel really, really proud of her and just proud of all the work that shes put in because its paying off for her. The trip to New York will span five days, from June 15 to 19, and highlights include touring Manhattan and attending a Broadway show. The trip culminates with an evening performance at Carnegie Hall. For her audition to the Honors Performance Series, Sammy performed Leroy Ostranskys Canzonetta and Giga, a solo varying in tone from a somber, slow-building number that gives way to a jovial finale. She also had to include answers to a series of questions about her musical chops. Sammy said she was just leaving her jazz band rehearsal one morning when she received an email from her dad that simply read: We got in. I had to read the description and see the link, and I was like Oh, my God, Sammy said. I just told the nearest person. She still has a month and a half before the trip to New York, and she hasn't yet received the sheet music that she and her fellow musicians will play. But once the music arrives, it will be preparation time. Thats her bread and butter. Even when shes nervous about a solo, she says, its the time spent practicing beforehand that carries through the piece. I dont think Ive ever been not prepared for a solo, she said. At the highest-prestige event she has performed in so far, with the Nebraska Eighth Grade All-State Jazz Band last November, Sammy remarked on the readiness of the other students. The band arrived, sat down with their instruments, launched into the first composition and sounded like they had been performing together for months. We were able to just play for the first time, and it sounded good, Sammy said. She expects to have a similar experience when she heads off to New York. And when she enters Carnegie Halls Stern Auditorium, with its Renaissance-inspired balconies and ornate decor, shell be ready to leave her mark. If they give me the music ahead of time, Ill definitely really work on it and prepare for it to the best of my ability, and then go into it feeling good, she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ukrainians plead for Mariupol rescue; Russian advance crawls KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian forces are fighting village by village to hold back a Russian advance in their country's east, while the United Nations works to broker a civilian evacuation from the ruins of the city of Mariupol. Ukrainian officials have said that up to 1,000 civilians are living with soldiers beneath a sprawling steel plant that is the city's last defensive holdout. Russian state media report Saturday that 25 civilians have been evacuated from the plant, though U.N. and Ukrainian officials haven't confirmed that. Video from inside the Soviet-era Azovstal steelworks that two Ukrainian women shared with The Associated Press shows wounded men with stained bandages, open wounds and amputated limbs. Naomi Judd, of Grammy-winning duo The Judds, dies at 76 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Naomi Judd, the Kentucky-born singer of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died. She was 76. The daughters announced her death on Saturday in a statement provided to The Associated Press. The statement said that they lost their mother to the disease of mental illness. It did not elaborate further. The Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday. Led by Wynonna's powerful vocals and Naomi's harmonies, their hits included Love Can Build a Bridge," "Mama Hes Crazy," and Rockin With the Rhythm of the Rain." The mother-daughter performers scored 14 No. 1 songs in a career that spanned nearly three decades. Autopsy backlog plagues Mississippi, with worst delays in US JACKSON, Miss. (AP) An Associated Press analysis has found that Mississippi has long operated in violation of national standards for death investigations, accruing a severe backlog of autopsies and reports. Autopsies that should take days take weeks. Autopsy reports that should take months take a year or longer. Too few pathologists are doing too many autopsies. Some cases are transferred hundreds of miles to neighboring states for reports without their familys knowledge. Records sent to AP in April show the office was waiting for about 1,300 reports from as far back as 2011. That leaves criminal cases incomplete. The public safety commissioner hired in 2020 is working to whittle down the backlog and says it's his top priority. Biden order to boost mining may not have quick payoff WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is turning to a Cold War-era law to boost production of lithium and other minerals used to power electric vehicles. Experts, though, say the move by itself is unlikely to ensure the robust mining Biden seeks as he promotes cleaner energy sources. Bidens action does not waive existing environmental and labor standards, nor does it address the years-long process needed to obtain a federal permit for a new mine. Even so, the mining industry and supporters in Congress cheered Bidens use of the 1950 Defense Production Act to increase U.S. supplies of lithium, nickel and other minerals. But environmentalists are wary that boosting extraction can contaminate groundwater and harm wildlife. Meadows says 1/6 panel has sought to publicly 'vilify' him WASHINGTON (AP) Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has accused the congressional committee investigating last years attack on the U.S. Capitol of leaking all of the text messages he provided to the panel as part of an effort to vilify him publicly. The argument was made in a filing Friday in Washingtons federal court, where Meadows sued in December to invalidate subpoenas issued to him for his testimony and to Verizon for his cell phone records. The committee declined to comment on Meadows' accusations. Vegas water intake now visible at drought-stricken Lake Mead LAS VEGAS (AP) The water supply for Las Vegas has marked a milestone, with a water intake breaking the surface of drought-depleted Lake Mead and the activation of a new pumping facility to draw water from deeper in the crucial Colorado River reservoir. The Southern Nevada Water Authority released photos this week of the uppermost intake visible at the lake behind Hoover Dam. The agency says a deeper intake completed in 2020 that's called the third straw continues to let Las Vegas pump water from its primary supply while the lake level continues to decline. The moves come as several states relying on the Colorado River take new steps to conserve water amid ongoing drought and climate change. Warren Buffett tells shareholders about spending $51 billion OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Warren Buffett gave Berkshire Hathaway investors a few details of how he spent more than $50 billion earlier this year and again reassured them that the company he built will endure long after the 91-year-old billionaire is gone. Tens of thousands of investors packed an Omaha arena Saturday to listen to Buffett and Berkshires vice chairmen answer questions for the first time since the pandemic began. Berkshire revealed that its mountain of cash shrank to $106 billion in the first quarter from $147 billion at the beginning of the year. Buffett didnt reveal everything he bought but did mention several highlights, including boosting Berkshires stake in oil giant Chevron to $26 billion to make it one of the company's four biggest investments. Motorcycles rumble through Canadian capital under police eye OTTAWA (AP) Motorcycles have rumbled through the streets of Canadas capital and a memorial service was held at the national War Memorial as a strong police presence kept an eye on the Rolling Thunder protest. Many of the people involved in this weekends event also took part in the Freedom Convoy that shuttered downtown Ottawa for weeks in February. Ottawa police say two people were arrested Saturday and 33 vehicles have been towed from the exclusion zone since Friday morning. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the National War Memorial, which was a focal point during the early days of the February protests. Bill Murray says his behavior led to complaint, film's pause Bill Murray has acknowledged that his behavior towards a woman led to the suspension of production on his latest film. In his first comments about the shutdown of Being Mortal, Murray on Saturday described the incident as a difference of opinion but declined to provide specifics on what transpired, or who it involved. Murray said he did something that he thought was funny but that it wasnt interpreted that way. The 71-year-old comedian also said he and the unnamed woman are trying to make peace. The film studio has declined to comment and its unclear when or if production will resume. Angelina Jolie makes surprise Ukraine visit, meets children LVIV, Ukraine (AP) Hollywood actress and U.N. humanitarian Angelina Jolie has made a surprise visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. The area's regional governor said Jolie who has been a UNHCR Special Envoy for Refugees since 2011 had come to speak Saturday with displaced Ukrainians who had found refuge in Lviv. Those included children undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the Russian missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station. The attack in the eastern Ukrainian city appeared to deliberately target a crowd of mostly women and children trying to flee a looming Russian offensive, killing at least 52 and wounding dozens. Jolie also visited a school, talking with students and taking selfies with them. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 First-Plymouth Church will present "The Joseph Story" series, taught by the Rev. Dr. Jonathon Redding, assistant professor of religion, Nebraska Wesleyan University, on Wednesdays, May 4-25, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at First-Plymouth Church, 2000 D St. The series is free and open to the public. The biblical book of Exodus is all about how the Hebrews left Egypt, so the question is this: How did they get into Egypt to begin with? The answer lies in one of the most popular narratives in the Bible, commonly known as the Joseph story. This class reads Genesis 37-50 as literature to reconsider the role of Joseph and his family in the larger history of Israel. Join Redding in rethinking how this grand narrative can function within modern church settings. Registration is requested by emailing addie@firstplymouth.org before the first class. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Strong storms are again in the forecast for Friday night, and they could be even worse than the ones Thursday night that dropped heavy rain and hail in some areas. A tornado watch was issued Friday afternoon for Lancaster County and several other counties in southeast Nebraska until 11 p.m. The National Weather Service said a few tornadoes are likely in the area as is the possibility of hail up to "apple size." Lincoln is right on the edge of an area of moderate risk of severe weather covering the southwestern half of Lancaster County, which is the fourth-highest level on a five-point scale. The National Weather Service said severe storms are likely between 6 and 11 p.m., mainly south of a line stretching from Albion to Sioux City, with the 8-9 p.m. time frame most likely. The weather service said Lincoln has a 10% chance of a tornado occurring within 25 miles, while some areas of Southeast Nebraska have a 15% chance. The chance of large hail in Lincoln is about 30%, while the chance of high winds, up to 75 mph, is about 45%. The threat of severe weather led to the cancellation of a Charles Herbster campaign event at the I-80 Speedway in Greenwood at which former President Donald Trump scheduled to speak. Storms are expected to start in central Nebraska and move east. The weather service also issued a tornado watch covering about two dozen counties in central and south-central Nebraska, stretching as far east as York County. Strong storms hit Lincoln Thursday night, officially dropping more than 2.5 inches of rain. That's nearly as much rain as had fallen since the beginning of the year. There also were widespread reports of pea- to marble-sized hail. Thursday night's storms were very hit and miss, with some areas receiving extreme amounts of rain, while areas nearby received very little. Thursday night into Friday, heavy rains caused flooding north of Columbus, leading to the evacuation of Platte Center and closing a major north-south route, U.S. 81. Platte County Emergency Manager Tim Hofbauer said Friday morning that the area received more than 5 inches of rain in a short amount of time. Just north of Columbus, 5 inches was recorded. "The storm just sat there and churned for about an hour," Hofbauer said. Two to three feet of water streamed down Platte Center's main street overnight but was receding by midmorning. Two creeks, the Elm and Shell, meet in Platte Center, which makes the town flood-prone, he said. Townspeople sandbagged overnight and had started cleanup by Friday morning, he said. About 330 people live in the town. Despite the 4-7 inches of rain in areas of northern Platte County and southern Madison County, the official monitoring station in Columbus reported only 0.68 inches of rain and the one in Norfolk recorded no measurable rain. While Lincoln got more than 2.5 inches of rain, York only got about half an inch and Omaha officially recorded only 0.23 inches. The weather service said there is a higher threat for hail and high winds Friday than heavy rain, although some areas of northeast Nebraska could see 2 inches or more. There's a possibility of more rain on Saturday, with much cooler temperatures and increased winds. Lincoln's high is only supposed to reach the upper 50s, and the weather service said winds could gust to 50 miles per hour or more. Sunday is supposed to be drier and slightly warmer, with a high near 65. The chance for storms returns Monday, however, as do cooler temperatures, with highs in the 50s forecast through Thursday. The Omaha World-Herald also contributed to this story. Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Local Weather Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. RACINE A Racine man allegedly splashed hot grease onto a woman and fired a gun at the intersection of 17th Street and Packard Avenue last month. Benito L. Martinez, 26, of the 3700 block of Clairmont St., was charged with a felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon and two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. According to a criminal complaint: At 6 p.m. on March 9, officers were sent to the 3200 block of Wheelock Drive for a dispute at a group home. Upon arrival, an officer spoke with an employee who said Martinez, who also works there, showed up and started arguing with her. While they were arguing, he pushed her and slapped a pot of hot grease at her. It splashed onto her jacket and pants. She went to the hospital due to thigh pain. Officers spoke with another man who said that Martinez showed up and starting yelling, saying I aint forget about you, On the G, I got you, and Im gonna beat your (expletive). At 8:48 p.m. that same day, officers were sent to the area of 17th Street and Packard Avenue for a shots fired call. An officer spoke with the same employee from the earlier incident who said that she was dropped off and, when she walked across the street to her home, saw Martinez get out of a car and fire a gun. She did not know if he pointed the gun at her or in the air because she was ducking for cover. Martinez was given a $10,000 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Friday. A preliminary hearing is on May 5 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show. 1. Yes. If inflation remains high and interest rates rise, the economy will be a major factor. 2. Yes. If the nation goes into a recession, it will be the issue on the minds of most voters. 3. No. Inflation will likely moderate by then; if so, the economy wont be a major issue. 4.No. All the turmoil involving Russia and Roe v. Wade will probably take center stage. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the economy will play with voters at this point. Vote View Results Killeen, TX (76540) Today Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. Near record high temperatures. High 93F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will become overcast later during the night. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. KEARNEY The Kearney Newcomers Club will hold its First Thursday Luncheon at 11:15 a.m. Thursday at the Alley Rose at 2013 Central Ave. Madison Johnson, Passport Program coordinator for Nebraska Tourism, will speak at noon. For more information, call Deb Gibbs at 308-627-5338. n The clubs Second Thursday get-acquainted coffee will be 10 a.m. May 12 at K-Town Cakery and Central Mercantile, 2206 Central Ave. The public is welcome. n The Lunch Bunch will gather at 11:30 a.m. May 19 at Cunninghams on the Lake, 610 W. Talmadge Road. A signup sheet will be circulated at First Thursday Luncheon. n The Fourth Thursday Book Club will meet at 1 p.m. May 26 at the Kearney Public Library to discuss The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. For more information, call Kathy Cool at 308-455-1514. The highly contagious bird flu that has resulted in the killing of millions of poultry so far across the state has been found in two more Wisconsin counties, bringing the total number of affected counties to nine, officials said Friday. Highly pathogenic avian influenza was recently found in backyard flocks in Fond du Lac and Oconto counties, the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said. The 266 birds in the two flocks were euthanized to prevent further spread. This strain of the bird flu, called EA H5N1, is deadly to captive and domesticated birds such as those found in farms, zoos and in peoples homes but is not as dangerous to the wild birds that are spreading it throughout the state. Infected wild birds have been found in a total of 15 counties, the DATCP said. The continued spread of the virus could threaten captive bird populations and the egg and poultry industry, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the virus does not currently pose a significant health risk to humans. On Thursday evening, the CDC announced that the first case of human bird flu was confirmed in Colorado, but federal officials said theres little threat to the general public. The man who was infected was a prison inmate who was helping remove chickens from an infected farm. He reported fatigue for a few days but has recovered, Colorado health and CDC officials said in a statement. Despite the infection, the CDC considers the threat to the general public to be low because spread of the virus to people requires close contact with an infected bird. Eating cooked poultry products doesnt cause the virus to spread because cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees kills the virus, the DATCP said. Signals that could raise the public health risk might include multiple reports of virus infections in people from exposure to birds, or identification of spread from one person to another. The CDC also is monitoring for genetic changes to the H5N1 bird flu virus that is currently circulating. Any genetic changes could indicate the virus is adapting to spread more readily from birds to people or other mammals. Many different bird flu viruses have infected humans worldwide since at least the 1990s, but health officials still say human infection is uncommon. Wisconsin has not had a reported case of bird flu infecting a human. Across the country Cases of bird flu have been found in U.S. commercial and backyard birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states. More than 35 million chickens and turkeys have been killed and removed to avoid spread, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported. In Wisconsin, the seven other counties that have had captive flocks become infected are Barron, Polk, Sheboygan, Columbia, Racine, Rock and Jefferson counties, the DATCP said. All of the birds in those flocks have been euthanized, including 2.8 million chickens in a commercial flock in Jefferson County. The next-largest was a commercial flock in Barron County with 111,000 birds, according to the DATCP. Dane Countys Vilas Zoo closed its bird exhibits March 22 because of the outbreak, and other zoos across the state are taking precautions. The DATCP has suspended all poultry shows, exhibitions and swap meets in Wisconsin until May 31. What to watch for The state Department of Natural Resources is asking residents to call if they see waterfowl, raptors such as eagles, or avian scavengers such as crows, ravens and gulls displaying tremors, circling movement or holding their heads in strange positions. Residents are also asked not to touch sick or dead birds. To report birds with signs of avian flu, email DNRWildlifeSwitchboard@wi.gov or call 608-267-0866. The DATCP is encouraging residents with their own flocks to call (608) 224-4872 during business hours or (800) 943-0003 after hours and on weekends if they spot signs of infected birds, which include: Sudden death without clinical signs. Lack of energy or appetite. Decrease in egg production; soft, misshapen eggs. Purple discoloration of wattles, comb and legs. Difficulty breathing. Runny nose, coughing, sneezing. Stumbling or falling down. Diarrhea. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A psychiatric hospital that opened in Middleton in August was cited by inspectors this month for not letting patients have visitors, despite a policy allowing them, and for not documenting the resolution of patient grievances. Miramont Behavioral Health, which got a new owner in January, received five federal citations and two state citations after an inspection April 5-11 that was conducted in response to a complaint, according to inspection reports. The facility was found to be in compliance with Medicare requirements overall, with the federal violations resulting in standard level citations, not infractions considered more serious. Will Callison, interim CEO at Miramont, said in a statement that the facilitys focus is to deliver the highest quality care to all patients. He said Miramont is in substantial compliance with all regulatory agencies. According to inspectors from the state Department of Health Services, at least three of the 15 patients at the facility hadnt had in-person or virtual visits from family or friends, despite a written policy allowing such visits. Miramont administrators told inspectors they werent allowing visitors because of COVID-19. But the facility failed to update their visitation policy to reflect COVID-19 visitor restrictions, according to one of two inspection reports. Responses to 12 grievances from patients were not properly documented, inspectors said. There was no evidence to show any follow-up was done by the client rights specialists or any other staff, the other report said. Inspectors said Miramont failed to complete an incident report for a patient who fell and sustained injuries, and who said another patient repeatedly came into his room. The facility also didnt have a contingency plan for staff not vaccinated against COVID-19, and it discontinued medications a patient was court ordered to take, making him afraid to restart them, according to a worker. The 72-bed hospital in Middletons Airport Road Business Park added to Dane Countys other 100 inpatient psychiatric beds at UnityPoint Health-Meriter, SSM Health St. Marys Hospital, UW Hospital and Stoughton Hospital. In January, Summit BHC, based in Franklin, Tennessee, purchased Miramont and six other psychiatric hospitals from Memphis, Tennessee-based Strategic Behavioral Health. They include Willow Creek Behavioral Health, which opened in Green Bay in 2017. Strategic Behavioral Health had regulatory problems, closing a facility in Las Vegas in 2020 after violations. The same year, authorities in Colorado shut down another after numerous citations. In April 2018, before the city of Middleton approved the Miramont project, the Wisconsin State Journal reported on nine immediate jeopardy citations and other serious actions taken against facilities owned by the company. The state health department has issued dozens of citations to Willow Creek Behavioral Health, the State Journal reported last year. Most of the violations dont appear to be as serious as some at the companys hospitals in other states, but one in 2020 involved a lack of supervision in connection with an adult patient charged with sexual assault of a juvenile patient. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A year ago, as part of her role addressing the root causes of migration from Central America, Vice President Kamala Harris announced a Call to Action for businesses and social enterprises to make new, significant commitments to sustainably address the root causes of migration by promoting economic opportunity. As focus shifts to the midterm elections, delivering on this promise will become even more critical if Democrats hope to maintain control in Washington. The first pillar of the Root Cause Strategy is to address economic insecurity and inequality in the region. To that end, Harris has primarily focused on promoting private sector investment in the region, recently touting several major U.S. companies promised investments. Despite these actions, illegal immigration at the southern border has increased rapidly since President Biden was sworn in, rising at a faster rate in his first six months than any other period since the Border Patrols founding nearly a century ago. More than 2 million migrants were stopped while attempting to enter the United States from Mexico illegally in 2021. Compared to the average 500,000 people stopped per year previously, it is clear that the United States needs to take a different approach. Yet without significant changes, this trend will continue, with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reporting that there were 153,941 encounters along the southwest land border in January alone. It is abundantly clear that more work needs to be done to sustain the long-term economic growth that is needed to address the root causes of migration, in large part fueled by a lack of job opportunities. Given that many countries in Central America, particularly the Northern Triangle (made up of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador) borrowed heavily to supply their citizens with support packages during the COVID-19 pandemic, it will likely take these countries many years to recover economically, making timely action even more critical. Instead of focusing on a scattershot of private-sector investments, the Biden administration should look at structural changes that would promote growth long-term, particularly changing policies that can be found within the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). CAFTA-DR was originally established to promote stronger trade and investment ties, prosperity and stability throughout the region and along our Southern border. A recent report published by the Mosbacher Institute at Texas A&M University pointed out that apparel production in Central America is stifled by a provision in CAFTA-DR that limits the yarns and fabrics that can be used in clothing to qualify for duty-free trade. This report highlights how in developing countries, exporting apparel creates jobs, reduces poverty and contributes to economic growth. While Chinas and Vietnams share of U.S. apparel imports expanded, Central Americas share has remained constant or fallen. But not only is the quantity of apparel products being produced and exported in the region not increasing, Central America exports a narrow variety of apparel products, particularly when compared to China and Vietnam. This lack of growth and diversity in apparel is largely due to the yarn-forward rule of origin requirement that mandates that apparel products, unlike other products covered by CAFTA-DR, be wholly sourced from member countries. This rule is maintained at the insistence of a handful of monopolistic yarn producers and allows them to earn record profits and charge a premium while suppressing apparel job creation in the Northern Triangle. This anti-competitive rule must be addressed if the administration truly wants to create apparel jobs in this Hemisphere. Additionally, this rule and the exceptions to it are less understood by small and medium producers, and presents an administrative burden that is too costly for these businesses and, as such, limits the ability of the agreement to promote job growth in the apparel sector. Allowing exceptions to the yarn-forward rule for items not produced locally in sufficient quantities would allow Central America to upgrade and diversify. And boosting the Central American apparel industry would also go a long way toward promoting economic equality, given the sector is a key driver for jobs for women in the region. Without structural changes to the restrictive rules that govern trade between the United States and Central America, we can expect economic growth to continue to be stifled in the region, and therefore migration to the United States to accelerate. If Democrats hope to stymie the predicted loss of congressional seats in the midterms, they should work to deliver on their promises like addressing the root causes of migration by updating the rule-of-origin requirements in CAFTA-DR. Carlos Solorzano is the CEO of the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce of San Francisco. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1 Harvard University recently offered details of its historical connection to slavery and announced a $100 million fund aimed at studying and dealing with those links. The findings were released on April 26 in a 130-page report. The university began publicly speaking about its connections to slavery in 2016. That year, the university placed a sign on its campus honoring four enslaved people who worked for two different Harvard presidents in the 1700s. Harvards President Lawrence Bacow started the current investigation into the universitys links to slavery in 2019. The group of investigators included professors who looked into the names and stories of people who worked for no pay. The committee found that the university and its leaders, including four of the schools presidents, enslaved people. The new report, the writers said, adds to work started in 2007 by Harvard professors and students to show the universitys connection to slavery. Harvard is the oldest university in the United States. It opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1636, when the area was still a colony of Britain. At the time, putting people to work for no pay was permitted. The report notes that slavery was common around the world and was an important part of the economy in the northeastern colonies, and powerfully shaped Harvard University. For example, some people who gave money to Harvard in its early history became rich by buying and selling slaves. The reports writers said Harvard is now part of the long and growing list of American universities entangled with the history of slavery. Years of slavery Enslaved people worked at the university for almost 150 years, until slavery became illegal in Massachusetts in 1783. The schools report said at least 70 Black people and Native Americans were enslaved. That included people who worked on the university land and in the homes of the schools leaders. In addition, the university, which is the richest in the U.S., gained wealth by investing in industries, such as cotton and sugar cane, which used forced labor. Those crops were grown by enslaved people in the American South and the Caribbean Islands. Many buildings at Harvard are named for people who owned other people. The report notes that Harvard has profited from the idea that slavery in the United States was centered in the American South. In fact, the report says, the economy in the northeastern colonies thrived because of their connection to slavery and businesses that used forced labor. Researchers said there were likely more than 70 enslaved people, but they only found 70 names. They added that some of the enslaved people were Native Americans. Many of the enslaved people were known only by their first names, which included: Cesar, Dinah, Delia, Renty and Venus. Fund to heal wounds Bacow announced the $100 million fund to deal with, what he called, the corrosive effects of [slavery] on individuals, on Harvard, and on our society. The money will be used to make up for the mistreatment of the people who worked for the university but it will not be paid directly to the living family members of Harvards slaves. The report said the university should permit some students at historically Black colleges and universities to study at Harvard for one year at a time. It also said the school should make education more available for the descendants of slaves in the southern U.S. and the Caribbean area. In addition, the writers said Harvard should offer educational programs to members of Native American tribes in the northeastern U.S. Disturbing ideas The report said that even after slavery became illegal, some of the universitys professors taught racial theories about why white people were better than Black people. Some professors did studies on race that researchers have connected to policies of the leaders of Nazi Germany. The report called some of this work, which included photographing Black people without clothing and measuring their bodies, abusive. Bacow called the findings disturbing and shocking and said the ideas permitted deeply immoral activities. In more modern times, the report noted, the university was slow to make education and work available to Black people. Between the 1890s and 1940s, only about three Black men per year attended the university. By 1960, the number had only grown to nine in the first year class. Making up for slavery The report said the university should spend money to make up for the past but did not clearly say the school should give money to the descendants of the enslaved people who worked at Harvard. Payments to make up for bad treatment in the past are sometimes called reparations. Harvard instead said it will make up for its wrongs through teaching, research and service. Other universities are doing similar things. At Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., the school is trying to raise $400,000 per year to give to the descendants of the enslaved people sold by the school. At Princeton University in New Jersey, the school of religion started a $27 million fund to make up for enslaving people. And the University of Virginia, founded by U.S. president Thomas Jefferson, created scholarships for the living family members of those it enslaved. However, some critics say those universities should do more or that they are not following through on their promises. Now that Harvard has released its report, education leaders will want to see how the $100 million is spent and whether it makes a difference. In the report, Bacow noted that Harvard is far from perfect but it always tries to be better. The university president said Harvard is committed to following the recommendations and embracing the challenges before us. Im Dan Friedell and Im Jill Robbins Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by the Associated Press and Harvards report. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. Quiz - Harvard Announces $100 Million Plan to Make up for Slavery Links Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz Words in This Story fund n. an amount of money that is set aside for a special purpose entangle v. to become involved in a confusing and difficult situation thrive v. to grow and develop successfully corrosive adj. causing someone or something to become weak and damaged descendant n. the children of a group of people who lived in the past disturbing adj. worrying or upsetting immoral adj. not morally good or right embrace v. to accept something Canada has two official languages English and French. But recent events in Canada have caused a new debate over whether French speakers face discrimination. Canadas largest railway company, CN, is based in Montreal. The city is in the province of Quebec, where 95 percent of the population speaks French. However, none of CNs recently named nominees for its corporate board are native French speakers. After public anger, the company said it plans to search for a French-speaking board member in the coming months. The question of whether Canadian business leaders should be bilingual in French and English began receiving attention last November. The attention came after comments made by Air Canada President Michael Rousseau. Rousseau said he did not have the time to learn French. The airline leader later publicly apologized for what he said. Canadian law requires companies like CN and Air Canada, once owned by the state, to provide services in both English and French. The same is true for places like airports and government ministries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is bilingual. He said this week he was concerned about the lack of French speakers on CNs board. "French-speaking Canadians across the country should see themselves reflected in our major national institutions, Trudeau said. Of Canadas 37 million people, only 8 million speak French. The Canadian constitution in 1982 officially protected the French language as an official language. But the recent happenings have reminded people of the continued fight to support the language. A recent public opinion study found that over 90 percent of Canadians support bilingualism as part of Canadas culture. However, only 20 percent of the population can speak both French and English. Stephane Beaulac is a law professor and co-director of the University of Montreals National Observatory of Linguistic Rights. He said that, in the past, supporting the use of French meant to be in favor of the separation of Quebec from Canada. Quebec is a mostly French-speaking province in Canada. Things have changed today, Beaulac said, so people are more daring to challenge the domination of English. Some Canadians criticized Trudeaus decision last year to not choose a French speaker as Canadas governor general. The position serves as Queen Elizabeth IIs official representative in the country. Instead, Trudeau appointed an Indigenous Canadian, Mary Simon, to the position. She is from Nunavik in northern Quebec. She speaks English and an Inuit language, but not French. This Prime Ministers office also recently faced criticism from the Canadian Commissioner of Official Languages. The criticism came because the Prime Ministers office does not have French subtitles in all videos on their social media page. Stephanie Chouinard is a political science professor at the Royal Military College of Canada. She said, "Everyone must be able to be served in their preferred language since few Canadians are truly bilingual. I'm Jill Robbins. The Agence France-Presse reported this story. Faith Pirlo adapted it for VOA Learning English. Editor's note: Air Canada and CN were once owned by the Canadian government and have since fully privatized. An earlier version of the story said they were state-owned. ____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story bilingual adj. able to speak and understand two languages reflect v. to show or make (something) known institutions n. an established organization linguistic adj. of or relating to language daring adj. courageous or brave challenge n. a difficult task or problem; something that is hard to do domination n. complete power and control Indigenous adj. produced, living or existing in a certain place or environment Inuit n. an Indigenous group of people living near Artic in Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. subtitles n. words that appear on the screen during a movie, video or television show and that are translations of what the actors are saying preferred adj. the like someone or something more than someone or something else What do you think of the use of the French language in Canadian government and business? Write to us in the Comments Section. LEXINGTON The Get Rooted in Lexington tree recovery campaign distributed 64 trees to local partners throughout the community. The Arbor Day Foundations Lexington, Nebraska, Tree Recovery Campaign a partnership between the Arbor Day Foundation and Peter Kiewit Foundation was behind the distribution that took place at the Optimist Recreation Complex on Wednesday, April 27. The new trees were distributed to the Lexington Public Schools, Dawson County History Museum, Lexington Housing Authority and City of Lexington parks and cemeteries. The new trees were free of charge, having been obtained via a grant and will be used to replace trees damaged or destroyed by Emerald Ash Borer. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a highly invasive insect, native to east Asia, that has killed millions of ash trees in the US and Canada. EAB was first discovered outside of Detroit, Mich., in 2002 and quickly began spreading to nearby states. The EAB was discovered in Kearney, the first outside of eastern Nebraska, in June 2020. All unprotected ash trees are vulnerable to EAB, and all will eventually succumb to the insect. Ash trees killed by EAB become brittle extremely quickly, sometimes breaking in as little as one year after death, according to City of Lexington EAB plan. When Emerald Ash Borer invades a community, historically all the communitys ash trees die within a few years, said Assistant City Manager and Tree Board Liaison Dennis Burnside. The insect has been positively identified less than 50 miles away, which experts say means Emerald Ash Borer is on our doorstep. With help from the Arbor Day Foundation and other partners, were getting a start on planting new trees and growing the next canopy to replace the certain loss of ash trees, Burnside added. The Lexington Tree Board conducted a tree inventory in 2021, that listed more than 550 ash trees in public spaces, which including parks, cemeteries, schools, and other publicly held land, plus residential street trees. Not counting the street trees, there are about 150 ash trees on public land. The Arbor Grant will cover replacement for almost half about 65 trees. No homeowners were eligible in this round of grant funding, but the public was invited to the distribution to view a free tree planting training. Tree Board member Dave Stenburg showed community members the best practices when planting a tree. The tree they planted was a Redmond Linden, which will grow into a dense, pyramidal, symmetrical tree with big, dark-green leaves and a straight trunk. He noted trees should be planted not too deep but only as deep as their root ball goes, so they can spread out and establish the tree. Any roots that are circling should be straightened or cut and the tree flare, where the trunk expands at the base of the tree should be left exposed. Stenburg said every single leaf on a growing tree is needed as they are the vehicles for the photosynthesis process. Staking a tree is likely necessary, especially given Nebraskas winds, but it should not be too tight, so the tree can sway and the trunk and roots can grow stronger. Mulch should be added at the base of a tree, but it should not be piled up around the base of the trunk to reduce moist bark and prevent decay. The planting of the tree was accompanied by the placing of a plaque commemorating Thane Moore, a past Keep Lexington Beautiful (KLB) Director and board member, who died at the age of 65 on March 23. The plaque includes one of Moores favorite Bible verses, John 15:5, I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. KLB Director Elvie Montes said after they learned about Moores death, they thought this was the best way to honor him and it was important to do for his family and KLB. A 34-year-old man was arrested Friday for allegedly firing multiple shots at a group of people in Sun Prairie on Wednesday, police said. None of the shots hit the people who were targeted, and no one was injured, Sun Prairie police Lt. Ray Thomson said in a statement. The group and the suspect knew each other. All information currently indicates this was a targeted incident and not a random incident, Thomson said. The suspect, Vincent Artis, of Marshall, is tentatively charged with recklessly endangering safety for the shooting, Thomson said. Police responded to a report of a shooting near the intersection of Vandenburg Street and Aspen Place about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thomson said. Thomson said an initial investigation shows the incident started with a disturbance. Then Artis allegedly fired multiple shots at the group. Police were not able to apprehend him that day. Officers found three homes in the area that were hit by gunfire and damaged, Thomson said. Police arrested Artis on Friday afternoon in Stoughton, Thomson said. He was taken to the Dane County Jail. The Dane County Sheriffs Department, Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigations and the Stoughton Police Department assisted with the investigation. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Life with an ankle monitor has its benefits and downsides for Trent Baltes. The 32-year-old Belleville man works at a Verona sandwich shop from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., then has a half hour to rush home to blow into a breathalyzer. He also has to pay $136 a week for his monitor, he said, which has led him to do odd jobs from home on the weekends, such as cleaning out cars. But despite the stresses, the monitor means Baltes can serve his sentence on the outside as one of nearly 100 inmates on the Dane County Jails diversion program. I feel 100% better than being locked up, said Baltes, who was convicted of an OWI in late March and is due to be released from the program in August. Id rather be working than sitting around in jail, and just dealing with being free is a lot better than sitting in there. It turns out the off-site monitoring isnt only better for offenders. The jail diversion program, available for inmates who pose little or no threat to public safety, has also been shown to be hugely successful: Nine out of 10 of those enrolled last year completed it without violating rules against substance use or committing new crimes, according to data from the Dane County Sheriffs Office. The success of the program has drawn the attention of county officials looking to reduce the jail population. Under a compromise jail expansion and consolidation project approved by the County Board in March, the jail would have 100 fewer beds than initially anticipated. The plan also calls for eliminating the countys Huber work-release program, leaving electronic monitoring as a key tool for putting fewer people behind bars. Yet, like much else in Dane Countys criminal justice system, the jail diversion program is applied inequitably: White inmates get electronic monitoring and the freedoms that come with it far more frequently than Black inmates, according to jail data. Sixty-six percent of inmates in jail diversion last year were white while 20% were Black, even though the jails population as of Friday was 54% Black. Dane County is about 6% Black, according to census data. But just as the population in the jail is determined by the crimes individuals are arrested on or charged with, so, too, is the population eligible for electronic monitoring, said Sheriff Kalvin Barrett. Most people with bracelets are charged with OWI, an offense for which white people are arrested in Wisconsin at higher rates than other common crimes. And Black people in Dane County are disproportionately arrested for offenses that dont qualify for electronic monitoring. The crimes are what they are, said Barrett, who is Black. Individuals are charged. Theyre found guilty of those crimes, and those crimes fit into a matrix, and that matrix is used in a systematic way to determine eligibility for the program. Reform-minded county supervisors and advocacy groups say that reducing racial inequalities starts with policing, which determines who gets arrested for what. We know that the primary factor thats contributing to the disproportionate share of residents of our jail being people of color is the arrest data, said Sup. Richelle Andrae, 11th District, who has been pushing for the county to replace Huber with a human services-based approach, which could pair inmates on monitoring with addiction counselors, social workers and mental health treatment. If we can work upstream, that is the biggest tool in our tool kit to keep people out of the system in the first place, she said. How it works In Dane County and much of Wisconsin, people sentenced to county jails are eligible for work release and other privileges under the states Huber law. Before the pandemic, many Dane County inmates granted Huber privileges lived at the minimum security William H. Ferris Huber Center on Madisons South Side, working during the day and returning to the facility at night. Fears of COVID-19 outbreaks in jails shuttered the Ferris Center for the past two years. In its absence, electronic monitoring emerged as the primary tool the Sheriffs Office had to get inmates who posed little to no threat to public safety back into society. To decide who gets electronic monitoring, jail staff rely on a matrix that scores inmates for eligibility. It basically looks at the nature of their current charge, their past criminal history, their jail behavior, said Deputy David Naylor, who has worked in jail diversion for over a decade. If its below a certain score, its approved, he said. If its in a certain range, our supervisor in our unit reviews it and makes a decision as to whether or not they believe its an unacceptable risk. Those charged with crimes like burglary, theft, drug possession, OWI and robbery tended to be assessed at a lower or medium risk and can be eligible for the program, while those charged with more serious crimes such as homicide, sex crimes, first-degree reckless endangerment and stalking are not eligible. Of the 538 charges for which inmates qualified for electronic monitoring last year, 75% were OWI related, which skew white in Wisconsin compared with other common crimes, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Justice. In 2020, 82% of OWI arrests were of white people, compared with 73% of disorderly conduct arrests, 66% of theft arrests and 49% of aggravated assault arrests. The state is 87% white. The Sheriffs Office has no plans to change the eligible charges under the program, Barrett said, though it does continue to review the matrix and its many criteria. Were always looking at the matrix, looking at ways to improve it, looking at ways to understand and study to see if theres disparities and understand what those disparities are, Barrett said. Forty-percent of those in the program last year also saw their fees reduced or waived, and being out of the jail made it easier to place many inmates in addiction treatment or transitional living facilities, Naylor said. Alternate models Electronic monitoring is not the only Dane County program that allows inmates serving time to participate in daily life. After a two-year hiatus, the Sheriffs Office is reimplementing the Huber work-release program, allowing some inmates to once again be a part of society that has not been available because of the pandemic. But the future of the program is uncertain. Under the jail expansion and consolidation compromise plan passed by the County Board in early March, the county pledged to transition the Huber program with a human services-based approach to jail diversion by 2025 which could provide treatment and counseling to inmates on monitoring or work-release. While its too early to know how officials plan to do that, the board needs to establish a new work group to explore options for studying Huber, Andrae said. Andrae has previously pointed to La Crosse Countys approach to jail diversion, which eliminated Huber in the mid-2000s in favor of electronic monitoring and social services, as a potential model for Dane County. It will not be a light switch, Andrae said of replacing Huber. We will certainly need to learn a lot about how to provide sufficient programs and services through a human-services based model. Dane County officials have talked before of exploring La Crosses model. In 2007, officials visited La Crosse to consider options for expanding electronic monitoring and closing the Ferris Huber Center. The Sheriffs Office has been involved in conversations with La Crosse County officials and will make an evidence-based decision in regards to moving forward on what that would look like, Barrett said. Under La Crosses model, judges would have the discretion to sentence someone to jail time or electronic monitoring with social services, effectively taking that discretion away from the Sheriffs Office. Dane County Circuit Judge Nicholas McNamara, who leads the courts criminal division, stressed that while many judges could support a human-services based model, the court system would first have to build up an infrastructure to actually provide those services. We dont have social workers. We dont have addiction counselors. We dont have community support people dedicated to helping the courts keep people out of jail, McNamara said. Many judges would be open to that. Id be open to that, he added. But the solution is not free. As officials are set to explore the future of jail diversion in the months to come, the existing benefit will still be felt by inmates like Catherine Lien, whos been on electronic monitoring since February for a fourth OWI conviction. The 21-year-old Mazomanie resident spends her time between work at a filling station and home, where she plays video games with a friend and plays with her pet German shepherd. So far its been super easy, Lien said. As long as youre truthful with them (jail staff), theyre really nice. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PRAIRIE DU CHIEN I retreated to my basement office during the last two years of the pandemic. My laptop served as my air vent to the outside world, bringing me news of sports, politics, business and society. But depending on the internet for social interaction is rather like attending the Will Smith School of Social Etiquette. You more often get the slap without the apology. As the pandemic recedes, its good to be getting back to normal though calling pre-pandemic society normal is like calling politics rational. Craziness infects our culture like well a pandemic. The hangover from the pandemic will last a while, especially with variants making the rounds. Like after a bad night out on the town, the dizziness will linger. Your hands are the first sign of confusion. Do you shake hands, bump fists, or wave from a distance? Best to keep your hands in your pockets to avoid awkwardness. Then theres the confusion about whether to mask or unmask for this two-year Halloween party that wont end. The federal courts and the Centers for Disease Control have failed to agree on the matter, giving us a clear direction to further chaos. The meeting of masked and unmasked participants at public events during the pandemic was rather like combatants from different Civil War encampments squaring off. The terms of surrender were unpalatable so we kept fighting. Sometimes the visual glare did not provide satisfaction, and we honked at one another like righteous road-rage warriors. QUOTE BOX It is nice to be out in public again. Something is communal about gathering with other people who are also staring down at their phones. I dont know about you, but Im Zoomed out. Yes, you save on gas and you dont have to dress up from the waist down. But reading body language is difficult on Zoom. Are they disagreeing with your premise or just looking at the stain on their dining-room floor? Is the grating sound you hear a general irritability with your plan or is their dog scratching at the back door? But you can always hit the mute button and pretend youre still listening to what theyre saying. It is nice to be out in public again. Something is communal about gathering with other people who are also staring down at their phones. Occasionally, people look up from their phones and their eyes will meet. Its not exactly the piercing gaze between Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle, but our social connections generally reawaken. We are now out on parole from pandemic prison and confusion reigns. In the midst of our confusion, we can show compassion without surrendering our principles. No amount of belligerence will convince the other side of the wisdom of our pandemic choices. So far, 991,000 people have died in this country from the pandemic. If you are reading this column, you and I are the lucky ones. We survived by masking up, getting vaccinated or being just plain lucky. Doctors, nurses, teachers, flight attendants and public servants of all sorts have had to put up with a lot of grief from the belligerent. Families of victims have endured unimaginable loss. The convergence of grief and loss requires compassion, not anger. Through compassion, we might find a way forward if and when the pandemic plays its final act, which may be a while. Until then, Ill keep my face mask holstered and my fist bump at the ready. So, yes, its good to be getting back to normal. If we get any more normal, I may have to climb back into my man cave. Frydenlund lives in Prairie du Chien: epfrydenlund@gmail.com. Its fair to say I live my life under the protective wing of white allies. I havent bought a car, gone to look at a potential new apartment or house on my own, or gone to the hospital without a white, male partner in the last 25 years. It has been decades since social scientists started documenting how brown car buyers, house buyers and sellers, apartment renters and hospital patients are discriminated against by white car dealership staff, landlords, realtors and medical staff. Its awful to boil a human down to his or her race and ethnicity. But these are important ways in which we can understand that all people not just white people have biases and internalized stereotypes which hurt others. A new study in the medical journal JAMA Network found that Latino family members of COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients faced a higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms than other groups. According to the authors of the study, it is known from past research that active engagement of families at the bedside reduces stress-related symptoms, and specifically a reduction in symptoms of PTSD has been associated with increased family member participation and control at the bedside. If you know people from Latin America, not only is it considered disrespectful to send your loved one to the hospital alone, but, likely, there would be 24-hour bedside sitting with multiple family members, food, maybe some music to soothe the patient, but more than anything: presence. Please imagine how strict protocols for quarantining and firm rules against visitors in hospitals and nursing homes affected a people who, for the past five years, had already been buffeted by the rancor of an anti-immigrant president. The findings, from data collected in 2020, the onset of the pandemic, showed that Hispanic families of COVID-19 patients in the ICU were more likely to experience symptoms associated with PTSD. This included symptoms such as agitation, hypervigilance, flashbacks, fear, severe anxiety, mistrust. You get the idea. Higher PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with Hispanic ethnicity, female gender and previous medication use for a psychiatric condition, the study reported. Family members with higher scores more commonly described feelings of distrust and concern about the need to take clinicians information at face value without being present to see for themselves. The cumulative effect of all of these interactions, the authors believe, is to sow more distrust in medical practitioners. This, in turn, makes any subsequent outbreak more dangerous for people wary of reaching out to the medical establishment, and for anyone who comes in contact with them. The distrust is justified. Just as a terrible history of misdeeds has been perpetrated on Black people by representatives of the U.S. government the most famous is the 1932-1972 Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male many stories about the U.S. governments treatment of Native Americans, Asian Americans and, of course, Hispanics are untold or little-known. Since the 1930s, Latinas both native and foreign born have been sterilized by force or without permission in this country. And this is not old news. As recently as 2020, a formal complaint was filed by an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement nurse with Homeland Securitys inspector general. The nurse alleged that detainees were denied medical care and were possibly forced into unnecessary hysterectomies. Buying a home or a car are important times in life. But the uncertainty and fear that comes with illness and seeking medical attention bumps the power dynamic between the historically white hospital system and doctor corps and Hispanic patients to a different level. Feeling mistreated at a doctors office or hospital is nothing new to anyone who has had to navigate the health care system. But it genuinely is different for people of color. The study found that Latino families often lacked the kind of empathetic support from white medical staff that others received. Fewer Latinos 11.8% reported above and beyond acts of compassion from medical staff compared to nearly 35% of non-Latinos, the report stated. White health care providers make assumptions when your name sounds ethnic that you dont speak English, that you need to be spoken to very loudly, that you dont comprehend big words, that youre too poor to trust with following through on doctors orders or that youre too likely to abuse drugs to be trusted with painkillers. Its in the way, for instance, a nurse will talk in a soft, sing-song voice to a white patient in the next bed over but then turn to your dark brown-skinned family member and speak in an all-business tone. Its in the way some people are automatically assumed to not even have health insurance. This, too, shall pass (I hope). The Association of American Medical colleges reports that, overall, the class that entered medical school in 2021 was more diverse. While 51.5% of students entering medical school identified as white and 26.5% identified as Asian, considerable gains have occurred among those who identify as Hispanic, Latino or of Spanish origin. They make up 12.7% (up from 12% in 2020). Black students make up 11.3% (up from 9.5%). Until the day those kids all graduate, Ill keep showing up to the doctors with white allies who can insulate me from the humiliations of being brown and alone in a medical setting. Cepeda, of Madison, can be reached at ejc@estherjcepeda.com and @estherjcepeda. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for Dane County Saturday afternoon that will be in effect until 8 p.m. The watch, which was issued at 1:45 p.m., is also in effect for surrounding Jefferson, Iowa, Rock, Green, Lafayette and Walworth counties, the Weather Service said. Areas close to the Illinois border are most at risk. At 3:34 p.m., the watch was upgraded to a tornado warning in west-central Lafayette County until 4 p.m. In southwestern Lafayette County, the tornado warning was in effect until 4:15 p.m. The severe weather comes at a bad time for Madison as hundreds, if not thousands, of revelers partied outside at the annual Mifflin Street Block Party Downtown Saturday afternoon. Hundreds more were Downtown in the morning and early afternoon for the Dane County Farmers' Market, the CrazyLegs fundraising race and a rally at the Capitol in support of former President Donald Trump. Strong thunderstorms were possible in southern Wisconsin in the afternoon and evening, with the strongest storm potential between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., forecasters said. The storms are expected to move northeast across the southern part of the state. In addition to the tornado potential, the scattered thunderstorms could bring damaging winds with gust up to 60 mph, quarter-sized hail and brief, heavy downpours, the Weather Service said. Severe weather is most likely to happen near the Illinois border, forecasters said this morning. Local Weather Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DENVER (AP) A jury has awarded nearly $9 million to three families who accused a Colorado fertility doctor of using his own sperm to inseminate three mothers who requested anonymous donors. The jury reached its decision late Wednesday, finding Dr. Paul B. Jones and his clinic, Women's Health Care of Western Colorado, liable, The Denver Post reported Friday. A woman who answered a telephone from a reporter at Jones' home said they are not supposed to talk. His lawyers did not return telephone messages or an email seeking comment. The clinic declined to comment on the decision. The verdict stems from a 2019 lawsuit brought against Jones and his clinic accusing Jones of using his own sperm in seven artificial inseminations from 1979 to 1985. The children grew up and as adults learned through genealogy services that they had a common connection Jones. Some families settled with Jones, said Maia Emmons-Boring, one of those who pursued a trial. The Texas resident learned through a home DNA test more than three years ago that the man she has called her father her whole life was not her genetic relative. Our goal was never the money, she said. It was to see him in court. The jury award followed a $5 million judgment against a Vermont doctor last month. The two decisions will set a precedent for fertility fraud cases throughout the country, said Jody Madeira, an Indiana University law professor and fertility fraud expert. These two verdicts side by side establish that the public rejects this standard, Madeira said. They know that was never the standard of care and they find it grotesque. The Colorado verdict also came days after state lawmakers introduced a bill to give donor-conceived individuals greater protections. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This one isnt on the politicians. If you dont have a clue about the Republican candidates for state schools superintendent, you cant blame them. After at least six joint appearances including two televised debates this week incumbent Sherri Ybarra and challengers Debbie Critchfield and Branden Durst have shown voters what they can expect. Theyve discussed their positions and displayed their temperaments. Sadly, in 2022, this race has been an election outlier. This year, too many candidates have concocted contorted arguments against stepping on a stage and fielding questions from journalists. Ybarra, Critchfield and Durst are basically doing what voters should expect from their job applicants, but they do deserve some credit. This weeks debates gave the three candidates in the May 17 GOP primary the chance to frame themselves, and all three did that ably. Ybarra, the seven-year incumbent, spent much of her airtime touting her prior experience in the classroom. Critchfield tried to position as a change candidate, while leaning on her seven years experience on the State Board of Education. Durst the Democratic legislator turned conservative hardliner played heavily toward right-wing Republicans. Voters got a chance to hear some real distinctions on important issues. Generally, this allowed Durst to play to his outsiders theme. On Monday nights Idaho Public Television debate, he said critical race theory has infested Idaho schools, and said teachers who indoctrinate students should be fired. A night later, on KTVB TV, Durst took Ybarra to task for proclaiming the demise of the Common Core standards in part, because the Common Core-aligned Idaho Standards Achievement Test remains in place. The clashes between Ybarra and Critchfield are a little bit more subtle but still important. They come down to leadership and direction important in overseeing a school system serving 300,000 students, and a State Department of Education with more than 120 staffers. Repeatedly, Critchfield voiced dissatisfaction with a lack of direction in Idaho education, a general complaint without a lot of concrete detail. Ybarra painted a picture of an improving education system buttressed with some selective numbers on graduation rates and college and career readiness. Yes, things got chippy and snippy at times. Using her teachers voice, Ybarra scolded Critchfield for interrupting her Monday night and gave Durst the same admonishment Tuesday. No erasers were thrown, in either case. But there was nothing lighthearted as Ybarra repeatedly accused Critchfield and Durst of not understanding the superintendents job. With increasing frustration, Critchfield criticized Ybarra for citing national education rankings without putting them in context and accused Ybarra of taking credit for education initiatives that she didnt work on. On Tuesday night, Durst and Critchfield went after each other over campaign dollars. Critchfield insinuated that Dursts contributions to local campaigns have gotten him support from county GOP committees; I dont know if hes paying for those endorsements, or how that works. Durst fired back at Critchfield, who holds a large fundraising edge in the race; Youve got plenty of people who are buying your support. But these exchanges are an essential ingredient of a good political debate. A televised, unscripted event lets voters see how candidates react to pressure and pushback. Its up to the voter to decide if a candidate is being scrappy, or snarky. Thats how the process ought to work. No one debate is going to be all things to all voters. Its also unlikely that any candidate walks away from a debate completely satisfied. On Tuesday, Durst took to Twitter to complain about the Idaho Public TV debate and the gotcha questions from the reporter panel. (Full disclosure: I was one of the three reporters on that panel.) Durst who served in the Idaho Legislature as a Democrat until 2013, ran for the Washington Legislature as a Democrat in 2016, ran in a nonpartisan Boise School Board election in 2018, and now is running for statewide office on the GOP ticket took issue with me asking if he is a political gadfly. Durst took me to task for failing to ask Critchfield about her campaign treasurer Michael Arrington, and his ties as board chairman to two Magic Valley charter schools, which closed last year amidst a state investigation over finances. (Heres that backstory: In September, Critchfield told Idaho Education News that she was aware of the questions of state overpayments to the schools before she named Arrington treasurer, but said she wasnt concerned about his role with the schools.) Certainly, an Arrington question is fair game. By the same token, reporters could have asked Durst about a contempt of court ruling against him, which went public Tuesday. Or reporters could have asked Ybarra about last years $150,000 whistleblower settlement with SDE staffer Kelly Brady, who is now a Critchfield supporter. Or reporters could have asked any of the other education policy-related questions that didnt make the cut this week. Trust me; it was a long list. Ultimately, the good news here is that voters heard answers to the questions that time did allow. And that these three superintendents candidates made a point of participating in debates. They have also made time for other forms of voter engagement such as filling out Idaho Education News in-depth candidate questionnaire, which published Thursday. Its been a bad year for the political debate in Idaho, with candidates bowing out for a variety of unpersuasive reasons. Lieutenant governors candidate and state Rep. Priscilla Giddings said she wouldnt show unless she knew which reporters would be asking the questions. U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson decided, unilaterally, that voters had heard enough from his GOP opponent, Bryan Smith. And Gov. Brad Little decided that 39 months on the job renders his resume non-debatable. In past election cycles, I didnt have the record I have now, Little said, in an Idaho EdNews podcast released Thursday. My actions speak louder than a short snippet somewhere. Think this argument through, as I tried to while interviewing Little Tuesday. If you play it out, it means incumbents should be held to a lower standard when it comes to participating in a debate. As opposed to, maybe, a higher standard? Or maybe just equal footing? Surely, some debate viewers have short attention spans. Some come for the gotcha moment. Some listen for a snippet. But others listen for substance. At least the superintendents candidates gave voters something to listen to. This should happen more often. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 President Biden and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco recently announced the nomination of Steve Dettelbach to serve as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). They also used the opportunity to reiterate the Administrations hard stance against so-called ghost guns and its efforts to extend firearms record-keeping requirements that risk establishing an unlawful gun registry. The Administration is using all of its tools, including circumventing the legislative process, to go after law-abiding gun owners and firearms vendors. I do not support more gun control. Burdening law-abiding citizens of this country with additional gun restrictions is not the answer to safeguarding the public. I continue to oppose all efforts to weaken Second Amendment rights. ATF NominationSteve Dettelbachs nomination to lead the ATF is rightly concerning, as it would put a person who has voiced support for eroding Second Amendment rights in charge of the federal law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing gun laws. At President Bidens direction, the ATF has begun broadening restrictions, including returning to the outrageous practice of repressing firearms licensees for de minimis grammatical errors in their record keeping. Ghost GunsThe Biden Administration has taken a hard stance against so-called ghost guns, or guns built from unserialized gun assembly kits. The ATF finalized rule 2021R-05, Definition of Frame or Receiver and Identification of Firearms, that would redefine firearm receivers in order to require them to have serial numbers. Additionally, President Biden created a National Ghost Gun Enforcement Initiative focused on prosecuting criminals who use ghost guns in crimes. However, data concerning the use of ghost guns in crimes is limited, and reported numbers on confiscated guns are not limited to those used to commit crimes. The Administration should focus its resources on pursuing dangerous criminals, not scapegoating hobbyists. Firearms Record KeepingI am also deeply concerned by the ATFs admission it is cataloguing and digitizing business records from shuttered federal firearms licensees (FFLs). Current federal law requires FFLs to keep their records of firearm transfers for 20 years, at which point they can be destroyed. Should an FFL close its business, it must turn its records over to the ATF, which maintains them at the National Tracing Center. The final rule 2021R-05 would extend record-keeping requirements by requiring FFLs to retain key records until they shut down their business or licensed activity. The Firearms Owners Protection Act prohibits the federal government from creating a national gun registry. The ATF must adhere to this law and cease any efforts to create a de facto gun registry. The ATFs excessive rulemaking is deeply troubling, and I am countering its bureaucratic overreach: I am an original co-sponsor of S. 1920, the ATF Accountability Act, that would ensure firearms manufacturers and lawful gun owners are not subject to unchecked bureaucratic ATF rulings; I joined in pressing the ATF on its use of secret internal guidance to enforce regulations not openly published; and I joined in demanding the ATF provide answers on recent actions to prevent law-abiding citizens from creating and owning suppressors. These are just some of the recent efforts underway to protect and preserve our constitutional right to bear arms. Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) characterized the Administrations push for more gun restrictions as a distraction from the reality that the explosion of crime in blue cities is directly attributable to those same cities implementing de-policing, installing progressive prosecutors, and enacting disastrous bail reform policies. I agree and will continue to press for policies that truly get at the root cause of the violent crime problem without compromising law-abiding citizens constitutional rights. Sen. Mike Crapo represents Idaho in the U.S. Senate. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 During my nearly 30 years working in various capacities to support public education, I worked for three superintendents of public instruction. Two of those were Republicans, one was a Democrat. Two were former educators, one was a former elected school board member and Board Chair with a strong political background. Those years and experiences provided me with ample experience about what does and doesnt make a good Superintendent of Public Instruction. I have never publicly supported a candidate for this office. However, after watching the Superintendent of Public Instruction debates on Idaho Public Television and KTVB Channel 7, I was appalled at the flat-out lies, inaccuracies, and rhetoric that I heard, by two candidates, in response to questions in those debates. It is critically important that Idahoans, parents, educators and students elect the best candidate possible to support Idahos efforts in public education. Therefore, I am fully supporting Debbie Critchfield for the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Debbie is a former elected school board member and worked in a school district. She was also President of the State Board of Education. She has dedicated years of her life to doing what is best for public education. It is important to note that all her experience has been as a volunteer. Those experiences have provided Ms. Critchfield with the experience needed to work with the Governor, legislature, school districts, charter schools, parents, teachers, administrators, and students to pass meaningful legislative initiatives. This constitutional officer should be bringing expansive and forward-thinking education initiatives and asking for large increases in public education funding. They should not be asking for less money/public education funding than the Governor requests or the legislature funds. They should not be getting into heated vulgar arguments when they lose a vote. They should not be leading the public to believe that everything good that has happened in education is because of their leadership, when in fact it was because of the Governors leadership or the State Board of Educations leadership. The skills needed to do this job are far more than the skill set of a third-grade teacher or former unsuccessful legislator. Debbie is the only candidate who can accomplish what public education needs and deserves. I ask you to join me on May 17 by voting for Debbie Critchfield for Superintendent of Public Instruction the only candidate who can move education in the right direction. Karen Echeverria is the former executive director of the Idaho School Boards Association from 2007 to 2021. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Blue Ridge Regional Library has new books thanks to the Martinsville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, in honor of their charter members. The chapters president, Brenell Thomas, said during a ceremony Tuesday at the Martinsville Branch Library that the Arts and Letters Committee donated the book in honor of the legacy of the women who began this chapter, the charter members of the Martinsville Alumni Chapter: Geraldine Duarte, Sadie Baldwin, Marjorie McDaniel, Mary McDaniel, Lula Johnson, Vergie Hobson, Margaret Carrington Hairston, Mattie Snead, Gertrude Edwards, Geraldine Crocker and the two initiates, Letha Vickers and Marion Lightfoot. The donation was made in their honor as we continue our commitment to service, scholarship, sisterhood and social action. Delta Sigma Theta was incorporated on Jan. 13, 1913, on the campus of Howard University by 22 intelligent collegiate women, Joyce Staples said. This organization has persevered for 119 years. Sisterhood, scholarship, service and social action are the four prongs on which we continue to excel, along with our five programmatic thrusts: educational development, economic development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, political awareness and involvement in social action. The Arts and Letters Commission promotes literature and performing arts, Staples said. Today we honor them with 14 books not 13 I couldnt help myself, she said. Books entertain us, inspire us and inform us, Staples said. They take us on journey that we never have imagined. And I know Mrs. Margaret Carrington Hairston, a career librarian in the Martinsville city school system is smiling down on us right now. The books will be on display for two weeks, and then they will be available for checkout, Staples said. Were just very thankful for the donations, especially this year with the budget cuts, said Patty Eanes of the Blue Ridge Regional Library. It was so nice and easy the way you did the choices and everything. The books are: The Case for LOVING: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko, 2015 Everything and Nothing: The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy by Dorothy Dandridge and Earl Conrad, 2000 Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free by Alice Faye Duncan, 2022 Well-Read Black Girl by Glory Edim, ed., 2018 The 1619 Project Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson, 2021 An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, 2018 Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall, 2020 Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell by Taj McCoy, 2022 Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, 2022 Who Are Your People? by Bakari Sellers, 2021 Ordinary Light: A Memoir by Tracy K. Smith, 2015 Memphis: A Novel by Tara Stringfellow, 2022 Nina: A Story of Nina Simone by Traci N. Todd, 2021 Things Past Telling by Sheila Williams, 2022 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. To say music has played a major part in Andrew Kagerers life would be an epic understatement. The University of Montana student has studied piano since he was a young child, and hes played the trumpet for almost a decade. His family owns a music store in Anchorage, Alaska, and his parents met when his mother took her broken flute to have it repaired at the family shop. A future in the arts seemed an almost certainty for Kagerer, who had researched music conservatories while finishing high school. But then, as often happens, life threw him a curve, leading him to enroll at UM not in music, but in pre-pharmacy. Kagerer explains matter-of-factly that an injury to his face from improper playing techniques and a rare metals allergy made it difficult, if not impossible, to play brass instruments. I thought to myself, well, what do I do know? Kagerer recalls. I loved my science classes, and I had an uncle who was a pharmacist, so thats what I chose. My parents were a bit shocked at first, but they were super supportive. Having lived in the music world, they knew a lot of professional musicians who didnt make it. Kagerer looked at several universities to study pharmacy. He fell in love with Missoula and UM. But as he successfully made his way through his pre-pharm studies, music was never far away, and he began to practice again in the fall of 2018 thanks to an upgrade to his trumpet. Mouthpieces are brass with silver plating, which I am allergic to, Kagerer said. I tried plastic for a while, but it doesnt respond the same. I now have one that is made of titanium and that worked. By the time his sophomore year rolled around, the pull of music was too strong to ignore. Kagerer left the pharmacy track and transferred full time to the School of Music. He chose to major in music education, a field woefully short on teachers. I had incredible music teachers growing up, he said. They made such a difference in my ability to play. Today, he is studying piano and trumpet and playing in a number of ensembles, including perhaps the largest of them all the Grizzly Marching Band, where he serves as a section leader. Between classes, lessons and late-evening rehearsals, Kagerer puts in long hours at the School of Music building. As he puts it, hes in one building, all day, every day. The time spent, he said, has become significantly more pleasant and professional thanks to the ongoing major renovations to the Music Building made possible by alumni donors. Within the past year, many of the rooms where Kagerer and his fellow students rehearse have undergone upgrades the first since the building was constructed in 1953. Improvements included reconstruction of the facilitys two largest ensemble rooms, as well as a suite of basement-level practice rooms. Additional renovations, including additional practice rooms, classrooms, the recital hall and lobby, are on tap in the next few years with philanthropic support. Kagerer has a full appreciation for what the improvements have meant to the students and faculty. The old spaces were falling apart and very loud. It felt like something you would see in middle school, he said. The new spaces feel so high-class. Theres not a lot of reverberations. They are great for recording. Its just a blast to play in them. In addition to playing instruments, Kagerer also repairs them. He even built his own trumpet, with an added fourth valve, said Jim Smart, UMs director of bands and trumpet. Andrew has an insatiable appetite for music of all kinds, Smart said. He is so curious and has a drive to explore at a high level. That drive, he adds, inspires fellow students. The biggest thing he brings for others is to listen to him play, Smart said. Not just how he plays, but the intent he brings to playing. He is very expressive. Margery Whatley, an adjunct professor of piano, started teaching in the fall and considers it a stroke of luck to have Kagerer as one of her first students. She tutors him every week and is impressed not only with his high level of play but also with his affability and humbleness. His ability to cross genres is also remarkable. Hes actually introduced me to new repertoires, she added. As to next steps when he graduates, Kagerer may teach or he may go on to graduate school to ultimately work at the collegiate level. I am super passionate to share what I do with others, he said of teaching. And to see that spark to ignite it in others is exciting. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 5 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) A coyote attacked and seriously injured a girl on Southern California's famed Huntington Beach, police said. Officers were called to the beach near the Huntington Beach Pier around 9:45 p.m. Thursday and found the girl, police spokesperson Jennifer Carey said in a statement. She received serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, authorities said. The girl was with two women and another small child sitting near the waves when she wandered a mere few feet" and was attacked, state Department of Fish and Wildlife Capt. Patrick Foy said. The coyote came out of the dark, hit and knocked over the girl and attacked her for 12 seconds before her cry alerted adults and the animal ran off, Foy said. However, it stayed around, pacing, before finally fleeing, Foy said. The family did nothing to antagonize the coyote, he added. Police later shot two coyotes. One was found dead on the sand about a mile (1.6 kilometers) north of the pier Friday morning while the other was spotted Friday afternoon under a mobile home and was euthanized, Foy said. Officials will check the animals for rabies and will try to determine if their DNA matches to the attack, he said. Coyotes are found almost everywhere in California, including cities, and authorities have long warned that small children and pets can be at risk. Last year, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife began workshops to help communities deal with coyotes because of an increase in the number conflicts with people. Foy said coyotes usually are shy and try to avoid humans. He estimated there are only about 10 to 12 attacks per year around the state, mostly involving smaller children but full-grown adults were attacked in a few cases. Carey said police have conducted increased coyote trapping efforts throughout the city for the past several weeks and asked residents to report coyote sightings. Huntington Beach, on the Orange County coast, has one of California's classic surf breaks and is known as Surf City USA. No other information about the girl will be released because she is a juvenile, Carey said. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian forces fought village by village Saturday to hold back a Russian advance through the countrys east, while the United Nations worked to broker a civilian evacuation from the last defensive stronghold in the bombed-out ruins of the port city of Mariupol. An estimated 100,000 civilians remain in the city, and up to 1,000 are living beneath a sprawling Soviet-era steel plant, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has not said how many fighters are also in the plant, the only part of Mariupol not occupied by Russian forces, but Russia put the number at about 2,000. Russian state media outlets reported Saturday that 25 civilians had been evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks, though there was no confirmation from the U.N. Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said 19 adults and six children were brought out, but gave no further details. A top official with the Azov Regiment, the Ukrainian unit defending the plant, said 20 civilians were evacuated during a cease-fire, though it was not clear if he was referring to the same group as the Russian news reports. These are women and children, Sviatoslav Palamar said in a video posted on the regiment's Telegram channel. He also called for the evacuation of the wounded: We dont know why they are not taken away and their evacuation to the territory controlled by Ukraine is not being discussed. Video and images from inside the plant, shared with The Associated Press by two Ukrainian women who said their husbands are among the fighters refusing to surrender there, showed unidentified men with stained bandages; others had open wounds or amputated limbs. A skeleton medical staff was treating at least 600 wounded people, said the women, who identified their husbands as members of the Azov Regiment of Ukraines National Guard. Some of the wounds were rotting with gangrene, they said. In the video the men said that they eat just once daily and share as little as 1.5 liters (50 ounces) of water a day among four people, and that supplies inside the besieged facility are depleted. One shirtless man appeared to be in pain as he described his wounds: two broken ribs, a punctured lung and a dislocated arm that was hanging on the flesh. I want to tell everyone who sees this: If you will not stop this here, in Ukraine, it will go further, to Europe, he said. AP could not independently verify the date and location of the video, which the women said was taken in the last week in the maze of corridors and bunkers beneath the plant. The women urged that Ukrainian fighters also be evacuated alongside civilians, warning they could be tortured and executed if captured. The lives of soldiers matter too, Yuliia Fedusiuk told AP in Rome. In his nightly video address late Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian to urge Russian troops not to fight in Ukraine, saying even their generals expect that thousands more of them will die. The president accused Moscow of recruiting new soldiers with little motivation and little combat experience so that units gutted early in the war can be thrown back into battle. Every Russian soldier can still save his own life, Zelenskyy said. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land. In other developments: Ukrainian Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotsky said in televised remarks that Russian forces have seized hundreds of thousands of tons of grain in territory under their control. Ukraine is a major grain producer, and the invasion has pushed up world prices and raised concerns about shortages. A Russian rocket attack destroyed the airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-most populous city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said. The bodies of three men were found buried in a forest near the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the head of Kyivs regional police force said. The men, whose bodies were found Friday, had been tortured before they were shot in the head, Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. Ukrainian officials have alleged that retreating Russian troops carried out mass killings of civilians in Bucha. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators talk almost every day. However, he told Chinese state news agency Xinhua, progress has not been easy. Two buses sent to evacuate residents from the eastern town of Popasna were fired upon, and contact with the organizers was lost, Mayor Nikolai Khanatov said: We know that (the buses) reached the town and then came under fire from an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group. Getting a full picture of the unfolding battle in eastern Ukraine has been difficult because airstrikes and artillery barrages have made it extremely dangerous for reporters to move around. Also, both Ukraine and Moscow-backed rebels have introduced tight restrictions on reporting from the combat zone. But Western military analysts suggested that the offensive in the Donbas region, which includes Mariupol, was going much slower than planned. So far, Russian troops and the separatists appeared to have made only minor gains in the month since Moscow said it would focus its military strength in the east. Numerically, Russias military manpower vastly exceeds Ukraines. In the days before the war began, Western intelligence estimated Russia had positioned near the border as many as 190,000 troops; Ukraines standing military totals about 200,000, spread throughout the country. Yet, in part because of the tenacity of the Ukrainian resistance, the U.S. believes the Russians are at least several days behind where they wanted to be as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east, said a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the American militarys assessment. With plenty of firepower still in reserve, Russias offensive still could intensify and overrun the Ukrainians. Overall the Russian army has an estimated 900,000 active-duty personnel. Russia also has a much larger air force and navy. Hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance has flowed into Ukraine since the war began, but Russia's vast armories mean Ukraine's needs are nearly inexhaustible. Mariupol officials have described dire shortages of food, water and medicine. U.N. humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu said the world organization was negotiating with authorities in Moscow and Kyiv, but he could not provide details of the ongoing evacuation effort "because of the complexity and fluidity of the operation. There is, right now, ongoing, high-level engagements with all the governments, Russia and Ukraine, to make sure that you can save civilians and support the evacuation of civilians from the plant, Abreu told AP. He would not confirm video posted on social media purportedly showing U.N.-marked vehicles in Mariupol. Ukraine has blamed the failure of numerous previous evacuation attempts on continued Russian shelling. Associated Press journalists Jon Gambrell and Yuras Karmanau in Lviv, Mstyslav Chernov in Kharkiv, Yesica Fisch in Sloviansk, Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Trisha Thompson in Rome and AP staff around the world contributed to this report. Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: 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. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Four Montana colleges have been selected to participate in a new program to help prison inmates secure federal tuition funding. The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday that Montana State University Billings, Great Falls College, Helena College and Dawson Community College in Glendive were approved as the first institutions in the state to participate in the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative. It will allow inmates at the Montana State Prison, Montana Womens Prison, Crossroads Correctional Facility and the Dawson County Correctional Facility to get grant funding to access higher education, according to a press release from the department. A 2013 study of educational opportunities in correctional settings by the RAND Corporation found that participants had a 43% lower risk of recidivism than other inmates. The study, which was paid for by the U.S. Justice Department, also found that inmates who participated in educational programs had a 13% higher chance of finding employment after their release. The program was first launched in 2015 and includes 200 postsecondary schools across the country , the press release states. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Montana State Prison sergeant has responded in a series of videos to a report released earlier this month by a watchdog group calling on the state to investigate his ties to a white nationalist organization. In three videos posted to YouTube in recent weeks, Kelly Chambers, a state prison employee since 2018, denied that his involvement with a white nationalist as described in the Montana Human Rights Network report qualifies him as a racist. He also made several statements in the videos disputed this week by his employer, the Montana Department of Corrections. Chambers has also warned Montana Human Rights Network program director Travis McAdam, who authored the letter to the corrections department, to issue an apology and retract the report, or else he will summon Fox News down on the organization's purported attack on Chambers' freedom of religion. In the videos Chambers said he will not address the past of Ron McVan, who Chambers refers to as a "father figure" and a guide in his conversion to Wotanism, which MHRN describes as a racist version of Norse folk mythology called Odinism. Chambers moved to Montana from California in 2018. McVan is a longtime Butte resident and is known to his followers as a leader in Wotanism, having developed the modern strain of the ideology with David Lane, a domestic terrorist whose white nationalist group "The Order" robbed banks, bombed a synagogue and assassinated a Jewish radio host in the 1980s. I know that the first thing that people are going to want me to do or ask me to do is justify (McVan's) past, justify who he was, and Im not going to do that. Im not going to go into that because as I outlined in the video yesterday, Ron McVan has been nothing but kind, open-hearted, respectful, generous, caring and a good friend to me, Chambers said in the video. The MHRN report urged the Department of Corrections to look into whether Chambers has been spreading Wotanism within the prison on McVan's behalf, or exerting a white nationalist influence in the prison over inmates of color. Throughout the videos, Chambers references the prison simply as his employer. He did that "for legal reasons," he said. In a video posted April 23, Chambers said his supervisors regarded the report "the same way as everybody else does, that (Travis McAdam, program director at MHRN) is full of absolute crap, and that these were baseless allegations and accusations he made because they know my work ethic and they know how I conduct myself at work and I am nothing but professional." Carolynn Bright, a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections, said in an email Thursday the department has not issued an opinion on the MHRN report. That's not the only mischaracterization by Chambers pointed out by the department. In his second video, Chambers claims to have knowledge about Lane's history through his work as a prison official. "Anybody who knows where I work and what I do for a living knows that we know all about David Lane. We know all about his activities, we know what he was responsible for, what he did and didnt do. Its part of our curriculum," Chambers said in a video. But Bright said in a response to questions from the Montana State News Bureau that "information about David Lane is not a part of DOC correctional officer curriculum." Chambers positions himself as a good employee, and said the MHRN report is a "baseless" attack on his freedom of religion. He does, however, not dispute having conversations about Wotanism within the prison. "Theyre my beliefs. They are my own. I dont express them. I dont share them with people because of professionalism. It's not something you discuss in the workplace. It is what it is," Chambers said. "I do, however, answer questions that people have about Odinism if I can, if I know. I'm relatively new to it so I dont have all the answers, but thats the extent of it." Bright, asked about Chambers' statement, said Corrections employees are "prohibited from sharing personal information or developing relationships with offenders that are anything other than professional." Bright also referenced two policies on that point, one of which states: "Volunteers and MSP staff may not attempt to coerce or influence an inmate to change his religious preferences while at MSP." 'A cult mentality' Throughout the videos, Chambers makes an effort to pivot antagonism toward MHRN. At one point, in an effort to discredit the report's description of Chambers' beliefs, he revealed that he could not be anti-LGBTQ because someone close to him is gay. "We never said anything about Kelly Chambers espousing those particular views," McAdam said Wednesday. "I would say that is part of that deflection response. He's trying to change the conversation and get the focus off of him. That's part of the normal reaction that white nationalists have when they're called white nationalists." Chambers has begun publicly responding to MHRN posts on social media. In the comment section of the organization's Facebook posts, another self-described "heathen" follower has emerged, but this time trying to coax Chambers away from his white nationalist strain of the mythology. Scott Ernest, the 43-year-old who has been engaging with Chambers online, considered himself deep in the white nationalist movement in the Flathead area until 2015. In a phone interview Thursday, Ernest said he's spent the last week trying to give Chambers an off-ramp. "I don't think he knew what he was getting into," Ernest said. That's how Ernest found his way nearly 20 years ago into Pioneer Little Europe, a loose community of people who tried to shift the local politics toward a white nationalist stronghold. In short, Ernest's mix of exposure to the internet brought him from Florida to the Flathead Valley and the doorstep of April Gaede, a neo-Nazi behind Pioneer Little Europe. He became a recruiter for that cause. Ernest was uneasy with the violence that often populated the white hate group forums he moderated. But he had considered himself a follower of the Norse pagan mythology since he was 12 years old, and the white nationalists' obsession with European tribalism made heathens like himself an easy recruit, he said. "Being a heathen meant I was susceptible to the same ethnic call that a lot of white nationalists see, and that was what drew me into the community," Ernest said. "It's hard to say I was a moderate, but I don't want people to think I didn't believe in horrible things." It was 2015, when David Lenio posted threats of violence against school children and synagogues in the Flathead on social media, that Ernest began mentally disengaging from the movement and inching his way out the door. He eventually transferred from Flathead Valley Community College to Montana State University, later moved to Florida and has co-founded an extremism consulting firm and de-radicalization organization called Hands of Eir. Ernest said Thursday that Chambers' efforts to distance his Wotanism following from white nationalism is undercut by Chambers' own acknowledgement of the movement's creator, Guido Von List, who died in 1913. Chambers describes Von List as a German national who believed Wotanism would lead people back toward a tribal mentality, with tight-knit communities that would rely on each other, "much like the Native American tribes in American culture." Ernest described Von List as the "father of Nazi Occultism," whose works had a documented influence on Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party. "I'm not an expert, but I'm experienced," Ernest said. "It's basically a cult mentality. He wants to believe whatever he wants, no matter how horrible it is, with no criticism." You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The original MapQuest, believe it or not, was born in the swinging '60s. In 1967, the commercial printing company R.R. Donnelley & Sons launched a paper map division called MapQuest that created driving maps for gas stations. As the decades passed and computing technology improved, MapQuest went digital and was spun off as its own company in the 1990s under the less-than-catchy name GeoSystems Global Corp. Then in 1996, when the internet was still in its infancy and Netscape was the most popular web browser, the MapQuest name was resurrected as the world's first online mapping website, MapQuest.com [source: Harlan]. Advertisement Coincidentally, 1996 was also the year that two Stanford University graduate students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, developed the "PageRank" algorithm that would become Google. But from the late 1990s through the mid-2000s, MapQuest was virtually the only name in the online mapping game, commanding nearly 100 percent of the market share for online direction searches. America Online (now AOL), another giant of the early internet, bought MapQuest for $1.1 billion in 1999 [source: Harlan]. When Verizon bought AOL in 2015, MapQuest was part of the package. In 2019, Verizon sold MapQuest to ad tech company System1. (Full disclosure: System1 is also the parent company of HowStuffWorks). The first threat to MapQuest's dominance arrived in 2005 with the launch of Google Maps. Google was already the king of search engines in 2005, and the first version of Google Maps had some features that MapQuest didn't, like the ability to search maps for businesses, parks and other points of interest. But industry experts believe that the real tipping point for MapQuest came in 2007 when Google removed all links from its search results to competing mapping websites like MapQuest and Yahoo Maps. Without any visibility on Google, by far the most-used search engine, MapQuest quickly began to lose market share and was officially overtaken by Google Maps in January 2009 [source: Sterling]. The next hit to MapQuest came with the release of the iPhone in 2007, which not only revolutionized mobile technology, but shipped with the very first mapping app, none other than Google Maps (just called "Maps" on the original iPhone) [source: Welch]. MapQuest was slow to release its own mobile app, which it did in 2012, the same year that Apple dropped Google and launched Apple Maps. One of the coolest features of the first MapQuest app was free turn-by-turn voice commands, the first ever in a mobile navigation app [source: Cunningham]. Fast-forward to today. While MapQuest might not be a household name for younger generations who don't remember a time before Google or iPhones, the company is still one of the biggest players in online mapping. The website averages 20 to 30 million unique users every month, which makes it the third most-trafficked mapping website after Google Maps and Waze (also owned by Google), according to John Chipouras, general manager of MapQuest. Next, let's look at the basic underlying technology that makes a mapping tool like MapQuest work. The protector and advancement of our Republic lies within our public school system. It is the great equalizer where the values of our democracy as outlined within our Declaration of Independence and Constitution are not only promoted, but instilled upon the next generation who will carry the torch towards our nation's fulfillment of its creed that all are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness Each morning when the students arrive, they are entering a place of hope; hope to receive the support to achieve their dreams, hope to be honored and celebrated for who they are. The hope of our nation is embedded in the teachings and in the understanding of our successes and failures as a society. Through understanding we continue to inch forward in achieving our universal dreams of becoming a nation where all are protected, valued, and celebrated. Somersworth Mayor Dana Hilliard. The recent troubling guest commentary by the Commissioner of Education Frank Edelblut not only contradicts the goal of our public school system but is an attack upon the foundational pillars of our nation and the advancement of equality. However, I am not surprised by the rhetoric outlined within his commentary, for it matches his actions and goals throughout his tenure, the dismantling of the institution which has ensured the equality and advancement of our state and nation since its founding, our public school system. The commissioner utilized the same scare tactics and diatribe which has justified the practices of inequality throughout the history of our young nation. As Edelblut himself stated Fortunately, parents can choose to turn off Disney. The commissioners goal as outlined would not stop at a simple action of a choice of what television program to turn off. The goal would be to return to the days when it was common practice throughout our nation to choose who we valued as citizens, who was invited to the banquet of liberty and equality and who was left out or as he stated, turned off. Story continues More: Edelblut: Effective NH teachers keep bias out of their classrooms It would appear from his commentary that Commissioner's Edlebluts goal is to create a public school system that does not continue our step forward to equality, but allows a return of openly justifying the denial of rights to groups of citizens based upon the justification of family values. Luckily, these practices fall against the fabric of the Hilltop City. In 1729, the parish of Somersworth was founded, beginning the 293-year journey, which has established Somersworth as a modern day city. Throughout our history, we have been defined by the citizens who have built this community and the vastly diverse backgrounds they have brought with them. From the early English settlers to members of the Indonesian community, each group sought refuge in a community where they would be protected, accepted and celebrated. Today, 293 years after our founding, we are guided by the principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence and re-affirmed in the United States Constitution; that all citizens are created equal, that each of us have been endowed by the creator with certain unalienable rights, and that despite our comfort level and misunderstandings of each other, we will continue to build upon the progression of the generation of Americans who came before us, to create a society where all will be validated and protected. These values are reaffirmed within our public school system. Like the City of Somersworth, The New Hampshire public school system must stand strong against Edlebluts advice and instead continue its practices based upon the guiding universal truths outlined within the principles of our nation. The struggles and challenges of America to achieve its creed, is a struggle worth fighting for. It is our struggle, mirrored in our history which reminds us of the Americans who were denied the rights and liberties we were promised. Americans who were excluded from the table of liberty because of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, creed, national origin or handicap. Each of us shares a common bond with those who have been denied the promise of America, we belong to one of their groups, and through the evolution of our society reinforced by the teachings within our public school system, most of us have escaped the pain, suffering and horrors of intolerance and discrimination. For some of us, in 2022 the injustice and daily encounters with hate continue. For some of us, the fear of harm or death upon our loved ones or ourselves is a reality of the nation and world we live in. I, myself have come to terms with the fact that out of our 50 United States, there may be some I can never visit, simply out of the fear of repression, intolerance, and violence as a gay man. How have Edelbluts words affected the students within the public school system he has been entrusted upon to offer hope? Should they now be taught that some of them should be denied a seat at the banquet of liberty for who they are? Despite his words, as Hilltoppers we will continue forward, with the same faith and hope which won this nation its independence. We continue to work towards building a city, state, and nation where all will be celebrated, accepted and treated with the dignity each person deserves. These are the values which need to continue to be openly taught and supported within our public school system. A public school system that is committed to the values of our nation, not the agenda of a return to the America outlined within some of the darkest pages of our history books. Each day within the Somersworth school system, our Proud Past, Bright Future are celebrated through the acknowledgement that we are all linked together by a common thread, the thread of our humanity. While this thread will differ in the languages we speak, the customs we practice and the faith we hold, or choose not to, in the Hilltop City we are all united by the common bond of our sisterhood and brotherhood. While each of us is different, we are all Hilltoppers, Americans and humans. It is through this understanding of our differences that Somersworth has emerged as NHs Welcoming City. A city which has and will continue to open its arms for all, and protect all who are dedicated to the values of equality and human dignity. A city that will remain committed to passing on these values to each young Hilltopper who walks through the hallways of our schools. In the Hilltop City, NHs Welcoming City we rise above the level of just tolerating each other. Here we strive to create a community where differences are welcomed. We have long abandoned the practices of drawing invisible lines, or creating a society where individuals are deemed with value as long as they remain within their corners, their neighborhood or ghetto's, silent or in the closet. It seems Edelbluts goal is to revert our public school system into an institution that openly embraces these practices of hate and division. In our 10 square mile community, we instead embrace that our home is and always has been composed of; English, Irish, Greek, French and Indonesian. We are home to those of faith; Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims and those whose faith does not encompass a god, but the faith in the progression of humanity. Each believer and non-believer sharing in the bond of their commitment to continue keeping Somersworth On the Move. This commitment is reflected in the daily practices of the guardians of our values, our public school educators. We are a city of straights, gays and transgender, a city of police, fire and first responders, a city of lawyers, doctors and service workers, a city of tradespeople and military. All, with hopes and dreams for ourselves, family and children. We are united by the common vision of creating a community, state and nation with liberty and justice for all. Are these the values that the Edelblut sees as a threat to the family? Are these the values which should be forcibly removed from the teachings within our school system, the values which have not only advanced our community, but our state and nation? While the Commissioner Edleblut and I will continue to greatly disagree on the purpose of our public school system and the values which will help our nation achieve its creed, I do wish to thank him for his recent commentary. Edlebluts article helped to foster attention that the journey towards achieving equality, freedom and justice for all citizens has not ended, and that those who subscribe to denying inalienable and constitutional rights to citizens are still among us in 2022. In order for us to become a nation where all are created equal, we must overcome some of the barriers that test our upbringing, faiths or individual comfort levels. If we strip our public schools of the ability to embrace open dialogue as Edleblut suggests, and ban the context of their teaching, we return to the practices and justification of exclusion, discrimination and the use of age-old rhetoric to justify actions which divide, hinder, and destroy the promise of America. In the 10 square mile community known as Somersworth, we will continue On the Move as NHs Hilltop Welcoming City. We will continue to learn from each other, to acknowledge and celebrate our differences and to build a community where all are committed to the values of democracy. We will embrace each other as neighbors, brothers and sisters. We will continue to work towards seeking and finding common ground, by uniting on the issues which will progress our community while practicing respect, dignity and civility to each other. These are the values which reflect our community, our state, our nation, these are the values which will continue to be the foundation of our schools. The theme this year for the Somersworth school district is One; One faculty, One student body, One family, One community, One district. I invite Commissioner Edelblute to follow the Hilltoppers lead of creating public schools and a community where all are valued, respected and celebrated for who they are, where all are viewed as One. Dana Hilliard is the mayor of Somersworth, NH and is the city school district's director of operations. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Mayor Hilliard: Reject Edelblut's exclusionary vision of public education Noem South Dakota Gov. Kristi Neom and seven other Midwestern governors have sent a formal letter to the federal government seeking a waiver to allow the year-round sale of gasoline with 15% ethanol. President Joe Biden visited Iowa earlier this month to announce he would allow the sale of the higher ethanol blend nationwide for this year only in an effort to lower gas prices. The move is intended to be temporary. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has praised that move, but she and the other Midwestern governors are asking for a permanent waiver in a letter sent Thursday to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan. "This letter sends the clear message that renewable fuels are the immediate solution to high gas prices, lower emissions and restoring our energy independence, and we are proud to stand up and take this historic action," Reynolds said in a statement. E15 is currently banned in several states from June 1 to Sept. 15 because it is believed to contribute to smog during warmer weather. Ethanol supporters say those claims are unfounded, adding that total emissions with E15 are less than E10 and gasoline with no renewable fuel. In the letter, the governors said they had modeled the emissions benefits that would result from the change and concluded it would benefit air quality by reducing emissions from carbon monoxide, nitrogen and volatile organic compounds. Along with Noem and Reynolds, the governors who signed the letter were Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Laura Kelly of Kansas, Tim Walz of Minnesota, Doug Burgum of North Dakota and Tony Evers of Wisconsin. The eight states make up more than 10% of U.S. gasoline sales, according to a news release from Reynolds. This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Kristi Noem and seven other governors want E15 to be sold year-round The community is invited to pack a dinner or purchase a meal at a local eatery and join Carolina Caring outside Under the Sails on May 5 and 19, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Union Square in Hickory to connect with others who have experienced a loss. After dinner, participants will be invited to take a stroll on the Hickory City Walk. There are many animals available for adoption at Burke County Animal Services and shelter leaders want all the animals to find a loving fur-ever home. Trinity Johnson, shelter technician at animal services, helps that cause by highlighting animals from the shelter each week. This week, the shelters Dogs of the Week, is Riley. Riley is a 2 year old medium-sized rottie mix. Riley is a very laid-back gentleman, he does great on a leash, he is potty trained, does wonderful with other dogs and everyone he meets, Johnson said. Riley loves to go on walks, cuddle and play with other dogs. He really is so well-mannered and gentle and he would do wonderful with children. Those interested in meeting Riley can stop by anytime during business hours. Rileys adoption fee will be discounted Saturday, April 30, which will only be $75. He is up-to-date on vaccines, flea control, and he has been neutered. All animals brought to animal services come from different backgrounds and are in different physical condition. The agencys staff works to ensure all animals are taken care of while theyre in the shelter and in preparation to be adopted into their forever homes. The Cats of the Week are a bonded and sponsored pair of boys named Scamper and Lovey. Scamper is a 7-year-old tabby-and-white male, and Lovey is a 10-year-old short-haired black cat, Johnson said. These guys were left to BCAS when their owner sadly passed away and they were left with an owner that could no longer care for them. Scamper and Lovey have been together their whole lives and they are a very bonded pair that just cant stand the idea of being separated. They are experiencing some kennel depression as this is a very strange and new environment for them to be in, and theyd much rather be in a home. Their adoption fees have been sponsored in hopes they will be adopted together. They are up-to-date on vaccines, flea control, deworming, and they have been neutered. Theyre very healthy cats and would love a place to call home. In addition to this weeks pets of the week, there are many dogs and cats are available for adoption at animal services. Animal services tries to take in as many animals as it can, and with the help of foster home volunteers it is able to care for more animals. There are different fees for those interested in adopting a dog or a cat from animal services. The adoption fee for any adult dog or puppy is $125. The adoption fee for any adult cat or kitten is $90. All animals come up-to-date on vaccines, flea control, and deworming, as well as being spayed and neutered. The shelter also offers foster programs for members of the community to help the animals of the shelter without having to make a lifelong commitment. Fosters are only required to give a copy of a valid ID with address and phone number and to sign their foster agreement. Fostering is free, and animal services provides all needed supplies, including litter boxes, litter and food and the same for dogs, the agencys policy says. Crates are provided, if available. Foster parents are just asked to transport the animal either to vet appointments or back to the shelter for updated vaccines and deworming. For those who want to help shelter animals, or learn more about their personalities, they can participate in BCASs Dog Day Out Program daily. This program gives people a way to spend the day with a new furry friend, where they can pick any dog in the shelter and take them out on a walk, to the park, a playdate at home, or just a simple ride through a drive thru for some treats. Our dogs greatly benefit from this program as they see it as a break from the shelter and they get to burn some energy. We also learn a lot about the personality of the dogs by doing this program which makes it much easier for us to adopt them out. Dogs Day Out can be done any day, Tuesday through Saturday, during business hours. For more information on Riley, Scamper, Lovey or any other adoption or foster-related questions, call animal services at 828-764-9588 or visit its website at burkenc.org/animalservices. Visit its Facebook page at Burke County Animal Services for information on adoptable animals or upcoming adoption events. Dear Amy: I've become good friends with a co-worker who started at the same job I did over 12 years ago. I've received raises, including two after I changed departments six years ago. In a recent conversation with my co-worker, they disclosed that they have not had one raise in all their time with the company. When I was given my raises, I was always told it was confidential, and I've kept it quiet. My friend has asked several times and has been told that no raises are being given. They have a good track record with the company and have done well in meeting their goals. Should I say something to the co-worker about my pay increases? Would it be better to hint at it and not break the agreed-to confidentiality? My friend is thinking of looking for a new job. - Feeling Guilty Dear Feeling Guilty: This is from NLRB.gov: "Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA or the Act), employees have the right to communicate with other employees at their workplace about their wages. Wages are a vital term and condition of employment, and discussions of wages are often preliminary to organizing or other actions for mutual aid or protection." Further, they write: "When you and another employee have a conversation or communication about your pay, it is unlawful for your employer to punish or retaliate against you in any way for having that conversation." Employers tell employees to keep their salaries confidential because it is in the employer's best interests for their employees to be kept in the dark about co-workers' compensation and raises. Review your company's official policies and any employment agreement you may have signed. Unless you agreed in writing to keep your own salary confidential, then you should be free to exercise your right to disclose it. If you want to hedge, you could say, "I know for a fact that raises have been given." And yes - your friend should get another job. Dear Amy: The letter from "Mourning" about the emotions surrounding keeping pets alive when they are suffering really got me. My friend has the same problem with her old and blind spaniel. I had to make the decision with my own 17-year-old pet, but took the vet's advice that quality of life was gone and had to think of the animal, not me. My friend knows what she should do, but she can't. Is there anything you can say to ease the choice? - Sad Dear Sad: Some vets offer "hospice" or end-of-life palliative care for animals. You might do some research and see if there is a vet in your area who will come to your friend's house and examine her pup. This is from ASPCA.org: "Pet hospice is not a place, but a personal choice and philosophy based on the principle that death is a part of life and can be dignified. When considering hospice care, pet parents should be very careful not to prolong the suffering of pets who are in pain or experiencing poor quality of life." I went through this with my 20-year-old tabby cat, and the palliative care veterinarian who examined him outlined my options. I chose to have him euthanized, and buddy died at home with me petting him and thanking him for gracing my life. And yes - it was so hard! As with any life-event that is absolutely guaranteed to also be heartbreaking - this is easier to face with a friend's support. You can ask if she would like you to go with her - or be with her - when she is ready to go through this process. Dear Amy: "Sad Mad Daughter," who was now caring for her abusive and elderly mother could be me. The thing that is hardest to take is looking at your vulnerable, lonely, isolated, helpless elderly parent and realizing they were looking at a vulnerable, lonely, isolated, helpless child and could actually emotionally and physically abuse that child! I know my mother didn't ask for her mental disorder. She is in a nursing home near me; I visit a few times a week and make sure she has everything she needs. She has taken so much from me, gosh darn it, she will not dictate the kind of attentive daughter I want to be, and get to be, to an elderly parent. I - not her - get to control how I want to be, and it's a great feeling. - Kathy, in Virginia Dear Kathy: This is next-level wisdom, earned the hardest way possible. I think your perspective could help a lot of people. Email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Scott County Democrats attempted to pick a political fight with U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Ottumwa, earlier this week after a tweet from her campaign manager showed volunteers holding signs while framing the flag of a prominent anti-government paramilitary group. The 2nd Congressional District U.S. House was decided for Miller-Meeks by a six-vote margin, suggesting the campaign rhetoric could get heated as the election season draws near. The posting and re-posting on Twitter started roughly 10 days ago when Miller-Meeks campaign manager Elliott Husbands tweeted two photos taken inside the headquarters of the Muscatine Republicans. One of those photos showed two men holding Miller-Meeks campaign signs. The men stood on each side of a Three-Percenters flag a U.S. flag with the Roman numeral III in the blue field usually reserved for the stars. A traditional Betsy Ross 1776 flag also is prominent in the background. The use of 1776 imagery on flags and window stickers was first popularized by right-wing radio host Alex Jones and has been used extensively by a range of militia groups. It was routinely seen at anti-masking and COVID-19 vaccination mandate protests across the country, as well as during the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol building. Miller-Meeks retweeted the post on her personal Twitter feed, then deleted it but not before the Scott County Democrats posted the pictures and wrote the representative " retweeted this image of flags for white supremacy & anti-government militias." The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also used the photo as the lead of a press release that attempted to link Miller-Meeks as sympathetic to the Three-Percenters cause. Scott County Democratic Chair Matt Trimble was even more explicit in his criticism of Miller-Meeks and her campaign. "(Miller-Meeks) is standing in a room of a house filled with gas and she has lit a match," Trimble said. "That's what is so concerning for her constituents. They have to be terrified that she is allowing insurrectionists to be the face of her campaign." Trimble suggested that even though Miller-Meeks deleted her repost of the tweet, she sent a message to some supporters. "She was clearly signaling to like-minded people," Trimble said. "I think this is just another example of how fringe and radical some of the Republicans have become." When reached for comment about the accusations made by the Scott County Democrats, Husbands said he " didn't really think this is a story." "We handed out 1,500 yard signs to campaign volunteers in 20 counties," Husbands added. "And that is my only comment." Fred Grunder, the chairman of the Muscatine Republicans, did react to the charges against Miller-Meeks. He said the Scott County Democrats were signaling to its base. "Every time the Democrats disagree with something or someone they use the words 'racist' and 'bigot'. It's gotten to the point where those two words don't mean anything," Grunder said. "There are a lot of fringe groups in both parties." "One of the biggest terror groups is the BLM (Black Lives Matter)," he alleged. "They destroyed this country two years ago, and no one seems to care. There were no consequences for what they did." Grunder said he "had no idea" the Three-Percenters flag was among those displayed in the offices of the Muscatine Republicans. "Look, there are a lot of flags in that room. There's probably a Trump flag, and I know there's a Blue-Line flag. There are flags from every branch of the military," Grunder said. "And I have no problem with the 1776 flag. That's about the revolution that created this country." The Three-Percenters were founded in 2008 and initially attracted a membership dominated by military veterans, as well as retired and active-duty police officers. While many joined in reaction to perceived policies aimed at limiting the Second Amendment, the Three-Percenters became vocal supporters of President Donald Trump. The Southern Poverty Law Center noted that while many Three-Percenters are not overtly white supremacist, a number of local groups across the country were involved in violence against Muslim-Americans. Most local Three-Percenter groups carry firearms to rallies and protest. Three-Percenter groups took an active role during the Jan. 6 riots. Many members have moved on to attending local school board meetings to speak out against the supposed "teaching of critical race theory" in public schools. Husbands and Grunder said Miller-Meeks had never supported any Three-Percenter group. By the end of the week, the Iowa's 2nd Congressional District had two distinct camps: those who believe Miller-Meeks was signaling to a fringe, reactionary portion of her base, and her supporters who claimed an innocent photo of campaign volunteers was being used to smear her. According to Dr. William W. Parsons, chair of the Department of Political Science and Leadership Studies at Saint Ambrose University, no one should be surprised by the Twitter fight. "Dog-whistling is nothing new in American politics. It dates back all the way to the founding. In some ways, the comments politicians said about each other back then were often worse than things said today," Parsons said. "For instance, Thomas Jefferson was maligned for mocking Christianity and people were told to hide or bury their bibles for fear the new president would confiscate them. "The difference today is the ability of these sorts of political tactics to go viral. In a matter of minutes, images reach hundreds of thousands if not millions. Today, we have a sense that such political behavior is more impactful than ever before. There is no doubt that there is less discussion going on in society today than historically." Parsons offered an image of modern political discourse. "It is also the case today that political opinion exists primarily in bubbles. People only want to talk to those who have the same opinion. The internet and social media is a major factor in perpetuating this pattern," Parsons said. "I have no solution to this phenomenon other than to tell people to actively seek out multiple sources and opinions and not be comfortable in their bubble." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says that government has to distribute almost 250,000 more digital set-top boxes (STBs) and install around 450,000 in the next two months. That is only slightly less than the number of households they had already distributed the decoder-like STBs to since the rollout began more than six years ago. Ntshavheni revealed this during a recent update on South Africas broadcasting digital migration. The next major target in the digital migration programme is the planned switch-off of analogue TV transmitters across the country by 30 June 2022. Ntshavheni initially set 31 March as the switch-off date, but the Gauteng High Court delayed it by three months. SABC and MultiChoice analogue transmitters in five provinces have been switched off the Free State, Northern Cape, North West, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo. The process remains ongoing in South Africas four most populous provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape. Without analogue transmissions, households need either a digital STB or TV with a digital tuner to receive free-to-air digital signals. Alternatively, they can receive their broadcasting via satellite TV providers like DStv, Openview, or StarSat. For many South Africans, an STB or digitally-enabled TV is unaffordable. Therefore, government is subsidising around a million boxes for households with a combined income of R3,500 or less. Today we are distributing DTT decoders to qualifying beneficiaries today in Eastern Cape, East London Post Office warehouse, Zwelitsha and Mdantsane. The government subsidized set top boxes have clear quality pictures and a variety of SABC TV channels including SABC Education pic.twitter.com/0SpJxjnmxO Khumbudzo Ntshavheni (@Khu_Ntshavheni) March 22, 2022 Originally, the plan was to supply 5 million indigent households with subsidised boxes. However, this number has been gradually revised downward the latest being 1.2 million. Ntshavheni has explained that this is due to the low rate of registrations for STBs, which could be attributed to many more households self migrating to satellite or buying a new TV set with a digital tuner. Former communications minister Faith Muthambi opened registrations for subsidised STBs in October 2015 and oversaw the first batchs installation in Keimoes, Northern Cape, in December 2015. As of 2019, there were reportedly around 900,000 STBs waiting for distribution at Post Offices around the country, By 31 October 2021, only 507,251 households had registered for an STB. Government had set this as the deadline for needy families to register to receive a subsidised STB before the analogue switch-off. Of the registered households, only 258,821 had received their STBs by 25 April 2022. With 67 days between 26 April 2022 and 30 June 2022, the department has to distribute just over 3,700 STBs per day, including weekends and public holidays. In addition, only around 109,000 STBs had been installed and activated, leaving approximately 450,000 that still need to be activated. Meeting the deadline would require a radical acceleration considering the pace of the rollout thus far. Sentech is currently seeking installers. The tender closes on 5 May. Danger of delays Should the department fail to install STBs in all qualifying households that registered before the end of October 2021, it could give E-tv and community TV stations like Cape Town TV ammunition to delay the analogue switch-off even further. These broadcasters warned that millions of households would be cut off unless the analogue switch-off was delayed by several months. However, Ntshavheni has reiterated that the government remained committed to meeting the 30 June deadline. The minister said all Gauteng households that qualified for an STB and registered by 31 October 2021 had received and activated their STBs. Ntshavheni also said that the Northern Capes installations should be completed in the next few days. Equally, we are on course to completing the remaining installations in the months of May and June 2022, she added. Those who registered after the October 2021 deadline are set to receive their STBs by end-September 2022. The department also plans to place STBs on the retail market for sale to poor households that fall above the R3,500 pre month threshold but cannot afford more expensive equipment. Now read: DStv channel changes in 2022 May is Historic Preservation Month, and John Sensenbaugh from Napa County Landmarks has provide the Register with the organization's annual list of "10 threatened treasures" in Napa County -- structures with historic value that are in need of saving. Landmarks noted that this year the list is "10 threatened treasures plus one." Here it is: 1. Aetna Springs Resort, Pope Valley -- The former spa and retreat in rural Pope Valley keeps slipping into further decay, Landmarks reports. It was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1987, but has appeared on the Napa County Landmarks' list as threatened treasures more than 20 times. 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. It originally was developed as a destination spa in 1887 when it was an eight-hour journey by horse drawn carriages from San Francisco. The grounds were developed with three distinct architectural styles, from 1877 to 1944. Although there have been attempts to revive Aetna Springs as a modern destination resort, thus far no efforts have moved forward, Landmarks writes. "Fortunately, it was spared destruction during the 2017 wildfires that swept through that area." 2. 1938-1940 Brown St. This structure appears to be a four-plex apartment house from the 1920s (or earlier), very likely one of the first apartment buildings constructed within the Napa city limits. Landmarks notes that Howard Yune reported in the Napa Valley Register on Aug. 30, 2017 that a fire had totally destroyed a rear structure of the building and partially damaged the remaining front building. "According to Yune, Napa Code Enforcement had cited the property for trash and weeds, but the abatement order was ignored. A permit was issued in January, 2017, to do fire repair work." "From street-side observation, no repair work was ever been started, and the building appears abandoned. Neighbors have complained of transients occupying the building as well as a rodent infestation problem," Landmarks writes. 3. Thomas Earl House, 1221 Seminary St. This is a 2,948 square foot home built in 1894. Landmarks reports that in Dec, 2020 owner received permission to do a panelization of the house, to cut into large wall panels, which are stored on A-frame racks, then reassembled on a new foundation in a slightly different location from its original position. The owner also said his goal was to create a 10-room corporate retreat center. Landmarks reports that owner's team decided it would be too risky to move the house to a new foundation due to the earthquake damage the house suffered in the 2014 quake. "Unfortunately, since the house was sawed into various wall panels, no further work or new foundation forming has occurred," the Landmark's report reads. "The various walls are now covered with large tarps and, at least, partially protected from the weather, which was not the case earlier during the winter rainy season." 4. 2232 Oak St. This 1,895 square foot home, built in 1925, has been on the list before. Known as the Daniel J. Thomas residence, it is of the Stick Eastlake construction style. It has one street-facing window that is completely devoid of glass and open to the elements. According to Landmarks, "Shrubbery and vegetation threaten to engulf the place." 5. Center Building, 810-814 Brown St. Another structure that has been on the list many times, "it remains in a dilapidated state since the 2014 quake," Landmarks writes. "The building sits as an empty downtown eyesore and danger, sited directly across the street from Napas original and historic court house." 6. Rutherford Train Depot Another perennial threatened treasures sit, it is owned by the Napa Valley Wine Train. "It is in agriculture-designated zone so there are limited commercial usages allowed without a permit. Any new commercial usage not allowable in ag zone requires a zoning change, and that can only be accomplished by a vote of the people as required by Measure J," according to Landmarks. "This could present a challenge for any proposed new usage, but Landmarks is confident that this treasure could be restored by a motivated new owner." 7. Franklin Post Office The owner of this severely earthquake damaged post office has reportedly been trying to find an investor/partner to develop this Depression-era building into a downtown hotel, Landmarks reports. "There has been work done to stabilize the structure but it remains vulnerable to another to another earthquake." 8. Luther Turton houses at the Napa State Hospital These homes were also severely damaged in the 2014 earthquake and are owned by the state of California. "It is unknown when or if the state will invest the money to make them usable," Landmarks writes. "They remain locked and off limits for any usage." 9. 1615 Nursery St. This home, behind Drapinski T.V. store on Vallejo Street, is in dilapidated condition, although it appears that someone may be occupying it. Napa County tax records show that this home was built in 1897, which would make it one of the oldest homes still standing in this neighborhood. 10. 376 Franklin St. This 2,948 square foot home was built in 1894. Several gigantic bamboo plants in front of the home obstruct a view of exterior, but Landmarks states, "it is obvious from both the front and rear that the house has been neglected for a long time and needs much attention." The home is in the redwood-lined section of Franklin Street that is home to many restored Victorians and other homes 100 to 150 years old. 11. 1332 B St. This is an 842 square foot home built in 1936. This home is eligible to be listed as a contributor on the City of Napa's Historic Resource Inventory. "It too seems to need considerable maintenance and appears to be currently uninhabited," Landmarks states. Napa County Landmarks also noted that it "wants to remain vigilant of the many stone bridges that were constructed more than 100 years ago and are still to be found dotted throughout the county. "They are often in the crosshairs of Cal Trans who view them as impediments to modern highway design," the Landmarks' announcement reads. "Sometimes they become subject to damage by motorists who crash into them, or vandalized by people who carve out the monument year-built stone that typically grace the center of a bridges span." "Unfortunately, this has occurred on at least two of the remaining stone bridges along Stanley Lane in south Napa County." American Canyon Police arrested a man early Friday morning on suspicion of stealing a car after pursuing that car from American Canyon Road to Mare Island in Vallejo. Officers were first alerted that the stolen vehicle a 2014 black Chevy Malibu sedan was driving northbound into American Canyon on Flosden Road, near Corcoran Avenue in Vallejo. The police attempted to stop the vehicle on American Canyon Road near Safeway, but the driver didnt stop, according to police. 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. The driver instead drove through the Safeway parking lot onto southbound Highway 29, and officers pursued the vehicle onto Highway 37. The driver exited onto Mare Island, and, near the southern end of Railroad Avenue, the driver got out of the vehicle and jumped a fence, police said. Officers chased down the driver a short distance from the car and detained two passengers of the car. Johnathan Gingery, the driver, was booked into Napa County jail at 9:11 a.m. Friday morning on investigation of felony vehicle theft and officer evasion charges. You can reach Edward Booth at 707-256-2213. Napa Police arrested an Antioch man for the attempted theft of a catalytic converter early on Friday morning. 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. The Napa Police Department first received a report of attempted theft of the converter on Rolling Wood Drive at about 3:40 a.m., according to police. The officers arrived at the scene and noted damage to a car, but the suspected thieves had left without the convertor. The suspect vehicle a red truck with a white camper shell came back to the area at about 5 a.m., according to the police. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, a man in the passenger seat got out and started running as the vehicle drove off, police said. Officers didn't pursue the vehicle because of a policy that doesn't allow them to pursue vehicles for nonviolent felonies, according to police. Using a K9 unit, officers located the man who ran from the vehicle and was hiding in a bush. Visal Thong, 50, was booked into Napa County jail at 5:45 a.m. on an investigation of felony attempted grand theft and resisting arrest charges. You can reach Edward Booth at 707-256-2213 or ebooth@napanews.com. Napa County has a long history of wildfires, with some of the biggest of recent vintage. Cal Fire records dating back to 1932 show the LNU Lightning Complex Fires of 2020 was the largest, burning a third of the county and even more land in other counties. Altogether, it burned more than 500 square miles. 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. This monster fire ranks sixth on Cal Fires list of largest California fires. Had it broken out in 2017, it would have been number one at the time. All five megafires ahead of it are from 2018 and later. Acreages on big blazes from pioneer days are unknown, though they did little property damage in a then-sparsely populate area. Here are some of the countys bigger wildfires: Great Fire, October 1870 The name comes from a Sonoma Democrat article. Two fires in St. Helena and one in Calistoga merged and swept over the Mayacamas Mountains into Sonoma Valley. One of the most extensive and destructive fires of which we have record, the paper said. September 1913 Fire The St. Helena Star called this "the worst fire in the history of Napa County." It began in Chiles Valley and was spread by a north wind. It killed a woman and her young daughter. It prompted an assemblyperson to send a telegram to the governor: "Fire raging in mountains near Napa. Twenty families are homeless. Fire beyond control. Can you help?" The San Francisco Call reported the blaze burned an area about 25 long and 5 miles wide. Thirty-five farms burned in Capell, Foss, Rector, Soda, Wooden, Wild Horse and Napa valleys. As an encore, a fire shortly thereafter in Conn and Sage canyons sent smoke through the streets of St. Helena. 1931 Fire This fire began in Berryessa Valley in early July and swept down the Blue Ridge mountains into Solano and Yolo counties, burning about 40,000 acres. It destroyed buildings, grain, pastures and equipment as it went from ranch to ranch. "The blaze has been one of the worst in the history of Napa County, according to old-time residents," The Napa Register reported on July 6. September 1964 fires Napa Valley was in a flaming noose, with three large fires burning at once. The 56,000-acre Hanly Fire burned from near Calistoga to Santa Rosa. The 10,000-acre Nuns Canyon Fire burned west of the city of Napa and threatened Sonoma. A 9,000-acre fire burned on Mount George east of the city of Napa. "Valley is Flaming Nightmare," the headline of the Sept. 21, 1964 edition of The Napa Register said. September 1965 fires Eight fires started at about the same time and burned more than 40,000 acres, destroying at least 30 structures. The Kaiser Fire burned from south of the city of Napa to American Canyon Road. Fires burned near Monticello Road, Old Sonoma Road and in Chiles and Conn valleys. Atlas Peak Fire, 1981 The arson fire burned 34,000 acres and destroyed at least 56 homes east of the city of Napa. Miller Canyon Fire, 1988 The 35,000-acre fire started in Solano County north of Vacaville and burned along the Blue Ridge into Napa County near Lake Berryessa. It destroyed at least seven homes. Sixteen Fire, 1999 The 38,000-acre fire began in Yolo County near Highway 16 and burned in remote areas near Lake Berryessa, threatening the small rural community of Berryessa Estates. Tubbs, Atlas and Nuns fires, October 2017 This was a repeat of the 1964 fires, though on a larger scale. The 37,000-acre Tubbs Fire burned from Calistoga to Santa Rosa. The 52,000-acre Atlas Fire burned east of the city of Napa. The 56,000-acre Nuns Fire burned in the Mayacamas Mountains west of the city of Napa. They destroyed about 650 homes in Napa County and many more in Sonoma County. LNU Lightning Complex Fires, August 2020 The largest known fire in Napa Countys history burned 306,000 acres in four counties and an estimated 165,000 acres in Napa County. Thats roughly a third of the county. It destroyed 522 structures in the county, including homes at Spanish Flat and Berryessa Highlands. Glass Fire, September 2020 The 40,000-acre fire started in mountains east of Napa Valley and burned across the valley to the Mayacamas Mountains. It destroyed 1,022 structures. Homes, wineries and resorts were lost. You can reach Barry Eberling at 707-256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A traffic collision at the intersection of First Avenue and Hagen Road Thursday afternoon sent a Napa resident to the Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center with major injuries. SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) The mother of a 3-month-old baby kidnapped from their San Francisco Bay Area home said a woman arrested in the case met the family at church and had been spending a lot of time with them ever since she was nine months pregnant. Carolina Ayala told Spanish language television stations Wednesday that after she gave birth, Yesenia Ramirez was a constant presence at her home. She would go to my house a lot, she always wanted to be there, Ayala said in Spanish in an interview with KTST-TV, a Telemundo affiliate. Ramirez, 43, was arrested in the kidnapping of Brandon Cuellar along with Baldomeo Sandoval and Jose Portillo, who police said entered the family's second-floor San Jose apartment on Monday and took the baby while his grandmother unloaded groceries. Sandoval, who Ayala said is Ramirez's husband, was released without charges Thursday, San Jose Police officials said in a statement. Details regarding Sandovals involvement with this case have come to light and he will not be facing charges at this time, it said. Ramirez and Portillo were arraigned Thursday on kidnapping, felony burglary and conspiracy charges and are being held without bail. Attorneys with the Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office, which is representing Ramirez and Portillo, did not immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press. Portillo, 28, was captured on surveillance video carrying a baby car seat and a small blanket and walking toward the apartment, police said. They said the motive for the kidnapping is still under investigation. On Monday, Ramirez offered to buy supplies for the baby and drove the baby and his grandmother, Victoria Mejia, to the store and back home, Mejia told the Telemundo affiliate. Police said Ramirez had been communicating with Portillo moments before he took the baby and drove away. Ayala said she was at work cleaning a home when her sister-in-law called her to let her know her child was missing. "I felt like half of my heart had left with him. I felt like I died, Ayala told KDTV-TV, a Univision affiliate. Police found the unharmed baby on Tuesday inside a home where Portillo lived. Ayala was reunited with her son hours later, a moment she described as having my soul return to my body. I cried out of joy, I cried until I got tired of crying," she told Telemundo 48. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. California abortion clinics are building new facilities closer to transit hubs and training more staff. A package of a dozen abortion rights bills moving through the Legislature could expand the number of providers, provide financial assistance to women traveling to California to terminate their pregnancies, and legally protect the doctors who treat them. As new restrictions rapidly sweep the country in anticipation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this summer that may dramatically scale back or even end the constitutional right to abortion, California is preparing to step into the void and welcome a possible surge of patients losing access in dozens of other states. "People from across the country are already looking to California as a haven state, as a beacon to provide them the care they need," Jodi Hicks, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said during a recent online program. "It is our moral imperative that we continue to provide the leadership that people are looking for." Planned Parenthood, which operates about half of the 165 abortion clinics in California, reports that it has treated at least 80 out-of-state patients per month on average since September, when Texas adopted a law allowing residents to seek civil damages against anyone who aids an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. That move turbocharged a political and cultural battle that has all but cut off abortion access in the most conservative parts of the country in recent years and sent advocates in liberal states scrambling to build a bulwark for reproductive rights. Unable to secure an injunction against the Texas law while courts consider the legality of the novel attempt to circumvent Roe v. Wade the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that protected the right to an abortion without excessive government restriction clinics in the state shut down to avoid a deluge of lawsuits. Thousands of patients are now seeking abortions elsewhere, overwhelming neighboring Oklahoma and New Mexico and pushing some women further afield to more friendly states including California. "The need right now of expanding access is pretty clear to all of us," state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins told reporters last month. The San Diego Democrat is carrying Senate Bill 1375, which would allow some nurse practitioners to independently perform first-trimester abortions without a doctor's supervision. Getting ready for more patients Sue Dunlap, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, said she has been preparing for years for the moment when the organization would have to become a haven for patients from all over the country who have nowhere else to turn for an abortion. That has included expanding and reorganizing its network of facilities to be near airports, bus and train stations, and supportive emergency rooms and medical providers. Dunlap said she worked with UCLA's law school to establish a new center for the study of reproductive health law and policy. Planned Parenthood Los Angeles also collaborates with medical schools across the country on abortion training, particularly in states where those opportunities might not otherwise exist. Dunlap declined to provide data on how many out-of-state patients the organization serves, arguing that the numbers would not fully reflect the situation because of the secrecy and fear surrounding abortion. But she noted that Los Angeles, as a center of tourism and commerce, has long been a destination for women seeking abortions even before it was legal, when patients often then crossed the border to Mexico for the procedure. "Los Angeles is a place that people identify with ideas of freedoms," Dunlap said. "Los Angeles is also a place that, when you don't know where to go, you come here." The people who do come "are almost always in incredibly desperate situations," she added, and many have more challenging circumstances and complications than in the past. Dunlap mentioned a pregnant woman from Texas who was diagnosed with breast cancer, necessitating a double mastectomy. Though the woman did not want to terminate her pregnancy, Dunlap said, she had to travel to one of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles' clinics in recent months because she could not get an abortion in her own state. Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, which covers Northern and Central California and Northern Nevada, said it treated 66 out-of-state patients at its California clinics between September and March, including 22 patients from Texas. One of them was a college student who was prepared to use her scholarship money to fly to California until it provided her with a voucher, according to an anonymous patient testimony shared by the organization. With Oklahoma and other states on the verge of shutting down abortion access as well, president and CEO Stacy Cross said the organization is preparing to take on between 250 and 500 more patients per week in its network of facilities. Medication abortion is now available at all of its sites. Clinics are hiring more staff and making sure any medical provider who is licensed to perform abortions has the necessary training, even if they specialize in one of the other services that Planned Parenthood offers, so that they can schedule more appointments. Next month, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte plans to break ground on a new, larger facility in Reno that is closer to the airport. Cross wants to add a second site in northern Nevada for what she anticipates will soon be more patients coming from Utah. The work is personal for Cross: Both of her grandmothers died from a lack of access to reproductive care one from an illegal abortion and the other in childbirth, delivering her ninth child at age 47, she said. She worries that Californians don't fully understand how quickly and fully abortion access could shut down across the country if the Supreme Court reverses the Roe decision. "Every time I even say those words out loud, it sends a chill down my back. It's horrific to think about," Cross said. But California has done an amazing job preparing: "We fill the gaps." Divide deepens between red and blue states Those gaps are almost certain to widen in the months to come. Spurred on by the success of the Texas law, anti-abortion legislators across America are racing to advance new restrictions. In just a one-week stretch this month, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy; GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma signed a bill making it a felony to perform an abortion in the state, punishable by up to 10 years in prison; and Republican legislators in Kentucky overrode a governor's veto on a measure to impose broad new requirements on abortion providers that they say make it impossible for them to continue operating. A federal judge temporarily blocked the Kentucky law on Thursday. Though many of the policies are currently unconstitutional, conservative states are laying the groundwork in anticipation that the Supreme Court will soon uphold a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. A decision on that case is expected by June, and some experts believe the justices will take the opportunity to overturn the Roe ruling altogether, which would trigger near or complete bans on abortion in about half of states, including Arizona. Liberal states are responding with their own measures to protect the right to abortion in law, and to increase access to accommodate a potential influx of patients from beyond their borders. In November, Vermont voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to enshrine reproductive autonomy, while Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is trying to circumvent her state's Republican-controlled Legislature by asking the state Supreme Court to overturn a pre-Roe abortion ban that is still on the books. Oregon recently approved a $15 million fund that could provide financial assistance to patients, including those from outside the state, who need help paying for abortion fees and other costs. Washington adopted legal protections against prosecuting people who aid an abortion or women who experience pregnancy losses. Democratic legislators in Maryland overrode a veto by the Republican governor to pass a bill that would require health insurance plans to cover abortions and put $3.5 million toward training providers. Several states have adopted or are pursuing measures to expand who is authorized to perform an abortion to include other advanced medical professionals beyond doctors, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, following a move that California made more than a decade ago. "California has been on the forefront for a long time," said Elizabeth Nash, a state policy analyst for the Guttmacher Institute, which researches and promotes reproductive rights. "It has helped other states see what's possible." Making California an abortion 'sanctuary' California is pushing further still. In September, after the Texas law took effect, Gov. Gavin Newsom convened the Future of Abortion Council, a coalition of reproductive rights, health and justice groups, to explore how to make the state a "sanctuary" for abortion. More than 40 policy recommendations, released in December, formed the basis for the sweeping legislative package now advancing at the Capitol. If approved by the end of session in August and signed by Newsom, the measures would become law next year, though supporters hope some pieces might be incorporated into the state budget that must be approved by June 15. Those could kick in immediately this summer, when the Supreme Court decision on abortion is expected. "There is definitely an urgency to get some of these things in place and get prepared, because this is happening regardless of whatever timeline our Legislature is on," said Lisa Matsubara, general counsel and vice president of policy for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, which is sponsoring or co-sponsoring most of the bills in the package. "We are doing everything we can to make sure we are as ready as we can be." The centerpiece is SB 1142, by Democratic Sens. Anna Caballero of Salinas and Nancy Skinner of Berkeley, which would create a state-administered fund to assist patients who face financial barriers to obtaining an abortion and support public research into improving access. Advocates are seeking $20 million from the state to launch the fund. There is also Assembly Bill 2134 by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, a San Diego Democrat, which would set aside money for clinics that provide uncompensated care to low-income patients whose insurance does not cover abortion and contraceptive services. Supporters argue the funding is crucial to ensure that not only wealthy women are able to travel to California for abortions. Jessica Pinckney, executive director of ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE, the only statewide abortion fund in California, says the bill could expand its grants to women who need help paying for their abortion, travel and lodging, lost wages, a doula or other expenses. Last year, the Oakland-based fund supported 551 patients with an average of about $300, Pinckney said, not enough to meet anybody's full need. She would also like to do more outreach to let women know the fund exists. About 80 people the fund served were from 18 different states Pinckney added, but most are low-income or patients from one of the dozens of mostly rural counties without an abortion provider, who may need to travel hours and stay overnight for a multi-day abortion procedure in their second trimester. "Even in the state of California, there are quite a few barriers," Pinckney said. "This is an unmet need for Californians already." In recognition that conservative states may continue to ramp up legal and financial penalties for abortions, another collection of bills aims to protect doctors who travel to other states to perform the procedure or who treat out-of-state patients: AB 1666 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, an Orinda Democrat, would nullify civil judgments from other states related to reproductive care. AB 2091 by Assemblymember Mia Bonta, an Alameda Democrat, would prohibit medical providers and health insurers from sharing information in cases that seek to penalize abortion. AB 2626 by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon, a Whittier Democrat, would prevent the state medical board from suspending or revoking the license of a physician who is punished in another state for performing an abortion in accordance with California law. Other major legislative efforts include Atkins' bill to allow abortions by independent nurse practitioners and AB 1918 by Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, which would create a "reproductive health service corps" for underserved parts of the state. "It's about strengthening our foundation, our health care foundation, to expand the pool of health care professionals who can provide abortions," Atkins said. Last stand for anti-abortion activists? The measures are moving through the legislative process so far with widespread support from the overwhelmingly Democratic lawmakers, and seem likely to be approved if they reach the governor's desk. Newsom already signed a law last month that prohibits health insurers from charging a co-pay or deductible for abortions, thus eliminating out-of-pocket costs for covered patients. He pledged that California would continue to "protect and advance reproductive freedom for all." Yet the bills have not been entirely without controversy. Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Capitol last week to oppose AB 2223 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an Oakland Democrat, which would end a requirement that coroners investigate the cause of fetal deaths resulting from suspected self-induced abortions, clarify that women cannot be held criminally or civilly liable for pregnancy loss or abortion, and create an ability to sue prosecutors and others who violate that protection. Protesters holding crosses and "Babies' Lives Matter" signs packed onto the steps of the building to hear from Pastor Jack Hibbs of the Calvary Chapel Chino Hills megachurch. Nearby, a Christian band and twirling dancers led a crowd in a worship service. Supporters say the measure is necessary to protect Californians from overzealous law enforcement and district attorneys who may be hostile to abortion rights. They point to two Kings County women who were charged with murder and imprisoned in the past five years after delivering stillbirths and testing positive for methamphetamine, in what Attorney General Rob Bonta has called a misapplication of the state criminal code. Advocates argue that fear of prosecution may deter some women from seeking necessary care. But critics of the Wicks bill highlight a provision that states women cannot be penalized for "perinatal death due to a pregnancy-related cause," referring to a baby who dies in an undefined period immediately after birth, which they contend is so vague as to legalize infanticide. "It is trying to really tear down one of the few restrictions that California does have when it comes to terminating pregnancies, and that is the actual point of delivery," Jonathan Keller, president of the religious advocacy group California Family Council, said following the Capitol rally. While Wicks has vehemently denied that's what the measure would or is intended to do, Keller said, "Intentions don't matter. It's actual legislative text that matters." He added that the outrage has helped his group organize broader and more fervent opposition to the abortion legislation than it has managed in the past. "We do think that many of the bills in this package are actually out of step with the state of California," Keller said, including the fund to help out-of-state women travel to California for abortion care. He calls it "abortion tourism." His claims have been picked up by the Republican National Committee, which issued a statement denouncing Wicks' bill and calling abortion "murder," but seem unlikely to gain much traction in the Democrat-dominated Legislature. At the first committee hearing for the bill, following the rally, only one legislator questioned Wicks, who slammed her opponents' tactics: "These same groups that are trying to ban abortion across this country and imprison people for stillbirths have manufactured a disinformation campaign using disturbing and violent imagery that is not grounded in medical science or the text of the bill," she said. Despite nearly an hour of testimony from opponents, the bill sailed through on an 11-3 vote. Ruben Rubinyan, several envoys discuss Armenia-Turkey normalization process Ambassador-at-large: Armenia 6-point document transferred to Azerbaijan includes Artsakh status, security issues Japan imposes sanctions on 71 Russian companies Turkey plans to open consulate in occupied Armenian Shushi city of Artsakh 26 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia past 1 week Armenia 2nd-President Kocharyan, ex-deputy PM and now lawmaker Gevorgyan court session is held behind closed doors Over 200 injured in mass protests in Sri Lanka Unidentified Indians fire rocket-propelled grenades at police department Armenia premier heads for Netherlands on official visit Armenia ex-President Kocharyan, former-deputy PM and now MP Gevorgyan trial to reconvene Azerbaijan establishes new border protection organization New South Korean president urges North Korea to denuclearize Azerbaijan FM says he had 2 telephone conversations with Armenia counterpart Resistance Movement kicks off marches in Yerevan Azerbaijan FM says Armenia's proposals cannot be called proposals Azerbaijan MFA: Armenia authorities have not refused to normalize relations despite opposition protests Azerbaijan hopes to get 7 villages in Armenia Bayramov: Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed in Karabakh Azerbaijan FM speaks against Armenia opposition China's central bank cuts yuan against dollar to new low in a year and a half Azerbaijan ignores points added by Armenia on agenda of forthcoming talks Process of including Armenian church in UNESCO World Heritage List is discussed in Irans Isfahan Armenia defense ministry: Azerbaijan MOD lying once again American Armenians stage demonstration outside Armenia consulate Newspaper: Notification to be sent to Armenia Patrol Guard Service head today Quake hits Georgia-Azerbaijan border zone, also felt in Armenia Biden signs Lend-Lease Act to defend democracy in Ukraine Newspaper: 44-day war military casualties parents are summoned for questioning at Investigative Committee EU considers additional funds for eastern countries for a deal to ban Russian oil Armenia PM to visit Netherlands Germany's finance minister warns that wage increases could further fuel inflation Ursula von der Leyen travels to Hungary to persuade Orban to support sanctions on Russia NEWS.am digest: Armenia marks May 9, Shushi liberation; Azerbaijan opens fire on Sotk gold mine Ursula von der Leyen says unanimous vote on key areas of EU policy no longer makes sense Resistance movement marches through central streets of Yerevan US First Lady meets with Slovak President North Korea urges citizens to strictly adhere to antiviral measures in connection with COVID-19 Armenian TV host dies after falling into river Javelin manufacturer to double production of anti-tank missile systems Sri Lankan Prime Minister submits his resignation to the President Marukyan: There should have been half million people on streets now if people really wanted change of power in Armenia Russia envoy to Armenia: Everyone should avoid steps that could aggravate situation Oil prices drop in Saudi Arabia after COVID-19 outbreak in China Armenia army general staff ex-deputy chief: I will say its a lie if someone says it was possible to win 44-day war Georgia condemns presidential elections in South Ossetia ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party official says authorities plan to divide Armenian diaspora Azerbaijan continues attempts to appropriate Armenian Dadivank Monastery Bitcoin is trading at a low since the summer of 2021 Armenia ambassador-at-large: Whoever says 'they want Artsakh to be part of Azerbaijan' probably wants it Turkeys Erdogan to attend Teknofest in Azerbaijan System Of a Down members welcome opposition Resistance Movement actions in Armenia (PHOTOS) Journalist attacked in Baku 19 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia in past 5 days Novak: Russia has already started selling oil to a number of new buyers Putin: NATO countries did not want to hear Russia Two Chinese ships enter Japanese territorial waters China assures Australia of peaceful intentions in cooperation with Solomon Islands Holy Etchmiadzin clergy visit Victory Park memorial in Yerevan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Let us live for new victories Armenia ex-defense minister: Wedding at Mountains ideologically impossible after change of power NATO Secretary General urges Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine Karabakh negotiation process did not fail under Armenia ex-President Serzh Sargsyan, says Seyran Ohanyan Armenia ex-defense minister: Resistance Movements breakthrough moment already passed Karabakh President visits Stepanakert Memorial on May 9 anniversaries Armenia Investigative Committee chief on including PM Pashinyan as defendant: We have just accepted proceedings Heavy snowfall recorded in Armenia rural community, in May! Karabakh President: Shushi is in captivity again, Artsakh must always be Armenian and impregnable Armenias Pashinyan to Russias Putin: Memory of great past obliges us to strengthen our inherited friendly ties Armenia PM arrives at Victory Park accompanied by enhanced security Armenia ex-President Serzh Sargsyan: For stateless servile creatures, cost of peace is homage paid to enemy Azerbaijanis desecrate Armenian church in occupied Togh village of Artsakh (VIDEO) Armenia PM: Blood of our martyrs who gave their lives to Motherland should not be forgotten Armenia premier, president, others are at Victory Park Armenia marks May 9 Armenia PM visits Yerevan military pantheon Zelenskyy and German Parliament Speaker discuss heavy weapons supply to Ukraine Bloomberg: Hungary continues to block EU oil sanctions against Russia Israel to abolish mandatory PCR testing at airport as of 20 May US and G7 countries introduce new package of sanctions against Russia and Belarus Syrian President visits Iran Canada PM visits city of Irpin in Ukraine Armenia's ex-president Serzh Sargsyan is on France Square Ukrainian media report on US First Lady's visit to Uzhhorod, Ukraine Marine Le Pen still hopes to defeat Macron in parliamentary elections German Parliament Speaker arrives in Kiev German media reports Russian hacker attack on German government website Resistance Movement rally in Gyumri ends: next rally will take place tomorrow in France Square Armenia Ombudsman's Office to monitor rallies also in Gyumri Media: IS militants fire seven rockets at Tajik Armed Forces Rally of Resistance Movement in Gyumri Germany registers steepest rise in diesel prices among EU countries since February Minute of silence declared in Artsakh on 9 May in memory of those killed fighting for homeland Bloomberg: G7 leaders to discuss possible new sanctions against Russia Ex-security chief John Lee named new leader of Hong Kong Xi Jinping Delivers a Keynote Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022 Resistance movement heads to Gyumri with car march Andy Warhol's portrait of Marilyn Monroe breaks all records at auction in New York Ancient Roman 2,000-year-old relic bought in US for $35 Ferrari bans Justin Bieber from buying its sports cars St. Kirakos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir reopened seven years later The Russian-American dialogue on strategic stability is formally frozen, and there are no prospects for cooperation on this issue, said Vladimir Yermakov, Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Russian Foreign Ministry. As of today, the situation is such that there is no need to talk about any prospects for negotiations on strategic stability with the United States. Unfortunately, all of Washington's actions are directed in the diametrically opposite direction. In any dialogue, and even more so in a strategic dialogue, it is necessary, at a minimum, to have an adequately tuned partner. At the moment, such a dialogue is formally frozen on the American side, the diplomat said in an interview with TASS. Cooperation between Russia and the United States provided for an agreement enshrined in the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles. On August 2, 2019, the United States withdrew from the agreement, accusing Russia of violating it. The Russian authorities denied the allegations, saying that the United States was only looking for an excuse to get rid of arms control restrictions. On December 18, 2021, Russia officially withdrew from the Open Skies Treaty, which regulated the regime of flights over the territory of the participating countries to monitor their military activities within the specified restrictions, Kommersant writes. Budapest's major logistics hub promotes Sino-EU trade cooperation Xinhua) 12:03, April 30, 2022 BUDAPEST, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Central European Trade and Logistics Cooperation Zone (CECZ), founded here in 2012, is a major trade hub that facilitates trade cooperation between Hungarian and Chinese companies and also between China and the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEEC). Established by Beijing as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the CECZ is China's first national-level trade and logistics overseas cooperation zone. After ten years of development, the CECZ has now become a two-way interactive platform for Chinese and European enterprises, facilitating cooperation in the following areas: exhibitions and trade, logistics, warehousing and industrial investments. Wu Jiang, chief executive officer (CEO) of the CECZ, has overseen the zone's development since its inception. BUILDING BRIDGES Wu arrived in Hungary to work in business and logistics more than 30 years ago. The idea to create the CECZ was first raised in 2011, he recalled. In June of that year, Hungary hosted the first China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum, where China set in motion its economic and trade cooperation with the countries of the region. This perfectly matched the Hungarian government's newly announced "Eastern Opening" policy. Drawing on his years of experience, Wu was aware of the challenges inherent to such an undertaking. The participating Chinese companies had no prior experience in the region, and if they wanted to develop overseas, they would have to build up their presence from scratch. Platforms like the CECZ proved vital to their effort. Cai Bin, authorized representative of China's Gree Electric Appliances Inc. in Hungary, is very impressed by the CECZ's potential to serve as a bridge for economic and trade cooperation. "After our goods arrive, they are stored in the warehouse in the zone When we place an order, the staff here will help us deliver it to various supermarkets across Hungary, which is very convenient for us," she said. Since Cai's company entered the zone in 2016, its business volume has increased significantly. The sales figures for 2021 are seven or eight times higher than they were in 2016. RAIL ROUTES Hungary's geographical location makes it an ideal spot for a logistics hub, and the CECZ's record over the past decade has justified all its founders' expectations. The arrival in June 2017 of the first Changsha-Budapest China-Europe freight train operated by the zone represented a new milestone in the CECZ's history. This train, carrying 41 containers filled with Chinese-made products, was the first to enter a European Union (EU) member state via Ukraine. "The opening of the Ukraine-Hungary route has been a very beneficial addition to the trajectory of the China-Europe freight train," Wu said. Compared with the traditional northern route of the China-Europe freight trains that reached the EU via Poland, this southern route avoids the predictable congestion at the Belarus-Poland border and shortens both travel distance and time. In the past few years, the CECZ has established cooperation with the operators of other train routes, such as those linking the Chinese cities of Xi'an, Jinan, Guangzhou and Linyi with Budapest. On January 29, 2017, the "China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line" was inaugurated by the CECZ and China's shipping giant COSCO. Goods from Ningbo, China, are shipped by sea to the Port of Piraeus in Greece, and then delivered to Budapest by rail. Most recently, on October 21, 2020, a regular cargo charter flight route between Zhengzhou and Budapest was opened. Ghibli, a full-service logistics provider, was among the first companies to settle in CECZ's Logistics Park in Budapest's Csepel Port. "I am very proud that we were the first company to send an export train to China, and that together with the COSCO Group we have transported goods from Piraeus Port to Budapest," Ghibli's CEO Zoltan Szabo said. Using the CECZ's platform, the company's warehouse capacity expanded from 15,000 square meters when it moved in 2013 to 55,000 square meters in 2021. EXPANSION The past decade has also witnessed the CECZ's continuous expansion. Today, it also has an exhibition center in Budapest and two logistics parks respectively in Csepel Port and in Germany's Bremen Port. Furthermore, the CECZ is now a major actor in industrial investment as well. In 2021, the zone's cumulative investment portfolio was worth 135 million U.S. dollars. It was home to 175 enterprises, among them 50 Chinese-funded holding companies, accounting for a total trade volume of nearly 2.7 billion U.S. dollars and exports of 4.2 billion U.S. dollars. Huawei, Wanhua, Bosch, Siemens, Audi, Samsung and many other well-known Chinese and international are now active in the CECZ. With the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce in recent years, the CECZ is also actively engaged in overseas warehouse construction and supports logistics services there. "We hope to provide services for the projects of the BRI by building more trade and logistics parks," Wu commented. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji) If Mary Lovelace had lingered at dinner a little longer, she might have missed him. Had she left the restaurant a couple of minutes earlier, she wouldnt have been next to Angelo Valenti when he collapsed. Advertisement But luck intervened, and Lovelace a nurse at Loyola University Medical Center happened to be walking down a sidewalk in Scottsdale, Arizona, on March 24 at the exact same time that Valenti, of Highland Park, fell to the ground midconversation, going into cardiac arrest. As people yelled around her, Lovelace knelt on the brick pavers and gave Valenti whom she had never met CPR. She pumped on his chest for nearly eight minutes, until an ambulance arrived, helping to save his life. Advertisement Thank God she was there because every doctor Ive seen since Ive gotten back starts off with, Do you realize how lucky you are? said Valenti, 58, now back in Highland Park recovering from the ordeal. To have a nurse right next to me, literally, was just a miracle. Mary Lovelace, a NICU nurse, at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood on April 28, 2022. Lovelace was vacationing in Arizona in March when a man collapsed and she performed CPR on him, helping to save his life. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Each year more than 350,000 people in the U.S. experience cardiac arrest which is when the heart suddenly stops beating outside of a hospital environment, according to the American Heart Association. About 90% of those people die, but performing immediate CPR can double or triple a persons chance of survival, according to the American Heart Association. Cardiac arrest is different than a heart attack. It was only after Lovelace gave Valenti CPR that she learned they were both from the Chicago area, vacationing in Arizona that week. I just said, Angelo, someone was watching out for you, said Susie Cohn, one of Valentis friends, who was on vacation with him at the time and saw everything unfold. Shes from Loyola. Were all from Chicago. Shes on vacation. Were on vacation. Lovelace, also 58, had flown from Chicago to Arizona early that same morning, and was visiting with friends over dinner at a restaurant in a Scottsdale shopping center. Yawning over her meal, Lovelace told her friends that she had to get going. As she was walking out of the shopping center with her friend and her friends adult son, Valenti and his friends and family were heading toward Shake Shack for dinner. Valenti, his wife and two 15-year-old twin sons were spending spring break in Arizona with Cohn and her family, who are longtime friends, also from Highland Park. As he was joking and talking, Valenti bumped into Cohn. He then fell onto the adult son of Lovelaces friend, walking nearby. The next thing we knew, he was on this guys feet, Cohn said. I thought he was being funny. Advertisement At first, Lovelace also wondered if it was a joke. She soon realized it wasnt. I looked down and Im like, Oh, gosh, Lovelace said. He was really gray already. Her training as a nurse kicked in immediately, and she started directing the people around her to call 911 and search for an automated external defibrillator. She dropped to the ground and started chest compressions. People were crying and yelling his name, and I completely blocked that out, she said. Lovelace who has worked as a NICU nurse at Loyola for 37 years had performed CPR before, but never on an adult and never outside of a hospital. When she performs CPR on babies, she uses two fingers to press down on their chests. With Valenti, she had to use both hands, and the force of her entire body, to keep his heart pumping. Advertisement Im only 5-foot, 2-inches, Lovelace said. I knew I had to go harder. Just a couple of weeks earlier, Lovelace had participated in a CPR review class. A few minutes in, she felt one of his ribs break from the pressure. She heard him draw in a sharp breath. In my mind, Im like, Oh buddy, Im sorry, but thank goodness youre still breathing, Lovelace said. An ambulance soon arrived, and the emergency medical technicians took over from Lovelace, and rushed him to a nearby hospital. Cohn turned to Lovelace to ask her if he was being taken to a good hospital, and Lovelace replied that she wasnt from Scottsdale. Thats when they realized they were all from the Chicago area. They exchanged numbers, and Lovelace followed up with Cohn in the following days to see how Valenti was doing. Valenti said for the first day or so that he was in the hospital, he wasnt responding to his name. But eventually he came around, to the relief of his family and friends. Advertisement Doctors in Arizona inserted a implantable cardioverter defibrillator in his chest to prevent another cardiac arrest, Valenti said. Hes still not sure exactly what caused him to go into cardiac arrest that day in March, though he did have a mitral valve repair years ago. Valenti said he felt fine all day, leading up to his collapse in Scottsdale. About a week after going into cardiac arrest, Valenti was able to fly home to Highland Park. He has no memory of falling on the sidewalk in Scottsdale, and doesnt recall much about the day before or after. But his friends and family have filled him in about what Lovelace did that day. Im pretty amazed, just to be here and talking, Valenti said. I feel like I have another birthday March 24. I died and lived through it and now every day I have is extra thanks to Mary. Recently, Valenti called Lovelace to say thank you. They talked about their families, their jobs and, of course, the day she came to his rescue. Advertisement It was very powerful, and us talking to each other, it was a very emotional conversation, Lovelace said. Im glad I was there at the right time to do what I know how to do and what Ive been trained to do over the years. Valenti plans to have Lovelace and her family over this summer, once hes fully recovered. He said hes already feeling much more like himself, with more energy and less pain in his chest. I told her we are forever connected, Valenti said. I said theres definitely going to be Christmas cards every year. Theres a bond there now. She will never have to buy another bottle of wine the rest of her life, said Valenti, who works for a wine distributor. Cohn, who witnessed everything, said what happened has given her renewed faith in humanity, especially when the world is a little upside down right now. It just really goes to show, for me, how a nurse isnt just someone who works their job when they clock in at a hospital, Cohn said. She just didnt hesitate. She didnt think twice. She was just on top of this man that she didnt know. Advertisement It just shows what a heart nurses have. Their instinct just kicks in and they save people no matter if it was their vacation. lschencker@chicagotribune.com Russia admits striking Kyiv during UN chief's visit Russia admits striking Kyiv during UN chief's visit Russia confirmed on Friday that it carried out an air strike on Kyiv during a visit by the UN's secretary general, the first such attack on the Ukrainian capital in nearly two weeks, and in which a journalist also died. Vera Gyrych, a producer for the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was killed when a Russian missile hit the building where she lived, the media group said. Russia's defence ministry said it had deployed "high-precision, long-range air-based weapons" that "destroyed the production buildings of the Artyom missile and space enterprise in Kyiv". Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a stronger global response to Thursday's strikes, which immediately followed his talks in the city with UN chief Antonio Guterres. "It is unfortunate, but such a deliberate and brutal humiliation of the United Nations by Russia has gone unanswered," he said. Guterres had also toured Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs where Moscow is alleged to have committed war crimes. Russia denies killing civilians. Germany said the "inhumane" attack showed Russian President Vladimir Putin has "no respect whatsoever for international law". The powerful blast ripped out walls and doors, leaving piles of rubble on the ground. "I think Russians aren't afraid of anything, not even the world's judgement," Anna Hromovych, deputy director of a heavily damaged clinic, said as she and others were cleaning up the devastation on Friday. Putin is nevertheless due to attend November's G20 summit, President Joko Widodo of host nation Indonesia said. Zelensky also has been invited. The United States repeated its strong opposition to Putin's invitation, with a State Department spokesperson saying "it can't be business as usual" after Russia attacked Ukraine. (AFP) The Indian economy is likely to take over 12 years to overcome the COVID-19 losses, according to a report released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday. In its report on 'currency and finance for the year 2021-22', the RBI said, the pandemic is a watershed moment and the ongoing structural changes catalysed by the pandemic can potentially alter the growth trajectory in the medium-term. "Sustained thrust on capital expenditure by the government, push to digitalisation and growing opportunities for new investment in areas like e-commerce, start-ups, renewables and supply chain logistics could in turn, contribute to step up the trend growth while closing the formal-informal gap in the economy," the report noted. The RBI further noted in the report, the pre-COVID trend growth rate works out to 6.6 per cent (CAGR for 2012-13 to 2019-20) and excluding the slowdown years it works out to 7.1 per cent (CAGR for 2012-13 to 2016-17). "Taking the actual growth rate of (-) 6.6 per cent for 2020-21, 8.9 per cent for 2021-22 and assuming growth rate of 7.2 per cent for 2022-23, and 7.5 per cent beyond that, India is expected to overcome COVID-19 losses in 2034-35," the report said. The output losses for individual years have been worked out to Rs 19.1 lakh crore, Rs 17.1 lakh crore and Rs 16.4 lakh crore for 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23, respectively. The Reserve Bank of India released the Report on Currency and Finance (RCF) for the year 2021-22 on Friday. The theme of the report is "Revive and Reconstruct" in the context of nurturing a durable recovery post-COVID and raising trend growth in the medium-term. The blueprint of reforms proposed in the report revolves around seven wheels of economic progress viz., aggregate demand; aggregate supply; institutions, intermediaries and markets; macroeconomic stability and policy coordination; productivity and technological progress; structural change; and sustainability. The report noted, "the pandemic is not yet over. A fresh wave of COVID has hit China, South Korea and several parts of Europe. However, various economies are reacting divergently ranging from a no-COVID policy in some jurisdictions (e.g., China, Hong Kong and Bhutan) on the one hand to those with relatively open borders and removal of internal restrictions (e.g., Denmark and the UK). In India, the restriction levels are being dynamically calibrated at local levels in response to the evolving situation." (ANI) New Delhi [India], April 30 (ANI/SRV): Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute's YouTube channel offers varied e-lessons by the acting guru himself, though they may not be considered a substitute for training. The best option remains real time training, interfacing with a real trainer who can provide encouragement and feedback. But since the need of the hour is online training, Kapoor decided to make his techniques available to anyone and everyone seeking to better themselves in the craft of acting. Kishore Namit Kapoor (or the acting guru as he is referred to in the media), in his usual pioneering style, has come up with a new method for training young actors. Kapoor has decided to make a feature-length film which will serve as a training program not only for the participating actors in the movie, as they go about learning various techniques on set, but also for those watching the film, who can observe each step of the process. This training film will feature fictional scenes (performed by a special batch) as well as the process of creating them (highlighting the challenges that go into creating emotional or fun scenes, what it takes to be charming or charismatic on camera, how to be effective on set and in dubbing). Once this film has been created, it can then be watched by others and they can imbibe in themselves all that it takes to be excellent in acting for films and television. Through this journey, Kapoor's intent is to create a new species of actor and ultimately, a new form of superstar - the mindful actor. An actor who performs solely in the moment with a deep sense of joy, as though celebrating through their art form. The "mindful" style of performance allows actors to access the ease and joy of creating. For this purpose, Kapoor is inviting young actors from across the country whom he can groom in the classroom and on sets. This special batch will be part of his breakthrough movie "THE LEGACY" that will not only teach the participants the craft of acting but will also be a handbook for all those coming after. Kapoor plans to put his decades of experience in this one film that'll include all of his techniques that have led to the creation of some of the most relevant and charismatic stars of Bollywood today namely Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, Vicky Kaushal, Kareena Kapoor the list is nearly endless. The added bonus to this breakthrough process is that the actors of this particular batch will not have to go through the embarrassment of auditions and the struggles that other young actors have to endure. Instead, they will have a full length feature film on their hands with challenging scenes, highlighting their strengths and capturing their beauty. This will ease their transition into the industry and will give them a head start against their competitors. "The intention is to make a film that people can watch across the world and learn all of my techniques," shares Kapoor "since not everyone can make it all the way to Mumbai - the city of dreams. Through this film, I plan to take the city of dreams to them instead. I also invite the film industry to come in and invest with us in this breakthrough project." Kishore Namit Kapoor is an author of several books on acting and has spent many decades perfecting the art of training. He has trained some of the most relevant and successful names on the silver screen and in television today. The technical direction of this film will be done by Bahaish Kapoor, who is a filmmaker and writer. His work is available on platforms like Disney + Hostar. To be part of this special batch, one can apply at KNK ACTING INSTITUTE (9820036584/ 9820224455 or visit their website www.knkactinginstitute.com) This story is provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV) Salem (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 30 (ANI/NewsVoir): They are a brand of "jewellery that understands the persona of women", as summed up in their tag line - 'Penn Manadhai Purintha Ponn'. We are talking about Tamil Nadu-based jewellery brand from the Emerald group, JewelOne. The Salem store of JewelOne has been relaunched at a newer location and was inaugurated recently (on April 29, 2022), at a grand event on Omalur Main Road. The new store has been designed in a new format in a single-floor layout across 2534 sft. It's all set to give the customers a wonderful experience. The new store was inaugurated by the Founder and Managing Director of Emerald Jewel Industry India Limited, K Srinivasan along with other dignitaries, who graced the event in presence of their Chief Operating Officer, Vaideeswaran N. The store was inaugurated by cutting the welcome ribbon and traditional lamp lighting. During the launch, K Srinivasan, the Managing Director of Emerald Jewel Industry India Limited quoted, "We are delighted to have brought a new experience to our customers. Our new Salem showroom has been designed in a new format on a single floor spanning an area of 2534 sft. With a frontage of 34 feet, it will be the first store in JewelOne's history to have 30+ feet of frontage area. What will delight our customers is the store has underground parking also." As part of the launch celebrations, JewelOne has several exciting offers in gold and diamond jewellery for its customers that are sure to delight them. As part of the offers, customers can also get a free silver Akshaya vilakku. While addressing the gathering, Vaideeswaran N, Chief Operating officer shared that the JewelOne has been undergoing various changes to keep itself relevant in the market place. It has brought 4 collections, viz, Chiara (affordable diamond collection), Ayanaa (floral collection), Nirjhara (theme-based diamond collection) and Zheena (vibrant gemstone collection) in the last 12 months to delight its design seeking customers. It has products from 4.99 per cent (VA) onwards. This show room has a service facility for customers. Also, for the first time JewelOne is housing an exclusive wedding jewellery counter to cater to the wedding customers. JewelOne is a brand with 15 showrooms across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The brand plans to expand its retail presence through franchisees and business partners across the state and nationally as well. You can visit JewelOne at 1/2, Arthanari Nagar, Opposite to New Bus Stand, Omalur Main Road. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Apart from experience sharing, aimed at safe and sustained usage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), the oil marketing companies will also make efforts to maximise customer enrolment. In addition to LPG panchayats, distribution of new connections under Ujjwala 2.0; explaining the details of new Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) categories and collection of KYC forms for the ongoing Ujjwala 2.0 scheme, organizing Free Hot Plate service camps, organisation of safety clinics, facilitation of Ujjwala beneficiaries etc will also be organised, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas said in a statement on Saturday. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is a popular initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government for social inclusion. Under the scheme, free LPG connection is provided to every BPL household. The scheme was launched on 1st May 2016 at Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. To celebrate the achievements of the scheme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has decided to celebrate 1st May 2022 as Ujjwala Diwas. On the occasion of Ujjwala Diwas on Sunday, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameshwar Teli is scheduled to preside over a Ujjwala Diwas celebration programme at Dibrugarh, Assam. The minister is also scheduled to hand over LPG connections to new Ujjwala beneficiaries. (ANI) The government on Saturday said it has decided to exempt some consumer electronic products including mobile phones, servers, smart watches, smart cameras and PoS machines from mandatory testing in order to reduce the compliance burden. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) carries out compulsory registration of specified goods, such as laptops, wireless keyboards, PoS machines and other electronic equipment, under the 'Electronics and Information Technology (Requirement for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2012'. The Department of Telecom (DoT) has specified 'Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE)' under Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 issued on 5th September 2017 for equipment capable of being used for telecommunications. "With increasing convergence of technology, regulatory overlap was noted regarding certain products such as smart watch, smart camera etc. Representations were also received from industries and industry associations regarding overlapping jurisdiction of DOT and MEITY. It was highlighted that such overlap is a deterrent for timely launch of new products. It also increases the compliance cost for the industry," the Ministry of Communications said in a statement. The Department of Telecom (DoT) in consultation with MEITY examined the issue and has now decided to exempt the following products from the ambit of MTCTE regime, it ministry said. The exempted products include Mobile User Equipment / Mobile handsets (Mobile phone), Servers, Smart watches, Smart cameras and PoS Machines (Point of Sale Devices). "The exemptions on these widely used products will reduce the compliance burden and will enable the industry to roll out their products faster. It will reduce import delays," the ministry said. This regulatory reform shall improve the ease of doing business for electronics manufacturing companies and contribute towards making India a $1 trillion digital economy, it added. The ministry further added, "The Gazette Notification in this regard will be issued in due course." (ANI) Gurugram (Haryana) [India], April 30 (ANI/NewsVoir): SEWOCON 2022, a seminar-cum-workshop-cum-conclave of resident welfare associations (RWAs), was successfully hosted by the Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (HARERA), along with various departments of Haryana Government, at Hotel Westin in Gurugram on Friday, April 29, 2022. The day-long event was curated by Gurgaon-headquartered new-age real estate development company Whiteland Corporation. Addressing the valedictory session, Chief Minister Manohar Lal announced that certain regions in the state will be taken up in timely manner. He also appreciated the efforts of Navdeep Sardana, CMD of Whiteland Corporation, in organising an event of this scale. The idea of SEWOCON, according to the organisers, was to create a platform for continuous dialogue among various stakeholders of the real estate industry in the region. Top Government officials present at the event gave patient hearing to various issues and concerns voiced by RWAs and provided clarity on many aspects. Resident welfare associations (RWAs) participated in large number and received fruitful insights into key subjects concerning the sector and the resident associations. The event was successful in creating awareness about the Haryana Apartment Ownership Act, the Haryana Registration & Regulations of Societies Act and Haryana RERA, through high-power discussions and audio-visual presentation. Expressing satisfaction at the successful completion of the event, Whiteland CMD Sardana said, "We are proud to be associated as Awareness Partner with this great event SEWOCON." Since its establishment in 2017, he said, RERA has helped the real estate sector in attracting better investments across the nation. Haryana RERA, in particular, has been a pioneer in making Gurugram the most preferred real estate investment location, he said. "The gap between citizens and authorities has decreased as a result of HRERA's numerous public awareness campaigns. Such steps, I am confident, will go a long way toward ensuring that fair and transparent practices are implemented in the real estate market," added Sardana. 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 30 (ANI/NewsVoir): The level of medical education in India is uneven and DAMS (Delhi Academy of Medical Sciences) which has recently completed 22 years of its classroom programme and half a million downloads on its mobile app eMedicoz has taken things to the next level by launching Simulation-based medical education at its Delhi centre. The innovative idea of Simulation-based education enhances the students from all perspectives, it provides a structured, learner-centred environment in which novice, intermediate, and advanced practitioners can learn or practice skills without causing harm to patients. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sumer Sethi, Founder of DAMS shared his enthusiasm and vision to democratize medical education. He said, "At DAMS we are on a mission, to make sure each medical student gets to learn from the best irrespective of place or college. We are now starting a new mission DAMS-SIM, simulation-based skill training for medical students, starting in the Delhi center this week. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." Simulation is an important methodology in bridging the gap between theory and practice in medical education. Delhi Academy of Medical Sciences always believe in making up gradation in medical education, they have launched eMedicoz app which helps to bridge the gap amongst medical students. The Delhi Academy of Medical Sciences (DAMS) was established to create a bench-mark institution to achieve excellence in the toughest competitive exam in the country, i.e. PG Medical Entrance Exam. Over this long period, the DAMS has evolved into a unique fraternity of educators and students striving together, year after year, in pursuit of a single goal. The innovation of eMedicoz app helps to bridge the gap amongst medical students preparing for various career opportunities at the post-doctoral level and provides them with a common platform where they can get all useful information in one place and prepare for common national level examinations like NEET-PG, NEXT. Through this app, students get the opportunity to discuss medical cases with their seniors and peers across the world. For more details visit: www.emedicoz.com, www.damsdelhi.com or call at 011-40094009. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) Reacting to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) crackdown and seizure of Rs 5,551.27 crore assets in India, Chinese telecom firm Xiaomi on Saturday said it is committed to working closely with the government authorities to clarify any "misunderstandings". "As a brand committed to India, all our operations are firmly compliant with local laws and regulations. We have studied the order from government authorities carefully," Xiaomi spokesperson said in a statement. "We believe our royalty payments and statements to the bank are all legit and truthful. These royalty payments that Xiaomi India made were for the in-licensed technologies and IPs used in our Indian version products. It is a legitimate commercial arrangement for Xiaomi India to make such royalty payments," it said. "However, we are committed to working closely with government authorities to clarify any misunderstandings," Xiaomi spokesperson added in the statement. The company's statement came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said it has seized Rs 5,551.27 crore of assets lying in the bank accounts of Xiaomi Technology India Pvt Ltd. The ED's crackdown on Xiaomi is under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in connection with illegal remittances made by the firm in February this year. According to the ED, the Company has remitted foreign currency equivalent to Rs 5,551.27 crore to three foreign-based entities which include one Xiaomi group entity in the guise of Royalty. "Such huge amounts in the name of Royalties were remitted on the instructions of their Chinese parent group entities. The amount remitted to other two US-based unrelated entities were also for the ultimate benefit of the Xiaomi group entities," the ED said. (ANI) Just before opening at 7 a.m., customers peek through the windows at Dinkel's Bakery & Cafe on its final day, April 30, 2022. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune) Dinkels Bakery, open since 1922 and owned by three generations of the Dinkel family, who made countless cakes to celebrate and grieve over the decades, closed permanently at 5 p.m. Saturday in Chicago. I was here about 4:30 a.m., said Nicole Udrow, the first person in a line of 50 or so an hour before the doors opened at 7 a.m. I currently live up in the Edison Park area, but Im taking orders for the entire family from Dixon, Illinois, up to the Wisconsin border. Advertisement She was hoping to get some homestyle cakes. Thats their famous buttercream cake with either a chocolate or vanilla filling, Udrow said. Every birthday, thats what we got. We didnt look forward to the presents; we looked forward to the Dinkels cake. Advertisement Many customers have been coming to the Lakeview neighborhood bakery in the past few weeks for their final Dinkels cakes. Yesterday, there was a 65th wedding anniversary, said Luke Karl, general manager. Theyve been getting their cakes here their entire marriage, and probably before that, they were saying. Karl started working at the bakery in 2008. He got in for his final shift at 4 a.m. Todays just going to be a bake off, Karl said. Were trying to bake off as much Danish and coffee cakes and cakes and doughnuts as we can. Dinkel's Bakery & Cafe General Manager Luke Karl, left, ices cupcakes for one of final times on April 30, 2022. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune) At one point he was supposed to take over the bakery from owner Norm Dinkel, his former father-in-law. Theres always a chance, Karl said. He and I have a wonderful relationship. Dinkel sold the property at 3329 N. Lincoln Ave. on April 5. He announced the closing of the bakery the same day. Dinkel retains the business and all the family recipes, including their bestselling stollen, a golden mosaic of fruited bread. Three bakers were the first to arrive at 2 a.m. on the final morning. Advertisement We have kolaches, Sergio Hernandez said, releasing a warm blast of buttery sweet aromas while pulling trays from a walk-in oven. We did three different flavors: raspberry, cheese and apricot. We still have some fruit coffee cakes in the oven. Hernandez, originally from Mexico City, has been baking for the past 20 years and started working at Dinkels about eight years ago. There are a couple of things that are my favorites, and Im gonna take for the family, he said. Kolaches, stollen and some of the doughnuts too my kids love them. Hes trying to find another place to work. These years were some of my favorite years, Hernandez said. I learned a lot in this place. I had nice co-workers. And Mr. Dinkel and Luke, theyre very nice people. Dinkel sold the property to Senco Properties. Advertisement I have a three-month lease, he said. April was the bakerys final month in business, with the last lamb cakes beribboned and boxed for Easter. In May, well get the equipment auctioned off. And then in June, well get it cleaned up the way the new people want it. The sale did not include the bakerys iconic neon sign. I was going to tear it down, Dinkel said, only to find out that theres some significant value to collectors. So Im going to auction it off. Customers line up down the block before Dinkel's Bakery & Cafe opened for the final time April 30, 2022. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune) Donley Auctions in Union, Illinois, will begin taking bids sometime near the third week of May. The proceeds will be donated equally between the Little Sisters of the Poor and Misericordia. This way, Im going to take care of the young and the old, Dinkel said. And I think thats a nice way to go out. His son, Eric Dinkel, came in from Denver, Colorado, to help on the final day. Advertisement I grew up working here, he said. And worked here for a number of years in my 20s, then decided to be a teacher. He teaches high school science. The elephant in the room question is, why am I not taking over? Eric Dinkel said. I gave it a go, and I love it, but its just not my thing. I went into my moms business. She was a teacher, so I got into that world. Thats just where I resonate in this life. Hes been reminding his father theres something good about deciding what to do about your life, and not having it decided for you. Hes worked hard, Eric Dinkel said. Its time for him to take his retirement and start a new chapter. That new chapter includes writing a book about the history of the bakery, with recipes for professional and home bakers, possibly out for Christmas. Advertisement Im not sure if were going to talk about the downs, Norm Dinkel said. But well talk about the ups. Its the end to an epic immigrant familys era of loves and losses that spanned more than a century. My grandfather, Joseph Dinkel, came over from Germany in 1905 or so, Norm Dinkel said. How did he end up in Chicago? I dont know. But he came over as a certified master baker. Joseph Dinkel got a job at Schulze & Burch Biscuit Company on the South Side and worked there for a number of years. Meanwhile, his wife, my grandmother, Antonie Dinkel, came over on her own dime, Dinkel said. Because the story had it that if she didnt like the United States, then she was going back to Germany. She didnt want to be obligated if he paid for her passage. She was a pretty independent woman. German bakery owners who did go back home to visit were gone for months at a time, because of the time it took to travel. Advertisement My grandfather would come in and run their bakeries for them, he said. And in all cases when the bakery boss came back thats what they called bakery owners back then the bakery was running much better. Much better product and theyre making a lot more money. So my grandfather said, I think we can do this. In 1922, the couple took over a bakery and renamed it Dinkels. It stood across the street from where their business would go on to stand for 100 years. He baked, and she sold. In 26, they moved across the street, Norm Dinkel said. People said, Youll never be a success moving to the east side of Lincoln Avenue, because people dont like to shop when the sun is on that side of the street. This was way before air conditioning was ever around. My grandpa said if they want good baked foods theyre going to have to cross the street. And they did. Advertisement He bought the building where the cafe is now in 1926 for $72,000, Dinkel said. But the Great Depression hit in 1929. My grandfather had borrowed a lot of money from Lakeview Bank, said Dinkel. So he went over to see the folks at the bank. Unlike today, they said, Hey Joe, we dont want to be in the bakery business. Were in the banking business. So you pay us out what you can, and well work it out together. And he did. Thats how the bakery got through the Depression. They were open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. In 1934, they expanded and built a new section. Around that time, the bakery was open on a Saturday night. A hold up man came in and shot my grandfather in the back, Dinkel said. My grandfather survived the bullet wound, but he lost interest in the business. Advertisement I guess if you got shot in your own business, you might become a little hesitant. My father was going to the University of Illinois in Champaign, Dinkel said. He wanted to become a lawyer. He didnt want any part of the bakery business. His father, Norman Dinkel Sr., dropped out of college and eventually took over the bakery. My mother told me when Christmas came, everyone would work from 5 a.m. on Christmas Eve, and closed the store at 10 p.m., Dinkel said. And everybody would go get cleaned up, wear black tie, cocktails were served at midnight, and Christmas dinner was served at two oclock in the morning. Norman Dinkel Jr., the 3rd generation owner of Dinkel's Bakery, stands next to Clara Rostan at the bakery on May 1, 1972, in Chicago ahead of its 50th anniversary. (Walter Kale / Chicago Tribune) Norman Dinkel Jr. was born at Ravenswood Hospital on April 11, 1944. In 1946, they built the existing store, and the neon sign went up. Advertisement In the 50s and 60s, we would do 200 or 300 graduation cakes easily on a weekend, Dinkel said. But it was very easy back then. Youd use the school colors. Congratulations, Harry, Class of 62. That was it. He went to grade school at Queen of All Saints; high school at Northwestern Military and Naval Academy in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; then Lake Forest College. He fulfilled his fathers original plan to become a lawyer. I went to Loyola law school, class of 69, Dinkel said. And then I practiced law for a couple of years. He worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission in Chicago as an enforcement attorney. Family businesses, theyre not easy, Dinkel said. I used to have terrible disagreements with my late father. If he were alive today, I would apologize profusely. In 1972, Norman Dinkel Sr. told his son to come into the bakery business or he was going to sell it. Advertisement I talked to a couple of senior partners at law firms, Norman Dinkel Jr. said. I asked them, If you could lead your life over, would you want to practice law or own a business? And all those lawyers who owned their own law firms said, Actually, I think Id rather own my own business. So thats how I made the decision to get into the bakery business. He and his late wife, Holly Dinkel, raised two daughters and one son in the bakery. There are now five grandchildren in the family. Ive done it for 50 years, Dinkel said. I was icing cakes last week, and as much as I think I can still ice 100 cakes easily, the parts dont work like they used to. Hes had help from about two dozen employees. The succession plan was that my daughter was going to be the idea person, Dinkel said. And Luke, my former son-in-law, was going to be the implementer of those ideas. Unfortunately, they divorced, and she moved out of Chicago. Advertisement Hes got the best baking instincts ever and a wonderful attitude, Dinkel said. I am so sorry that this is happening. It would have been much easier to have kept the business going, and I walked away from it. Im emotionally moved by all the customers and all their memories, Dinkel said, his voice breaking. All the family events that our little bakery became a part of. Its just overwhelming. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > On his 78th birthday April 11, he didnt celebrate with any of the cake that he and his family have made for 100 years. Nobody was here, he said. I had dinner all by myself in my house very late, because its been chaos at the bakery. Everybody in the family is flying in for the closing, Dinkel said. Were gonna have a little family party tonight. And were gonna have white rose cake, brownie torte, and black forest cake. Whats white rose cake? Advertisement Its a combination of chocolate and vanilla cakes, white chocolate mousse, vanilla buttercream with chocolate ganache poured on top and one buttercream rose on top, he aid. Thats one of my favorite cakes. lchu@chicagotribune.com Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. Popular actress Shweta Tiwari along with 'Patiala Babes' fame Sourabh Raaj Jain, have flown off to Dubai to shoot a music video. Sourabh said: "It's an innocent story of love and I think for me the way he loves is a love rarely seen in this day and age. The definition of love and relationship has changed over time and the intricacies of it are beautifully going to be shown in this song." On his working experience with Shweta, he shared: "And of course I am looking forward to working with Shweta ji who I have already shared screen space with in 'Khatron ke Khiladi' and with our recent web series together our camaraderie has only increased." "The song itself is beautiful and the first time I heard it, I remember telling myself this one can be on repeat mode in my car. And that's the kind of content I love being a part of, one that has a shelf life of a lifetime," added Sourabh. Sourabh has done varied roles on television and been a part of popular shows like 'Remix', 'Mahabharat', 'Mahakali', 'Chandrugupta Maurya'. He has done reality shows such as 'Nach Baliye' and 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' last season. --IANS ila/kr ( 216 Words) 2022-04-30-19:20:13 (IANS) Taking to Twitter, Seenu Ramasamy wrote in Tamil, "It is the first Asian Tamil film without an editor. It is the first non-linear single shot film in which actor Parthiban himself acts and also directs others. 'Iravin Nizhal' is historical pride and a light house to Tamil cinema." Seenu Ramasamy isn't the only one who has praised Parthiban's film 'Iravin Nizhal', which is the world's first non-linear single shot film. Director Obeli Krishna, who is now directing actor Simbu's next film 'Paththu Thala' too had words of praise for Parthiban's film. He tweeted, "Fortunate to watch Parthiban sir's 'Iravin Nizhal'. No words to praise his art and dedication. A R Rahman sir's BGM gives life and engagement. Loved Arthur Wilson's camera and art direction. Big salute to the team. It's going to be curriculum for film makers, real single shot movie." --IANS mani/kr ( 180 Words) 2022-04-30-19:22:52 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday said the Indian medical students from foreign institutes are facing a tremendous challenge amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but granting them provisional registration to complete internship without having undergone clinical training would be compromising with the health of citizens. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the National Medical Commission (NMC), contended before a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian that Ukraine crisis, along with the ongoing Covid pandemic, has brought out new challenges and a holistic view would be needed to protect the interests of the Indian students, who went abroad for their courses. He had emphasised that at the same, no compromise can be allowed with the quality of medical education expected from them in India. The top court dealt with a question "whether the degree granted by the foreign institute even in respect of clinical training is binding on the appellant and the student has to be provisionally registered". It directed the NMC "to frame a scheme as a one-time measure within two months to allow the student and such similarly situated students who have not actually completed clinical training to undergo clinical training in India in the medical colleges which may be identified by the appellant for a limited duration as may be specified by the appellant, on such charges which the appellant determines". "It shall be open to the appellant to test the candidates in the scheme so framed in the manner within next one month, which it considers appropriate as to satisfy that such students are sufficiently trained to be provisionally registered to complete internship for 12 months," it added. The top court said eligibility regulations are to ensure that a student meets the minimum eligibility condition as per the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997, but after completing the curriculum, a candidate has to qualify the screening test, provided the entire duration of the course has been completed at the same institute located abroad. The top court judgment came on a plea filed by the NMC challenging the Madras High Court orders passed in July and September last year. The bench said: "We are unable to agree with the High Court that instead of three months of clinical training in China, two months training would be sufficient for provisional registration apart from the 12 months of internship. The courts are not experts in deciding an academic curriculum or the requirement of the clinical training which may be required to be satisfied by the students." It noted that the NMC is not bound to grant provisional registration to the student who has not completed the entire duration of the course from the foreign institute, including the clinical training. The top court held that the NMC's decision not to grant provisional certificate to Pooja Thandu Naresh and others cannot be said to be arbitrary as without practical training, there cannot be any doctor who is expected to take care of the citizens of the country. "The argument that certain students have been granted provisional registration will not confer any right with the student to claim provisional registration so as to undergo the internship. There cannot be any equality in illegality," it noted. --IANS ss/vd ( 548 Words) 2022-04-29-21:54:06 (IANS) It is not clear how long the new measures will last, but the announcement comes as the city begins a five-day public holiday. Proof of a negative Covid test will also be required to board public transports from May 5. China is battling a resurgence in Covid cases. In contrast to many other countries, China is pursuing a zero-Covid strategy with the aim of eradicating the virus from the country completely. But the measures, such as strict lockdowns, have led to rare shows of public anger against the authorities. Beijing's new rules come days after the city launched mass testing for its millions of residents following a spike in cases. All dining in restaurants will also be halted between 1 and 4 May, with people being asked to cook at home, BBC reported. The city has reported 295 new cases since 22 April. Of these, 123 cases were found in the Chaoyang, Beijing's most populous district, which is now set for three rounds of mass testing. Earlier this month residents rushed to stock up essential supplies and long queues were seen outside supermarkets and shops, despite government assurances there is sufficient food. --IANS san/arm ( 231 Words) 2022-04-30-21:08:03 (IANS) In an attempt to shed over-dependence on Central armed forces like the CRPF, West Bengal police have decided to set up a separate squad for counter-Maoist operations in the state. The personnel from this squad would be selected from the members of the special task force (STF) of the state police and Kolkata police. The decision was taken at a meeting of the standing committee of the Eastern Zonal Council held here on April 26, wherein the representatives from the Union Home Ministry had told the police forces of four eastern states -- West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha -- to remain alert over possible Maoist activities. A highly-placed bureaucrat in the state government, who did not wish to be named, said that in the meeting, the West Bengal government's representatives had complained about withdrawal of central armed forces from the erstwhile Maoist bastions without prior discussing with the state governments concerned. "While the pressure will be from our side on the Union government for sufficient deployment of central forces in the Maoist zones, the state police will have their own teams dedicated to counter-Maoist operations," he said. The special training programme for the selected personnel will start soon. The training curriculum will include jungle surveillance and ambush techniques, unarmed combat methods and training without food and water for long hours. Although there have been no Maoist activities in West Bengal recently, the police are worried about the resurgence of Maoist posters in the once Maoist stronghold of Junglemahal, scattered over the three districts of Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore. The DGP, Manoj Malviya, has visited the Junglemahal area and reviewed the security arrangements there. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, at a meeting with bureaucrats and top police officers on April 27, had asked the police to resist any attempt of Maoist intrusion in the state from Jharkhand, besides directing the state police to seal the West Bengal-Jharkhand border at Belpahari. She also accused the BJP leaders in West Bengal of maintaining a liaison with the left-wing extremists. --IANS src/arm ( 349 Words) 2022-04-29-20:14:02 (IANS) Former West Bengal Minister Rajib Banerjee, who is the Trinamool Congress' Tripura state in-charge, said that Subal Bhowmik has been appointed as the Tripura state president while a six-member Core Committee has been constituted to lead the party in the state. "Mamata Banerjee will lead the Tripura unit and protect the people of Tripura from the atrocities of the BJP and their goons," Rajib Banerjee told the media and claimed that the Trinamool Congress is now the main opposition party in Tripura. He said that during the civic polls in Tripura last year, Trinamool Congress emerged as the principal opposition party with over 20 per cent vote share. Congress-turned-Trinamool's Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev and former BJP MLA Ashish Das were included in the Core Committee. Bhowmik, who last year quit the Congress and joined the Trinamool Congress, said that they would carry forward the ideology and dream of Mamata Banerjee to oust the BJP from power in the next year's assembly elections. Former Congress MLA Bhowmik before joining the Congress in 2020 for the second time was in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a few years. In the 132-member state committee, there are 8 vice-presidents, 5 general secretaries, 14 secretaries, 7 joint secretaries and 72 executive members. Besides, the Trinamool Congress has also announced frontal units of women, youth, scheduled tribe and scheduled caste. The Trinamool Congress last week appointed former Assam Congress President Ripun Bora as the president of Trinamool's state (Assam) unit while former Meghalaya Chief Minister and Congress leader Mukul M. Sangma was earlier appointed as the state (Meghalaya) President. Sangma and 11 other MLAs of Meghalaya had quit Congress and last year joined the Trinamool Congress, which is now the main opposition party in the hill state. --IANS sc/pgh ( 333 Words) 2022-04-29-20:20:06 (IANS) The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said on Friday that till Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray is the Chief Minister, his estranged cousin (Raj Thackeray) won't praise Maharashtra. State NCP President and Water Resources Minister Jayant R. Patil made the caustic remarks when questioned about the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) head's recent praise for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. "Earlier, he lauded Gujarat, now he is praising UP. He will go all around the country, visiting and appreciating all other states except Maharahtra. As long as Uddhav Thackeray is the CM, he (Raj Thackeray) will not have a good word for this state," Patil said. On a possible MNS-BJP tie-up, Patil said that given MNS' past record of treating the Hindi-speaking (North Indian) people in Maharashtra, the BJP is well aware of the consequences of such an alliance. About speculation in some quarters that the BJP is wooing the MNS ostensibly at the behest of the Nagpur-based Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Patil pointed out that the RSS is a non-political organisation that doesn't concern itself with such things. The NCP leader also surmised that it may be the BJP which is trying to drag the RSS into the whole affair to justify its stance, and hence such stories are being deliberately circulated. Mostly on the political fringes for the past 18 years, the MNS has suddenly shot into the limelight with its shrill anti-loudspeakers campaign launched by Raj Thackeray as part of frantic efforts to carve a political niche for his party in the upcoming civic elections. --IANS qn/arm ( 274 Words) 2022-04-29-20:30:04 (IANS) A senior police officer said that the accused, who has been identified as Raees, was produced before a local court which remanded him to 14-day judicial custody. The owner was reportedly adding another floor to three-storey building when it collapsed. In a joint operation carried out by the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service (DFS), and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), five persons, who were trapped under the debris of the building, were rescued and rushed to the hospital on April 25. The incident occured a month after four persons were injured after a portion of a house collapsed in the city's Anand Parbat area. --IANS atk/arm ( 159 Words) 2022-04-29-20:45:01 (IANS) Trinamool Congress strongman and the party's Birbhum district President, Anubrata Mondal, seems to getting isolated within his own party for using a red beacon with flasher on his vehicle. Hours after a PIL was filed at the Calcutta High Court on Friday challenging the use of red beacon on Mondal's vehicle, the state Transport Minister Firhad Hakim, who is also the Mayor of Kolkata, told mediapersons that Mondal had no right to use the red beacon on his vehicle. "It was unfair on Mondal's part to use the red beacon on his vehicle. He has absolutely no right to do that since he does not figure in the list of people entitled to use red beacons on their vehicles. No one is above the law. I have given clear instructions so that the red beacon is immediately removed from his vehicle," Hakim said. At the same time, he said that the state transport department has decided to become more strict against those using red or blue beacons on their vehicles without proper authorisation. "In future, such offending vehicles will be confiscated. The transport department will shortly issue a notification in this matter," Kakim said. According to the state government, red beacons with flashers can be used on the vehicles of the Governor, Chief Minister, Cabinet ministers, justices of Calcutta High Court and the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly. Red beacons without flashers can be used on the vehicles of the ministers of state, deputy speaker of the state Assembly, Mayor of Kolkata and the chief secretary. Mondal falls under none of the above categories. --IANS src/arm ( 284 Words) 2022-04-29-22:08:05 (IANS) The single biggest takeaway is back to basics. Regionalism is the new flavour in northeast politics. And importantly, NDPP leader and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is willing to take on the mighty BJP. But has Rio in the process given an armour to his detractors to demand President's Rule? The merger of as many as 21 MLAs led by former Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang, onetime Neiphiu Rio's acolyte-turned-foe-now-turned-friend, came within hours Naga People's Front chief Shurhozelie announced that there will not be any merger between NPF and NDPP at the organisational level. Well, Nagaland is back with its well-known political head hunting or head counting games. As many as 21 Naga People's Front (NPF) legislators on Friday quit the party and decided to merge with another regional outfit Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) led by Rio. "A letter dated 29/4/2022 has been received from the President of NDPP (Chingwang Konyak) accepting the merger," a communication from the state Assembly said. The issue is not how much big the setback is for Shurhozelie, the veteran regionalist, or even the NPF; the real issue is the NDPP and especially Chief Minister Rio's relationship with the BJP. Now about 45-48 MLAs are with Rio in the 60-member Assembly and so will he continue to need support of 12 BJP legislators? Or why should he entertain the tantrums of BJP leaders? Earlier this year, the NPF had formally requested NDPP to merge with the party and even asked Chief Minister Rio to 'lead' the new party. "We are extending invitation to the CM Neiphiu Rio and his MLAs to come together, as there is a desire by one and all among the Naga family that regional party of NPF and NDPP should come to an understanding together," a spokesman of NPF had said in January. It was understood that Rio was keen for such a game only if he is given organisational leadership that is presidentship of the new regional party. Veteran regionalist and traditionally a non-Congress leader Shurhozelie was disinclined to give up the organisational leadership of the new regional force to Rio, who was once a prominent Congress face in the state politics. For all practical purposes, both the parties NDPP and NPF were already working with a unity of purpose. The NPF legislators gave up their opposition cloak recently and extended support to the NDPP-BJP government. While Nagaland had an opposition-less government, NPF leader Zeliang was designated as the chairman of UDA, comprising NDPP, BJP and NPF. But Rio still has multiple challenges at hands. Firstly, perhaps the centre considers he failed or was not much inclined to convince NSCN (IM) leader Thuingaleng Muivah to give up the twin demands of Naga Flag and a separate Naga Constitution. These issues are stalling the peace process in Nagaland and the final peace pact would be a major milestone for the Narendra Modi government. There are central BJP leaders who suggest Rio's alleged nexus with NSCN (IM) is "not just an allegation" as the influence of gun and money have been critical instruments during elections in Nagaland way back starting from 2003. The then Congress Chief Minister S.C. Jamir had first alleged in 2003 that the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) had intimidated voters in certain areas during the 2003 Assembly polls. There is now a pending ED 'money laundering' case against five of CM Rio's associates. This can be opened up anytime and given somewhat embarrassing twist, his detractors say. Already five people have been summoned for questioning by the ED and the Gauhati High Court has declined to put a stay on the same. Of course, this episode has lately added to Rio's nervousness. Technically, the BJP leaders in Nagaland do not have much ground or any tool to fight the machinations of Rio and his number game (getting support of 21 NPF additional MLAs). But some Nagaland BJP leaders are making a few frantic calls to the central leaders. Some feel the demand for imposition of President's Rule on some pretexts is not ruled out. There is also an exceptional situation that is related to the Naga peace talks, which are at their final stages. Thus, anytime the government of India can say either it will allow an interim-alternative arrangement or even impose President's Rule to facilitate fresh elections and 'participation' of the ultra groups in the democratic process. Regional forces make a lot of political significance in Nagaland and other northeastern states. In the past, the big brother approach of Congress was dangerous, and now the BJP going the same way. In Manipur, the BJP's strategy on the eve of elections earlier this year has irked regional partner NDPP in Nagaland and even NPP in Meghalaya. The BJP booted out NPP and NPF from its alliance and later contested all 60 seats to come to power on its own. Obviously the apprehension is the saffron party will try the same game in Nagaland and possibly in Meghalaya too. Both the Chief Ministers, Neiphiu Rio in Nagaland and Conrad Sangma in Meghalaya, have been working with the BJP so far to ensure their own survival. But the nervousness prevails. And nervousness often forces one to take an assertive stance in politics. Lately, Rio took away the portfolio of Roads and Bridges from Deputy CM and BJP floor leader in the Assembly, Y. Patton. An aggrieved Patton was offered the additional portfolio of Land Resources by Rio later. This offer was strongly rejected by Patton, who said he was not keen to take an additional portfolio from his own BJP colleague and minister Paiwang Konyak. Showing clear hints that NDPP-BJP differences have widened, one key BJP Nagaland leader had said, "It was a double game employed by Chief Minister Rio. The Department of Land Resources is with another BJP minister, Paiwang Konyak, and so Patton has done the right thing by rejecting it. We cannot take each other's portfolio and allow the NDPP to enjoy the larger size of the cake." (Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of the books 'The Talking Guns: North East India' and 'Modi to Moditva: An Uncensored Truth'. Views are personal) --IANS nirendra/arm ( 1053 Words) 2022-04-29-22:28:01 (IANS) QAnon loyalists, COVID deniers, neo-Nazis and a former American president: The list of people banned from Twitter is long, but their exile could soon come to an end if Elon Musks $44 billion offer for the platform is approved. Musk, the worlds richest man and the owner of SpaceX and Tesla, calls himself a free speech absolutist who believes in allowing any content that doesnt run afoul of the law. Advertisement While Musk hasnt offered specifics about how he would run the platform, his musings are prompting celebrations from some of those muzzled by Twitter, even as they alarm internet safety experts who predict a rise in harassment, hate speech and misinformation about topics like vaccines and elections. Theres no reason why these folks wouldnt want to be in this space, said Jaime Longoria, manager of research and training at the Disinfo Defense League, a non-profit that works with local organizations to combat the effects of misinformation. Ultimately I think Elons premise to save the public square is going to create a square that nobody wants to be in. Advertisement From former President Donald Trump to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to white supremacist David Duke, heres a look at who might be coming back to Twitter if Musks offer to buy it is approved. FILE - Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, attends the opening of the Tesla factory Berlin Brandenburg in Gruenheide, Germany, March 22, 2022. Musk, the world's richest man and the owner of SpaceX and Tesla, says he is a free speech absolutist who doesn't support the kind of content moderation that saw people like ex-President Donald Trump get banned for inciting violence (Patrick Pleul/Pool via AP, File) (Patrick Pleul/AP) Tweeter in chief Trump said he wont return to Twitter even if Musk lifts the ban imposed following the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The platform cited concerns of further incitement to violence. Following his banishment, Trump created his own platform, Truth Social, which launched earlier this year. I am not going on Twitter. I am going to stay on Truth, Trump told Fox News this past week. I hope Elon buys Twitter because hell make improvements to it and he is a good man, but I am going to be staying on Truth. Trump built one of the worlds largest Twitter followings before his suspension, using his account to demean critics, spread lies about the 2020 election and amplify potentially dangerous misinformation about COVID-19. Despite what the former president said, returning to Twitter may be too tempting to resist, said Emerson Brooking, resident fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council. If Donald Trump is the presidential nominee for the Republican Party in 2024, its almost unthinkable that he wont return to Twitter the moment he has the opportunity to do so, Brooking said. Two former top advisers to Trump Steve Bannon and Roger Stone were also banned by Twitter after repeatedly violating their rules. Bannon was kicked off for calling for the beheading of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations leading infectious disease specialist. Advertisement Stone, ultimately suspended for a series of vulgar threats against CNN journalists, tried to create a new Twitter account Thursday but was quickly re-suspended. Other Trump allies kicked off Twitter include Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell, Lin Wood and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was permanently banned in January for repeatedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccine safety. Hate speech Perhaps the trickiest challenge for Musk will be content that, while legal, preaches hate based on things like race, gender, sexual orientation or religion. White supremacists banned by Twitter include Duke and the Proud Boys organization, along with far-right trolls like one who goes by the name Baked Alaska, who promoted anti-Semitic tropes and faces charges stemming from his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Twitters efforts to police hate speech have had mixed results. While some extremist leaders have been vanquished, a quick search of the platform turns up numerous racist slurs and attacks. Several admitted white supremacists still on Twitter celebrated news of Musks interest in the platform, predicting this ownership will mean looser rules. We are liberated! one wrote this week. Advertisement The extremists are celebrating, tweeted Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. They believe he will usher in a new era on Twitter & that theyll return to the platform. This is dangerous. Conspiracy theorists and QAnon Twitter began cracking down on QAnon content on its platform years ago and accelerated the process following the attack on the Capitol. More than 150,000 accounts had been suspended as of last year, according to the companys latest update. QAnon followers advocate a conspiracy theory rooted in the baseless belief that Trump was fighting so-called deep state enemies and a cabal of Satan-worshipping cannibals operating a child sex trafficking ring. The mob that stormed the Capitol included some believers. Now, some of them are eager to get back on Twitter. The Twitter deal is done, Ron Watkins, a prominent QAnon leader, wrote on the platform Telegram. Watkins Twitter account was spiked last year. Banned accounts will be restored, he predicted. Other conspiracy theorists have also felt Twitters sting, though usually only when their stated beliefs have pushed over into hate or harassment. Advertisement David Icke was kicked off the platform two years ago for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, including claims that Jews and 5G towers were behind the pandemic. Icke is a prominent advocate of the belief that a race of lizard people have taken over the Earth by posing as human leaders. Alex Jones, the creator of Infowars, was permanently banned in 2018 for abusive behavior. Jones recently lost a defamation case filed by the parents of children killed in the 2012 Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting over Jones repeated claims that the shooting was fake. Twenty first graders and six teachers were killed in the massacre. Infowars is now seeking bankruptcy protection. Happy in exile? Trump may not be the only user kicked off Twitter who ends up happy in a new home. Other new platforms, like Gab, GETTR and Parler, have grown in recent years by catering to conservative and far-right users who dislike Twitter and Facebooks moderation policies. The new sites have little to no moderation, meaning Nazi imagery, homophobic threats and misogynistic content can be easily found alongside conversations about U.S. politics and culture. After Musks purchase offer, Gab CEO Andrew Torba predicted the billionaire will struggle to realize his vision for Twitter. While Trump may be sticking with his own new platform for competitive reasons, other conservatives may not be immediately tempted by Musks promises of free speech absolutism. Twitters employees, for one, may put up a fight, according to Torba. Parler CEO George Farmer sounded a similar note in a message to users. Advertisement We are going nowhere, Farmer wrote. The president of Karnataka Congress DK Shivakumar on Friday alleged that leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party and Popular Front of India are behind the violence Hubli that broke out earlier this month. Shivakumar further claimed that the reports of distribution of food kits to the accused in Hubli violence "have nothing to with the Congress." "BJP and PFI are behind Hubli riots. Congress does not support Bajrang Dal, VHP, SDPI, or any organisation that creates unrest in society. Distribution of food kits in Hubli has nothing to do with Congress party. We are strongly committed to the Constitution and the rule of law," Shivakumar tweeted. The BJP District President of Hubballi - Dharwad, Sanjay Kaptkar on Friday filed a police complaint with the Shahar Police Station alleging that the Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan was planning to distribute food kits and money to family of accused in Hubli violence. However, Khan has termed the allegations as "completely baseless and false." "I have come to Mecca on a pilgrimage since April 17. The recent allegations on me are completely baseless and false. I have no role in any activities mentioned in the allegations on me," Khan tweeted. The stone-pelting incident took place at Old Hubli Police Station on April 16 in which several policemen, including one inspector, were injured. The mob which gathered outside the police station suddenly turned violent and started pelting stones at the police station and police vehicles. As many as 146 people, including All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Corporator Nazeer Ahmed Honyal, have been arrested in connection to the case. (ANI) The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on Friday dashed off a letter to Chief Wildlife Warden of Chhattisgarh seeking a factual report in connection with the allegations of tree felling and coal mining operations without mandatory clearances. The letter by NTCA Assistant IGF Hemant Singh has asked Chhattisgarh for a factual report in connection with tree felling and coal mining operations in Parsa Coal Block in that state that have started without the mandatory clearances from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and the NTCA itself. However, Chhattisgarh Chief Wildlife Warden PV Narsingha Rao questioned the very letter. "How can NTCA write a letter to us? There is no Tiger Reserve in the Parsa Coal Block," Rao told IANS. "Relevant section of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 says that if any area connects the tiger reserve with a tiger reserve or a protected area, then any environmentally unsustainable activity requires a permission of the NBWL based on the recommendation of the NTCA. The section 38(O)g of this Act relates to the powers and authority of the NTCA," Kanchi Kohli, a senior researcher with the Centre for Policy Research said. Parsa Coal Block is one of the 23 coal blocks under the Hasdeo Arand forest -- deemed as the largest contiguous stretch of dense forest in central India - that is spread over 1,70,000 Ha. More than a decade ago, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had termed the Hasdeo Arand area as a 'No Go' zone for mining owing to the rich bio-diversity in the dense forest but later gave it away. However, allowing mining in the area was not decided. The letter was prompted by a complaint lodged by activist Alok Shukla of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan. As per media reports, a massive protest had erupted in Parsa Coal Block in Surguja division in Chhattisgarh when allegedly 300 trees were axed after the state government gave the green signal to non-forestry use of forest land in that project area earlier in the month for more than 800 Ha of forest land spread over two districts, Surguja and Surajpur. Reportedly, the project proponent has been allowed to divert 1,136.328 Ha land currently, leading the activists to claim that more than 2.40 lakh trees in the dense Hasdeo Arand forest would need to be felled. Among the many reports from multiple agencies, the latest report from Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun had recommended against mining operations as it said: "The intact habitat connectivity with tiger source population and the relative vastness of the landscape could augur well for recovering tigers." --IANS niv/pgh ( 444 Words) 2022-04-29-22:50:04 (IANS) Providing no relief to Vijay Babu, the Kerala High Court on Friday kept the anticipatory bail plea filed by Malayalam actor-producer, who is accused of raping his female colleague, to hearing after its summer recess. The court closed for the summer break on April 11 and will now open only on May 18. The anticipatory bail plea was filed before the vacation bench of the high court. It was on Thursday that the Kerala Police issued a look out notice for the actor in connection with the rape case. In his petition, Babu claimed that the actress is trying to blackmail him. The actor said he has all evidences, including chat messages between him and the complainant, to prove his innocence and is ready to submit it before the court too. The police suspect that he has fled the country and is presently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Babu, according to the police, is on the run after a female colleague, hailing from Kozhikode, filed a complaint in Ernakulam on April 22 that she was raped and beaten up by him a few times at a flat in Kochi. Soon after the news surfaced, Babu appeared live on his social media handle on Wednesday, claiming that he was the "real victim" in this case, adding that he would take appropriate legal steps against the complainant, whom he also named. The police apart from her complaint, have registered a second case against the actor for disclosing the name of the complainant. She has also accused the actor of making her intoxicated her before the sexual abuse. Top police official C.H. Nagaraju told the media they have started the probe against Babu and have collected evidence also. --IANS sg/vd ( 305 Words) 2022-04-29-22:52:11 (IANS) The Customs officials at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport have arrested a Ugandan woman for trying to smuggle in heroin capsules by swallowing them. A Customs official said on Friday that she came from Doha on April 14 while she was arrested on April 24. During this period, she was in hospital as the officials were trying to extract capsules from her stomach through operation. "She was intercepted after she had crossed the green channel, and was approaching towards the exit gate of international arrival hall. Subsequently, on thorough checking of her hand baggage, nothing suspicious was found and on medical examination, certain material was found inside her body," said the official. The official said that a medical procedure yielded recovery of 126 capsules which resulted in recovery of a total of 887 grams of off-white colour substance. It was heroin, having international market value of Rs 6.65 crore. "In view of the above, it was clear that the said passenger had violated provisions of section 8 of the NDPS Act, and had committed offence punishable under Section 21, Section 23 and Section 29 of NDPS Act. Accordingly, she was placed under arrest under section 43(b) of NDPS Act. The off-white substance in capsule form prima-facie found to be 'Heroin' was seized along with concealing material under section 43(a) of NDPS Act," said the official. Further investigation into the matter is underway. --IANS atk/pgh ( 248 Words) 2022-04-29-23:06:03 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Friday launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray by saying that soul of Bal Thackeray (Uddhav's late father) would have been hurt over arrests for reciting 'Hanuman Chalisa' "Of late, I have seen here that arrests were made for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa or taking the name of Lord Ram. The soul of Thackeray saheb (late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray) would have been hurt," Kumar told reporters in Pune. Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana had earlier announced their plan to recite Hanuman Chalisa in front of Uddhav Thackeray's private residence `Matoshree' in Mumbai. Following their announcement both were arrested over the charges of sedition on March 23. The Union Minister further urged the state governments to follow norms regarding loudspeakers adding that "people are facing several problems due to noise pollution." "Norms and rules are available to combat it. Loudspeakers should not be used late at night or early in the morning. If any state government is following the norms, then it is good," he said. He was making a reference to the Uttar Pradesh government's data which claims that nearly 11,000 thousand loudspeakers have been removed from religious places and the volume of 35,221 has been lowered. The row started after the MNS chief stoked controversy by asking the state government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3 while warning that if the demand isn't met, his party members will put loudspeakers to play 'Hanuman Chalisa'. (ANI) Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent remark on India's coal crisis and said that he has become a "fake astrologer" these days. "Rahul Gandhi has become a fake astrologer these days. Instead of telling what is going to happen due to the shortage of coal in the country, he should tell the country how big a coal scam happened during his government and how much loss the country incurred due to this fraud," the minister said in a Facebook post. His remarks came after the Wayanad MP yesterday said that the Modi government should stop running the "bulldozer of hatred" and run power plants instead. "On April 20, 2022, I told the Modi government to stop running the bulldozer of hatred and start power plants in the country. Today, the coal and electricity crisis has created havoc in the entire country," Gandhi wrote in a Facebook post. He further said, "I am saying again - This crisis will destroy small industries, due to which unemployment will increase further. Small children cannot stand this scorching heat. The lives of patients admitted to hospitals are at stake. There will be financial loss by stopping rail and metro services." Refuting his allegations about the BJP-led Central government, Joshi said that the Centre is continuously taking many steps to increase coal production in the country, citing India's coal production has increased to 777 MT and offtake of 818 MT in the financial year 2021-22. "The country's coal production was just 566 MT in the FY 2013-14, while it has increased to 777 MT and offtake 818 MT in the FY 2021-22 under the Modi-government. But Rahul Gandhi does not understand these figures because he is a fool. If he is so fond of making predictions, then he should at least once tell the future of his own party!" Joshi further said. Several states of India have been reeling from power outages due to the coal crisis in the country. Coal India Limited has reported an increase of 27.2 per cent in its output in April 2022, as compared to the year-ago period, the Ministry of Coal on Friday. The Coal ministry further informed that the CIL has a coal stock of 56.7 MT at present, while the stock at Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is at 4.3 MT, and the captive coal blocks have about 2.3 MT of stock. The demand for power has risen in April due to heatwave and people in different parts of the country are facing power cuts. The problem has been accentuated by a steep rise in prices of imported coal due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and some power plants not operating to their full capacity. Amid reports of a dip in coal stocks with thermal plants, Joshi has said that the country's thermal plants hold about 22 million tonnes of coal which is enough for 10 days and replenishment will be done continuously. (ANI) Amid the ongoing holy month of Ramzan, a Haleem store in Hyderabad has provided employment opportunities to more than a thousand unemployed people in the city, of which most are under-privileged college-going youngsters who work here part-time to meet their expenses. "More than a thousand individuals have been employed at the store, of which maximum are the students working here part-time from 4 pm to 9 pm," Mohd Abdul Musi, the owner of Pista House told ANI on Friday. Speaking further, he said that more than 500 students have been provided with part-time opportunities to work as cashiers, supervisors, etc at over 25 outlets of the store in the state. "Since the preparation of haleem is a tough job, more than 400 people are employed specifically for this task," he added. Haleem is an Arabian dish prepared by cooking grains, meat, spices, dry fruits, ghee, and milk among other ingredients on a low flame. This dish eventually gained popularity in Hyderabad, Telangana, and Maharashtra with time. Musi, further said, that it is a matter of immense pride that they are capable of sending it to the Middle East countries, from where the dish originated. "It is full of so many proteins, vitamins, and minerals, so there are no disadvantages but only advantages of haleem," said a customer at the store. "After fasting for the whole during Ramzan, having haleem here is awesome as it gives instant energy because of its nutritional value," said another epicure at the store. The shop owners said that they are in the business of making haleem at the Pista House for 25 years, with 25 to 28 outlets in the city. "We are trying our best to keep the legacy and quality of haleem maintained at the store. We are the largest makers and suppliers of haleem in the world," said Musi. According to him (owner), the haleem market has seen a revolution ever since they started making and selling it here. "Haleem is a very healthy dish. It is a combination of pure ghee, mutton or chicken, and spices; when it all comes together, it makes a combination of a protein-packed dish," he added. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Police informed on Saturday morning that as many as 45,773 loudspeakers have been removed from various religious places across the state. In a conversation with ANI, Additional Director General of Police ( Law and Order) in Uttar Pradesh, Prashant Kumar said, "So far 45,773 loudspeakers have been removed from various religious places across the state while the sound level of 58,861 loudspeakers was reduced and brought down to the level of standard parameters." This news comes days after the Uttar Pradesh government ordered the removal of illegal loudspeakers from religious places. Prior to this announcement, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued directions for restricting the volume of loudspeakers at religious places, earlier this month. "The order to remove illegal loudspeakers from religious places in the state was issued on Saturday. A compliance report (from the districts) in this regard has been sought by April 30," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said. "The police have been directed to establish conversations with the religious leaders, and ensure the removal of the unauthorised loudspeakers by coordinating with them," said Awasthi. On April 13, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has given an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government and reiterated his demand that loudspeakers from mosques be removed. He has asked the government to act before May 3 failing which the government can face consequences, he said. Several leaders came out in support of MNS chief by saying that they will play Hanuman Chalisa instead of Azaan at mosques. (ANI) Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Saturday said that "ambiguities in legislations" add to existing legal issues, and if the legislature passes a law, with "clarity of thought, foresight and people's welfare in mind", the scope for litigation gets minimized, while revealing that India has "only 20 judges per 10 lakh population, which is alarming low". Speaking at the inauguration of the 11th joint conference of the Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of the High Court, CJI Ramana said that "the legislature is expected to solicit the views of the public and debate the bills, clause by clause, threadbare, before enacting a law." "The judiciary is also confronted with the issue of the executive willingly transferring the burden of decision making to it. Although policymaking is not our domain, if a citizen comes to the court with a prayer to address his grievance, the courts cannot say no. At times, ambiguities in legislation also add to existing legal issues. If the legislature passes a law, with clarity of thought, foresight and with people's welfare in mind, the scope for litigation gets minimized," the CJI said. CJI further said, "When I expressed concern about the passing of laws without much legislative scrutiny on the 15th of August last year, I was misunderstood by some quarters. I have the highest regard for the legislature and the elected representatives. I value the role played by each of them in our democracy, right from a ward member to a Member of Parliament. I was merely pointing toward certain deficiencies." "Interestingly, my sentiments on law-making in India were shared by none other than the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla, who reportedly said a few weeks ago and I quote, "Laws should be made after thorough debates and discussions, incorporating the needs of the aspirational sections of the society," he stated. Based on these examples, one can safely summarize that, often, litigation is triggered because of two major reasons- one is, non-performance by the various wings of the executive and the second is, the legislature not realizing its full potential, CJI added. Another important factor in promoting access to justice is filling up judicial vacancies and increasing the sanctioned strength of judges, said the CJI. "As of today, out of 1,104 sanctioned posts of High Court Judges, there are 388 vacancies. From day one, it has been my endeavour to fill judicial vacancies. We have made 180 recommendations, for appointments in various High Courts during the last year. Out of this, 126 appointments have been made. I thank the government of India for clearing the names. However, 50 proposals are still awaiting approval by the Government of India," CJI told the gathering. "The data reveals the earnest efforts being made by the judiciary to fill the vacancies. I would like to urge the Chief Ministers to extend wholehearted co-operation to the Chief Justices, in their endeavour to strengthen the district judiciary. When we last met in 2016, the sanctioned strength of judicial officers in the country was 20,811. Now, it is 24,112, which is an increase of 16 per cent in 6 years," the CJI further said. On the other hand, in the corresponding period, pendency in district courts has gone up from 2 crores 65 lakhs to 4 crores 11 lakhs, which is an increase of 54.64 per cent, the CJI revealed. He urged the government to be "generous" in creating more posts and filling the same so that the judge-to-population ratio is comparable to advanced democracies. "This data shows how inadequate the increase in the sanctioned strength is. Unless the foundation is strong, the structure cannot be sustained. Please be generous in creating more posts and filling the same, so that our judge-to-population ratio is comparable to advanced democracies. As per sanctioned strength, we have just around 20 judges per 10 lakh population, which is alarming low," said the CJI. "Please remember, it is only the judicial process that is adversarial. Not the judges or their judgments. We are merely discharging our constitutionally assigned role. Judgments are meant for delivering justice and should be seen as such. Let us work together for fulfilling the Constitutional mandate," the CJI said. He also said that it is the harmonious and coordinated functioning among the three organs of the State that has preserved and strengthened the democratic foundations of this great nation over the last seven decades. CJI Ramana said while discharging duties, we all must be mindful of the 'Lakshman Rekha' and the judiciary would never come in the way of governance if it is in accordance with the law. He further began identifying a few contributing factors for docket explosion in the Indian scenario, adding that if a Tehsildar acts upon a grievance of a farmer regarding the land survey, or a ration card, the farmer would not think of approaching the court and if a municipal authority or a gram panchayat discharges its duties properly, the citizens need not look to courts. CJI also said that if revenue authorities acquire land through due process of law, the courts would not be burdened by land disputes. Apparently, these cases account for 66 per cent of the pendency, he added. "It is beyond my understanding as to why Intra and interdepartmental disputes of the government or fights between PSUs and the government end up in courts. If service laws are applied fairly in matters of seniority, pension and so on, no employee will be compelled to go to court. It is a well-acknowledged fact that the governments are the biggest litigants accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the cases," CJI further said. Justice Ramana said that abiding by the law and the constitution, is the key to good governance, however, this is often ignored, and opinions of legal departments are not sought in the rush to implement executive decisions. The decisions of courts are not implemented by governments for years together, said the CJI, adding that the resultant contempt petitions are a new category of a burden on the Courts, which is a direct result of the defiance by the governments. "Deliberate inactions by the governments, despite judicial pronouncements, are not good for the health of democracy," said the CJI. He stressed that these are avoidable burdens on the judicial system. "On various occasions, I have elaborated on the complexities involved in this issue. I am aware that, there are certain concerns with the judicial system also, with regard to timely delivery of justice and pendency. Pendency is often blamed on the judiciary. Due to the paucity of time, I cannot explain the same in detail. But a keen look at the websites of the courts will give you an idea about the huge workload on judges. The number of cases filed and disposed on each day is unimaginable," said CJI. The rising number of frivolous litigations is an area of concern, he added. CJI said, "For example, the well-meaning concept of public interest litigation is at times turning into personal interest litigation. No doubt, PIL has served a lot of public interest. However, it is sometimes being misused to stall projects or pressurize public authorities. These days, PIL has become a tool for those who want to settle political scores or corporate rivalry. Realizing the potential for misuse, Courts are now highly cautious in entertaining the same." "This conference is an occasion for us to introspect and contemplate solutions. I have been a strong proponent of the "Indianization of the Justice Delivery System", he added. (ANI) In 28 months since the abrogation of Article 370, the Centre spent over Rs 9,000 crore, especially on security expenditure, in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir. The amount was paid to the Jammu and Kashmir government under the security-related expenditure (police) scheme since the inception of the UT on August 5, 2019, the day when Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and Articles 370 and 35 (A) were nullified that gave the erstwhile state its special status and the mandate to define its domicile rules. MHA's recently published annual report 2020-2021 mentions these facts, mentioning "in order to strengthen the security apparatus, the Government of India has provided Rs 9,120.69 crore to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir under the Security Related Expenditure (Police) scheme since its inception". As per the report, the amount includes Rs 448.04 crore that was spent till December 31, 2020 since the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir. Besides, the report says, the MHA has also approved the raising of five India Reserve (IR) Battalions, two Border Battalions and two Women Battalions for Jammu and Kashmir. "The recruitment has already been completed for five IR Battalions." Officials in the MHA told ANI, "The security situation in J-K is monitored and regularly reviewed by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Army, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and other security agencies". "The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also monitors the security situation closely and continuously in tandem with all the above agencies and the Ministry of Defence. The multi-pronged approach to contain cross-border infiltration also includes multi-tiered deployment along the international Border or Line of Control, border fencing, improved intelligence and operational coordination, equipping security forces with advanced weapons and taking proactive action against infiltrators," they said. It also mentions that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced a development package of Rs 80,068 crore for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Prime Minister's Development Package (PMDP-2015) comprising 63 major projects in critical sectors, namely Road, Power, New and Renewable Energy, Tourism, Health, Education, Water Resources, Sports, Urban Development, Defence and Textile. Out of 63 projects, the report reads, 54 projects are being implemented in UT of Jammu and Kashmir with an outlay of Rs 58,627 crore. It says 20 projects have been completed or substantially completed and others are at various stages of implementation. "As on 30th November, 2020, an amount of Rs 32,136 crore have been released for various projects, out of which Rs 30,553 crore have been utilized." (ANI) Air travelers, some with face masks and others without, line up for their flights on April 19, 2022 at Midway International Airport in Chicago. A federal judge overturned the CDC mask mandate for federal transportation including airplanes and trains. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Advertisement The risk of contracting COVID-19 in suburban Cook County and other parts of the Chicago area has jumped to the medium level under the latest national guidelines, officials announced Friday. As of Thursday, suburban Cook County recorded more than 200 positive cases per 100,000 residents, tipping that region into the next level of coronavirus transmission under the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions latest metrics. Lake and DuPage counties have also newly returned to medium risk. The statewide case rate was 193 per 100,000 residents as of Friday. Advertisement Chicagos top public health official said Friday she expects the city will move to medium risk soon too. With cases on the rise again, Chicago Public Schools also renewed its request that everyone wear masks in its buildings, though the district dropped universal masking earlier this year amid legal pressure. As a result of its updated COVID-19 designation, the Cook County Department of Public Health is recommending but not requiring indoor masking, testing before social gatherings, getting booster shots and, when possible, socializing outdoors and avoiding poorly ventilated spaces. These recommendations are not new but are being emphasized to protect our communities from further increases in COVID, the countys senior medical officer Dr. Rachel Rubin said in a statement. As hospitalizations remain low, we want to contain further spread now. Angela Resto assists Carol Pfister of Inverness in taking a COVID-19 test at a drive-thru testing and vaccination site on March 31 in Arlington Heights. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) In Chicago, Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Department of Public Health, said in a statement Friday that while the city remains at a low COVID-19 level, with the gradual uptick in cases over the past few weeks, I expect we will cross over to medium soon. When we do, I view it as a yellow light of caution. We are, thankfully, very far from reaching the high COVID-19 level, but people should begin to exercise more caution. The previous day, Arwady said she was confident that we are nowhere near needing to put vaccine requirements in place at the city level at this time because our health care system continues to do well. She said the city will be transparent and recommend masks in settings where there are unvaccinated people if metrics hit the medium level for spread. Earlier this month, Arwady also said CPS would reinstate its mask mandate if the city meets medium risk level. If the risk level jumps to high, then a mask requirement for most indoor public settings would return, along with a vaccine requirement for places such as restaurants and bars. Advertisement Chicago is currently in a low transmission designation, although metrics have been ticking up for weeks. Chicago is recording an average of 151 COVID-19 cases and 2.8 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in the past week, while 2.5% of hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients. In suburban Cook County, there have been an average of 214 cases and 4.8 hospital admissions per 100,000 residents in the past week, while 3.1% of hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients. Statewide, health officials on Friday announced 5,955 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, the most in a day since Feb. 4, when the massive winter surge driven by the highly contagious omicron variant was subsiding. Advertisement Over the past week, the state has averaged 3,521 cases per day, up from 2,793 daily cases the previous week. The average number of cases had dipped as low as 1,067 per day during the week ending March 18 before beginning to slowly rise once again. Hospitalization numbers also are rising but at a more gradual pace than earlier in the pandemic. There were 732 patients with COVID-19 in Illinois hospitals as of Thursday night, up from 613 a week earlier. After reaching a record of 7,380 during the height of the omicron surge in January, the number of patients in the hospital dropped to 434 statewide by April 2. Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who lifted his statewide mask mandate Feb. 28 and lifted the mandate for public transit last week, said hes carefully watching the rise in cases. I dont like to see cases going up, Pritzker said Friday at an unrelated event in Chicago. But I will say that this stealth omicron, which is the variant that were in right now, does not seem to be sending, percentage-wise, the number of people to the hospital that its predecessor did. Thats good. We dont like to see anybody go to the hospital though. ... The most important thing is keeping our health care system available. Pritzker said he recently got his second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and encouraged others who are eligible to do the same or to begin getting vaccinated if they havent already. Advertisement The CDCs latest metrics for assessing a communitys COVID-19 risk look at a mix of numbers for caseloads, hospital admissions and occupied inpatient beds. Regions with more than 200 cases per 100,000 residents in the past week are automatically considered medium risk or higher. Chicago Tribunes Tracy Swartz contributed. ayin@chicagotribune.com dpetrella@chicagotribune.com The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 7.27 crore of Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez in a money laundering case that involved jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, according to sources. Sources said the attached property is a fixed deposit, and the move comes following the investigation of the 'Rs 200-crore extortion case' being probed by the agency against conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, who is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail. The ED estimated that Chandrasekhar had given gifts worth over Rs 5 crore to Fernandez using the extorted money as well as funds close to US dollar 173,000 and around 27,000 Australian dollars to her close family members. The action was taken months after ED confronted another arrested accused in the case, Pinky Irani with Chandrashekhar during interrogation. Irani, who was held on December 9, had introduced Chandrashekhar to Fernandez. They were confronted in December last year. The investigators asked about their links and connection with Fernandez as well as matters related to the money laundering operations. The investigation revealed that Irani, an alleged associate of Chandrashekhar, was paid a huge amount to introduce Fernandez to Chandrasekhar. Earlier, the ED also confronted Irani with Fernandez. The ED earlier questioned Fernandez in the money laundering case. Another actress Nora Fatehi was also questioned in connection with the same case. ED is also looking into various people who are directly or indirectly connected to this case. Reports suggest that the ED is looking into the possibility that money was invested abroad and it was led by Chandrashekhar, who is accused in 21 cases. This case is based on an FIR filed by Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against Chandrashekhar who is accused of cheating and extorting Aditi Singh, wife of the former promoter of Religare Enterprises Shivinder Mohan Singh, who was arrested in October 2019 in a case related to alleged misappropriation of funds at Religare Finvest Ltd. Chandrashekhar and his associates reportedly took money from Aditi after posing as government officials and promising to get bail for her husband. Chandrashekhar reportedly persuaded Aditi to transfer money by impersonating a central government official over a spoof call while he was lodged in Rohini jail and promised to manage bail for her husband. Both Chandrashekhar and his actor wife Leena Maria Paul were arrested by the Delhi Police in September last year for their alleged role in the duping case. The Delhi Police has so far arrested 13 people in connection with the case. The ED suspects that Chandrashekhar had extorted money from several people while he was in jail. In October last year, the ED officials had conducted raids at Chandrashekhar's sea-facing bungalow in Chennai and had found a fleet of 16 luxury cars worth crores of rupees. At the time of the incident, Chandrashekhar was lodged in Delhi's Rohini jail and was running an extortion racket behind the bars. In September, the ED had arrested two aides of jailed conman against whom the Delhi Police recently invoked stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Chandrashekhar was allegedly running the cheating and extortion racket in connivance with jail officials and some associates outside. (ANI) Stating that more than 6 million tonnes of coal stacks are available with Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) for generating power, CCL Chairman and Managing Director PM Prasad said on Saturday that they aim to provide 1.85 lakh tonnes of coal each day to the states facing a power crisis. "Central Coalfields Limited has more than 6 million tonnes of coal stocks, including mines and siding and we have set a target for transporting 1.85 lakhs tonnes per day to the power plants linked in Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, and Jharkhand," said Prasad. CCL has seven linked power plants in the North including Punjab and Haryana, National Thermal Power Corporation plants in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Tenughat in Jharkhand etc. "On an average, a total of 1.85 lakh tonnes of coal were dispatched in the last 29 days. During the last six days (of April), we successfully reached 2 lakh," he added. Prasad said that they aim to increase the supply to states with power crisis by transporting 2.20 lakh tonnes of coal per day in May. Adding further, he said, "Coal India, as a whole is currently transporting around 17 lakh and aims at dispatching 50,000 more. This 50,000 involves 20,000 from the CCL as well." The CCL dispatches coal to 25 directly linked power plants. Apart from this, the dispatched coal is made available to NTPC and Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) as per their requirements. According to Prasad, an Inter-Ministerial Group also monitors the areas with coal shortages daily. "Collectively, we have a coal stock for one month, but the quantities might vary with some plants," he said while assuring optimism about the improvement of the situation in the next seven to ten days. Meanwhile, the Director (Op) of the Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) also gave assurance about the 'under-control' situation in Jharkhand. "We supplied 100 per cent load to our all grids during the day and almost 100 per cent was supplied at night," said KK Verma, Director, JBVNL. Speaking about fulfilling the requirements, he asserted that the crisis has been managed regularly, round the clock. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will embark on a three-day visit to West Bengal starting May 4 with an aim to strengthen the BJP in the state. On May 4, 5, and 6, Shah will attend party-related programs in West Bengal. Besides this, he will also attend a BSF program there. Shah's visit holds importance as West Bengal BJP units need proper guidance about the working style of the party. West Bengal BJP Vice President Soumitra Khan, party Vice President Dilip Ghosh, and National Secretary Anupam Hazra have already appealed to the Central Government to give directions to strengthen the West Bengal BJP unit. West Bengal Vice President Soumitra Khan told ANI today, "Shah will be holding a meeting with party workers and senior party leaders in Kolkata on May 4 in which, he will give directions to strengthen the party's organizational structure in the state and know about the status of West Bengal BJP unit at present." "Shah will also take feedback from workers in the meeting. Apart from meeting with workers in Siliguri on April 4, and Kolkata on April 5, Shah will also participate in BSF's 'Tin Bigha Corridor' program. Apart from this, North Bengal and South Bengal units of the party will hold important meetings with Amit Shah in both the places," he said. This is going to be Shah's first visit to the state after the results of the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections poured in. Previously, many party leaders left BJP and joined TMC, including Mukul Roy, and Babul Supriyo to name a few. Apart from this, there is a need to strengthen the party ahead of the 2024 elections. Hence, Shah's visit holds importance in the state. Soumitra Khan said that we have urged that there is a special need for the intervention by the Centre to strengthen the party at this time, otherwise the situation of the party can worsen. "I hope this visit of Amit Shah will give new life to the party and will infuse new energy," he added. (ANI) A day after a clash broke out between two groups in Punjab's Patiala, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi urged Punjab government to ensure law and order in the state. Her statement holds importance as the Shiv Sena's Punjab unit on Friday expelled a leader who gave a call to a rally in Patiala, hours after police opened fire to disperse Sena supporters and members of another community as tension gripped the city. Yograj Sharma, state chief of the Sena, said in a press release that Harish Singla, who claims to be the working president of the Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray), had been expelled for "anti-party activities" after orders from party supremo Uddhav Thackeray. As of now, Singla has been arrested by the Punjab police. On this information, Chaturvedi tweeted today, "Request all reporting Punjab story and repeatedly referring to Harish Singla as from Shiv Sena, kindly correct, he was expelled from @ShivSena and his actions have nothing to do with the party. It is the responsibility of Punjab government to ensure law and order prevails and hope they maintain it." On Saturday morning the Punjab government temporarily suspended mobile internet services from 9:30 am to 6 pm in the city today. "... there is likelihood of tension, annoyance, obstruction or injury to persons, danger to human life and property, disturbance of public peace and tranquillity within the limits of district Patiala due to the recent law and order events," an official order read. Stopping the spread of misinformation is necessary "to thwart the designs and activities of anti-national and anti-social groups/ elements and maintain peace and communal harmony and to prevent any loss of life or damage to public/private property," the order said. Patiala Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney confirmed that one person has been arrested with regard to the clashes. She said, "FIRs have been lodged and raids are underway. We appeal to the public to maintain peace. From 9.30 am to 6 pm today, mobile internet services will remain temporarily suspended as a step of abundant caution by the government. One person has been arrested." Patiala's Senior Superintendent of Police, Nanak Singh told reporters today that the police and administration will share factual information and no misinformation should be believed in the said incident. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has ordered a probe into the clash and said that strict action will be taken against those behind the violence. (ANI) After a group of over 100 striking employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) staged a protest outside 'Silver Oak', Pawar's residence in the south Mumbai earlier this month, over a 100 people were arrested by the police. 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. The protest came a day after the Bombay High Court asked the striking workers of the transport corporation to resume their duty by April 22. MSRTC staffers have been agitating since late October demanding a merger of the corporation with the state government, that would give them better salaries and greater job security. (ANI) Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said that the Law Ministry will readily assist the state governments in creating National Judicial Infrastructure Corporations at the state level, especially for district courts and lower judiciary. "We are ready to assist the state governments in creating National Judicial Infrastructure Authority at the state level, especially for district courts, lower judiciary subordinate judiciary," Rijiju said while addressing a joint press conference. Further, he stated that the government has adopted certain resolutions unanimously. It is committed to ensuring that all the decisions and consensus arrived at this conference will be given full shape and support by all, he added. Further, he pointed out that many state governments said that committees may be constituted at the state level, rather than the national level because the implementation as well execution of the works lies with the state government at the state level. "That's why I'm happy the Chief Ministers and Chief Justice have agreed that the body will be created at the state level with the involvement of the CMs and Chief Justices or their nominees. When the CMs and Chief Justices come together, many things can be settled," he further added. Earlier on Saturday, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana said that the time has come to move from ad-hoc committees to a more streamlined, accountable, and organised structure by creating a National Judicial Infrastructure Authority (NJIA) for the standardization. While speaking at the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts, Ramana said this authority will help improve judicial infrastructure which currently needs urgent attention. The CJI shared that the NJIA would have representation from all the stakeholders, including the representatives of the central and state governments, dispelling the apprehensions that the proposed body aims at usurping the powers of any government. (ANI) Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar has offered Rs 5 lakh to the 24-year-old girl who was attacked with acid late Thursday night in Bengaluru. Speaking to the media after visiting the girl who is being treated in ICU at St.John's hospital, Dr Sudhakar said Government will not spare the culprits who are responsible for such a heinous act. The Minister spoke to the victim and expressed solidarity with her family and ensured them that the government stands with them. The Minister assured her that the treatment of the girl will be taken care of by the government. Condemning the acid attack, the Minister said that this is an inhuman incident which is shameful and unbecoming for a civilized society. "Cases like these must be tried in fast track courts and culprits must be punished quickly. Only then we can send a stern message to such anti-social elements and create a deterrent," he added. Health Department will extend all support for the treatment of the victim girl. The girl has suffered 35 per cent burn injuries and is being treated in ICU. The skin graft necessary for treatment will be sourced from the skin bank at BMCRI. "I have decided to personally give Rs 5 lakh to the victim. Our government will ensure all support to the victim and her family be it treatment, rehabilitation and securing the future of the girl," he stated. "We as a society need to collectively think and act to ensure that such incidents are not repeated and work towards building a safe environment for women," he added. An acid attack case has been reported in Kamakshipalya Police Station limits. "The woman has been given primary health care and is out of danger. Teams have been formed to nab the accused," said Dr Sanjeev M Patil, DCP West Bengaluru. (ANI) Congress leader Kamal Nath has slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at the Centre and in Madhya Pradesh over the "power crisis" in the state and accused the party of taking the issue lightly. Talking to reporters here, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister accused the government of lack of planning and "handling the situation the way they mismanaged COVID pandemic". "Today the entire state is facing a power, coal crisis. Farmers are suffering. Traders are suffering, Students are suffering. This is the consequence of the corruption they (BJP government) have done in the last two years. This (power crisis) is a matter of concern. BJP is taking this lightly," the Congress leader alleged. "This situation has not emerged suddenly. This has been happening for some time now. But they have been denying this. They do not have any planning. They are handling the situation the way they mismanaged the COVID pandemic," he added. Kamal Nath, who is Madhya Pradesh Congress chief, had said on Wednesday that the power crisis in the state is deepening and the situation is getting acute in the rural areas. He had said in tweets that undeclared power cuts are taking place in both urban and rural areas during peak summer causing problems for people. He had also said that power production was getting affected due to coal shortage but the state government was giving "false data" to deny that there was a power crisis. Amid the heatwave in several parts of the country, the peak power demand for electricity in had touched an all-time high of 2,07,111 MW on Friday. (ANI) Mumbai Sessions court on Saturday heard bail applications of MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana. However, the court has decided to deliver its verdict on Monday, May 2, 2022. Advocate Rizwan Merchant and Abad Ponda appeared for the Rana couple and Senior Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat argued for Khat Police. Meanwhile, the Special Public Prosecutor told ANI, "If someone says that chanting Hanuman Chalisa is their right, it is. But we have to see if the act is legal, permissions and consent are taken by the person at whose residence chanting will be done... the ultimate aim was to create a situation where this government collapses." "This couple has been booked in several cases. We have mentioned these criminal antecedents in our reply as well. MLA Ravi Rana has been booked in 17 cases earlier and MP Navneet Rana in 6 cases. An attempt to murder charge is on Ravi Rana," he added. Earlier on April 24, the couple was sent to judicial custody for 14-days by the Holiday and Sunday court of Metropolitan Magistrate, Bandra. The Mumbai police asked them to file their statement on the bail plea on April 27. The couple was booked under the sedition charges on April 23. Mumbai police took them to Khar Police Station. "A case is registered at Khar Police against MLA Shri Ravi Rana and MP Smt Navneet Kaur Rana U/S 153(A), 34, IPC r/w 37(1) 135 Bombay police act. Both are taken into custody from their house at Khar. Further investigation is being done by Khar Police Station," an official press release had stated. The ruling Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state alleged that the Rana couple acted at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The row gained momentum after the Shiv Sena workers held protests at the residence of the Rana couple after the Amravati MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana announced their plan to chant "Hanuman Chalisa" outside Matoshree, the private residence of Chief Minster Uddhav Thackeray. (ANI) New Delhi [India], April 30 (ANI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Law Minister Rajendra Trivedi participated in the conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts here on Saturday. The Gujarat government has allocated Rs 1,740 crore to the judicial department this year to expand infrastructure facilities for the judiciary and has appointed 378 judges following recommendations from the High Court in the last five years. It has also sanctioned 48 family courts during the last five years. A Gujarat government release said that in 2010-11, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat and present Prime Minister Narendra Modi had allocated Rs 780 crore for infrastructure facilities for the judiciary. "Following the same path, the Government of Gujarat has allocated Rs 1,740 crore to the judicial department this year as well," the release said. It said Gujarat Government has remained committed to provide effective infrastructure facilities to the judiciary. "In addition to Rs 1,740 crore in the current financial year, the state government has made an allocation of Rs. 2300 crore during the last five years for court buildings with all facilities, residential accommodation for judicial officers and staff of the courts as part of (efforts) to provide infrastructure facilities to judiciary so as to ensure justice to the people of the state easily," the release said. It said the state government has sanctioned Rs 400 crore during the last five years for the construction of 30 new court complexes at district and block levels in consultation with the High Court. The state government has also made an allocation of Rs 75 crore during the last five years for the construction of residential accommodation for judicial officers of the courts serving at various district and block levels according to their rank in consultation with High Court. During the discussion on various agenda items, the Chief Justice of India expressed his satisfaction in regard to providing infrastructure facilities to the Gujarat High Court. Gujarat Law Minister Rajendra Trivedi, Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court Ravinder Kumar and K Kailashnathan, Chief Principal Secretary to CM participated in the conference which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI) A child and woman walk past a boarded-up apartment building in the 600 block of East 43rd Street, April 30, 2022, in Chicago. A three-year-old girl in the building died from an overnight fire. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) A three-year-old girl has died during a fire in the Bronzeville neighborhood early Saturday. Emergency calls to 911 started coming in at 1:28 a.m. to a six-unit brick building at 606 E. 43rd St. and the first fire engine got there four minutes later, said Chicago Fire Dept. spokesman Larry Langford. Advertisement Firefighters burst into a second-floor apartment to begin their attack while heavy flames blew out its back door as smoke was billowing out its front. It had been going for a while, Langford said of the fire. Advertisement In their primary search they found 3-year-old Story I. Chamba in a front room, according to Langford and the Cook County medical examiners office. They were yelling for EMS to meet them outside and a firefighter brought the child out in his arms. Story was in cardiac arrest so they immediately placed her on a gurney and began life support and CPR while also getting her to an ambulance that was half a block away. They were literally running down the street with the gurney, Langford said. They rushed her to Comer and she was pronounced dead within minutes. Story suffered second-degree burns but the smoke was what probably killed her, according to Langford. Her brother, a 13-year-old, was outside when his mom, who was at work at the time of the fire, rushed home. He was in shock, said Langford of the boy, who was not physically hurt. The office of fire investigation said the blaze began in the kitchen and it was incendiary in nature -- not meaning it was suspicious but meaning a human was involved with its ignition. It possibly could have been a cooking fire or began with candles, but Langford wasnt sure. There were smoke detectors present in the building and its first floor was unoccupied. No one else was hurt. Advertisement Check back for details. Lokesh, in a statement, said that the incident is "highly condemnable" adding that the offences were making the lives of common people "miserable" in the Mangalagiri Assembly constituency. The TDP MLC alleged that a staff member of a channel attacked the old man, his family members and women over a property dispute at Polakampadu in Tadepalli limits. He further alleged that the member of the channel interfered in the civil dispute and attacked the victim, Koteswara Rao, for not vacating the disputed site in Polakampadu. "He brought a JCB to remove the old man's belongings from his own site," Lokesh claimed. The TDP leader released a purported video of the incident on his Twitter handle. Lokesh, in a separate statement, condemned the alleged rape and burning alive of a girl at Bethanapalli village in Denkada mandal of Vizianagaram district. The offenders molested and then used petrol to set the girl ablaze, he claimed. Slamming Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy over such incidents, Lokesh asked how was he sleeping "peacefully in his Tadepalli palace when such ghastly incidents were taking place every day." "It was unpardonable that the Chief Minister did not yet respond to the brutal incident in which the girl was torched beyond recognition. The TDP MLC demanded that the Chief Minister should wake up from his sleep and take steps for nabbing and punishing the culprits with a death sentence," he said. (ANI) TDP state president K Atchannaidu slammed Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy alleging that he destroyed the education sector, along with other sectors, with his policies and failure to prevent leakages of question papers. In a statement, the TDP leader said, "The ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) remained silent spectators while the 10th class exam papers were getting leaked. They were playing dangerous games with the lives of lakhs of students. Why was the Chief Minister not speaking on the leakage issue?" Police have so far arrested 12 people including nine teachers in the case. Terming the arrest of the teachers in the case as "atrocious", the TDP leader alleged that the question papers were circulated in the WhatsApp groups of YSRCP leaders. The TDP leader alleged that the Chief Minister himself had a "dubious" track record of having snatched away 10th class exam papers. "His party gangs had taken him as an example and started leaking question papers. In the past, GMC Balayogi resigned following allegations of paper leakage during his term as Education Minister," Atchannaidu said. Atchannaidu alleged that Botsa Satyanarayana was not responding even though the leaked 10th class exam papers were being sold in the market. "There was no action despite evidence available for this," the TDP leader said. Atchannaidu demanded that the Minister should resign immediately so as to allow a detailed investigation into the paper leakage scam. (ANI) Gorsi was attacked by over a dozen people while he, along with his wife, was sitting in his office on busy Lawrence Road, Amritsar. Captain Amarinder said, "This was reflective of the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab under the Aam Aadmi Party government." He demanded immediate arrest and strict action against the culprits. The former Chief Minister said, "The criminals were having a field day as the government remained clueless about things." He pointed out that several criminal incidents like murder, loot and robbery were taking place every day at alarming regularity. He asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to focus more on his state affairs, particularly the deteriorating law and order situation which should be the cause of concern. Earlier on Friday, Punjab Lok Congress spokesperson Sandeep Gorsi was injured. Police said six unidentified persons attacked Gorsi while he was working in his office at Nehru Shopping Complex. (ANI) It was the second CBI raid at Kalindi Kunj Police Station in four months. A senior CBI officer said that acting on information, the CBI team laid a trap and arrested Head Constable Raj Kumar posted at Kalindi Kunj Police Station for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a man in the Madanpur Khadar area, to allow him to construct boundary wall around a plot. "The arrested policeman along with his associate who is also a policeman was demanding a bribe from the Complainant for the construction of a boundary wall around a plot. The deal was settled for Rs 10,000 and the first instalment was to be paid on Saturday when the CBI team caught the policeman. The role of other policemen is under investigation," he said. He added that the arrested accused will be produced before the competent court in Delhi. On April 25, CBI arrested a Constable of Delhi Police, Amit, while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh on behalf of Inspector Sajjan Singh Yadav of Delhi Police from a complainant at Bhubaneswar. Yadav is still absconding. On January 23, CBI arrested an Inspector, a Head Constable and a Constable of Delhi Police posted at Kalindi Kunj police station of South-East district in an alleged bribery case. (ANI) Kejriwal made the poser in the tweet and also referred to Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) efforts to expand its base in the state which will face assembly polls later this year. He asked if BJP is so scared of AAP that it was planning to go for early polls. "Will the BJP next week dissolve the Gujarat assembly and make an announcement of assembly polls. So much fear of AAP?" he asked in a tweet. AAP is seeking to expand its base in several states, especially after its victory in Punjab earlier this year, and is focusing on Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh which will go to the polls later this year. Kejriwal is scheduled to reach Surat on Saturday and address 'Adivasi Sankalp Mahasammelan' jointly with Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) chief Chhotu Vasava in Bharuch, on May 1. Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann held a roadshow in Ahmedabad earlier this month. AAP had fought the 2017 assembly polls in Gujarat but could not open its account. The party had made headlines after it won 27 seats in Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) in February last year with the BJP getting 93 seats and Congress drawing a blank. (ANI) Reiterating to fulfill the BJP's poll promise of implementing the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday said that the state government will constitute a committee taking into consideration all the stakeholders and specialists. Addressing the media during his Delhi visit, Dhami said, "We will soon constitute a committee on the Uniform Civil Code. After the committee is formed, we will take all the stakeholders and specialists into consideration who will prepare the draft. Based on the draft, UCC will be implemented in Uttarakhand." The Uniform Civil Code is a proposal in India to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply to all citizens equally regardless of their religion, sex, gender and sexual orientation. Currently, the personal laws of various communities are governed by their religious scriptures. The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution which lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India. Notably, in BJP's 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto, BJP promised the implementation of UCC if it comes to power. Talking about the Char Dham Yatra verification drive run by the state government, Dhami said that it is being done to avoid any law and order problems because of the miscreants during the Yatra. "We will run a verification drive in Uttarakhand because our state is the centre of religion, spiritualism and culture. It is the home of the Himalayas and Ganga. We also share two international borders and are peaceful. The law and order situation should not deteriorate," he said. "To make sure that this does not happen, we have run a verification campaign in which the names of numerous suspicious persons have emerged," Dhami added. Notably, the Yatra is scheduled to be held from May 3. Amid the looming power crisis in various parts of the country, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister said that his government is constantly working to provide electricity to the people of the state. "We are constantly working to resolve the issue of power crisis. We had improved the electricity condition in the previous weeks. We are working to make the situation right in Uttarakhand which is not right in the entire country. We are working on providing electricity to the people of the state," he said. Earlier today, a joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts was held in New Delhi. Detailing the event, Dhami said that they received guidance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We got the guidance of PM Modi. We are working well in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand has become the first state to provide the facility of virtual hearing for the differently-abled ones who cannot reach the courts to record their statements," he said. (ANI) Sharply reacting to the Patiala violence that took place on Friday, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Saturday said that the Aam Aadmi Party ruling the border state is "not in the interest of the country". Speaking to the media, Vij said, "We had said earlier that Punjab is a border state, the coming of Aam Aadmi Party in the border state is not in the interest of the country as their character is questioned. They are indulged with some people and its results have come out." Alleging an increase in violence in Punjab since the formation of the AAP government in the state, Vij said that the people have started fighting among themselves with "weapons on the streets". "People have started fighting among themselves with weapons on the streets, it is very dangerous and a matter of great concern and people should keep peace, trust the Union government, we do not have such activities in our country at all," he said. Meanwhile, a day after clashes broke out between two groups in Punjab's Patiala leaving four people injured, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday warned the perpetrators stating that strict action will be taken against those who disrupt peace in the state. Speaking to the reporters here at the joint conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts today, Kejriwal said, "Whosoever will disrupt the peace of Punjab, strict action will be taken against them." (ANI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday registered a case against a senior Oncologist for alleged medical negligence leading to the death of a Bahraini national. The CBI said that the Kingdom of Bahrain has requested for initiating local prosecution in India against fugitive Doctor Prem Ravivarma Puthia Kovillakam. Indian National was wanted by the authorities of Bahrain for the alleged offence of causing the death of one Abdullah Mahmoud Al-Ahmadi, a Bahraini National by an overdose of Chemotherapy which led to his death on March 21, 2016. The FIR reads that in March 2016 Prem Ravivarma Puthia Kovillakam was treating the victim for anal cancer treatment at Salmaniya Medical Oncology Department, Bahrain. On March 8, 2016, the patient went to Salmaniya Medical Complex and it was approved to administer alternate doses of chemotherapy (Mitomycin-C) and radiotherapy. On March 15, 2016, the convicted accused Puthia Kovilakam, Prem Ravi Kumar, Senior Resident in Oncology Department, gave an order to dispense a dose of 10mg/m2(Mitomycin) and 825mg/m2(Xeloda) tables, which were collected according to the patient's body surface area (BSA 1.52) as follows (15mgx10-150mg) as it was supposed to be performed in this way (1.5mgx10=15mg), FIR reads. The required dose was received from the pharmacy department and administered to the patient via the central venous line, it reads. It further reads that the patient's condition deteriorated as a result of the overdose that was 10 times the necessary dose, which led to his kidney failure and his death on March 21, 2016. The aforesaid acts of commission on the part of accused Dr Puthia Kovilakam Prem Ravi Kumar causing the death of victim Abdullah Mahmoud Al-Ahmadi due to medical negligence, prima-facie disclose the commission of an offence under section 304-A (causing death by negligence) of IPC against the accused Dr Puthia Kovilakam Prem Ravi Kumar, the FIR reads. India has bilateral agreements with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on criminal matters, which allows India to prosecute a person locally if the act committed by him/her is considered an offence under the laws of both contracting states. And CBI will investigate these cases for local prosecution and keep updating the concerned embassy. (ANI) Body of a nurse was found hanging in the premises of a hospital in the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday morning, informed police. The family of the victim alleged that the woman was gang-raped before she was killed by the accused person. The FIR has been registered against three people on the basis of the complaint of the victim's mother. According to the family members, she had joined the said hospital just a day before the incident. "A woman's body has been found at New Jeevan Hospital. To ascertain the circumstances of death, a post-mortem has been ordered. The family has alleged that the woman was raped and then killed. An FIR against three people has been filed and strict action will be taken against them," said Shashi Shekhar Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police, Unnao. Her body has been sent for post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death. An investigation into the matter has been started. More details are awaited. (ANI) The accused in the Gorakhnath Temple attack case was in touch with the fighters and sympathisers of the proscribed terror outfit Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), said Prashant Kumar, Additional director general of police (Law and Order), Uttar Pradesh Police. Kumar on Sunday was sharing the snippets from the investigation by UP Anti-Terror Squad (UP ATS) in connection with the Gorakhnath Temple case where accused Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi on April 3 forcibly tried to enter the temple premises and attacked the on-duty police personnel with a sharp weapon. Kumar informed that the accused had the intention to carry out a big operation after snatching the weapon. "He conducted a lone wolf fatal attack at the southern gate of Gorakhnath temple and attempted to snatch the rifle of security officials on duty. His intention was to conduct a big operation after snatching the weapon," he said. The Anti-Terror Squad during the course of its investigation analysed various devices and social media handles possessed by the accused. "After investigating accused Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi by UP ATS, data analysis of many of his e-devices, his various social media accounts like Gmail, Twitter, Facebook and E-wallets was conducted," said the police officer. "The accused, via his bank accounts, sent around 8.5 lakh Indian Rupees to support ISIS terror activities via organisations related to ISIS supporters in different countries in Europe and America. He sent various arms - AK47, M4 carbine and other missile technology, via internet," he added. Sharing the criminal history of the accused, ADG said, "He was arrested by Bengaluru Police in 2014 for being in connection with ISIS propaganda activist Mehdi Masroor Biswas. He was influenced by terror organisations, radical preachers and ISIS-terrorism promoters." The accused was interrogated in detail by ATS during seven days' custody remand since Tuesday morning. He was shifted to Lucknow after a special ATS court in the state capital granted seven days' custody remand for further interrogation. The accused was earlier lodged in Gorakhpur jail after being remanded in judicial custody for 14 days after his police custody remand ended on April 16. (ANI) Alexis Brown waits for a bus at the CTA 95th/Dan Ryan station, April 28, 2022. Brown, a lifelong resident of the South Side, said she used to drive but "it got too expensive." (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) For more than 20 years, Roseland resident Willie Tyler has been taking the CTA six days a week to get to work downtown. For Tyler, Mayor Lori Lightfoots prepaid gas and transit use card giveaway will provide him with some financial relief this summer. We need it, he said amid the on-again, off-again rain Thursday afternoon at the CTA 95th Red Line Station. It helps us a lot right now. A lot of people dont have funds to get on the bus. Itll make a big difference. Advertisement But Tyler, who has already applied for the prepaid cards, said the timing of the giveaway isnt the best. I know what shes trying to do, he said. Shes trying to get votes. Its not going to work because shes affected a lot of people negatively, too. Advertisement Some Chicagoans, along with various aldermen, are skeptical of Lightfoots intentions behind the plan to give away the prepaid cards this summer to those who need the help most, but that doesnt mean residents arent unhappy about the chance to get some relief. The City Council on Wednesday narrowly passed Lightfoots giveaway of up to 50,000 prepaid gas cards worth $150 each and 100,000 prepaid Chicago Transit Authority fare cards worth $50 each. The giveaway, known as Chicago Moves, is described on the citys website as a financial assistance program providing $12.5 million in transportation relief to Chicagoans in need, which will be paid for with taxpayer dollars. Those who are interested in getting a prepaid card must apply either online, in-person at a Chicago Public Library location or by mail by sending a letter with a completed application to ATTN: Dept. of Finance: Chicago Moves, 121 N. LaSalle St., 7th Floor, Chicago, IL 60602. Applicants must be Chicago residents, at least 18 years old and have a household income at or below the citys area median income. More information and application forms in English and several other languages can be found online. Applicants will be notified by email if they have been selected to get a card. The cards will be distributed via a lottery system in the second week of every month from May through September, according to the city. Applications should be submitted by the first of the month to be considered for that months lottery. Those who are not selected in one months drawing will be automatically entered into the drawing for the next month. Only one application will be accepted. Alexis Brown, a lifelong resident of the South Side, said she used to drive but it got too expensive, so now she chooses to take the bus to get around and commute to and from work. She said shes interested in applying for the CTA card, if the program works out as its supposed to. I want to see how it works, Brown said. At this point, theres a lot of stuff that the mayor has said that we have yet to see, so Im just waiting to see. Brown said the cards would be very helpful for people who drive to save money on gas and for people who are riding the buses and trains every day and can save money on transit fare because everything is so expensive now. She said she has been following Lightfoots career since before she was mayor and doesnt think the giveaway has anything to go with garnering support for potential reelection. Advertisement Before she was mayor, she was always about helping people and always about making sure the neighborhoods get what they need, so thats nothing new, Brown said. I wouldnt say that its a push toward her reelection because before we even knew her on this platform, she did a lot of community work. Lightfoot has yet to formally announce her reelection, but Brown is confident Lightfoot will run again. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 22 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) Lightfoots giveaway announcement comes after mayoral candidate Willie Wilsons three self-funded gas giveaways, worth $2.2 million in total, which saw drivers camp out at gas stations across the city and Cook County to get free fuel. Some locals said Lightfoots giveaway is a way to even the playing field ahead of throwing her name back in the ring for office. According to the city, three-quarters of the cards would be prioritized for residents in community areas that face higher mobility hardship, while the remaining 25% will be distributed equally to each ward citywide. Use of the gas cards is limited to fueling up at pumps within the city, and the transit cards can be used to buy fare at Ventra vending machines in CTA stations, Ventra retail locations across the city or via the Ventra website and mobile app. Valerie Avant stops for gasoline at a filling station in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood on April 28, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune) Valerie Avant waited in the drivers seat of her car while her eldest son got out to put in $25 worth of gas at a BP station in Bridgeport, which he said was only close to half a tank for them. Avant said she should apply for the chance to get a prepaid gas card this summer but wonders why Lightfoot decided to help people now when many have been struggling to make ends meet throughout the pandemic. Advertisement People needed help getting to work this whole time, Avant said. Now because somebody else is giving out free gas, that means shes got to give out free gas, too. It is what it is. Its election time. Therell be somebody else doing the same thing soon. sahmad@chicagotribune.com Chief Justice N.V. Ramana on Saturday said that chief ministers of various state governments have assured that adequate security will be provided at court complexes across the country. The Chief Justice along with Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju was briefing the press on developments in the meeting held with chief ministers and chief justices of high courts. The Chief Justice, while responding to a query on breach in security at court complexes, said: "I have raised that issue with chief ministers. They assured that they will provide adequate security... in Jammu and Kashmir there is a system, two level protection system, which we suggested for other courts also." On the aspect of use of local language in courts, Rijiju said as a matter of policy, the government will give importance to use of local languages in judiciary and as well as education, especially technical education, which is only in English in the country. "It is a process which requires wider consultation with the judiciary... languages in the court, not only in argument but for order and judgment, will require approval from the Chief Justice of India. So that is why it needs a wider consultation," said Rijiju. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for use of local languages in courts, saying that it will increase the confidence of common citizens in the justice system and they will feel more connected to it. The Chief Justice, on aspect of usage of local language in courts, said, "This is a very serious issue, the problem is the demands for implementation of regional language, particularly in Tamil Nadu, some politician mentioned about Gujarat also but I am not sure. Tamil Nadu particularly wants to implement a regional language." Justice Ramana added that earlier a request came in 2014, when he joined the Supreme Court, which was rejected by the full court and after that there has been concrete proposal before the apex court so far. He added that there are a lot of hurdles and hiccups in the implementation of regional languages, the reason is that some judges are not familiar with the local language, as they come from another state. Justice Ramana added that currently there is no technology to translate the entire court record into local language, though Artificial Intelligence (AI) was used but it did not materialize. "One day, we cannot implement a reform... slowly over a period of time it will happen," added the Chief Justice. Rijiju said a resolution passed in chief justices' conference to create a National Judicial Infrastructure Development Authority was received with reservations by some chief ministers. "One of the resolutions (in the chief justices' conference) passed, was to create a National Judicial Infrastructure Development Authority. For that, some of the CMs could not agree with the present setup," he said. Rijiju added, however, an agreement was reached that a body would be created at the state level with chief ministers and chief justices or their nominees on board for the infrastructure development. He further added, "I'm happy the CMs and Chief Justice have agreed that the body will be created at the state level with their involvement." Earlier during the day, the Chief Justice said: "To standardize and improve judicial infrastructure, I have been focusing on the creation of special purpose vehicles, namely, the National Judicial Infrastructure Authority and the State Judicial Infrastructure Authorities in the lines of NALSA and SLSAs. He added, "The time has come to move on from the present ad-hoc committees to a more streamlined, accountable and organised structure. The proposed authorities will have representation from all the stakeholders. It must, however, be acknowledged that it is the judiciary which understands best its own needs and requirements." --IANS ss/pgh ( 639 Words) 2022-04-30-21:08:04 (IANS) While interacting with the media after attending the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts here, Khattar said the demand for setting up a separate high court for Haryana has been made in the joint conference. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also demanded the setting up of a separate high court for Punjab, said Khattar. At the conference, the Haryana Chief Minister demanded setting up of a separate high court for Chandigarh also. Khattar said that Haryana has also demanded that the selection of judicial officers should be done through the Haryana Public Service Commission. Currently, the selection process of judicial officers in Haryana is being done by the high court. The Chief Minister informed that detailed discussions on a total of seven pivotal agendas were made during the conference. --IANS vg/arm ( 186 Words) 2022-04-30-21:13:45 (IANS) The police in Goa on Saturday arrested a person from Lucknow who posed as an Intelligence Bureau (IB) Officer and duped a person residing in North Goa of Rs 7 lakh on the pretext of providing a job the complainant's son in the Bureau. The accused has been identified as Abhishek Giri (32) from Uttar Pradesh. "Abhishek Giri became friendly with the complainant, impersonated himself as an intelligence officer and induced the complainant to pay Rs 7 lakh over the pretext of providing a job to his son in Intelligence Bureau. Further, the accused person absconded in November 2021 and since then was on the run," a statement by the Goa Police said. The arrest, based on the complaint of the victim Vishant Rajpurohit was carried out after maintaining technical surveillance on the accused's mobile phone. "Our team simultaneously maintained technical surveillance during which the accused person was found to be changing phone numbers and his place of stay in Uttar Pradesh," the statement said. The accused was eventually arrested from Sarojini Nagar in Lucknow, Goa Police said. --IANS maya/pgh ( 194 Words) 2022-04-30-21:28:19 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party MP from West Bengal Arjun Singh met Union minister of textiles Piyush Goyal here in the national capital on Saturday to raise his concerns regarding the price capping of raw jute by the Central government. The meeting comes a day after BJP MP wrote to the Chief Ministers of five states including West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee to intervene in the decision of the Central government with regards to capping the price of raw jute. "I met Union Minster of Textiles Piyush Goyal over matter (of jute industry). The meeting was 1.5 hours long. He is fully convinced that there is some issue and asked me to meet Textiles Secretary for a solution, before putting it in front of top-level," said Arjun Singh to ANI after his meeting with the Union Minister. Flagging the seriousness of the issue that is affecting the entire jute industry in West Bengal, BJP MP expressed satisfaction and hope after the meeting with Union Minister. "Jute mills continue to down shutters in West Bengal. We have to sort out this matter together. With today's meeting, I am convinced that we're moving on a good path," he said. The Centre has fixed a price cap of Rs 6,500 per quintal on raw jute. The upper cap of Rs 6,500 per quintal was fixed for 2021-22. (ANI) About one-fifth of the often fatal head and neck cancers contain gene mutations in pathways important for normal cell proliferation, according to the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Scientists claim that these mutations have the capacity to make the cancer cells grow abnormally and also make cancer vulnerable. The findings of the research were published in the journal 'npj Genomic Medicine.The study details keys to target that vulnerability including individualized genomic analysis to identify a patient's specific mutation, and find the drugs that directly target it, investigations that should be given more attention in cancer therapy development. The MAPK pathway is a "signalling hub" for cells important to the usual development of the head and neck region, and activating key pathway constituents, like the genes MAPK1 and HRAS, is known to drive the growth of a variety of cancers, said Dr Vivian Wai Yan Lui, molecular pharmacologist and translational scientist at the Georgia Cancer Center and Medical College of Georgia and the paper's corresponding author. But the mutations in the genes in the MAPK pathway that enable tumour growth can also make it sensitive to drug therapy, said Lui. While a lot of discovery is still needed to find more mutations in the MAPK pathway and the drugs that target them, Lui said they are among the most logical treatment targets for this tough-to-treat cancer. As she spoke, she was looking in her lab for drugs that kill head and neck primary tumours from patients, and at the genetics behind how they kill. "It's critical to the survival of cancer," said Lui, and every cancer type likely has one or more drug-sensitizing mutations that may vary in individuals depending on how they got cancer. If these types of studies continue to find the methodology works, gene panels might need to be developed to expedite target discovery in this very heterogeneous cancer, the scientists wrote. More clinical trials around the globe at institutions like MCG and the Georgia Cancer Center are essential to identifying these specific mutations and drugs that target them in a precise manner, Lui noted.Also, next on the horizon is combining this "precision medicine" approach with immunotherapy that better enables a patient's immune system to also target cancer, she said. Lui's interest in the MAPK pathway solidified almost a decade ago at the University of Pittsburgh where she did her postdoctoral studies and eventually joined the faculty. Her mentor was Dr Jennifer R. Grandis (now at the University of California, San Francisco), who led the head and neck cancer program there. The patient in his 30s, a heavy smoker and drinker, had stage four head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that had metastasized to his lymph nodes. The patient went to Pittsburgh for the removal of the lymph nodes and the primary tumour but was fortunate enough to be eligible for a "window of opportunity" trial there. Before starting any standard treatment, he received a trial drug for 13 days, in his case an epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR, blocker. The receptor is involved in cell growth and is found on some normal cells, including in the head and neck area where there is a lot of natural cell turnover because of exposure to things like food and drink. However, in cancer cells, including head and neck cancer cells, EGFR is abundantly expressed for the rapid growth critical to a tumour's spread and survival. The patient was given the drug, erlotinib, which was not known to be particularly effective in these cancers but was being looked at to see if it would quieten the signalling of this factor that was important to cancer's growth. When he went for surgery following the trial, the surgeon called to report there was no cancer on his tongue and studies of his 36 lymph nodes indicated they also now showed no evidence of cancer. The patient was still doing well by the time the Pittsburgh colleagues published the paper two years later in 2015 in JAMA Oncology. His was rightly called an "exceptional response," the first Lui and her colleagues had found in head and neck cancer, and she had to figure out the mutation the drug targeted to enable such a response. Exceptional responders are how the National Cancer Institute describes people who have more than a six-month response to a therapy when they are running out of treatment options. An EGFR gene mutation was a logical choice for his mutation. Harvard investigators had previously found that in non-small cell lung cancer, EGFR activating mutations could activate tumour cell growth, which also made tumour cells "addicted" to the signal from the mutated EGFR. The drug erlotinib could break the addiction and inhibit cancer cell growth. Lui didn't find an EGFR mutation in this young man's pre-treatment biopsy but reasoned the mutation had to have something to do with the receptor's signalling network. She was surprised -- and the first -- to find it was a MAPK1 gene mutation, MAPK1 p.E322K specifically, that could also be found in liver, breast and other cancers. When they later engineered the mutation in head and neck cancer cells, the already aggressive cells grew even faster, Lui said of a mutation that can result from habits like heavy smoking and drinking. They would also find that the particular mutation was very common in the United States in patients with head and neck cancer, while there was a wider spectrum of mutations present in Asians with cancer. Erlotinib had actually failed in clinical trials because it wasn't given to the right patients, which is what precision medicine is, Lui noted. In fact, laboratory studies had indicated that activation of MAPK1 confers resistance to erlotinib, she said, while this patient's response clearly counters that. Follow up work by Grandis indicated that in patients actually, the higher the MAPK1 activation, the better cancer responded to erlotinib. To help move cancer treatment forward, Lui encouraged the physicians who come across these types of "exceptional responses" to report them, work with scientists to study them, and then pursue clinical trials when appropriate. For patients, her message is not to give up because, with a more high-level analysis of tumours, there might be a certain mutation that makes their cancer vulnerable to a specific medication, she said of these "gene-drug responses" that are the focal point of her translational work. "There are secrets that make cancer vulnerable," Lui said. "When cancer cells have an important gene mutation that they are activating or that cancer cells are addicted to for survival, then when you hit that signalling pathway, the cancer cells will die or be really well controlled." Prior to the era of genomic medicine, when scientists began to identify and target a specific gene mutation, "non-precision" drug treatment of the MAPK pathway in head and neck cancers as well as other cancers was "futile," and typically "failed miserably" in clinical trials, Lui and her colleagues wrote. While the reasons may be uncertain, they likely include the wrong drug for that specific, problematic mutation, Lui said, as well as the fact that some MAPK pathway mutations are known to convey drug resistance. Either way, there is a lot of work to do. Today there are just a handful of drugs that target specific, cancer-causing mutations in head and neck cancer but there aren't effective precision drugs for about 80 per cent of patients, Lui and her co-authors write. But there is mounting evidence that targeting specific MAPK pathway mutations in the pathway like MAPK1, HRAS, KRAS and BRAF can be very effective for these patients. As an example, the RAS inhibitor tipifarnib received Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the Food and Drug Administration in February 2021 for patients with a specific recurrent or metastatic HRAS-mutant head and neck squamous cell cancer. HRAS is involved in cell growth signalling.Also, studies indicate that EGFR targeted therapy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, increases progression-free survival to a median of 18.9 months and median overall survival beyond three years and reduces death rates by about 52 per cent. In 2016 the Food and Drug Administration modified its approval of erlotinib to treat non-small cell lung cancer patients with specific EGFR mutations. In 2020, the FDA approved erlotinib in combination with ramucirumab, a monoclonal antibody that binds to a receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, which tumours use to grow the blood vessels they need to thrive, as a frontline treatment for these cancers. The FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to tipifarnib, an inhibitor of a protein which has the downstream effect of interfering in this case with mutations of the gene HRAS, which is also involved in cell division and in the MAPK pathway. There are now more than 1.5 million people with non-small cell lung cancer on precision medicine because of investigators who continued to examine the initial few responders, Lui said. (ANI) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the mass grave with 900 bodies had been found in different places in Kyiv Oblast. Ukraine's The Kyiv Independent earlier said that the Ukrainian President said a mass grave with 900 people was found in Kyiv Oblast. But after that, the media outlet issued a correction and said that Zelenskyy had been referring to the total number of people found in different mass graves in Kyiv Oblast. "Hundreds of civilians have been killed in the region by Russian troops," the media outlet reported. On Friday, The Kyiv Independent reported that three Russian missiles hit Kyiv Oblast. The missiles hit undisclosed infrastructure sites near the city of Fastiv in Kyiv Oblast, according to Oleksandr Pavlyuk, head of the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration, said the media outlet. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during his visit to Ukraine's Borodyanka, described the ongoing war "an absurdity" and stated that he imagines his family in one of the rooms which has now been destroyed. "I imagined my family in one of those houses that is now destroyed and black," he said. "I see my granddaughters running away in panic, part of the family eventually killed. So, the war is an absurdity in the 21st century. The war is evil," Guterres was quoted as saying by OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) Ukraine. The UN Chief arrived in Ukraine on Wednesday after his visit to Moscow. Taking to Twitter, UN Chief said that he will continue their work to expand the humanitarian support to Ukraine and will also secure the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones. Notably, Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, which the West has termed an unwarranted war. As a result of this, the western countries have also imposed several crippling sanctions on Moscow. (ANI) "IAEA Director-General @RafaelMGrossi has proposed to lead a visit to Zaporizhzhya NPP after necessary consultations and at earliest possible opportunity," the agency tweeted. According to the IAEA, the Ukrainian side informed the agency of the difficult conditions under which Ukrainian specialists worked at the NPP. "Personnel at Zaporizhzhya NPP--controlled by Russian forces but still operated by its Ukrainian staff--were 'working under unbelievable pressure' Ukraine told IAEA. Specialists from Rosenergoatom demanded daily reports from management," the agency added. On Thursday Grossi announced that he would meet with Russian representatives to discuss possible visit to Zaporizhzhya NPP. On March 4, the Russian forces took full control over the Zaporizhzhya NPP. Russian troops and Ukrainian soldiers of the NPP guard battalion reached an agreement to jointly secure the plant. Russian specialists provide advisory assistance to Ukrainian plant personnel, who are in charge of the management and the operation of the Zaporizhzhya NPP. 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. Moscow said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine. (ANI/Sputnik) According to the correspondent, the explosions sounded from the direction of the Ukrainian border and were heard even in the center of the city. The correspondent added that air defense system were likely to be activated. Within the last several weeks, Ukraine has intensified attacks on the Russian regions along its border amid the ongoing Russian military operation in Ukraine. (ANI/Sputnik) The United Nations has condemned a "deadly explosion" at a Sufi mosque in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, on Friday, which reportedly killed at least 10 people and injured over 15. The blast at the Khalifa Sahib mosque, located in the Darulaman area in the west of the city, is the latest in a series of attacks on civilian targets in the capital and provinces. The explosion tore through the mosque, damaging the roof, which caved in on worshippers, the UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) in the country said, citing initial reports. According to UN News, local hospitals reported far higher casualty figures, with dozens said to be killed and injured, including many children. A hospital ran by the non-governmental organization Emergency, alone received more than 20 victims, two of whom were dead on arrival, the UN News said. Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, issued a statement condemning the "heinous" attack. "Today's blast, which comes on the last Friday of the holy week of Ramadan, is yet another painful blow to the people of Afghanistan who continue to be exposed to unremitting insecurity and violence," he said. "It is unconscionable for civilians to be targeted indiscriminately as they go about their daily business, gathering for prayers, going to school or the market, or on their way to work," he added. On Thursday, at least nine people were killed, and 15 wounded, in separate blasts on two minibuses in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. Alakbarov reiterated that directing attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including mosques, is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law. (ANI) Ahmed Umar, a sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, told reporters that a bus driver lost control of his vehicle, which rammed into a moving truck head-on along an expressway. "A total of 16 people, 15 of them male adults, were involved in the accident," Umar said, adding that five men were injured, while six men and one woman died in the mishap. The survivors were transferred to a nearby hospital. The sector commander described the crash as avoidable if the bus driver had not sped excessively on the slippery highway, as it was raining at the time of the accident. He warned motorists, not to over speed or drive recklessly, so as to avoid unnecessary loss of lives and property. Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions and reckless driving. (ANI/Xinhua) A 26-year-old woman was fatally wounded, and a 31-year-old woman suffered a gunshot wound to the left thigh after an argument with a male offender early Saturday morning in the Near North neighborhood, Chicago police said. Shortly after 1 a.m., the women got into an argument with a male on the sidewalk in the 300 block of North State Street when the male retrieved a gun and shot at the women multiple times, said police. Advertisement The younger woman suffered a wound to the chest, and was taken in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later. The other woman was shot in the left thigh and was taken to the same hospital where she was listed in good condition, police said. The deceased victim had not been identified as of Saturday morning. Advertisement No one was in custody and detectives were investigating. Ahead of the upcoming discussion on April 30, Enver Can of Ilham Tohti Initiative organized a press conference on Friday (local time). The conference witnessed the participation of a camp survivor Sayragul Sauytbay, author Alexandra Cavelius, researcher Adrian Zenz, Uyghur American attorney Nury Turkel, and Prof Marie Holzman. In the conference, the participants elaborated on the deteriorating situation of Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region [XUAR] and also talked about the torture, religious restrictions, cultural cleansing, and forced abortions and sterilization of ethnic nationalities in China. Notably, the discussion on Uyghurs in the German Parliament may create monumental pressure on China. This comes after Beijing launched a brutal crackdown that has swept more than one million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities into detention camps and prisons in its western Xinjiang province under the pretext of fighting Islamist extremism. These efforts have led to allegations of imposing forced labour, mass internment, forced birth control, erasing Uyghur cultural and religious identity, as well as accusations of genocide. The Chinese government has publicly refuted any reports of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, however, China has been rebuked globally for the crackdown on Uyghur Muslims by sending them to mass detention camps, interfering in their religious activities, and sending members of the community to undergo some form of forcible re-education or indoctrination. (ANI) "Delighted to call on Hon'ble Minister of Civil Aviation @JM_Scindia in New York," tweeted Ambassador TS Tirumurti. Scindia, who arrived here on the first leg of his visit to North America, met the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) from the aviation community on Friday and spoke about the growing focus and opportunities in regional connectivity and urban air mobility in India. Taking to Twitter, USIBC said that they discussed different ways to strengthen India and US collaboration across the aviation sector. "This morning, @USChamber's USIBC was honoured to welcome the Hon. @JM_Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation, and Consul General @randhir_jk of @IndiainNewYork, to a roundtable with USIBC members in #NYC on ways to strengthen and collaborate across the aviation sector," USIBC tweeted. Earlier in the day, Union Civil Minister interacted with the Indian diaspora, including entrepreneurs and students, and discussed a range of issues, from civil aviation and the Government of India's growth vision. "Held a great interactive session with the Indian diaspora, including entrepreneurs & students in New York. Discussed a range of issues, from civil aviation & the GOI's growth vision to my student days in the US," Scindia tweeted. Scindia, who arrived in New York on Thursday, met the team members of Blade, a global urban air mobility platform that is committed to reducing the travel friction by enabling cost-effective air transportation alternatives to some of the most congested ground routes in the U.S. and abroad. "Pleased to meet the team at @flybladenow, Manhattan to familiarise with innovations in the urban mobility space. Confident that India will pave the way for the sector very soon," Civil Aviation Minister tweeted. (ANI) Tibetan exile leader Penpa Tsering, who was on a US visit earlier this week, met with congressional leaders, state department officials, civil society groups, and local Tibetan Americans and Chinese Americans to build on strong bipartisan support for Tibet. Penpa, who is the Sikyong (President) of the Central Tibetan Administration, was in Washington, DC this week on his first trip to the US capital since his election last year. He, who was elected Sikyong on April 11, 2021, serves as the democratic leader of the Tibetan diaspora. He is the second Sikyong elected since the Dalai Lama retired from politics and devolved political power in 2011 and previously served as the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and Representative at the Office of Tibet in Washington, DC. During his visit to the US from April 24 to 30, Penpa held talks with the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The meeting also witnessed the participation of Richard Gere, chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), and Namgyal Choedup, representative of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. "We are trying to burst the myths or narratives that the Chinese government has been presenting for many decades about Tibet being a part of China, which is not true," Radio Free Asia quoted Gere as saying on Thursday. "And we are trying to push for a genuine dialogue [between China] and His Holiness the Dalai Lama," he added. Meanwhile, expressing his gratitude towards Pelosi for her continued support for Tibetans, Choedup described the talks as "decisive and constructive". "The meeting also discussed collective decisions on future courses of action regarding how to resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict," he said, according to the media outlet. During his visit, Penpa also met the Undersecretary of State Uzra Zeya, who has served as the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues since December 2021, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain, Chinese democracy activists among others. He ended his Washington visit Friday evening with a panel discussion held at George Washington University on the Tibet-China dialogue and a public talk with the DC-area Tibetan community, according to RFA. Notably, according to Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2022 report, after more than 60 years of occupation, the Chinese government has turned Tibet into the least-free country or territory on Earth. China's control of Tibet has also endangered the water security of neighbouring countries in Asia, spread to the US through China's transnational repression of Tibetan Americans and Tibet supporters, and threatened international religious freedom through China's attempts to control the Dalai Lama's reincarnation. In response to China's violations, the US in recent years has passed the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 and the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020. Further, US President Joe Biden also promised in his campaign to pressure China to resume dialogue with Tibetan leaders after over 10 years. (ANI) Police arrested five Pakistani nationals for "abusing and insulting" members of PM Shehbaz Sharif's delegation at the Masjid-e-Nabawi (PBUH) in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. The spokesperson of the Madinah police said that the suspects have been referred to the competent authorities after completing the legal procedures, Geo TV reported citing Saudi Publication Saudi Gazette. "Their actions contradict the sanctity of the place and impact the safety of visitors and worshipers," said the spokesperson. On Thursday, some protesters, allegedly belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), violated the sanctity of the Masjid-e-Nabawi by loudly chanting slogans against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's delegation. Earlier in the day, the Director of Information at the Saudi Arabia Embassy in Islamabad confirmed the arrest of Pakistani nationals and said that an investigation has been launched into this matter, reported Geo TV. A viral video has been circulating on social media platforms that showed hundreds of pilgrims raising "chor chor" [thieves] slogans upon seeing the delegation making their way to Masjid-e-Nabawi. In a video, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and member of the National Assembly Shahzain Bugti were seen along with others. According to the Pakistani newspaper, Aurangzeb indirectly blamed ousted Imran Khan for the protest. "I will not name this person on this holy land because I do not want to use this land for politics. But they have destroyed the [Pakistani] society," The Express Tribune quoted Aurangzeb as saying. This comes as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is on his maiden three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia. Dozens of officials and political leaders have accompanied the Pakistan Prime Minister on his visit to the Kingdom. Taking to Twitter and sharing the video, a netizen wrote, "Proud Pakistanis, please be heartened by witnessing what a wonderful welcome our PM and his Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) gang of criminals got in Saudi Arabia." Another Twitter user, Muhammad Ibrahim Qazi said that Saudi Arabia citizens are calling out ousted PM Imran Khan. "Citizens of Saudi Arabia are calling out Ousted PM Imran Khan to have exported the moral obscenity to the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. They are also condemning Pakistanis for violating the Kingdom's laws," Qazi said. Sharif was sworn in as Pakistan's 23rd Prime Minister on April 11 after his predecessor Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote. (ANI) The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has condemned the attack at the University of Karachi in Pakistan that led to the death of four people, including three Chinese nationals. The UNSC President and UK's Permanent Representative to the UN Barbara Woodward in a statement condemned the "heinous and cowardly" terrorist attack at Karachi University on April 26. The attack, which was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), killed four people and left several others injured. Reaffirming that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, the security council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. The members of the UNSC also reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed, added the statement. "They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts," said the statement. The council has also extended condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured. Notably, a large number of Chinese engineers and other workers are working in Pakistan's Sindh and Balochistan provinces as part of 'One Belt One Road (OBOR)' project. Many Chinese teachers are even teaching Mandarin to Pakistanis in various Universities and institutes. This has irked the indigenous Baloch and Sindhi political activists as they oppose any Chinese investment in their region. The recent suicide attack that killed three Chinese teachers was carried outside the University of Karachi's (KU) Confucius Institute. The BLA claimed responsibility for the attack. The Karachi suicide bombing is part of an intensifying Baloch pushback against the 54 billion USD China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It also highlights the larger and deeper struggle for Balochistan's freedom. (ANI) The powerful blast targeted at a Kabul blast, which killed at least 10 worshippers and left several others injured, has sparked outrage from the international community, reported local media. Condemning the attack, the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that the explosion "directly affected" two staff of the UN and their family members who were inside the mosque, reported ToloNews. "No words are strong enough to condemn this despicable act, targeting a place of worship, as Muslims across Afghanistan prepare to celebrate Eid," the media outlet quoted UN deputy special envoy Mette Knudsen as saying in a statement. Decrying the "senseless and terrible attacks against innocent Afghans this past week, including at Khalifa Sahib mosque", the US special envoy for Afghanistan Thomas West said the attacks must end and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.Further, Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, also issued a statement condemning the "heinous" attack. "Today's blast, which comes on the last Friday of the holy week of Ramadan, is yet another painful blow to the people of Afghanistan who continue to be exposed to unremitting insecurity and violence," he said. "It is unconscionable for civilians to be targeted indiscriminately as they go about their daily business, gathering for prayers, going to school or the market, or on their way to work," he added. In a statement, the European Union (EU) said that the attack on the mosque "comes in a series of heinous and coward attacks on civilians gathering in a market, school or a mosque in this holy month of Ramadan." Noting that the "stark" surge in violence in Afghanistan is a serious concern for all Afghans and the international community, the EU said, "Terror has no place in any religion or faith." The 27-member bloc also called on the Taliban to "ensure safety and security of all Afghan citizens and to hold those responsible to account." Taking to Twitter, the US special envoy for Afghan women and human rights, Rina Amiri said she was "deeply saddened to hear of yet another attack on a mosque in Kabul during the sacred month of Ramadan." Calling for an end to "this senseless violence," she said the perpetrators need to be held accountable. Meanwhile, the blast also sparked reactions on the national level as Taliban's spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that the perpetrators will be arrested and punished soon. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai also condemned the attack and called it an inhumane act by the "enemies" of the Afghan people, according to the media outlet. Moreover, former chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah also expressed disappointment over the blast and termed it a "crime against humanity" which is in contradiction to the values of Islam. On Friday an explosion hit the Khalifa Sahib mosque in Afghanistan's capital city Kabul on Friday, which reportedly killed at least 10 people and injured over 15.The blast at the Sufi mosque, located in the Darulaman area in the west of the city, is the latest in a series of attacks on civilian targets in the capital and provinces. The explosion tore through the mosque, damaging the roof, which caved in on worshippers, the UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) in the country said, citing initial reports. According to UN News, local hospitals reported far higher casualty figures, with dozens said to be killed and injured, including many children. (ANI) The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed his disappointment over the fact that the Taliban has failed to fulfil their promises about reopening schools for girls in Afghanistan. Testifying before a Senate committee in Washington, Blinken said that the Taliban has been unable to keep their promise of granting Afghan girls over grade 6, access to education by withdrawing their decision of banning girls' schools, reported Tolo News. "We have seen, including most recently, the Taliban fall back on its commitment that it had made to ensure that girls can go to school above the six grade," said Blinken. When asked by Senator Lindsey Graham about the presence of Daesh and al-Qaeda groups in Afghanistan, Blinken said that there is a very small number of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. In response to Senator Lindsey Graham, Blinken mentioned that the presence of Islamic groups like Daesh and al-Qaeda which stand in opposition to the Taliban has been rendered futile because they are small in number, reported Tolo News. "ISIS-K is as you know is of course an enemy of the Taliban and the issue there is not the will of the Taliban to take them on, it is their capacity. When it comes to the al-Qaeda, the Arab al-Qaeda core, there are a very, very small number of people," Blinken said. Further, an Afghan women's rights activist, Shahla Arifi emphasized the importance of female education, highlighting the fact that Afghan women are the future of the country and yet they are being deprived of "educational, social and political rights." Earlier, Thomas West, the US special envoy for Afghanistan had expressed his concerns to former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, over the ban of girls' schools in a phone conversation. West even urged the Afghan government to pay heed to the religious scholars of the country and revoke the ban. The worldwide condemnation of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has heightened, even more, after the Taliban decided to close all secondary schools for girls. Several activists and political parties have also urged the Taliban to reconsider the ban on secondary schools for girls. Earlier, the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) expressed their concern that the closing of secondary and high schools for girl students is a serious issue. However, the Taliban's Ministry of Education has assured that the schools for girls in grades 7-12 will be reopened in the near future. (ANI) A Sri Lankan Court has ordered the remand of former Kegalle Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), who was arrested for shooting at unarmed protesters in Rambukkana, local media reported. On Friday, Colombo Additional Magistrate Shalini Perera regarding the Rambukkana incident, ordered to remand the former SSP in charge of Kegalle Police Division K. B. Keerthiratne until May 6, 2022, Colombo Page reported. Meanwhile, the three constables, who have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a protester during the Rambukkana protest, have been remanded until May 13 when they were produced before the Theldeniya Magistrate's Court. On Thursday, the former SSP was taken into custody by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Colombo while three constables were arrested at Kundasale in Kandy, reported Colombo Page. The CID arrested the four police officials on the order of the Kegalle Magistrate Vasana Navaratne. Magistrate Navaratne was ordered to immediately arrest suspects and produce them in court. SSP Kirthiratne said that he ordered his officers to use minimum force and shoot below the knee to quell the unrest in Rambukkana on April 19, as reported by Colombo Page. Earlier, CID arrested a 28-year old man as the suspect who set fire to the container carrying fuel during the protest in Rambukkana. According to the police, they spotted a suspect wearing a green t-shirt crossing the railway tracks and throwing the projectile at the bowser which was parked across the railway track. Police further said that the suspect was walking away from the incident coolly during the Rambukkana protest. The suspect was arrested from Rambukkana and he would be produced before the Kegalle Magistrate court today, reported Daily Mirror. A protester was killed in Rambukkana after the police opened fire on the protesters who agitated over the scarcity of fuel and also demanded to reduce the new increased fuel price. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting a large number of the people, resulting in massive protests over the government's handling of the situation. The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. (ANI) Sri Lanka's Central Bank has announced that they will remove the regulations that made the exporters convert their foreign currency earnings into rupees in the coming future. In recent months the central bank has imposed various regulations that forced the exporters to convert their US dollars within a period of time to support the island nation's foreign reserves, Xinhua News Agency reported. Addressing a press conference, Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe on Friday said, "For services exports like IT and tourism, we will remove the mandatory conversion requirement." "We have no way to track these services. Apparently, some exporters are not bringing in foreign currency they make because of the mandatory conversion rule," he added. He added that the central bank is also planning to give relaxation to tourists who were made to pay the hotels in dollars, reported Xinhua. Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka's central bank governor said domestic debt in the form of government securities and development bonds will not be restructured as restructuring external debt is a top priority for the island nation. Central bank governor Nandalal Weerasinghe also provided an update on the progress made during the recent discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. Addressing a meeting of the Committee of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, he said progress has been made towards establishing a macro-fiscal policy framework and initiating structural reforms. The central bank governor also expressed confidence that a staff-level agreement with the IMF is likely to be reached within the next two months. Weerasinghe announced that additional measures will be implemented to address urgent economic concerns, reported Xinhua. The measures include introducing regulations to encourage the U.S. dollar flows currently transacting in the informal market to be channelled through the formal banking system. As a result of policy measures already introduced by the central bank and the government, he is of the view that expenditure on imports will be declining further to more sustainable levels.Sri Lanka is going through an economic crisis brought about by foreign currency shortages and it halted external debt repayment on April 12. (ANI) A Hazardous Weather Outlook has been issued for portions of Northeast Illinois and Northwest Indiana for the rest of Saturday, weather officials said. The National Weather Service said significant thunderstorms are likely and a tornado watch is in effect until 8 p.m. Advertisement A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Illinois and Wisconsin until 8 PM CDT pic.twitter.com/dOkiri6xMk NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) April 30, 2022 Winds could reach up to 70 mph with large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter, according to the NWS. Officials extended the tornado watch to include the cities of Chicago, Evanston, Lemont, Orland Park, Oak Lawn, Park Forest and Schaumburg, according to the NWS. Advertisement As of 4:20 p.m., a line of severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Bartlett to Plainfield moving northeast at 45 mph, officials said. A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect until 5:15 p.m. . Saturday afternoon, conditions were wet and breezy at Midway Airport, and temperatures registered at 69 degrees. People should head indoors once thunder starts and have multiple ways to hear possible warnings. A number of protests were witnessed in Dera Bugti on Saturday as people demanded justice against the Masjid-e-Nabwi incident where pilgrims raised slogans against newly-elected Prime Minister, Shebaz Sharif and his delegation while attacking Nawabzada Shah Zain Bugti, a member of the National Assembly. Supporters of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) and Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) staged their protest by marching the streets of Dera Bugti from Bugti Bazar to Allah Walla Chowk, reported The Express Tribune. They even expressed their disappointment in the PTI workers for turning a blind eye to the holiness of the mosque. Further, the Dera Bugti protesters demand justice for the misbehaviour of the pilgrims. They even urged the governments of Pakistan and Saudia Arabia to take stringent actions against the worshippers who were involved in the attack. "The elements involved in the attack should be given strict and exemplary punishment to make them an example for others," said Abdul Samad Bugti, one of the protesters. Another protester, Muhammad Nawaz Bugti, said that they will continue with the protest until the accused are punished for their crimes, reported The Express Tribune. Further, the administration of Dera Bugti arranged for strict security measures to prevent any unfortunate incident during the demonstration. The police force and levies were also appointed in various parts of the district to maintain law and order. The angry mob of protesters lit up an effigy of Imran Khan on fire, reported the media outlet. Meanwhile, similar protests were held by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in Sindh against the sloganeering and use of indecent language at Masjid-e-Nabwi mosque. President of PPP, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro announced that the members of the party would protest the PTI's act of disrespecting the place of worship. He even urged the people of different sections of society to participate in the protest as well. Earlier, Pakistan's Prime Minister went on a three-day official visit to Saudia Arabia with his delegation seeking an additional package of USD 3.2 billion from the Arab country. Sharif's decision is to avert further depletion of Pakistan's foreign currency reserves. During his visit to the Masjid-e-Nabwi mosque, a group of pilgrims chanted slogans, calling them "chor".(ANI) An international conference on Afghanistan-Pakistan was held in which experts discussed the confrontation along the Durand Line between Taliban and Pakistani security forces. Experts opined that the main reason behind the confrontation is that Pakistan wants to influence the domestic issues of the neighbouring country. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan does not recognize the British-era Durand Line as the boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Violations along the Durand Line continue to remain a bone of contention between the two countries. A round table conference titled "Afghanistan in the context of world politics --Terrorism as a threat to the Central Asian region" was held at Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University in Kyrgyzstan's capital city Bishkek on April 29, 2022. Mohammad Ishak Shafak, an Afghan researcher at Bishkek State University named after K. Karasaeva, participated in the seminar and presented a paper titled "Demarcation of the border of Afghanistan along the Durand Line: Dispute between the Taliban and Pakistan". During his speech, Shafak noted that historically Afghanistan has never recognized this demarcation of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the Taliban did not do this either in the nineties, not now. The round-table was jointly organized by the Center for European and Asian Studies (Russia, Yekaterinburg), Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (KRSU) (Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek), Center for Global Studies and International Relations, Institute of Contemporary International Problems, Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (Russia, Moscow). Shafak gave a presentation on the issues faced by Afghanistan. According to the text of his presentation, Pakistan, the south-Eastern neighbour of Afghanistan has had tumultuous relations with Afghanistan since its independence due to its will to influence domestic matters of Afghanistan, such as providing support to Mujahidin during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Its golden era of influence over Afghan politics has been during the emirate of the Taliban. Pakistan, particularly its Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) has played a greater role in support of the Taliban. In spite of refuting the claims of supporting the Taliban, Pakistan is one of three countries; Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which had recognized in the 1990s. Similarly, it was the last country to cut diplomatic ties with the Taliban. According to reports, even during the war campaign of the USA and its allies in Afghanistan and during the presidency of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani had taken a double approach to simultaneously support the war campaign of the US and also provide logistic and political support to Taliban. Now with the recent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, disputes between the two allies have risen. Border conflict on the Durand line between Afghanistan and Pakistan can be the start of such tensions between the traditional allies. Recently with the death of some Pakistani soldiers orchestrated by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (Pakistani Taliban), with the claim that Taliban are providing support to Tahrik-i-Taliban of Pakistan to do such attacks bombarded targets in Khost and Kunar during the night which resulted in the death of 47 ordinary citizens of Pakistan such child and women. With such attacks, Taliban authorities have summoned a Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan and warned of such attacks. The Durand Line, which many consider to be a British conspiracy, was drawn by British colonial representatives more than 100 years ago in 1893 between the borders of Pakistan (then East India) with Afghanistan, which has not been formally recognized by any group or government in Afghanistan. In 1893, during the reign of Amir Abdul Rahman Khan in Afghanistan, a border treaty was signed between Amir and Durand, the representative of British-occupied India, which defined the border between British India and Afghanistan as the Durand line. After Abdul Rahman's rule, almost all Afghan rulers opposed the border, and to this day no government in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, has officially recognized these borders. A number of well-known scholars in the history and political affairs of Afghanistan, including Mohammad Hassan Kakar, have written about the Durand line Agreement. According to Mohammad Hasan Kakar, the Durand agreement is a temporary, not permanent one, which allowed the British to dominate and control strategic areas that would prevent Tsarist Russia from invading India through Afghanistan. The Durand Treaty was signed on October 12, 1893, between Amir Abdul Rahman Khan and Sir Henry Mortmore Durand, in September 1947. When Pakistan joined the United Nations, Afghanistan was the only country to vote against the recognition and membership of Pakistan in the United Nations due to its claimed territories beyond the Durand Line. Meanwhile, Shah Mahmood Khan, the then Prime Minister of Afghanistan, announced in London on July 31, 1947, that the previous treaties on the Indo-Afghan border with British India would be annulled with the independence of Pakistan. Afghanistan strongly opposes Durand Line. Although the Pakistani government and the international community, with the exception of India, recognize the Durand Line, Afghanistan is unwilling to accept these borders. According to claims and documents from Afghanistan, the Durand Line separates much of the territory from its mainland. Afghan leaders believe the Durand Line has separated Pashtuns who have close family ties. This 2430 km long border line has separated Pashtuns living in the west (Pakistan) and Pashtuns living in the east (Afghanistan). The separation of the Pashtun tribes due to the common tribal identity and the many visits between them caused the dissatisfaction of the Pashtun leaders. Until a few years ago, Pashtun tribes lived in the autonomous regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, but for several years now, the Pakistani government has effectively cut off communication between them by building border walls and fences. The Pakistani government has tightened control of the border, especially border crossings, arguing against counterterrorism. Pakistan's efforts to separate Pashtun and Baluch tribes on both sides of the border. On the other hand, the Pakistani government is practically trying to reduce the power of tribes by creating security fences and separating the Pashtun and Baluch tribes on both sides of the border. The tribes on both sides of the border, especially the Pashtuns, have been in a state of tribal and autonomous rule for years, but the Federal government of Pakistan is trying to reduce their power and authority. The construction of border fences and movement control in the region effectively leaves the Pakistani government free to exercise central federal power. Recently, it seems that the Taliban are also trying to form a greater Pashtunistan. The Taliban, most of whom are from different Pashtun ethnic groups, are also trying to unite the Pashtun tribes on both sides of the Durand Line by ignoring the Durand Line so that in the long run, the idea of a Greater Pashtunistan can be implemented. Over the past hundred years, when the borders of British India, which included present-day Pakistan, have been drawn with Afghanistan, two countries have clashed on the Durand Line under various pretexts, and these events are still not far-fetched, given the region's tribal and geographical location. So far, no government in Afghanistan has recognized the borders of 1893 defined by the Durand Line, and until this problem is resolved, the concerns of the two countries and their neighbours will remain. According to political experts, the dialogue of high political officials, the parliaments and tribal leaders of the two countries, the establishment of joint border committees, especially with the presence of tribal leaders, and the use of the potential of neighbouring countries can resolve some of the misunderstandings and border problems between the two countries. The Durand Line Treaty of 1893, signed between British India and the then Emir of Afghanistan, Amir Abdul Rahman Khan, was signed by the British in the form of a personal treaty to determine their sphere of political influence, not as a treaty of governments. The Durand Line Treaty is not just an agreement, but a series of different agreements (for example The Treaties of 1893, 1905, 1919, 1921). There were problems with the first Durand Line Treaty, which is why British India negotiated with each Emir; consequently, with the independence of Afghanistan in 1919, the Kabul Treaty was signed between the two governments, which completely annulled the previous treaties. Under the Durand Line Charter, the boundary set is a hypothetical boundary and has never been marked as complementary. The Emirs and later all the monarchies of Afghanistan, the Republic, the Communists, the Mujahideen, the former Taliban, the elected Presidents, and now the current Taliban government rejected this line. They never accepted the Durand Line as the official border. After British India and with the formation of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, all claims made by Pakistan in accordance with international conventions on the Durand Line can be legally challenged by Afghanistan. The southern and eastern borders of Afghanistan, as seen on the current maps, are completely different from the map outlined in the Durand Line and are not the result of any agreement or treaties. Historically, the tribes living along this line were not Indian nationals even in British India, and these tribal areas were occupied by force only to prevent Afghanistan's political and military influence from playing the big game; That is why the British have always faced war and resistance in these areas. Experts from Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan participated in the round-table to deliberate about issues related to the events after the fall of Kabul in August 2021 and the change of power in Afghanistan. (ANI) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang admitted that the country faces many challenges in job creation due to recent virus outbreaks and added that the total number of new job seekers this year would hit 16.6 million, including a record 10.6 million university graduates. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China's unemployment rate in urban areas grew by 0.1 percentage points to 5.5 pc in March from February. Of those aged 16-24, the jobless rate reached 16 pc last month, up from 15.3 pc in February and 14.3 pc last December, reported Asia Times. After the NBS report, Li while chairing a State Council executive meeting on Wednesday, China targeted to maintain its urban jobless rate below 5.5% on average this year. However, he admitted that the country faced many difficulties and challenges in job creation due to recent virus outbreaks. He said the total number of new job seekers this year would hit 16.6 million, including a record 10.6 million university graduates. He said the government also had to ensure almost 300 million rural migrant workers in cities have jobs. "Keeping employment stable is a key underpinning for keeping major economic indicators within an appropriate range, and urged measures to help companies resume production, especially those vital to supply chains and providers of logistics services and anti-Covid supplies," Li added. He continued saying, "The government will offer subsidies to firms granting college graduates internship posts and initiate a series of infrastructure projects in rural areas to boost employment for migrant workers." On Tuesday, Morgan Stanley revised its forecast for China's 2022 GDP from 4.6 pc to 4.2 pc. It is expected China's GDP would drop by 0.5 pc in the second quarter due to city lockdowns. Due to virus outbreaks in key cities in China, more young job seekers could choose to stay in their hometowns instead of moving to first- and second-tier cities this year, as per the media portal. (ANI) Tokyo protests the continuous military ramp up by China near Japan's coastlines and a group of disputed islets and is now repositioning its mobile radar system in the region due to the threat posed by Beijing. China has upped its naval and air presence in the East China Sea, which stretches between the two countries and expands into the wider western Pacific. On Tuesday, Tokyo protested after a Chinese navy survey ship entered Japanese waters for about three hours. The dispute over Diaoyu Islands is also a bone of contention between China and Japan. China claims the islands, which it calls the Diaoyu Islands, as its own, reported Voice of America. In January, a Japanese city government was planning to seek permission from officials in Tokyo to land on the disputed Senkaku Islands and plant signposts. Hopes have run low for the settlement of this dispute as the Chinese Embassy has said that no matter what the contended area will remain a part of China. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, said, "No matter what Japan does, it can never change the fact that Diaoyudao [the Diaoyu Islands] is part of China." "China's determination to safeguard the territorial sovereignty of the Diaoyudao is firm," the spokesperson added. On April 15, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said that the number of scrambles targeting foreign aircraft rose by 279 over the year ending in March, compared with the previous year. The ministry logged more than 1,000 such incidents in the past year, many involving China, according to Japanese media outlets. Andrew Yang, secretary-general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies think tank in Taiwan said, China hopes to deter other countries, including Japan, from challenging it in the western Pacific, as per the media portal. Japan and the United States, a superpower rival of China's over the past five decades, have been treaty allies since 1951. The two sides will "consolidate or update" their alliance to "fend off a Chinese incursion," Yang predicted. (ANI) Amid rising cases of forced disappearances in the country, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) chairperson Hina Jilani on Friday asked the Shehbaz Sharif's government not to take the issues of human rights violations lightly. The report said the PTI government failed to get the long-awaited bill passed to criminalise enforced disappearance as a separate autonomous offence despite making commitments since 2018, Dawn reported. It further explained that the highest number of enforced disappearances (1,108) reported by the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance in 2021 was in Balochistan while the highest number of pending cases - 1,417 - were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In February, a large group of protesters held a week-long sit-in in Islamabad against enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Ms Jilani and HRCP Secretary General Harris Khalique, along with members of the commission, launched the report. Highlighting the issue of freedom of expression, the report pointed out that at least in nine cases, journalists were intimidated or silenced. "Although the Prime Minister met a three-member delegation from the sit-in, no progress was made towards recovering their family members," read the report, adding two students from the University of Balochistan allegedly disappeared in November, stated Dawn. The report also threw light on the lynching of a Sri Lankan factory manager in Sialkot by a mob on allegations of blasphemy and the savage murder of human rights defender Nazim Jokhio allegedly by PPP lawmakers. The HRCP asked the government to take steps for protecting the freedom of expression and rights of vulnerable and excluded groups. "With 5,279 rape cases and 478 honour killings and the macabre murder of Noor Mukhaddam in Islamabad, women's rights activists rightly spoke of a 'femicide emergency' in Pakistan in 2021," the report said. It further pointed out delays in court cases and said by year-end there were over 2.14 million cases pending in the judiciary against the 2.15 million in 2020, a slight fall in the backlog of cases. The HRCP report said a total of 172 laws were enacted by parliament and provincial assemblies: 58 federal and 114 provincial laws. The report said UN human rights experts called on Pakistan to halt evictions of residents from Gujjar nullah and Orangi nullah in Karachi, and separately appealed for the release of Stephen Masih, a Pakistani Christian from Sialkot detained for two years on blasphemy charges. Death plenty was awarded to at least 125 convicts in 2021, including three women, a fall from at least 177 people in 2020, it added. According to Dawn, the transgender community continues to be marginalised both socially and economically. In Karachi alone, more than 200 threatening video and audio messages sent to transgender persons were reported, creating a sense of fear and insecurity among the community. Children between the ages of six and 15 years, both boys and girls, remained as susceptible to abuse and violence as other marginalised groups, the report quoted, citing sources. Moreover, in January, Islamic State militants kidnapped and killed 11 coal miners from the Shia Hazara community, which led to a multiple-day protest against the incident by the community in Quetta, demanding that the then Prime Minister Imran Khan visit their camp. However, Mr Khan termed their demand 'blackmailing' and refused to visit them. In August, the Prime Minister officially launched the much-disputed Single National Curriculum (SNC) for primary schools and seminaries, claiming that this initiative would reduce educational disparities.However, the SNC drew strong criticism from education experts and human rights defenders for its lack of inclusivity, over-emphasis on Islamic religious content at the expense of religious minorities and poor pedagogy, read the report. Islamabad's state terror and crimes against humanity are most unconscionable. In fact, violence against women and girls, including rape, murder, acid attacks, domestic violence, and forced marriage, is quite endemic throughout Pakistan. (ANI) Ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced on Saturday a huge march towards Islamabad in the last week of May to protest against what he termed a "corrupt and imported government". In a video message, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief asked his party workers and supporters to carry out a long march and protest against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government. He emphasized that every Pakistani, whether a PTI supporter or not, to march towards Islamabad in the last week of May to stage his protest against the 'blatant insult' of his country, reported ARY News. Notably, the PTI chief has been indicating a huge rally. Notably, his party has staged three huge rallies in Karachi, Peshawar, and Lahore where he demanded fresh elections. Earlier, Imran Khan has also decided to write letters to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and President Arif Alvi to ask about the progress of investigations into a letter from the United States (US) highlighting 'conspiracy' against his government. He claimed that the local traitors received money for making people slaves to their foreign handlers, however, the public has realized what is happening and is enraged and disappointed over interference in the political affairs of the country through a foreign conspiracy. It is difficult to delay the date of a real freedom march- PTI long march towards Islamabad- as people are angered to see thieves as traitors and want immediate justice against them, Imran Khan said. However, the National Security Committee (NSC) discussed the "threatening" telegram received from the Pakistan embassy in Washington and concluded that "there has been no foreign conspiracy" to oust Imran Khan's government. Notably, PTI has staged several protests across the country against the United States for an alleged "foreign conspiracy" to oust the country's former Prime Minister Imran Khan from power who has been unseated after the no-confidence vote initiated by the Opposition was carried in the National Assembly. (ANI) After Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was insulted in Saudi Arabia, Former PM Imran Khan said that as a bunch of "crooks" have been imposed on Pakistan therefore what happened at Masjid-e-Nabawi was a result of their deeds. "A bunch of crooks is imposed on Pakistan and National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO II) is given through foreign conspiracy, therefore what happened at Masjid-e-Nabawi was a result of their deeds," Imran said. This comes as on Thursday, some protesters, allegedly belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), violated the sanctity of the Masjid-e-Nabawi by loudly chanting slogans Sharif's delegation. He termed the incident at Masjid-e-Nabawi as a "public reaction" and said that it was a consequence of his deeds, reported Geo TV. "We are not asking the people to come out, it's the public themselves coming out to protest as they are in pain and anger, however, I can challenge they [the rulers] won't be able to show their faces in any public place," he added. Defending his party, the PTI chairman said when the incident took place the PTI workers all around the world were busy in Shab-e-Dua. Director of information at the Saudia Arabia Embassy in Islamabad, had confirmed that some Pakistani nationals have been arrested for violating the sanctity of Masjid-e-Nabawi and an investigation has been launched into the matter. (ANI) Chisinau [Moldova], April 30 (ANI/Sputnik): NATO believes that there are no military risks for Moldova, but provocations to destabilize the situation in Transnistria may continue, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana said on Saturday. "We do not see imminent military risks against Moldova. Instead, we expect provocative actions, actions under someone else's flag... We can say that attempts to destabilize the situation will continue," Geoana said in an interview with Digi 24 broadcaster. The purpose of these actions will not be to put pressure on Moldova, but to create difficulties for Ukrainian forces in western Ukraine, in the Odesa region, he added. A series of explosions hit Transnistria, which borders Ukraine, on Monday and Tuesday. The local authorities introduced the highest level of terrorist threat alert. The Transnistrian investigative authority has initiated a criminal probe into "an act of terrorism committed by a group of people with firearms." Transnistrian President Vadim Krasnoselsky claimed that the traces of the organizers lead to Ukraine, while Moldovan President Maia Sandu insisted that the attempts to escalate the situation in the region are undertaken by violent forces within Transnistria, which intend to drag Moldova into war. Transnistria, 60 per cent of whose population is Russian and Ukrainian, sought to secede from Moldova even before the collapse of the Soviet Union, fearing that Moldova would integrate with Romania. In 1992, after a failed attempt by the Moldovan authorities to solve the issue by force, Transnistria became a territory not controlled by Chisinau de facto. (ANI/Sputnik) UN Deputy special envoy for Afghanistan criticized the arbitrary detention of journalists and media workers and said that free media in the country is under attack. While attending a meeting in Kabul on Saturday to mark the World Press Freedom Day that falls on May 3, Mette Knudsen, deputy special envoy of the UN described the current media situation in Afghanistan as "challenging". She also called on the Islamic Emirate to respect the freedom of the free and independent media. Journalists and a UNESCO representative also attended the meeting in Kabul Saturday to mark World Press Freedom Day. "Free media is under attack, news outlets have been shut down, journalists have lost jobs, scores have left the country, but many remain facing an uncertain future, those still working with firm commitment and dedication are living in a consistent fear and intimidation. Reporters have been arbitrarily arrested ... and women journalists are bearing the most severe burden," she said. Addressing the meeting, Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO noted, "The digital area has also put media workers and their sources at greater risk of being targeted, harassed and attacked, for instance, due to data retention, spyware and digital surveillance, expression of hatred against journalists has spiraled." Moreover, Richard Bennett, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council, said, "We call on the authority to recognize and respect a free pluralistic and independent media, and we ask the authorities to comply with Afghanistan's obligations and the international human rights instruments and protect and promote the freedom of opinion and expression with the quality between women and men as promulgated in the universal declaration of human rights and the international community on civil and political rights to which Afghanistan is a state party." Since the Islamic Emirate takeover, more than 300 media outlets stopped activity and nearly seventy percent of journalists lost their jobs, reported Tolo News. With the consistent arbitrary arrests of journalists by the Taliban, the media in Afghanistan faces ever-increasing restrictions. In the latest incident of such arbitrary detention, an Afghan TV host and presenter Moheb Jalili had been abducted and tortured by the Taliban members in Kabul city on Saturday, Khaama Press reported citing sources. (ANI) Expressing concerns over escalating attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, International Commission for Human Rights and Religious Freedom (ICHRRF) in its latest report highlights the historical context of violence on the life and property of Bangladesh's Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian citizens by members of Islamist organizations. "The persecution of the country's Hindu minority has been continuous since its partition from India in 1947 as East Pakistan and still ongoing after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. The nationwide violence was orchestrated by a pro-Caliphate pan-Islamist organization, Hefazat-e-Islam, but also included students and leftist organizations," it added. It noted that the violence on Hindus in Bangladesh goes beyond mob attacks. "Discriminatory laws passed after the country's independence in 1971 made it impossible for Hindus to regain properties lost before and during the genocide of 3 million mostly Hindu Bengalis conducted by Pakistan." "Laws support Islamic institutions and suppress Hindu institutions. Laws burden Hindus with much heavier taxes for land and property grants to an individual or institution. Government orders to banks in 1993 prevented substantial cash withdrawals and stopped the disbursement of business loans to Hindus. The representation of religious minorities in state institutions continues to decline. Tacit and overt support of violent Islamist organizations from both major political parties is also noteworthy. The demographics of Bangladesh tell a poignant story," the report read. The Commission directs that the Government of Bangladesh to enact a Hate Speech and Crime Law to prosecute perpetrators of crimes against the country's defenseless minorities in a special tribunal. "The percentage of Hindus has steeply declined since its separation from India, from around 25% in 1947 to 8.5 pc today. Professor Sachi Dastidar, from the State University of New York, estimates that from 1947 to 2001, well over 40 million Hindus have gone "missing" from Bangladesh," It added. ICHRRF hoped that this long-running ethnic cleansing is not rationalized by false narratives that spread the blame. ICHRRF implores governments and Human Rights organizations to persuade the Bangladeshi Government to take corrective measures to stop the dire persecution of Bangladesh's minority Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. In its latest 'Report on the Hearings on Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh', the Commission said that reparations should be provided to the victims of persecution for their loss of life and property, and help be provided to them with the rehabilitation process. It further stated that Bangladesh must create separate Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian Foundations through legislation, along the same lines as the Islamic Foundation was created in March of 1975. The Commission proposed these directions following recommendations based upon the results of the hearings, examination of the evidence received, and in consultation with prominent academics and Human Rights activists who have monitored and advocated for Human Rights in Bangladesh for decades. It asked the Bangladeshi government to create a separate Ministry of Minority Affairs, a National Minority Commission, and enact a Minority Protection Law. Directing the Government of Bangladesh to create a separate Ministry of Minority Affairs, a National Minority Commission, and enact a Minority Protection Law, the Commission urged the country to take heed of the situation of minorities. It also stated the Government of Bangladesh must fully implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord of 1997 to safeguard the rights of animists, Buddhists and Hindu residents there. Notably, ICHRRF is a US-based non-profit, Commission believes that implementing these recommendations will protect minorities as well as encourage a truly humanistic democracy in Bangladesh. (ANI) The OPEC Fund for International Development will finance 14.3 million U.S. dollars for the second phase of the studies in the submarine Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project. According to a statement by the Moroccan Ministry of Finance on Friday, the agreement was signed by the Moroccan Finance and Economy Minister Nadia Fettah and the General Director of the OPEC Fund Abdulhamid Alkhalifa. The Australian company WorleyParsons announced Wednesday in a statement that it has been awarded the second phase of the studies, which is progressing in accordance with the initial project planning. In January, the Islamic Development Bank has signed an agreement with Morocco to provide 15.45 million dollars to the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline studies. This gas pipeline project would cover 7,000 km long through 13 West African countries, and extend to Europe, according to WorleyParsons. After completing his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is heading to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a statement from the PM office said on Saturday. The official statement said that during his visit, Shehbaz will call on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Deputy Commander of the UAE armed forces and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. "Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will reach the UAE today where he will call on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Deputy Commander of the UAE armed forces & the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Both leaders will discuss matters of mutual interest including bilateral issues," the statement read. Shehbaz Sharif's maiden three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia has been concluded. Dozens of officials and political leaders had accompanied the Pakistan Prime Minister on his visit to the Kingdom. The visit was also surrounded with controversy. A viral video has been circulating on social media platforms that showed hundreds of pilgrims raising "chor chor" [thieves] slogans upon seeing the delegation making their way to Masjid-e-Nabawi. After Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was insulted at the Masjid-e-Nabawi, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Sindh has announced a protest across the province on Saturday and accused former PM Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) party of involvement in the incident. In a video, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and member of the National Assembly Shahzain Bugti were seen along with others.According to the Pakistani newspaper, Aurangzeb indirectly blamed ousted Imran Khan for the protest. "I will not name this person on this holy land because I do not want to use this land for politics. But they have destroyed the [Pakistani] society," she said. (ANI) Calling the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka "unfortunate", Israel's envoy to India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan Naor Gilon on Saturday said that the country can use its potential in tourism and agriculture to come back to stability. "Very unfortunate. I visited Sri Lanka to present my credentials just a couple of months ago. It's a beautiful country with huge potential. Very sad to see there is an economic and political collapse there," Gilon told ANI. Gilon was additionally appointed the Ambassador of Israel to Sri Lanka in early February, apart from his pre-existing designation of being Israel's envoy to India and Bhutan. "I hope that the good people of Sri Lanka are able to regain a good situation in the country. The potential is huge, tourism and agriculture have a lot to offer. I hope they can use this potential and come back to stability." Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting a large number of the people, resulting in massive protests over the government's handling of the situation. The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a fall in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as reckless economic policies, like the government's move last year to ban chemical fertilizers in a bid to make Sri Lanka's agriculture "100 per cent organic". Due to an acute shortage of Foreign exchange, Sri Lanka recently defaulted on the entirety of its foreign debt amounting to about USD 51 billion. The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. (ANI) The protests carried out by the All India Shia Hussaini Fund (AISHF) involved banners and placards condemning discrimination and atrocities against Shias in Pakistan, calling it a "state conspiracy". A petition carrying 7000 signatures has also been prepared by the organization to be sent to the United Nations (UN). The petition demands the UN's intervention in the alleged crimes and discrimination against the Shia minority in Pakistan. The event was held amidst reports of multiple anti-Shia incidents that occurred in Pakistan, over the last few weeks. A recent bomb blast at a Shia mosque in Peshawar killed over 60 people. There have been targeted attacks against the Shias at both individual and community levels. Hate crime against Shias is also on an unprecedented rise in the country. Pakistan is a Sunni dominant country where Shias allege that they are not treated at par with other citizens. Apart from the Shias, other minority groups including people of other faiths like Hinduism and Christianity, as well as other sects of Islam are regular targets of Sunni fundamentalists. Shias allege that the discrimination against them happens under the patronage of the authorities. The community members seek international cognizance of the issue in order to initiate and ensure justice for the Shias. (ANI) Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, who is on a visit to the country as a special envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was seen meeting children and visiting a cafe in Lviv. Jolie, who has spent almost two decades working with the UNHCR met Ukrainian medical volunteers and visited orphans and injured children evacuated from the Donetsk region of the country. "Jolie visited injured children evacuated from Donetsk Oblast and orphans. She also met volunteers who provide medical and psychological help to Ukrainian evacuees," Kyiv Independent reported in a tweet. The actress was also filmed by locals inside a cafe in Lviv. She was seen greeting the person filming her and smiling at the people present in the cafe. She also signed a few photographs, CNN reported. Recently, Jolie had expressed concern and support for Ukraine when she visited a hospital in Rome that had welcomed dozens of refugee children. As part of her work with UNHCR, the actress has visited several conflict zones to help in providing humanitarian assistance. In March this year, amid the civil war in Yemen, Jolie visited the country in the Middle East to provide aid to the refugees there. The war in Ukraine which has entered its third month now has created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with more than 5 million Ukrainian fleeing to neighbouring Western countries, according to the UNHCR data. The war has also resulted in almost 3000 civilian casualties as of April 28. The casualty figures include as many as 70 children, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNOHCR). (ANI) After the cancellation of his visit to India last month at the eleventh hour, Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's next visit to the country will depend on the political and security situation back home in the Mediterranean country, Ambassador Naor Gilon informed on Saturday. "It was cancelled as he contracted COVID. We're working on it. Really depends also on the political and security situation in Israel, both less stable these days but I hope the situation will be stable and visit will come soon," Israel's Ambassador to India Naor Gilon told ANI. However, the envoy refrained from speculating on the likely dates of the Israel PM's next visit to India. "I don't want to guess. I thought the visit is already... we were finalized, everything was ready, both from the Indian hosting side and our embassy side. And unfortunately, three days before the visit, everything cancelled. So, you know, I would... prefer not to predict and fail again," Gilon said. Notably, Naor Gilon is also Israel's Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Bhutan apart from being the Ambassador to India. PM Bennett's scheduled visit to India in April was called off at the last minute as he tested positive for COVID-19. His visit was to mark 30 years of India-Israel ties. The visit was also to be Bennet's first visit to India after taking oath as the country's Prime Minister. (ANI) Ukraine should be granted the status of an EU candidate country during the upcoming meeting of EU leaders that is planned for June 2022, Stefanishyna was cited as saying by the Ukrainian Strana.ua Telegram channel on Saturday. Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted Ukraine's questionnaire for obtaining EU candidate status to EU Ambassador in Ukraine Matti Maasikas. During the EU delegation's visit to Kyiv on April 8, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen handed Zelenskyy a questionnaire to begin Ukraine's accession process. She emphasized that this questionnaire would lay the groundwork for further discussions on the country's EU membership. Ukraine applied for EU membership on February 28, shortly after Russia launched a military operation after recognizing Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions as "independent republics". Russia maintains that the aim of its special operation is to "demilitarize" and "denazify" Ukraine. (ANI/Sputnik) Amid the ongoing economic crisis and the large scale public anger against the ruling government, Sri Lanka's leader of Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa on Saturday said that the no-confidence motion will be brought against Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during the next session of the country's parliament. Premadasa made the announcement while speaking at the commencement of the fifth day of the 'Samagi Bala March' organized by the SJB against the government in Yakkala today, Colombo Page reported. Premadasa had signed the impeachment motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the no-confidence motion against the government on April 11. Saying that he does not care about the talk of those who have no idea about the things to do, Premadasa said that he would never betray the aspirations of the suffering people on the ground, the report said. He went on to say that the manner in which the no-confidence motion will be conducted will identify "true patriots". He added that the Rajapaksa government, which had taken the country to the brink of collapse within two years, should be sent home immediately. Earlier, on April 9, Sri Lanka's SJB announced that it will move an impeachment motion against President Gotabaya Rajapaksha if it fails to provide immediate relief to the people of the island nation adversely impacting the economic crisis. The six-day day 'Samagi Bala March' commenced from Kandy in Sri Lanka on April 26 and is set to culminate on Mayday (Sunday). Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and hundreds of thousands of people representing the Samagi Jana Balawegaya are participating in the march, Colombo Page said. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence with food and fuel shortages, soaring prices and power cuts affecting a large number of the people, resulting in massive protests over the government's handling of the situation. The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a fall in tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as reckless economic policies, like the government's move last year to ban chemical fertilizers in a bid to make Sri Lanka's agriculture "100 per cent organic". Due to an acute shortage of Foreign exchange, Sri Lanka recently defaulted on the entirety of its foreign debt amounting to about USD 51 billion. The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. (ANI) A Phoenix police vehicle on Dec. 7, 2021. Two men died and another was hospitalized in critical condition following a shooting early morning on Saturday near Camelback Road and 62nd Avenue in Phoenix, according to the Phoenix Police Department. Police said they responded to the location around 1 a.m. and found two men with gunshot wounds who were pronounced dead at the scene. Another man was found in a nearby residence also suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The identities of the deceased men and the injured man were not released. According to police, preliminary information indicated the shooting happened between the men who were found outside and the man inside the residence. Police said Camelback Road would be restricted from 61st to 65th avenues for several hours as detectives investigated. Police asked anyone with information to call the Phoenix Police Department or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish. Reach breaking news reporter Laura Daniella Sepulveda at lsepulveda@lavozarizona.com or on Twitter @lauradNews. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 2 dead, 1 critically injured in Phoenix shooting Oxygen An Arizona mom who was allegedly gunned down by an ex-boyfriend she feared was able to call for help just before her shooting death. A 911 dispatcher who answered Maria Guadalupe Godinez Ramirez's call on the night of May 1 heard gunshots over the phone, Apache Junction Police spokesperson Al Bravo told KSAZ-TV. When police arrived in the area of Old West Highway and Colt Road a few minutes later, they discovered Ramirez, 28, gravely injured in her car. The victim had multiple gunshot wounds an "Elvis." Warner Bros. Insider was on the scene at CinemaCon and saw a whole lot of footage for upcoming movies. Highlights include "Elvis," and the first-ever footage of "Avatar: The Way of Water." The movies "The Black Phone" and "Top Gun: Maverick" were also screened in their entirety. "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" (May 6) Benedict Cumberbatch in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Marvel Studios The latest chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe throws us headfirst into the multiverse. In the second standalone Dr. Stephen Strange movie, the titular hero (Benedict Cumberbatch) teams up with Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) to try to combat the insanity that's happened since he cracked open the multiverse possibilities in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." The footage we saw from director Sam Rami was dazzling and, like the first "Strange" movie, will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. "Top Gun: Maverick" (May 27) Tom Cruise in "Top Gun: Maverick." Paramount Pictures/ YouTube The long-awaited sequel to the classic 1986 movie showcases Tom Cruise back in the cockpit as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, who is still a thrill-seeker pushing the envelope every time he goes up in a plane. Though often a sequel coming out decades after the original doesn't lead to a good movie, with "Maverick" there's no need to worry. The movie is a fantastic watch that's both nostalgic and its own movie. "Crimes of the Future" (June 3) (L-R) Lea Seydoux, Viggo Mortensen, and Kristen Stewart in "Crimes of the Future." Neon Mastercraftsman David Cronenberg dusts off a script he wrote decades ago to bring us a tale that only he could come up with. It follows a performance artist (Viggo Mortensen) who uses a mysterious formation to showcase the evolution of humans through the mutilation of one's body. The movie also stars Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart. "Jurassic World: Dominion" (June 10) Chris Pratt in "Jurassic World: Dominion." Universal Get ready for the conclusion of the "Jurassic" franchise as the cast from the "Jurassic World" movies (Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard) and the stars of the original "Jurassic Park" movies (Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum) all try to combat the dinosaurs that now roam freely in modern times. Story continues "Lightyear" (June 17) "Lightyear." Pixar Pixar's latest movie will mark the first time one of its titles has been given a wide release since before the pandemic. "Lightyear" showcases the real Buzz Lightyear character (voiced by Chris Evans) in the "Toy Story" universe and follows the Space Ranger's heroics. Based on the first 30 minutes we saw, we expect it to be a thrilling, touching film. "Elvis" (June 24) (L-R) Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker and Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in "Elvis." Warner Bros. One of the most impressive presentations at this year's CinemaCon was Warner Bros.'s showcase of Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis." The King of Rock n' Roll biopic looks like another dazzlingly ambitious work from the filmmaker who gave us "Romeo & Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge!" But what appears to make this one stand out are the captivating performances by its leads: Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and Tom Hanks as Elvis' manager Colonel Tom Parker. Hanks' work in the movie really seems Oscar-worthy. "The Black Phone" (June 24) Ethan Hawke in "The Black Phone." Universal The combination of Blumhouse and director Scott Derrickson has resulted in this twisted horror that follows a 13-year-old boy who must try to escape a soundproof room after being abducted by a masked psycho (Ethan Hawke). He finds help from a phone in the room that allows him to speak to the killer's past victims. Get ready for some impressive jump scares with this one. "Minions: The Rise of Gru" (July 1) "Minions: The Rise of Gru." Universal The latest "Minions" movie will once more show off the hilarity of the "Despicable Me" franchise as the lovable minions team up with a young Gru (voiced by Steve Carell). "Nope" (July 22) Daniel Kaluuya in "Nope." Universal Jordan Peele's latest movie is a trippy look at what happens when something in the sky begins to torment California horse ranchers (Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer). The footage shown of the movie wasn't just filled with the tension that we've come to expect from Peele, but also the beautiful look of the movie, which was shot with IMAX cameras. "Bullet Train" (July 29) Brad Pitt in "Bullet Train." Sony David Leitch brought to CinemaCon the opening scenes of his latest action movie and it's filled with bloody fights and laughs. Brad Pitt is just one of several hired assassins who have boarded a train to obtain a mysterious package. It leads to a huge body count and very creative ways of killing. "Easter Sunday" (August 5) Jo Koy introducing "Easter Sunday" at CinemaCon. Greg Doherty/Getty Comedian Jo Koy gets to showcase his comedy style in a big way in "Easter Sunday." Starring as a fictionalized version of himself, we follow his and his Filipino family's crazy antics as they celebrate the religious holiday. "Beast" (August 19) Idris Elba. Alexander Koerner/Getty Images Idris Elba stars in this thriller as a widowed husband who brings his daughters to a South African game reserve managed by an old family friend. But then everything goes sideways when a rogue lion begins stalking them. "The Woman King" (September 16) Viola Davis in "The Woman King." Sony Following the success of the Netflix action movie "The Old Guard" with Charlize Theron, director Gina Prince-Bythewood now teams with Viola Davis for a different kind of actioner. Based on real events, Davis stars as the general of the Dahomey Amazons, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 19th century, as she and her army set out to fight against those who are enslaving their people. The movie looks to be action packed with Davis delivering an intense performance. It also stars Lashana Lynch and John Boyega. "Don't Worry Darling" (September 23) Florence Pugh in "Don't Worry My Darling." Warner Bros./New Line Cinema This is the movie that grabbed a lot of the headlines because of the mysterious envelope handed to director Olivia Wilde in the middle of her presentation, but the footage shown was also a standout. Her follow up to "Booksmart" is a very different story as we follow a small community of housewives who begin to question what their husbands do all day. The result is a flashy and disturbing journey through the mind of Florence Pugh's character as her oasis turns into a living hell. The movie also stars Harry Styles, KiKi Layne, Gemma Chan, and Chris Pine. "Bros" (September 30) Billy Eichner. Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic Billy Eichner cowrote and stars in this Judd Apatow-produced gay romantic comedy. The movie is also made up entirely of an LGBTQ cast. "Halloween Ends" (October 14) Michael Myers from the "Halloween" franchise. Universal The end of the "Halloween" franchise is upon us. Footage of "Halloween Ends" showcased the final face off between Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and legendary horror villain Michael Myers. "Black Adam" (October 21) Dwayne Johnson in "Black Adam." Warner Bros. We have finally seen footage of Dwayne Johnson as the DC Comics anti-hero and it didn't disappoint. This character is a little different than most of the superheroes out there as he doesn't mind dabbling with the dark side to get the job done. "She Said" (November 18) Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan at CinemaCon. Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage/Getty Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan play New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, respectively, whose reporting took down Harvey Weinstein and sparked the #MeToo movement. This movie, based on the reporters' 2019 book of the same name, gives the behind-the-scenes look at the reporting the women did to get the story. "Violent Night" (December 2) David Harbour presenting at CinemaCon. Frazer Harrison/Getty If you are looking for something with a little edge this holiday season, David Harbour has got it for you. From the producers of "John Wick" comes this movie about a wealthy family who is held captive at their house by mercenaries and their only hope is Santa Claus (Harbour). But this St. Nick isn't showing up with a bag of gifts. Instead it's guns and a trusty sledgehammer. "Avatar: The Way of Water" (December 16) "Avatar." 20th Century Fox One of the most anticipated presentations was the long awaited sequel to "Avatar." Along with getting a title reveal, we were also shown the movie's first teaser trailer, which delivered incredible 3D visuals of the franchise's next chapter. "Megan" (January 13, 2023) Allison Williams presenting at CinemaCon. Greg Doherty/Getty Without question, our favorite footage of the entire convention came from this horror we had no clue existed until showing up in Las Vegas. With a story from James Wan, this Blumhouse Productions film follows Allison Williams as a roboticist who develops "M3GAn," a life-like doll who can be a child's greatest companion. But we soon find out this toy has some defects, resulting in back talking, crazed dancing, and murder. "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" (March 17, 2023) Jason Momoa as Aquaman. Warner Bros. Speaking of Wan, he has returned to the depths of the ocean for the sequel to "Aquaman." Footage showed more beautiful CGI-fueled underwater worlds and Jason Momoa kicking butt as the DC Comics hero. "John Wick: Chapter 4" (March 24, 2023) Keanu Reeves as John Wick. Lionsgate The latest chapter in the ultraviolent franchise includes Keanu Reeves riding a horse in the desert and sporting nunchucks. "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" (June 2, 2023) Miles Morales returns in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation We saw footage of the anticipated continuation of the "Spider-Verse" franchise, titled "Across the Spider-Verse." The first of two parts looks to delve deeper into the life of Spider-Woman/Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), while also catching up on Miles Morales (Shameik Moore). And according to franchise producers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, it will feature 240 characters (the first film had 40) and take place in at least six universes. Part two will be called "Beyond the Spider-Verse." "The Flash" (June 23, 2023) Ezra Miller as The Flash. Warner Bros. The recent legal trouble by "The Flash" star Ezra Miller didn't stop Warner Bros. from showing off footage from the anticipated standalone movie of his DC Comics character. The major highlight was seeing Michael Keaton in the Batman suit once again. "Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One" (July 14, 2023) Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible Fallout." Paramount Pictures Tom Cruise didn't just entertain CinemaCon as Maverick in "Top Gun," he also delivered "Mission: Impossible" footage. Part one of the upcoming two-part chapter in the franchise showed Cruise doing what he does best: action-packed stunts. Whether it's by horse, train, motorcycle, or, of course, running, Cruise once more is ready to wow us in an "M:I" movie. "Wonka" (December 15, 2023) Timothee Chalamet is the star of "Wonka." Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images We got to see Timothee Chalamet sing, dance, and make everyone love chocolate in footage of "Wonka." Also starring Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Keegan-Michael Key, and Olivia Colman, this one is definitely perfect for the holiday season. "Moonage Daydream" (TBD 2023) David Bowie. YouTube Neon presented this upcoming David Bowie documentary from director Brett Morgen, in which the director spent two years deep in the Bowie archives to uncover never-before-seen footage of the legendary artist. And, as he's done in the past with movies like "The Kid Stays in the Picture," "Chicago 10," and "Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck," Morgen delivers an amazing visual experience. This time around, he's using everything from old silent-film era footage to visual effects to accompany Bowie's masterful catalogue of music. Read the original article on Insider Chinese automakers have gained more and more popularity in the Israeli market with electric vehicles (EVs) amid the Israeli government's ambitions to gradually phase out fossil fuel vehicles. In a showroom of China's automaker Geely Auto Group in the central Israeli city of Tel Aviv, Segal Yafa, a buyer from the south of the city, has signed a contract for three China-manufactured Geometry C electric vehicles. "One for my husband, one for myself, and one for my friend," Yafa told Xinhua. Most Israelis began to know about the Chinese brand Geely since its launch of Geometry C EV in November 2021. With dashing looks and affordable prices, Geometry C has achieved a strong market share here quickly, becoming the winner in the "Best Buy of the Year" category for 2022 nominated by Israel's major car magazine Auto. "Good price, strong power and less pollution... it gains a good reputation," Yafa explained the reason for her choice. Ronan Yablon, CEO of Geely Israel, told Xinhua that they have received more than 8,000 orders in less than five months. Geely is a good example of the Chinese EVs in the Israeli market over recent years amid an ambitious green vision of the country. According to a plan initiated by the Israeli Ministry of Energy in 2018, the import of vehicles powered by polluting fuels will be banned as of 2030, which makes EVs an irreplaceable choice for the public. "The plan affects the welfare of all, and should not be delayed," read a statement from the ministry about the plan. Yablon noted that "one of the most important goals with electric vehicles is to lower pollution." To encourage the import and purchase of EVs, the Israeli government has offered tax incentives and free registration for EVs. Until 2023, Israel plans to tax EVs at a significantly lower rate of 10 percent, compared with regular vehicles at 83 percent. In addition, a total of 30 million new shekels (9.11 million U.S. dollars) have been allocated for the public EV charging infrastructure across the country. "Most consumers in Israel are the middle class who value price advantages. We do have European EV makers, but they are more expensive, and Chinese EVs are good value for money," Tomer Hadar, an automotive editor for Calcalist, Israel's largest financial newspaper, told Xinhua. Hadar added that "the Chinese EVs have won the hearts of Israelis due to their reliability and technology with excellent long-lasting batteries." For a long period, Japanese and Korean automakers have dominated the Israeli market, but now Chinese automakers are trying to overtake their traditional competitors by switching lanes in the race for EVs. "In terms of fuel vehicles, Israelis are more familiar with non-Chinese cars, but in the field of EVs, no one owns the experience as China," stressed Yablon. In the first quarter of 2022, around 5,000 EVs were sold in Israel, among which some 750 EVs were from Geely, occupying a market share of 15 percent, according to Yablon. Hadar expects that 15,000 to 20,000 EVs will be sold in Israel this year, and more than half of them will be Chinese ones. Besides Geely, China's Hongqi EV has also hit the headlines of some Israeli media and gained the attention of buyers. Chinese automaker FAW Car started selling its Hongqi E-HS9 EV in Israel in April, providing the market a new choice with a long range of 510 km and a 99-kWh battery. "I'm impressed more with the interior design, almost perfect," Danile Shpitz, an Israeli buyer, told Xinhua in a showroom of Hongqi EVs in Tel Aviv. Geely, FAW, Aiways, SAIC MG, BYD ... EVs from more than 10 Chinese automakers have got into the Israeli market by the second quarter of 2022. Some Israeli car importers are in talks with various Chinese automakers to bring and sell their EV products here, said Hadar. "Chinese brands now have a strong foothold in the Israeli market and the potential is amazing," Hadar told Xinhua. Apr. 30TIFTON The newest edition of the literary magazine at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College was unveiled to the public on Thursday at a "Pegasus" launch party hosted by the Publishing Process class at ABAC's Georgia Museum of Agriculture. "Pegasus" is a regional journal that publishes photographs, poetry, and fictional stories submitted by high school and undergraduate students who are enrolled in schools located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina as well as ABAC students, alumni, faculty and staff. The magazine received more than 70 submissions for the spring 2022 edition. "Our team has worked diligently to produce this journal, and we are proud to be able to share it with everyone," Audra McCallum, a junior Writing and Communication major at ABAC who serves as the "Pegasus" team CEO, said. "We are thankful for the submitters and look forward to honoring their talented work." "Pegasus" is produced annually by the Publishing Process class instructed by Rachael Price, an assistant professor of English at ABAC. Students in the class are given the opportunity to practice their editing, creative writing, and design skills throughout the publishing process. The launch party gave attendees the opportunity to learn more about "Pegasus" and hear from several of the authors who submitted entries. For more information about the publication, interested persons can contact Price at rprice@abac.edu. WASHINGTON (AP) For student loan activists, the week began with hope as President Joe Biden gave his clearest indication that he was considering canceling federal debt rather than simply allowing borrowers to defer payments during the pandemic. But that soon gave way to disappointment when Biden signaled days later that any debt relief would be much less than activists wanted. So Melissa Byrne, one of the organizers who has been leading the charge, got back to work. First, she tweeted that activists need to ramp up their efforts, stay warm + fuzzy and fight until we win. (White House staff reads tweets, she explained.) Then she and her allies dove into their group chats as they considered ways to keep the pressure on. We need to keep our eye on the prize," Byrne said. The flurry of activity comes in a crucial stretch, with Biden saying he would make a decision in the coming weeks. After promising to address the issue during his campaign for president, he's now weighing how much federal student loan debt should be canceled and who should benefit. Critics caution that forgiving debt might anger voters who already paid off their loans, and Republicans describe the idea as a political giveaway in a midterm election year. However, an expansive approach could buoy young people whom Democrats view as a central part of their coalition, allowing Biden to deliver concrete results when many of his proposals from the left remain stalled on Capitol Hill. John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, said student loan forgiveness is "a cornerstone in the relationship between President Biden and young Americans. Without young voters on board, we dont have a Democratic House, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic president," said Della Volpe, who worked as a consultant for Bidens campaign. About 43 million Americans owe $1.6 trillion on their student loans, more than either credit cards or car payments. It's a growing problem for younger people, who have assumed more and more debt to finance their educations when public funding for colleges has declined. Story continues And it's a challenge that Biden has personally experienced. While running for office, he told a student in New Hampshire that he ended up with a debt of over $280,000 to pay for college and graduate school for his three children. I get it, he said. In a poll of Americans under 30 years old conducted by the Harvard Kennedy School and released on Monday, 85% said the federal government should take some action on student loan debt. However, opinions were split about the best path forward. Although 38% supported full cancellation, 21% wanted such a step to be taken for only those with the greatest financial needs. In addition, 27% wanted the government to help with repayment, but not debt cancellation. Biden said Thursday that he was still considering what to do. Im in the process of taking a hard look at whether or not there will be additional debt forgiveness, he said. And Ill have an answer on that in the next couple of weeks. It's possible that his idea will include means testing, which involves limiting by income who would see their debts forgiven. He has talked in the past about how, you know, he doesnt believe that millionaires and billionaires, obviously, should benefit, or even people from the highest income, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday. So thats certainly something he would be looking at. During the campaign, when Biden was consolidating support in the Democratic primary, he pledged to immediately cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt per person. But he did not use his executive authority to do so once in office whether he has such power remains the subject of debate in Washington and Congress took no action on his promise, either. Now Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is calling for $50,000 in debt to be canceled and some activists want all debt wiped out without exception. Bidens pending decision comes as he struggles to make progress on other parts of his liberal agenda that could appeal to young people, such as tackling climate change by expanding clean energy. We need to motivate voters and show them that Democrats are fighting for them," said Emma Lydon, who lobbies for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. And this is a slam dunk way to do that." Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, mocked the idea by tweeting that desperate polls call for desperate measures. He added, Other bribe suggestions: Forgive auto loans? Forgive credit card debt? Forgive mortgages?" Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster who worked with Bidens campaign, didnt see a downside to the inevitable criticism. The voters who are going to grouse about this, we werent getting them anyway, she said. However, the issue can still be controversial among Democrats, even evoking raw emotions at times. We just had a fight about this in a focus group last night," Lake said. An older woman who had paid off her debts didn't like the idea, while a middle-aged man with children was enthusiastic. Byrne is trying to tip the scales as far as she can, and on Friday she plastered signs around downtown Washington with other activists. President Biden: Not 10k, not 50k, no means-testing, said black letters on a hot pink background. Cancel student debt, ALL OF IT. Some of the signs went outside places where there would be parties during the weekend of the White House Correspondents Association Dinner. Perhaps they would catch the eye of someone influential as they walked by in a tuxedo or evening gown. Although it's unclear what Biden's final decision will be, Byrne said activists have already scored a victory. Weve won the argument that we have to cancel student loan debt," she said. "Now its about how much we can get. Casey Cole White vanished on Friday along with a corrections officer (Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office ) An Alabama corrections officer and an inmate accused of capital murder have gone missing after the female officer claimed she was taking him to a mental health evaluation. Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) Assistant Director of Corrections Vicki White and suspected killer Casey Cole White vanished without a trace on Friday morning after leaving the local jail together, according to authorities. The sheriffs office said that Ms White, who is no relation to the inmate, picked him up from the detention centre at around 9.30am claiming that she was to take him for a mental health evaluation at Lauderdale County Courthouse. She told her coworkers that once she had escorted him to court she was going to seek medical attention for herself as she felt unwell. They never arrived at the courthouse and neither the corrections officer nor the inmate have been seen since. Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said at a press conference on Friday that they have since learned that there was no mental health evaluation or court appointment scheduled for Mr White on Friday. Ms Whites 2013 Ford Taurus patrol car was found abandoned in the parking lot of a nearby shopping centre at around 11am Friday, the sheriff said. But the alarm was only raised several hours later, at around 3.30pm, when Ms Whites coworkers grew concerned that she hadnt returned and were unable to reach her by phone. It was only then that they also realised that Mr White had also not returned to jail. A search is now underway to track down the pair with the sheriff warning that the corrections officer is in danger. Knowing the inmate, I think shes in danger whatever the circumstances, he said. He was in jail for capital murder, and he had nothing to lose. Casey Cole White is being held on capital murder charges (Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office) Officials are assuming that Mr White is now armed with the corrections officers 9mm handgun and are urging the public not to approach the extremely dangerous escapee but to call 911 with any sightings. Story continues Sheriff Singleton said that Ms White, who coordinates all inmate transportation, broke protocol by taking the inmate out of the jail alone. Due to the severity of charges against Mr White it is policy that he must be escorted by two sworn deputies at all times including when he is transported to and from the courthouse. However, officials said they are keeping an open mind about the circumstances surrounding their disappearance, saying that they are exploring all possibilities including that Ms White may have been kidnapped or may have helped the inmate escape. Whether she assisted him or not, we dont know, and we wont address that until we have absolute proof that thats what happened, said the sheriff. We are assuming at this point that she was taken against her will, unless we can absolutely prove otherwise. Vicki White said she was taking the inmate to the courthouse (Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office) Ms White has been an exemplary employee for the department for the last 25 years and had been talking about retiring soon, the sheriff said. Mr White was being held on capital murder charges over the 2015 slaying of 58-year-old mother Connie Ridgeway. Ms Ridgeway was found stabbed to death in her apartment in Rogersville, Alabama, on 23 October 2015. The case went unsolved for five years until Mr White, who was already behind bars after being convicted of a crime spree in both Alabama and Tennessee, sent a letter to authorities confessing to the crime. In 2020, Mr White was charged with two counts of capital murder. Stock A Freeport area resident accused of a half-dozen sex-related crimes involving minor victims over the course of two years has been found competent to stand trial in the Guernsey County Common Pleas Court. Dr. Jamie Adkins of the Forensic Diagnostic Center of District Nine determined Thomas Russell Brown, age 66, is capable of understanding the legal proceedings and assisting in his own defense, according to court documents. Brown is charged with four counts of rape, first-degree felonies, and two counts of gross sexual imposition, third-degree felonies, for his alleged actions from May 26, 2013, to May 25, 2015. More: Freeport area man charged with multiple counts of rape, gross sexual imposition Dr. Adkins was tasked with determining Brown's competency after defense attorney Jack Blakeslee filed a motion seeking an evaluation on Feb. 2. The motion was granted by Judge Daniel G. Padden a little more than two weeks later, according to online records. A four-day jury trial for Brown is scheduled to begin Aug. 16. Brown was indicted by a Guernsey County grand jury on Oct. 7, 2021, after the now-teenage victim reported the sexual assaults to Guernsey County Children Services. The case was referred to the sheriff's office for further investigation and Brown was reportedly questioned by Detective Aaron Coulter about the alleged crimes against the young girl. Investigators declined to release additional details regarding the investigation due to the age of the victim. Brown is currently incarcerated in the Guernsey County Jail on a probation violation hold following his arrest in January after Chief Probation Officer Kevin Shipe reported the defendant no longer had a valid residence for electronically-monitored house arrest. At his initial arraignment hearing, Brown was granted a personal recognizance bond with multiple conditions including the court's pretrial release program and the electronically-monitored house arrest. He was also prohibited from having contact with the alleged victim or victims. Story continues The Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence says approximately 5,000 juveniles are sexually assaulted each year statewide, but only 38% of sexual assault victims actually tell someone about the incident. Victims and individuals who suspect a juvenile is being sexually assaulted can contact the Guernsey County Sheriff's Office, 740-439-4455; Cambridge Police Department, 740-439-4431; or Children Services, 740-439-5555. This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Alleged rapist competent to stand trial in Guernsey County court Reuters Videos STORY: Rescue workers, in the early hours of Monday, combed through the rubble of what was once Havanas five-star Hotel Saratoga, uncovering more bodies and bringing the death toll to at least 31. Thats according to officials, who say a gas leak caused Fridays massive explosion. It blew the side off the hotel and collapsed its lower floors, leaving dozens trapped, killed or injured. Before sunrise Monday, heavy machinery scooped up piles of debris, clearing away access to the basement of the building, where officials said they hope they could still find survivors. The hotels security chief, Guillermo Diaz, recalled the harrowing moments after the blast:"I can tell you that when I came back to my senses, I was under the rubble. I had no idea what was happening. I began to struggle a bit, I managed to get out... I had wounds on my forehead, on my head. I had no strength and many colleagues next to me, I tried to help them, but it was totally in vain. In addition to the victims, local authorities said another 85 people were injured.The explosion caused serious damage to two adjoining upscale apartment buildings and caused lesser damage to 17 other structures in the area. The Daily Beast ReutersRussian authorities in Ukraines occupied city of Donetsk are tossing the bodies of their dead soldiers in a secret dump by the thousands and charging their loved ones money to find them.Thats according to a new audio recording released by Ukraines Security Service on Tuesday, which is purportedly an intercepted telephone conversation between two Russians discussing how one of their missing friends was finally found.In the two-and-a-half minute recording, an unidentified man tells his TOPSHOT-POLAND-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT Ukrainian refugees Julia and Miroslava walk away with relatives (R) who picked them up after they crossed the Ukrainian-Polish border on their way out of Ukraine at the Dorohusk border crossing, eastern Poland on April 6, 2022. Credit - Christophe ArchambaultAFP/Getty Images Welcome to The Back Booth, a weekend edition of The D.C. Brief. Here each Saturday, TIMEs politics newsletter will host a conversation between political professionals on the right and the left, pulling back the curtain on the conversations taking place in Washington when the tape stops rolling. Subscribe to The D.C. Brief here. There arent a whole lot of people who have navigated Presidents, Cabinet members and the top military brass into war zones without much advance warning, but two of them join The D.C. Briefs Back Booth this weekend to talk about secret trips, Vladimir Putin, and nerd prom. On the right, Alyssa Farah has been at the forefront of some of the toughest conversations in conservative politics. A former spokeswoman for the House Freedom Caucus, she joined the Trump Administration in a number of high-profile roles, including press secretary to Vice President Mike Pence, the Pentagons top spokeswoman, and White House communications director. On the left, Johanna Maska cut her political teeth on Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius team, and later as one of then-candidate Barack Obamas top logistics fixers starting from the kickoff in Iowa. She later joined Obamas White House staff, where she ran the press corps travel logistics on everything from day trips to Des Moines to multinational global visits. The conversation over Zoom and email has been lightly edited. Elliott: What are you seeing in Ukraine? Youve both been inside as VIPs have gone into dicey spaces. It sounds like the cover of the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defenses trip was blown and they still decided to go. What do those conversations sound like? Maska: I remember doing some of those under-the-cover-of-darkness trips, and the moment that your cover is blown, Russia knows that youre there. There was a decision made that it would be even worse had they not gone. So they figured out how to go, but they are really walking a very delicate line here. Story continues Farah: I had exactly the same thought when I saw Zelensky announce it rather than the U.S. side, which is always how you would traditionally want a VIP trip to be announced. I havent gotten to hear insider information if this was coordinated. I did countless trips, one to Afghanistan that was unannounced, with Secretary Esper to announce what was the beginning of peace talks. At the last minute, we had to strip down our pool and our travel package because we were getting wind of threats to him. That said, I think it was tremendously important that both the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense went. The symbolism that we need to restore diplomacy by sending the Secretary of State, but also that we are active military partners of the Ukrainians and thats what it signals by sending the Secretary of Defense. So both strength, but that hope for peace. Elliott: Also it holds out a reward at some point with a possible Biden visit. Once youve given Zelensky a presidential visit, theres nothing left to have come to the table. Maska: Yeah, its an important kind of carrot. But youre escalating our military engagement and our military has not been engaged. If someone is hurt or killed in Ukraine, there becomes even higher risk. I hear a lot of politicians often throwing our government under the bus. But having seen it up close, I would say when you see the operations of the Secret Service and our military members and the flawless execution of some of these things that are extraordinarily high stakes, you learn to not underestimate America, not underestimate our service people, and know that they are really doing everything with the level of precision that we would want in our government. Elliott: So were sending the diplomats to Ukraine. Going back, historically, to the 1700s, U.S. diplomats are taken care of by Marines. So were going to again have Marines at the gate of the embassy in Kyiv. I dont know how U.S. officials can convince Moscow that this is not an act of aggression, putting a U.S. military member on Ukrainian soil with a weapon. Maska: It is risky. I am sure that the Department of Defense and the Department of State had to work very closely to figure out whether it was worth the risk. Not to stand up for Ukraine, because obviously we are; were sending lots of military equipment. But rather to put U.S. personnel in that position, knowing that theres still an active conflict going on. Farah: And lets be abundantly clear: the only solution to this is a diplomatic solution. It will be some sort of a brokered piece that requires diplomats to get to that point. Theres an important symbolism and strength to keeping U.S. embassies abroad. Our top diplomats, much like somebody who swears an oath to be in the military, know the true risks that theyre putting themselves in. Theres also an intelligence footprint that goes with them. And on top of that, where is Putin right now? I know the Biden Administration is being very wary of anything that can be seen as escalatory. I think this should be framed as moving toward a solution, moving toward a brokered piece and what that looks like. Elliott: Not asking you to betray state secrets here, but how well do we actually understand Putin? Farah: I think thats an open question. There have been rumors that are open-sourced for quite some time about his deteriorating health. I hate to ever get into things that are speculative, but I think its backed by enough open-source information that it does seem true, that he may be thinking very much about his legacy and what Russia looks like after hes gone and how hes remembered. And that makes for a very reckless adversary. So its a very, very careful diplomatic and military path we have to be on. Maska: At the same time, China has stepped up its power. Right before this conflict, Russia and China said theyre going to work together on the issues that are going to dominate the next century: technology, the Internet space, clean climate technology. And I think they continue to grasp the question of whether the West will stay united. The Le Pen-Macron engagement cant be ignored. The fact that Le Pen won with the youngest voters. I continue to get frustrated because a lot of Democrats in the U.S. will say the youngest generation is so much more liberal. The youngest generation feels very left behind. They dont have pensions, they dont have security in their jobs, they dont have a government that has kept pace with regulating technology that has totally decimated industry. Farah: Building off of that, theres a growing nationalist populist trend around the world right now, but particularly in the West. Theyre all different and unique, but its also not dissimilar from the nationalist popularist right. That were seeing on the rise in the U.S., which oddly has a degree of overlap with the populist left. Elliott: Politics is a circle eventually. Its not a spectrum, really. Farah: Our generation down, the biggest thing Ive observed is that theyre anti-institution and thats the most common thread. And that becomes dangerous when youre looking at threats to democracy that weve had in the U.S., from under my former boss, the efforts around Jan. 6th, but its also internationally. Other countries that are some of our closest allies in the West are feeling that same tension, and getting dragged into very similar dynamics to what were seeing. Elliott: Shifting slightly here, but Ive seen both parties sincerely try to do something on immigration, and it just always dies. Youve both been on the inside as efforts with varying intensity came to the table. What is it gonna take in this country to get this immigration system right? Farah: My belief is immigration has become the third rail of politics on both sides. You cant even talk about a pathway to citizenship to dealing with the 11 million DACA and other populations existing in the U.S. at all without literally facing a primary and losing your place in Congress. You cannot talk about any sort of border security and enforcement without being seen as going against the ideas of people coming in and making it easy. And thats why I get so frustrated with my party talking about it in bigoted terms as though security is the only issue, and not recognizing this is a humanitarian crisis of people who are risking their lives from the Northern Triangle to come across the border into the U.S. And by the way, one in three women will be sexually assaulted on that journey. We absolutely need some kind of border security, but its not a wall. Thats not how we would deal with a military installation. Its more checkpoints, its next generation technology, its drones, et cetera. And by the way, the cartels will dig under or go over a wall. Elliott: John McCain had the line: build an eight-foot wall up, they will find a 10-foot ladder. Maska: We didnt do a good job, either, on immigration. We should have stood up for immigration. We should have stood for those human values. And I think that on our side, we also have the real challenge of theres a lot of people who believe that immigrants have taken their jobs and, and actually, that is not true. Instead, what we did was such a short-term effort. Elliott: Leader McCarthy seems to have gotten in a pass with his caucus in his first in-person session today. Alyssa, is there a 4D chess being played that Im not seeing? Farah: Kevin McCarthy seems to have more political lives than a cat, but as someone who was working for House conservatives in 2015 when he was denied the Speakership the first time, I think he still has an uphill battle to the gavel. The rightmost flank of House Republicans is poised to be the largest and most powerful bloc its been in recent history after the 2022 midterms. Keeping that rogue body of Marjorie Taylor Greenes, Paul Gosars, Matt Gaetzs, and so on in line to support McCarthy for Speaker will be a full-time job. Thats why hes consistently making overtures to those individuals. Throw in a mercurial former President whose loyalty can flip on a dime, right-wing media like Steve Bannons War Room already calling for new leadership, and deputies (Steve Scalise and Elise Stefanik) who have their own Speaker ambitions, McCarthy is walking a tight-rope. Maska: Honestly, we keep having the same, stupid, limited debate about President Trump. Not all of his ideas were bad but his actions on Jan. 6 were disqualifying. It doesnt matter who it is in politicsif they dont respect Americas institutions at their core, even if they seek to change them, that to me is unpatriotic, deceitful, and not worthy of how great America is and will grow to be. America is better than President Trump and I do hope more Republicans stand with Alyssa to make the future of the Republican Party. Just as I hope those of us who will lead the future of the Democratic Party stand up. Debating ideas will get us farther than covering the cult of personality. We play into it when we keep giving it oxygen. Farah: McCarthy has in his favor that he is an incredible fundraiser who is working around the clock to grow the House majority. Theres wisdom to not firing your captain after winning the Super Bowl. But he will have to work overtime for the next year to keep former President Trump happy, understanding that one statement from Donald Trump could derail his speakership. Maska: I keep thinking about Washington as it is versus Washington as it should be. Political leadership wins because they can fundraise. Its the same on the Democratic side. Pelosi is an excellent fundraiser. Leadership isnt kept because of how much one party has accomplished, working together with the other party to govern for the American people, but rather how much they can resist and milk the cash cow for their party. Elliott: On a lighter note, youre both vets of Nerd Prom, or as its officially known, the White House Correspondents Association dinner. Is this also a game of chicken? The Vice President has COVID, Dr. Fauci is skipping the event. If youre running ops, who are you talking to about whether President Biden can still safely attend? Maska: Nerd prom: Chicken or Squid Game? Im certain the White House team is working closely with the White House physician, staff, and the various advance teams. The advance team should be asking the White House Correspondents Association many questions about protocols, but given you cant put him in a bubble, every engagement is a risk. My guess: The President and others around him would be pushing to go. Others are voicing concern. And theres a fiery debate within the teamgo or dont go. What looks worse, getting COVID from the dinner or not going? Farah: Washington is still recovering from the super-spreader that was the Gridiron Dinner. I think it was wise for Dr. Fauci, as a public health professional, who is also an octogenarian, to stay home and set an example for high-risk individuals. Im sure the Presidents doctor, Secret Service, ops, and the White House medical unit are giving very strict guidance to WHCA about the Presidents movements and interactions he will have with others. Traditionally, for an event of this nature, the President doesnt show up a minute before he has to, and is ushered into the Hilton likely through service corridors and elevators, and only takes the stage when he absolutely has to. If I were on Team Biden, Id be telling WHCA we arent doing any backstage photos, handshakes, hugs, etc., to minimize his risk. But once hes on stage its a fairly low risk environment for him. I think theres wisdom to getting back to normal life and letting individuals make their own assessment about their risk. Elliott: Thank you both for being so generous with your time. Andrew Ainsworth, 61, used specialist printing equipment to produce fraudulent 20 notes. (Kent Police/SWNS) A fraudster who helped print 12 million worth of fake bank notes has been jailed in the largest seizure of counterfeit money in the UK. Andrew Ainsworth, 61, was part of a gang that used specialist printing equipment to produce fraudulent 20 notes on an industrial scale. Suspicion was raised when the Bank of England (BoE) noticed 1.8million of new counterfeit currency entering general circulation in January 2019. Ainsworth, of Farningham, was found guilty of conspiring to produce counterfeit currency at Woolwich Crown Court in March and was sentenced to five-and-a-half years behind bars at the same court on Friday. Three other members of the criminal network were jailed for a combined total of 22-and-a-half years in January 2021 after admitting their involvement. Read more: Revealed: The police force that solved only 4 out of 1,573 rape claims A pallet of fake money. (Kent P~olice/SWNS) A dog walker had found 5 million in fake notes in a residential road in Belvedere, south east London, in October 2019. Three months later, a further 200,940 was discovered scattered along the railway line between Farningham and Longfield, Kent. The cash was printed on machines usually used by companies making large volumes of magazines or leaflets. Some of the materials used in the process were traced back to a printing press in Beckenham, south east London, owned by one of the gang members. Read more: UK debt warning for households as cost of living soars 5 million worth of fake banknotes was discovered by a dog walker in south east London. (Kent Polce/SWNS) A device used for printing money. (Kent Police/SWNS) Two men were found surrounded by large piles of knock-off money and printing equipment when officers raided the industrial unit on Kent House Lane on 4 May, 2019. They also found a list of names with numbers next to them, adding up to 5.25 million -the same value as the phoney cash. Neil Harris, a senior officer at the National Crime Agency (NCA), said: "Had the conspirators remained undetected, the effects would have been felt by innocent people across the UK going about their day-to-day business, particularly retailers who would have lost most of that value." Andrew Pritchard, assistant chief constable of Kent Police, added: "The printing press our officers raided in Beckenham was supposed to produce magazines, leaflets and flyers but instead contained the largest face-value quantity of counterfeit cash ever discovered in the UK. Berkshire Hathaway, the holding company of billionaire businessman Warren Buffett, saw its net profit plunge by 53 percent in the first quarter due to a drop in the paper value of its investments, it said. The announcement came as the corporation prepared for a much-anticipated annual shareholder meeting Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska, its first in person since before the Covid-19 pandemic. The event, dubbed a "Woodstock for Capitalists," draws thousands of shareholders from around the world to hear the investment wisdom of the 91-year-old Buffett, revered among investors as the "Oracle of Omaha." Berkshire listed net profits of $5.5 billion, down sharply from the $11.7 billion of the year-earlier period. Operating profits of companies owned by the conglomerate -- ranging from insurance companies to energy providers and even frozen desserts -- remained essentially unchanged, at $7.04 billion. A drop in profits from insurance companies was compensated by profits from rail lines, energy firms, manufacturing, services and retail sales, said a statement from Berkshire Hathaway. But the value of its investments, which can be volatile from one quarter to the next, plunged amid the year's market weakness, leading to a paper loss of $1.58 billion. Buffett regularly advises his shareholders to ignore quarterly fluctuations, whether positive or negative. Among Berkshire's most important holdings are shares in American Express, Apple, Bank of America and Chevron. The value of Berkshire shares themselves has held up well -- rising seven percent since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 index, representing the 500 biggest Wall Street-traded firms, lost more than 13 percent. Berkshire appears, moreover, to have taken advantage of falling share prices to scoop up some bargains, spending more than $51 billion to expand its portfolio. It sold shares worth $10 billion over the same period. During the meeting Saturday, shareholders will have a chance to put their questions to Buffett, the company's CEO, as well as his even older right-hand man, 98-year-old Charlie Munger. Joining them will be vice president Greg Abel -- at 59, he is Buffett's designated successor -- and company executive Ajit Jain. jum/cco/bbk/sw President Joe Biden. AP Photo/Evan Vucci The Biden administration wants highly educated Russians to come to the US, according to Bloomberg. A proposed strategy aims to relax visa requirements for Russians with a degree in STEM fields. Many Russian scientists and engineers are fleeing the country amid its Ukraine invasion. The Biden administration plans to capitalize on the exodus of highly educated citizens from Russia, according to Bloomberg. Individuals with knowledge of the strategy told the outlet that President Joe Biden seeks to rob Russian President Vladimir Putin of some of his top innovators. The proposal would work to relax visa requirements for Russians who have obtained a master's or doctoral degree in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math) in the US or abroad. Per Bloomberg, Biden wants to attract Russians with expertise in semiconductors, space technology, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence, with easier visa rules. The latest move comes amid a wave of sanctions the US and other Western nations imposed on Russia, following its invasion of Ukraine. The measures, including limiting trade, barring transactions with Russia's central bank, and cutting access to the international payments system SWIFT, are having a "massive" impact on Russia's economy, according to the G7. The sanctions are also on track to shrink Russia's economy by 15% and wipe out 15 years of growth. Experts anticipated that highly educated Russians were likely to leave, even without incentives aimed at luring them to other countries. Educated people do not like living in a dictatorship, Oleg Itskhoki, an economics professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Insider's Jason Lalljee. "In the long run, brain drain might be the most important problem for Russia," with regards to its economic future, Nikolai Roussanov, an economics professor at the University of Pennsylvania added. Biden's proposed strategy will be enacted over a four-year period, per Bloomberg, as the US economy would likely benefit in the long term. Read the original article on Business Insider Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: Over 200 Polish tanks transferred to Ukraine Xinhua) 12:05, April 30, 2022 BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine: The Polish government has supplied Ukraine with "a sizable number" of Soviet era T-72 battle tanks and smaller batches of infantry fighting vehicles and drones, a presidential advisor confirmed on Friday. Pawel Soloch, also director of Poland's National Security Bureau, told a news program that he expects the efforts to replenish Polish stock with modern U.S.-made Abrams tanks to be accelerated, noting there are around 10,000 U.S. soldiers currently stationed in Poland. While Soloch declined to give numbers, Informacyjna Agencja Radiowa, a news agency working with public broadcaster Polish Radio, reported on Friday that over 200 tanks have been transferred to Ukraine. - - - - A border checkpoint in Russia's Kursk region and a Federal Security Service (FSB) border guard post in the Bryansk region came under mortar fire from Ukrainian territory Friday, according to the governors of the regions. "Mortars were fired into a checkpoint in the village of Krupets. There were no casualties or destruction," Kursk's Governor Roman Starovoit said in a telegram post. "The firing points were suppressed by return fire of Russian border guards and military." "An FSB border department in Russia's Bryansk region was subjected to mortar fire from the territory of Ukraine on April 29," Bryansk's Governor Alexander Bogomaz wrote on his telegram. - - - - Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday that Ukraine is willing to sign a deal on the "withdrawal from war" with Russia, which would contain the steps to end the ongoing conflict, the Ukrinform news agency reported. "It is clear that there will be no 'treaty of friendship and peace' anymore ... But we need to fix positions that will be red lines for Russia," Podolyak, also a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the peace talks with Russia, was quoted as saying. Among the key provisions of the possible agreement, Podolyak listed a ceasefire throughout Ukraine, the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, and the prisoner exchange. - - - - The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has announced that it would take immediate steps to close the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Friday. "This is not an easy decision to take. We have explored all possible options through political dialogue with participating States to achieve the renewal of the Special Monitoring Mission's mandate, but the position of the Russian Federation left us with no choice but to take steps to close down the Mission," said Zbigniew Rau, the OSCE chairman-in-office, Polish foreign minister. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji) The Central European Trade and Logistics Cooperation Zone (CECZ), founded in 2012, is a major trade hub that facilitates trade cooperation between Hungarian and Chinese companies and also between China and the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEEC). Established by Beijing as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the CECZ is China's first national-level trade and logistics overseas cooperation zone. After ten years of development, the CECZ has now become a two-way interactive platform for Chinese and European enterprises, facilitating cooperation in the following areas: exhibitions and trade, logistics, warehousing and industrial investments. Wu Jiang, chief executive officer (CEO) of the CECZ, has overseen the zone's development since its inception. BUILDING BRIDGES Wu arrived in Hungary to work in business and logistics more than 30 years ago. The idea to create the CECZ was first raised in 2011, he recalled. In June of that year, Hungary hosted the first China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum, where China set in motion its economic and trade cooperation with the countries of the region. This perfectly matched the Hungarian government's newly announced "Eastern Opening" policy. Drawing on his years of experience, Wu was aware of the challenges inherent to such an undertaking. The participating Chinese companies had no prior experience in the region, and if they wanted to develop overseas, they would have to build up their presence from scratch. Platforms like the CECZ proved vital to their effort. Cai Bin, authorized representative of China's Gree Electric Appliances Inc. in Hungary, is very impressed by the CECZ's potential to serve as a bridge for economic and trade cooperation. "After our goods arrive, they are stored in the warehouse in the zone When we place an order, the staff here will help us deliver it to various supermarkets across Hungary, which is very convenient for us," she said. Since Cai's company entered the zone in 2016, its business volume has increased significantly. The sales figures for 2021 are seven or eight times higher than they were in 2016. RAIL ROUTES Hungary's geographical location makes it an ideal spot for a logistics hub, and the CECZ's record over the past decade has justified all its founders' expectations. The arrival in June 2017 of the first Changsha-Budapest China-Europe freight train operated by the zone represented a new milestone in the CECZ's history. This train, carrying 41 containers filled with Chinese-made products, was the first to enter a European Union (EU) member state via Ukraine. "The opening of the Ukraine-Hungary route has been a very beneficial addition to the trajectory of the China-Europe freight train," Wu said. Compared with the traditional northern route of the China-Europe freight trains that reached the EU via Poland, this southern route avoids the predictable congestion at the Belarus-Poland border and shortens both travel distance and time. In the past few years, the CECZ has established cooperation with the operators of other train routes, such as those linking the Chinese cities of Xi'an, Jinan, Guangzhou and Linyi with Budapest. On January 29, 2017, the "China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line" was inaugurated by the CECZ and China's shipping giant COSCO. Goods from Ningbo, China, are shipped by sea to the Port of Piraeus in Greece, and then delivered to Budapest by rail. Most recently, on October 21, 2020, a regular cargo charter flight route between Zhengzhou and Budapest was opened. Ghibli, a full-service logistics provider, was among the first companies to settle in CECZ's Logistics Park in Budapest's Csepel Port. "I am very proud that we were the first company to send an export train to China, and that together with the COSCO Group we have transported goods from Piraeus Port to Budapest," Ghibli's CEO Zoltan Szabo said. Using the CECZ's platform, the company's warehouse capacity expanded from 15,000 square meters when it moved in 2013 to 55,000 square meters in 2021. EXPANSION The past decade has also witnessed the CECZ's continuous expansion. Today, it also has an exhibition center in Budapest and two logistics parks respectively in Csepel Port and in Germany's Bremen Port. Furthermore, the CECZ is now a major actor in industrial investment as well. In 2021, the zone's cumulative investment portfolio was worth 135 million U.S. dollars. It was home to 175 enterprises, among them 50 Chinese-funded holding companies, accounting for a total trade volume of nearly 2.7 billion U.S. dollars and exports of 4.2 billion U.S. dollars. Huawei, Wanhua, Bosch, Siemens, Audi, Samsung and many other well-known Chinese and international are now active in the CECZ. With the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce in recent years, the CECZ is also actively engaged in overseas warehouse construction and supports logistics services there. "We hope to provide services for the projects of the BRI by building more trade and logistics parks," Wu commented. Washington D.C.'s annual tradition of hosting a party with celebrities, journalists and politicians returns Saturday after taking a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the dynamic of mixing humor and politics haven't changed. The 2022 White House Correspondents Association Dinner will see entertainment stars descend on the nation's Capitol to mix with news personalities at the event, which will be hosted by The Daily Show's Trevor Noah. White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday joked about a humorous speech President Biden plans to give: "And I will lower expectations and say its not funny at all. Just kidding. See?" The WHCA comes as the Biden administration faces number of challenges, including rising inflation and concerns of an economic recession, a crisis at the southern border, low approval ratings and a difficult path to maintaining Democratic majorities in Congress. Biden's return marks the first time a sitting president will address the WHCA event after former President Donald Trump notably refused to attend. In 2019 Trump called the gala "so boring and so negative," opting to hold a rally instead. BUTTIGIEG PRESSED ON HYPOCRISY OF ATTENDING NO-MASK-REQUIRED WHCA WHILE DOJ APPEALS TRANSPORT MANDATE RULING "Seeing the president of the United States come back, and the dinner come back, I think signals more than a pause in the pandemic," Harold Holzer, author of the book "The Presidents vs. The Press," told the Associated Press. "Were safe to talk to each other again. The return of celebrities in 2022 recalls former President Barack Obama's administration, when the likes of George Clooney, Charlize Theron and Viola Davis attended the annual gala with politicians and journalists. Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are expected to attend Saturday's dinner. "I think this relationship even if its a one-night thing where witticisms are exchanged and people make fun of others and each other its a very healthy thing," Holzer said. Story continues MAYORKAS CLAIMS BIDEN ADMIN HAS 'EFFECTIVELY MANAGED' BORDER CRISIS, DEFLECTS BLAME Mixing politics and humor has a time-honored place in Washington, presidential historian and Bipartisan Policy Commission fellow Tevi Troy told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Political humor has a purpose. At a minimal level, it humanizes the politician, but good humor does more," Troy said. Former President Bill Clinton's appearance on Johnny Carson's show after an embarrassing debut speech at the 1988 Democratic National Convention showed he could take a joke, and even rescued his presidential ambitions, Troy said. Carson had never had a politician as a guest, but Clinton was brought in and played a saxophone. U.S. President Joe Biden REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst When former President Ronald Reagan joked about the Soviet Union, it highlighted the superiority of the American system, and the flaws the Cold War opponent's. But the ideal presidential humor has to be delicately calibrated between humor and scoring political points. "Good political humor has to be self-deprecating or gentle," Troy said. MICHELLE WOLF: WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION 'COWARDS' FOR DITCHING COMEDIANS IN 2019 An example of the right balance would be Reagan's joke about then-New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, Troy said. "I have good news and bad news for Mario Cuomo. The good news is the polls show Americans favoring an Italian for President. The bad news is it's Lee Iacocca," Reagan said at he 1986 WHCA dinner. More recently, Obama joked about Trump in 2011, a routine that was supposed to take down Trump, who was in attendance. "Whoops," Troy commented. "Obama's Trump routine was too harsh. It showed great comic timing, poor comic judgment. Anytime the president goes after someone, even a billionaire, it is punching down," Troy said. During the Trump administration, several comedians at the WHCA dinner were criticized for being overly harsh and mean spirited. Michelle Wolfs biting jokes stirred criticism in 2018, and the event the following year featured historian Ron Chernow. Generally, political humor on late night television used to be more balanced, according to Troy. "It now skews more left. Carson was careful to hit both sides. We lost something when that balance went away," Troy added. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Bill Murray poses for photographers at Cannes Film Festival in July 2021. (Vadim Ghirda / Associated Press) A little more than a week after production of the film Being Mortal was shut down over a complaint of inappropriate behavior lodged against Bill Murray, the actor addressed the situation Saturday, calling it a difference of opinion with a woman on the set. In an interview with CNBC during the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting, Murray did not share any specifics about what led to the complaint on the set of Aziz Ansaris directorial debut. But the actor, who is set to star in the project alongside Ansari and Seth Rogen, suggested it arose out of a misunderstanding over an intended joke and expressed his hope that the situation will soon be resolved. I did something I thought was funny, and it wasnt taken that way, Murray said. The company, the movie studio, wanted to do the right thing, so they wanted to check it all out, investigate it, and so they stopped the production. But as of now, were talking and were trying to make peace with each other. Were both professionals, Murray continued. We like each others work. We like each other, I think, and if you cant really get along and trust each other, theres no point in going further working together or making a movie as well. So were talking about it. I think were gonna make peace with it. Im very optimistic about that. Adapted from Atul Gawandes nonfiction book Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End, the film which Ansari also wrote and is producing alongside Youree Henley (The Lighthouse) began production in late March in Los Angeles and is slated to be released next year. Searchlight Pictures, which is releasing the film, has said it does not comment on ongoing investigations. Murray said he has been using the pause in production to reflect on what happened. Its been quite an education for me, he said. You know, what I always thought was funny as a little kid isnt necessarily the same as whats funny now. Things change and the times change, so its important for me to figure it out. And I think the most important thing is that its best for the other person. I thought about it, and if its not best for the other person, doesnt matter what happens for me. Story continues Murray has earned a reputation for sometimes difficult behavior with co-stars and producers alike. Last year, Charlies Angels co-star Lucy Liu spoke of an incident in which Murray hurled insults at her while the two were working together on the 2000 film. Some of the language was inexcusable and unacceptable, and I was not going to just sit there and take it, Liu told The Times "Asian Enough" podcast. I stood up for myself, and I dont regret it. Speaking of the current situation, Murray acknowledged that he still had some things to learn. I really think thats a really sad puppy that cant learn anymore. I dont want to be that sad dog and I have no intention of it. What would make me the happiest would be to put my boots on and for both of us to go back into work and be able to trust each other and work at the work that weve both spent a lot of time developing the skill of. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Media personality and physician Dr. Mehmet Oz (left center) and media personality Oprah Winfrey (right center) cut the ribbon to signal the start of the "Live Your Best Life Walk" to celebrate O, The Oprah Magazine's 10th Anniversary at Intrepid Welcome Center on May 9, 2010 in New York City. Jemal Countess/Getty Images Medical professionals have long accused Dr. Oz of promoting "quack" cures on unfounded evidence. Oz, now running for Senate, gained fame after serving as a health expert on Oprah Winfrey's show. A pediatrician told the Daily Beast it's time for Winfrey to acknowledge her role in Oz's career. A pediatrician based in Boston area said it's time for Oprah Winfrey to acknowledge the role she played in Dr. Mehmet Oz's career and speak out against him as he bids for a Senate seat, the Daily Beast reported. "Were it not for Oprah, Oz would have played out his career as an eminent and widely respected cardiothoracic surgeon, and everyone would have been better off," Dr. Daniel Summers said. "His celebrity, and thus his candidacy, stems directly from her own fame and her promotion of him." Summers' comments come as the Daily Beast reported that Columbia University's medical school has quietly distanced ties with Oz, who has long been criticized by medical experts for promoting unfounded medical advice on his show, The Dr. Oz Show. Before getting his own show in 2009, Oz grew in popularity thanks to his role as a health expert on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," for several years. NBC News reported that in 2020, Oz promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug to treat COVID-19 despite lack of evidence and concern among medical experts. The New York Times reported in December 2021, that the British Medical Journal analyzed 80 medical recommendations on Oz's show and found that less than half had been supported by evidence. Summers' told the Beast that it's "long past time" for Winfrey to "acknowledge her role in making him what he is, and make some attempt to stop the damage he is causing by repudiating him." Oz's show was canceled after Oz announced his bid as a GOP candidate for the US Senate in Pennsylvania. Oz has also been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who also touted unfounded coronavirus cures during his presidency. Read the original article on Business Insider By Jonathan Stempel OMAHA, Neb. (Reuters) -Warren Buffett said on Saturday that Berkshire Hathaway Inc has taken a 9.5% stake in Activision Blizzard Inc, and built most of that stake after Microsoft Corp agreed to buy the video game maker for $68.7 billion. Buffett disclosed the investment at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. The investment is a wager that Microsoft may complete its proposed $95-per-share takeover of Activision, whose franchises include "Call of Duty" and "Candy Crush," and overcome expected tough antitrust scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice. One of the portfolio managers who help Buffett invest Berkshire's money had accumulated an approximately $1.1 billion Activision stake late last year, but Buffett made clear he's responsible for the rest. The 9.5% stake is worth about $5.6 billion based on recent Activision shares outstanding. Buffett said Berkshire will file a report with regulators if the stake reaches 10%. "If the deal goes through we make some money, and if it doesn't go through who knows," Buffett said. "But if we do file that report, understand very clearly, it was Warren Buffett's decision, and he doesn't know what the Justice Department will do." Activision shares closed Friday at $75.60, which is 20% below Microsoft's proposed takeover price. That signals that some investors remain unconvinced the merger will win necessary approvals. Buffett's investment is a form of merger arbitrage, and departs from his usual practice of investing in what he believes are strong companies that the market undervalues. Microsoft announced plans to buy Activision on Jan. 18. The Activision investment is the latest of a series of multi-billion dollar investments by Berkshire this year. These include an agreement to buy insurance company Alleghany Corp for $11.6 billion, and the amassing of big stakes in oil company Chevron Corp, Occidental Petroleum Corp and computer and printer maker HP Inc. Berkshire ended March with about $106 billion of cash and equivalent, a more than $40 billion drop from the end of 2021. Buffett has pledged to keep at least $30 billion on hand. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in Omaha, Nebraska; Additional reporting by Megan Davies in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Diane Craft) Apr. 30Rogers County Cherokee Association hosted a community forum with city, county and Cherokee officials to discuss the implementation of the McGirt Supreme Court ruling Friday night. The forum was a kickoff event for RCCA's 2023 membership initiative. RCCA invited three leaders from Rogers County and Claremore and three Cherokee leaders to sit on a panel to discuss and answer questions on regarding the criminal implementation of the McGirt ruling. The McGirt ruling was a landmark decision which ruled that parts of eastern Oklahoma remains as Native American lands. This means, with the Major Crimes Act, prosecution of crimes by Native Americans in those regions is a part of tribal courts and federal jurisdiction, instead of the state courts. Rogers County District Attorney Matt Ballard, Sheriff Scott Walton and Claremore Police Chief Stan Brown spoke for the side of the city and the county. Cherokee Nation Attorney General Sarah Hill, Senior Assistant Attorney General Sandy Crosslin and Marshal Shannon Buhl spoke for the Cherokee Nation. Topics of discussion ranged from how McGirt affects prosecution and sentencing of crimes to solutions to the difficulties of implementing the ruling. A common theme of wanting to achieve justice in these cases was established by both sides. Ballard said the ruling makes prosecuting crimes in his district more difficult. He discussed how the courts determine someone's Native status which includes social recognition, receiving tribal benefits and involvement in tribal events. He argued that federal courts are not set up to take on these criminal cases. "The federal government is not set up to be a front-line prosecutor," Ballard said. Hill disagreed with Ballard's statement and said that additional resources are needed to make it work, but it is not impossible. One audience member asked Ballard if he would support a solution that gives tribal and federal courts more resources to prosecute these crimes. Story continues "I'm open to any solutions that would fill the gap we are facing," Ballard said. Hill said upholding McGirt is about upholding promises made by the federal government to the Cherokee people. "The United States promised in the most solemn way they could that when the Cherokees got here that this would be their land forever," Hill said. "That they would be free to govern themselves by their own laws." After taking questions from the audience, each member of the panel was given two minutes to give a final statement on the topic. Sheriff Scott Walton said he is a Cherokee citizen and believes in tribal sovereignty until it affects the safety of his community and the ability to prosecute criminals. He said that there is a willingness between county and Cherokee officials to work together. "We've all heard a willingness to work together," Walton said. The event was live streamed on the event's Facebook page. RCCA Vice President and event organizer Cara Cowan Watts said she hopes there will be more opportunities for further discussion on the topic in the future. She thanked Claremore First United Methodist Church for allowing RCCA to rent its venue for the event. China's manufacturing activity slumped to its lowest level since February 2020, official data showed Saturday, the latest sign of economic pain as Beijing doggedly pursues its zero-Covid response. The official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), a key gauge of manufacturing activity, clocked 47.4 in April -- below the 50-point mark separating growth from contraction -- as authorities said that a "decline in production and demand" has deepened. The figures come as Beijing's policy of swiftly stamping out infections with lockdowns and mass testing has been severely challenged by an Omicron-fuelled pandemic resurgence. Dozens of cities, including economic powerhouses like Shenzhen and Shanghai, have been either fully or partially sealed off in recent months. The inflexible approach -- even as most of the world learns to live with the virus -- has inflicted mounting economic pain, with the curbs snarling supply chains and leaving goods piling up at the world's busiest container port. National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) senior statistician Zhao Qinghe acknowledged that some enterprises have had to reduce or stop production, while many firms have reported an increase in transportation difficulties. "The production and operation of... enterprises have been greatly affected," Zhao said, according to an NBS statement that also noted the price indexes for raw materials remain "relatively high". The official non-manufacturing PMI plummetted to its lowest level since early 2020 as well, NBS figures showed, as the country braces for a muted Labour Day holiday. On Saturday, Chinese media group Caixin released its own manufacturing purchasing managers' index, showing a second straight month of deterioration, with the figure dropping from 48.1 to 46.0. The Caixin survey, which covers small and medium-sized enterprises, is seen by some as a more accurate reflection of China's economic situation than the official government figures, which more closely track the condition of large state groups. Story continues "Covid control measures have done a number on logistics," said Caixin Insight Group senior economist Wang Zhe in a statement. Caixin also noted that firms expressed concerns over how long Covid restrictions would remain in place. On Thursday, tech giant Apple warned that China's Covid lockdowns were among the factors that would dent its June quarter results by $4-8 billion. bys/lb When Dr. Patel cares for babies born at her nursery, she coaches parents on how they can protect their newborns from climate change-driven health threats, like extreme heat and smoke. Often, her patients live in housing without working air conditioning or insulation, in hotter neighborhoods due to pollution or are more exposed to wildfire smoke and poor air quality. As climate change continues to pose significant health effects, with underserved communities of color enduring the greatest harm, We cant ignore the threats, said Patel, a pediatric hospitalist at Stanford Childrens Health on Californias central coast. We need to bring a climate lens to the services that we provide. More medical providers are bringing that lens to health care to address disparities, and experts say community health centers, who primarily serve low-income people of color, are essential to addressing climate change-driven health inequities. "They are on the frontlines of every one of our larger societal failures," Patel said. "But it's a resource-starved environment ... Our community clinics need more support to be able to do this really important work." More: 'Code Red' Heat: The climate emergency is sending more kids of color to the emergency room Last week, Johnson & Johnson, along with Americares and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Healths Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment announced a $2 million grant for climate health equity programs at community health clinics across the nation. Dr. Aaron Bernstein is co-director of The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It's certainly a part of a wave that is starting and I do emphasize starting to recognize that we must have climate action if we want health equity, said Boston Childrens Hospital pediatrician Dr. Aaron Bernstein, interim director at Harvard Chan C-CHANGE. The agencies are starting to recruit up to 10 clinics for pilot programs tailored to communities needs, with a goal of expanding to 100 clinics by 2025. The programs will focus on offering tools to battle health issues that erupt due to climate change, and making clinics more resilient to climate shocks. Story continues More: Study of health woes in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria shows effects of climate change Under-resourced communities of color have fewer resources to weather climate shocks and suffer disproportionate chronic illnesses that make them more vulnerable to climate-driven health problems. The work we're embarking on is to really try and truncate this, Bernstein said. To work in communities where health disparities are already prominent, to try and find ways to short circuit this chain of events. Benjamin Money Benjamin Money, senior vice president for public health priorities at the National Association of Community Health Centers, said ongoing, rising climate events need as much attention from a health perspective as climate disasters, such as extreme heat. He's working on a program to integrate early warning systems and heat alerts for high-risk patients to help them better prepare. "The patients our health centers see get hit first and worst," he said. "Those initial heat shock days ... there's a greater risk of illness and hospitalization." Founding member of Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action, Dr. Neha Pathak, an internist at Atlanta VA Medical Center, treats veterans and refugees. She said caring for patients at community health centers with a climate lens is integral to addressing inequities. (They) are a crucial place where we deliver care to the most vulnerable, those with the highest needs, said Pathak, a volunteer physician at Clarkston Community Health Center. They're really out there in the communities on the frontlines. Dr. Neha Pathak People of color are disproportionately represented in outdoor work. Many of Pathak's patients work in extreme heat conditions without sufficient breaks, water and shade, she said. Many also are older adults less able to regulate extreme heat, have chronic conditions and take medications that make them more vulnerable to heat-related illness. More: Climate change, heat waves affect heart health, experts say. Here's why that puts people of color at higher risk. For a lot of marginalized people, being inside is also a great risk, she said, adding poor housing with less insulation can pose health problems. While awareness is growing, Pathak said more systematic support will be needed for health centers, which are core to our ability to address climate health equity. We dont have that necessarily engrained in us yet, and we need to, she said. Dr. Lisa Patel More: People of color face disproportionate harm from climate change, EPA says Reach Nada Hassanein at nhassanein@usatoday.com or on Twitter @nhassanein_. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Climate health equity: community health clinics need greater support A man accused of stealing more than 1,100 catalytic converters was indicted on 42 additional charges this week, according to our news partners at WBNS in Columbus. On March 4, Tommy Cox, of south Columbus was indicted on 32 felony counts including theft, receiving stolen property, money laundering and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, WBNS reported. According to WBNS, a Franklin County grand jury indicted Cox on the following additional charges on Wednesday: 16 counts of Receiving stolen property 16 counts of Violation of metal scrapping laws Four counts of Possessing criminal tools One count of Tampering with evidence One count Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity One count of Money laundering One count of Having weapons while under disability Cox was arrested following a nine-month investigation that led to one of the largest takedowns of an alleged catalytic converter thief, WBNS reported. Police say Cox was running the catalytic converter theft ring tied to stolen catalytic converters in Franklin, Fairfield, Licking, Muskingum and Morrow counties. Cox was allegedly paying people to cut catalytic converters as well as stealing them himself. Groveport police detective Josh Gilbert said hes been able to confirm that Cox has scrapped 1,171 converters, according to WBNS. Police say Cox was able to find some of his victims using an Apple Airtag, a $30 piece of technology that people may use to track their kids, pets or valuables, WBNS reported. Cox would allegedly place the tracking device under someones car and wait for them to park at another location. Police said Coxs home in south Columbus was heavily surrounded by surveillance cameras, and he used them to help escape capture at least once. Three other people, Carl and Shannon Vance and Michael Butcher, were also charged in connection with the theft ring, WBNS reported. A National Guardsman stands at alert near graffiti that spells out support for Rodney King. (Randy Leffingwell / Los Angeles Times) Thirty years ago today, on the second day of rioting, I made my way through South Los Angeles streets littered with broken glass and lined by the smoldering ruins of burned-out shops. I was mourning the losses, but also marveling at the ingenuity of young Black men turned street vendors overnight. On streets choked with smoke, they were already peddling T-shirts as souvenirs. I forked over $10 for the version with a Black fist rising from a mass of orange flames. In giant letters, it declared NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE. I was there as a reporter, covering the devastation after four Los Angeles police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King, so I took it all in. But, worried that my emotions might override my impartiality, I refrained from interviewing anyone that afternoon. The scene was unsettling in ways I hadn't expected. I was shocked and appalled by the carnage and disturbed by my own faint satisfaction that vengeance had been duly delivered. What I failed to consider back then, in those heady days of riot slogans and raised fists, was that no matter how connected I felt to the inner-city soul of Black Los Angeles, I was going to finish my tour and head back home to my Black family in Northridge, where the only sign of the civil unrest was the smoke floating our way from over the hill. A security guard takes cover at the California Market in a mini mall at 5th Street and Western Avenue in Koreatown. (Hyungwon Kang / Los Angeles Times) Our grocery stores were open, liquor stores untouched. I didnt have to keep my children inside, or worry that my clothes were reduced to ashes because the local dry cleaner had been torched. It was privilege, not solidarity, that allowed me to assign some noble symbolic meaning to the devastation of an already struggling community. When I consider my outlook back then, I feel a bit embarrassed by my arrogance. The truth is that during that racially tumultuous era from the 1991 killing of Black teenager Latasha Harlins by a Korean liquor store owner to the acquittal of the LAPD officers who brutalized King and the uprising that sparked there was nothing tidy about my role, my identity and my feelings as a Black woman and a journalist. Story continues I didn't know then that I'd have to revisit that cauldron of competing emotions every several years, as The Times newsroom compiled our obligatory riot anniversary series. It's a long-standing media ritual, this looking back at seminal events, from a pedestal built on all we've learned over time. At its best, it's a purveyor of fresh lessons and a reminder of how far we have come. It can recast old images and inspire new generations. But it's also the sort of bloodletting that can reopen healed wounds and resurface buried stains for journalists and for our readers. *** A corner shopping center engulfed in flames. (Hyungwon Kang / Los Angeles Times) That was the complaint I heard this week from Rodnell Harris, a Black man who watched the 1992 Los Angeles riots unfold as a child living in a Chicago public housing project. The scenes on the television screen left the 7-year-old conflicted and confused: A Black man beaten by a mob of police officers. Entire neighborhoods in flames. Stores ransacked as police officers stood idly by. It would take years for Harris to make the connection between the violence in L.A. and the injustices he witnessed in his own Black community back then. Today Harris is a California resident; he moved to San Bernardino last year. And hes still conflicted on this 30th riot anniversary about whether to honor or ignore the milestone. Why, he wonders, do we still need to revisit such an ugly and painful episode. It highlights the culture in a negative light, and the shame of the Black community is going to be out in the forefront, Harris said. This flood of attention feels to him like one more way to demonize Black people and convey the sense that nothing has changed. And if you look at the stats from South L.A., that notion may seem accurate. On measures of income, education, housing standards and employment status, the area still lags far behind more prosperous parts of the city. But the protests, pillaging and violent upheaval did usher in a new era of community empowerment and accountability and that is still paying dividends. There are fewer liquor stores and more affordable housing for senior citizens, much of it sponsored by churches. The fires accomplished what years of community complaints and protests couldnt. The levels of gang violence dropped precipitously, after four of Watts most lethal street gangs negotiated a peace treaty, and vowed to challenge police brutality and reduce violence in their communities. The truce didnt last, but their role as peacekeepers has. Now the city has a corps of former gang members working as interventionists to help keep the lid on gang-related crime. And the entire city benefited from the spotlight cast on the LAPDs endemic racism, corruption and ineptitude. The investigation that followed the riots helped fuel a law enforcement shift from battering rams and clandestine beatings to partnerships, community policing and an unprecedented level of civilian oversight. You can argue that the riot delivered a Pyrrhic victory, one that took more from the community than it returned. After all, 63 people were killed and the region suffered a billion dollars in losses. But I remember the mindset back then. And I doubt that those changes would have been made without the uprisings violent muscle-flexing. The riots spotlighted for the world the rage of people stuck in a system that considered them insignificant. South Los Angeles had to scream before anyone would pay attention. *** Ive spent years refusing to judge the people who took to the streets. I understand their feelings of being perpetually unheard and unseen. But I realize now, looking back, that I did subconsciously acquiesce to the tidy labels that coverage and commentary supplied: the Blacks were violent rioters, the Latinos impoverished looters, and the Koreans who lost their livelihoods were either victims or villains, depending on your perspective. They became categories, not people; providing us on the outside with the emotional distance to not feel too deeply for their individual tragedies. To me, the Koreans were collateral damage, the unfortunate victims in a long-playing drama that predated their presence by decades. That began to change for me 10 years ago, when I met Dr. Man Chul Cho, a Korean psychiatrist who had been quietly counseling Korean riot victims for 20 years. In Los Angeles and beyond, theres a long history of inner-city commerce being run by outsiders, who know little about the community and are apt to treat local residents rudely. In the 1965 Watts riots, Jewish shopkeepers were targets, in much the same way as Koreans in 1992. The others'' are the enemies unless you begin to listen to their stories and internalize their suffering. Many are still traumatized, suffering from the same kind of PTSD that Dr. Cho treated as a military doctor in Korea. Christine Oh was a high school senior when her parents small clothing store in a South L.A. swap meet was wiped out by looters. The business was not just their livelihood, but a family project; she and her two siblings spent every weekend there. Her immigrant parents were devastated and bewildered. Without understanding the historical context of the new country they were living in, they couldnt make sense of what happened to them, Oh said. They were just trying to take care of their family. Theyd sunk their life savings into this. Her father, she said, was never the same again. The stress of what happened triggered seizures and he wasnt able to work, she said. Mentally, he just couldnt take it. In the silence on the line, I could hear her crying. She was remembering the sense of helplessness she felt. She was reluctant to reach out to anyone, because the climate was not good for immigrant business owners. Riot victims felt like pariahs. And then there are men like James Kim, who owned a liquor store at Pico and Normandie for 15 years. He can still narrate in excruciating detail his frightening faceoff with two armed men on the first night of the riots, as his wife and two children cowered in the aisles and an angry crowd converged outside. As soon as Kim secured his store, he headed for a gun shop to arm himself. He bought a bullet-proof vest and an assault rifle. I was so scared, he said, I bought the biggest gun I could find. He didnt have to use it, and his store was not destroyed, he said, but the fear he felt has never subsided, despite years of therapy. The riot stole his sense of security. He doesnt blame the Black people, he said. But he is still mad at the police. They didnt help us; they ran away, he told me. They protected Hollywood and Beverly Hills. They left us on our own. As I listened to their stories in Dr. Chos Koreatown office last week, a light bulb switched on illuminating my own familys history as outsiders, at the mercy of authorities. My father had a barbershop in a rough part of Cleveland; he had to carry a gun because he knew, as a Black man, he couldnt count on the police. It took me 30 years of revisiting the riots to see the similarities. It had never occurred to me to challenge the notion that Blacks and Koreans were unwitting enemies. Now I see us as two groups at the bottom of that eras social hierarchy betrayed similarly by a criminal justice system that didnt consider us worthy of protection, that abandoned us when we needed them. And we are still shouldering the consequences of that victimhood. Id like to imagine a world where we could be allies; maybe the George Floyd protests can become a blueprint for that. But for now Ill take this one small win in my search for a ray of hope in the riot residue. Maybe there is value after all in a ritual I have become weary of. Decade after decade, layer after layer, exhaustion sets in, then suddenly clarity delivers new insights. Id intended to declare this the final riot anniversary column I will ever write. But maybe revisiting what weve been through shedding the shame and sharing our fears isnt the source of our miseries but a way of processing what we feel, and a route to the path that will help us heal. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. With a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling months away, the state Senate debated emotionally Friday night before approving a key abortion bill that would be the most far-reaching in Connecticut in the past 32 years. The bipartisan bill would increase the number of medical professionals allowed to perform abortions in Connecticut and expand abortion-related protections regarding lawsuits. After three hours of debate, the Senate voted 25-9 with two Republicans absent shortly before midnight. The often-emotional, personal and passionate debate included opposition by some members of the legislatures Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, who said they were inspired by a freshman legislator, Rep. Trenee McGee of West Haven, who spoke passionately recently before voting against the bill. The state House of Representatives had voted 87-60 recently for the measure, and Gov. Ned Lamont has pledged to sign it into law. Lawmakers debated the detailed, seven-page bill late Friday night in a rare discussion at the Capitol as the states abortion law from 1990 has remained largely unchanged for three decades. One of the major provisions in the bill would expand the medical specialists who are allowed to perform abortion services allowing advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants and nurse-midwives to provide medication and aspiration abortions in the first trimester. Connecticut would become the 15th state to allow a wider range of medical professionals, including New York, California, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Sen. Douglas McCrory, a Hartford Democrat who supported the bill, said he has been in the legislature for 17 years and has heard many speeches. One of the best, he said, was recently by a freshman legislator, Rep. Trenee McGee of West Haven, on abortion. He said she noted that Black women make up only 12% of the population but have 38% of abortions. She said its used as birth control in our community, McCrory said. Im just giving you the facts. You make your own decision. ... Rep. McGee pulled the scab off something. Yes, she did.' Story continues Sen. Patricia Billie Miller, a Stamford Democrat, and others talked passionately on the Senate floor about Margaret Sanger, the founding of Planned Parenthood, and the history of abortion. Babies were ripped from Black mothers, African mothers, during slavery, she said. Thats the history that Black women and Native American women have had to endure. ... Theres no way that I can accept a system that would intentionally take a baby from a mother. ... Yes, they sterilized men, too. It wasnt just women. Miller noted that legislators often say that the brain is still developing until age 25 when they talk about issues like juvenile justice. Were saying if an 18-year-old wants to have an abortion, she can do that. ... That gives me pause, Miller said. My friends who had abortions at 18 ... and it still bothers them. ... I will not stand here and support a system that was designed to take advantage of people who didnt know any better. She said that some women who are now in their 60s and 70s are still depressed about having an abortion decades earlier. I know Im not going to be the most popular person after tonight, Miller told her colleagues. [McGee] said, in the black community, abortions are birth control. Thats true. ... I hear family planning - code word for abortion. Why cant it be a code word for planning your family? Miller added, I agree it is her body to choose. ... I cannot support a system that has tried, systemically, to get rid of a race of people. ... Sorry, this is about racism, and thats how I view this. ... Im sorry if Im emotional ... but this goes back to Africa for me. ... This goes deeper than just choice. ... Sometimes we dont have the choice because we dont have the money. The next speaker, Sen. Marilyn Moore of Bridgeport, said that her heart was racing as she stood up to speak due to her emotions on the issue. An employee for Planned Parenthood for eight years, she said she helped women to get mammograms. I knew about Ms. Sanger, she said. What I learned at Planned Parenthood was how much racism and distrust there is in the medical system. ... People talk about why Black people dont want to get vaccinated because weve had medical apartheid. ... Right now, Im not feeling good about this bill. Moore said, Planned Parenthood will need to step up and say we need to do better. At the start of the debate, Sen. Gary Winfield, a New Haven Democrat, said that Connecticut needs to act because of the pending Supreme Court action. We have to think about what we will do when that time comes,' Winfield told colleagues in a debate that started at 8:48 p.m. Friday. Sen. Saud Anwar, a South Windsor Democrat who is a medical doctor, said that if someone had told him five years ago that the state Senate would be debating abortion I would be laughing at them ... but here we are.' As abortions are restricted in multiple states like Texas, Anwar predicted, We will be a place of refuge for a lot of people.' Abortion rights advocates are highly concerned that the U.S. Supreme Court this year might overrule the 1973 landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling meaning that all 50 states would individually decide the abortion rules in their jurisdiction. Another key provision in the bill would allow Connecticut to protect the medical records of women who travel here from states like Texas or Louisiana. The information would also be protected from subpoenas in other states. In addition, if a Connecticut resident is sued under a Texas-style abortion law, the bill would give them the right for a counter-suit in order to recover reimbursement, attorneys fees and costs. A clawback' provision would protect Connecticut residents from Senate Bill 8 in Texas that allows private citizens in Texas to sue a doctor performing an abortion in Connecticut. The bill changes the states extradition statute so that Connecticut residents could not be summoned by other states, legislators said. Whats happening in other states is an attack on womens health,' said Senate majority leader Bob Duff of Norwalk. What I see is mostly men, who look like me,' offering bills to restrict abortion in other states. Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney, a longtime New Haven attorney, said the bill would lead to a prevention of a chaotic legal situation that could happen in our country.' Sen. John Kissel of Enfield, the ranking Senate Republican on the legislatures judiciary committee, said constituents in his district have strong views on both ends of the abortion spectrum. We could spend days debating when does life begin, but I will not do that,' said Kissel, who has served 30 years in the Senate. All of these are difficult moral questions, religious questions, technological questions, but Im not going to get into that.' Kissel, who opposed the bill Friday night, said he once offered a bill on parental notification for minors who are getting an abortion, but the measure never passed. The advocates of the pro-choice notion were upset that we even had a public hearing,' Kissel said. People feel very passionately on both sides of this issue.' He added, Were sort of a live-and-let-live state right now, protecting womens rights.' Sen. Heather Somers, the ranking Senate Republican on the public health committee, said the bill protects Connecticuts medical professionals from being sued by another state. It is somewhat outrageous that another state thinks it can come into our state and sue clinicians,' said Somers, who supported the bill. Sen. Henri Martin, a Bristol Republican, said, There are some here tonight to defend the right of the unborn. ... This is going to be an ongoing fight.' Sen. Dennis Bradley, a Bridgeport Democrat, said that only two medical professionals gave testimony at the judiciary committee and both questioned the bill. He said the legislature had not collected enough empirical data in the process to make its decision. By moving forward in this fashion and not flushing things out in the committee process ... I think we should all proceed with caution,' Bradley said. But Anwar said that about 100 people testified on the public health aspects of abortion under a separate bill that was merged into the final bill. Amanda Skinner, a nurse-midwife who serves as chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, said recently that the bill was needed because some women now wait more than two weeks for a first-trimester abortion as there is a shortage of medical providers. Abortion access is on the line, Skinner told reporters in Hartford. Connecticut must be a state where abortion care is acceptable without shame, stigma or fear. Democratic legislators say that some patients from Texas have already traveled to Planned Parenthood in Hartfords North End, but they could not say how many out-of-state patients have arrived. Besides the Catholic Conference, one of the leaders in the lobbying against the issue is the Family Institute of Connecticut. The institute was pushing against a constitutional amendment in favor of abortion rights, but insiders said the amendment is not expected to come up for a vote. Abortion is the most sacred of their unholy sacraments, the institute told supporters in an email. And please pray. Whatever victories we may have, should God grant them to us, belong ultimately to Him. Please pray for the defeat of all ... of these bills. After the vote, Rep. Jillian Gilchrest of West Hartford said Connecticut is stepping forward due to national trends. As states like Oklahoma continue to enact extreme anti-abortion laws and we anticipate the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June, Connecticut stands at the forefront of protecting reproductive rights,' she said. Although Roe is codified in our state law and abortion will remain legal here, that does not mean we are fully protected nor that everyone has access. This bill is critical as we prepare for a post-Roe America. Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com You are here: China A self-constructed residential building, with a floor area of about 700 square meters, collapsed on Friday in central China's Hunan Province, local authorities said, adding that casualties remain unclear as of now. Two persons, a male and a female, trapped at the site had been rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment by around 11:30 p.m. Friday. The incident took place at 12:24 p.m. in Wangcheng District in the provincial capital Changsha. Personnel from fire, emergency management, health and public security departments have arrived at the scene for rescue efforts. Good Saturday morning Connecticut, The weekend looks good with sunshine and temperatures in the low 60s on Saturday with less wind and on Sunday temperatures may approach 70 degrees and more sunshine is forecast. Rain showers are expected on Monday, Tuesday night and Wednesday. Here are the news stories trending across Connecticut: Connecticut's positive test rate and seven-day case count continued to increase, according to new data released by the state health department.>>>Read more by clicking here. All Kohl's stores could be acquired by the brand's archrival, per a New York Post report. Here's what that means for Connecticut shoppers.>>>Read more by clicking here. Two sons of the Capitol Reports Tom Dudchik, who also is part of the WTNH News 8 family, were killed in the crash. The driver was a 17-year-old, police said.>>>Read more by clicking here. Officials provided the New Haven Register with a timeline of when construction on the grocery store will finish and when it will open.>>>Read more by clicking here. A police officer has been placed on leave following his arrest on explosives and weapons charges, according to the police chief.>>>Read more by clicking here. CT COVID-19 Infection Rate Nears 10 Percent, Town-By-Town Updates originally appeared on the Across Connecticut Patch The final nights of Ramadan have arrived and Eid-Al-Fitr is fast approaching, as Muslims prepare for celebrations around the globe. The official date of Eid-Al-Fitr has not yet been confirmed and is most likely to be annouced on Saturday 30th April. This is calculated in accordance with the sighting of the new moon by the Saudi Arabia moon-sighting committee and is typically announced by local Mosques. Why does the date change? Each year the Islamic Lunar calendar is typically shorter than the Solar calendar by 10-12 days and usually Eid and Ramadan rotate and are celebrated in different seasons of the year. However, the precise timings and dates change from country to country, depending on the geographical location. Festival of Breaking Fast Eid-Al-Fitr, also known as the Festival of Breaking Fast is the first of two Eids in the Islamic calendar and is typically celebrated after the Muslim fasting month, known as Ramadan. Many Muslims celebrate Eid by spending time with their loved ones, making unique dishes for this special day and connecting in prayer to commemorate and acknowledge the end of the fasting month. Its a way of showing gratitude and remembering Ramadan and the charitable sacrifices many Muslims made during the fasting month. This, as many Muslims believe, is in accordance with The Holy Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). What is Ramadan and why do Muslims fast? Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, an act of worship that teaches patience, perseverance and charity. Its a means of Muslims making time for worship and becoming closer to God. Many Muslims fast to break away from bad habits, while also following the teachings of Islam, which is seen as a compulsory act of worship. However, many are exempt if they are unable to fast, such as the elderly, pregnant women, those who are physically or mentally incapable, those who have not reached puberty yet and women who may be menstruating. Ramadan takes place for 29-30 days, during which time Muslims wont eat or drink between dawn and sunset. Story continues How do Muslims celebrate Eid-Al-Fitr? Eid celebrations begin with special prayers at the mosque. Many Muslims dress in new garments, as it is believed that Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) would wear his best cloak to commemorate this day. Communities members, family and friends also gather to share sweet treats, gifts and stories. Its a festival that celebrates the goodness of life and the blessings that came with the Holy month of fasting. Women welcome Eid by applying henna on their hands to mark the celebration, this has been a tradition for many centuries. Children are also commonly gifted with money or toys from elders. What does Eid mean and when is the second Eid celebrated? Eid-Ul-Adha is also known as the Festival of Sacrifice and is typically celebrated two months after Eid-Al-Fitr. Eid-Ul-Adha marks the completion of Hajj, The Muslim Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca and is a reminder to many Muslims of the willingness and sacrifice Prophet Abraham made. Eid-Ul-Adha is considered as the bigger Eid celebration, where many Muslims complete their Hajj and sacrifice a sheep or goat. The meat is then shared equally between family, friends and those that are in need. Charity is a big part of the Muslim faith and one of the Five Pillars of Islam, so Eid is another reminder for Muslims around the world, to give even in moments of celebration. Eid is also a celebration of life, devotion and understanding of the Muslim faith. How can I take part in Eid if I am not Muslim? Everyone is welcome to celebrate! If you have Muslim friends or co-workers, be sure to just wish them an Eid Mubarak or Happy Eid. You can get involved by dressing up or just acknowledging the celebration that many are partaking in around the globe. (Bloomberg) -- Most Read from Bloomberg The European Union is set to propose a ban on Russian oil by the end of the year, with restrictions on imports introduced gradually until then, according to people familiar with the matter. The EU will also push for more banks from Russia and Belarus to be cut off from the international payment system SWIFT, including Sberbank PJSC, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The U.S. and U.K. previously imposed sanctions on Sberbank, Russias largest financial institution. A decision on the new sanctions could be made as soon as the coming week at a meeting of the blocs ambassadors, according to the people. The proposed measures, which would make up the EUs sixth package of sanctions since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, have yet to be formally put forward and could change before that happens. EU sanctions require the backing of all 27 member states to be adopted and several countries, such as Hungary, have long resisted measures targeting Russian oil. Bloomberg reported this week that Germany, earlier another holdout, has signaled its blessing for a gradual ban. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Thursday said in an interview with public broadcaster ZDF that Berlin would not stand in the way of an oil embargo, but expressed skepticism that its the most effective means of damaging President Vladimir Putin. An oil embargo would dramatically raise the stakes with Russia as the EU, the single largest consumer of crude and fuel from Russia, seeks to pressure Putin over his war and comes as tensions are already high over gas supplies. In 2019, almost two-thirds of the blocs crude oil imports came from Russia. Story continues Other options that have been discussed to slash Russias oil revenue have included price caps, special payment mechanisms and tariffs. Belarus would be included in the package for its role in aiding the Russian invasion, including acting as a staging ground for troops at the start of the offensive. The EU is also considering treating oil shipped via tankers and through pipelines differently, with the latter being easier to sanction, the people said. The measures are aimed at hitting Russian revenues from oil exports as much as possible without leading to turmoil on global markets. A spike in oil prices could boost the income that Moscow gets from sales rather than serve as a punishment. The discussions take place amid a stand-off between the EU and Moscow over how to pay for gas imports. The EU has said that a mechanism demanded by Russia to pay for the supplies in rubles would breach the blocs sanctions. Russia says it will stop sending gas to countries that dont comply. Gas Turmoil Poland and Bulgaria have already been cut off for failing to abide by Putins new terms, but other nations are confident they can keep the gas flowing. The EU has imported some 44 billion euros ($46 billion) worth of fossil fuels from Russia since it invaded Ukraine, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Other proposals to be discussed as part of the new sanctions package include restrictions on consultancy and cloud-based services, as well as on real-estate purchases, according to the people. There could also be more individual listings, including military officials, tycoons and their associates and those deemed responsible for alleged war crimes committed by Russian troops in Ukraine. Some member states are also pushing to tighten existing restrictions on maritime trade and ports as part of the package, the people said. (Updates with Habeck comment in fifth paragraph, more details in the eighth and ninth.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. An East Memphis man who was a fugitive for nearly four years was convicted on April 29 of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a restaurant server in his home in 2014, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich. Kelvin Montgomery, 55, was convicted in criminal court on counts of especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual battery, a release said. He remains in custody and will be sentenced on June 10. Montgomery, a self-employed appliance repairman, met the 35-year-old victim on the evening of June 15, 2014, at an East Memphis restaurant where she worked, a release. The victim agreed to have a drink with him, but said that when they got to his house on Willow Road he became violent, officials said. The woman said Montgomery handcuffed, gagged and choked her before forcing her to have sex, the release said. She said she pretended to be unconscious and that when he fell asleep in the bed, she managed to escape and ran to a neighbors for help. Montgomery was arrested five days later and was freed on a $100,000 bond the next day. In July of 2016, Montgomery pled guilty in court to a series of criminal charges and received a 12-year sentence. According to reports, the judge gave him 30 more days of freedom before he had to surrender and begin his incarceration. Instead of surrendering, Montgomery fled the jurisdiction and lived on a sailboat in an Orange Beach, Alabama, marina under an assumed name until federal marshals captured him in June of 2017. Officials then found an Arkansas woman who was with him that had been reported missing by her family. According to a release, the woman said Montgomery made her use a false name, was abusive to her, and would not let her leave, but she declined to press charges. Montgomery pled guilty in 2018 in an Alabama federal court to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, then was returned to the Shelby County Jail. Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood. Story continues CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Trending stories: Court news WORCESTER - A former U.S. Postal Service employee pleaded guilty Friday to stealing packages in Gardner that contained over $90,000 in cash. Roberta Feliz, 33, of Fitchburg, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 19. According to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice, Feliz was employed as lead sales and services associate with the Gardner Post Office. Between February and July 2020, Feliz stole over $90,000 in cash deposits that were mailed from a tractor supply company to its bank. Feliz, who was scheduled to work on each day that a cash package was mailed, was observed on surveillance camera removing envelopes from the postal service floor into the employee locker area or the womens restroom. In August 2020, Feliz was approached by law enforcement after she took a control package containing cash from the postal floor into an office, removed money from the envelope, and hid it in an unused desk. Feliz admitted to stealing packages from the tractor supply company and stated that she used the money to pay off debt and sent some to family overseas. The charge of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Former Gardner postal worker pleads guilty to stealing over $90K After a three-day trial and 11 hours of deliberation, former state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger was found guilty on Friday of raping a legislative intern in March 2021. The former lawmaker could face anywhere from one year to life in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender. He was immediately taken into police custody on Friday and was booked into the Ada County Jail. His sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on July 28. Heres a timeline of events, starting with a news release on the sexual assault allegation against von Ehlinger and ending with Fridays guilty verdict. April 16, 2021: While serving his first term representing the 6th Legislative District in North Idaho, von Ehlinger acknowledged in a news release to The Lewiston Tribune that he had been accused of unconsented sexual contact with an adult volunteer on the legislative staff in Boise. Von Ehlinger denied the accusations and said he fully cooperated with the House ethics committee, which had fielded a complaint and found probable cause to believe he had engaged in conduct unbecoming a House member. An ethics complaint against a lawmaker becomes public only after the committee finds probable cause. The legislative committee also publicly released the ethics complaint lodged against von Ehlinger by House Republican leaders and other documents. Released information showed that a legislative staffer had reported the alleged sexual assault to the Boise Police Department for a criminal investigation. The 19-year-old legislative interns name was redacted, and she continued to be kept anonymous in any documents released by the House. The accuser in an interview with lawmakers said that von Ehlinger took her to dinner and back to his apartment, where he orally penetrated her, despite her saying no. April 19, 2021: A spokesperson for the Boise Police Department confirmed to the Idaho Statesman that police have an open criminal investigation into the allegation against von Ehlinger. Story continues April 26, 2021: The Statesman through a records request obtained more documents relating to the ethics hearing, and found that von Ehlinger was warned in the past about his behavior toward multiple women and told to stop. April 28, 2021: Von Ehlinger testified in front of a panel of House lawmakers, saying he did not know of any written rule he had violated. The ethics committee also subpoenaed the accuser. The intern, who was referred to as Jane Doe during the testimony, testified from a concealed location and reiterated her previous statement that von Ehlinger had forced her to perform oral sex. April 29, 2021: Von Ehlinger resigned from his position as a state representative. The resignation came just hours after the House ethics panel recommended expelling von Ehlinger after it ruled that he had engaged in conduct unbecoming a House member. Sept. 9, 2021: An arrest warrant was issued by Ada Countys 4th District Court on two felony charges rape and sexual penetration with a foreign object. Sept. 25, 2021: After traveling to Central America in May 2021 on a previously planned vacation, his attorney said, von Ehlinger was arrested in Georgia upon his return to the U.S. and booked into Clayton County Jail in Jonesboro, south of Atlanta. Von Ehlingers attorney, Jon Cox, said that his client had planned to turn himself in but missed a connecting flight to Houston and instead flew to Atlanta. April 26, 2022: Opening statements for the trial began. The jury also heard testimony, including from Anne Wardle, the nurse who performed the sexual assault kit on the accuser, known as J.V. in court. Wardle said that J.V. told her she was pulled onto a couch by von Ehlinger and forced to sit next to him. She also said J.V. had told her that von Ehlinger had pinned down her arms at one point. April 27, 2022: A jury of seven men and six women listened to J.V.s testimony, but after just five minutes on the stand, she left abruptly, saying, I cant do this. Since von Ehlingers attorney could not cross-examine her, the judge instructed the jury to strike her testimony. April 28, 2022: Von Ehlinger took the stand in a nearly two-hour testimony, when he continued to say J.V. did not give any indication that she was not wanting to participate. April 29, 2022: Von Ehlinger was found guilty on the rape charge and not guilty on the forcible penetration charge. He was immediately taken into police custody and was booked into jail. NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) A former Pennsylvania attorney general who served jail time for leaking grand jury material and lying about it was taken into custody Friday on an alleged probation violation, more than a month after she was charged with drunken driving, officials said. Kathleen Kane, 55, was behind bars at Montgomery County Correctional Facility outside Philadelphia to await a hearing. No hearing date had been set as of Friday afternoon. A message was left for her attorney in the drunken driving case. Once a rising star in Pennsylvania politics, Kane resigned as attorney general after being convicted in 2016 of perjury, obstruction and other counts for leaking secret investigative files to embarrass a rival prosecutor. Kane was sentenced to 10 to 23 months behind bars, serving her time at the Montgomery County jail outside Philadelphia. She was released in 2019. Her term of probation doesn't end until October 2025. On March 12, police in Scranton were called to the scene of a two-car crash and said they found Kane behind the wheel of an Audi. Kane told responding officers she was a designated driver, but surveillance video showed Kane herself had been drinking alcohol at a Scranton restaurant shortly before the crash, according to an affidavit. Kane had watery, bloodshot eyes and slurred her words police said she had trouble saying the word designated and failed a field sobriety test, the documents said. Kane was charged with drunken driving and careless driving. Four days later, a Montgomery County judge issued a bench warrant for her arrest. The state's former top prosecutor also faces a May 26 hearing on the drunken driving charge. Georgia President Salome Zourabichvili is on a mission in Washington to build support for her country as a key bulwark in case Russia seeks to expand its aggression beyond Ukraine. Georgia, which like Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union before its collapse and has battled with Moscow over breakaway regions, is worried about Russias war breaking out of Ukraine. Mysterious explosions in the Russian-backed breakaway region of Transnistria, Moldova, this week underscored the tensions for other countries in the region. In an interview with The Hill, Zourabichvili said that she believes Moscow doesnt have the capacity to move its military to launch another operation, but that it still can play on the nerves, and thats what its doing in Transnistria, trying to raise the fears, destabilize the population. Thats the way that Russia is showing that even if its concentrated on Ukraine, it does not forget Moldova, and [Georgia]. So again, our Western partners should, on their side, not be forgetting Georgia, she said. Two territories of Georgia have been occupied by Russian forces since 2008 in one of the early signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin was shifting his international strategy. Battles in Transnistria and the Crimean region of Ukraine, which is now occupied by Russia, followed in subsequent years. Last week, a top separatist official in the Russian-backed territory of South Ossetia in northern Georgia called for a referendum. Zourabichvili described this as coming from the playbook of Putins 2014 annexation of Crimea. The U.S. has signaled it is wary of Moscow moving beyond Ukraine and Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers on Thursday that the U.S. is watching developments in Transnistria this week like a hawk. Zourabichvili said she hopes to see Georgia included in more talking points issued by the Biden administration, saying this would represent an important signal to Moscow. Story continues Were not talking about increasing military assistance or that form today, but more in showing political support for Georgia, and for Moldova, Zourabichvili said. Moscows actions have galvanized the European Union to give Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova an opportunity to move on an accelerated path for membership. Georgia also aspires to join NATO, which Putin views as an existential threat. Georgia holds a close relationship with the alliance and participated in joint NATO exercises in March. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier this month that the alliance would step up its support for Tbilisi under a joint NATO-Georgia package to include strengthening the countrys situational awareness, secure communications and cyber operations. Its unclear whether the U.S. and other NATO members would move any time soon to admit Georgia as a NATO member, something that would be seen as an escalation by Moscow amid bitter relations with the U.S. But Zourabichvili said Georgia has no intention to pull back from its aspirations. We are not the decisionmakers in that sense, what I can say is that we are looking for the security guarantees, and as a small country, living side by side with Russia, which occupies two of our territories, we cannot say no to security guarantees, she said. Georgia also faces the challenge of meeting political requirements for being a member of NATO or the EU. Freedom House, which monitors the state of civil freedoms and democracy worldwide, rated Georgia in its 2022 report as partly free saying that democratic freedoms have backslid in recent years, civil liberties are inconsistently protected and political opposition is often stifled through intimidation and harassment. We have to be ready to prepare ourselves and to do some of the things that maybe we have not been rapid enough and effective enough in doing, Zourabichvili said in an interview with The Washington Post earlier this week. And Im talking about the reform of the judicial system, all of these profound reforms that will consolidate the democracy, and that means its a new impetus for doing that, which I think is a very great chance for my country. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that finances U.S. operations abroad, recently expressed support for Georgia but also said reforms were necessary. As in Ukraine, the world must demand respect for Georgias independence and territorial integrity and condemn Putins blatant disregard for the international rules-based order, Coons said in a statement following a visit to the country in mid-April. I urge Georgias political leaders to seize this window of opportunity by demonstrating the ability to reach political compromise and advance important reforms of democratic institutions, including the judiciary. These steps will also facilitate deeper security cooperation and closer economic ties with the United States. Zourabichvili this week met with the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). I was glad to meet President of Georgia [Salome Zourabichvili]. Her countrys resistance to Russian tyranny should inspire us all, Wicker tweeted. I proudly stand with Georgia. She also met with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) who tweeted that Congress proudly stands with the people of Georgia, and we remain unwavering in support of their sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression. And the Biden administration has earmarked $88 million in support for Georgia as part of the 2023 State Department proposed budget, to address Georgias democratic and economic development, Euro-Atlantic integration and resilience to counter Kremlin malign influence. Zourabichvili said her citizens want closer ties with the U.S., and that U.S.-government funded media like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty have a reputation in Georgia for truthful news stretching back to when the country was behind the Iron Curtain. There was always this admiration for the United States, and that remains, she said. I dont think that the Soviet the Russian, sorry, disinformation campaign is really taking hold of the majority of the public opinion. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Glauco Cruz wraps up electrical wires while working on the giant monitors on the Ford stage for Sunfest Tuesday in West Palm Beach. WEST PALM BEACH A Miami-Dade County man was arrested Friday night after he was caught in possession of three stolen cellphones at the SunFest music festival, city police said Saturday. Jose De la Caridad Garcia Montelongo, 27, of Hialeah was arrested on one count of grand theft. West Palm Beach Police investigators say officers working the SunFest event began receiving reports around 9:30 p.m. of cellphones being stolen at a concert on the south stage of the festival. The four-day music festival returned to West Palm Beach on Thursday after a two-year hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. SunFest typically draws more than 100,000 people to the city's waterfront each spring. SunFest 2022: Ultimate guide to South Florida's biggest music and art festival Festival food: SunFest 2022: Five favorite foods and sips making a comeback at West Palm's music festival Fans of Polo G enjoy the show at SunFest on Friday, April 29, 2022 in West Palm Beach. On Friday, witnesses reported seeing people zigzagging their way through a concert crowd and stealing phones, police said. A sergeant standing near the south stage's exit observed a man matching the suspect's description attempt to evade her. As the sergeant approached the man, later identified as Garcia Montelongo, a police captain saw him drop three iPhones to the ground. Garcia Montelongo reportedly admitted to trying to dispose of the phones when he saw police as he knew "it would not look good and the police would think he stole them," police said. He was being held Saturday evening in the Palm Beach County Jail on $4,500 bail. The value of the stolen phones was reported to be $3,800. The investigation into the cellphone thefts is ongoing and additional arrests and charges are pending, police said. A hotline dedicated for stolen and missing cellphone reports has been set up and is being staffed throughout SunFest's operating hours. Anyone missing a phone from the event is asked to call 561-822-1909 jwhgham@pbpost.com @JuliusWhigham This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Police: Man caught stealing cellphones at SunFest event Flash A third of all college students in the United States considered withdrawing from their studies in the past six months, United Press International (UPI) has reported, citing a Lumina Foundation and Gallup poll released on Wednesday. Some 32 percent of bachelor's degree candidates reported considering withdrawing for at least a semester; 41 percent of associate degree students considered taking a break in the past six months, according to The State of Higher Education 2022 Report. "Emotional stress caused by COVID-19, the cost of tuition and difficult coursework were the three most-reported reasons students considered taking a break," said UPI in its report of the poll. Colleges are adding mental health counseling to existing academic help. Virtual classes, which became a quick necessity during the pandemic, make education accessible to those students who need a break, it said. "Many schools are offering de-stressing activities to reduce anxiety before midterm and final exams," it added. India seized $725 million from the local bank accounts of Xiaomi after a probe found the Chinese smartphone giant unlawfully sent money abroad in the guise of royalty payments, authorities said Saturday. India's financial crime investigations agency began investigating the company in February and said it seized the money from the firm's local arm after discovering it had made remittances to three foreign-based entities. "Such huge amounts in the name of royalties were remitted on the instructions of their Chinese parent group entities," the Enforcement Directorate said in a statement. Xiaomi India has denied the allegations, saying late Saturday that its "operations are firmly compliant with local laws and regulations". "We believe our royalty payments and statements to the bank are all legit and truthful," Xiaomi India tweeted. "We are committed to working closely with the government authorities to clarify any misunderstandings." The firm's India office was raided in December in a separate investigation over alleged income tax evasion. Other Chinese smartphone makers including Huawei also had their Indian offices searched at the time. Relations between New Delhi and Beijing have been at a low ebb since a deadly Himalayan border clash between soldiers from both countries in 2020. In the aftermath, India's home ministry banned hundreds of mobile applications of Chinese origin, including the popular social media platform Tiktok. The government justified the bans on the apps as safeguarding against threats to India's sovereignty. Anti-China sentiment has grown in India since the fatal 2020 troop clash, sparking calls for consumer boycotts of Chinese goods. China continues to be a key economic partner for India, with more than $125 billion in bilateral trade last year according to media reports. abh-lxc/lb JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Indian agrochemicals manufacturer UPL Ltd has applied for permission to flush water contaminated by a toxic pesticides spill in South Africa's city of Durban directly into the sea or the sewerage system, the company said on Saturday. The municipal authorities have judged the pesticides -- which were being contained in a dam that overflowed during devastating floods that struck the eastern port city earlier this month -- as being "highly toxic to the environment". Looters set fire to a UPL warehouse containing the pesticides during a wave of looting and arson in July last year. That caused a chemical spill which shut down beaches, released severe air pollution and killed marine wildlife. Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen cyanide were among the chemicals released into the dam. UPL told Reuters in an emailed statement that the "toxicity testing of April 11 showed extremely low levels of marine toxicity, capable of being completely neutralised" by dilution. The municipality of eThekwini, which includes Durban, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. UPL "has discussed with authorities disposal by various methods (including) to sewer and or sea outfall via the municipal sewer system," a company representative said, adding that "the entire proposal is based on the general acceptance by both the authorities and UPL that it is nonsensical" to truck 5224 cubic metres of contaminated water to landfills. Environmental scientists are increasingly concerned about the contamination of the oceans by industrial chemicals, including pesticides, fertilizers, detergents and petroleum products. (Reporting by Promit Mukherjee; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Mike Harrison) Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office An Alabama corrections officer of 25 years disappeared Friday with an inmate charged with capital murder. Assistant Director of Corrections Vicki White left the Lauderdale County Jail jail at 9:41am Friday with inmate Casey White, Sheriff Rick Singleton told reporters at a press conference. (The two Whites are not related.) The officer told jail officials she was escorting White to a mental health evaluation at the courthouse, Singleton said. No such evaluation was ever scheduled. Singleton said Vicki White dropped the inmate off at the courthouse and told a booking officer she was going to seek medical attention. When the officer attempted to contact her later that afternoon, her phone went straight to voicemail. Thats when jail officials registered that Casey White had not been returned to his cell, setting off a hunt for both the criminal and the corrections officer. Casey White was charged with two counts of capital murder in September 2020 in the brutal stabbing of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway. White was already serving time for a 2015 crime spree that involved a home invasion, carjacking, and police chase, according to local news station WHNT. He wrote a letter to corrections officials asking for Lt. Brad Potts with the Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office, to whom he confessed about the murder and provided previously unreleased details. He was awaiting trial at the Lauderdale County Jail when he disappeared. Singleton said Friday that the department was still aggressively investigating and trying to figure out what happened in the disappearance. Authorities were surveying the parking lot at a local shopping center where Vicki Whites patrol car was found empty on Friday morning, looking for video footage that could reveal another escape vehicle. The department was also reviewing Casey Whites jail logs and phone calls for additional clues. The FBI and other local law enforcement agencies are assisting with the search. Story continues Authorities were also trying to discern whether there was a preexisting relationship between the two Whites. Singleton said Vicki White was an exemplary employee who had been voted supervisor of the year on several occasions. Every employee in this office is shocked that shes missing and this happened, he said. Were in disbelief. The department would continue treating Vicki Whites disappearance as a kidnapping unless it found convincing evidence that she had helped the inmate escape, Singleton said. Either way, he added, I think shes in danger whatever the circumstances. [Casey White] was in jail for capital murder, Singleton said. He has nothing to lose. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A police chase ensued around midnight Thursday spanning from Interstate 235 to the south side of Des Moines. Iowa State Patrol had initially tried to pull the suspect over around midnight on Interstate 235 but he took off, according to Sgt. Alex Dinkla, a spokesman for the Iowa State Patrol. The chase led state troopers through the south side where the man, 22, crashed his car at the intersection of Southeast Fifth Street as police pursued. The 22-year-old left his vehicle after the crash and ran through backyards of the neighborhood as law enforcement continued to pursue and apprehend him. The suspect sustained injuries during the crash and was taken to a hospital. In the chase bystanders tried to avoid the chaos, but one driver in an SUV that pulled off to the side of the road was hit by the suspect'struck, causing serious damage. Status of the bystander and whether or not they sustained injuries was not clear Friday evening. The man was booked into Polk County Jail around 6 a.m. Friday and is facing with multiple charges including: eluding; operating while under the influence second offense; assault with intent of injury on persons in certain occupation; interference with official acts; possession of cocaine and other offenses. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa man faces charges after overnight police chase, ending in a crash The Takeout For the longest time (okay, years), all of usor at least all of us that arent from Utahlived in ignorance (and possibly bliss) of a thing called dirty soda. That is, until a few months ago, when pop star and national treasure Olivia Rodrigo posed for a photo holding a foam cup of dirty soda, showing us yet another thing you can access once you have a drivers license. FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) The New York Jets moved up in the NFL draft again and added another speedy playmaker to their offense. Iowa State running back Breece Hall was taken with the 36th overall pick Friday night after the Jets acquired it from the Giants for their second-round selection No. 38 and a fifth-rounder. Hes a home run threat, general manager Joe Douglas said. He can score from anywhere on the field. New York kept its focus on the offense in the third round, drafting Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert with the 101st pick. He's a dynamic athlete, Douglas said. He's a dynamic weapon in the passing game. He wasn't always the No. 1 option at Ohio State, but he was a guy willing to do the dirty work to help his teammates as a blocker. Barring any other deals, the Jets have two more selections in this draft: two fourth-rounders (Nos. 111 and 117). Hall was staying at a hotel in the Las Vegas area and watching the draft, but didnt attend. He instead was celebrating with friends and family when he received the call from New York and his name was announced by former Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. After doing a Zoom interview with reporters, Hall made his way to the draft site. Wearing a Jets cap, Hall was allowed to walk on to the stage both arms raised as fans in attendance cheered and received a celebratory hug from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Its just a dream come true, Hall told NFL Network. Last night, just knowing the Jets, they tried to trade into the first round to get me but it didnt go through. So it was kind of a bummer. But, I mean, Im still blessed to be a Jet and blessed to be able to have the opportunity to come on here. So its been fun. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Hall was a two-time All-American who set an Iowa State record with 56 touchdowns in three seasons, including 41 TD runs in the past two years. Hall was the first running back drafted this year, and first Big 12 player selected. Story continues The Wichita, Kansas, native could form a potentially potent 1-2 combination in the Jets' backfield with Michael Carter, a fourth-rounder last year who led the team in rushing. New York also has veteran Tevin Coleman, Ty Johnson, La'Mical Perine and Austin Walter on the roster. I know it's really running back-friendly, Hall said of coordinator Mike LaFleur's offense. Just being able to touch the ball and have a lot of opportunities, that's all I need. Douglas has made it his mission this offseason to surround second-year quarterback Zach Wilson with more playmakers. Hall fits the bill, as does Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who was the No. 10 overall pick Thursday night. The Jets were busy at the start of the draft, taking Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Sauce Gardner at No. 4, Wilson six picks later and then trading back into the first round to select Florida State defensive end Jermaine Johnson at No. 26. The opening night-haul was lauded by many fans and media as a massive success for a franchise that has the NFL's longest active playoff drought at 11 seasons. When asked Thursday night if the Jets had a high grade on a player who hadn't yet been drafted, Douglas replied: Absolutely, yes. Absolutely. Apparently, Hall was one of them so much so the Jets pulled off a trade with the team whom they share a home stadium. Ruckert is a native of Lindenhurst, New York, and grew up rooting for the Jets. He joins a tight ends room that includes free-agent signings C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin. I've dreamed this since I was a little kid, said Ruckert, who watched practices as a youngster at the team's previous training facility at Hofstra University. At Ohio State, Ruckert caught 54 passes for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns in four seasons. His statistics weren't as gaudy as some tight ends around the country, in large part because of the many receivers the Buckeyes had including his now Jets teammate Garrett Wilson. But Douglas and the Jets liked the versatility they saw from Ruckert. When you did see the flashes, they were really impressive, Douglas said. Really, really dynamic, athletic movements in the passing game. ... You saw those things and said, This guy is made of the right stuff. A few hours before the second round began, the Jets were still buzzing about their trio of first-rounders who were formally introduced at a news conference at the team's facility. And, yes, Gardner was still wearing his diamond-encrusted SAUCE medallion. The current crew of first-rounders recognized that they will forever be linked and will together carry the task of trying to help return the Jets to respectability. And more importantly, the postseason. We come from the limelight and it ain't nothing new to us, Johnson said. We've been leaned on before as those guys on the team. I think we're going to attack it and be the best teammates we can be. ___ More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://apnews.com/hub/pro-32 and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL John Eastman, the former law professor who authored the now-infamous coup memo advising then-vice president Mike Pence to unilaterally reject electoral votes from states won by Joe Biden, has turned over 10,000 emails to the House select committee investigating the 6 January 2021 attack on the Capitol but is withholding thousands more from the panel. In documents filed with the California federal judge overseeing a lawsuit he filed to block the panel from subpoenaing documents he deemed privileged, Mr Eastman said he was withdrawing 800 documents totaling over 10,000 pages which will be provided to the committee. Yet Mr Eastman has continued to assert attorney-client privilege over an additional 27,000 pages of records from the period leading up to the worst attack on the Capitol since 1814, during which he was advising former president Donald Trump on strategies to install him in office for a second term against the wishes of American voters. Whether the documents are protected from disclosure to the committee by attorney-client privilege remains an issue to be decided by US District Judge David Carter. But Judge Carter, an appointee of former president Bill Clinton who has served on the bench since 1998, has already cast a dim view on Mr Eastmans attempt to use attorney-client privilege to shield his communications with Mr Trumps advisers from the panel. In a 28 March opinion rejecting Mr Eastmans privilege claim over a number of documents, Judge Carter ruled that Mr Eastman and Mr Trump launched a campaign to overturn a democratic election, an action unprecedented in American history and called that campaign a coup in search of a legal theory. The veteran jurist found that it was more likely than not that Mr Trump and Mr Eastman had violated federal laws in their push to keep Mr Trump in office, and ordered a key document disclosed under the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege. Johnny Depp's sensational defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard wrapped up its third week with scandalous new details including the actress's feelings toward billionaire Elon Musk and the state of her mental health. JOHNNY DEPP V. AMBER HEARD DEFAMATION TRIAL: LIVE UPDATES "The Pirates of the Caribbean" star is suing his ex-wife for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed published in the Washington Post in which she identified herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." Although the piece did not specifically name Depp, his lawyers have argued that it cost him lucrative movie roles. Heard countersued for $100 million, accusing him and his former attorney of conspiring to "destroy and defame" her. Depp capped off four days on the stand Monday with his lawyer playing an audio of him and his ex-wife talking after she publicly accused him of domestic violence and obtained a restraining order. Heard tells Depp that she doesn't know how to get her reputation back after she made the allegations against him. Depp accuses her of bringing it on herself by getting the cops involved in a fight May 21, 2016. "The last time it got really heated between us, I really did think I was going to lose my life," she replies. Actor Johnny Depp testifies April 25, 2022 Photo by Steve Helber/Pool/AFP via Getty Images "Amber, I lost a f--king finger man, come on," he shot back, referring to her allegedly slicing off the digit during a 2015 brawl in Australia over a postnuptial agreement. "I had a f--king can of mineral spirits thrown at my nose," he said of Heard allegedly throwing the bottle at his face during another quarrel. JOHNNY DEPP V. AMBER HEARD: THE SHOCKING TRIAL'S WILDEST MOMENTS "You can say it was a fair fight," Heard scoffs on the recording. "Tell the world, Johnny, tell them, 'Johnny Depp, I, Johnny Depp, a man, Im a victim, too, of domestic violence.'and see how many people believe or side with you." Depp's lawyer, Jessica Meyers, asked him what he said in response. Story continues "Yes, I am," replied Depp, soberly, before stepping off the stand. Heard and Musk went public with their relationship in April 2017 but the short-lived romance ended five months later. Heard allegedly told former talent agent Christian Carino, who was once engaged to Lady Gaga, that she didnt love Musk, according to the agent's pre-recorded deposition played in court Wednesday. Carino was asked to read a text exchange with Heard from August 2017. "Dealing with a breakup. I hate when things go public. C, Im so sad," Heard wrote of Musk. A photo combination of Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and Elon Musk. Getty Images "You werent in love with him, and you told me a thousand times you were just filling space," Carino replied. Heard complained about the publicity surrounding her love life, but Carino pointed out that she could avoid the attention by not "dating Uber-famous people." An America Civil Liberties Union staffer penned Amber Heard's 2018 Washington Post op-ed describing herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse." "I tried to gather your fire and rage and really interesting analysis and shape that into an op-ed form," wrote ACLU communications strategist Robin Shulman in an email to Heard. At least three other staffers were involved in drafting and revising the piece, testified ACLU COO Terence Dougherty in a pre-recorded deposition played in court Thursday. Heard requested that the op-ed be published shortly after the release of her movie "Aquaman" to capitalize on the publicity, Dougherty testified. JOHNNY DEPP RECOUNTS INFAMOUS DEFECATION INCIDENT IN COURT: I COULD ONLY LAUGH He also revealed that Heard had only paid $1.3 million of the $3.5 million she publicly pledged to donate to the charity. Heard announced in 2016 that she'd give the entirety of her $7 million divorce payout to the ACLU and Children's Hospital Los Angeles. But when Dougherty reached out to her in 2019 about her next payment, she allegedly said she was having financial difficulties. Depp's business manager testified that the actor had paid the divorce settlement to Heard in full by the end of 2018. Heard has borderline personality disorder (BPD) and histrionic personality disorder (HPD), a forensic and clinical psychologist testified Tuesday on behalf of Depp's team. Dr. Shannon Curry said she met with Heard, 36, for 12 hours as well as reviewed her medical, legal and psychiatric records to reach her diagnosis. She described the disorders as "two sides of the same coin" that feature "dramatic, erratic and emotional" behavior. "That temper or being hot headed is really characteristic of borderline personality disorder as is being very charming, a personable nature," Curry testified. "This is a disorder of contradictions." People with HPD need to be the center of attention and when they aren't, they often make up stories or take on a victim role, Curry said. The couple's doorman, Alejandro Romero, said in a pre-recorded deposition played in court Wednesday that he interacted with Heard four days after the infamous cellphone fight and saw "no marks or bruises" on her face. Heard alleges that Depp bashed her in the face with a cellphone on May 21, 2016, after an explosive fight inside their penthouse apartment. Two responding police officers also said they did not observe any injuries on Heard, but admitted on cross-examination they did not take contemporaneous notes and the apartment was dimly lit. Six days later, she went to a Los Angeles courthouse with prominent bruises under her right eye as photographers snapped her picture in what Depp's team has branded an elaborate "Hoax." The doorman, sitting in a parked car and puffing on a vape pen during the deposition, said he was sick of the Depp-Heard saga. "Im tired. I dont want to deal with this court case anymore. Everybodys got problems," he said. Depp's Hollywood divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser, whose celebrity clients include Kim Kardashian and Angelina Jolie, testified about receiving a letter from Heard's attorney, Samantha Spector, May 24, 2016. The letter said Depp had "violently attacked" Heard at their apartment four days prior and requested a "private and amicable resolution to all matters." It then demanded that Depp give her access to his black Range Rover and three downtown Los Angeles penthouses in addition to $100,000 for legal feels and $25,000 for forensic accounting costs. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at "The Danish Girl" premiere in Venice, Italy Sept. 5, 2015. Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty Images But without further warning, Wasser said, Spector and Heard marched into a Los Angeles courthouse May 27 to obtain a restraining order against Depp. "With high-profile clients we like to take it out of the system," said Wasser of handling the divorce quietly. "Ms. Spector was not willing to do this." Depp's business manager Ed White told jurors Thursday that the actor paid a total of $14,250,000 in the divorce settlement. White said Heard's financial demands "continually increased" during negotiations, starting at $4 million and eventually growing to the sizable figure, which included $6.8 million paid directly to her, $500,000 to her lawyers and approximately $7,250,000 in "community liabilities" the pair acquired during their 15-month marriage. The trial resumes Monday, and Heard is expected to take the stand some time next week. Jossara Jinaro, an actress who appeared on such TV shows as ER, The Young and the Restless, and Judging Amy, died Wednesday following a battle with cancer. She was 48. Jinaro's husband announced her death on her Facebook page, writing, "With great sorrow, I announce the passing of my wife, Jossara Jinaro, on this date, April 27, 2022. Jossara bravely fought cancer and came home to be surrounded by family. LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 03: Actress Jossara Jinaro attends Richard Lawson and Tina Knowles Lawson Launch at the WACO Theater Grand Opening at WACO Theater Center on November 3, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images) Greg Doherty/Getty Images 'ER' actress Jossara Jinaro died of cancer in April 2022 at age 48. "Jossara was an amazing wife, mother, artist, and friend," he continued. "She had the most beautiful, kind soul and wouldn't take no for an answer. Even in her last moments, she was still fighting. She is now resting in peace and will be remembered forever. Myself, Liam, and Emrys will miss her so deeply, although we know she is in our hearts and guiding us every step of the way." Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1973 to two "Maoist" parents, Jinaro was raised in Colombia after her mother married a diplomat, according to a biography on her IMDb page. Her family later relocated to the U.S. after her stepfather was held hostage by guerrillas. When she was 16, Jinaro moved out on her own to pursue acting, eventually appearing in various stage productions before landing in Los Angeles. She made her network TV debut on CBS's Judging Amy, playing the daughter of Cheech Marin's character, and also appeared in episodes of ER, The Young and the Restless, Passions, and The Closer, as well as films including World Trade Center and The Devil's Rejects. Jinaro was diagnosed with Cancer of Unknown Primary in 2021, a rare diagnosis in which the primary tumor site cannot be identified, according to a GoFundMe page. In her final Facebook post, on New Year's Eve that year, she wrote, "I feel loved and cared for by all my friends and family." Related content: Motley Fool While the American people can't count on receiving any additional stimulus funds from the federal government at current, that doesn't mean individual states have also put an end to their assistance. In fact, residents of the following four states can expect to receive additional stimulus payments in the month of May. Read on to find out the details surrounding the additional stimulus from each state and who qualifies. Golden State Stimulus I: Residents who normally receive California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) or file their taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) qualify for a one-time $600 or $1,200 payment. Two weeks after three children died at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in two separate incidents, no details are available about what happened to the children. But Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, officials confirmed to Marine Corps Times that a parent in one of the families was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division and a parent in the second family was assigned to the Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. A spokeswoman at the medical facility said officials there are aware of the tragic passing of a dependent child of one of our military families, but didnt specify which branch of service. The deaths occurred in two separate, unrelated incidents on April 16, according to Marine spokesman 1st Lt. Ace Padilla. NCIS investigating deaths of 3 children at North Carolina Marine base Naval Criminal Investigative Service is continuing its investigation into the deaths. As of Friday, no charges have been filed, said NCIS spokesman Jeff Houston. He declined to comment further, out of respect for the investigative process. Two of the children were reportedly sisters, ages 4 and 6, who died in their parents home in the Berkeley Manor housing area. Information was not available about the cause of the deaths. The cause and manner of the three children that passed away at Camp Lejeune are pending a full and complete forensic evaluation, said Air Force Tech Sgt. Robert Trujillo, spokesman for the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. By Department of Defense regulations, he said, only the next of kin are entitled to receive a copy of an autopsy report. Padilla said there was no shooting involved and there is no threat to the community. He said officials offer our deepest condolences to the families of those affected. Out of respect for the families and the investigative process, we are not providing additional information. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-North Carolina whose district includes Camp Lejeune, said he wants the families of the children to know that if they have any issues or needs to contact his office. Story continues Please let the families know, were ready to assist them in any way we can, he said in an interview with Marine Corps Times. Weve also told the base if theres anything we can do, to let us know. He said he takes issue with a recent headline indicating he was critical of the lack of information. I believe its sensitive enough, its an ongoing investigation, he said. The last thing we want to do is corrupt an investigation or start rumors. I have confidence in the leadership of the base and NCIS to conduct a thorough investigation, and when the results come out, to be very transparent about what happened and how the investigation occurred. The facts of the case will come out and they will let folks know whats going on, he said. At the beginning of the war between Ukraine and Russia, a figure in the Ukrainian military dubbed the Ghost of Kyiv took the world by storm. The pilot was rumored at the start of the war to have destroyed six Russian military aircraft within hours of each other using a MiG-29. The story went viral on social media with many throwing their support behind the unidentified pilot. Since the first days of the war, Ukraine has claimed the Ghost of Kyiv has shot down more than 40 planes. However, many believe the story was war propaganda. Distorted videos on social media showing the Ghost of Kyiv were discovered to be old footage or footage from outside Ukraine. Nevertheless, the story boosted the morale of the Ukrainian people at a time where the world thought Russia would conquer the country in mere days. Now, Ukraine is saying the Ghost of Kyiv died in an air battle with Russia, and it has revealed the supposed identity of the pilot. The Times and Kyiv Post are reporting the Ukrainian defense ministry as saying Major Stepan Tarabalka was the Ghost of Kyiv, and he died on March 13. The Times says Ukrainian sources confirmed the pilots identity and the way he died to the outlet, with local reports saying he was overwhelmed by Russian forces in the sky. Tarabalka went to heaven during an air battle with overwhelming forces of the Russian invaders, the defense ministry wrote, according to the Kyiv Post. He lives on through his spouse, Olena, and 8-year-old son. Sources told The Times Tarabalkas helmet and goggles would be auctioned in London. Whether or not Tarabalkas story is true, he provided a hope to Ukraine, which has been able to fend off the Russian military for more than two months now. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Kyiv regional police chief Andriy Nebytov announced Saturday the discovery of the bodies of three men who were allegedly bound and tortured by Russian forces. The bodies of the men were found in the Bucha, a region where Ukranians allege Russia has committed war crimes amid its invasion of the former Soviet state. Kyiv police said they are currently unable to identify the men due to the damage the bodies sustained during torture. The injuries include multiple gun shot wounds and their faces were disfigured, Reuters reported. The newswire noted that it could not independently verify the claims by Nebytov. The Hill has reached out to the Ukrainian embassy in the U.S. for additional information. The men are believed to be civilians based on their clothing, according to Reuters. They were found in the woods in shallow graves close to where Russian forces previously occupied before pulling away from Kyiv. After the torture, Nebytov said they were killed when each of the men was shot in the ear, according to Reuters. Nebytov said 1,202 civilian bodies have been found in the Kyiv region since the beginning of the war. Russian forces withdrew from around Kyiv to refocus efforts in the Donbas region after failing to make notable progress near Ukraines capital. Ukraine has accused Russia of war crimes such as targeting civilians, rape, torture and kidnapping. Russia has denied all the allegations against it. The International Criminal Court is currently investigating the actions in Ukraine after launching the case days after the war began. The Hill has reached out to the Russian embassy in the U.S. for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Truro town meeting will debate an important initiative to benefit local workforce families: Article 7A, which appropriates $212,500 for a one-year child care voucher fund. The Massachusetts child care system is in crisis, with families paying unsustainable rates, child care workers earning poverty wages and facilities unable to sustain their bottom line. Child care can cost families as much as $20,000 a year for infants and $16,500 for toddlers, more than a year of public college, home mortgage or rent. Similar programs have been passed in several Cape Cod towns, including Chatham and Eastham. Letter to the Editor Town-initiated child care vouchers are one small step toward solving Truros child care crisis. Locally, I urge Truro voters to pass Article 7A on Saturday, and for other Cape Cod towns to consider similar legislation, a first step toward making child care in Truro affordable and accessible for all workforce families. Taxpayers can also do much more, and the Common Start Bill (H.605/S.362) now before the state Legislature aims to do just that. The bill proposes 'bedrock funding' for facilities, drastically increasing family subsidies, and increasing child care worker wages to parity with K-12 teachers. Labor shortage: Child care is lynchpin for economic recovery on the Cape Under the plan, families would pay no more than 7% of annual family income for child care, facilities would receive per-seat grants to subsidize facility delivery costs, including for supplies, facility upgrades, wages, and so-called "wrap-around-services" for children with special needs, extended hours, and other supports. For more information go to: https://commonstartma.org/ or email CapeIslands@commonstartma.org. With concerted local and statewide support, we can solve the child care crisis now. Sandra Faiman-Silva, Ph.D., Falmouth Harwich town meeting: Vote Yes on Article 37 On Monday, May 2, Harwich town meeting voters have a chance to make a significant investment in the future health of our town and our region. Article 37 asks voters to approve spending $950,000 in Community Preservation Act money to help kick-start the Harwich Conservation Trust purchase of what is being called the largest undeveloped property on the Lower Cape. The Trust has launched a $3 million fundraising effort for an 85-acre parcel located in the Six Ponds Special District, which consists of 1,200 acres of rare plant and animal habitat. Story continues Community Preservation Funds: Harwich Conservation Trust will ask town meeting voters to help buy 85 acres Deforestation due to development and industrial uses is driving a planetary crisis few can deny any longer. Once an undeveloped forest is lost, it is difficult if not impossible to restore it to the complexity that exists in its animals, plants and other important biota that have evolved and thrived over time. We must take every opportunity we have to save these critical spaces that, while essential in and of themselves, also function as carbon sinks, moisture-generating living organisms, and sanctuaries for humans seeking solace in natural, unspoiled places. We urge all Harwich voters to attend Harwich town meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the Harwich Community Center and vote in support of this important article. Deborah Ennis, Harwich Ennis is a member of the Harwich Climate Action Network Funding needed to support aging-in-place programs, not nursing homes The April 22 Times article about abuse and death at nursing homes made my heart hurt. For years I have spoken to anyone who will listen about the horror of beloved elders ending their lives in the squalor and indignity of nursing homes (see my June 7, 2016 My View). When my own mother was dying, the Brewster/Harwich nursing home never called me to tell me she had been asking for me, because they thought I "wouldn't want to be bothered." Say what? This was the last weekend I could have spent with her before she died in my arms because a male nurse called me two nights later to come quickly. My mother went with anger in her heart. And I have trauma, which never ends. Related: Some Cape Cod nursing homes prove unsafe for residents due to labor shortage We need a dedicated fund from the federal and state government to keep elders who cannot afford home care (most elders) at home. It would save money in the end, money which floods to corrupt nursing home practitioners. It would give home-care providers work. It would provide family cohesion and a comfortable end of life. What does it say about us as a callous, uncaring and increasingly deliberately cruel society that we have not done this? Petition your Congress members, please. Lee Roscoe, Brewster Is it time to reduce the number of state representatives? Cape Cod Times reported on page 1 (4/27) that the Massachusetts House voted down (124 to 32) Gov. Baker's suggested tax relief in a state that has approximately $8.5 billion in surplus funds. There are 156 House members in this commonwealth of 6.893 million (one rep per 44,186 people). The U.S. House of Representatives has 435 members (and 332 million citizens), a ratio of one rep per 763,218 members. Does this state really need one-third as many state representatives as the entire country? Isn't it past time for an initiative /signature drive to halve the number of members of the Massachusetts House? Might it not be a great "blow for freedom" to let the citizenry decide? William Skinner, Centerville This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Truro town meeting to vote on a $212K child care voucher program (Reuters) -Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said the lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia is part of peace talks with Ukraine, but senior Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak denied that this was the case. "At present, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are actually discussing on a daily basis via video-conferencing a draft of a possible treaty," Lavrov said in comments to China's official Xinhua news agency published on the Russian foreign ministry's website on Saturday. "The talks' agenda ... includes, among other things, the issues of denazification, the recognition of new geopolitical realities, the lifting of sanctions, the status of the Russian language," Lavrov said, without elaborating. But Podolyak was dismissive, saying Lavrov had not attended a single negotiating round, and that Ukraine did not need lessons in "denazification" or use of the Russian language from those who had attacked and occupied Ukrainian towns and cities. In remarks cited by the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, he said that "the issue of global international sanctions against the Russian Federation is not discussed at all" within the framework of the Russia-Ukraine negotiations. "It is for all our partners, together with Ukraine, to decide what decisions should be taken on sanctions, and when." Zelenskiy has insisted since the invasion began on Feb. 24 that Western sanctions on Russia need to be strengthened and cannot be part of negotiations. Kyiv warned on Friday that the talks on ending Russia's invasion, now in its third month, were in danger of collapse. There have been no face-to-face peace talks since March 29, and the atmosphere has soured over Ukrainian allegations that Russian troops carried out atrocities as they withdrew from areas near Kyiv. Moscow has denied the claims. "We are in favour of continuing the negotiations, although they are difficult," Lavrov said. Story continues Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" to demilitarise its neighbour and rid it of extreme anti-Russian nationalism fomented by the West. Ukraine and the West say Russia launched an unprovoked war of aggression. Ukraine's Western allies have frozen around half of Moscow's state gold and foreign currency reserves and imposed severe restrictions on trade with Russia, hammering its economy and putting it on the brink of sovereign default. (Reporting in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly and Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Ros Russell) Macron promised to step up aid to Ukraine Macron said that French experts will continue to help gather evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Read also: France supports embargo on Russian energy Last week, the French head of state announced the delivery of CAESAR self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine. Apr. 30LEWISTON A man described as a violent fugitive was arrested at a Massachusetts casino early Friday and police in Maine are hoping to question him in connection with a Thursday morning shooting in Lewiston. Jeremey N. Sanchez, 23, of Lowell was arrested at Encore Boston Harbor casino in Everett by the Massachusetts State Police tactical operations team, according to a report by NBC Boston. He was being held on a warrant out of Lawrence District Court in Massachusetts, according to the report, for firearms offenses police say occurred there last month. Everett is about 4 miles north of Boston. Police who arrested Sanchez said he was a suspect in a violent crime in Maine. Police in Lewiston declined to comment on the case Friday afternoon. For two days, they have been investigating the Thursday morning shooting of a 24-year-old woman at an apartment building on Arch Avenue. The woman, who was shot about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, remains hospitalized in serious condition, Lt. Derrick St. Laurent said Friday. She was not identified. Because she is unable to communicate due to her medical condition, police haven't been able to conduct a full interview with her, St. Laurent said. Meanwhile, police have executed search warrants in their effort to collect evidence in the case, St. Laurent said. Maine State Police have assisted local police with the investigation. Locally, police have not described details that led to the suspect in Massachusetts. According to the report by NBC Boston, police said information developed from an investigation in Maine led them to Sanchez's hotel room Thursday night. They established surveillance of the room, police said, and convinced him to come out around 6:45 a.m. Friday. Metro financial leaders presented details of a $2.97 billion budget proposal including pay raises for Metro employees and a major investment in schools to Metro Council members Friday. The budget reflects $319.6 million in new revenue, an increase of 12.1% over the current year. About $50 million of that new revenue will go toward paying down debt, and the precise amount dedicated to inflation costs has yet to be released. The proposal, which must still be approved by the Metro Council, contains a $92 million funding increase for Metro Nashville Public Schools, encompassing pay increases for school bus drivers, cafeteria workers and support staff as well as paid family leave for all MNPS education employees. State of Metro: Mayor John Cooper proposes major investments in education, affordable housing More: Metro documents reveal new details of Nashville's proposed East Bank Boulevard development The budget proposal also includes a 4% cost-of-living adjustment and a 3% average merit increase for Metro employees. While the cost-of-living increase falls short of the 5% recommended by the Civil Service Commission, the budget also commits to an $18 minimum wage for full-time positions. Another $20 million in the draft operating budget is would go to affordable housing. Mayor John Cooper delivers his State of Metro Address at Southeast Community Center in Antioch, Tenn., Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Metro Finance Director Kelly Flannery said the proposed budget is balanced without the use of stimulus funds or non-recurring revenue and requires no property tax increase. But budget proposes a combined tax rate of $3.252 per $100 of assessed value, down slightly from the current $3.288. The budget maintains a "conservative" approach to revenue projections as the probability of recession looms," she said. "This council remodeled Metro's fiscal house, and the next step is to protect the house ... to make sure it doesn't decay again," she said Friday. City revenues climb Revenues have climbed over the past year as pent up demand, stimulus funding and higher prices bolstered sales tax revenue, but Flannery cautioned that steep growth won't last. About 75% of the anticipated $319 million in growth will happen in 2022, and 2023 growth will be more in line with pre-COVID levels, she said. Story continues Debt service is projected to total about 13.85% of the 2023 operating budget, which falls within Metro Council's 15% "comfort level," Flannery said. But she recommended a renewed look at the strength of that metric and noted that Metro needs at least an additional $56.3 million in operating fund reserves to meet best practices. Metro Council passed legislation last May that saved about $1 billion in long-term medical liabilities for retirees and saved an estimated $60 million by refinancing bonds last year to take advantage of low-interest rates. But with interest rates anticipated to rise, Flannery recommended Metro Council issue any necessary bonds now in hopes of saving about $65 million over the life of the bonds. The downtown skyline of Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 24, 2022. Metro Council members will consider the plan for approval, with department presentations beginning May 18. A public hearing on the proposed budget will be held on June 7. Cassandra Stephenson covers Metro government for The Tennessean. Reach her at ckstephenson@tennessean.com or (731) 694-7261. Follow Cassandra on Twitter at @CStephenson731. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville's proposed budget for 2023 costs nearly $3B Neil Parish has resigned as an MP after watching porn in the House of Commons and many have taken to social media to crack jokes about his tractor-related explanation. Parish the MP for Tiverton and Honiton in east Devon admitted that he had looked at adult material twice, and that the second occasion was deliberate. Speaking to the BBC, he said that initially he had stumbled across the website while looking for information about tractors, but later returned deliberately to the website. And he admitted: I was not proud of what I was doing. The 65-year-old former farmer said: The situation was that, funnily enough, it was tractors I was looking at and I did get into another website that had a sort of very similar name. And I watched it for a bit, which I shouldnt have done. Parish said that the first occasion occurred in the Commons chamber, but he later deliberately went back to the same site while in the adjoining voting lobby. But he insisted that he never did it with the intention that women MPs would see the footage. My crime my biggest crime is that on another occasion I went in a second time, he said. That was deliberate. Stephen Fry was quick to laugh at the latest development in the story, posting a link to a tractor-related website on Twitter, with the caption: I shouldnt click on this, but I cant help myself... David Baddiel, meanwhile, tweeted: Funnily enough, it was tractors I was looking at, is, I hope, going to become a national catchphrase. He then shared a video of Parishs interview comparing it to Little Britain, and posted another tweet about a touchy-feely childrens book about tractors. This is fantastically Little Britain. https://t.co/I9RXQGXRJd David Baddiel (@Baddiel) April 30, 2022 Neil Parrish publishes autobiography. pic.twitter.com/Z5SxMupuVc David Baddiel (@Baddiel) April 30, 2022 Richard Osman pointed out: Tory Neil Parish is an anagram of parties hornily. The clues were all there. Story continues Parishs resignation came amid growing criticism for the Conservative Partys slow response to a scandal. His name was passed to chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris on Tuesday evening (26 April) by two female Tory MPs who witnessed him viewing porn. But there was no announcement of any action in the case until the afternoon of the following day when the story reached the press. Heaton-Harris initially referred the case to parliaments Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, which deals with allegations of harassment and bullying from MPS and parliamentary staff. It was not until three days after the initial complaint during which time other MPs found themselves the subject of inaccurate Westminster rumours about the identity of the culprit that Parish was finally named and referred himself to a standards investigation. Editor's note: This article was originally published on Wednesday April 27, 2022. NEW HYDE PARK, NY As Russian forces continue to attack Ukraine's eastern front, Northwell Health is rolling out telemedicine support to aid civilians, soldiers, and refugees of the war-torn country. In an announcement on Wednesday, New York's largest health care provider said it has partnered with the Ukrainian military to launch telemedicine platforms to several undisclosed health centers where intense fighting has left scores of people displaced, wounded, or dead. "Our main objective during this crisis has been to be thoughtful to our approach and to do what's sustainable and immediately needed," said Dr. Eric Cioe Pena, Northwell's director of the Center for Global Health. "What we don't want to do in this situation is to duplicate and compete with the sustainable efforts already in place." In February, Northwell joined forces with Doctors Without Borders an organization that provides medical care and humanitarian relief to countries around the world. As part of Northwell's humanitarian efforts for Ukraine, the hospital system has collected more than $210,000 earmarked for Doctors Without Borders and shipped 18,000 pounds of medical supplies to the government, according to hospital officials. "We've learned from our work in other parts of the world, sometimes sending personnel isn't always the most effective because of the limited number of people you can send and the logistics it takes to get them there," Pena said. "To be able to leverage the skills and talents of our entire health system at a moment's notice can make all the difference in saving lives." In a statement, Northwell said telemedicine is a unique area of opportunity for the health network to provide 24/7 consultations and a support mechanism that offers expertise to clinicians in the field caring for patients. The Northwell Centralized Transfer Center, which gives access to thousands of Northwell hospital-based specialists to patients, will manage the day-to-day operation. Story continues This initiative will roll out in two phases: First, Northwell says it will mobilize its telemedicine call center to funnel incoming requests to providers on a variety of readily accessible mobile platforms, such as laptops, mobile devices, and tablets. The second phase will bring medical-grade/high-fidelity telemedicine systems, like ones used in U.S. hospitals, to Ukrainian medical centers. Through these systems, Northwell will be able to collaborate with experts on higher-level cases in the operating room and aid in combat trauma and other procedures. Northwell says its platform will allow for seamless telemedicine, including telephonic and written translation, and provide support for a request for any specialist within the hospital's network. "Over the course of the war, there's been an outpouring of support and relief from Northwell providers with a desire to help," said Michael Dowling, Northwell's president and CEO. "The Northwell Transfer Center, which played a significant role in load balancing of our hospitals during COVID, will develop this complex operation which will allow physicians in Ukraine to access the same world-renowned specialists that we offer to patients and physicians in the New York region." Northwell has also set up a Ukrainian relief fund. Click here to learn more. Northwell Launches Telemedicine Services To War-Torn Ukraine: ICYMI originally appeared on the New Hyde Park Patch Apr. 30Gage Ford, the University of Oklahoma student accused in 2020 of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend, was found guilty Friday in Cleveland County District Court of charges related to the allegations. A jury convicted Ford, 23, of two counts of felony assault and battery by means or force likely to cause the death of another and a misdemeanor count of assault and battery against a pregnant woman Friday. During the five-day trial, prosecutors argued Norman police's findings, which alleged Ford hit his girlfriend Ally Stephens including in the stomach while she was four months pregnant. The jury recommended prison sentences of 35 and 40 years with $10,000 fines for the felony counts, and one year incarceration with a $1,000 fine for the misdemeanor. District Judge Thad Balkman will determine Ford's sentence at his sentencing hearing July 27. The affidavit filed by NPD officers after the October 17, 2020 incident says Ford, who was 21 at the time, went to Stephens' home to talk and began arguing with her. Stephens told police he hit her several times in the head, hit her repeatedly in the stomach and choked her. He had attacked Stephens a few weeks earlier, according to the affidavit. Stephens had bruises on her face and head after the fight. She was taken to Norman Regional Hospital, where she was treated for injuries and spoke with officers, the affidavit states. During a 2021 court appearance, Balkman told Ford that Stephens' injuries in photos from the investigation were some of the most horrific he had seen. Ford fled the scene after Stephens went to the hospital Oct. 17, and turned himself in Oct. 23 after U.S. Marshals initiated a manhunt for his arrest. According to court records, Balkman increased Ford's bond from $250,000 to $350,000 in July 2021 after he called Stephens and asked her, "Are you nervous?" Ford had posted a bond of $1,500 after his initial arrest before Oct. 23. During the trial, prosecutors with the Cleveland County District Attorney's Office argued the case based on this narrative, calling Stephens, NPD officers and medical professionals who treated Stephens to the stand. Ford did not take the stand, and his attorney didn't call any witnesses to the stand, Balkman said. Ford is currently held in the Cleveland County jail following the guilty verdict. The parents of Brian Laundrie went on vacation with their son amid the widespread search for his fiancee, Gabby Petito despite knowing he killed her and the whereabouts of her body, according to new court filings. Petitos parents, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt, made the allegation in a recent amendment to a lawsuit they initially filed against the Laundries in March, CNN reported. They claim the three traveled to a Florida nature attraction, Fort De Soto Park near Tampa, just days before Gabby was reported missing. They went on vacation knowing that Brian Laundrie had murdered Gabrielle Petito, it is believed that they knew where her body was located, and further knew that Gabrielle Petitos parents were attempting to locate her, according to the suit. Petito and Laundrie had spent the summer traveling cross country and documenting their adventures with photos and video later shared across social media platforms. Family members grew concerned, however, when Laundrie quietly returned home from the road trip without his bride-to-be. Her disappearance sparked a massive search effort that culminated in the discovery of her body on Sept. 19 at a campground near Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming. A coroner later determined she died about three weeks earlier of blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation. The vacation allegation comes after a Florida district court judge told Petitos parents their initial filing against the Laundries had procedural deficiency and must be amended to proceed. Christopher Laundrie and Roberta Laundrie have repeatedly denied knowing Gabby Petito was dead and where her remains might be located. Theyve also been accused of helping their son flee amid the investigation into Petitos disappearance. Laundrie vanished shortly after the end of his cross-country road trip with Petito. His remains were were later found in a Florida reserve and a medical examiner ruled he died by suicide. Nearby, authorities found a notebook in which they said Laundrie claimed responsibility for Petitos death. There is no specific monetary amount listed on the lawsuit, but Petitos parents are asking for damages that exceed $30,000. If you've been on social media at all over the past few years, then you undoubtedly have come across a post or two or 75 about a "Karen." NBC But sometimes those Karens aren't just relegated to videos and Facebook posts you see online they're actually your family members. And Reddit user u/SpecialEmbarrassed49 wanted to know just that when they asked the Ask Reddit Community: "Sons and daughters of Karens, what's the most embarrassing thing your parent did?" TLC/ giphy.com Well, the people who have Karens (and also some Kevins) in their lives came through with the stories. Here are some of the top-voted and best comments: 1. "I am a nephew of a Karen. Was visiting her, and she needed to stop by Walgreens. She had a newspaper ad that stated that some candles were 50% off, so she bought like 10 of them. She got charged full price and flipped out. We're talking like paying a dollar per candle instead of 50 cents. The cashier and I both showed her that she was holding an old newspaper and that the offer expired a week ago...then she shifted to, 'Well, you could have told me more nicely,' and kept bitching. I just kept telling her we needed to leave. Once I finally got her out into the car, I said I had forgotten to grab a pack of gum. I went back in and apologized to the poor guy. mejok 2. "Back in the mid-'90s my mom rented Clerks for the family at the rental store in the Kroger we used to shop at (while having no idea how raunchy the movie is). She was so offended by it that the next day she went back in to scream at the manager at how outrageous it was that they would carry such an offensive movie at a family rental store and demanded that they permanently take it off the shelf, and the goddamned thing of it is they actually obliged her. They never carried Clerks at that location again, so if you ever tried to rent the movie from a Kroger in Lewisville, Texas, back in the mid-'90s and weren't able to, I apologize. It is entirely my mom's fault." Story continues schnit123 Fox 3. "This was decades ago, but my mother used to sneak back to our table and 'adjust' whatever tip my dad/myself would leave. Hint: It was never adjusted upwards." lessmiserables 4. "We went to some hotel one night for dinner. The hotel had a pool that was clearly only for 'hotel guests' as was indicated by dozens of signs surrounding the pool. My mother told my little brother and I we were allowed to use the pool and even had us wear our bathing suits under our clothing so we could easily get changed after dinner." "Well, they clearly have employees monitoring this, and not long after we jumped in the water security calmly walked over and asked to see our hotel room keys. Since we weren't staying there and didn't have room keys, we were politely asked to leave. My mother refuses and insists we were within our rights because we ate dinner there. A screaming match ensues, hundreds of people are staring at us, and finally the head of security had to escort us off the property before the police were called." mox44ah 5. "My dad once got banned from Ford (the only place that his car insurance covered the three-year late oil change he needed) because they had a vending machine that sold Arizona tea for $1.25, while the can said 99 cents. He didn't even buy it or want to. He was screaming at the front desk people because of it. The vending machine wasn't owned by Ford, and they were most certainly not in control of the prices. I have no idea what he hoped to gain out of the ordeal." beesechurgermorbees NBC 6. "My mom attempting to change my sisters diaper on the table in a crowded restaurant. Going ballistic when the waitress asked her to used the restroom. Then having me change her while she argued with the entire restaurant." cleaning-meaning 7. "My dad once got into a screaming match with someone because of the TSA PreCheck lane at an airport; he couldnt use it but insisted he could. He then started screaming at me because I told him I didn't think he could use it." HighburyClockEnd 8. "We were having a family dinner where we just decided to order in Chinese food. With around 15 people eating, it was quite a large order. One of the things we ordered were honey garlic chicken balls, which we got two orders of. This restaurant delivers these as an order of breaded chicken balls with a side of honey garlic sauce. My dad went to pick up the food, brought it back home, and we noticed that we got two orders of the breaded chicken balls, but only one honey garlic sauce." "Now, I get it. This is mildly annoying, but hey, it happens, and we still have tons and tons of food, plus a single order of sauce is likely enough for two orders of chicken anyway. My mom was essentially sent into a bloodlust because of this. She was very annoyed we didnt get the second sauce, and while people were starting to sit down and help themselves to the food, she got on the phone with the restaurant. While Im sure the restaurant staff was apologizing, she kept insisting that this was BS and that she expects to get everything she paid for, and that the restaurant had to rectify this. She argued back and forth (while everyone else ate), but eventually got the restaurant to send a delivery driver with just the order or sauce. She of course sat down to eat after this, and just about everyone was already done. Of course, by the time the sauce got there, everyone had finished eating, and it wasnt really missed. She felt so proud of herself getting the restaurant to go to ridiculous lengths over such a trivial thing." P0ster_Nutbag Viacom 9. "My mother is not exactly a Karen, but she had a very bad Karen-moment once. She paid me a visit shortly after I moved to Switzerland. We went shopping for groceries together. Everything in Switzerland is at least twice as expensive and my mother did let the entire shop know how overpriced each and every item I put in the cart was. While also insisting that we needed to buy bottled water because she couldn't drink tap water. (She does it at home, and Switzerland has the better water quality. So I have really no idea why that was a thing in the first place.)" "So from everything she complained about, the 12 bucks for four bottles of non-sparkly water was somehow completely fine.I never went shopping with her ever again after this." OneMorePotion 10. "My dad isnt usually a Karen/Kevin, but one time he was. Were from the UK, but parents are really into country music. So one of our summer holidays, when I was probably around 13, we spent three weeks driving around Tennessee, going to Memphis, Pigeon Forge, Chattanooga, and Nashville." "Did all the usual tourist BS: Graceland, Sun Studio, Tooties, Grand Ole Opry, stalking Garth Brooks, etc. We visited this one place it was a museum with some sort of backlot studio tour, and my dad was really excited about visiting it. Except the backlot tour part was closed (think the roads were closed for roadworks). My dad was not happy about this, especially as he only found out after wed paid and been around the main museum. So we went to discuss it with the ticket desk. Both sides made some reasonable points (there was a sign on the ticket desk, albeit it was a little small to have spotted, etc.). My dad was not getting far, and exclaimed, 'Ive come all the way from England to visit this goddamn place!' Oh dear, using blasphemy against an employee of a country music museum in Memphis (or Nashville, forget which city we were in) absolutely did not have the desired effect. 'Well, yknow what, sir? I was thinking about giving yall a refund, but I dont think I want to do that anymore.' At that point my siblings and I all noped out of that one and headed outside. Never did find out if dad got his refund." extrobe NBC 11. "When I was about 9, my dad took my sister and I to McDonald's one evening. At this point he and my mum were separated, so he only saw us once a week (and those visits gradually petered out to my relief). He ordered a Quarter Pounder with cheese for himself, took one bite, and spat it out into the box. He then stormed up to the counter, ignored the line of people waiting to order, and started loudly berating the woman at the register (who hadn't even taken his order in the first place)." "He screamed, 'I asked for a goddamn Quarter Pounder without cheese; why the hell have you put cheese on my burger? You clearly don't know how to do the most simple of tasks. I want to speak to your manager...' And on and on it went. I felt such shame and humiliation, and I couldn't even finish my meal. If that wasn't bad enough, when he finally came back with a fresh meal, I told him in a timid voice that he had in fact ordered one with cheese, and he started screaming at me. Yeah...I wasn't exactly gutted when those little outings with dad ended." Cryptic_Spren97 12. "My mom harassed my elementary school so much over small things and caused such a big fuss that they didn't let my niece, who they knew was my mom's granddaughter, come back. They just didn't wanna deal with her anymore, to the point of kicking my niece out of the school. Those poor teachers didn't get paid enough." noahisadumbass_ 13. "Not my parent but my step-grandparent. We went to a Thai restaurant, and they were severely understaffed because of COVID, so the food took around 30 minutes to come out. My food didn't come out for another 10 minutes; during those 10 minutes he kept calling over waiters and asking when the food will come, and if it doesn't come soon I'll give you a one-star rating. It was pretty funny for me, but I also felt bad for the people working there." Revolutionary_Blake MTV 14. "My dad is a bit of a Karen, but he never gets loud or obnoxious. Just really, really pedantic. He once called Walmart and went into this whole thing about the strawberries being $1 more expensive than what was advertised. I couldn't believe he went so far over $1." FairyDustSpectacular 15. "My mom is a Karen. Every time we go out to dinner with her, it's an absolute nightmare. Her fork is bent; this dish wasn't as spicy last time; the waitress doesn't address her first; her food is 'cold' (read the physical plate wasn't hot, not the actual food); it's been too long since we've seen our server even though she doesn't actually need anything. Each of these complaints are voiced arrogantly at the server and followed up with, 'I was a waitress, and we never had these issues.' She was a part-time waitress in the early '90s at a pizza joint. I can't eyeroll hard enough." Morgycola 16. "We went to get my glasses changed. My mother had walked into the store 10 minutes before closing, and she was mad because they wouldn't check my eyesight. The whole time I was praying we wouldn't get kicked out." feykw Peacock 17. "Daughter-in-law of a Karen. One time she tipped $2 on a $100 bill because she didn't like how the fish was cooked. I got up and handed the waitress $20 and apologized. Another time she walked into a salon with no reservation and then threw a passive-aggressive huffing fit because they wouldn't give her a slot right then and there." Thelazywitch 18. "My mom used to be a Karen. I can still remember her arguing with the cashier at Zellers when I was a kid over the price of clearance Christmas stuff. It got to the point that the people behind her were yelling at her to stop and hurry up. Sometimes the difference in price was a couple cents. I was so embarrassed and walked away to do something else while this was going on." DisastrousTarget5060 19. "My dad is a male Karen. Im talking arguing with the servers at a restaurant or demands for his coupons to work type of Karen. It's horrendous and oftentimes embarrassing." "I went to get new shoes at the beginning of a school year several years back, and we went to a specific store because he had a coupon. The store was having a sale, and the items we got did not match the coupon, but he was INSISTENT. Kept arguing with the poor worker for 1015 minutes. As we were leaving, I whispered 'Im sorry' to the employee, and she nodded in appreciation. Dad overheard me, and I got chewed out in the car on the way home. This wasnt the worst thing he did, but it stuck with me because I ended up on the receiving end of his Jaren attitude." Waste-Strawberry03 CBC/ Pop TV 20. "My mom was almost arrested once. We were at the Mexico City airport flying to Juarez, and we were bringing back a bunch of plates and other things she got while in this huge box. We get to the check-in counter; a guy says she needs to have the box wrapped. My mother is deeply offended by this. She yells, 'WELL I'VE NEVER HAD TO DO THAT BEFORE!!! I BRING STUFF FROM MEXICO CITY ALL THE TIME, AND I'VE NEVER HAD TO DO THAT!'" "The yelling caused some bewildered stares in her direction. Keep in mind, this is a very white woman arguing angrily in absolutely flawless Spanish, so thats already intriguing enough as it is. Guy again demands that she needs to go get the box tape wrapped, and thatll be an extra charge of about 200 pesos (around $10). Instead of doing that, she storms off, leaving a massive, unidentified box, fully unattended you know, that thing the airport announcements always tell you NEVER TO DO! My dad and I had already checked in and made it through security while this was unfolding. Mom joins us at the gate in a huff, regaling to us this slight against her honor. Just as she finishes, five security officers walk up to her, AR-15s at their sides, and ask her is shes [my mom's name]. She says she is; they yank her up and start dragging her away. Dad, a lawyer, has an 'Oh s***t!' moment, and we go running after her. To sum up, dad does his lawyer things, she doesnt get arrested for terroristic threats, we somehow make our flight, and we did get that damn box of f***ing plates back home. I make fun of her every time we use them." houseofreturn And lastly... 21. "My mom complained about the food she got from a free food pantry that she was taking advantage of while she was getting $5K a month in spousal support that she didn't have to report as income." Coffeelock1 NBC You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. Oxygen Single mother Kelli Underwood survived brain tumors, divorce, and depression, but an ill-fated love triangle would be the death of her. Underwood was born and raised in Mesquite, Texas, just east of Dallas. She married young but it wouldnt last, nor would her second marriage. As a single mother of three, she struggled to balance work and family. When it came down to it she was always a very positive person. Anybody that met her said that her smile would light up a room. Thats just the type of An El Paso man was arrested for allegedly shooting another man after a fight at a West Side bar, police said. The El Paso Police Department was called out at 2:30 a.m. Thursday to the 6200 block of Dew Drive in response to a shooting. A 30-year-old man with gunshot wounds was discovered and taken to a hospital after police provided first aid. The man is is in critical, but stable condition, police said. An investigation conducted by Crimes Against Persons detectives revealed the man had been in a verbal altercation at Lloyd's Pub with 21-year-old Matthew Romero of El Paso, police said. Both men allegedly left the bar and the argument continued. Romero is accused of shooting the man with a handgun. El Paso police at a crime scene. File art. A warrant was obtained for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and Romero was arrested and booked in the Downtown jail on a $150,000 bond. More: El Paso police arrest man after multiple gunshots fired outside bar next to police station This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso Police argument at bar led to West Side shooting Thursday ProMedica is donating 10 acres of its Charles & Virginia Hickman Hospital campus, pictured April 29, 2022, to the Lenawee Humane Society for a new shelter. The land is near the hospital's emergency entrance. ADRIAN ProMedica is donating 10 acres of land at its Charles & Virginia Hickman Hospital campus in Adrian Township for the future construction of a new facility for the Lenawee Humane Society. The partnership was announced by ProMedica, which said in a news release having the Humane Society on the hospitals campus is just another way for the hospital to promote health and wellness initiatives in the county. This is a great way for us to think outside the box and partner with other organizations to promote health and wellness, Dr. Julie Yaroch, the hospital's president, said in the release. There are many health benefits of owning a pet or just interacting with animals. They can increase ones opportunity to exercise, get outside and even socialize. All of which can help lower blood pressure, boost your good cholesterol, help fight depression and loneliness. Our campus is all about health and wellness and there are many ways to accomplish this goal and this partnership is one unique way we can support the health of our community and the pets they love. For Humane Society executive director Marcie Cornell, what she called a dream of hers of having a new location for the Humane Society, will soon become reality. This was my dream on day one of my (job) interview, she said in an interview. But theres a lot of things that have to go into getting a new building. As of this time, Cornell said there is no date for when construction of the new shelter is expected to begin. That information will be forthcoming, she said. The Humane Society is currently at 705 W. Beecher St. in Adrian. It has operated in that space since 1983. The Humane Society has been present in Lenawee County since 1921. The need for more space has been a concern of the shelter and its operators for some time. One of the main issues regarding space is the shelter does not have enough room to meet the demand for spay and neuter procedures. The shelter does not intend to increase its animal capacity with additional space, but it does want to increase the number of isolation rooms. These rooms are used when a stray animal is dropped off. Strays are generally isolated for five days so they do not spread possible illnesses to the general population of the shelter. Story continues A new shelter site, according to the release, also needs to adapt and serve the community appropriately. The new site will assist more lost pets, stray animals and the good Samaritans who find them. We can provide resources and opportunities for community members through humane education, volunteering, workshops and more, the release said. Another issue with the current shelter location is it is landlocked by a busy roadway, neighboring businesses and the River Raisin. As the animal welfare world changes, the community needs change as well, the release said. Almost two years ago, it appeared as if the Humane Society was going to be relocating to a different part of Adrian. In conversations with the city of Adrian, the city agreed to sell to the shelter 10 acres, and then an additional 2 acres, of city-owned wooded fields along M-52, near Gaslight Village Assisted Living. The land sale was approved in August 2020 by the city commission. The deal was worth $80,000 and was considered a compromise for both parties. Cornell said a $1-an-acre deal was originally proposed by the shelter. The commission was hesitant to part ways with land at that price. The Humane Society ended up paying market value for the property. Because there was not any money transferred between the Humane Society and the city and a purchase agreement was never signed, according to Cornell, the Humane Society was not contracted into having that property for future development. Delays in negotiations, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hampered any progress of moving forward with the land sale, Cornell said. It was during this time of delays that ProMedica began talking with the Humane Society about the possibility of relocating to the hospitals campus. The donation of land, Cornell said, was unexpected. As a not-for-profit agency and as an organization that does not receive a whole lot of funding we need to be good stewards of our finances, Cornell said. In keeping with our stewardship, how could I say no to this wonderful donation? Not only are we being gifted property from ProMedica, but were at least saving $80,000. And while the donation from ProMedica might seem too good to be true, Cornell said the Humane Society did not jump on the offer right away. Discussions were conducted, pros and cons were weighed, and insight was gathered. Some of the main concerns of relocating to the hospital, Cornell said, were animals and the public having to deal with emergency vehicle traffic such as ambulances and helicopters. Hospital staff and the Humane Societys board of directors ironed out any of those concerns. "This donation of land is an incredible gift not only to Lenawee Humane Society but to our entire community, Cornell said in the release. As our missions align to save animal lives, enrich human lives and improve your health and well-being, this partnership will have a direct impact on the physical health, mental health and overall wellness of our community. Steve Krause, board president for the Humane Society, said the animal shelter is incredibly grateful to receive the gift of land from ProMedica. We look forward to creating new traditions and expanding our community partnership, Krause said in the release. With this donation, LHS will continue achieving the goals in our vision statement, including: animal education, reducing overpopulation and homelessness, and supporting families with pets during tough times." This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: ProMedica donates 10 acres of land for Lenawee Humane Society shelter Healthy cypress forests like the one pictured here at Bayou Sorrel, Louisiana, are part of what makes the Atchafalaya Basin a jewel of biodiversity. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Healthy cypress forests like the one pictured here at Bayou Sorrel, Louisiana, are part of what makes the Atchafalaya Basin a jewel of biodiversity. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) In the swampy heart of coastal Louisiana, more than a century of abuse and neglect threaten a national treasure: the Atchafalaya Basin, the nations largest cypress swamp. The more than 800,000 acres of forests, lakes and bayous contain hard-to-access wilderness and trees that are over 1,000 years old. Some of the worlds great migratory bird populations stop here on their journey across continents, and its lush swamplands nurture an unparalleled diversity of animal and aquatic life, from threatened species like sturgeon and paddlefish to Louisianas world-famous crawfish. A sign warns of a gas pipeline in Bayou Sorrel. Pipelines for oil, gas and chemical products crisscross southern Louisiana, laid in dredged-out canals that have blocked natural water flows through the Atchafalaya Basin. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) A sign warns of a gas pipeline in Bayou Sorrel. Pipelines for oil, gas and chemical products crisscross southern Louisiana, laid in dredged-out canals that have blocked natural water flows through the Atchafalaya Basin. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) The area also has another abundant resource: oil and gas. Drilling rigs and hundreds of miles of pipelines mark the region, pumping out black gold that has long enriched Atchafalaya landowners. The oil industry has constructed a vast network of canals and spoil banks, or excavated piles of earth that rise 10 feet or more and act as earthen dams blocking the natural flow of water that drains south into the Gulf, a problem the oil and gas industry, landowners and state agencies have been reluctant to address. Scientists say these spoil banks are turning vast areas of the basin into stagnant pools of swamp water that are strangling the cypress forests and damaging the fisheries. Without this natural flow, huge tracts of the Atchafalaya Basin could be left unrecognizable. Experts say backfilling the canals, or providing more gaps in the spoil banks to let more water flow through, is necessary to make the basin more sustainable. A heated debate is underway between environmentalists and the landowners and oil companies who are resisting efforts to alter the banks and imperiling the others who rely on the ecosystem. Story continues An oil well, pipelines and storage tanks sit in the middle of the swamp. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) An oil well, pipelines and storage tanks sit in the middle of the swamp. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Whats going on in the basin is criminal, says Dean Wilson, head of the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, a member organization that aims to protect the swamp. The landowners dont want to get rid of the spoil banks that are causing the problem. They want to get rid of the fishermen. And theres another problem that extends beyond the basin: Increasing volumes of sediment and silt from farms and urban runoff are pouring into the Mississippi River upstream and are creating dangerous flooding potential for New Orleans and other communities. That risk worries veteran marine scientist Ivor van Heerden, who has spent much of his career studying flooding and coastal protection issues in Louisiana and has worked with local environmental groups like the Basinkeeper to study restoration projects along the sediment-choked swamps of the Atchafalaya. Its a ticking time bomb that no one is addressing, he said. Change Is Constant Sediment has built up the Atchafalaya ever since engineers altered and increased the flow of the Mississippi River and the Red River into the region starting in the mid-1800s. The Army Corps of Engineers has been fighting floods ever since historic Mississippi River flooding across 27,000 square miles of the nations midsection and South in 1927, the most destructive flood in U.S. history. Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1928, which authorized the Corps to construct the largest system of levees and flood control measures in the world. In the 1960s, the Army Corps built the Old River Control Structure, a huge series of flood control gates that regulates Mississippi River flows into the Atchafalaya River. Located less than 80 miles north of Baton Rouge, the ORCS is the source of the Atchafalaya, which streams south on its 137-mile journey to the Gulf, roughly 130 miles west of the Mississippi River Delta. Today, depending on flood conditions, a little more than a quarter of the Mississippi River now pours into the Atchafalaya River, making it a critical floodway for southern Louisiana. The Atchafalaya River carries a sediment load of about 88 million tons each year, most all of it from the Mississippi River. The Atchafalaya is the countrys fifth largest river in terms of discharge, and it carries so much sand and sediment that its still building land along the Louisiana coast. Atchafalaya environmental, business and political leaders have complained about growing environmental and flooding threats for decades, but only recently have their complaints attracted statewide attention. In December 2020, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards created a task force to address the long-ignored risks, which have been exacerbated by climate change. The basins stressors are not only harming water quality and the environment but also threatening the capacity of the basin to carry floodwaters from the Mississippi and the Red Rivers safely and effectively, Edwards noted when he announced the formation of the task force. The basin is the nations largest river-basin swamp with a rich ecology, and it is past time that it receives more focused attention here in Louisiana and nationally. A series of file photos show the second-ever opening of the Morganza Spillway in 2011 to help control major Mississippi River flooding that spring. Top left: Workers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepare to open a bay on the structure, which will allow water from the Mississippi River to divert into the Atchafalaya Basin. Top right: Workers top a levee with sandbags near the Mississippi River. Bottom left: Buildings outside of levee protection take on floodwater in Morgan City, Louisiana, on May 12, 2011, two days before the spillway was opened. Bottom right: Water diverted from the Mississippi River spills through a bay in the Morganza Spillway on May 14, 2011. A steel, 10-ton floodgate was slowly raised for the first time since 1973, unleashing a torrent of water from the Mississippi River, away from heavily populated areas downstream. (Photo: Patrick Semansky via AP) A series of file photos show the second-ever opening of the Morganza Spillway in 2011 to help control major Mississippi River flooding that spring. Top left: Workers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepare to open a bay on the structure, which will allow water from the Mississippi River to divert into the Atchafalaya Basin. Top right: Workers top a levee with sandbags near the Mississippi River. Bottom left: Buildings outside of levee protection take on floodwater in Morgan City, Louisiana, on May 12, 2011, two days before the spillway was opened. Bottom right: Water diverted from the Mississippi River spills through a bay in the Morganza Spillway on May 14, 2011. A steel, 10-ton floodgate was slowly raised for the first time since 1973, unleashing a torrent of water from the Mississippi River, away from heavily populated areas downstream. (Photo: Patrick Semansky via AP) Major floods in 1973 and 2011 nearly overwhelmed the ORCS, which the Army Corps expanded and beefed up with more flood control measures. Hydrologists say the continuing buildup of sediment in the basin threatens its ability to absorb rising Mississippi River floodwaters. That, experts say, could threaten flooding along the Mississippi from the hugely important chemical industry corridor near Baton Rouge all the way to the critically important shipping port of New Orleans. While Army Corps officials say they are studying the growing problem, members of the states Atchafalaya task force say they dont have time for more studies. Last year the group of nearly two dozen local politicians, scientists, landowners, fishermen and environmentalists met a half-dozen times and came up with a list of general recommendations, despite unexpected obstacles in the form of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and another damaging season of storms. Those included Hurricane Ida, which hit Louisiana in late August and nearly made a beeline for the Atchafalaya Basin. The Category 4 storm mercifully veered east at the last moment, but it killed more than 25 people across rural areas of the state and destroyed over a hundred square miles of Barataria marshland before it roared northeast, causing dozens more deaths and billions of dollars of damage across the country. Ida put an exclamation point on the task forces mission, as scientists say climate change is going to make storms and flooding much worse in coming years. At the end of 2020, the group urged the state to take a more holistic approach to solving the growing environmental problems in the basin, focusing on environmental impacts that usually play second fiddle to navigation and flood control issues. It was the first time a state-sponsored entity called for restoring the north-south flow of swamp water and conserving deep-water habitats essential to the ecological health of the region. This new approach did not sit well with large landowners worried that increased water flow could give commercial fishermen more access to what they considered their private lands. Meanwhile, environmental groups continued to complain that state and federal agencies were still doing little about monitoring the worsening quality of swamp water bottled up by oil and gas canals and spoil banks. The Atchafalaya is a complicated place, says Brian Lezina, chief of planning for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, which sponsored the task force meetings. Big problems require big solutions. We need more federal money to get things done here. A Fishing Industry On The Edge Jody Meche, center, a crawfisherman and member of the Atchafalaya task force put together by Gov. John Bel Edwards, sells his catch for the day at Huey's Seafood in Bayou Sorrel on April 19. The task force is meant to address growing flooding risks and environmental impacts on the Atchafalaya Basin. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Jody Meche, center, a crawfisherman and member of the Atchafalaya task force put together by Gov. John Bel Edwards, sells his catch for the day at Huey's Seafood in Bayou Sorrel on April 19. The task force is meant to address growing flooding risks and environmental impacts on the Atchafalaya Basin. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Commercial fisherman Jody Meche says the risk isnt just flooding increased sedimentation and poor water quality could devastate his industry. As president of the Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association West, Meche says hes watched a steady decline in the fishery since he started crawfishing as a kid with his dad and grandfather. Though the vast majority of Louisiana crawfish are now farm-raised, Meche has witnessed a steady decline in the health of the wild fishery that has sustained his family for generations. Crawfishing in the basin with his 25-year-old son Bryce last summer, their traps pulled in barely enough to cover gas for the day. Meche is a member of the governors task force and says water quality has deteriorated since oil and gas pipeline canals were built, blocking the natural flow of water that nourishes the crawfish in the swampy waters. People come here from all over the world to eat our crawfish, Meche said as he pulled up a trap with a dozen of the giant-clawed crustaceans crawling in the bottom. Years ago, he said, he would pull in 600 pounds of crawfish a day. Now hes lucky to get half that. Scientists say reduced water flow caused by spoil banks and the buildup of sediment can reduce the level of oxygen crawfish depend on to reproduce and thrive. And as the water quality gets worse, Meche is worried he will have to stop fishing altogether. Meche's daily catch is less than half of what it once was due to declining water quality in the basin. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Meche's daily catch is less than half of what it once was due to declining water quality in the basin. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) When crawfish are not doing good, everything else is not going good, said Meche. They are like canaries in a mine shaft. The basin landowners who have profited from its oil and gas operations reject the claim that the industry has wrecked the Atchafalaya. Rudy Sparks, vice president of land for Williams Inc., which holds 85,000 acres of land in the area, blames Army Corps flood control projects and government regulations for upending the natural state of the area. The company has been active in the area since founder Frank Williams moved to Louisiana in the 1870s and bought up swampland that ultimately became some of the largest logging operations in the nation. Eventually, Sparks says, the oil and gas industry supplanted logging revenue for his company until recent decades, when oil exploration largely moved offshore and local oil drilling operations dropped dramatically. Sparks says profits from the oil and timber days are largely done. He agrees there have been negative changes in water quality. But unlike some fishermen and environmental groups that blame the oil industry, Sparks says Army Corps projects primarily designed to address navigation and flooding concerns are mostly responsible for destroying water flow in the basin. Rudy Sparks, pictured at the land office of Williams Inc. in Patterson, Louisiana, is vice president of land at the company. Williams owns tens of thousands of acres of land in the Atchafalaya Basin and leases large portions of it to oil and gas companies. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Rudy Sparks, pictured at the land office of Williams Inc. in Patterson, Louisiana, is vice president of land at the company. Williams owns tens of thousands of acres of land in the Atchafalaya Basin and leases large portions of it to oil and gas companies. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Its a complicated mess. The whole forest and marsh is in severe decline, Sparks said. The Army Corps has done more to accelerate the decline of the basin than anyone else. Army Corps officials admit there are sedimentation problems in the basin, but say they are studying ways to improve the situation. Jim Lewis, director of the Army Corps Mississippi River Science and Technology Office, has extensive experience studying the impacts of sediment in the Atchafalaya Basin. Lewis published a 2018 report that showed over the next 50 years, sedimentation in the Atchafalaya River could boost water levels by 3 feet over levels recorded in the 2011 flood event. That flood forced the Army Corps to open part of the emergency Morganza Spillway for just the second time, releasing a deluge of water from the Mississippi River that threatened Atchafalaya communities downstream. Lewis says the Atchafalaya is facing twin dangers from climate change: rising waters in the Gulf of Mexico and higher Mississippi River flows coming from the north. The Corps has not evaluated how miles of oil canals and spoil banks in the basin have impacted water quality, but Lewis says they want to learn more. Some scientists say there is good reason to believe that a nightmare could come true. Louisiana State University professor and hydrology expert Yi-Jun Xu has studied sediment flows in the region over the past two decades, and warns that growing levels of sediment are raising river water to dangerous levels and dramatically reducing the basins ability to absorb floodwater. Louisiana State University professor Yi-Jun Xu, pictured in his office in Baton Rouge on April 19, is an expert on Atchafalaya Basin water flows. He worries what would happen if massive sediment buildups in the Mississippi River were dislodged by a major hurricane. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Louisiana State University professor Yi-Jun Xu, pictured in his office in Baton Rouge on April 19, is an expert on Atchafalaya Basin water flows. He worries what would happen if massive sediment buildups in the Mississippi River were dislodged by a major hurricane. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Xu says his main concern is a potential disaster at the ORCS, which he believes is the weakest point in the Corps elaborate thousand-mile flood control system. If it were ever overtopped and significantly damaged, Xu thinks the Mississippi River could take a shorter course straight down the Atchafalaya River to the Gulf, cutting off the flow of Mississippi River water to petrochemical plants and communities all the way to New Orleans that depend on it for their survival. A 1980 paper from LSU engineering professor Raphael Kazmann and economics professor David Johnson examined the consequences of the failure of that structure and estimated it would cause up to $4 billion in damages in 1977 dollars, likely a huge underestimate since the study did not take into account the costs of rebuilding drinking water infrastructure, as well as the relocation of residents impacted by the potential disaster. The authors said its not a question of if, but when. Just when this will occur cannot be predicted: It could happen next year, during the next decade, sometime in the next 30 or 40 years, they wrote in 1980. But the final outcome is simply a matter of time and it is only prudent to prepare for it. Help From Congress, At Last? In January, Congress at last stepped up to the plate, authorizing $2.7 billion for Louisianas coastal restoration and flood protection projects as part of federal hurricane relief and infrastructure bills. State officials say they plan to direct at least $78 million to basin flooding and water quality projects. But many locals say the state needs to kick in more of its own money too. Currently, Louisiana does not include the Atchafalaya Basin in its $50 billion coastal restoration plan, and it spends only about $6 million a year on projects in the region. Environmentalists and landowners alike say thats a drop in the bucket compared to whats needed to protect the natural resources of the area. But the Basinkeeper group argues more money wont solve the problem if changes arent made in how its spent. Wilsons small organization has played an outsize role in alerting the world to destructive environmental activities in Louisianas secretive swamplands. Hes taken on powers big and small, including Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes over their purchase of commercial mulch logged from thousands of acres of majestic cypress forests, a practice that Wilson played a role in stopping a decade ago. He says state funding for basin flood control projects has been detrimental to the environment and has benefited special interest groups like landowners and the oil industry. Dean Wilson, head of the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, guides his boat through human-made canals in the basin. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Dean Wilson, head of the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, guides his boat through human-made canals in the basin. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) In recent years, Wilson has taken on the regions largest landowners and fossil fuel companies, as well as state agencies and the Army Corps, which he also blames for much of the environmental decline in the region. The Basinkeeper has worked closely with environmental lawyers to fight construction of massive natural gas pipelines and pry information out of agency files that can shine a light on the degradation of the basin. In 2018, the Basinkeeper filed suit in an unsuccessful effort to stop the controversial Bayou Bridge oil pipeline that now cuts through the Atchafalaya swamp, pumping up to hundreds of thousands of barrels of Texas crude daily to Louisiana refineries. Currently, with the help of the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, the Basinkeeper is suing the Army Corps under the Freedom of Information Act to unearth data related to water quality issues. Wilson is especially upset his organization was not included on the Atchafalaya task force, though he supports its recommendations to focus on environmental issues. But in the end, he worries little will be done to improve water quality. His group has complained about flood control projects sponsored by the Army Corps, including a levee in the basins Coon Trap area that failed last year and he says allowed a significant amount of silt-laden river water to pour into the swamps. Cattle roam the levees surrounding the Atchafalaya Basin. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Cattle roam the levees surrounding the Atchafalaya Basin. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) The Basinkeeper is also critical of another major environmental organization active in the region, The Nature Conservancy, the worlds largest conservation NGO with $1.2 billion in total revenue and support in 2020. The nonprofit operates a 5,300-acre preserve in the Atchafalaya and is studying ways to improve water quality and the environment in the region. Earlier this month, the group made public that it had purchased an additional 3,700 acres from Dow Chemical Co. to boost its conservation program in the area. The Conservancy has received support for its basin work from a variety of nonprofit, state and corporate funders, including a $1.6 million grant from Shell Pipeline Co. and financial support from Enterprise Products, a gas pipeline operator in the basin. Conservancy officials say a major focus is improving water flow in the East Grand Lake area, which has suffered from increased sedimentation and water quality problems over the years. The project has been opposed by environmentalists, local residents and fishermen who worry it will result in the introduction of more silt- and sediment-laden water into the swamps that can add more land, which is generally supported by landowners and oil and gas industry interests. Sediment from the Atchafalaya River flows into Bayou Sorrel from a distributary of the river. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Sediment from the Atchafalaya River flows into Bayou Sorrel from a distributary of the river. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) The Conservancys scientists push back on this criticism, saying they are actively monitoring the area to improve the environment. Bryan Piazza, the Conservancys director of freshwater and marine science in Louisiana, says the group is working as an honest broker with all Atchafalaya interests to improve water quality in the region despite opposition from fishermen and the Basinkeeper. If we can get the water flowing again it will benefit everyone, Piazza said. The controversial East Grand Lake project was paused by the state over the past year, but officials say they are now working with the Army Corps to get a permit approved. The Conservancys state director, Karen Gautreaux, who sits on the governors task force and formerly worked for the state, agrees water quality is a growing problem in the basin. She argues that working with other interests, including the oil and gas industry, is key to finding solutions to complex environmental issues. Being a conservationist and a landowner are not mutually exclusive, she said. But Wilson and fishermen like Meche who have lived and worked in the Atchafalaya for decades, argue that projects like East Grand Lake are working against the best interests of the swamp. Van Heerden, the scientist who has worked with the Basinkeeper, says his analysis shows the proposed project on Conservancy land will end up making things worse. And in Wilsons view, the oil industry and landowners are getting what they want. They are just filling in the swamp, said Wilson. While virtually everyone agrees that water quality is a problem in the Atchafalaya, major landowners like Williams Inc.s Sparks are uncomfortable with state task force recommendations they say would create deeper water flow in some areas and promote public fishing access to their private lands, something fishing groups deny. But Sparks says if nothing is done to fight increasing sedimentation in the basin, river bottoms and water levels will keep rising, including in the grandest river of all, the Mississippi. The LSU Center for River Studies in Baton Rouge is home of the Lower Mississippi River Physical Model, a collaboration with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. The model helps run sediment and flood projection experiments to better understand the effects of altering the delta and climate change. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) The LSU Center for River Studies in Baton Rouge is home of the Lower Mississippi River Physical Model, a collaboration with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. The model helps run sediment and flood projection experiments to better understand the effects of altering the delta and climate change. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Changing Course? Many experts agree the Mississippi River is overdue to change course, as it has naturally done over eons of time. Scientists say no matter what we do to try to contain the Mississippi, it will always fight to change its path as sediment builds up. The great nonfiction writer John McPhee, who wrote extensively about the region, described the Mississippi Rivers changing history as a pianist playing with one hand frequently and radically changing course, surging over the left or the right bank to go off in new directions. What concerns Xu and others even more is that climate change and growing sedimentation of the riverbeds is creating a perfect storm that will be hard to stop. Xu worries that a major hurricane the size of Hurricane Katrina or Harvey will hit the Mississippi area northwest of New Orleans. Xu and his graduate students at LSU have collected water samples from the Atchafalaya Basin and other rivers. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) Xu and his graduate students at LSU have collected water samples from the Atchafalaya Basin and other rivers. (Photo: Bryan Tarnowski for HuffPost) That, he says, could dislodge a 500 million-ton slug of built-up river sediment, creating floodwaters that could overwhelm the ORCS. That would allow the river to seek a path down the Atchafalaya, destroying towns, levees and swamplands in its raging rampage to the Gulf. We are underestimating the seriousness of the situation, Xu says. Many people in the Corps are engineers who think an engineering approach can keep this from happening but we cant fight that massive amount of sediment moving in such a short period of time. Army Corps experts disagree with these dire predictions. While they acknowledge that climate change is driving increased rainfall and more powerful storms in the area, they say there have been major improvements made in the ORCS and the levee system since it was significantly damaged in a major 1973 flood. The Corps continues to closely monitor and model flooding emergencies in the region, and officials are confident they can handle whatever threats Mother Nature throws at them. A New Reality John Day, an LSU emeritus professor of marine sciences, says its likely the Mississippi will change course, though hes not sure where. Both Day and other scientists say its time to transition our thinking from restoring nature to adapting to it, which will require protecting certain communities over others. We need to protect the infrastructure of our fisheries, said Day. Thats something many people in the Atchafalaya Basin would support. Henderson Mayor Sherbin Collette grew up in a family of fishermen. Hes been mayor of Henderson for 17 years and has helped make the small town prosperous as the Gateway to the Atchafalaya, which features a dinosaur park and casino that attracts visitors off busy I-10. More theme parks are being planned, and the towns bank account is $3 million in the green, the mayor says. But he worries that may not last for long as the threat of flooding increases. I remember when the Atchafalaya Basin was a gem, he said. Now its full of stagnant water and stinks to high heaven. They ruined the basin because of oil. But its the increasing storms and hurricanes that worry him the most. Collette says Henderson has been lucky over the past few years, but that luck wont always hold. Two-thirds of the U.S. drains down here, he said. If you think its bad now, just wait. One of the ironies of the Atchafalaya Basin is that some people who live near the delta on the Gulf may be more secure from flooding than others who live farther away from the coast. Thats because the sediment-laden Atchafalaya River is building land in the delta, which is growing about a square mile per year on average. LSUs Robert Twilley, a veteran coastal researcher and the longtime director of the Louisiana Sea Grant program until last year, has spent much of his career researching the coastal zone of the Atchafalaya Basin. He says the delta is of special interest to researchers around the world because its building land in the face of rising seas, which Twilley expects to continue for decades barring a catastrophic flooding event. Eventually, though, rising seas will overcome the sedimentation effects of the river. At that point, he said, all bets are off. But if the Mississippi River ever does change course down the Atchafalaya, even sea level rise would be no match for Old Man River, Twilley said. It would make one hell of a delta. Funding for this story was provided by the Society of Environmental Journalists Rapid Response Grants, which included support from the Hewlett Foundation, the Bullitt Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Invaders captured Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant on March 4 The IAEA confirmed that a group of eight Rosatom specialists had been sent to the Zaporizhzhya NPP to demand daily reports on confidential issues from its management. The Russian invaders demand reports related to administration and management, maintenance and repair activities, security and access control, and nuclear fuel handling. Read also: Putin will respond with threats of chemical, nuclear weapons to increased Western support for Ukraine believes The lants personnel is working under immense pressure, the IAEA says. On March 4, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhya Nu-clear Power Plant, after heavy fighting in Enerhodar, was captured by Russian invaders. Some of the plants facilities have been damaged by Russian shelling, and plant employees have been captured by Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian nuclear energy specialists, who were brought by Russian invaders to the occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, are now trying to leave, under various pretexts. (Reuters) - The governor of Russia's western Kursk region said several shells were fired on Saturday at a checkpoint near its border from the direction of Ukraine. Speaking in a video posted on his Telegram channel, governor Roman Starovoit said that there were no casualties or damage. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Alex Richardson) Ukrainian military at the position in Donetsk region "Many analysts say that the Russian offensive is underway on the eastern front, with some success, but it is very slow," he noted. Read also: Day 66 of Putin's war. Ukraine destroys enemy command post near Izyum, Russians fire on two evacuation buses near Popasna "Ukrainians are skillfully maintaining their defenses, skillfully withdrawing from some positions and holding on to the last. For example, (Russian terrorist Igor Girkin, nom de guerre) Strelkov concludes that the large encirclement expected by the Russians will not take place." Mykhailov stressed that it will take Russia several months to seize the Donbas. At this rate, but Ukraine will launch a counteroffensive during this time. "In the best case scenario for Russia, Ukrainian troops will be driven out of the Donbas in a few months, but not encircled, not destroyed," the expert said. "During this time, using the Lend-Lease (program), Ukraine will be able to prepare new units and carry out powerful counterattacks." On April 28, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill to speed up the exports of military equipment to Ukraine. The bill, called the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, was backed by a vote of 417-10. It is now to be signed by U.S. President Joe Biden. Read also: 14 Russian attacks repulsed in Donbas over the day, reports Ukraines General Staff from the front lines If Biden enacts the relevant bill into law, it will significantly facilitate and speed up the supply of U.S. weapons to Ukraine, and will revive the Lend-Lease program that was in place until the end of World War II. The bill will authorize the U.S. administration to provide military equipment to Ukraine and other Eastern European countries until the 2023 fiscal year inclusive. Lend-lease will authorize nearly any weapons to be sent to Ukraine, including modern fighter jets and state-of-the-art equipment. Detained defendants The National Guard, together with the State Bureau of Investigation, investigated various suspected who may be cooperating with Russia. Read also: Day 66 of Putin's war. Ukraine destroys enemy command post near Izyum, Russians fire on two evacuation buses near Popasna During the course of this investigation, which involved police raids, officers discovered weapons, communist paraphernalia, brochures with communist and other banned symbols, as well as grenades, ammunition, mobile phones, and equipment. "According to the enemy's plans, the defendants needed to influence and act through their proxies, who settled in Odesa Oblast," the National Guard said. "May 2, the anniversary of tragic events, had to be the final date for the implementation of these criminal plans." Read also: Odesa authorities warn Russians plan false flag operation in Kherson The agency added that the investigation was continuing. A protracted curfew has been announced in the port city of Odesa. It will last from 2200 on May 1 to 0500 on May 3. Restrictions on movement remain unchanged in the rest of the region. Forty-eight people were killed in clashes between Maidan and anti-Maidan protesters in Odesa on May 2, 2014: six were shot dead and others died in a fire at the Trade Unions Building on Kulykove Pole (Wader Field). DENYS KARLOVSKYI - SATURDAY, 30 APRIL 2022, 16:04 The Russian special services were preparing provocations and riots in Odesa, together with criminal connections, for the anniversary of the tragic events of 2 May, 2014 (see below). Source: Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police Quote: "According to the department's staff, the Russian special services, through criminals under their control, were intending to destabilise the situation in the region by inciting riots, organising mass protests and riots that could undermine statehood and overthrow Ukraine's state system. According to the enemy's plans, they had to influence and act through their proxies who have settled in the Odesa region. The final date for the implementation of criminal plans was to be the anniversary of the tragic events - 2 May." Details: During searches of the criminals' base, law enforcement officers seized a large number of firearms, prohibited symbols of the Soviet regime, grenades, ammunition, instructions for infiltrators and brochures. A video made by law enforcement officers shows that many brochures mention the deaths that occurred in the centre of Odesa on 2 May. Police also found a set of copies of Soviet military medals and honours in the bag. Police investigators, together with employees of the State Bureau of Investigation, are conducting investigations to identify other persons involved in the Russian special services' sabotage operation. Background: A curfew will be imposed in Odesa from the evening of 1 May to the morning of 3 May, due to the possible threat of shelling and provocations by the Russian occupiers. Trains running through railway stations in the city have also been cancelled. On 2 May, 2014, clashes broke out in Odesa between "supporters of federalization" from the so-called "Anti-Maidan" and "supporters of unity", in which 46 people were killed (forty men, seven women and one minor), many of them due to a fire in the local House of Trade Unions. The Putin regimes's propaganda has crystallized and is actively taking the line that on that day "Ukrainian Nazis burned several dozen opponents of the Kyiv regime alive in the House of Trade Unions." ROMAN PETRENKO - SATURDAY, 30 APRIL 2022, 13:46 The so-called FSB [Russian Federal Security Service] in occupied Crimea is gathering Crimean Tatars at a "congress" to stage a picture of their support for the war against Ukraine. Source: People's Deputy and Chairman of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis Refat Chubarov on Facebook, Kremlin media Chubarov's quote: "In Crimea, on 30 April, under the control of the FSB, the local occupation authorities are "calling together" a "congress of representatives", which, due to the lack of a significant number of Crimean Tatar collaborators, will require the attendance of students of the Crimean Engineering and Pedagogical University and also employees of state-funded organisations, in particular school teachers. The only reason that the Russian FSB is organising this "congress" is to make it look as if Crimean Tatars support "Putin's policy and the special military operation" against Ukraine." At the same time, Putin's media have already written that Crimean Tatars are allegedly "ready to take part in the Russian special operation in Ukraine as volunteers." Also, Crimean Tatars allegedly "support Putin's course and are ready to defend Russia's sovereignty together with the entire multinational population." Fox News host Sean Hannity was taking orders from the White House even as he ranted about the lunatics supporting then-President Donald Trump, according to new details in a trove of text messages revealed by CNN. Hannity and then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadowsexchanged 82 texts from Election Day 2020 up until Joe Bidens inauguration as president, CNN reported. The messages were among 2,319 texts Meadows provided last December to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In some cases, the texts reveal that Hannity functioned as a kind of shadow chief of staff and gave advice to Meadows in the aftermath of the 2020 election. But Meadows also issued specific orders to Hannity to help the Trump administration, morphing Fox News into a kind of state media. On Election Day, Meadows wrote to Hannity in a text: Stress every vote matters. Get out and vote. On radio. Yes sir, Hannity replied. On it. Any place in particular we need a push? Pennsylvania. NC AZ, Nevada, Meadows instructed. Got it, Hannity texted. In another revealing text, Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo texted Meadows with a heads up about the questions she planned to ask Trump on air in late November 2020, a practice thats frowned on by journalists. She indicated that she would provide a platform for Trumps lies about the election and pleaded with Meadows: Pls make sure he doesnt go off on tangents. We want to know he is strong he is a fighter & he will win. In mid-December 2020, Hannity urged Meadows to continue joining forces. You also need to spend at least half your time doing business with us, he texted Meadows. I agree. We can make a powerful team, Meadows responded. Meadows and Hannity also worked in tandem to help spin Trumps false tale of a rigged election. But Hannitys enthusiasm appeared to flag on Dec. 22, when he began bashing the lunatics supporting Trump. You fighting is fine, he texted Meadows. The fing lunatics is NOT fine. They are NOT helping him. Im fed up with those people. Story continues Meadows and Fox News havent commented on CNNs report on the texts. But earlier this week, Hannity defended taking orders from Meadows and serving as a de facto Trump campaigner in 2020. Sean Hannity wanted Donald Trump to win. Theres theres a CNN alert for you. What a shocker, Hannity said on his radio program. Read Hannity and Meadows texts here. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Residents board up an apartment building after Russian shelling on Saturday in Dobropillya, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. (Evgeniy Maloletka / Associated Press) Russian forces aimed a punishing artillery barrage Saturday at cities, towns and villages in eastern Ukraine, destroying electrical plants, fuel depots and other key infrastructure. The onslaught came even as Western and Ukrainian military officials and analysts said Moscows much vaunted military offensive in the countrys industrial heartland was being slowed by troop casualties and logistical, supply and morale problems. And in Mariupol, the southern port city that has become ground zero in Russian brutality and Ukrainian resistance, a small group of women and children was finally evacuated Saturday from a besieged steel plant, but hundreds, possibly thousands, of civilians, soldiers and wounded remained trapped. Russia reported nearly 400 artillery strikes over-night and early Saturday, mainly in the eastern battle zone. It described the targets as military ones, but Ukraine says residential areas, including the northeastern city of Kharkiv, are being ravaged. Ukrainian officials said that among the targets hit Saturday was the airport in Odesa, considered the jewel of Ukraines Black Sea ports. Damage to fuel depots was causing severe gasoline and energy shortages, the officials said. At the same time, the Kremlin redoubled efforts to blame the West for the devastating war that is now in its third month. The Russian invasion has killed thousands of people, left whole swaths of cities in ruins, and turned more than 5.4 million people into refugees. Moscows top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, was quoted Saturday as saying that a flood of weaponry from North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies was pumping up the battle. But at the same time, in remarks to official Chinese media that were reported on the ministrys website, Lavrov insisted that Washington and its European allies were absolutely indifferent to Ukraines fate. The Pentagon revealed last week that U.S. military personnel are training Ukrainians in Germany in the use of artillery, radar systems and armored vehicles, all being supplied to Ukraine by Washington and allies. Story continues President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an overnight video address to the nation early Saturday, accused Russia of scorched-earth tactics in two large eastern provinces known together as the Donbas, where the fighting is concentrated. Moscow already had a foothold in two small separatist statelets before the war, but is seeking to seize the entire region. Russia wants to make this area uninhabited, Zelensky said, citing constant brutal bombings targeting infrastructure and civilian-populated areas. Late Saturday night, he spoke again, switching to Russian to urge Russias soldiers not to fight. Every Russian soldier can still save his own life. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land, Zelensky said. Zelensky said that Russias determination to wipe out Ukraine is nowhere clearer than in Mariupol, the besieged port city that he described as a Russian concentration camp among the ruins. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in Mariupol more than a week ago, saying Moscows forces control the city, but Ukrainian forces and civilians remain holed up in a giant steelworks complex amid increasingly desperate conditions. Russia is blockading and bombarding the sprawling compound, from which black smoke could be seen rising on Saturday. Videos posted from inside the warren of tunnels and bunkers under the plant have shown ill and injured women and elderly people, distressed-looking children, and infants wearing diapers fashioned from plastic garbage bags. Online videos also showed gruesome untreated injuries suffered by some troops defending the plant. Ukrainian authorities were trying to arrange civilian evacuations Saturday from Mariupol and other particularly dangerous parts of the battle zone, but such efforts have repeatedly broken down, with Russian troops accused of firing on those fleeing. The mayor of the eastern town of Popasna said Saturday that a day earlier, two buses on their way to ferry evacuees had come under fire, and contact with the drivers had been lost. Later Saturday, Serhiy Haidai, a regional leader in the eastern Luhansk area, said one of the buses was recovered. It had been hit by grenade fire and contained blood but no bodies, he said. European governments have repeatedly signaled concern over the deteriorating conditions for civilians in the east, particularly in Mariupol. On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron, who handily won reelection last weekend, told Zelensky by phone that France would increase military and humanitarian assistance, Macrons office said. Zelensky later Saturday also spoke to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who similarly promised more military aid and to work on evacuations from Mariupol, according to Johnsons office. Russian and Ukrainian reports both said between 20 and 25 people finally made it out of Mariupol. The Ukrainian military said they were en route to the Ukrainian-held city of Zaporizhzhia. Russia, however, has frequently forced evacuees from various towns into Russia, Russian-held territory or Russian ally Belarus. Ukrainian authorities and international investigators, meanwhile, continued to make grisly discoveries in areas occupied by Russia earlier in the war, where extensive evidence of atrocities against civilians has already come to light. In a village near the commuter town of Bucha, close to the capital, Kyiv, police unearthed the bodies of three more men, apparently civilians, wearing blindfolds and with hands bound. The chief of Kyivs regional police, Andrii Niebytov, said in a video Saturday that the corpses, recovered a day earlier, bore signs of torture, and that all three men had been shot in the head, with entry wounds in their ears. Hundreds of war crimes investigations are being launched across the country, primarily conducted by Ukrainian officials but with added assistance from the International Criminal Court, Britain and the United States. President Biden has already labeled Putin a war criminal. As fighting raged, the latest conflict assessment from British military intelligence, released early Saturday, depicted Russian forces as facing some of the same difficulties that prompted Moscow to break off an earlier bid to seize Kyiv. Despite Russias steps to improve its battlefield prospects in the east massing troops and firepower, streamlining command and control, and fashioning shorter supply lines its forces still face considerable challenges, the British assessment said. The Russian military command is merging and redeploying depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in the countrys northeast, the report said, adding that many of these units were probably suffering from poor morale. It also cited inconsistent air support and a lack of unit-level skills. Another new analysis, from the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, or ISW, said Ukrainian forces were successfully slowing Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine. Moscows forces made limited advances west of the city of Severodonetsk, the analysis said, but remained stalled at a strategic bottleneck, south of the city of Izyum. Both assessments echoed observations made by the Pentagon, where a senior official said Russias push south from Izyum was gaining only a few kilometers a day. Western analysts have suggested nimble battlefield tactics could help Ukrainians inflict significant losses on the Russians, as they did when Kyiv was under threat. The front lines are fluid in places, with Ukrainian forces conducting a maneuver defense rather than holding static positions, the ISW assessment said. Neither side has made a practice of regularly releasing updated information about battlefield deaths. Ukraine has been somewhat more forthcoming, acknowledging a significant number of dead and wounded among its troops. However, Zelensky advisor Oleksiy Arestovych on Friday described Russian losses as colossal. In an apparent effort to avoid further troop losses, Russia has been aiming withering artillery fire all across the east. In Moscow, the Defense Ministry on Saturday reported hitting 389 targets, saying those included troop concentrations, weapons caches and crucial fuel depots. Ukraine has acknowledged that hits on fuel depots and refineries are causing a fuel crunch. Long lines of cars and trucks have been forming at gas stations in various parts of the country. Zelensky said in his overnight address that stepped-up shipments from allies and other measures were expected to ease the shortages in the next week or two, but Ukrainian officials in the meantime asked citizens to avoid unnecessary travel in private vehicles. Remember the needs of the army, exhorted an official Ukrainian government communique on the Telegram messaging app. In the strike on Odesa, which remains in Ukrainian hands after being menaced earlier in the war, local officials said the airports main runway was rendered unusable. In Lviv near the Polish border, a celebrity sighting gave a brief respite from the anxiety of war and spurred a social media flurry. Angelina Jolie, the American actor, was spotted at a coffee shop, Lviv Croissants, on Saturday afternoon. Videos and photographs on social media showed her signing a few autographs and posing with Ukrainian patrons of the shop and later meeting with children. Jolie has served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency and visited refugees from other conflicts elsewhere in the world. But a spokesman for the organization, Chris Boian, said by telephone that Jolie was in Ukraine totally on her own initiative and that the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees was not involved. King reported from Lviv and Wilkinson from Washington. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. (Reuters) - Russian air defences prevented a Ukrainian aircraft from entering the Bryansk region on Saturday, Russian news outlets reported citing the region's governor, adding that as a result shelling hit parts of an oil terminal and adjacent territory. "There are no victims," RIA news agency cited the governor, Alexander Bogomaz, as saying. He added that a logistics building at the terminal was damaged. (Reporting in Melbourne by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Alex Richardson) A sign shows an image of Mark Iskander, 11, left, and his brother Jacob Iskander, 8, outside a Van Nuys courthouse on Monday, where a preliminary hearing was held for Rebecca Grossman, who is charged with murder and other counts stemming from a crash in Westlake Village in which Grossman's Mercedes struck the boys in a crosswalk and killed them. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) The crash stunned Westlake Village. Two young boys were killed Sept. 29, 2020, by a speeding Mercedes on a quiet street. The driver was a Hidden Hills socialite. Rebecca Grossman, the 58-year-old co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation with her husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, is charged with two counts of murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit-and-run driving resulting in death in connection with the crash. Grossman faces 34 years to life in prison if convicted. She has pleaded not guilty and is out on $2-million bail. A judge will decide next week whether she should face a murder trial. The children's father, Karim Iskander, said in an interview with The Times that an "adult making adult decisions at the wheel of a vehicle [and] going at extreme speed" on a street where children and family are known to be walking needs to be "held accountable" for her actions. "Justice needs to be done," Iskander said, and Grossman needs to be convicted of all charges against her. Nancy Iskander, second from right, is consoled by a friend outside the Van Nuys courthouse during a lunch break from a preliminary hearing for Rebecca Grossman, who is charged with murder and other counts stemming from a crash in Westlake Village that left Iskander's sons Mark Iskander, 11, and Jacob Iskander, 8, dead. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) How did the boys' mother describe what happened? Nancy Iskander was crossing the street with her children when she heard the roar of engines. Two SUVs were barreling toward the crosswalk. She put up her right hand in a desperate effort to stop the vehicles hurtling toward her family, grabbed her 5-year-old and dove to safety, she told a hushed Van Nuys courtroom Monday. But the next time she saw her two older boys, they were near lifeless on Triunfo Canyon Road in Westlake Village, struck by Grossman's speeding sport utility vehicle. They didnt stop before the intersection. They didnt stop at the intersection. They didnt stop when an 11-year-old was on the hood of the car. Nobody stopped, Iskander, the mother of 8-year-old Jacob and 11-year-old Mark, testified at the preliminary hearing. Iskander described Jacob lying near the curb, and down the road, her son Mark with his arm broken and blood coming out his mouth. I see him every night. Story continues The boys were walking with their family at about 7:10 p.m. and crossing a three-way intersection with a marked crosswalk but no stoplight. Nancy Iskander testified that neither Grossmans white Mercedes-Benz nor former Dodger Scott Ericksons black SUV stopped and that Mark was carried a considerable distance down the road by Grossmans car before she stopped. She testified that her 5-year-old son, Zachary, watched paramedics perform CPR on his brother Jacob. Mark died at the scene, and Jacob would die hours later at the hospital. Iskander said she was on rollerblades along with Jacob, Zachary was on his scooter and Mark was on his skateboard, crossing the residential boulevard. Her husband and daughter were jogging nearby when her life was torn apart so fast she cannot recall every frame, she said. Rebecca Grossman, co-founder of the Grossman Burn Foundation, arrives at Van Nuys Courthouse for her preliminary hearing. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) What did witnesses and experts say? Grossman was tailing Ericksons SUV and driving as fast as 81 mph on a Westlake Village road before she fatally hit the two young boys in the crosswalk, witnesses testified. After striking the children, sending one flying into the air, she braked for only a second but did not stop, according to testimony this week. Yasamin Eftekhari described seeing the two SUVs in her cars side mirror, passing at a high speed and then tapping their brakes immediately before the crosswalk. Grossmans white Mercedes was unable to avoid the boys. A crash expert also testified that had Grossman slowed from 73 mph her speed about 550 feet from the crosswalk to the posted limit of 45 mph, she would not have struck the children because they would have already been at the curb. If the car had been going the speed limit for five seconds, there would be no collision, Michael Hale, a veteran collision investigator with the Orange County district attorneys office, said. He testified that data extracted from Grossmans vehicle showed that she was flooring the gas pedal and had reached 81 mph about 1.5 seconds before the crash. He said the data showed she then lightly tapped the brakes for a second, reducing her speed to 73 mph, and took her foot off the gas before she struck the boys. What about the aftermath of the crash? By the time a Los Angeles County deputy came to administer a DUI test to Grossman after the crash, a Sheriffs Department video shows her repeatedly asking him versions of the question: What is going on with these children? She told the deputy that her husband, Dr. Peter Grossman, is a surgeon and could help, adding that her home is nearby. Can someone let me know how the children are? The officer said some children were hit, she said. Defense attorneys for Grossman played the video while questioning Deputy Michael Kelly this week. Kelly, who administered a DUI test, testified he determined that Grossman was impaired. When he first found her sitting in the back of a patrol SUV, he said, she had a weak smell of alcohol, but she was not slurring her words. In the video, Grossman tells Kelly she had one drink hours ago at Julios restaurant, about 5 p.m. a single margarita of normal size. It was dark. I came round the corner, my airbag deploys, and they are telling me children are involved, she tells the deputy. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Shellie Samuels said Grossmans concern has no bearing on whether she committed the crimes: I would expect any human being to be concerned about children. Two breathalyzer tests administered about 90 minutes after the crash showed the socialite's blood-alcohol level was slightly below the legal limit for driving in California. What are the legal issues? To get a second-degree murder conviction, Deputy Dist. Atty. Ryan Gould must prove Grossman acted with implied malice and knew the act of driving over 70 mph in a residential area was dangerous to human life. Usually, such cases are brought if the driver is under the influence and has a prior driving-under-the-influence conviction with subsequent DUI education classes. Grossman has two prior speeding tickets on a nearby freeway a decade ago and that same year on Kanan Road in Malibu. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Deputy Todd Cash testified about Grossmans speeding history, saying he caught her in May 2020 going 72 mph in a 55-mph zone on Kanan Road. What is Grossman's defense? Grossmans lawyers have argued she never left the scene and stopped farther down the road from the scene of the crash. They have repeatedly attempted to get Nancy Iskander to say that Ericksons car trapped her two boys in a way that put them in front of Grossmans Mercedes. After Erickson was charged with misdemeanor reckless driving in connection with the crash, the mother opposed his effort to have the charge diverted from the criminal justice system, saying in a letter that he was partly to blame for the deadly events. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. In 1946, the president of 20th Century Fox predicted that television would never catch on. In 1959, the U.S. postmaster general claimed that before we reached the moon, mail would be delivered from Australia to New York by guided missiles. In 1961, an FCC commissioner declared there was practically no chance satellites would be used to improve telephone, television or radio service. Heck, in 2006, The New York Times personal-tech correspondent predicted that Apple would release a phone "probably never." Almost nine months to the day, Apple announced the iPhone. Predictions about what Elon Musk will do with Twitter are premature From the day Elon Musk struck a deal to buy Twitter, predictions and reactions abounded: Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted, This deal is dangerous for our democracy." Sen. Marsha Blackburn tweeted, Today is an encouraging day for free speech. The ACLU in their official statement expressed worry and danger. The president of the Heritage Foundation said, Conservatives and those who value the First Amendment are watching with joy. And these are only a sample. Elon Musk has reached a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Lets slow down for a minute. No one, not even Elon, knows where this will end. The entire debate surrounding how we think about social media platforms never accounted for this moment. None of the arguments about regulating speech imagined a world where Twitter was a private company run by a self-described "free speech absolutist" with his own mixed history when it comes to speech. What is Elon Musk up to?: Are you worried about Elon Musk taking over Twitter? You should be. Is Musk good or bad for the future of online speech? We'll know soon enough. This moment is a reminder that the factors and assumptions surrounding today's most important issues can change quickly and force us to reassess our own positions and preferences. Let's slow down to see what happens It is time to call a Big Tech detente. In other words, lets take a breather. Story continues Congress, federal agencies and state houses across America: Let's take a year, push pause, and see where things go before claiming that this moment confirms what we think we already know about regulating the internet. Opinions in your inbox: Get a digest of our takes on current events every day Good public policy must rest on observation and evidence. Without these, we are merely making predictions, like when Time Magazine quoted futurists who predicted remote shopping would flop (1966). As for internet policy, technology and industry are consistently outpacing us. Experts call this the pacing problem. All of these factors from Musks Twitter deal to rapid technological change should be cause for humility, not a call to regulate faster. Internet is still young It may not feel this way, but we are still in the early days of public Internet. The Mosaic browser launched in 1993, effectively launching widespread public use of the internet. We are only 29 years into iterating on this world-changing technology. Just 10 years ago, things looked very different, and certainly they did 29 years ago. Twelve months from now, things will continue to radically evolve. WE DID IT!: U.N. climate change report says we're on the path to an 'unlivable' planet. Remember, this is not the first time we've jumped to conclusions about a technology. We're more prone to getting the near future wrong than we are to getting it right. Many dismissed the telephone as a "nuisance of the first magnitude," and there was even a time when the Chicago Times removed telephones from its headquarters. The proliferation of children's books was deemed "utterly worthless," accompanied by a harrowing story of a young boy checking out four books a week from his local library, described as "very rapid and, doubtless, very injurious work." Why my dad and I helped: We went to Poland and Ukraine to help refugees, including teens just like me With Musk at the helm of Twitter, we have an opportunity to test nearly every assumption we have relied on to support most of today's popular policy proposals. Many of the problems may be rendered moot. Or they may be amplified. To ensure we're focusing our attention where it is needed, we need to let the dust settle before rushing to respond. Its time to pause. Before doubling down on our presupposed solutions, we need to understand where the problems exist. This is not a demand for folks to retreat. Nor is it an unreasonable ask. It is a call to reconsider what tomorrow holds without giving in to the news of the day. Just give it a year. Lets see where this goes. Christopher Koopman is executive director and Taylor Barkley is the technology and innovation director at the Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elon Musk buying Twitter shouldn't freak you out The death of an 18-year-old Mexican student has unleashed anger against authorities accused of negligence over the murders and disappearances of thousands of women each year, few of which receive as much attention. The case of Debanhi Escobar has generated unusually intense media interest in a country where nearly 100,000 people are missing and most homicides fail to make national headlines. Escobar's body was found on April 21 in a motel water tank, nearly two weeks after she disappeared on the outskirts of Monterrey, capital of the northern state of Nuevo Leon. Prosecutors said they were not ruling anything out in her case, which has generated international attention from South America to the United States and Europe. An eerie photo taken on the night she disappeared showing Escobar standing in the dark went viral, and she quickly became a symbol for an angry women's rights movement. Wearing a white top, long skirt and high-top sneakers, a handbag over her shoulder and her hair let down, she looked almost like any other young woman on a night out. Except that she was alone and vulnerable, waiting by the side of a road in a country where around 10 women are murdered every day. "Debanhi, I lend you my voice" and "We want justice," women shouted at a protest in Mexico City, following similar demonstrations in Monterrey. "Young people are disappearing because of deeds, omission or indolence," political scientist Denise Dresser wrote in an editorial about the case entitled "mass grave." "They are disappearing because society still discusses whether it was their fault, for going out alone and at dawn," she added. - 'Many irregularities' - Even before his daughter's body was found, Escobar's father had accused authorities of mistakes in the initial search and investigation, fueling media interest. "This case has greater visibility because the media decided so," psychosocial support specialist Valeria Moscoso told AFP, lamenting that other victims had not received the same attention despite also speaking out. Story continues On Wednesday, the Nuevo Leon Attorney General Gustavo Guerrero publicly dismissed two public prosecutors for "errors" and "omissions" in the case. In one example, search teams visited the motel four times before finding the body. "This is one of several irregularities that caused this emotion," activist Maria de la Luz Estrada told AFP. Also on Wednesday, prosecutors released a video to try to construct a chronology of the events. According to security camera footage, in the early hours of April 9, Escobar was wandering alone by the side of the road, before entering the motel compound and looking out of the window of an abandoned restaurant. Earlier, the young woman had left a party after an argument with other people there, according to witnesses and images broadcast by the media. She then took a taxi, whose driver worked for a ride-hailing app, but later got out for unknown reasons, according to several testimonies. The driver has denied accusations of inappropriate behavior towards Escobar, and said that he took her photo by the side of the road to warn her friends after she left the vehicle. "There are many hypotheses. We can't rule anything out," including the possibility of an accident, Guerrero told reporters. Escobar's father also said the family was keeping an open mind about the investigation, having initially alleged an abduction and murder. This year alone, 322 women have disappeared in Nuevo Leon, though prosecutors point out that 90 percent were found within 72 hours. Last year, Mexico recorded 33,308 homicides nationwide, and around 10 percent of the victims were women, according to official figures. Around 1,000 of them were categorized as femicides -- killings of women because of their gender -- though some activists consider the real number to be much higher. Many cases share a similar pattern to Escobar's: "the authorities' indolence, the complicity, the limited investigation capacity, the victim-blaming, the criminalization of families and the impunity for attackers," Moscoso said. st-jg-dr/mdl/to Texas is allocating an additional $495.3 million to continue funding Operation Lone Star, state leaders announced Friday afternoon. This infusion of cash comes two days before the state border security initiative was set to run out of money, and amid heightened scrutiny from state lawmakers after a National Guardsman, who was not equipped with a flotation device, drowned while trying to save migrants crossing the Rio Grande last week. Gov. Greg Abbott has touted Operation Lone Stars drug seizures and migrant apprehensions, saying the effort is needed to curb a sharp increase in illegal immigration, drug trafficking and human smuggling. But the program has been the subject of controversy, as National Guard troops report payroll delays, lack of equipment, significant morale issues and a spike in suicides among service members who have been deployed at the border for months. Previously: Operation Lone Star needs another $531 million, leaders say Concertina wire was installed in Eagle Pass by the National Guard as part of Operation Lone Star. The state border operation is receiving an additional $495.3 million pulled from other state agencies, Texas officials announced Friday. Abbott, along with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Dade Phelan, and the chief budget writers of the Legislature, approved the transfer of state dollars to Operation Lone Star from other state agencies' budgets, noting that other funding sources have been identified to cover those budget gaps. Of the $495.3 million now going to the operation, the vast majority $465.3 million will go directly to the Texas National Guard. Operation Lone Star, launched by Abbott in March 2021, includes the deployment of the thousands of Texas National Guard troops to the border, with coordination from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department. The state has already allocated about $3.9 billion for the initiative, but the operation has quickly burned through the budget. Officials with the program told state lawmakers earlier this month that the program was set to run out of money by May 1 if it didnt receive an additional $531 million to fund the operation through August. Story continues Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference last month in Weslaco, near the U.S.-Mexico border. Abbott, a longtime critic of the Biden administrations immigration policy, has escalated actions at the border in recent weeks in response to the administrations decision to end a Trump-era public health policy that expedites the removal of people looking to cross the border. Federal immigration authorities are bracing for an increase of unauthorized migrants looking to enter the country as a result of that policy's expected end. The policy known as Title 42, adopted as a means of stemming the spread of COVID-19, is scheduled to end May 23 pending the outcome of several court challenges seeking to keep the provision in place. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed one such lawsuit last week. More: Federal judge halts preparations for end of Title 42 border plan In a separate lawsuit, a federal judge in Louisiana on Wednesday ordered a two-week halt on the phasing out of the pandemic-related restrictions on seeking asylum and raised doubts about the Biden administration's plan to fully lift those restrictions as scheduled. "Texans safety and security is our top priority, and we will continue fighting to keep our communities safe," Abbott said in a statement Friday. "This additional funding ensures the Lone Star State is fully equipped to provide Texans the border security strategy they demand and deserve." Democrats in the Legislature criticized the decision Friday, arguing that the roughly $4 billion in state dollars now invested in the program could serve other uses. $4B in state revenue could be used for revamping foster care system, retain teachers, provide more substance abuse & mental health treatment, disaster preparedness, offer more job training or lower tuition for middle class families, or lower prescription drugs, state Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, said in a tweet. Abbott is transferring the funds to Operation Lone Star from other state agencies, including: $210.7 million from the Health and Human Services Commission. $159.2 million from the Department of Public Safety. $53.6 million from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. $36 million from the Texas Department of State Health Services. $31.2 million from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. $4.3 million from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. More: Gov. Greg Abbott touts one year of Operation Lone Star, confirms Texas will expand migrant arrests This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott transfers $495 million to Operation Lone Star WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors in Miami have charged British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Alturo Fahie and two others with cocaine trafficking and money laundering conspiracies, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler) Russian troops in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region have shifted from a steamroller strategy to one of relentlessly chipping away at their opponents in the hope of grinding them down. Ukraine's army has little option but to try to stall their larger and better-equipped enemy in the sprawling plains of Donbas, where artillery is king. "It's not like 2014, there's no defined front along a river or a road or a motorway," says Iryna Rybakova, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian army's 93rd brigade, which is at the centre of the fighting. "It's one of their villages or one of ours: it's more like a chessboard." "At the moment, we aren't able to make the enemy retreat from our front line," she admits. In March, the Russian army said it would focus its efforts on the Donbas regions of Donetsk and Lugansk where pro-Russia separatists have been active since 2014. But on day 66 of the war, Moscow is still far from obtaining the victory that many believe President Vladimir Putin wants to declare by May 9, a date that marks Russia's victory over the Nazis in 1945. In southern Ukraine, Russian forces have taken over a strip of territory stretching from the besieged port city of Mariupol to Kherson, the region just north of Crimea. But the Donbas is still far from being taken. "Even if there has been some advance by Russian troops on the ground, it is not very fast," Russian military expert Alexander Khramchikhin told AFP. - Creeping pessimism - Apart from the hard-fought takeover of most of the southern port city of Mariupol on the shores of the Sea of Azov, the frontline that emerged from the 2014 war has not moved in the southern Donbas. "In the Lugansk region, the objectives announced by Moscow are close to being achieved but in Donetsk, the advance is proving more difficult," said Khramchikhin. For now, Russian forces are gradually moving down towards Kramatorsk, capital of Ukrainian-controlled Donbas and a key target for Moscow, while also moving up towards Pokrovsk, on the region's western flank. Story continues In the past two weeks, they have gained a foothold in several small towns where urban combat is raging, such as Rubizhne, which had 57,000 residents before the war. But no place of importance has been taken since the capture of Kreminna on April 18, a town of 18,000 people before the war, 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of Kramatorsk. Pessimism about the chances of pushing back the Russians appears to be spreading. Abandoned trains left on level crossings, bulldozed streets and barricaded roads suggest the focus has shifted to spoiling tactics to slow the advance. - 'Hugely disproportionate' - With the battle now shifted to the rolling plains and industrial cities of the Donbas, the confrontation is largely down to artillery -- what Soviet leader Stalin called "the god of war" But the balance of power remains hugely disproportionate, with Russia up to "five times stronger in terms of equipment", says Iryna Terehovych, a 40-year-old sergeant in the 123rd Ukrainian brigade. "We need tanks, artillery, anti-tank missiles," she told AFP. "In Kreminna, we only had a few NLAW anti-tank missile systems and some didn't even work." Russian forces also have Soviet-designed Grad, Uragan and Smerch rocket launchers which can fire multiple projectiles at a time, often used to deadly effect against residential areas. Faced with the longer-range Tochka-U missiles, the Ukrainian defences have only been able to intercept some of them. Kyiv has long been hoping that NATO would close the air space over Ukraine but it never materialised. And Ukraine has only a few SU-24 and SU-25 fighter planes to keep watch on Russian positions. On the ground, there are roughly 40,000 to 50,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the Donbas, analysts say. Moscow has not said anything about its forces in the area. "It's too late for us," said one Ukrainian soldier, who was struggling to repair a broken-down tank he said was used in the Soviet-Afghan war (1979-1989). - Saving ammunition - Although they are holding their ground on the battlefield, many of Ukraine's infantry soldiers admit to feeling overwhelmed. "Viking", a 27-year-old staff sergeant who fought in Kreminna said his comrades are exhausted and waiting for the order to pull back. "If it was a war between infantry forces, we would have a chance. But in this area, it's first and foremost an artillery war and we don't have enough artillery," he says. "For every 300 shells they fire, we fire three." Rybakova of the 93rd brigade said Ukrainian forces were working "in a more targeted way". "We've learnt to save our ammunition during eight years of war," she said. "For example, we fire when their troops try to break through." The question remains whether the Ukrainian army will be forced to abandon the region, where it has been fighting since 2014. "Either we go overboard on the heroics and we all die, or we pull back, stay alive and regroup our forces," said Sergeant Iryna Terehovych. bur-dar/hmw/dt/jxb NEW YORK (AP) For nearly a week in April, Mariia Pachenko took a respite from her studies in besieged Ukraine to share its plight with fellow college students in New York. Soon after, the 18-year-old faced a wrenching decision: Return to her war-torn country or wait out the conflict as hopes for a diplomatic remedy dimmed by the day. Pachenko and a handful of other Ukrainian students recounted the war's human toll and the perilous trip through Russian-occupied territories to make it to the National Model United Nations conference, relishing the opportunity to foster communication between young people across the world because its so important to share ideas, to express your thoughts on the relevant political issues and to try to find the solutions. But despite urgent calls to end the Russian invasion, diplomacy has made little progress in the real world. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Moscow and Kyiv to take whatever urgent steps to stop the fighting, but the lack of dialogue between the two governments has been disconcerting for Pachenko now in France for the foreseeable future and her peers in the widening diaspora of Ukrainians fleeing bombs, tanks and violence. They harbor little hope that diplomacy will prevail anytime soon. The United Nations as an organization needs to be reformed. It has no power no practical power in the real world, said participant Olha Tolmachova, who has returned to her town in western Ukraine, which, for now, has been spared the Russian onslaught. Guterres spent nearly two hours in a one-on-one meeting Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by a Thursday meeting with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While the Russians rebuffed his appeal to halt fighting, the U.N. said Putin did agree in principle to the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross' participation in evacuating civilians from Mariupol. Artemy Kalinovsky, a faculty member of Temple Universitys Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy, said they're rightfully skeptical. Story continues The U.N. can highlight the ravages of war and serve as a platform for serious discussions, Kalinovsky said. But in the end, he said, I dont think theres anything that the U.N. can do ... because one of the belligerents or the aggressors in this case is a member of the Security Council and can veto anything that could serve to end this conflict. As the students' conference was ongoing, the Kremlin simply withdrew altogether from the U.N. Human Rights Council after the 193-member General Assembly where there are no vetoes voted to suspend Russia. Planned many months beforehand, the war was not part of the Model U.N. conference's central agenda. And there were no Russian universities taking part because of visa problems and U.S. travel rules. But the conflict wafted through as the Ukrainian delegation used the event as an informal podium from which to plead for continued dialogue and attention. Amid all the geopolitics are the more than 5 million individual stories of those who have fled Ukraine since February. Feelings of guilt have followed Larysa Haivoronskas decision to delay her return. She recalls how the walls shook as the bombs fell in the distance back home. Russian jets streaked overhead and helicopters thwacked ominously. Now outside Chicago, Haivoronska last spoke to her mother nearly a week ago. Bombing damage has disrupted power lines. Without phone and internet services, her eastern hometown of Kupyansk-Vuzlovyy has been disconnected from the outside world. The only thing they want is for me to be safe. Thats why they told me I need to stay here, the 22-year-old said, sobbing. I dont want to be safe if theyre not safe. I told my mom that if something happens to them, I will come back and go to army or do whatever. ... Because I dont care about my life if something happened to them. With Kalinovsky's help, Haivoronska was recently admitted to a doctorate program in political science at Temple, but vows to return to Ukraine. We have to not only physically rebuild, like the roads, the houses, but we also need to rebuild our international systems and we have to rebuild the whole political system, she said. The students' adviser, Halyna Protsyk, has returned to Lviv, and worries about the toll on the young people her country desperately needs to return. They need to make sure that our country still functions in every sphere, she said during her visit to New York, and my mission is to make sure that higher education still performs high quality standards. Those who have left Ukraine continue their studies online, much as they did during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Some plan to enroll in new universities. Pachenko said it's been difficult to stay away. Bombs have destroyed the bridges outside her town southeast of Lviv, cutting it off from shipments of food and medicine. She say it's difficult to live in a constant stress so she tries not to overwhelm herself with information. But she still tracks daily updates on her phone. Friends and family alert her to the latest air sirens. She worries her mother will ignore the warnings to take cover. If she were home, she could force her mother to run to the shelters. And its been hard to leave a place where so many memories still reside, Pachenko said. Im young, and I understand that my life and my safety are much more important than some memories, she said. And I want to make more memories in my life. And thats why I want to stay safe. Acknowledging that some did hold out hope for a peaceful solution, she nonetheless thinks it was a mistake for anyone to believe that diplomacy could stop Putin after eight years of fighting since Moscow's annexation of Crimea from further encroachment. The hope now lies in a quick end to the war, the students' adviser said. The biggest challenge for us, Protsyk said, will be to bring back our youth to Ukraine after we got our victory. That outcome though, the Ukrainians acknowledged, remains uncertain. ___ Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer contributed from the United Nations. The Ukrainian parliament warned on Twitter Saturday that medieval living conditions are endangering residents in the city of Mariupol, which has been nearly completely destroyed by a two-month Russian assault. The parliament tweeted that 100,000 residents in the city face mortal danger not only due shelling from Russian forces, but also intolerable and unsanitary living conditions. The air temperature has already reached 20 degrees. Powerful and deadly epidemics could soon break out in the city due to the lack of centralized water supply and sanitation, the decomposition of thousands of corpses under the rubble, and a catastrophic shortage of water & food, Ukraines parliament tweeted. The occupiers cannot provide the existing population with food, water, and medicine. They block all evacuation attempts. And without that, people will die. Now in the ruined #Mariupol, there are medieval living conditions. Immediate and complete evacuation is needed! This comes after a top United Nations official referred to Mariupol as a center of hell and the Ukrainian governor overseeing the city said it had been wiped off the face of the earth following relentless Russian attacks and a weeks-long siege that has cut Ukrainians in the city off from supplies and exit routes. The final remaining soldiers defending the city, as well as a number of civilians, are sheltering in a steel plant. Ukrainian officials have been working on an operation to evacuate people from the plant, with a spokesperson for the U.N. secretary-general saying earlier this week that Russia had agreed in principle to such evacuations. On Thursday, however, the governor of Ukraines Donetsk region said that Russian forces were blocking evacuations from the plant because they want to capture the remaining soldiers defending Mariupol. They [want to] use the opportunity to capture the defenders of Mariupol, one of the main [elements] of whom are the Azov regiment, said Pavlo Kyrylenko. Therefore the Russian side is not agreeing to any evacuation measures regarding wounded [Ukrainian] troops. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Ukrainian Red Cross reported Saturday that the organizations office in eastern Dobropillia, Ukraine, had been bombed as Russia launches its renewed offensive in the southern and eastern parts of the country. Our office in Dobropillia (Donetska oblast) was bombed today. It was in one of 6 residential buildings that were damaged. Since February 24, 2022 it is the 8th office of @RedCrossUkraine, which has been damaged or destroyed, the organization tweeted. The Russian invasion has sparked international outrage amid reports and footage of attacks on several sites of historical, cultural and religious significance, including a Holocaust memorial site, a mosque, a theater and a maternity hospital, among others. The war in the former Soviet state has prompted a humanitarian crisis after millions of Ukrainian refugees crossed the border into neighboring countries. Millions more have been displaced internally, and many more are struggling to evacuate amid the conflict. Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of war crimes. Kyiv police said this week that the bodies of three men were found in Bucha. The men had reportedly been bound and suffered gunshot wounds and torture at the hands of Russian forces. Authorities were unable to identify the bodies because their faces had been disfigured. Footage in Ukraine has also shown evidence of mass graves in Bucha and Mariupol. Officials have also accused Russia of the killings of civilians, kidnap and rape. Russia, for its part, has denied allegations against its military. Its hard to look at what [Putins] doing in Ukraine, what his forces are doing in Ukraine and think that any ethical, moral individual could justify that, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Friday, becoming emotional as he spoke. Its difficult to look at some of the images and imagine that any well-thinking, serious, mature leader would do that. So I cant talk to his psychology. But I think we can all speak to his depravity, he said. The Biden administration this week requested $33 billion in aid to Ukraine as U.S. officials gave an assessment of Russian military movement in eastern Ukraine as slow and uneven, marred by continual logistics problems and resistance from Ukrainian forces. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The United Nations nuclear watchdog on Friday warned that Russian troops are putting "unbelievable pressure" on workers at Ukraines largest nuclear power plant. Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on March 4, and it has since allowed Ukrainian plant operators to manage the site but under extreme conditions. NATO PREPARING FOR MASSIVE MILITARY EXERCISES AS RUSSIA CONTINUES INVASION OF UKRAINE The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) did not release specifics on how Ukrainian plant officials were being treated but said the work conditions are "extremely stressful and challenging." IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the Ukrainian nuclear specialists "continue to perform their duties and maintain, as far as possible during the war, the safety of the nuclear facilities." But the agency noted that "the morale and the emotional state" of staff at the Zaporizhzhia power station is "very low." Zaporizhzhia, located in southeastern Ukraine, has increasingly been put in the sites of Russian forces as they look to establish "full control" in the neighboring Donbas region. Ukraine officials warned last week that Russia is looking to establish a referendum to annex occupied territories in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which is just south of the nuclear power plant along the Dnipro river. RUSSIAN TROOPS DUG TRENCHES IN CHERNOBYL'S HIGHLY RADIOACTIVE 'RED FOREST' Russian forces have reportedly brought in personnel from the Russian state nuclear company Rosatom, which demands daily reports from Ukrainian plant operators regarding "confidential issues" on the workings of the nuclear plant. Grossi, who traveled to Ukraine in March amid the heightened security threat, said the situation at Zaporizhzhia "continues to be challenging and requires continued attention." The IAEA chief warned that the "situation will become unsustainable" and on Friday proposed to lead a team to the nuclear power plant at the "earliest possible opportunity." Story continues Grossi visited the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant earlier this week after it was occupied by Russian forces for 35 days. Since the withdrawal of Russian troops from the infamous site of the worlds largest nuclear catastrophe, alarming reports have surfaced reflecting a disregard for nuclear safety by Russian soldiers. The IAEA said Friday that the remote transfer of data from the Chernobyl plant to its headquarters in Vienna is slowly being restored. A man and a woman from Walden were sentenced Friday to 25 years to life in prison for the murders of two Swan Lake men last year. Sullivan County Court Judge Jim Farrell sentenced David Host, 33, and Chastity Cutway, 38, following their guilty pleas to first-degree murder, a felony, in February. Sullivan County District Attorney Meagan Galligan, who announced the sentencing, said Cutway and Host admitted they illegally entered the Swan Lake home of Derek and Glenn Travis on Jan. 13, 2021, and fatally stabbed them. Family members of the two men addressed the court before Farrell imposed his sentence. Guilty pleas: Walden residents admit to murdering two men in Swan Lake Capitol riot: Orange County man on trial blames "rogue cop" Hiring discrimination: Bakery will pay $850K to settle federal labor case Glenn Kroll, Cutway's attorney, said she read a brief statement before she was sentenced. "She said she was extremely sorry for her actions," Kroll said. "She wished she could go back in time and not do it, and she hoped that her sentence brings some sense of justice to the family and friends of the victims." Tim Havas, Host's lawyer, could not be reached Friday, but he previously said Host was remorseful about what he did, and he accepted responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty. "This brutal attack continues to traumatize those left in its wake, who suffer from the loss of their loved ones and the futures they planned together, as well as the loss of their ability to feel safe in their own homes," Galligan said in a statement. "While no sentence can bring that back, we hope that the incarceration of these defendants for up to their entire lives brings some closure to them." This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Swan Lake murders: Walden residents face life in prison Bravo After turning 45 last month, Jennifer Aydin celebrated her birthday with a belated bash on Saturday, May 7. Though The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast member had a blast at her epic party, the night didnt go entirely smoothly, as she later revealed on her Instagram Stories. Alright guys, so last night, I got home and Im taking some pictures, and what do I notice? My 9-carat yellow diamond is gone, Jennifer explained in a series of videos the day after the party. As RHONJ fans will remembe Apr. 29Many Bloomsday runners and walkers secured their final step before Sunday's race by picking up their race number and perhaps a hot dog or fitness attire Friday at the Spokane Convention Center. Several participants are relishing the opportunity to take the nearly 7.46-mile journey in person for the first time since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "It will just be so much fun to, yeah, to be back in person and do it again," Jen Lawton said. "We've been talking about the vulture, so they're kind of curious about the vulture." Lawton said she is going to run the course before meeting up with her husband and their three young children, all of whom are participating. The vulture she referred to is Bill Robinson, who dresses in a 7-foot vulture costume and greets runners at the top of Doomsday Hill. Lawton is a Bloomsday regular and avid runner, who ran the course in just under an hour her first time. "Since then, it's just been for fun," she said. Lauren Hopkins, of Spokane smiles as she picks up her Bloomsday packet at the Bloomsday Trade Show on Friday, Apr 29, 2022, at the Spokane Convention Center in Spokane, Wash. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review) Longtime friends Misti Ross and Becky Gregerson will walk the event for a fourth time. Gregerson said it's fun to enjoy the day together as both are busy in their careers Ross as an ultrasound technician and Gregerson as a teacher. "It's nice to be with everybody and be excited to do it," Gregerson said. Gregerson said she hopes popsicles are available Sunday on the course something a virtual Bloomsday walk does not offer, she joked. "When it's warm, it's fun to have that," she said. Ross jokingly said she is excited to complete Bloomsday and rub it in the face of her sister, who is not participating this year but has finished the IRONMAN triathlon in Coeur d'Alene. "It's just fun to say, I did this and you didn't," Ross said. Story continues Patti Bailey, a Bloomsday volunteer since 1987, said a morning rush of participants filed into the Convention Center when the doors opened at 11:30, adding that it looked like the old times before the pandemic. "I mean, when we said we were gonna open up the doors, it just all of a sudden felt right, didn't it?" Bailey asked another volunteer. "We were home." It was fairly quiet early Friday afternoon inside the Convention Center, but Bailey said she expected traffic to pick up later in the afternoon and at night. After picking up their race number and runner instructions, many passed through a chip verification reading and checked out the variety of vendors. The timing tag is attached to the race number and, as they walked through the verification area, their name showed up digitally on monitors, meaning the chip works and should track their official running or walking time Sunday. Many of the vendors Friday were tied to fitness. Jonathan Rihel, a representative, was selling Karhu shoes. He said he sold one or two pairs as of early Friday afternoon. Vendors always expect the first day of an expo to be a little quiet, and Saturday should be extremely busy, Rihel said. "It's really good to see bigger races like Bloomsday coming back," Rihel said. Meredith Wolfley, Real Time Pain Relief training director, offered lotions to people walking by . "Honestly, a lot of people are looking for pain relief," Wolfley said. She said many runners complain about calf, knee and hamstring pain. Bloomsday participants can pick up their race number from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Convention Center. Out-of-town entrants only can pick it up 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sunday. Palestinian assailants shot and killed a security guard Friday evening at the entrance to a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli medics. The Israeli military said early Saturday that the assailants arrived at the Ariel settlement entrance and fatally shot the guard in his post. The military then pursued the attackers in the West Bank. Friday's attack is just the latest of several Palestinian killings in Israel and the West Bank over the past two months that have left 14 Israelis dead. ISRAEL SHUTTERS CROSSING TO GAZA WORKERS AFTER FIRING OF ROCKETS The terror group Hamas lauded the fatal shooting but did not claim responsibility. "The operation proves that revolution is raging all over the West Bank," spokesman Hazem Qassem said. "This is a practical implementation of our people's declaration that Jerusalem is a red line." In a separate incident, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man early Saturday during clashes at Azoun village near the town of Qalqilya, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Tensions arose between the Israelis and Palestinians this month at a worship site in Jerusalem, where Palestinian worshipers got into a daily conflict with Israeli police. Earlier on Friday at the holy site, Palestinians threw stones and the Israeli police shot rubber-coated bullets. According to police, Palestinians inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound began throwing stones and fireworks toward a heavily guarded gate leading to the Western Wall, a holy site where Jewish people can pray. The police then proceeded into the compound and fired the rubber-coated bullets. The clash ended about an hour later when other Palestinians in the compound convinced both sides to stop their attacks. More than 40 people were injured, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service. Israeli police said three people were arrested. The Associated Press contributed to this report Adam Kordes wants his monkey returned to him. The black-capped capuchin monkey, named "Neo," was seized from Kordes' Westwood home in February by local animal control. The reason, according to a search warrant: A veterinarian in Florida had seen videos of Neo, believed the monkey had ingested Xanax and/or cocaine, and was "in dire need of veterinary care." What is Ohio's exotic-animal law? You can own monkeys, but there are restrictions Without care, the search warrant said, Neo could die. Adam Kordes' capuchin monkey, "Neo," in a photo dated Feb. 7, 2022, the day animal control officers took the monkey from his home. On Feb. 7, court documents say Kordes, 34, opened the door to his apartment and saw people "with guns drawn." A spokesman for Cincinnati Animal Care, the organization that provides animal control services to the county, confirmed that its deputies (known as dog wardens) carry guns in the field. He declined to comment about the case. 'Neo' the capuchin monkey: What the case is about Kordes has convictions that are more than 10 years old for driving while intoxicated and disorderly conduct, court documents say. He was involved in a serious vehicle crash in 2017 that killed a passenger and led to vehicular homicide charges, Those charges were dismissed, according to Rabanus, because Kordes can't recall the crash and was deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial. He is still receiving medical care for his injuries, she said. For subscribers: Animal intakes are up 40% in Hamilton County. Why are we seeing more strays, cruelty? Since Feb. 7, Kordes has been on a legal odyssey that culminated Thursday when a Hamilton County grand jury indicted him on a charge of cruelty to companion animals, a low-level felony punishable by up to a year in jail. Court documents say the monkey's urine tested positive for amphetamines. Kordes' attorney, Lisa Rabanus, said she hasn't yet seen reports regarding those tests because her public records requests have been denied. She also said Neo is now in Florida. Story continues Why? "That's one of many questions I have," Rabanus said. She has filed a motion, asking a judge to return Neo to Kordes. Neo, she said, is his "emotional support animal." A hearing is set for May 12 in Common Pleas Court. Local monkey rescue organization A criminal case involving a captive monkey worth between $15,000 and $20,000 may be unprecedented in Hamilton County. Equally rare: On Thursday, a judge issued written order, telling Kordes to "stay away from companion/service monkey." Also involved in the case is woman who runs what she describes as a monkey rescue shelter in Clermont County. Teresa Bullock, of Misfitland Monkey Rescue in Moscow, knows Kordes and went to his apartment Feb. 6 after he called seeking help with Neo, who then was about 6 or 7 months old. Rabanus said Kordes bought Neo in August 2021. Vipers and adders and cobras, oh my! : Madeira considers rules for having dangerous snakes Bullock told The Enquirer that Kordes sent her text messages, saying Neo had gotten into chocolate, wasn't "moving right" and was crying. Kordes told her he also contacted a veterinarian who said to give Neo hydrogen peroxide, to make Neo vomit. Kordes later got back to her, saying Neo had stopped crying. According to Bullock, Kordes said she was still welcome to stop by, but he now believed Neo would be OK. Bullock went to Kordes' apartment, anyway, armed with a syringe filled with charcoal to help clear out the monkey's system. She told The Enquirer she suspected Kordes had given Neo "something." Once there, Bullock became concerned because Neo's coordination "was completely off." She said she tried to give Neo hamburger on a plate, "but he couldn't, with his hands, get the food from the plate to his mouth." Zoo news: Cincinnati Zoo adding new habitats for black bears and sea otters Bullock also was concerned because Kordes had owned a capuchin monkey that died shortly before he got Neo. She believes Kordes gave drugs to the other monkey. Bullock provided videos of Neo, apparently shot on Feb. 6, to her friend, the veterinarian in Florida, Jodi Thannum. On Feb. 7, Thannum called Cincinnati Animal Care, according to the search warrant, saying Kordes had a monkey "that was being given narcotics, such as adult amounts of Xanax and/or cocain(e)," and warned that the monkey could die. Two weeks after Kordes house was searched, he was charged with two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to companion animals. Those charges were eventually dismissed. Second search warrant Then on March 3, Cincinnati Animal Care sought a second search warrant to seize any narcotics, including amphetamines from Kordes apartment. It was searched the next day, and he was arrested because a shotgun was found in the home (it had belonged to his grandfather, Rabanus said, and Kordes didn't even know it was in the apartment). Because Kordes previously had been deemed incompetent to stand trial, he is not allowed to possess a gun. The gun and Kordes' prescriptions were seized, and prosecutors sought to charge him with felony cruelty to companion animals. But a grand jury ignored that charge on March 11. He remains charged with unlawful possession of a gun. A few days after the grand jury decided not to charge him, Rabanus asked a Hamilton County Municipal Court judge to order Neo to be "returned immediately" to Kordes. That request was denied, although Rabanus says there were many legal problems with the seizure of Neo, including that Cincinnati Animal Care didn't hold a hearing before a judge to determine if there was enough evidence for the seizure. More monkeys in the Queen City? No monkeys found in Cincinnati after multiple 911 calls overnight That law exists, she said, to provide safe measures for the care and keeping of an animal, if it isn't returned to the owner. "Although animals are still considered property under the law," she said in a court filing, "the fact that animals are living, breathing and feeling sentient beings demands this special hearing, which protects the due process rights of the owner and the animal." Prosecutors again brought the case before a grand jury, which indicted Kordes Thursday on the felony charge of cruelty to companion animals. He is free on a personal recognizance bond. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Man accused of drugging 'emotional support' monkey wants animal back Sunday marks 80 days since Whatcom County Sheriffs Office deputies Ryan Rathbun and Jason Thompson were both shot in the face while responding to a Feb. 10 dispute between neighbors in Peaceful Valley, and both are continuing to recover. Both Deputy Rathbun and Thompson are making progress in their injuries from the shooting, sheriffs office spokesperson Deb Slater told The Bellingham Herald in an email Friday, April 29. They are both still receiving care. Deputy Rathbun has received four eye surgeries (and counting). But Slater said both deputies, who have a combined 29 years of experience, are still hopeful that they will be able to return to active duty this year. They would also like to stress their gratitude to all of the community members who have sent their love and support, Slater wrote. Community support has been a theme since Peaceful Valley neighbors stepped in to assist Rathbun and Thompson after they were shot, as some neighbors reportedly returned fire while others pulled the injured deputies to safety and administered first aid until medical personnel arrived and took them to St. Josephs hospital in Bellingham. That spirit of support has continued, as the sheriffs office announced in a news release Friday that the Foothills Community Alliance from the Columbia Valley donated 60 trauma kits to the department. The kits include tourniquets, shears, gloves and bandages in a lightweight, compact package that will allow each deputy to carry medical supplies to quickly treat serious injuries they encounter in the field. Law enforcement is encountering a marked increase in violent assaults against officers and community members, Sheriff Bill Elfo said in the release. Deputies are often the first on the scene of these violent attacks. The Foothills Community Alliances generous donation of trauma kits will better equip deputies to quickly and effectively intervene in cases involving serious wounds and save lives. Story continues We are most appreciative of the support we receive from those we serve. The cost of the kits was approximately $5,000, Foothills Community Alliance Executive Chair Lisa McOmber told The Herald, adding that the donation was made because the group wanted to do something positive for the community and the sheriffs office following the shooting. We wanted to do something that showed deputies that we support them and we want to help them, McOmber said. We dont want them in harms way, obviously, but we also wanted to do something to bring the community together and reach out to those neighbors that witnessed the shooting. We wanted to do something to show the deputies that we appreciate their work and service, and we felt the trauma kits were something they could use. The non-profit Foothills Community Alliance has been looking for projects that will benefit the community in the Columbia Valley for approximately a year since receiving a $500,000 grant from the Mount Baker Foundation, McOmber said. Before the donation of the trauma kits, projects included donating money for a park, helping set up a communications hub out of Van Zandt and organizing an Easter egg hunt at Kendall Elementary. The man suspected of shooting Rathbun and Thompson, 60-year-old Joel Berck Young, pleaded not guilty Feb. 18 to two counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, one count of second-degree assault, one count of felony harassment, and six counts of reckless endangerment in Whatcom County Superior Court. Court records show Young, who is being held in the Skagit County Community Justice Center in lieu of $5 million bail, is currently scheduled to stand trial beginning June 13. Rathbun and Thompson also filed a civil lawsuit against Young on March 1. Aspiring and professional welders competed Friday in Welding Wars at Central Virginia Community College, the first time the event was held in person since 2019. It also was a chance for welding students from the high school and collegiate levels to connect with potential employers. The point behind it is just to raise the interest in welding, said Codie Cyrus, co-owner of C&C Piping and Fabrication. The idea behind the event stemmed from her husband, Cody Hurd, also a co-owner of C&C Piping and Fabrication. He wanted to find a way to keep welding, along with trades in general, moving forward. Cyrus said a lot of the businesses at the event are struggling to find workers. This is one piece of just our company doing a small part of trying to close that gap, Cyrus said. The contest Friday had high school students from the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties plus the city of Lynchburg, as well as students from CVCC and Virginia Technical Institute. There were 25 high school contestants, eight collegiate contestants and seven professional contestants. Jon Hardie, principal of the Campbell County Technical Center and member of the Welding Wars committee that helped put on this event, said it took about four to five months to plan. They offered five spots to each school division for the competition. Hardie said the committee kept hearing that companies need additional welders and machinists. The purpose of the event was really to help support workforce needs in the area, Hardie said. Twelves businesses set up tables and spoke with students. Jamie Glass, director of economic development for the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance, has been a part of this event since its start in 2018. Glass said notices were sent out to anyone who hires welders. We are seeing success from this event and being able to connect people to really good-paying jobs, Glass said. Glass said the Lynchburg region has a high concentration of metal workers compared to the rest of the nation. Lynchburg has more than 3,500 people working in steel and metals, with 57 companies in the region that are classified as some sort of metal-working business, according to Glass. She said the starting average wage for welding is about $21.39 per hour, while experienced welders make an average of $33 per hour. The event had 10 total winners in the afternoon. There were three winners on the collegiate level, six in the high school level and one in the professional level. Prizes included gift cards, tools, a trophy and welding equipment. Contestants were evaluated by three judges using a grading rubric. Some of the categories they were graded on included appearance, uniform width and thickness, face of bead, edge of bead, surrounding plate, penetration, beginning and ending full size. The three judges tallied up the points for each contestant and ranked them based on the total points accumulated from the grading rubric. Landon Coffey, of Amherst County High School; Jonah Cunningham, of Amherst County High School; Caitlyn Six from CVCC and Robert Harris from Southern Air earned first-place spots in the competitions Friday. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) will host a U.S. Service Academy Virtual Open House from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, May 2 and Tuesday, May 3. This will be an opportunity for Iowa students and their families to learn more about the five military service academies, including the application and nomination processes. The Academy Nomination Coordinators for Ernst and Grassley will provide an overview of the congressional nomination process and application requirements. They will be available to answer questions throughout the open house. Representatives from the Air Force Academy and Naval Academy will provide presentations on academy life and the application process Monday. The Military Academy at West Point, Coast Guard Academy and Merchant Marine Academy will provide presentations Tuesday. Representatives from all the academies will be present both nights to answer questions from Iowans in a live Q&A. Those interested can connect via WebEx at https://senate.webex.com/senate/j.php?MTID=ma3d9536090b34a262108aa4eebcd0478 with the password PNtPnpPS468 or by calling 1-415-527-5035 and using the access code 2760 860 9078. Every year, Ernst and Grassley each select 10 individuals to nominate to the Military, Air Force, Naval and Merchant Marine academies. More information on Ernsts nomination application is available at https://www.ernst.senate.gov/assistance/academy-nominations. To e-mail or call Ernsts Academy Coordinator in her Des Moines office, email Academy@ernst.senate.gov or call (515) 284-4574. For Iowans seeking to attend an academy for the 2023-2024 school year, the deadline to complete and submit Ernsts application is Oct. 21, 2022. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Algerian regime has fallen in its own trap when it unilaterally decided to shut down the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline (GME) to cut off the flow of gas to Morocco. However, the GME pipeline is used as of this week to supply Morocco with gas coming from Spain in reverse flow. Morocco will be able to purchase Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) on the international markets, unload it at a regasification plant on the Spanish mainland and use the Maghreb gas pipeline to bring it to its territory, said the Spanish Energy Ministry in a statement. Spanish authorities stressed that the gas that will be transported to Morocco will not come from Algeria. Spains reaction came after Algeria threatened to end gas supplies to the European country if Madrid sold any Algerian gas to other countries. Actually, irked by the prospect of reusing the GME in the opposite direction by transporting gas to Morocco, General Chengriha threatened to break Sonatrachs contract with Spain if Madrid decided to transport Algerian gas to a third destination, in reference to Morocco. The Algerian Ministry of Energy on its part said in a statement any amount of Algerian gas exported to Spain whose destination is other than those stipulated in the contracts, will be considered a breach of the signed agreement. This threat comes in a context of exacerbated animosity of the Algiers regime against Spain, which now supports Morocco on the Sahara issue and considers the Moroccan autonomy plan as the most serious, realistic and credible basis to resolve the regional dispute over the Sahara. Spain heavily depends on Algerias gas. In 2021, more than 40 percent of Madrids natural gas imports came from Algeria. Yet, despite this dependence, Madrid has radically changed its position regarding the Sahara conflict in March, and expressed clear support to Moroccos Autonomy Plan. Spain and Morocco reached an agreement to use the pipeline to transport LNG supplies purchased by Morocco on international markets. An agreement has been signed to this effect between the Moroccos Office for Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and the Spanish gas operator Enagas. This agreement breathes new life in the GME, after it was closed in October 2021 by the Algerian junta, which thought that it would disrupt Moroccos supply of natural gas. Spanish government spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez expressed her countrys determination to work with Morocco to forge cooperation in all areas, including energy. We have a commitment with Morocco, a neighboring country, which has many economic, social, and political implications, Rodriguez said in an interview with Cadena Sers Hora 25 program. She added that Spain is determined to build alliances with Morocco through different sectors. We will also work on energy, she said. The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) will contribute $14.3 to the funding of the second phase of the Front-End Engineering Study (FEED) of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project. The legal documentation relating to the $14.3 million financing granted by the OPEC Fund to the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) was signed Friday by Economy and Finance Minister Nadia Fettah, alongside OPEC Managing Director, Abdulhamid Al khalifa, and ONHYM Managing Director, Amina Benkhadra, the ministry said in a statement. Through its support for this project, a model of South-South cooperation, OPEC Fund strengthens its financial cooperation relations with Morocco and contributes to the economic and social dynamics of the Kingdom, the statement said. The study, ahead of the construction of the worlds longest offshore pipeline connecting Nigeria to Morocco, is co-funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). The study consists in preparing the documentation for the implementation of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project and in finalizing the related technical, financial and legal analyses, the statement said. The NMGP Strategic Project was initiated by King Mohammed VI and President Muhammadu Buhari and the related cooperation agreement was signed in May 2017. The 7,000-kilometer-long pipeline, crossing territorial waters of 13 countries, is intended to be a catalyst for the economic development of the North-West African region. It carries a strong desire to integrate and improve the competitiveness and economic and social development of the region. It also aims to boost the regional economy through the promotion of economic development in North West Africa, the development of job-generating industries, the reduction of gas flaring and the use of reliable and sustainable energy. Last February, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari expressed, during a phone call with King Mohammed VI, his countrys determination to carry out the pipeline project as soon as possible. The pipeline to deliver gas from Nigeria to Europe would supply countries along the way. Algerian opponent and Hirak figure Karim Tabbou was arrested on Friday in Algiers, announced the National Committee for the Release of Detainees (CNLD). Coordinator of the Democratic and Social Union (UDS, not authorized in Algeria), Karim Tabbou was arrested at home by the police, the Committee said in a post on Facebook without giving any details on the reasons for his arrest. Stop the instrumentalization of justice, opinion is not a crime, the post reads. This arrest comes after Karim Tabbou made statements in which he paid a tribute to Hakim Debbazi, a prisoner of conscience who passed away last Saturday in the prison of Kolea in Tipaza (70 km away from Algiers). In his publication, he held the authorities accountable for Debbazis death following a heart attack. The deceased had taken on his frail shoulders all the weight of the claims expressed in the Hirak, Karim Tabbou said. Karim Tabbou had been arrested on September 26, 2019 in another case, and had also been imprisoned for nine months for undermining national security. He has been sentenced a second time on March 24, 2020 to one year in prison for the same charge. North Platte Mayor Brandon Kelliher kicks off National Travel and Tourism Week on Monday with a proclamation at 9 a.m. at the Golden Spike Tower. The North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau will be saluting the power of travel throughout the week. On Wednesday, Executive Director Lisa Burke will present the 2022 Excellence in Tourism Awards at a luncheon at noon at the Best Western Plus. Nebraska Tourism Commission Director, John Ricks, will give the keynote address at the luncheon. National Travel and Tourism Week, the annual celebration of the contributions of the U.S. travel industry, will spotlight the critical role that travel will play in driving economic growth and building the path forward through the theme Future of Travel. This years theme elevates how the travel industry can restore the workforce, help communities recover, foster sustainability, usher in new innovations and reconnect travelers in the U.S. and around the world. Celebrated annually the first full week in May, the event was created by Congress in 1983 to elevate the economic power of travel in the U.S. The 39th annual celebration arrives as the industry looks ahead to future growth and success following the challenges of the past two years. NTTW has special significance this year as the travel industry looks ahead to a bright future, said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. This NTTW is an opportunity to recognize the collective strength of the U.S. travel industry and how we are rebuilding to be more dynamic, innovative, sustainable, and inclusive in the months and years to come. Before the pandemic, travel generated $2.6 trillion in economic output, supported 17 million American jobs, and delivered a $51 billion trade surplus to the U.S. evidence of the outsized role the industry will play in driving Americas recovery and future economic growth, Dow said. 2021 was a record-breaking year for the tourism industry in Lincoln County, grossing over $30 million dollars in lodging sales, Burke said. National Travel and Tourism Week is an opportunity to remind visitors and residents of the incredible contributions of the travel industry, not just to our local economy and workforce, but to our communitys identity and culture. Total travel and tourism spending in Lincoln County every year is over $105.2 million, generating 1,490 jobs with yearly earnings of nearly $26.4 million. The Road 702 Fire was listed at 97% contained on Friday morning, a week after the blaze started, according to a Nebraska Emergency Management Agency media release. The Nebraska Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed control of the scene. The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 had been in charge. The type 3 IMT will continue to provide rest and relief for local volunteer firefighters as they prepare to pick the fire back up on Saturday, Incident Commander Matt Holte of the Nebraska Forest Service said in the release. These local fire departments will be faced with a lot of needs and concerns as they continue to monitor and patrol the area after the outside resources have departed. We want to make sure they have recovered from their extraordinary efforts in the first days of this fire. The fire has burned 44,024 acres in Kansas and in Nebraska. Areas in Red Willow, Furnas and Frontier Counties have been affected by the blaze. Holte said the IMT is focusing efforts on the Republican River corridor south of U.S. Highway 6 where trees and vegetation are still smoldering. At the request of the state, the CIMT integrated with state officials and agencies, Earl Imler, NEMA preparedness and operation manager. said in the release. It was one team, one voice working with great cohesiveness and cooperation. The state would like to thank the team for its professionalism and dedication as it served the citizens of our state. High wind watches and warnings were expected Friday night into Saturday with blowing dust and ash near the burn scars. Wind gusts are expected to range from 50 to 65 mph. Auburn police have arrested former Auburn City Schools employee David Barkley Johnson on additional indictments from a Lee County Grand Jury. The additional charges include 15 counts of production of obscene material, 15 counts of possession of obscene material, four counts of sexual abuse first degree and two counts of enticing a child for immoral purposes, according to the police report. Police said the case first developed when the APD received a letter and report from the Boy Scouts of America regarding a possible sexual assault of a child dating back to the 1980s. Johnson was arrested in April 2021 after the police engaged in an investigation. Prior to his arrested he was listed as a maintenance supervisor for Auburn City Schools on the school systems website. After he was arrested, police said additional evidence was uncovered that linked him to crimes involving multiple victims. The APD continued to investigate all alleged crimes, which ultimately led to further criminal charges, the police report said. With assistance from the Alabama Attorney Generals Office, the cases were presented to a Lee County Grand Jury resulting in the 36-count indictment. Police said the victims were juveniles that Johnson knew, and the crimes occurred during a timeframe ranging from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Not all of the charges stem from Johnsons affiliation with Boy Scouts of America, according to police. Johnson was transported to the Lee County Jail, and held on a $1,215,000 bond. The investigation by the APD is ongoing and the Attorney Generals Office will assist with prosecuting cases. Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call the APD at 334-501-3140, or the Auburn Police tip line at 334-246-1391. Alabamas U.S. Senate race is ever so important. This race will usher in a conservative or a liberal. On April 20, Steve Flowers editorial magnificently opened the door for a glimpse of Mr. Durant. We must step up to void a shellacking of Alabamas image by this phantom, Mike Durant. Receiving a February invitation to meet with Mr. Durant, we gathered March 5 in my office. Having performed considerable research, I was prepared. Asked why he entered the race, Mr. Durant replied, I jumped into this race because there were only two candidates for U.S. Senator. Really? With no previous political skills, documented records show Mr. Durant has only voted in one Republican Primary his entire life when John McCain was running in 2008; hence, Mr. Durant never voted for Trump in a primary, and hes never once voted for an Alabama governor, sheriff or state legislator. Ouch! Lots of reasons to stay below the radar. No sir. This is Mike Durant. Enter Jake Harriman. Jake Harriman, ex-Marine turned into the Liberal Savior of the Democratic Experiment, founded More Perfect Union, pledging up to $15 million in support for Durant through the PAC system. Though publicly denying his acquaintance previously, Mr. Durant admitted in my office that liberal Jake Harriman had been to his home on more than one occasion. Harriman conferred with Zac Funderburk to form Alabama Patriots PAC (APP), which has received funds from More Perfect Union. Americas Promise PAC, formed April 2020, lists Jake Harriman as its treasurer and FEC filings show contributions to Durants campaign. Total contributions from APP are $2,145,168 and Americas Promise PAC are $3,706,800 per FEC filings through Q1, 2022. These contributions are onerous to follow, but that is full dark money fashion! So, whats the big deal if PACs donate to a candidate in Alabama? Alabamians do not like out-of-state money flowing to in-state campaigns. Period. So far over $5.9 million of mostly West Coast money has been sent to the Durant camp. Could there be any other reason than to buy an election? In Lee County, we call that deception, Mr. Durant. Last week, a fund-raising invitation to a May 2 Mike Durant event arrived. Location Provided Upon RSVP. That reception is Monday night... somewhere. The Who Is Mike Durant? mystery aligns with his platform, which is nonexistent, his scarcity, avoidance of the media, dodging questions on the 2011 newsclip on confiscating arms and more. That design of seclusion is his campaign style. Mr. Durant is to be commended and remembered for his service to our country. Absolutely. Some may think it unpatriotic to hold a veteran accountable, but veteran status, or Republican, or Democrat or Independent status alone is insufficient to cast votes for any candidate without a minimum knowledge of their person. Alabama voters, Alabama needs protecting from the liberal plans of Mr. Durant. Allen Harris is a contractor and developer and describes himself as no stranger to the political arena and involved in state workforce development. He can be reached at allenharris593@gmail.com Aww, I'm bummed I have to wait longer for The Marvels but I do enjoy Ant Man. Reply Thread Link the antman movies were the surprise sleeper hit of the MCU Reply Parent Thread Link Marvel can beat the Fantastic Four curse! F4 curse: Tbh thats a minor issue. Ive watched all of those silly movies and enjoy is too strong a word, but there are always things to like. Reply Thread Link I feel like thr F4 wouldn't really work well with the current mcu? Idk. Universe is already bloated as is. But still Reply Parent Thread Link i think they were the missing piece from the initial run tbh. I feel X-Men are the odd people out. Even tho they co-exist in the comics, the X-men universe always felt very seperate from everything else. In a world with mutants, is someone like Captain America or Spiderman or Iron Man bringing much WOW factor? Reply Parent Thread Link They need to set it in the 60s tbh Reply Parent Thread Link noooo, I don't want to wait that long for The Marvels :'( But I guess seeing Jonathan Majors sooner than expected is not so bad lol <3 I'm not too sad about Watts leaving tbh. Reply Thread Link *cough* bring in the x-men instead *cough* Reply Thread Link No kids tbh I need adult xmen Reply Parent Thread Link That's what I'm expecting. Reply Parent Thread Link would also love the women to be allowed to do anything other than be the centers of love triangles, ooc underpowered, and/or die tragically lol Reply Parent Thread Link mte Reply Parent Thread Link Nope, don't trust no-one with my X-peeps. Reply Parent Thread Link watts always seemed like a weird choice for ff. going from spidey to this just felt off. Reply Thread Link Ant Man 3?? I swear I do not remember there being a 2. I'm not joking. Reply Thread Link Ant Man 2 is amazing. I'm serious. It sounds awful but its cute and it works. Reply Parent Thread Link You should see it, its a fun little movie. I have such a soft spot for the Ant Man movies, they are the chicken soup of the MCU. Reply Parent Thread Link dropping Captain Marvel from the titile and renaming it The Marvels is still the oddest thing to me. Reply Thread Link ah yes that is weird. i thought it might have been related to marvels Reply Parent Thread Link Oh, that's what The Marvels is. Reply Parent Thread Link yes. excited for the Ant-Man. TI isn't returning, is her? Reply Thread Link depends when the news came out and when they filmed. doubtful. Reply Parent Thread Link i genuinely have no idea what i would want from a FF film at this point Reply Thread Link Mildly competent is at the top of my list. Reply Parent Thread Link lmao god yes that would be nice Reply Parent Thread Link Bob Chipman has some shitty takes on some things but his F4 pitch is pretty damn solid. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Thank Christ. Jon Watts is a hack and I'll be mad he cranked out such mediocre Spider-Man movies for the rest of my life. GIVE IT TO PEYTON REED, YOU COWARDS Reply Thread Link mediocore? Lolwut is this nonsense. bless your heart Reply Parent Thread Link Peyton Reed is on pretty much the same exact level of hackiness as Jon Watts though. The Ant-Man films could have been way better with a better director. Reply Parent Thread Link No thanks. The Ant-Man movies while fun are pretty low scale Reply Parent Thread Link you are right and you should say it more, the spiderman home series is awful Reply Parent Thread Link And this happened on the Queen's birthday what a blessing <3 Reply Thread Link My Cool Rider queen Reply Parent Thread Link with all this multiverse stuff happening, ima need a scene in which Chris Evans as Human Torch and Steve Rogers, and Michael B Jordan as Human Torch and Killmonger all interact. Reply Thread Link that would be so weird, it would give me more "it's a simulation" rather than multiverse, with some computer just recycling faces Reply Parent Thread Link Maybe Fantastic Four could work as a space exploration family series instead? IDK. I like how Moon Knight is mostly unconnected to the rest of the MCU and I think that could work for other heroes/groups as well. Reply Thread Link Im really sad about Watts because his Spideys were so fantastic and the feel of them would be perfect for a F4 film. However, I get that he wants a break from Superhero films and Marvel wants F4 sooner than later so he has to step down. They did say he will be returning to marvel eventually (probably more Spider films) Reply Thread Link yeah thats what I was thinking. maybe bc theyve already told him we want more spider men whenever youre ready and he made the wise choice to not take other big characters so that when its spider-man time hell be ready. not mad at that if so Reply Parent Thread Link lol another fantastic four Reply Thread Link Russian oil production could fall by as much as 17 percent this year as Western sanctions weigh on the industry. The EU is reportedly closer to announcing a potential full embargo on Russian oil following news that Germany has dropped its opposition to the measure. Oil prices are on the rise for the fourth consecutive day on renewed Russian supply concerns and potential demand destruction in China. Oil prices have risen for a fourth consecutive day with concerns over Russian supply disruptions trumping reduced demand expectations in China. Brent Crude climbed 1.7 percent to $109.40 per barrel, while WTI Crude moved up 1.03 percent to $106.50 per barrel. Both contracts are set to finish up on the week, and post their fifth straight monthly gains, buoyed by reports the European Union (EU) will phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year. Germany the blocs largest economy has dropped its opposition to the measure, which is being considered for inclusion in the EUs possible sixth package of sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February. Prices have been on a volatile journey in the proceeding two months, peaking at 14-year highs at $139 per barrel in early March before plummeting below the $100 milestone later that month as developed economies grappled with the prospect of supply shortages. The US and UK opting to impose sanctions on Russian energy supplies caused prices to spiral, exacerbated by tight markets amid OPEC+s persistent failure to raise output production in line with its modest pledged increases of 400,000 extra barrels per day. With pleas from the West to boost supplies falling on deaf ears, the US and members of the International Energy Agency (IEA) opted to flood the market with 240m barrels causing prices to tumble as President Joe Biden desperately seeks to contain the cost-of-living crisis ahead of key mid-term elections this year. The latest resurgence on both major benchmarks has been weighed down by continued Covid-19 lockdowns in China, the worlds biggest crude importer. The country has shown no signs of easing lockdown measures in Shanghai, despite the impact on its economy and global supply chains. However, prices are likely to remain elevated regardless, with fears of supply shortages continuing to escalate. Russian oil production could fall by as much as 17 percent this year, according to documents seen by news agency Reuters, as Western sanctions hurt investments and exports. Related: German Energy Giant To Pay For Russian Gas In Rubles Reflecting this reality, Exxon Mobil revealed earlier this week that the Russian unit Exxon Neftegas has declared force majeure for its Sakhalin-1 operations. The Sakhalin-1 project produces Sokol crude oil off the coast of Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, exporting about 273,000 barrels per day, mainly to South Korea, alongside Japan, Australia, Thailand, and the US. The energy giant revealed last month it would exit about $4 billion in assets and discontinue all its Russia operations, including Sakhalin 1. Meanwhile, OPEC+ is likely to stick to its existing deal and agree on another small output increase for June when it meets on May 5. By CityAM More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The countries that really take the lead in developing cutting edge innovative technologies in the auto sector are going to control the supply chains. The countries that take the lead in this race may very well determine the future control of global supply chains in an unprecedented way. China and the United States are racing for control over the global electric and autonomous vehicle supply chains. Competition between the United States and China in the realms of electric and autonomous vehicles could determine the future control of global supply chains in an unprecedented way, according to a lawmaker and several experts. Our competitors, particularly in China, are not holding back, said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) during an April 27 event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a security-focused think tank. We cannot fall behind on the global stage. Peters said that the future of the automotive industry was in electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous vehicles (AVs), and that the nation to best develop those industries would win a great advantage in the global marketplace. To that end, former Director of National Intelligence Adm. Dennis Blair noted that both EVs and AVs were singled out in Beijings Made in China 2025 industrial plan as part of its top 10 high-tech areas to seize leadership in. This, he said, demonstrated a clear effort to displace the United States as the lead controller of global supply chains and the international industrial ecosystem. If the United States loses full spectrum industrial capacity in the automotive industry, and this means designing the cars, testing them, building them, fixing them, the whole ecosystem, then we are hollowing out the industrial sector that we counted on to become the arsenal of democracy in the second world war, Blair said. The big picture is Chinas all-of-government push and the importance of the automotive sector to American industrial capability. Blair added that the ongoing technological decoupling of China from the rest of the world in terms of its data and systems standards would prove a vital component of how Sino-American competition in the sector unfolded. This sort of decoupling of the Chinese economy from the rest of the world is something you need to watch in this space, Blair said. It may be that separate AI [artificial intelligence] industries and AV technologies grow up in China and the rest of the world. Related: Bearish Momentum Grows, But Traders Remain Bullish On Crude John Bozzella, President of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, agreed that China could effectively seize control of vital supply chains by seizing industrial prominence in EV and AV technologies, thus pushing the United States out of access to vital technologies. The countries that really take the lead in developing cutting edge innovative technologies in the auto sector are going to control the supply chains, set the standards, set the running rules, and really own global markets, Bozzella said. With regard to EVs, you see the U.S. industry already behind China because were competing with a national effort, Bozzella added. With that in mind, Bozzella suggested that the United States would need to better unite the powers of its private industry with a national strategy, and work to develop the utilities and infrastructure needed to transition its industrial base to produce EV and AV technologies. The China story does suggest that this private sector leadership ought to be supported by a national strategy, Bozzella said. We are competing with the Chinese government, not the Chinese auto manufacturers. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: As a result of the EUs new energy policy, natural gas and LNG prices are expected to remain elevated for years to come. Europe is likely to import even more LNG in the coming years to displace as much Russian gas as possible. Europe is importing record volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as it looks to cut as much Russian gas consumption as soon as possible. Unlike in previous years, Europe is now the most attractive destination for global LNG flows, outbidding Asia for spot supply as prices and demand in Europe have soared after the EUs irreversible decision to stop being beholden to Putin for its gas consumption as fast as feasible. Amid soaring demand, however, LNG terminals in Europe are maxed out, limiting how many cargoes the continent can import now before planned new import and regasification terminals can be built and brought online. This has prompted suppliers keen on growing their LNG exports to Europe to offer cargoes at discounts of up to 20 percent to the prices at the Dutch TTF hub, the benchmark gas price for Europe, in order to secure slots at import terminals, traders tell Bloomberg. Europes record LNG imports mitigated the gas price action after Russia halted gas deliveries to EU members Poland and Bulgaria earlier this week. After jumping by as much as 24% on Wednesday morning when Bulgaria and Poland said their Russian gas supply had been cut off, natural gas prices in Europe pared gains later in the day and even eased on the following day. This was largely due to continued high LNG imports, the EUs vow to help affected member states, and significantly improved storage levels at the end of the winter heating season. Related: Libya May Reach Full Oil Production Within Days LNG exporters are now focused on Europe as a key import market and are reportedly willing to offer discounts now in order to win more customers in the future, as the EU looks to ditch Russia as a supplier as soon as it can afford it without causing a recession. Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe was plunged into an energy crisis in the autumn of 2021, with low levels of gas in storage and rebounding industry demand post-COVID. The war in Ukraine made Europe rethink its energy strategy, and the European Union has now drafted plans to cut EU demand for Russian gas by two-thirds before the end of 2022 and completely by 2030, possibly by 2027. Strong LNG demand in Europe while China grapples with fresh COVID-related lockdowns suggests that Europe will continue to be the preferred destination of spot LNG cargoes at least this year and next. The EU will seek to replenish gas in storage levels before next winter so it will be more prepared ifor rather whenRussia decides to halt gas flows to more EU customers, as it already did with Poland and Bulgaria. Europe will also look to import more LNG in coming years to displace as much Russian gaswhich met 40 percent of EU consumption pre-waras soon as possible. One of the most dependent large economies, actually the biggest economy in Europe, Germany, plans to build two LNG import facilities; one at Brunsbuettel and one at Wilhelmshaven. Germany doesnt currently have any LNG import terminals. In March, German LNG Terminal and Shell signed an agreement under which the supermajor will make a long-term booking of a substantial part of the Brunsbuettel terminals capacity for importing LNG. Germany, which until two months ago had only sporadically thought of LNG import terminals and imports, now seeks a long-term deal with one of the worlds top LNG exporters, Qatar. As a result of the EUs new energy policy, natural gas and LNG prices are expected to remain elevated for years to come. Gas prices will remain high until 2026 at least. Europe wants to rapidly minimize the 150 Bcm of Russian imports that meet about one-third of its demand. Theres nowhere near enough alternative gas supply available for the next four years until new volumes of LNG from the US and Qatar become available, Simon Flowers, chairman, and chief analyst at Wood Mackenzie said this week. Meanwhile, for Europe, its about maximizing pipeline imports from Norway, Azerbaijan, and North Africa; outcompeting Asia for flexible LNG; and managing demand. Throughout this period, Russia has leverage and can manipulate volumes; after 2026, prices should ease, Flowers noted. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Spring is here and many of us are dealing with seasonal allergies, which makes this a good time to tackle the subject on the Across the Sky podcast. In this second episode, the Lee Weather team Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia is joined by Dr. Theresa Crimmins to discuss the science behind spring blooms and allergens. Crimmins, Director for the USA National Phenology Network, has been with the organization since 2007. She received a B.S. and M.A at Western Michigan University and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. In her current role, she works to support the growth and use of phenology data and resources curated by the organization. Coming soon! On Monday, our third episode will drop and focuses on tornado season as well as the experience of Lee Weather Team members covering and living through these devastating weather events. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Future episodes will tackle topics such as spring pollen, the summer outlook, hurricane season and how weather impacts sporting events. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Fighting terrorism shared responsibility of international community: FM spokesperson Xinhua) 12:21, April 30, 2022 BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Friday said that fighting terrorism is a shared responsibility of the international community, calling for coordination and cooperation to combat terrorism. Zhao made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on the UN Security Council on Thursday condemning the terrorist attack in the University of Karachi in Pakistan, which claimed the lives of three Chinese nationals and one Pakistani and left several people injured. A press statement from the council expressed deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the governments of Pakistan and China, while underlining the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. The statement also urged all states to actively cooperate with the governments of Pakistan and China, as well as all other relevant authorities in this effort. Zhao said the press statement reflects the strong indignation and severe condemnation of the terrorist act by the international community. "Justice will not be absent, and evil acts will be severely punished," Zhao said, emphasizing that terrorism is a common enemy of all mankind, and combating terrorism is the shared responsibility of the international community. He called on all parties to strengthen coordination and cooperation, take all possible measures to combat terrorism, and jointly maintain world peace and tranquility. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji) Warren Buffett noted to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders near the start of Saturdays annual meeting that the company is being run by two guys whose combined age is approaching 190. Given that, Buffett joked that its important that shareholders get a chance to see them in person, just to be sure theyre still alive and functioning a chance they were denied the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Charlie always says, All I want to know is where Ill die, so, I wont go there, Buffett said to laughs. Its pretty sound. Its worked so far, Munger quipped in response. It was one of many familiar scenes inside the CHI Health Center on Saturday, with Berkshires 91-year-old chairman and his 98-year-old right-hand man once again cracking jokes in front of thousands of shareholders. Things were still not completely back to normal, as there were hundreds of empty seats in the upper reaches of the 17,000-seat CHI Center something not seen in past years when the meeting drew overflow crowds of more than 30,000 people. But after the pandemic forced the last two meetings to be streamed online, Buffett clearly relished the chance to bring Berkshires loyal and devoted shareholders back to his hometown for what he likes to call the Woodstock of Capitalism. This really feels good to be back and doing this in person again, he said right after he opened the meeting to 30 seconds of sustained applause. Buffett and Munger proceeded to hold court for more than six hours. Among countless topics, they explained the recent surge in Berkshire investment activity, revealed why Buffett has recently avoided discussing politics, handed out advice on how people can best weather the nations high inflation and offered their usual assurances on the companys prospects after Buffett and Munger are gone. Buffett showed that even at his age, he still has much physical endurance and mental acuity, easily recalling off the top of his head names and events from the distant past and numbers and details related to Berkshire holdings. Shareholders clearly were happy to see Buffett again, too. Sreeni Meka, a financial adviser from Memphis, Tennessee, had been regularly attending the annual shareholders meeting since 2007 until the pandemic forced it to go virtual the previous two years. I was feeling like a fish out of water for the past two years, he said. Im glad to hear from the Oracle of Omaha again. It means a lot. Buffett was asked early on about two big recent investments, in insurer Alleghany and in Occidental Petroleum. Both surprisingly came right after Buffett had written days earlier in his annual letter to shareholders that he and Munger saw little that excites us. Buffett noted that the CEO of Alleghany had sent him an annual report that Buffett happened to read the same February weekend that the letter came out. The reading got him more interested in the company that had long been on his radar. I decided it was a good place to put Berkshires money, he said. It was there in black and white. There is nothing mysterious about it. Buffett expressed amazement that he was able to buy 14% of Occidental. Considering that big institutional investors own about 40% of the companys stock, that amounted to nearly a fourth of the companys other remaining shares. He said it was as if the stock was poker chips, reflective of the gambling mentality many take toward buying and selling stocks as opposed to Buffetts buy-and-hold philosophy. Its almost a mania of speculation we now have, Munger agreed. Buffett said Berkshires operations have seen an extraordinary amount of inflation. Buffett explained that current inflation is a natural result of all the money the federal government pumped into the economy due to the pandemics sudden impacts on people and businesses. If they had not done it, lives would be a whole lot worse, he said. He said Berkshire is built to withstand such inflationary conditions, just as it has proved it can ride out big economic downturns like those seen in 2008 and 2020. We want Berkshire Hathaway to be in a position to operate if the economy stops, and that can always happen, he said. So with those cheery words In response to a question from a young investor, Buffett said the best way individuals can protect themselves from inflation is to develop a skill that people will pay them to perform regardless of what it costs. The best protection against inflation is your own earning power, he said. Your skill will not be taken away. Buffett also explained why he, in recent years, has been reluctant to venture into politics, saying he came to fear the backlash created for Berkshire, its companies and shareholders. This from a man who once defended his political statements by saying he did not put his citizenship into a blind trust when he took over as Berkshires CEO. He said he had learned in recent years that when he speaks on politics, he makes some people temporarily happy and others sustainably mad. Since they cant scream at me, they may have come against our companies, he said. Ive decidedly backed off. Buffett and Munger shared the stage with other top Berkshire managers Greg Abel and Ajit Jain, a tradition that started in last years remote meeting broadcast from California. The foursome early on faced questions about the performance of Berkshire railroad and insurance affiliates compared with leading competitors. One shareholder from Nebraska noted that Omaha-based Union Pacific railroad has been outperforming Berkshires BNSF in terms of operating ratio, in effect the efficiency of its operations. Abel, who oversees Berkshires noninsurance businesses, praised BNSFs operating performance, but acknowledged more needs to be done. Munger then asked Abel if he would trade BNSF for Union Pacific. Never, Abel said. We have a great franchise and a great leadership team running it. Buffett then offered his own praise for both railroads, including the competitor based in his hometown. A hundred years from now, (BNSF) will be a vital asset of the economy and a vital asset of Berkshire, he said. The U.P. will be here at that time, too, and it will be a better railroad 100 years from now, too. Jain, who oversees Berkshires insurance operations, was asked why auto insurer Progressive recently has been outperforming Berkshires Geico in profit margin and growth rate. Jain attributed it to the fact Progressive has a big head start in the use of telematics essentially using data from rateholders to better understand driver behavior. He said Geico has in recent years also gotten into telematics. It will take time to catch up, he said, but he expressed confidence that results will improve. Its a long journey, but the journey has started and the initial results are promising, he said. Buffett praised Jains long-term performance in running Berkshires insurance division, a major driver of Berkshire profits and cash. Ajit is responsible for adding more value to Berkshire than the total net value of Progressive, Buffett said. One shareholder asked how Berkshires insurance companies could be protected against huge claims in the event of a nuclear attack. Buffett said the simple answer was there was nothing that could be done. If such a horrific event were to occur, he said, youve got other things to worry about than the value of your Berkshire. Given the age of Berkshires leaders, the question of the durability of Berkshires culture naturally came up, as it does every year. Buffett again expressed confidence he has built a company that will endure long after he is gone. He noted that not only are Berkshires board and leaders committed to the current culture, the shareholders are, too. If we have the same culture, we will be here 100 years from now, he said. Berkshire is built forever. By the end of the meeting, it was clear Buffett has no plans to step away anytime soon. He talked about how much he loves to continue to build Berkshire. Its an ever-expanding canvas, he said, and I get to paint what I want. World-Herald staff writer Dan Crisler contributed to this report. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In his most recent annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffett called BNSF Railway one of the conglomerates Four Giants. With a record $6 billion in earnings and BNSFs mileage and cargo hauls topping the American railroad industry, Buffett wrote that Berkshire shareholders can be proud of your railroad. One group thats not proud of how BNSF Railway is operating: The union representing BNSF railroad workers. Dennis Pierce, president of the 33,000-member Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said Friday at a press conference in Omaha that BNSF as well as Omaha-based Union Pacific Railroad are both off the rails. Pierce said employees have worked long hours the last three years during the COVID-19 pandemic without raises. Pierce said that negotiations on a new labor contract have been going on since January 2020. Theres nothing that these union-represented employees at these railroads have asked for that these railroads cannot afford to provide, he said. In separate emails, spokespeople for BNSF and Union Pacific said collective bargaining negotiations are ongoing. BNSF spokesman Ben Wilemon the railroad has set aside money for pay raises in anticipation of an agreement. The sooner an agreement is reached, the sooner our union-represented employees get pay increases and we can all focus on what we do best running one of the largest freight rail networks in the world, he said. Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver said, Union Pacific believes our hard-working workforce deserve compensation that will keep them among the best paid in the nation. We need national agreements that provide raises, but the bargaining issues are complex and need more work before an agreement is reached. The union also takes issue with BNSFs new HiViz attendance policy. Pierce called that as well as UPs attendance policy draconian. The attempt is to keep people from taking a day off, and its working, Pierce said. Its also driving people out of the industry. Wilemon characterized BNSFs policy differently. He said the attendance policy, which has been in effect since February, was implemented to improve the consistency of crew availability with the goal of also improving schedule predictability. We understand that change is hard but, as with every other railroad and service business, delivering for our customers requires employees to be available to work their assigned shifts, he said. Wilemon added there has been no change in how much time off an employee receives, and said the time off between each shift averages 24 hours. He also said that BNSF has more train crew employees now compared to a year ago and that 300 new employees are currently being trained. Pierce said union employees ultimately could strike if they feel conditions dont improve and a contact they deem fair cant be reached. Striking, he said, would be a last resort. I got to be crystal clear: Were not here to hurt the supply chain, he said. There are ways to resolve this without impact to the supply chain. The first one is a fair contract offer. Meanwhile, Pierce said the union will continue a campaign that includes ads in The World-Herald and a mobile advertisement circling Omahas streets during the Berkshire shareholders weekend. Locomotive engineers and family members also will picket and hand out leaflets outside the CHI Health Center during the shareholders meeting Saturday. MONTREAL (AP) American pharmaceutical company Moderna will build a vaccine factory in Montreal, its first outside of the United States, the company and government officials announced Friday. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Trudeau said the factory will be operational as soon as 2024, will employ up to 300 people and able to produce 100 million doses of mRNA vaccines a year. It also will have a significant impact in the research that theyre doing on a range of illnesses, Trudeau said. We talked about Alzheimers, we talk about cancers, we talk about the range of things that messenger RNA is able to deliver to keep Canadians and people around the world healthy. Quebec Premier Francois Legault said the CDN$180-million ($140.5 million) factory will better prepare Quebec for future pandemics by reinforcing domestic supply chains and vaccine independence. The family of Noubar Afeyan, Modernas chairman and co-founder, fled to Montreal after escaping Lebanons civil war. Afeyan attended Loyola College and McGill University there before going to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the U.S. Since the start of the pandemic, Trudeaus government has invested CDN$1.6 billion (US$1.25 billion) in some 30 projects related to biomanufacturing, vaccines and therapies. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Thousands of firefighters battled destructive wildfires in the Southwest as more residents prepared to evacuate Friday into the weekend in northern New Mexico where strong winds and dangerously dry conditions have made the blazes hard to contain. The biggest fire in the U.S. grew to more than 117 square miles (303 square kilometers) through the afternoon northeast of Santa Fe. Gusty winds prevented any aerial attacks by midmorning and crews lost some of the containment they had established in previous days. The rapid rate of the spread of the fire was exceeding dire predictions in some areas, incident commander Carl Schwope said Friday night. "Were in a very dangerous situation. Evacuation statuses are changing as we speak, he warned at a briefing in Las Vegas, New Mexico, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Santa Fe. More air and ground forces were on the way, he said, to fortify the nearly 1,000 firefighters on the fire lines there and winds that gusted up to 65 mph were beginning to subside as nightfall approached. There were no immediate reports of any new structures have been lost since the local sheriff confirmed Thursday night at least 166 homes have been destroyed in northeast New Mexicos rural San Miguel County. But erratic wind shifts in some of the driest conditions the region has seen in years were forecast again Saturday, and authorities were making preparations to evacuate some residents as far north as Taos. Just getting people out of the way, thats been the mission today, Sheriff Chris Lopez said at the briefing in Las Vegas. Some of the most active fire was heading in the direction of that town but he said the town itself was not in immediate danger. Fire lines were bolstered outside the rural New Mexico community of Ledoux in efforts to save structures, and they appeared to be holding. More than 2,000 firefighters were battling fires in Arizona and New Mexico on Friday about half of those in northeast New Mexico, where a total of more than 187 square miles (484 square kilometers) of mostly timber and brush have been charred. Red flag warnings for extreme fire danger were in place Friday for nearly all of New Mexico and parts of Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. The fires are burning unusually hot and fast for this time of year, especially in the Southwest, where experts said some timber in the region is drier than kiln-dried wood. We still have some fire weather to get through tonight, tomorrow and several days afterwards," fire behavior specialist Stewart Turner said at Friday night's briefing in Las Vegas, New Mexico. It's very important that everybody pays attention to the evacuation orders because this is a very, very serious fire very dangerous fire behavior out there. Matthew Probst, Las Vegas-based medical director for the health clinic network El Centro Family Health, said the nearby fire has swept through impoverished communities already frayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Here, you're losing meager homes, but it's everything. It's all they had, said Probst, a coordinator of county health services for wildfire evacuees. Rural families in the area were caught off guard after heading home from an early evacuation only to be ambushed by a fast-moving fire last week. A 79-year-old widow from the tiny community of Sapello left her house and a blue heeler cattle dog for a doctors appointment, with boxes packed for possible evacuation with jewelry and her 1964 wedding photos. Winds kicked up, and police said it was too late to go back for anything. "They said, No maam, its far too dangerous, said Sonya Berg in a phone interview Friday from an emergency shelter at a nearby middle school. A close friend says the house burned, but Berg doesn't want to believe it. A neighbor rescued the dog. Im in denial until I go and see it, said Berg, whose husband passed away in 2019 and was buried outside the home. Hes up there, hes been through the whole thing. Im hoping the gravestone we put up is still there. In the Jemez Mountains east of Los Alamos, another wildfire spanning 12 square miles (30 square kilometers) crept in the direction of Bandelier National Monument, which closed its backcountry hiking trails as a precaution while central visiting areas remained open. In northern Arizona, authorities are nearing full containment of a 30 square-mile (77 square-kilometer) blaze that destroyed at least 30 homes near Flagstaff and forced hundreds to evacuate. A top-level national management team turned it back over to the local forest Friday. Its pretty stable for the most part, said Coconino National Forest spokeswoman Randi Shaffer. Were not seeing any forecasted crazy weather patterns. We have fire crews monitoring, all of our suppression efforts have been holding. Some residents near another fire 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Prescott havent been allowed back home. Firefighters have about one-third of the 14 square-mile (37-square-kilometer) fires perimeter contained. Lighter winds were expected into the weekend, but low humidity will be a concern, fire officials said. Associated Press writer Scott Sonner contributed to this report from Reno, Nevada. Attanasio reported from Santa Fe. Attanasio is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. ATLANTA (AP) Add one more group of contests to the white-hot races for Congress and governor that will dominate this year's midterm elections: secretaries of state. Former President Donald Trump's attempts to reverse the results of the 2020 election and his subsequent endorsements of candidates for state election offices who are sympathetic to his view have elevated those races to top-tier status. At stake, say Democrats and others concerned about fair elections, is nothing less than American democracy. If they win the general election, weve got real problems on our hands, said former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, a Republican who has pushed back against the false claims made by Trump and his allies about widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. This is an effort to replace the people who oversee these races to change the rules to make the results come out the way they want them to. The primary season begins in force in the coming week with elections in Ohio and Indiana. Ohio voters will decide which candidate will emerge from the Republican primary for secretary of state, with the winner favored to eventually win the office in the GOP-dominated state. Primaries for the top election offices will follow over the next few weeks in Nebraska, Idaho, Alabama and the presidential battleground of Georgia. While Indiana also holds a primary Tuesday, nominees for secretary of state and some other offices won't be decided until party conventions in June. In all, voters in about two dozen states will be deciding who will be their states next chief election official this year. In three politically important states - Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas the position will be filled by whoever wins the governors race. In New Hampshire, the decision will be made by the state Legislature currently controlled by Republicans. States United Action, a nonpartisan advocacy organization co-founded by Whitman, has been tracking secretary of state races and identified nearly two dozen Republican candidates who deny the results of the 2020 presidential election. That includes John Adams, a former state lawmaker challenging Ohio's incumbent secretary of state, Frank LaRose, in Tuesdays GOP primary. Adams has said theres no way that Trump lost" and said LaRose wasnt any different than Stacey Abrams, a Democrat and national voting rights advocate who is running for governor in Georgia. LaRose hasnt talked much about the 2020 election in the campaign other than to say it was secure in Ohio and to tout his offices pursuit of voter fraud cases. This marked a departure following the 2020 vote in which he praised the work of bipartisan election officials in running a smooth election, promoted voter access and presented statistics showing how rare voter fraud is. Earlier this year, LaRose brushed aside questions about his shifting rhetoric. Unfortunately, some people want to make a political issue out of this, he said. Of course, its right to be concerned about election integrity. The pivot was enough to earn him an endorsement from Trump, who is considering another run for president in 2024 and said LaRose was dedicated to Secure Elections. LaRose has been touting the endorsement. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, said it was important for Republican secretaries of state, in particular, to speak the truth about the 2020 election. Those secretaries who are accepting the support of election-deniers or accepting the support of a former president who openly interfered with the results of a free and fair election are abdicating their role and responsibility to stand as nonpartisan guardians and choosing to put their own partisan agendas ahead of democracy, Benson said in an interview. This year, the most high-profile races will unfold in four of the six states where Trump disputed his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Michigan. Trump has endorsed secretary of state candidates in all but one, backing those who support his false claims. There is no proof of widespread fraud or wrongdoing. Judges, including ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed by the former president and his allies after the 2020 election. Last year, an Associated Press review of every potential 2020 voter fraud case in the six states disputed by Trump found nowhere near enough cases to change the outcome. Kristina Karamo, Trumps pick in Michigan, is the first to advance to the November election after state Republicans nominated her at the party's April 23 convention. A community college professor, Karamo gained prominence after the 2020 election claiming she had seen irregularities in the processing of mail ballots while serving as an election observer in Detroit. At a rally with Trump before the convention, she accused the media of trying to demonize her, adding corruption in our elections systems is a national security threat. She will face Benson, a former law school dean seeking her second term. All one has to imagine is what it would be like or what it would have been like if Brad Raffensperger had said, Yes, I will find you those votes and deliver Georgia for you, Benson said. Thats what could happen if you have an election denier serving as secretary of state. Raffensperger is the Republican secretary of state in Georgia who withstood enormous pressure to uphold the results of the presidential race there, won by Biden. At one point after the election, Trump called Raffensperger and asked him to find nearly 12,000 votes to overturn Biden's win. Of the 25 secretary of state races on the ballot this year, nine Republican and seven Democratic incumbents are running to keep their seats. While only one of the Democratic incumbents has drawn a challenger, seven Republican secretaries will be facing at least one GOP opponent who either denies Biden won or makes unsubstantiated claims that elections are not secure. This includes Raffensperger, who rebuffed Trump's demands and has drawn three primary challengers. Among them is one endorsed by Trump, U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, who objected to Georgias electoral votes being counted for Biden. In nine states, incumbents have opted against seeking reelection, are running for higher office or are term-limited, leaving open contests. This includes Arizona and Nevada, which hold primaries in the coming months. Both races feature Republican candidates -- Arizonas Mark Finchem and Nevadas Jim Marchant -- who have questioned the outcome of the 2020 election. Another high-profile race is unfolding in Colorado, where a Republican county clerk under indictment for a security breach of voting systems is running to challenge Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat seeking a second term. Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. She has been a frequent guest on conservative media and appeared at various events with Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and Trump ally who has sought to prove voting machines were somehow manipulated in 2020. In an interview earlier this year, Peters said she was committed to finding the truth of what happened in 2020 and hoped the powers that be instead of taking time to attack me would solve violent crime, would look into election irregularities and find the truth. Colorado Republicans will be deciding who their nominee will be in late June. Americans are going to have a very simple choice do we want people overseeing elections who believe in upholding the will of the voter regardless of how they voted? said Griswold. Or do we want extremist politicians who will do anything it takes to tilt elections in their favor and claim victory regardless of how the American people cast their ballot? Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. BRUSSELS (AP) Cutting off natural gas to Poland and Bulgaria cost Russian President Vladimir Putin very little but it is adding stress on European countries wrestling with how to reduce the energy imports feeding the Kremlin's war chest and how to keep a united front on the war in Ukraine. European Union officials say yielding to Putin's demand to pay for gas in rubles would violate Western sanctions imposed over the invasion. Poland and Bulgaria were cut off after refusing the demand and say they will manage because they were already working to end their dependence on Russian energy supplies. Analysts say there is enough ambiguity in the European stance to allow the Kremlin to keep trying to undermine unity among the 27 member countries even if an implied threat to cut off major customers such as Germany and Italy may turn out to be an empty one because it would cost Russia heavily. The cutoff sent a chill through EU officials wondering how their utility companies will heat homes and generate electricity next winter. Putin got maximum disruption of what he regards as a hostile alliance for minimal costs because Poland and Bulgaria are relatively minor customers who were about to end their contracts at year's end anyway. Poland's entire gas import was only 10 billion cubic meters per year, out of total European imports of 155 billion from Russia. Gas in roughly that amount is already flowing to Poland from other European countries pitching in to help. Russian energy giant Gazprom has lost relatively little revenue but opened a new front in its confrontation with Europe. Putin is creating "a system where he can basically divide countries as we are seeing for the ones that don't want to comply with this new scheme will be cut off, while others will try to comply and essentially go against the European Union indication," said Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert and senior fellow at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. European payments for Russian oil and gas amount to $850 million a day even as governments condemn the war. It's the result of decades in which Russia was regarded as a reliable supplier of cheap gas despite warnings from Poland and other central and Eastern European countries that Russia could use energy as a weapon. While Europe needs the oil and gas, those sales are the main pillar of the Kremlin's budget. John Lough, an associate fellow in the Russian and Eurasia program at the Chatham House think tank, said Russias cutoff of Poland and Bulgaria was meant as a signal to major importers Germany and Italy, which both get 40% of their gas from Russia. But if they have to follow through on their threats, then they have to cut off the nose to spite their face, he said of Russian officials. And thats a big problem. So its a kind of game of chicken. A wide-ranging gas cutoff would hit industrial users that cant easily substitute other energy sources. Liberty Ostrava steel works in the Czech Republic has no short-term solution to replace natural gas because a changeover would take nine to 12 months, spokeswoman Barbora Cerna Dvorakova said. European Union countries or companies that agree to the terms of a Russian presidential decree insisting they pay their gas bills in rubles will be in breach of the blocs sanctions, senior EU officials said Thursday. Around 97% of European gas contracts with Russia are in euros or dollars. Under Putin's new payment system, the Kremlin has said importers would have to establish an account in dollars or euros at Russias third-largest bank, Gazprombank, then a second account in rubles. The importer would pay the gas bill in euros or dollars and direct the bank to exchange the money for rubles. The sanctions violation essentially comes with the use of the second bank account because the ruble conversion involves a transaction involving Russia's sanctioned central bank. The EUs executive branch, the European Commission, says companies could remain in compliance by paying in euros or dollars per their contract, then making a clear statement to Gazprombank that their payment obligations are over. That leaves an opening for the Kremlin to accept the statement or not a potential pressure point for member countries. Russia has Europe "over a barrel in the sense of making it a requirement that if they want any gas, then theyll have to break their own sanctions by paying for it in rubles, said David Elmes, an energy expert at Warwick Business School. And so theyre calling Europes bluff, if you like. Which do you want to do on the gas or do you want the sanctions? Uniper, Germanys biggest importer of Russian gas, said it has been paying in euros and will continue to do so but indicated that it would be prepared to open a second account in rubles. We believe that a change of payments which conforms to sanctions laws and the Russian decree is possible, the company said in a statement. Whats clear is that Uniper will continue to pay in euros. The company declined to say when and under what conditions it would open the ruble account. It said doing without Russian gas at short notice isnt possible, it would have dramatic consequences for our national economy. That's why EU sanctions so far have avoided Russian oil and gas. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged Thursday that any interruption would have consequences for the economic situation. Italian officials said they were waiting for further guidance from the EU on whether the payment workaround violates sanctions. Carlo Bonomi, head of Italys main business lobby Confindustria, said he didnt think Russia would cut natural gas deliveries to Italy. Obviously, its a situation in continuous evolution, but regardless, the government is working with the aim of making Italy independent in case of any escalation," he said. We are optimistic. But Putin may be playing a longer game, knowing that next winter will put more pressure on gas supplies. The European Unions executive commission has unveiled proposals to cut reliance on Russian gas by two-thirds by the end of the year through additional supplies of liquefied gas by ship, faster rollout of wind and solar, and tough conservation measures. Coordinated action on diversifying energy sources could be a victim of Putin's ruble payment demand as some countries get exemptions and other don't, Tagliapietra said. How can we have a joint energy response if different countries are doing, or not, business with Putin?" he said. Kirka contributed from London, and Jordans from Berlin. Karel Janicek in Prague and Maria Grazia Murru and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) After Truitt Pace admitted to law enforcement that he beat and shot his wife, her family expected a swift conviction. The 34-year-old mother of threes tiny frame was so bruised and traumatized that the funeral home suggested a closed casket. But as months went by, prosecutors told Marsha Harbours family they were waiting on a key piece of evidence: the medical examiners autopsy report. National standards recommend most autopsy reports be completed within 60 days. Prosecutors in Harbours case waited for a year. Across Mississippi, many families wait even longer. An Associated Press analysis based on state data and documents, as well as dozens of interviews with officials and residents, found that Mississippis system has long operated in violation of national standards for death investigations, accruing a severe backlog of autopsies and reports. Autopsies that should take days take weeks. Autopsy reports that should take months take a year or longer, as in Harbours case. Too few pathologists are doing too many autopsies. Some cases are transferred hundreds of miles to neighboring states for reports without their familys knowledge. The Mississippi State Medical Examiners Office was waiting for about 1,300 reports from as far back as 2011, records sent to AP in early April show. Around 800 of those involve homicides meaning criminal cases are incomplete. District attorneys have resigned themselves to long waits: Were at a point now where were happy if its only a year, said Luke Williamson, who's been a prosecutor for 14 years in northern Mississippi. The National Association of Medical Examiners, the office that accredits U.S. death investigations offices, dictates that 90% of autopsy reports should be returned within 60 to 90 days. Mississippis office has never been accredited. The majority of U.S. medical examiner agencies, underfunded and facing a shortage of forensic pathologists, are unaccredited. States such as Georgia have raised the alarm about report delays of up to six months. But nowhere is the issue more severe than in Mississippi. Mississippis delays are an emergency-level concern, said Dr. James Gill, the associations 2021 president. Thats a disaster situation where you need to do something drastic. Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell is a former Mississippi Court of Appeals judge who stepped into his role in May 2020. He said eliminating backlogs is his top priority. Working as a judge, he saw trials delayed while prosecutors awaited reports. Families deserve better. I'm sorry that they've had to experience delays in laying to rest loved ones. Tindell said hes instituted a policy that all reports must be back within 90 days. Using contractor pathologists in other states, the office began whittling down the backlog. Tindell said around 500 cases have been completed since summer. But Tindell said its a challenge trying to fix old problems while facing new ones: the pandemic and increasing violent crime. Mississippi saw 597 homicides in 2021 and 578 in 2020 record numbers for the state of 3 million. Thats compared with 434 in 2019 and 382 in 2018. Arkansas, with a similar population, had 347 homicides in 2021 and 386 in 2020. From 2020 to April 2022, Arkansas employed five to seven pathologists performing autopsies. Mississippi employed two to three, as people left jobs. Tindell said the forensics laboratory and medical examiner's office haven't been a state priority for funding or staffing in over a decade. The forensic laboratory's budget has essentially remained unchanged since 2008. But during Mississippi's 2022 legislative session, lawmakers approved $4 million that must be used to address backlogged cases. Like most states, Mississippi does not perform an autopsy a post-mortem surgical procedure by a forensic pathologist to determine cause of death for all people. Autopsies are reserved for homicides, suicides, deaths of children and those in correctional facilities, and other unexpected cases. Forensic pathologists are responsible for performing autopsies at Mississippis two medical examiner offices one in the Jackson metro area, one on the coast. After the autopsy, pathologists complete a report explaining their findings and results, including an official cause of death. Reports can help determine whether a death was an accident, a suicide or a homicide. They shed light on child deaths, or show whether a person accused of murder acted in self-defense. In the Harbour case, the autopsy report was the critical piece of evidence after Pace claimed self-defense for shooting his wife. At the December 2021 trial where Pace was sentenced to life in prison, a medical examiner said Harbour suffered from blunt force trauma wounds consistent with being beaten before she was shot. Harbour had endured months of abuse. She once went to a domestic violence shelter. But she worried for her children's safety and never went to the police. Because Pace had no criminal record, he was released on bond days after his arrest. Harbours stepmother, Denise Spears, said she and her family felt dejected as they went to the mailbox month after month to find notices that the trial was being pushed back. Pace didn't stand trial until more than three years after killing his wife. One of the worst parts was explaining to her grandchildren why the man who killed their mother was able to live free for years, Spears said. It was hard for me to explain to them," Spears said, "because I couldnt understand it either. Tindell said problems won't be fixed until the state is able to hire more pathologists. The National Medical Examiners Association standards recommend that pathologists perform no more than 250 autopsies a year. In 2021, two Mississippi pathologists performed 461 and 421 autopsies. Arkansass six pathologists completed an average of 282 each. To meet demand, the Mississippi Medical Examiners Office has been forced to send bodies to neighboring states like Arkansas. In 2021, 284 autopsies were completed by contractor pathologists. The National Medical Examiners Association recommends autopsies be completed within 72 hours. Turnaround time in Mississippi has exceeded three weeks in some cases. Clayton Cobler coroner in Lauderdale County, where Harbour was killed said families try calling the medical examiners office for answers about the status of autopsies and reports, and they often dont hear back. Each of Mississippi's 82 counties has an elected coroner responsible for collecting and transporting bodies to the medical examiner's office. They end up acting as liaisons with families and answering desperate calls, Cobler said. More and more coroners or long-term coroners are saying, Im done,'" said Cobler, who recently decided not to run for reelection. "Its too heartbreaking. Leah Willingham is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. HOUSTON (AP) A Texas appeals court on Monday delayed the execution of Melissa Lucio amid growing doubts about whether she fatally beat her 2-year-old daughter in a case that has garnered the support of lawmakers, celebrities and even some jurors who sentenced her to death. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a request by Lucios lawyers for a stay of execution so a lower court can review her claims that new evidence would exonerate her. Lucio had been set for lethal injection Wednesday for the 2007 death of her daughter Mariah in Harlingen, a city of about 75,000 in Texas southern tip. Prosecutors have maintained that the girl was the victim of abuse and noted that her body was covered in bruises. Lucio's lawyers say Mariah died from injuries she sustained in a fall down a steep staircase several days before she died. I am grateful the court has given me the chance to live and prove my innocence," Lucio said in a statement provided by her lawyers. Mariah is in my heart today and always. I am grateful to have more days to be a mother to my children and a grandmother to my grandchildren. I will use my time to help bring them to Christ. I am deeply grateful to everyone who prayed for me and spoke out on my behalf. Lucio's mother, Esperanza Trevino, tearfully thanked all of her daughter's supporters, saying, Thank God for the miracle." Lucio was first told her execution had been delayed in a phone call with state Rep. Jeff Leach, a Republican who has helped lead a bipartisan effort to halt her execution, said Vanessa Potkin, one of Lucios attorneys who is with the Innocence Project. She sobbed. She was just overwhelmed," said Potkin. In a statement, Leach said he was grateful the appeals court had pushed the pause button on her execution, saving the state of Texas from the irreversible blunder of potentially killing an innocent citizen." The execution stay was announced minutes before the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles had been set to consider Lucio's clemency application to either commute her death sentence or grant her a 120-day reprieve. The paroles board did not review her clemency petition because of the execution stay. If the case were to come back before the board in the future, Lucio's lawyers would have to file a new petition. Lucios attorneys say her capital murder conviction was based on an unreliable and coerced confession that was the result of relentless questioning and her long history of being sexually, physically and emotionally abused. They say Lucio wasnt allowed to present evidence questioning the validity of her confession. Her lawyers also contend that unscientific and false evidence misled jurors into believing Mariahs injuries could have been caused only by abuse and not by medical complications from a severe fall. It would have shocked the publics conscience for Melissa to be put to death based on false and incomplete medical evidence for a crime that never even happened," said Potkin. "All of the new evidence of her innocence has never before been considered by any court. The courts stay allows us to continue fighting alongside Melissa to overturn her wrongful conviction." Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz, whose office prosecuted the case, said in a statement he expected the execution to be delayed because various legal issues remain unresolved. I welcome the opportunity to prosecute this case in the courtroom: where witnesses testify under oath, where witnesses may be cross-examined, where evidence is governed by the rules of evidence and criminal procedure ... That is our criminal jurisprudence system, and it is working," said Saenz, who was not in office when Lucio was tried in 2008. During a sometimes contentious Texas House committee hearing on Lucios case this month, Saenz had said he disagreed with Lucios lawyers claims that new evidence would exonerate her. Prosecutors say Lucio had a history of drug abuse and at times had lost custody of some of her 14 children. In its three-page order, the appeals court asked that the trial court in Brownsville that handled Lucios case review four claims her lawyers have made: whether prosecutors used false evidence to convict her; whether previously unavailable scientific evidence would have prevented her conviction; whether she is actually innocent; and whether prosecutors suppressed evidence that would have been favorable to her defense. It was not immediately known when the lower court would begin reviewing her case. Tivon Schardl, one of Lucio's lawyers, said they hope to convince the trial judge to recommend a new trial. If such a recommendation is made, that would then be sent to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which would make the final decision on a new trial. More than half the members of the Texas Legislature had asked that her execution be halted. A bipartisan group of state lawmakers traveled this month to Gatesville, where the state houses female death row inmates, and prayed with Lucio. One of those lawmakers, El Paso Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody, tweeted that he was relieved for Lucio. A stay confirms what weve said all along: Melissa Lucio shouldnt be on death row," he wrote. Five of the 12 jurors who sentenced Lucio and one alternate juror have questioned their decision and asked that she get a new trial. Lucios cause also has the backing of faith leaders and celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, and it was featured on HBOs Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. PHOENIX (AP) Former Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel, who recently resigned amid controversy over her performance in office, died Saturday of unspecified health complications, her family announced. She was 45. Adel's husband, David DeNitto, said in a statement released on behalf of the family that they were utterly heartbroken by this unimaginable loss." The familys statement did not elaborate on the cause of death but said that relatives requested that the the press and the public honor her, her legacy and our family by respecting our privacy at this difficult time, Adel, a Republican and the first woman elected as Maricopa County attorney, had been criticized over issues that included dismissal of 180 misdemeanor cases because charges were not filed before the statute of limitations expired. She also faced scrutiny over whether an acknowledged alcohol abuse problem had affected her ability to do the job. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey called Adel's death tragic. The hearts and prayers of Arizonans are with Allisters family, colleagues and close friends. May she rest In peace," Ducey said on Twitter. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, Adel's interim successor, said Adel's many years of service to our community leaves a legacy that impacted crime victims, first responders, and animals, just to name a few." Adel was appointed to the office in October 2019 to fill a vacancy and she was elected to the office in November 2020. She resigned in March, saying in a statement that winning the office had been an honor. Adel underwent emergency surgery on election night in 2020 for a brain bleed. She was back on the job full-time by the following spring. In August 2021, she went into rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, an eating disorder and other issues. In September, she confirmed she was working remotely from an out-of-state treatment facility. Mitchell was among five criminal division chiefs in Adel's office who in February called into question Adels ability to do her job, saying she rarely was in the office, showed signs of being inebriated during phone calls and had not provided leadership. Adel responded that she was not planning to resign and that she vehemently disagreed with their characterization of her. Adel then faced tough criticism for the dismissal of the 180 misdemeanor cases that included people who had been charged with drunken driving, domestic violence, assaults and criminal damage. Asked about the dismissals, Ducey had said leaders should take accountability for their actions and not blame their employees. Adel then apologized to the victims in those cases and said she took responsibility for what had happened in her office. Adels office and the Phoenix Police Department also were criticized for a later-dismissed gang case brought against demonstrators at an October 2020 protest against police brutality. Lawyers hired by the city to investigate said authorities didnt have credible evidence to support the claim that protesters were members of an anti-police gang. Adel acknowledged that her office made mistakes in the case. Adel is survived by her husband and two children. Funeral arrangements will be released later, the family statement said. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. ELOY, Ariz. (AP) The pilot in charge during a forbidden Red Bull plane-swapping stunt said Friday he takes full responsibility for the ensuing crash over the Arizona desert. Luke Aikins, the lead pilot, admitted in a post on his Instagram that he disregarded a denial from the Federal Aviation Administration two days before Sunday's mid-air crash. I made the personal decision to move forward with (the) plane swap. I regret not sharing this information with my team and those who supported me, Aikins wrote. He said he would cooperate fully with the FAA and any other regulatory agencies. Aikins and another pilot flew separate single-engine Cessna 182 airplanes up to 14,000 feet (4 kilometers) Sunday evening as part of a stunt to promote the energy drink company. They tried to switch planes as the aircraft descended. One plane spun out of control and crashed near Eloy, roughly 65 miles (104 kilometers) southeast of Phoenix. The pilot was able to parachute out safely. The second pilot regained control of the other plane and landed safely. It was not clear what possible penalties Aikins could face. Elizabeth Isham Cory, an FAA spokeswoman, said the agency does not comment on open investigations. But the FAA provided a copy of a letter denying Aikins' request. Aikins had petitioned for an exemption from the rule that pilots must be at the helm with safety belts fastened at all times. He argued the stunt would be in the public interest because it would promote aviation in science, technology, engineering and math. Robert Carty, FAA deputy executive director of flight standards service, denied the exemption. Red Bull, known for organizing wild promotional stunts, said in a statement it looks forward to continuing to work with Aikins. The company called him a courageous, highly skilled athlete who has been honest about his role in the incident. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A second woman has come forward publicly with allegations that Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles W. Herbster groped her. Elizabeth Todsen alleges that Herbster sexually groped her while greeting her table during the Douglas County Republican Partys 2019 Elephant Remembers dinner, according to a statement released by her attorney. She claims the incident occurred the same night that State Sen. Julie Slama accuses Herbster of groping her at the event. Todsen, a former legislative assistant to State Sen. Dave Murman, was one of the eight women who accused Herbster of groping them in a Nebraska Examiner report released April 14. At the time, Slama was the only named accuser. Herbster alleges the accusations are part of a smear attack. He has sought to tie Slamas claims to her political connections to Gov. Pete Ricketts and endorsement of Herbsters primary opponent Jim Pillen, a Columbus hog producer and University of Nebraska regent. Herbster denied Todsens allegations in a statement released by his campaign office Saturday. In her statement, Todsen said it was a difficult decision to come forward by name with the allegations. After thinking about this for years now, I know that it is time that Nebraskans know about the horrible actions made by Charles W. Herbster, the statement says. Todsen also said she is proud of Slama for coming forward with her accusations. She declined to provide further comment on Saturday. On April 22, Herbster filed a defamation lawsuit against Slama following the publication of her and the seven other womens allegations by the Nebraska Examiner. Slama filed a countersuit on Monday alleging sexual battery by Herbster. On Tuesday, four Republican female state senators announced they were launching a legal fund to support the women accusing Herbster. One of the four, Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, said the women wanted to show their support for Slama and the other women who have made accusations. We realized that it would be helpful for these other women if they knew that we would support them if they came forward, Linehan said. Herbsters campaign said he plans to take additional legal action. He will not stop fighting until his name is cleared and he is vindicated, the statement read. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NORMAL Off-duty firefighters and mutual aid took part in battling a fire that heavily damaged an apartment near the Illinois State University campus Friday night. Crews responded at 9:22 p.m. to reports of smoke and alarms at 206 W. Locust St., Normal Fire Department Public Information Officer Matt Swaney said. At the scene, firefighters saw fire coming from a third floor window facing the street. They hauled hose lines to the upper levels and began attacking the fire as residents evacuated. Assistance was requested from the Bloomington Fire Department's Rapid Intervention Team and off-duty Normal firefighters were called in to respond to other cars. The blaze was brought under control in 30 minutes, but overhaul work continued. No crews or residents were hurt. Swaney said residents of three apartment units were displaced, including the unit to the west of the fire origin and below. Additionally, no one was home where the fire started, allowing it to evolve and spread before neighbors and passerbys detected smoke. There are 12 units in the three-story complex managed by Fire Site Apartments, he said. The management company made hotel arrangements for the displaced students. The cause of the fire and its exact point of origin are being investigated. Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Each week The Pantagraph profiles a different community member. Know someone we should talk to? Email kheather@pantagraph.com. Name: Rodney Billerbeck Position: Heartland Community College Board of Trustees student trustee 1. What can you tell us about yourself? I am a student at Heartland Community College, studying agriculture. I am from Cullom and graduated from Tri-Point High School. I grew up in a very agriculture-rich community and raised and showed livestock growing up with my twin sister, Brittney, who is also a student at Heartland in the radiography program. I will always be grateful for my experiences raising livestock, participating in 4-H and in Future Farmers of America because those endeavors taught me a lot about responsibility, money management and overall a sense of how to talk to people. My passion for leadership first started when I joined FFA my freshman year of high school. I often brag about how I was taught by the best agriculture teacher, Diana Loschen of Kempton, who inspired and pushed me to get involved in every event possible. One of my proudest moments in FFA was having the opportunity to compete in the National FFA Livestock Judging Contest held in Indianapolis. I then went on to serve as the Illinois Association FFA Section 10 president (Section 10 is composed of 13 local high schools and 400-plus members). Through FFA, I traveled to Washington, D.C., twice, and got the chance to lobby on Capitol Hill with congressional leaders. 2. Why did you want to serve on the Heartland Community College Board of Trustees? In high school, I knew I wanted to be a part of student government when I got into college. I have looked up to the folks in these positions for the past year who have all done an incredible job getting student life back on track from the pandemic which has been a struggle for colleges around the country. Being an agriculture student and advocate for the industry, I was ecstatic to learn about the new agriculture complex being built at Heartlands campus and, better yet, the night I was sworn in for the student trustee position, I was proud to give my yes vote on the final approval of the complex. I am proud to represent the student body, as well as the agriculture community, on the Board of Trustees and on the Student Government Executive Board. 3. What do you hope to accomplish during your time on the board? As we all know, the pandemic put a huge pause on student life, clubs, organizations, you name it. From firsthand experience I know and understand the challenges student organizations and clubs are having right now trying to get members to come back and participate in activities. Improving student involvement and membership in clubs and organizations on campus is one of the most important things to me right now. Of course, as things come up and I become more aware of student opinions, thoughts and needs, I will do all in my power to make sure student wishes are granted. A college with students who feel involved and feel like they are making their college experience worthwhile is a successful college. 4. What would you like to do after your time at Heartland? My plan is to transfer with an associate in arts degree from Heartland to a four-year university to receive my bachelor's in agriculture business. After college, I am hoping to work in agribusiness. In the long term, my goal is to be remembered as someone who enjoyed helping people, and someone who was of service as an advocate in the agriculture industry. I look forward to opportunities and experiences my future holds for me. 5. What do you enjoy doing outside of school? Outside of school I really enjoy hanging out with my friends and going home on the weekends to work on the farm. My sister and I both have a show steer that will occupy most of our summer and weekends as we take them to shows and care for them. For a few years now, my mom and I have started traveling around and trying new food places, so that has been interesting. Going to stock car races has also become a big part of my summers and something that my friends and I really enjoy watching. I have also spent a lot of time outside of school volunteering. I went to Mexico in high school on a mission trip where I spent a week volunteering at a day care center that is free for underprivileged families. I also went to Houston on a mission trip to help clean up the streets after Hurricane Harvey. Thanks for offering to get to know me, and I really look forward to what the future brings. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON For communities of color, its never too late or too early to start learning about water safety. Around 75 children signed up for the Jack and Jill Swims Water Safety event hosted Saturday afternoon at the Bloomington-Normal YMCA. Over 100 people total were in attendance, including family members and friends. Lashonna Harden, co-chair of the Bloomington-Normal Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, said they take pride in raising awareness of issues that affect the Black community. She explained that their Water Safety Initiative started after a 5-year-old Georgia boy fatally drowned in 2017, and that shook our organization. JJ chapter co-chair Roxanne Stewart added they looked at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Harden said those national statistics showed that Black youths ages 11-19 are over five times more likely to drown than white adolescents. Saturday's program arrived days after 19-year-old Dariyon Phelps, of Bloomington, died in an apparent drowning incident Sunday at White Oak Park. The co-chair said they started planning the event in 2019, and made it virtual last year. Addressing event attendees, Stewart said Phelps did not know how to swim, and his family reached to her to share his story and help others. Michael Cobarrubias, aquatics director for the local YMCA, said in a press release that drownings are the leading cause of unintentional deaths for children ages 14 and under. He added that the YMCA begins with water safety lessons before teaching swimming maneuvers. Those included never swimming alone, to throw something and dont go to someone struggling in the water, and how to wear a personal flotation device. Swimming instructors also taught kids to make a habit of asking parents before they jump in the water, as well as other ways to get in and out of the water safely. While singing the Humpty-Dumpty nursery rhyme, instructors went around one by one to pick up and splash kids in the water. While children of color were encouraged to attend, kids of all backgrounds were welcomed. Cobarrubias said the YMCA does not turn away families facing financial hardships. Games were offered at the event, like jumbo Connect 4, Jenga blocks, jump ropes, bean bags, hula hoops and more. Antoinette Harris, of Bloomington, brought her three kids to the event: Reese, 8, Ryleigh, 5, and Rebert, 11, who served as a junior life guard after attending the virtual event last year. The mother said its important they learn how to swim, adding that shes currently taking adult lessons. Growing up, Harris said she sat on the sidelines while the rest of her family had fun. Normals Michael Johnson brought his 10-year-old son. The father said it was a great community event, adding one intent of Jack and Jill is to show children they can have fun while learning. Nathan Brooks, 8, enjoyed a Jenga game. His mother, Cartina Brooks, of Bloomington, said its nice they had fun things for the kids, which helps provide structure and keeps them on the right track. Up to 100 kids were offered one month of Swim School at the YMCA for $10, as well as member rates on their second and third months. Plus, there was a raffle for three months of free swimming lessons and haircare products. Cobarrubias said the YMCA has revolutionized how swimming is now taught. He said they have free make-up days, and kids progress to the level of lesson once they make their three goals. That means they dont have to wait for a future planned sessions, and it offers families flexibility. Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON Promotions from days past still haunt the Twin Cities. Drive south through Bloomington's warehouse district and across the Center Street bridge, and you just might feel spooked by one of the most visible specters of a long-gone era. Inscribed in white dye on the outside walls of a six-story warehouse building at 401 S. Center St. are services rendered by Johnson Transfer and Fuel Co., along with its banner: General Teaming / Household Goods & Pianos / Packed and Moved. Hard and Soft Coal / Coke, Wood, Charcoal And Kindling. Baled Hay At Wholesale Dealers In Secondhand Ironbound Barrels. To embracers of history, thats one of Bloomingtons ghost signs, a term denoting aging, painted advertisements that have become eerie and partly degraded by the forces of nature and the passage of time. They persist in Decatur, too. One embracer is Bloomington Ward 6 Councilperson De Urban, who runs Alley Kats Arts & Antiques out of the first floor of the old Johnson Transfer building. She finds the former business signage to be amazing. I have a love of antique, she said while giving The Pantagraph a tour of her shop and other parts of the 126-year-old building. Urban said Model T and Model A cars were once driven onto the elevator and brought to upper floors. Despite the lifts age of 100-plus years, she said its still used a lot. Urban said the warehouse district was an integral part of the citys development, and her shops building was a key part of the district. People came there to get coal to heat their homes, and also to get furnishings. Survival was dependent on these buildings, Urban said. Nowadays, we just have Walmart delivered to our front step. Now gone is a neighboring pump station, Urban said. Also not present is another warehouse next door to the north that collapsed in 2011, spilling debris onto an occupied adjacent business. Urban said Alley Kats home is solid, and inspectors carefully check the structure often. However, she said her products are sometimes knocked off of shelves by a ghost. A lot of the time, she said that turns out to be a train passing along the tracks next to the building, which is perfectly normal and acceptable. And it can be fun. The trains go by often, Urban said. From the rattling, Urban said its almost like theyre saying hello. Craftsmanship and care Like a catchy jingle that gets stuck in your head, ghost signs have stood the test of time. Bill Kemp, librarian for the McLean County Museum of History, finds beauty in their resilience, and how certain weather and lightning conditions alter their appearances. He said ghost signs speak of an entirely different era: An era of craftsmanship and care, and work that was intended to last for some time. We live in a very disposable, cheap age, Kemp continued. In the modern era, he said the look of vinyl signs is not pleasing, and digital LED signs added to old churches mismatch classic architecture. Today, we are in an epidemic of ugly, he said of modern signage. But back when signs were painted, Kemp said that was a craft taken rather seriously. And it could also be an art form. He said skilled and graphically knowledgeable folks painted the advertisements on brick walls and commercial buildings by hand, and their work has lasted even if neglected. They promoted both local and national products. Even though some signs have been lost over the past decades, he said there are others to be found in town, such as at Allin and Washington streets in Bloomington. There, you can see: Ice Cream / Soda / Cigars / Bakery Goods. That was obviously one of dozens upon dozens of corner stores so-called 'mom and pop' grocery stories, he said. Kemp recalled how a promotion for "Americas Cup Coffee" was discovered during 2003 construction work in uptown Normal. He said the Johnson Transfer building holds the best known example of a local ghost sign, signaling services for the moving of personal and commercial goods. The Pantagraph published a profile on Johnson Transfer on May 10, 1987, noting the company was founded during Abraham Lincolns presidency in 1862. William C. Johnson started the company in Bloomington, seeing how the nation was moving west and there was a market for a commercial hauler. Teams of horse drays ran goods for the company. Johnson was run over and killed by his own runaway team in 1886, but his sons and grandsons carried on the business for another century until it was sold. Over the decades, Johnson Transfer took over other horse dray lines and began acquiring motorized trucks in 1908. It was a member-agent of Allied Van Lines since 1928, and by 1987, the operation would boast 160,000 square feet of warehouse space. Kemp said for middle-class communities in the 1910s through 1940s, everyone had a piano in their homes. That made moving services profitable for Johnson Transfer, he said. He believes ghost signs are worth keeping, and theyve been restored in some cases, like in LeRoy. Steve Dean, mayor of LeRoy, said his city's downtown ghost sign was unearthed after another building was demolished around 12 or 15 years ago, its original blue color still showing. He said Steve Woods of LeRoy did the restoration work on the sign. "We knew we were right on color," Dean said. Kemp said that as ghost signs become more anachronistic, more old-fashioned and out of time, they become more interesting to us. Kemp has further detailed history on ghost signs and the Bloomington warehouse district in the Pages From Our Past column. Go to Pantagraph.com to read more. New dream When the current tenants moved into the lower floor commercial space at 1311 W. Olive St. in Bloomington, they found that someone else had covered half of a ghost sign in red paint on the west side of the building. Community volunteers have since repainted that red space into a mural, and restored what was left of the ghost sign. Still advertised thanks to the touch-up are Beich Candies which ran a factory in west Bloomington before it was bought out by Nestle and the banner for grocery store owner A.G. Erickson. Erickson was a Swedish immigrant who went on to serve a term as Bloomington mayor in the early 1900s. He ran the West Olive Street grocery in 1895, and his son inherited it after he died in 1950. Mary Campbell, co-director of nonprofit womens workforce training center Dreams Are Possible, said neighbors at first heard false rumors that their Olive Street space was being turned into a bar. Once they knew what we were doing, everyone was on board and everybody loves the mural, she said. Campbell agreed that neighborhood art and murals help their students take pride in their hometown. Passersby have even told her they remember shopping at the old grocery store. Co-director Feli Sebastian said Bonnie Bernardi, retired art district from Bloomington School District 87, worked with teenagers from Youth Global Citizens to paint the mural in 2019. Doug DeLong of Bloomington used camera equipment to help restore part of the ghost sign, Campbell said. Noting that 97% of their students are under the poverty line, the two directors said theyve seen their nonprofit make a difference. Alumni have gone one to work at Rivian or become certified welders. There was one new addition placed next to refreshed ghost sign: the word Dream! An earlier version of this story incorrectly referenced when former Bloomington mayor A.G. Erickson's managed a grocery store on Olive Street. This version has been corrected. Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. This week marks the end of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. We know financial stress can trigger mental health stress and maltreatment. That is why we are calling our communitys attention to an urgent financial stressor impacting families in our neighborhoods and across the state: the rising cost of diapers. There are parents in Bloomington-Normal and surrounding communities who can tell you exactly the number of diapers they have left for their children. They know because the stress of affording the diapers their child needs hangs over them. This can cause shame and forces choices like waiting extra hours before changing their baby or creating makeshift diapers out of household supplies. The diaper math parents calculate in their head every day how many diapers do I have left and how long will they last adds to their mental stress and makes it harder for them to be the parents they want to be. The consequences of these choices can be serious wearing a diaper for too long can lead to health issues like irritation, urinary tract infections, and sometimes worse. And the inability to afford diapers has real, long-term economic consequences for families. It is not unusual for parents to be forced to stay home from work because their child cannot go to daycare without the appropriate amount of clean diapers. Research shows for every dollar of diaper aid a family receives, personal income increased by 11 dollars. The Bloomington and Normal communities step up every year through Childrens Home & Aids Stuff the Bus Campaign and donate thousands of diapers and other baby and toddler supplies for parents struggling financially. In 2021, Childrens Home & Aid gave out over 50,000 diapers through our Crisis Nursery in Bloomington. These diapers are a lifeline to families, and the Stuff the Bus campaign and donations to diaper banks are critically important. But we also need our elected officials to step up and create a long-term solution to make diapers more affordable. We can start by eliminating the sales tax on diapers. We can create an allowance to defray the cost of diapers and provide immediate relief to parents with the most limited incomes. By working together, we can reduce parenting stress, increase the protective factors keeping families together, and make Illinois one of the best states to raise a family. Mendy Smith is the Vice President for the Central Region of Childrens Home & Aid. Marie Eledge the Chair of the Auxillary Board of the Central Region for Childrens Home & Aid. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I once again hear on national news networks a reference to the "Republican's presumptive Presidential candidate," Donald Trump. First off, I truly hope (and believe) Donald Trump will be in prison by the time the 2024 Presidential campaigns begin. Probably for life. However, given the Republican party that has emerged the past decade, I would not rule out the Republican Party to be such a treasonous entity in politics that they would actually consider having Trump their nominee. From prison no less. It would be one of the most reprehensible events in the history of American politics. It would however make for one of the most interesting primary election seasons ever; interesting to see who would choose to run against him. I stipulated the primary, because in the case of such an unbelievable possibility by the time the general election rolls around, if Trump is a nominee, the nation will have already shown to be poisoned to the core and lost quite probably forever. If a nation allows a foolish, no stupid, minority of its populace to manipulate the nation's supposed more intellectual majority to have anything at all to do with Trump, it deserves what it gets. At the cost of 350 million citizens, even the stupid minority who blindly follow for some incomprehensible reason. Jim Wilson, Bloomington Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ghana is working to resolve all boundary demarcation challenges with Togo and Burkina Faso by the end of the year, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has assured. That, she said, was to help foster and enhance existing good relations with the two countries and maintain the principle of good neighbourliness espoused in the countrys foreign policy. She said this when she delivered a lecture on the countrys foreign policy at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College as part of the Colleges Senior Command and Staff Course 43. The course had students drawn from the armed forces of 11 African countries comprising; Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Cote dIvoire, The Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, Niger, Sierra Leone and Togo. Foreign Policy was a governments strategy in dealing with other nations and actors with an international personality. For years, Ghana has had disagreements with its three neighbours; Burkina Faso, Togo and Cote DIvoire, over land and maritime boundaries. In 2017, Ghana won a maritime boundary dispute with Cote dIvoire at a Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). The Ghana Boundary Commission was leading efforts to resolve other land boundary disputes with Burkina Faso and Togo. According to Ms Botchwey, the ITLOS ruling resulted in the amicable resolution of the issue without any negative impact on fraternal relations and expressed the hope that the rest would be resolved amicably. She said good neighbourliness and the promotion of good governance were the focus of the countrys foreign policy in recent years because they were cardinal to the countrys continuous prosperity and peaceful existence. Based on Article 40 of the 1992 Constitution and the Directive Principles of State Policy, she saidGhanas Foreign Policy Principles included respect for the sovereign equality of states, Pan-African orientation in global relations and positive neutralism in global affairs. Others, she said, were; respect for public international law and principles of global organisations of which Ghana was a member; non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries with the exception of unconstitutional change of governments across Africa, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ms Botchwey said one of the core aspects of Ghanas Foreign Policy was the promotion of global peace and security while the country was committed to economic diplomacy to attract investments and resources into Ghana. As the world becomes more and more interlinked and interdependent and the fortunes of our people are tied to those of people in every corner of the world, our foreign policy can be described as an extension of domestic policy and vice versa. This requires versatility, adaptable knowledge and high-quality professionalism as well as greater involvement of citizens in global processes. Ghana is determined to be at the forefront of the new diplomacy required for the changing world we live in, she said. Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 The Honorary President, Board, Fellows and Management of SOLIDAIRE GOVERNANCE FORUM congratulates our Honorary Fellow, Mrs. Dr. Nana Ama Browne Klutse on her elevation as an Associate Professor. We have learnt with great joy of your sterling performance leading up to you being elevated to such a pinnacle rank in Academia. We are proud of you and look forward to deepening our partnership with you, as you apply your acquired knowledge to the benefit our dear nation Ghana. BACKGROUND On the 28th of April 2022, the University of Ghana announced the promotion of Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse to the rank of Associate Professor. Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physics, University of Ghana. She is also a Lead Author in Working Group 1 and a Member of the Task Group on Data Support for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report. She is a member of the Scientific Board of the International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP) of UNESCO. She is an AIMS-Canada Researcher in Climate Change Science with AIMS Rwanda. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Some personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) are demanding, from their management, immediate release of all funds deducted from their salaries for a pension policy at the defunct CDH Asset Management Company Limited. For seven years spanning 2012 to 2019, the deductions were made to the company, until it was declared insolvent by the Bank of Ghana three years ago and placed under liquidation. The personnel alleged that the GNFS management had received a full refund of the deductions from GCB capital, liquidators of CDH, but had decided to pay half to the contributors and withhold the rest until they retire. However, the Service, when contacted, parried the allegation, explaining that out of over GH8 million which was validated by GCB capital as deductions from 2012 to 2019, about GH4.3 million, representing half, had been paid to the management and the same disbursed to the 9,143 contributors. It said as of Tuesday, the liquidator owed the GNFS about GH4.3 million as the outstanding amount due contributors, therefore it was untrue that management had clandestinely invested that same money for profit. One of the affected officers (name withheld), on behalf of some colleagues, told the Ghanaian Times last Friday that the management did not seek their consent before the deduction started neither did they fill out any form. They gave out our names and other details to CDH just like that without consulting us, the personnel. We do not know how much profit we are yielding or the terms of the agreement made between CDH and the GNFS. If any of the personnel die, his or her monies also die, the personnel said. The officer also alleged that the management announced the decision to withhold half of their contributions at a meeting convened on June 28, last year. Describing the decision as unfair and provocative, the firefighter said, they wanted their money in full and immediately else they would be compelled to take matters into their own hands. Other allegations were that 80 per cent of fire tenders were broken down; fire hydrants were faulty and the personnel lacked tools for effective firefighting, but the GNFS management had allegedly not taken steps to address them. Responding to the allegations on behalf of the GNFS, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Timothy Osafo-Affum, the Head of Public Relations of the Service, recalled that in 2011, CDH introduced to the National Welfare Association of the Service a policy intended to enhance the pensions of personnel. He said the Welfare Executives, agreeing that it was a good policy sought permission from the then management of the service to solicit the views of personnel nationwide. Personnel agreed to the CDH policy, however, there was no agreement on the amount to be deducted. While some personnel opted for GH20, others opted for GH50, he said. ACFO Osafo-Affum said GH20 was accepted across board and deductions started from the Controller and Accountant Generals Department in 2012. This was however not compulsory as some personnel from the Ashanti Region decided not to be part and were left out, he said. Over the period, between 2012 and 2019, ACFO Osafo-Affum said the deductions continued and some personnel benefited from partial withdrawal from the policy. He said in October 2019, GNFS management ordered deductions to cease after the Bank of Ghana declared CDH insolvent and formed a task force to follow up with the liquidators to retrieve locked-up funds. Relating to fire appliances and hydrants, ACFO Osafo-Affum said it was not true that 80 per cent of fire appliances had broken down, adding that although some of them were very old, those that broke down were periodically fixed. He said a process was underway to retool the service and assured all personnel that management would ensure a safe working environment, by providing the tools needed for effective service delivery to the public. Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Head of Monitoring Unit of the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu, has cautioned the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) against its internal political conflicts, stressing the party is treading on dangerous ground. The New Patriotic Party is currently having constituency elections to elect its constituency executives before it progresses to the Regional level and subsequently national stage to elect its Presidential candidate for the 2024 elections. However, some pockets of violence have been recorded at some constituencies during the elections that commenced yesterday, April 28. A tumult broke out at the Okaikoi South as the delegates sought to prevent Electoral Commission officials from conducting the elections resulting in a near fisticuffs with Police personnel on-site. The agitated delegates claimed their names had been deleted from partys register being used to conduct the elections. The situation was later controlled by the Police and the elections were peacefully held. Also, an intervention by a leading member of the party, President Nana Akufo-Addo, led to the suspension of the elections in the Yendi constituency. Some 123 aggrieved polling station executives whose names were removed from the polling station register also protested, therefore calling for the President's intervention. Reacting to these events, Charles Owusu admonished the NPP leadership to remedy their internal conflicts ensuring there is no foul play in the NPP elections or else forget about "breaking the eight". He wondered why simple constituency elections should turn chaotic stressing "it's a disgrace to the NPP as a party". "From 1992 till date, they have improved in conducting elections to the extent that now they can hold elections in all the polling stations in Ghana. But what's happening is that some party faithfuls' names have been removed and replaced with another name and they want to use this to break the eight. Maybe, they want to end the eight," he said while discussing the NPP elections on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has subtly called for a change of name of the countrys only international airport; Kotoka. Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Friday morning, the Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper argued that Ghanaians tend to celebrate coup heroes but fear coup d'etat. To him, keeping the name "Kotoka" inspires coup d'etat to happen in Ghana. "When I return from abroad, I pass through Kotoka International Airport. There are some inconsistencies there. If we don't subscribe to coup, we should boldly say so, but if we want coup, then we want it. How do you tell me you abhor coup but still consider coup makers as national heroes? Just take a stroll around the capital (Accra) and see streets named after coup makers", he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi. He also alluded to a statement by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo expressing his admiration for the late Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings, something that Mr. Pratt finds extremely strange. "...our own President His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has publicly declared that one of his inspirations in politics is a coup maker in the person of Mr. Jerry John Rawlings...So, if in our estimation coups are bad, they are bad but if it is good, then let's accept it!", he said. Mr. Pratt further questioned Ghana's position on the recurrence of coup d'etat, saying "if we have admitted that something good can come out of coup, then let's accept it". Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Stakeholders in governance have called for the deepening of democratic norms, especially the rule of law, equity and inclusiveness, to build confidence in the governance system and ensure equal opportunities for citizens. They advocated strong and effective institutional structures to deepen Ghanas democratic process and restore citizens trust in the various arms of government. At a roundtable on Sustaining Democracy in the Context of Erosion: Lessons from Europe and Africa, the stakeholders said there was the need for Ghana to live up to the accolade of being a beacon of hope in terms of democratic governance and sustenance in Africa. It was organised by the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), in collaboration with the Centre for Democratic Development, and the Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy (DIPD), in Accra on Friday. Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said among the challenges affecting the countrys democratic practice was the lack of capacity to build public institutions to effectively perform their checks and balances roles. The manner in which persons elected into the highest offices became dictators and autocratic, thereby manipulating and controlling state actors and institutions, was hindering Africas governance systems and economies, and Ghana was not an exception, he said. Africa has gone through coups, union governments, party politics. and finally to multiparty democracy, which has been widely accepted as the best option. However, democracy is not a destination in itself but must be nurtured and built upon to ensure sustenance and restore confidence, especially in the youth, Mr Nketia said. Africa is experiencing emerging youthful populations, who are beginning to question whether the democracy being practised can deliver the goods. Some even think its deceptive as it hardly responded to the needs of the marginalised. The NDC General Secretary attributed the challenges of governance partly to the winner-takes-all situation, where elected governments appointed public officers, who appeared to satisfy their (governments) interests, to the detriment of the state. He said he disagreed with the school of thought that traditional authorities should be allowed to participate in active politics, because they held reputation and power, which enabled them to mediate effectively in times of conflict. The framers of the Constitution discouraged traditional leaders from active politics in order not to allow any person(s) to tarnish their image, since they served as mediators anytime political parties misbehaved, he said. Dr Emmanuel Bombande, Senior Mediation Advisor to the United Nations, said the increasing violence that had characterised Ghanas elections, in recent times, was worrying as it undermined the progress of the countrys democratic practice. He attributed the phenomenon to the lack of political will to equip and empower institutions responsible for educating the populace on violence-free elections, to take control of their organisations and acquire the resources to deliver on their mandate. To promote good governance, Dr Bombande advocated tolerance of opposing views among political parties, consensus building, and the creation of opportunities to the benefit of the people, especially women and the youth. Mr Akwasi Osei Adjei, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, noted that the current system of governance seem to empower any elected leader to marginalise the people, even if they have the capacity to contribute meaningfully to the wellbeing of the State. He called for the review of the 1992 Constitution to allow everybody, including chiefs, to participate in the governance system to strengthen the democratic principles of the state. Mr Adjei suggested a Second Chamber of Parliament, composed of chiefs, to serve as checks and balances on the various arms of government. Ms Lisbeth Pilegaard, the Executive Director, DIPD, said there could not be democratic rule when sections of society felt excluded, adding that all must be supported, especially women and the youth, to participate effectively in democratic governance to erase the perception of exclusion. Dr Lawrencia Agyepong, a Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, said the internal political party wrangling, being witnessed in the country recently, was troubling hence the leadership must ensure the governance structures worked to build confidence in the citizenry. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Kevin Kwan, author of best-selling novel-turned blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians, said he is eyeing the Philippines as the location for his next film. Kwan made the statement while he was in Manila, along with other Hollywood film producers, to attend the 21st World Travel and Tourism Council at the Marriott Hotel Manila. Its a country with so many amazing locations, cultures, flavors, and of course, people. This is my fourth trip [here] and its always a pleasure to be back, the author said. Its always surprisingI never know what will happen, but its always a grand adventure. While it is unclear whether the movie hes referring to will be based on the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, the third book in the series, Rich People Problems, features Palawan as a pivotal location in the story. Award-winning film producer Lawrence Bender who has produced films such as Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds, and Good Will Hunting was with Kwan in Manila and confirmed that one of the reasons for their visit was because they wanted to make a movie in the country. [Kevin] wrote a script, and its like a love letter to the Philippines, Bender said. Kwan also shared his thoughts on the impact novels and films have in boosting tourism. In case of (bringing the spotlight to) the Philippines, absolutely For me, its about showcasing cultures telling stories that are authentic to the place, to really celebrate that place, Kwan said. You know, we did that with Crazy Rich Asians quite effectively. It boosted tourism [in Singapore], he added, noting that many members of that films cast discovered the country like tourists as it was their first time visiting the city-state. The New York state Assembly passed a bill on Tuesday evening that would place a moratorium on new bitcoin mining facilities that require an air permit for burning fossil fuels on site. The bill now goes to the state Senate, which passed a similar bill last year, and then would need to be signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has not publicly taken a position on the proposal. Although this measure is the first of its kind in any state, it will almost certainly not be the last, because the energy-intensive process of mining cryptocurrency is drawing increasing scrutiny for its contribution to climate change. A number of states have set ambitious goals for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change New York aims for an 85% reduction by 2050 and environmentalists say allowing unrestricted crypto mining is incompatible with meeting those goals. We strongly support this legislation, Liz Moran, New York policy advocate for the environmental law nonprofit Earthjustice, told Yahoo News. It takes an incredibly reasonable approach to this emerging industry and concern with the energy consumption of this industry. The La Geo Geothermal Power Plant in El Salvador. The countrys government installed 300 processors at the plant to "mine" cryptocurrency, using geothermal resources from volcanoes to run the computers that verify transactions. (Salvador Melendez/AP) Mining for bitcoin by far the largest cryptocurrency by market cap uses staggering amounts of electricity: Last year, Cambridge University researchers calculated that bitcoin consumes approximately 121.36 terawatt-hours annually. Thats more electricity than is used by the 45-million-person country of Argentina, or by Google, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft combined. Last November, a study by the trading education platform Forex Suggest found that just to offset the carbon emissions of bitcoin and ethereum the second-most-popular cryptocurrency would require planting 384 million trees every year. The crypto industry has its own, lower estimates of its carbon footprint. Earlier this year, assuming a much lower amount of electricity is needed to mine cryptocurrency, the digital investing firm CoinShares estimated that the industry is responsible for only 0.08% of global carbon emissions. Story continues Cryptocurrencies do not have a government stamp of approval or a physical object to verify their authenticity. Instead, virtual coins or tokens are verified via blockchain technology, in which a database shared across a network records transactions. New bitcoins are released through mining, in which new transactions in the blockchain are validated and recorded. In proof-of-work, the most energy-intensive approach to mining, miners verify the validity of a group of bitcoin transactions, bundled into a block a process that involves checking 20 to 30 different variables and compete to be the first to have their validation accepted by solving a mathematical puzzle. Commemorative bitcoins. (Liu Junfeng/Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images) To win at this game, bitcoin miners have droves of supercomputers running nonstop. There is a finite amount of bitcoin. As more of it gets unlocked, more transactions are required to unlock the same number of bitcoins. So the energy demands of bitcoin mining are constantly increasing. For instance, last April the website Digiconomist estimated that each bitcoin transaction uses as much electricity as the average U.S. household uses in a month, or 1 million purchases made with a Visa credit card. Now a bitcoin transaction is equivalent to 75 days of average household electricity use, or 2.7 million Visa transactions. At the same time, surging prices for bitcoin which is now worth more than $46,000 each, up from less than $4,000 in 2019 bring more miners into the market. (This constant increase in the volume of mining is one reason the Cambridge study from last year found the industry uses more than twice as much electricity as a 2019 study in the scientific journal Joule had found.) Using all this electricity creates a lot of emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants. Digiconomist calculates that bitcoins carbon footprint is around the same as that of the Czech Republic. New York has the most bitcoin mining of any state, accounting for 20% of the national total, according to 2021 data from Foundry USA, the largest mining pool in North America. The United States accounts for 35% of bitcoin mining globally. Technicians inspect bitcoin mining machines at a facility in Inner Mongolia, China, in 2017. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images) We have to get society to a place where we are phasing out fossil fuels, and its going to be much harder to do that if were increasing energy consumption, Moran said. And thats where the fundamental concerns come with proof-of-work crypto mining, because that industry is consuming so much energy that it will make it much more challenging to move away from fossil fuels. And thats what were particularly concerned about in New York. So New York has a very important climate law on the books, [which] set the stringent goal to have a carbon-free [energy] grid by 2040. Thats going to be harder to do, if not impossible, if we had unfettered expansion of proof-of-work crypto mining in the state. That energy consumption will make it much harder to meet our goals. The New York bill is actually quite modest in its reach. It says nothing about crypto mining that takes forms other than proof-of-work, nor about proof-of-work mining operations that simply plug into the electric grid or use on-site clean energy such as wind or hydropower. The impetus for New York to take action is that in recent years, two companies have bought and reopened once shuttered fossil-fuel-burning power plants in the state to perform proof-of-work mining on site. Cryptocurrency mining firms have realized they can cut costs by drawing electricity directly from a power plant instead of paying the retail rate for electricity sent through the power grid. Greenidge Generation, a publicly traded company mining bitcoin at a gas-fired power plant in Dresden, N.Y., announced last year it planned to quadruple its operations by the end of 2022 and to replicate its vertically integrated mining model at other power sites. So far, it has installed 17,000 machines; it plans to reach 32,500 by the end of this year, an increase that would require enough electricity to power nearly 100,000 homes. The Greenidge Generation bitcoin mining facility in Dresden, N.Y. (Ted Shaffrey/AP) In 2020, according to information obtained by Earthjustice and the Sierra Club via the Freedom of Information Law, the power plants carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions increased tenfold. Greenidge has defended its environmental track record, noting in a March 31 statement that the facility produces 70% fewer carbon emissions than when it was a coal-fired power plant in 1990 (the year the New York climate goals use as a baseline) and that its current emissions are only 0.2% of the statewide target for 2030. This is not really a game of people validating cryptocurrency in their homes anymore. Its really become a very competitive process where its these companies that are competing to validate cryptocurrency, Moran said. The reason why they are, in many cases, firing up old power plants is because they need a tremendous amount of energy to conduct their operation. These computers use a lot of energy so they can be running 24/7 and compete. If the bill becomes law, New York would not issue new permits for additional facilities like that for two years while its Department of Environmental Conservation conducts a review of the crypto mining industry. Even places with relatively clean power sources can suffer from an influx of cryptocurrency mining operations. In 2016 the small city of Plattsburgh, N.Y., near the Canadian border, saw an influx of bitcoin miners who came to take advantage of its cheap electricity provided by nearby hydropower dams on the St. Lawrence River. Under a long-existing contract, Plattsburgh has a monthly allotment of cheap power, but once it exceeds that amount it has to pay much higher rates. Server room equipment at the BitRiver data center in Bratsk, Russia. (Alexander Ryumin/Tass via Zuma Press) Residents and local businesses saw their monthly bills skyrocket, Plattsburghs then-Mayor Colin Read told Forbes magazine. Neighbors of the bitcoin miners complained about noise and heat from the constantly whirring supercomputers. The town imposed a moratorium on new cryptocurrency mining operations, but lifted it once it had created regulations to ensure that the excess electricity bills would be paid by the mining companies and to offset the other impacts of their presence. Crypto mining detractors also point to other environmental impacts besides emissions. Every day, the Greenidge plant removes 139 million gallons of water the equivalent of 27,000 full tanker trucks from Seneca Lake to cool its machines, the Natural Resources Defense Council reported on its website Wednesday. It then dumps the heated water, up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit, back into the lake. Warmer water can exacerbate the growth of toxic algal blooms, which have been forming on the lake in recent years, threatening health and the drinking water for 100,000 people. However, earlier this month, a state judge rejected a lawsuit from environmental organizations attempting to block Greenidges planned expansion, ruling that the project would not impact the air or water of Seneca Lake. The project is another significant investment in Yates County, allowing us to continue to create good-paying jobs and new careers in an emerging, future-focused sector for local residents and do it within the states nation-leading environmental standards, Dale Irwin, president of Greenidge Generation, said in a statement celebrating the ruling. The cooling systems at El Salvadors La Geo Geothermal Power Plant. (Salvador Melendez/AP) In terms of climate change, however, some within the cryptocurrency industry are working on solutions. The Crypto Climate Accord is an initiative to decarbonize the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. More than 200 companies and individuals from the crypto, finance, tech, climate and energy sectors have joined and pledged to transition away from fossil fuels. It was very much framed after the Paris climate agreement, said Jesse Morris, the CEO of Energy Web, an international nonprofit that builds open-source software to help energy companies build business models and products focused on all of the technologies that are going to get us out of the climate crisis. Energy Web is a founding member of the Crypto Climate Accord because it uses blockchain technology itself. Our focus almost lines up one-to-one with the legislation that came out of New York, Morris said. What were building is a tool to make it very easy for bitcoin miners to prove theyre actually using renewable electricity. Currently, there is no way to check a bitcoin miners claims about the kind of energy they use. Were developing both technology and some certification criteria to help miners prove theyre actually sustainable, Morris said. The New York law, after all, allows new bitcoin mining thats powered by clean energy, but its unclear how a mining operation would prove to the state that it is using renewable energy. A support engineer tends to server room equipment at Russia's BitRiver data center. (Alexander Ryumin/Tass via Zuma Press) Mining operators have a variety of options, Morris said, including locating in an area that already has a clean energy portfolio, setting up a power-purchase agreement with a clean power source, such as a wind farm, or even building new clean-power generation on site. Some individual bitcoin mining companies are already advertising their reliance solely on renewable energy, but, as Morris noted, those claims are currently hard to verify. Not every state or local government is as concerned about the effects of bitcoin mining as the New York Assembly or the city of Plattsburgh. In an effort to attract more bitcoin entrepreneurs to her city, Fort Worth, Texas, Mayor Mattie Parker announced Tuesday that the city is now mining bitcoin in City Hall. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is also a crypto booster, having chosen to receive his paychecks in crypto. But environmentalists hope that if New York state passes the crypto bill, the states review of the industry will lead to rules that also govern crypto mining that doesnt take place specifically at a power plant, and will require measures like those advocated by the Crypto Climate Accord. It only addresses one area, but we think its an important starting place, Moran said. We do want the state to analyze the industry and make sure the state could still meet its climate goals if we have this expanded energy consumption. _____ Global temperatures are on the rise and have been for decades. Step inside the data and see the magnitude of climate change. A Cochiti Fire Department vehicle heads towards a plume of smoke from the Cerro Pelado Fire burning in the Jemez Mountains on Friday, April 29, 2022 in Cochiti, N.M.. Credit: Robert Browman//The Albuquerque Journal via AP Thousands of firefighters battled destructive wildfires in the Southwest as more residents prepared to evacuate Friday into the weekend in northern New Mexico where strong winds and dangerously dry conditions have made the blazes hard to contain. The biggest fire in the U.S. grew to more than 117 square miles (303 square kilometers) through the afternoon northeast of Santa Fe. Gusty winds prevented any aerial attacks by midmorning and crews lost some of the containment they had established in previous days. The rapid rate of the spread of the fire was exceeding dire predictions in some areas, incident commander Carl Schwope said Friday night. "We're in a very dangerous situation. Evacuation statuses are changing as we speak," he warned at a briefing in Las Vegas, New Mexico, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Santa Fe. More air and ground forces were on the way, he said, to fortify the nearly 1,000 firefighters on the fire lines there and winds that gusted up to 65 mph were beginning to subside as nightfall approached. There were no immediate reports of any new structures have been lost since the local sheriff confirmed Thursday night at least 166 homes have been destroyed in northeast New Mexico's rural San Miguel County. But erratic wind shifts in some of the driest conditions the region has seen in years were forecast again Saturday, and authorities were making preparations to evacuate some residents as far north as Taos. A vehicle heads away from a plume of smoke from the Cerro Pelado Fire burning in the Jemez Mountains on Friday, April 29, 2022 in Cochiti, N.M.. Credit: Robert Browman//The Albuquerque Journal via AP "Just getting people out of the way, that's been the mission today," Sheriff Chris Lopez said at the briefing in Las Vegas. Some of the most active fire was heading in the direction of that town but he said the town itself was not in immediate danger. Fire lines were bolstered outside the rural New Mexico community of Ledoux in efforts to save structures, and they appeared to be holding. More than 2,000 firefighters were battling fires in Arizona and New Mexico on Fridayabout half of those in northeast New Mexico, where a total of more than 187 square miles (484 square kilometers) of mostly timber and brush have been charred. Red flag warnings for extreme fire danger were in place Friday for nearly all of New Mexico and parts of Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. The fires are burning unusually hot and fast for this time of year, especially in the Southwest, where experts said some timber in the region is drier than kiln-dried wood. This image provided by the Nebraska State Patrol shows smoke from a wildfire, Saturday, April 23, 2022 near Cambridge, Neb. Several small towns, including Cambridge, Bartley, Indianola and Wilsonville, in Nebraska's southwest and Macy in its northeast, were forced to temporarily evacuate because of the wind-driven wildfires. Credit: Nebraska State Patrol via AP "We still have some fire weather to get through tonight, tomorrow and several days afterwards," fire behavior specialist Stewart Turner said at Friday night's briefing in Las Vegas, New Mexico. "It's very important that everybody pays attention to the evacuation orders because this is a very, very serious firevery dangerous fire behavior out there." Matthew Probst, Las Vegas-based medical director for the health clinic network El Centro Family Health, said the nearby fire has swept through impoverished communities already frayed by the coronavirus pandemic. "Here, you're losing meager homes, but it's everything. It's all they had," said Probst, a coordinator of county health services for wildfire evacuees. Rural families in the area were caught off guard after heading home from an early evacuationonly to be ambushed by a fast-moving fire last week. The Cerro Pelado Fire burns in the Jemez Mountains on Friday, April 29, 2022 in Cochiti, N.M.. Credit: Robert Browman//The Albuquerque Journal via AP A 79-year-old widow from the tiny community of Sapello left her house and a blue heeler cattle dog for a doctor's appointment, with boxes packed for possible evacuation with jewelry and her 1964 wedding photos. Winds kicked up, and police said it was too late to go back for anything. "They said, 'No ma'am, it's far too dangerous,'" said Sonya Berg in a phone interview Friday from an emergency shelter at a nearby middle school. A close friend says the house burned, but Berg doesn't want to believe it. A neighbor rescued the dog. "I'm in denial until I go and see it," said Berg, whose husband passed away in 2019 and was buried outside the home. "He's up there, he's been through the whole thing. I'm hoping the gravestone we put up is still there." In the Jemez Mountains east of Los Alamos, another wildfire spanning 12 square miles (30 square kilometers) crept in the direction of Bandelier National Monument, which closed its backcountry hiking trails as a precaution while central visiting areas remained open. The Cerro Pelado Fire burns in the Jemez Mountains on Friday, April 29, 2022 in Cochiti, N.M.. Credit: Robert Browman//The Albuquerque Journal via AP In this photo released by the U.S. Forest Service, a firefighter gathers hose and fittings to assemble sprinkler protection systems in the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico on Thursday, April 28, 2022. Thousands of firefighters continued to slow the advance of destructive wildfires in the Southwestern U.S., but officials warned they were bracing for the return Friday of the same dangerous conditions that quickly spread the wind-fueled blazes a week ago. Credit: J. Michael Johnson/U.S. Forest Service via AP The Calf Canyon Fire burning near Mineral Hill in the Gallinas Canyon, Friday, April 29, 2022. Credit: Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP An American Flag on a fence blows in the wind along NM 22 as The Cerro Pelado Fire burns in the Jemez Mountains on Friday, April 29, 2022 in Cochiti, N.M.. Credit: Robert Browman//The Albuquerque Journal via AP In this photo released by the U.S. Forest Service, aircraft known as "super scoopers" battle the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires in the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Firefighters have been making significant progress on the biggest wildfires burning unusually hot and fast for this time of year in the western U.S. But forecasters from the Southwest to the southern High Plains are warning of the return the next two days of the same gusty winds and critical fire conditions that sent wildland blazes racing across the landscape last week. Credit: J. Michael Johnson/U.S. Forest Service via AP The burned and twisted frame of a bicycle that once belonged to Trisha Peralta lies in the rubble of a burned shed on her family's property Monday, April 25, 2022 after the Tunnel Fire destroyed the property, including the house, the week before. Credit: Rachel Gibbons/Arizona Daily Sun via AP In this photo released by the U.S. Forest Service, an aircraft known as a "super scooper" battles the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires in the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico on Thursday, April 28, 2022. Firefighters have been making significant progress on the biggest wildfires burning unusually hot and fast for this time of year in the western U.S. But forecasters from the Southwest to the southern High Plains are warning of the return the next two days of the same gusty winds and critical fire conditions that sent wildland blazes racing across the landscape last week. Credit: J. Michael Johnson/U.S. Forest Service via AP The Calf Canyon Fire burns north of Las Vegas near the San Miguel and Mora County line Monday April 25, 2022. Credit: Eddie Moore//The Albuquerque Journal via AP The Calf Canyon Fire burns north of Las Vegas near the San Miguel and Mora County line Monday April 25, 2022. Credit: Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP Plumes of smoke rise from a pair of growing wildfires in northeast New Mexico on Friday, April 22, 2022 outside Las Vegas, N.M.. Southwest fires have burned dozens of homes in northern Arizona and put numerous small villages in New Mexico in the path of danger. Credit: AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, right, talks with Floyd Trujillo, from Upper Rociada, at the emergency evacuation center in Las Vegas, Monday April 25, 2022. The Calf Canyon Fire has forced the evacuation of many residents of San Miguel and Mora County. Credit: Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP In northern Arizona, authorities are nearing full containment of a 30 square-mile (77 square-kilometer) blaze that destroyed at least 30 homes near Flagstaff and forced hundreds to evacuate. A top-level national management team turned it back over to the local forest Friday. "It's pretty stable for the most part," said Coconino National Forest spokeswoman Randi Shaffer. "We're not seeing any forecasted crazy weather patterns. We have fire crews monitoring, all of our suppression efforts have been holding." Some residents near another fire 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Prescott haven't been allowed back home. Firefighters have about one-third of the 14 square-mile (37-square-kilometer) fire's perimeter contained. Lighter winds were expected into the weekend, but low humidity will be a concern, fire officials said. Explore further Oregon wildfire burns area nearly the size of Los Angeles 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This handout photo provided on April 25, 2022 by Shichang Zhang of Hubei University shows two Philoponella prominens spiders mating. Sometimes there are pretty valid reasons for leaving right after sex. A team of Chinese scientists has discovered that male orb-weaving spiders fling themselves away from their partnerspulling 20 Gs of acceleration in order to avoid being killed and eaten by females. The mechanism, described for the first time in the journal Current Biology on Monday, involves the spiders' first pair of legs to immediately undertake a split-second catapult action. Lead author Shichang Zhang of Hubei University in Wuhan told AFP he was "excited" to make the discovery, which required high-speed, high-resolution cameras to detect. Zhang and colleagues were studying sexual selection in this spider, "Philoponella prominens," which live in communal groups of up to 300 individuals. Of 155 successful matings, they found 152 ended with the male catapulting and thus surviving the encounter. Males can mate up to six times with the same femalebouncing off, climbing back up using a silk safety line, mating, and bouncing off again. The three males that didn't catapult were promptly captured, killed and consumed by their partners. Another 30 males that were prevented from catapulting by placing a fine brush behind their dorsum all met the same fateleading the researchers to conclude catapulting is essential to avoiding sexual cannabalism. A male spider catapulting off a female during mating. Credit: Shichang Zhang "Currently, I do not know whether there is any other species can also perform the catapulting," said Zhang, adding he planned to investigate further. Sexual predation by females is seen across many spider species, with various strategies for avoiding it: male nursey web spiders, for example, tie their partners up before mating. A suitable mate The escaping orb-weaving spiders clocked some impressive statistics: their average peak speed was 65 centimeters per second, with an acceleration of 200 meters per second squared. That's equivalent to 20 Gs, or 20 times the acceleration felt during freefall. While soaring through the air, the males spin around at some 175 revolutions per second. The males catapult by folding the tibia-metatarsus joint of their first leg pair against females. When released, it exerts hydraulic pressure and causes the legs to expand. Zhang said he believes the females were judging males' sexual suitability by their ability to escape. "Through the catapulting, a male can escape female sexual cannibalism, and a female can choose males with high quality, because the kinetic performance may directly correlate with male's physical condition," he said. Even though they have already mated, females may go on to only accept the sperm of males that passed the test, explained Zhang. Spiders differ from mammals in that females have a structure known as spermatheca where deposited sperm is stored. They can decide whether to use it to fertilize eggs, or reject it by squeezing it out or changing the pH value to kill the sperm. Future work will confirm whether there is a correlation between male catapulting and reproductive success, said Zhang. Explore further These male spiders catapult at impressive speeds to flee their mates before they get eaten 2022 AFP Retired NASA astronaut Charlie Duke speaks to a group of middle school students at the South Carolina State Museum on Friday, April 29, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. Duke, 86, is one of four U.S. astronauts still living who walked on the moon during the Apollo program. Credit: AP Photo/Meg Kinnard Fifty years after his Apollo 16 mission to the moon, retired NASA astronaut Charlie Duke says he's ready for the U.S. to get back to lunar exploration. Part of that effort, Duke said Friday, will come in the form of the Artemis program, which includes NASA's upcoming flight to the moon using its new Space Launch System rocket. The first of the huge rockets is supposed to blast off without crew later this year, with crewed flights planned subsequently. "With Artemis, NASA is going to be focused on deep space, to the moon and beyond, and I'm excited about that," Duke told The Associated Press in an interview in Columbia. Duke, 86, is one of four surviving moonwalkers from the Apollo program, taking Apollo 16 to the lunar surface in 1972. He has been making the rounds to mark the 50th anniversary of his voyage, recently taking a trip to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to visit his spaceship, which made the next-to-the-last U.S. mission to land on the moon. The late John Young was first out of the lander and walked on the moon with Duke. Ken Mattingly orbited the moon in the command module, nicknamed "Casper." Duke said he does not begrudge NASA for ending the Apollo program to focus on space shuttles, the international space station and other missions in more remote parts of space. But he looks forward to future missions that build off of what he and others have learned from their time on the moon, which called "a great platform for science." Retired NASA astronaut Charlie Duke arrives at the South Carolina State Museum before speaking to a group of middle school students on Friday, April 29, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. Duke, 86, is one of four U.S. astronauts still living who walked on the moon during the Apollo program. Credit: AP Photo/Meg Kinnard Duke also noted that he's encouraged by the commercial partnerships that have developed around space exploration, like Space X and Blue Origin. Those options, he said, "make space available for more people and more science and engineering and unmanned stuff." "That compliment is going to be really important in the future," Duke went on. "The more people we get into space, who can see the beauty of the Earth ... it's going to affect a lot of people." On Friday, Duke visited the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, which houses an exhibit full of some of his mementos from the moon, including a space suit, check list and moon rock. A series of placards describe the voyage and also include a flight drawing Duke made as a child on some of his arithmetic work. Speaking with middle school students from his native Lancaster, South Carolina, Duke's eyes sparkled as he narrated a 16-minute planetarium video of his time on the moon's surface, drawing laughs as he described how easy it was to tumble or drop things in the low-gravity environment. Retired NASA astronaut Charlie Duke reclines as he narrates a video of his trip to the moon for a group of middle school students at the South Carolina State Museum on Friday, April 29, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. Duke, 86, is one of four U.S. astronauts still living who walked on the moon during the Apollo program. Credit: AP Photo/Meg Kinnard "I just encourage you stick with it in school, to hang in there, and all the best in your careers, as you continue to grow up and mature in life," Duke told the students. "I've discovered in my life that, if you keep those antennas up, if you keep focused on your life, and do things that you like to do, and take care of yourself, there are unlimited possibilities." Asked about his continuing contributions to U.S. space programs, which includes consulting with a company trying to win a contract for a new lunar rover, Duke said he will keep going as long as he's able. "I flunked retirement," Duke said, with a laugh. "As long as the Lord is willing and gives me the ability physically to do it, I want to challenge America and challenge the kids to aim high. ... Everybody's not going to listen, but maybe one or two will." Explore further Apollo 16 moonwalker reflects on mission's 50th anniversary 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. DEAR ABBY: A few months ago, I offered to help a longtime friend with some landscaping. The area to be landscaped is tiny. I was concerned a professional landscaper would overcharge her. She contacted a landscaper anyway not to hire him, but to pick his brain. When he arrived, it was obvious he didnt want the job, and she didnt offer it to him. She took me up on my offer. She then procrastinated for a couple of months, during which time I got busy on other projects. But I carved out time for her, and we sat down to look at her project. She confessed she had no experience with landscaping and plant selection, and she needed my help with that, too. After she pooh-poohed the most viable suggestions I offered, we proceeded to look at plants LOTS of plants none of which she liked. After a few frustrating hours, she mentioned shed just plant what she had originally thought about planting. I told her if she did that, she did not need my help. She told me I needed to be more patient, and had she known I wouldnt help her she would have hired the landscaper after all. (It wasnt true. She never had any intention of hiring him.) I told her she needed to be more decisive, and even though she had told me she needed my experience, she wasnt accepting of it. She also couldnt see that she had wasted hours of my time. Weve barely spoken since. So, am I in the wrong here? GREEN THUMB IN TEXAS DEAR GREEN THUMB: No, you are not in the wrong. No good deed goes unpunished. Consider yourself lucky that you have barely spoken since. And then do not broach the subject again unless you want to experience more frustration. DEAR ABBY: I am the activities director at a nursing/rehabilitation home in Montana. My residents and I want you to know how much we enjoy your column. We read it every day and discuss what kind of advice we would give to your letter writers. Your column is a highlight of our afternoons. We would also like to remind your readers that there are plenty of homes like ours, filled with people like us. We would appreciate and benefit from being acknowledged by our communities, not just during holidays, but all year long. These homes are full of your grandparents, parents and other family members and friends. Our community has always been loving and supportive toward us. We hope homes in other locations are as fortunate as we are. Thank you for your column. We look forward to more! FAITHFUL RESIDENT, DEER LODGE, MT DEAR RESIDENT: Thank you for your kind words and thoughtful letter. Im pleased your residents enjoy support from the good citizens of your community; it says nice things about the folks in Montana. I know my column is discussed around many breakfast tables and water coolers because its a sure-fire conversation generator. Thats the reason it is popular in many nursing homes and rehab facilities. I hope more readers will find time to visit the residents in these homes, not only for the joy it will bring to them, but also to avail yourselves of the wealth of experience these individuals have acquired during their long lifetimes. While visitors are plentiful during the holidays, they are very quiet at other times. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 GLENS FALLS The Warren Washington Association for Mental Health will hold two events celebrating May as Mental Health Awareness Month. WWAMH will hold one event from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday in City Park. The public is encouraged to attend. Another event, May 9, also from noon until 1 p.m., will be a virtual awards program open to the public and can be accessed by obtaining a free ticket through Eventbrite at www.inserttheaddresshere.com. Mental Health Awareness month, first celebrated in 1949, strives to increase the understanding of mental illness and to end the stigma surrounding this diagnosis. Thursdays City Park event will begin with a community walk around the block containing City Park in support of those living with mental illness. It will conclude with a ceremony at WWAMHs Tree of Hope located along Maple Street. During the ceremony, ribbons will be attached to the tree with messages of hope and names of those who are affected by mental illness. During the May 9 event, the Walter P. Reichert Award, the Dorothea Dix Community Service Award and two Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented. These awards recognize the outstanding contributions the community is making to mental health. The Walter P. Reichert Mental Health Services Award is awarded to an individual, group or agency within the local mental health community that has significantly contributed to the promotion, development and/or betterment of mental health within Warren and Washington counties. Joe Cavallo, of First Steps to Recovery, will receive this award for his contribution to Sobriety Rules. This program provides resources, advice and guidance for recovery from substance use disorder in Warren and Washington counties. The Dorothea Dix Community Service Award recognizes an individual and/or organization who are not part of the mental health system of care, but whose efforts have contributed to the betterment of mental health in our community. This years award will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks. The award recognizes the groups work to improve the lives of children in the community. A total of 84% of their participants stayed on track with their behavior in school and remained stable or reduced their depressive symptoms. A total of 96% avoided substance abuse. Lifetime Achievement Awards recognize the work that community members do to support the mission of WWAMH. This years awards will be presented to Michael Homenick, Ph.D., and Peter Lareau. Both have served for decades on WWAMHs board of directors and each, through their own work, have improved the mental well-being of the residents of Warren and Washington counties Serving the community since 1948, WWAMH is a safety net provider for individuals in Warren and Washington counties that are in different stages of their mental health recovery. WWAMH provides the following services: clinical mental health care, care management, supportive treatment, housing, benefits management, dual-recovery services, community education and a psychosocial club. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 QUEENSBURY Two men were arrested following a burglary and assault in the town of Queensbury on April 22. Police said that David A. Breault, 42, of Glens Falls, was charged with felony charges of of first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and tampering with physical evidence, along with a misdemeanor charge of second-degree menacing. Norman G. Perry, 64, of Corinth Road in Queensbury, is facing a felony charge of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to police. State police responded the the area of Carey Road at roughly 1:07 p.m. on April 22 following a report of a man being chased by another man with a weapon. Police said that following an investigation it was determined that Breault had forced his way into a residence on Corinth Road and hit Perry, the homeowner, in the head with a pistol, resulting in an injury. Breault ran from the home and was pursued by Perry, who was wielding a crowbar and a large knife, according to police. Police said that upon arrival, Breault was taken into custody. He is accused of discarding the pistol used during the burglary, which was later found by investigators. Breault and Perry were known to each other prior to the incident, according to police. The charges against Breault have been lodged with Queensbury Town Court, and he will be arraigned on Monday from Warren County Jail, where he is currently being held for an unrelated second-degree burglary charge. Police said that while executing the search warrant at the residence where the burglary took place, state police found a muzzle loader and a baggie containing 0.9 grams of suspected crack cocaine. Perry was taken into custody for possessing those items, and he was arraigned and released on his own recognizance. He is due back on court on Monday. Perry was arrested again on Friday for numerous narcotics-related charges. The Warren County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Enforcement Unit conducted a lengthy investigation where Perry, who is also known as Cowboy, according to a news release, sold crack cocaine to police on multiple occasions. Police said the Glens Falls Police Department provided assistance to the Warren County Sheriffs Office with a search warrant of Perrys residence. Police said that more than 49 grams of crack cocaine were found at the residence. Perry was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and a count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for possessing more than an ounce of cocaine, all felonies. Perry was arraigned and taken to Warren County Jail with bail set at $5,000 cash. He has other felonies pending in Warren County that occurred within a four-month span, according to a news release. On Oct. 14, he was arrested by the Glens Falls Police Department following a traffic stop where he was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for possession of a half ounce or more of cocaine. On Dec. 2, Perry was again arrested following a traffic stop, this time by the Warren County Sheriffs Office. Perry was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for possessing an eighth of an ounce or more of conanine. On Jan. 13, Perry was stopped by the Warren County Sheriffs Office again and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Police said that the weapon was a collapsible baton. After each of those three arrests Perry was released upon his own recognizance with no bail set. MOREAU The executives of Saratoga BioChar Solutions are eager to share information about their facility proposed for the Moreau Industrial Park before the public hearing rescheduled for May 12 at 7 p.m. President Bryce Meeker and CEO of the company Raymond Apy told The Post-Star that Saratoga BioChar Solutions has worked on creating an environmentally conscious way to handle waste for eight years. Meeker said the company has found a way to turn waste into a useful product while emitting less greenhouse gases than the alternative waste control methods: landfills and incineration. We will not be burning solids in any shape or form. What we do is burn a gas, he said. The process the plant uses results in a biodegradable fertilizer that can restore nutrients in the soil it is used in, according to Meeker. He explained the process known as pyrolysis, which involves a chemical change in composition due to exposure to extreme heat in an oxygen-less environment. The process results in an undetectable level of PFAS chemicals in the finished product. We first dehydrate the material and put it into a pyrolysis kiln, in which there is no oxygen, so there is no chance for anything to burn in that kiln. It gets really hot and causes gases to separate from the solids. So, we are left with all the elements like carbon and sulfur, and all the contaminants are in the gas, which is immediately taken into a multi-stage thermal oxidation process, to create the minimal emissions possible, Meeker said. He explained this process creates a lot of heat, which is turned into energy to help run the plant, resulting in 83% of the facilitys power coming from renewable energy. Meeker said the company focused on a way to create a product that would be beneficial to farmers and ready to bag for Walmart shelves to compete with the chemical fertilizers on the market. He spoke at length of the waste treatment problem New York has and the limited options that are currently available in the state. Landfills only allow a small percent of sewer waste each day, and many neighboring states once used for exporting waste are ending the contracts after only two years. Despite spending over eight months seeking approval from the town of Moreau, the company is also still awaiting state Department of Environmental Conservation permits. The DEC is reviewing the project extensively to assess the potential risks associated with the facility, which would be the first of its kind in the state. Apy, the CEO, clarified the differences between sewage sludge cases in the country and the companys practices. In Maine (at SongBird Farm), the contamination came from directly spreading sewage sludge on the land. That is not what we do at all, he said. He also addressed the Environmental Protection Agencys acknowledgement of levels of PFAS in almost everything. Apy said due to the extreme heat, the carbon-fluorine bonds of the PFAS are broken down at a certain point in the thermal oxidizer. We have taken away the necessary elements for the bonds of the PFAS to reconnect, which are time and temperature change, Meeker added. Meeker said this is the most effective way to thermally treat PFAS. Apy said he wanted to stress the company has provided information to answer many of the questions posed by the public and the Moreau Planning Board. The nine-page document is available on the towns website. Both say the company is an environmentally conscious solution to a longtime and ongoing problem. We are pressing the envelope, but in a positive way, Meeker concluded. 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. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 8 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. HAMILTON TOWNSHIP A truck with its aerial lift up struck an Atlantic City Expressway overpass on Route 50, damaging the structure, police said Saturday. At 11:43 a.m. Friday, police responded to Route 50 southbound near the expressway for a motor vehicle crash. A 2005 Mack truck operated by Johnathan Norton, 37, of Hammonton, was traveling south on 50 with the trucks boom, or aerial lift, in the elevated position, police said in a news release. As the vehicle approached the expressway, the boom struck the face of the overpass, along with numerous elevated concrete supports. No one was injured, and Norton was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash, police said. He was issued a summons for careless driving. Personnel from the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the South Jersey Transportation Authority responded to the scene and inspected the supports of the overpass for structural integrity, police said. Route 50 was reduced to one southbound lane for about four hours while the investigation was conducted and the scene was cleared of debris. ATLANTIC CITY Some residents of Bungalow Park, the neighborhood of single-family homes that faces the Marina District across Clam Creek, say they have major concerns about an offshore wind company building a maintenance facility in the area. Im not against wind energy, said resident Patricia Bailey on Friday, as she walked the single block from her New Jersey Avenue home to the waterfront site. My thing is why put this particular project in the middle of an established neighborhood? She has lived in her home a block from the proposed site for 33 years with her husband, Al. It is made up of a mix of smaller homes and newer, larger ones built on lagoons. All the homes are tightly packed together, and the streets are narrow dead ends at the water. Its quiet back here, said Al Bailey. This is going to bring in a lot of traffic. rsted North America is seeking state permits to build a 16,000-square-foot building on the 3.4-acre upland section of the almost 5-acre lot between the dead ends of New Jersey and Delaware avenues. About half of the building would hold office and technician space, and half would be a warehouse. The lot was formerly owned by an oil company and is now fenced off, with decrepit remains of old piers littering the water around it. A long-abandoned building fronting on New Jersey Avenue will be demolished. rsted offshore wind hub could give new life to old marine terminal ATLANTIC CITY An overgrown waterfront lot with decrepit remains of old piers may soon beco The company also must seek city approvals. There is a lot to the project, said Crisman Jespersen, an 11-year resident of Bungalow Park who lives across New Jersey Avenue from the site in a home on Snug Harbor. Its going to be pretty impactful for an area that has been residential so long. Jespersen and the Baileys are worried about the heavy truck traffic and pile driving that will go along with the construction phase, and how it may damage roads and perhaps even homes in the area. The company also plans to build new bulkheads and dredge Clam Creek, so its vessels can transport technicians out to service its wind farms. From talking to and meeting with residents of Bungalow Park as recently as last week, we know questions remain about our plans to build an operations and maintenance facility in Atlantic City, said Liz Thomas, rsted spokesperson. Thomas said rsted will hold a project presentation and answer questions from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday in Council Chambers at City Hall. Our team will continue to do our very best to answer questions from residents to ensure open lines of communication, Thomas said. rsted spokesperson Amber Hamlett has said it will house 69 jobs, a mix of administrative and maintenance technician positions. The Baileys would prefer the development go elsewhere but at the least say they want the city to protect residents rights and health. That means limiting the noise, light and other types of pollution the site could create. rsted picked the site facing Golden Nugget Atlantic City for its easy boat access to Clam Creek and the Absecon Inlet to the ocean, spokespeople have said. The site has been undergoing cleanup since the Baileys moved in, said Patricia Bailey, and there have been times when gas fumes became so strong she had to leave the area. Pat Bailey expressed her concerns at the April City Council meeting, which prompted officials to reach out to rsted to arrange the Friday meeting. Change clears S.J. wetlands for offshore wind use The development of offshore wind energy in the Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast has looked At the council meeting, Pat Bailey said she is concerned the facility will change the character of the neighborhood. Its a small area. This is going to be a large facility, Bailey told council. Its going to change the dynamics of my neighborhood and decrease my property values. She said the 24-hour nature of the facility concerns her as well. The lights will never be out, the parking lot will never be dead, Bailey said. Planning Director Barbara Woolley-Dillon said the city has received a filing for the first phase of bulkheading, but it has not yet been deemed complete to come before the Planning Board for a hearing. As soon as we declare it complete, it will be set for the next Planning Board meeting, probably in June 2022, Woolley-Dillon said. Bailey said she is concerned the city is not keeping close enough track of the development plans. She has received letters from the state as the project has moved forward and from rsted, but has gotten nothing from the city, she said. Davon McCurry, rsteds New Jersey deputy head of market and government affairs, has said the equipment stored and taken out by vessel will be smaller items related to servicing, not large manufacturing components like blades. The company, whose headquarters is in Denmark, will make efforts to hire locally for the technician positions, it has stressed. Atlantic Cape Community College will build a facility nearby to train people for the jobs, with a $3 million grant it gets as the winner of the New Jersey Offshore Wind Safety Training Challenge. Atlantic Cape has said its in-water sea survival training facility will be in Gardners Basin, and it has started to build a 1,700-square-foot facility to house the bulk of the training program at its Atlantic City campus. McCurry expects bulkhead renovation and development of berthing slips to start this year. Upland construction of the operations and maintenance building and remaining site work are planned for the first half of 2023, and construction is expected to be complete on the building in 2024. The company hopes to get the go-ahead from the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to start building the wind farm itself in early 2023, and to have it operational in 2024, McCurry said. To date, the state Board of Public Utilities has awarded two offshore wind solicitations. rsteds 1,100-megawatt Ocean Wind project won the first solicitation in June 2019, and in June the BPU awarded a combined 2,658 megawatts of offshore wind capacity to EDF/Shells Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind and rsteds Ocean Wind II projects. REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. TRENTON New Jersey will designate $10 million for police departments statewide in an attempt to thwart the states high motor vehicle theft rates, Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday. The investment, made through American Rescue Plan money, will be open to law enforcement agencies to purchase and expand uses of high-speed, automated camera systems and license-plate reading technology. The equipment will be placed at fixed locations and on mobile police units, Murphy said in a news release. The equipment, Murphy said, will help police officers address the increase in car thefts, as well as violent crimes, which are trending upward in suburban and urban areas, Murphy said. The alarming uptick we are seeing in vehicle theft is unacceptable, and our administration is making investments to combat these occurrences statewide, Murphy said. To aid law enforcement in this endeavor, an investment in ALPR technology will provide them with the tools they need to reduce these incidents and make our communities safer. As part of the grant, State Police will place cameras on some of New Jerseys major roads to collect information on stolen vehicles, Murphys office said. Intelligence gathered through the technology will be shared by State Police to better equip officers in investigations, Murphys office said. Police: NJ teens ram car into NY cop cars, injuring officers Authorities say five police officers were injured on Long Island over the weekend when three New Jersey teenagers rammed their police vehicles with a stolen car. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said Tuesday some of the officers may have suffered career-ending injuries during the confrontation. Ryder says all five officers were placed on medical leave because of their injuries. The teenage suspects are all from Newark. Two of the suspects are 16 years old and the third is 17 years old. They were arrested on charges including assault and grand larceny. It's not clear if they have attorneys who can comment. Some of the funding also will be available to county and local law enforcement agencies through a competitive process, Murphys office said. Each agency receiving money must obey American Rescue Plan rules and share captured license plate information with State Police, Murphys office said. Thanks to Gov. Murphy, we are investing significant resources to give law enforcement officers the tools they need to combat the rise in auto thefts across the state, acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a statement. Because stolen vehicles are increasingly used in the commission of violent shootings, deploying these automated license plate readers will save lives. In March, the Attorney Generals Office expanded the State Police Auto Theft Task Force, adding detectives and prosecutors, as well as bringing on additional police departments from around the state. Additionally, $125,000 in federal Justice Assistance Grant funds will be available to maximize the task forces capabilities, Murphys office said. Platkin last month said car thefts in the state were up 31% over 2021 three months into the year. Police in Atlantic City and Pleasantville issued warnings about the trend in an attempt to persuade the public to lock their vehicles. The latest statistics from the Governors Office say the first quarter of 2022 is on track to have a 53% increase in motor vehicle thefts from 2020. Stolen cars are often affiliated with violent crimes. A significant percentage of people committing auto theft offenses also have been involved in shootings, Murphys office said. Contact Eric Conklin: 609-272-7261 econklin@pressofac.com Twitter @ACPressConklin Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ATLANTIC CITY A familiar face is joining the senior staff of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which tapped Maisha Moore, of Pleasantville, to serve as deputy executive director. Moore has served as chief of staff for a former Atlantic City mayor and has worked with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. She replaces Rosa Farias, who left the CRDA in March. This year also saw a change in the executive director of the CRDA, with Matt Doherty stepping down in January and Sean Pattwell being named to the post by Gov. Phil Murphy in March. The CRDA board approved the pick March 15. Pattwell said he was happy to have Moore join the team. We are excited to welcome Mrs. Moore to CRDA, Pattwell said in a statement Friday. She brings nearly 10 years of work experience in municipal and state government, and will be proactive in promoting economic and community development initiatives in Atlantic City and throughout the region. As the chief of staff to former Mayor Frank Gilliam Jr., Moore directed the day-to-day operations of the Mayors Office and collaborated with City Hall departments. She also worked with organizations and stakeholders in and out of Atlantic City. Before that, she worked for nonprofits in grant writing and under Booker focused on Uniform Services, Department of Veteran Affairs, Department of Corrections, the Internal Revenue Service and Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to CRDA staff. We are excited to have Maisha join our team, said CRDA Board Chairman Mo Butler. Together with our new Executive Director Sean Pattwell, this dynamic leadership team will bring renewed energy to CRDA as we focus on initiatives that will revitalize Atlantic City and the surrounding communities. Moore earned her bachelors degree in political science from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 2009. She is a lifelong resident of Atlantic County now living Pleasantville with her husband and two daughters. The salary for the position was not released. Contact Bill Barlow: 609-272-7290 bbarlow@pressofac.com Twitter @jerseynews_bill Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Soldiers salute during the state burial for Kenya's former President Emilio Mwai Kibaki in Othaya, Nyeri county, Kenya, April 30, 2022. (Photo by John Okoyo/Xinhua) NAIROBI, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Emilio Mwai Kibaki, Kenya's third president who died on April 22 at the age of 90, was laid to rest in his ancestral home located in central Kenyan county of Nyeri on Saturday. President Uhuru Kenyatta who succeeded Kibaki in April 2013 was among dignitaries who attended the state burial whose climax was a 19-gun salute by the country's military. While delivering his eulogy, Kenyatta hailed Kibaki's transformational leadership, intellect, patriotism and selfless dedication to improve the lives of ordinary citizens, hence positioning Kenya as a regional economic powerhouse. "As we prepare to lay to rest an astute economist, visionary leader and a selfless public servant, let us endeavor to emulate his good deeds and make this country a beacon of hope, resilience and opportunities," Kenyatta remarked. Kenyatta whose term in office ends in August as dictated by the constitution challenged elected leaders to embrace Kibaki's cherished ideals like good governance, economic reforms and national cohesion. Born in 1931, Kibaki served as Kenya's Finance Minister in the 1960s soon after the country attained independence from British colonial rule, later on becoming a Vice President from 1978 to 1988 under the late President Daniel Moi. Kibaki also served the country as a Health Minister before resigning from government to form an opposition party which later propelled him to presidency in 2002 under the National Rainbow Coalition(NARC). During his presidency from 2002 to 2013, Kibaki oversaw economic and governance reforms, pursued regional integration and revitalized bilateral cooperation with China that hastened Kenya's modernization. It was during Kibaki's reign that Kenya witnessed implementation of China-built modern infrastructure projects including Thika Superhighway and several ring roads within the capital Nairobi. The late Kenyan leader conceptualized the 480 kilometers China-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway(SGR) whose implementation was concluded in May 2017. Soldiers escort the coffin of Kenya's former President Emilio Mwai Kibaki during a state burial in Othaya, Nyeri county, Kenya, April 30, 2022. (Photo by John Okoyo/Xinhua) It is just the right time to go. Davenport Police Department Chief Paul Sikorski, who has held the position since 2016, announced Thursday he intended to retire on Aug. 29. He has worked for the department since 1988. As a chief, one of the things I wanted to do when I was appointed chief was be a good strong leader for an effective portion of time, Sikorski said. So I told the city administrator that I would give her a good, strong six, seven years and, you know, in August that will be seven years counting my interim time. Now is also the right time for him and his family. I wanted to go on my terms, he said. The direction of the department, the city and the community is exactly where it should be, Sikorski said. We have a good, strong leadership thats even getting stronger as we speak, he said of the department. The last few years have put the police department front-and-center in the city. After the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020, Davenport had a night of violence where a woman was shot to death on the west side, and Davenport Police were ambushed in the central part of the city. The news made national headlines. Months of Black Lives Matter protests followed. The pandemic brought a spike in gun violence including the shooting deaths of three teens between the ages of 12 and 16 and gang activity, and the establishment of a mayor's task force to try to address the issue. The city said in Thursdays release that it plans to have a successor identified by the time Sikorski retires. Davenport will conduct a national search to identify the new chief. To be successful, the new chief will need to be a strong leader one that cares about the men and women that dedicate their lives to serving their community through working at the police department, he said. The new chief will also need to have roots in the community, be willing to have an open perspective, listen to the community, and be part of this community, Sikorski said. The next chief also has to be able to commit themselves to being part of a bigger team the city leadership team, Sikorski said. I think those things are really important for our next chief, Sikorski said. He does not know what comes after Aug. 29 not in the long-term anyway. On Aug. 30, he expects he will get in a workout maybe two. He said hed also like to climb a mountain or find new trails to hike. But after that? Sikorski said he would still like to continue to serve the community in some capacity. Im still young, he said. Im healthy. I want to do other things. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson wrote in an email that Sikorski is an outstanding example of positive leadership. I am honored to have worked and served with him during my tenure as both alderman and mayor, Matson wrote. Chief Sikorski has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the law enforcement profession. He cares about this city and its citizen(s) and I will miss his service to the community when he retires. I wish his family and him the absolute best." Moline Police Department Chief Darren Gault wrote he has known Sikorski almost the entirety of his career. He has been a strong leader throughout his career, not only for the city of Davenport, but throughout the Quad Cities, Gault wrote. We have worked closely on several projects and he has always involved other agencies with Davenport initiatives to better the community. Gault cited Sikorskis collaboration with other departments on using the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network ballistic evidence database. The Davenport police created a gun unit in 2018 that uses the Integrated Ballistic Identification System, which allows crime scene technicians to test suspect firearms and recovered shell casings. The resulting data is then entered into NIBIN, a federal database. Investigators regionally and nationally can check the database to see if a tested gun was used in other crimes. Speaking as a defense attorney and someone who is concerned about police brutality, racism and those kind of issues, I would say that Davenport Police Department is similar to a lot of police departments in that it has those issues, Eric Puryear said when asked to assess the department under Sikorskis leadership. I dont believe that its notably worse than surrounding departments but it also isnt noticeably better. There are issues that could have been addressed better that werent addressed, Puryear said. I would like to see accountability from the top down, Puryear said. Id like to see a chief of police who actually addresses issues with the department head on so Im talking about misconduct of officers being addressed, complaints by citizens being addressed. Puryear would like to see action on these issues from the next police chief. Puryear said every day there are Davenport police officers who do their job well, professionally and courteously but that should be the norm. But I think thats really what we should expect, Puryear said. Working with the police department with Sikorski as its chief has been outstanding in terms of attempting to address growing crime in the community, said Michael Guster, president of the Davenport NAACP. Chief Sikorski has fostered a great relationship in terms of working with NAACP to bring about a great change in the community, Guster said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A Moline man on pre-trial release in both Scott and Rock Island counties was taken into custody after allegedly breaking into a Bettendorf home while fleeing police and claiming to be armed and have hostages. The event led to an hourslong standoff with authorities. National Day of Prayer: Thursday, May 5, is the 71st annual National Day of Prayer, a special day enacted into law in 1952 by Congress and President Harry Truman. This is a perfect time for us as grateful citizens to gather together to praise the Lord and pray for our beloved Land. Following are area locations where you can join with others in prayer on May 5: 12:15-12:45 p.m. at Colona Memorial Park, Colona Rd.; Milan Municipal Building, 405 1st St. E.; or Moline City Hall, 619 16th St., 2nd floor Council Chambers (elevator available). Noon to 1 p.m. at Bettendorf City Hall, 1609 State St.; Coal Valley Municipal Park, 1000 1st St.; Scott County Administrative Center, 600 W. 4th St., Davenport; East Moline City Hall, 915 16th Ave.; or Rock Island County Justice Center, 1317 3rd Ave., Rock Island, (by the bronze statue). The Way Is Within: Marcia Flory, Thursday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to noon, Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, 2664 145th Ave., Wheatland, Iowa. Learn three guided visualization meditations to heal mind, body and soul. Fee: $25 includes meal. For information visit www.theprairieretreat.org or call 563-374-1092. Marriage Enrichment: Deacon Daryl and Pat Forth, Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, 2664 145th Ave., Wheatland, Iowa. This day will be focused on the key characteristics that all marriages need to remain joyful and successful. Fee: $35 includes lunch. For information visit www.theprairieretreat.org or call 563-374-1092. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In this election year, the GOP, (the South Dakota Republican Party), holds regional Lincoln Day Dinners state-wide in order to, "raise funds for our efforts in support of local and state Republican candidates." (their words). To date, multiple counties have held, and have plans to hold, Lincoln Day Dinners in order for incumbent and new candidates to be heard in a public forum - and all these counties have allowed both incumbent and new candidates to speak. One exception to this practice stands out from the rest - the Pennington County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner. The Pennington County Lincoln Day Dinner, to be held on May 14, has determined to allow only the incumbent candidates to have speaking time and will not allow any of the new candidates in the Republican Primary to speak. The new candidates for state and federal offices will be allowed to attend and place literature on the fringes of the dinner, but speaking time will not be granted. This is unfair and not consistent with any other Republican Lincoln Day Dinner in any other county in South Dakota. To be really fair, the Pennington County GOP should follow what the Brookings County GOP did, and allow the new candidates to speak in the same order as the incumbent candidates and give both the incumbent and the challenger the same limited amount of time speak. If you are a GOP member in the Rapid City area, and would like to hear from all candidates (remember: incumbents are candidates too), please contact the Pennington County GOP via their website penncogop@rushmore.com or call them at 605-348-8396 and respectfully let them know your thoughts on the issue. Together, let us ensure an equitable opportunity for all of our candidates who've done the hard work of getting approved to run in the great state of South Dakota. People deserve to hear from all the candidates and make their own decision. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Black Hills State University will recognize more than 330 graduates during the 183rd commencement ceremony, taking place at 10 a.m. May 7 inside the Donald E. Young Center in Spearfish. Degrees to be awarded include 51 masters degrees, 257 bachelors degrees and 23 associates degrees. The Charge to the Graduates will be given by Cherrie Davis, BHSU Class of 93. Jim Thares, president of the South Dakota Board of Regents, will provide greetings and Steve Meeker, vice president for University Advancement at BHSU, will welcome graduates to the BHSU Alumni Association. Commencement is a time of joy and celebration to mark the completion of a major milestone in a students life, BHSU President Laurie S. Nichols said. The entire BHSU community shares in this joy as we have had the privilege of educating and sharing our students lives during these college years. We are very proud of our graduates and wish them happiness and success as they embark on their careers and the next phase of their lives. BHSU encourages attendees to share their commencement story on social media with the hashtag #BHSU2022 in Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts. Visit BHSU.edu/Commencement for details about the May 7 commencement ceremony. Also on this webpage, all are invited to submit words of congratulations to the May 2022 graduates. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Virginia State Police are looking for a white box truck in connection with a shooting in Richmond, authorities said Friday. State police posted on social media asking for those who saw the Penske truck traveling south on Interstate 95 over the James River at 7:45 a.m. Friday to contact them. Del. Don Scott Jr. seemingly came out of nowhere to lead a surprising but successful effort to oust former House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn from her role as the chambers Democratic leader. Supporters of the Portsmouth Democrat who want him to assume the top role say he did it by creating a coalition of Democrats thats racially and geographically diverse, and because of his record of standing up to new Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. He stood up to the governor, said Del. Dan Helmer, D-Fairfax, referencing a Jan. 26 floor speech in which Scott called out the use of race in politics by Youngkin and Republicans. That prompted Youngkin to go to Scotts office to talk with him. A lot of other legislators speak on the floor, but when Don does it, the governor feels like hes got to come to his office, Helmer said. Thats the guy I want in charge. The ouster effort netted 25 members of the 48-member caucus on Wednesday, the minimum necessary to remove Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, as minority leader in the chamber, where Republicans hold 52 of the 100 seats after flipping partisan control in November. (Del. Danica Roem, D-Prince William, was not present for the vote.) The caucus will hold a leadership election, but no date has been set. Scott has been working for weeks to persuade his colleagues to elect him to the post. While no one else has yet announced they will seek the post, Democrats expect at least one person aligned with Filler-Corn to seek it. Scotts biography begins with growing up poor without a father present and includes serving time in prison on a drug charge, working a variety of jobs, and becoming an attorney in 2015 when he was 50 years old. Scott said he understands how to help the vulnerable and said he brings a new perspective to his party. I think Im in a unique position to understand that government can really help you thats why I love this country and served this country, the Navy veteran said. But government can also really hurt you, and I think Ive experienced some of that unfairness or harshness of what the government can do to you. Helmer said that experience makes Scott different from any other House Democrat. For all the people that can talk about what we need in the moment, somebody with his lived experience and story ... thats just something different, Helmer said. And he was able to demonstrate these leadership skills and bring all these people together. Thats why he should be our leader. Democrats who opted to remove Filler-Corn say election strategy is a top concern. With national GOP momentum that hurt Democrats in the 2021 elections only becoming stronger ahead of the congressional midterms and the next legislative elections, Democrats say the party needs to adjust its posture, allow more Democrats a seat at the table, and ensure that every race gets the focus it needs. (The next legislative elections are scheduled for 2023, but a pending court case seeks to accelerate House elections to this fall. It asserts that the 2021 House elections held in old districts because census data arrived late did not uphold equal representation.) Del. Karrie Delaney, D-Fairfax, said Scott is bringing Democrats to the table from across the state and that he wants people who disagree with him at the table. The idea is that with all voices heard, Democrats can craft the best policy and govern successfully. She said Scott understands tactical leadership. That kind of tactical strategy is what wins elections and what wins back the majority, she said. Delaney was elected in the wave election of 2017 when Democrats nearly took control of the House of Delegates. They won the House majority in 2019 when Scott and Helmer were first elected before losing it last year. Del. David Reid, D-Loudoun, also first elected in the 2017 wave, answered cautiously when asked about the leadership opening. As organizations change and mature, sometimes the leadership has to change as well, he said. For me, this is just kind of the natural evolution of an organization that is changing, growing and maturing. The leadership opening is creating a power struggle in the party. Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors wrote a letter to the countys House delegation on Friday expressing concern about maintaining Fairfax Countys power in the General Assembly. As you consider your path forward, we urge you to reflect upon the value of what we had a Democratic Leader from our community who understands our community, said the letter, referring to Filler-Corn, whose top lieutenants also represented Northern Virginia districts. Scotts January speech came spontaneously after Republicans had given floor speeches about critical race theory, an academic term some Republicans use in referring to school lessons on systemic racism. This thing has gone a little too far. I understand you found a winning issue critical race theory once again using the old Southern strategy to use race as a wedge issue, to use Black bodies as a prop in your campaigns, Scott said in the speech. Because I know when you say ... race, sometimes it makes people pay attention. And those folks that have pent-up racial issues this is something they can embrace. I would ask you to be very careful about continuing to use this type of language in an attempt to rally your base. Chris Saxman, a former Republican delegate who is now executive director of the business group Virginia FREE, later interviewed Scott about it during a podcast. You took straight aim at the governor. Why did you decide to do that? Saxman asked. It really was out of some frustration with the conversations around race, critical race theory, Scott said. I was like, this is too divisive. And this is not why were here now were here now to do the peoples business, to listen to bills, to listen to ideas, debate those ideas. He said the governor was using race as a wedge issue and that Republican delegates were regularly bringing up race in floor speeches. Scott described the conversation he had with the governor after the speech as lengthy, productive and respectful, and said they each agreed to keep it confidential. If nothing else, you get to hear other peoples views. Scott spent seven years in prison after a 1994 conviction on federal drug charge, according to a 2018 profile of him in The Virginian-Pilot. The sentence was a mandatory minimum and stemmed from a pound of crack sold in Mobile, Ala. The experience taught him how to fight for others, he said in the story. He grew up in Houston as one of six children raised by a single mother who worked as a school secretary. He earned a degree from Texas A&M University and joined the Navy. He was arrested in the drug case while studying law at Louisiana State University. Scott maintained he was innocent and pleaded no contest to one charge, The Pilot reported. He told the newspaper he drove to Alabama in 1994 to pick up $26,000 for a drug dealer he knew, but never saw drugs himself. After prison, he worked various jobs, including construction and then at a workforce development company, which brought him to Virginia. He was admitted to the bar in Virginia in June 2015 at age 50, The Pilot reported in its profile. In voting to remove Filler-Corn on Wednesday, Democrats opted to keep her lieutenant, Del. Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, as the caucus chair. Scott was the caucus vice chair for outreach, but he resigned that position to seek the top post. Del. Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, said hes not interested in running for the leader job and praised both Filler-Corn and Scott. The caucus should hold an election and the sooner, the better, he said. Patrick Wilson pwilson@timesdispatch.com; (804) 649-6061; Twitter: @patrickmwilson Follow Patrick Wilson Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today In July 2020, Virginia workers were reeling from the economic aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows more than 342,000 people were unemployed at that time up from roughly 113,000 a year earlier. Gov. Glenn Youngkin had a vision for workers in need of new careers and companies in search of skilled employees. Months before his candidacy, he launched VA Ready a business-led partnership that would help Virginians find family-sustaining and fulfilling career pathways in high-growth industries. VA Ready involved conversations with employers about their needs, and with education partners who could deliver related training. It also prioritized incentives for students. There never has been a more critical time to invest in retraining and reskilling people to help get them back to work in high-demand industries, and to make our workforce more resilient in the face of future threats, Youngkin wrote in a July 2020 Times-Dispatch op-ed. In his first 100 days as governor, Youngkin has been equally committed to carving out promising opportunities for Virginia children. In mid-April, he traveled to Googles Reston office to unveil a $250,000 grant for CodeVA. The money would go toward developing a system of computer science lab schools. This past week, he visited CodeRVA Regional High School in Richmond a computer science magnet school with children from 15 area divisions highlighting it as a model for how lab schools could operate. The governors vision is absolutely worth pursuing. But for his lab school framework to be effective, it has to keep pace with an evolving economy. Industries can change for a variety of reasons. In December 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released decade-long employment projections through the year 2022. The BLS assessment included five reasons why occupational mixes change. Virginia leaders should be mindful of these factors before building out lab schools. *** Technology As new tools and techniques make work more efficient, fewer employees might be needed to fill some job sectors. For example, BLS noted in 2013 how online shopping was starting to replace brick-and-mortar stores, and subsequently could cause cuts to retail positions. Since the start of 2020, that certainly has happened in the Richmond region. Notable major department store closures include Nordstrom at Short Pump Town Center, JCPenney at Virginia Center Commons and Sears at Chesterfield Towne Center. Computer science is a far cry from retail. But its worth considering how skills taught at a lab school could become less person-dependent over time. Changes in business practices or production methods In 2013, BLS pointed to grocery stores that were adding self-checkout lanes, which meant fewer cashiers or baggers would be needed. In 2022, grocery chains are employing different strategies to keep customer bases strong and happy. Visit a Trader Joes store, and cashiers still bag every customers purchase. In an April 2020 Business Insider report, some even questioned why the company did not offer self-checkout, pickup or curbside options during the early stages of COVID-19. Visit a Kroger or Publix location, and both self- and regular-checkout options exist. But visit new Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh stores in Washington and Northern Virginia, and there are no cashiers. Amazons Just Walk Out technology uses artificial intelligence and ceiling cameras to track grocery purchases. It automatically charges customers credit or debit cards, without a checkout line. Will technologies like Just Walk Out yield computer science jobs down the road? Over the next decade, how will these kinds of adjustments affect a lab schools curriculum? Outsourcing BLS 2013 brief warned companies can replace in-house jobs with contract workers employed by other firms. Human resources specialists were cited as one example. Another case study recently emerged in West Virginia. Pharmaceutical company Viatris closed a manufacturing plant in Morgantown, outsourcing 1,500-plus jobs overseas. Formerly known as Mylan, the plant provided good-paying positions for more than five decades until its local brand merged with Upjohn, a division of Pfizer, to form Viatris. To support West Virginians affected by the closure, Gov. Jim Justice brokered negotiations to transfer ownership of the plant to an arm of West Virginia University, as well as provide tuition scholarships for out-of-work employees. WVU now is aiming to revamp the plant as a mall-like incubator for life science businesses, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently reported. Meanwhile, central Virginia has been building a promising advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs cluster, centered in the Richmond region. If lab schools were launched to support those jobs, but outsourcing happened down the line, could similar safeguards with local higher education institutions be in place for students and alumni? How will the public and private sectors work together to navigate unforeseen challenges? Replacement of one product or service for another Google was a strong launch partner for Youngkins lab school push. The company employs roughly 500 people in Virginia, and with a fresh $300 million investment, its economic impact will hit nearly $8.8 billion, the governors office said. But tech companies routinely weather disruptive times. For example, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) recently reported its second straight drop in quarterly earnings a first in more than a decade. CEO Mark Zuckerberg structured the companys rebranding around the idea that it would shift from social media to the Metaverse, a new world of virtual reality. Fast forward years from now: The Metaverse gamble turns out to be a good one, bringing in billions of dollars in economic impact to Virginia through VR jobs. The commonwealth then creates a lab school to train students for those high-demand VR careers. Then, an unexpected privacy issue emerges similar to the struggles that have diminished Facebook users trust in the digital platform. The Metaverse then crashes. How will the lab school pivot to keep serving students and meet funding obligations? How will the public-private partnership adapt? Organizational restructuring of work To help a company better realize its desired economic output, job duties can change. BLS 2013 brief cited the example of dental hygienists taking on routine tasks that once had to be performed by dentists. If a science lab school for health care careers was created, would similar issues emerge? For example, a recent Times-Dispatch report noted how Virginia has endured a serious nursing shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The commonwealth likely has only 60% to 70% of the staff members needed, the report added. How would a lab school navigate such voids and shifts in nursing specialties? For example, a career as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (at least 7 years of training) requires a different path than a certified nursing assistant (a matter of weeks). With time (and technology) could the tasks of (and training for) one nursing profession be assumed by another? *** On paper, the governors lab school vision is loaded with innovative ideas. But once put into practice, over time, these kinds of questions should be considered. Training our youths is a different kind of investment than reskilling adult employees who chose to take on new, high-demand fields. At a time when Virginia employers in sectors such as technology, health care and manufacturing are expecting to have tens of thousands of job openings over the next few years, people in lower-paying jobs most vulnerable to layoffs are stuck because they lack the credentials to work in more dynamic sectors, Youngkin said in the July 2020 RTD op-ed. Virginia children deserve pathways that lead to fulfilling jobs, but not all students are going to work in dynamic sectors. And dynamic, by definition, means characterized by constant change. Lab schools have to keep pace with an evolving economy. Chris Gentilviso by Xinhua writer Zhang Yisheng BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Climate change and other environmental challenges have posed a threat to people's livelihoods and species across the planet. To mitigate the impact, China has offered some wisdom: the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, one of the fundamental principles of Chinese President Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization. "Ecological civilization represents the development trend of human civilization," Xi said at the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) last year. His thought not only serves as the guiding theory underpinning China's sustainable development efforts but also sheds light on where human civilization should be headed. GREENING CHINA China has bolstered its green credentials in recent years, from cultivating the Chinese people's eco-civilization awareness to adding new forests, grasslands and wetlands and combating air and water pollution. On March 30 this year, Xi planted trees in China's capital Beijing, marking the 10th year of his participation in the annual tree-planting activity as the top leader and demonstrating how much he values efforts to further green China. "I want to do my bit for the Beautiful China initiative, and also to sow the seeds of ecological conservation in the entire society, among the Chinese youth in particular," Xi said. "With perseverance and accumulated efforts, we will be able to make our country's sky bluer, mountains lusher, waters clearer and the environment more beautiful," he said. Thanks to afforestation efforts, 960 million mu (64 million hectares) of trees have been planted in China over the past decade. The country's forest coverage has now reached 23.04 percent, up 2.68 percentage points from 2012, bolstering global confidence in combating forest degradation. China's environmental efforts have also garnered international acclaim. In 2017, China's Saihanba afforestation community won the Champions of the Earth award, the highest environmental honor of the United Nations. Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said Beijing has put in place robust guard rails to ensure that urbanization and infrastructure growth do not negatively impact the health of vital ecosystems, including forests and watersheds. "The fact that China has embarked on an ambitious tree planting, on an ambitious program to combat food waste, all of these are very good," she said. The Chinese public has embraced China's "Green is Gold" concept, hence elevating the Asian nation's status as an example of biodiversity protection, Andersen said. CHINA'S CONTRIBUTION China, as a participant, contributor and trailblazer in global ecological conservation, is firmly committed to putting multilateralism into action and promoting a fair and equitable system of global environmental governance for win-win cooperation, President Xi said at the Leaders Summit on Climate via video link last year. In October 2021, the Kunming Declaration was adopted at COP15 held in the provincial capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, providing new momentum for a biodiversity conservation roadmap in the coming decade. Danish Environment Minister Lea Wermelin said China "sent a strong, positive message to the world" when announcing that it will take the lead by investing 1.5 billion yuan (about 233 million U.S. dollars) to establish a Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support biodiversity protection in developing countries. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said, "the adoption of the Kunming Declaration ... has put us firmly on the path to the adoption of an effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework that will engage the entire world in the task of putting nature on a path to recovery by 2030." Richie Merzian, director of the Climate and Energy Program at the Australia Institute, said China has made great strides in environmental protection. "Climate change is a major challenge. But at the same time, it also provides a good opportunity for cooperation," Merzian said. In Kenya, the China-financed Garissa solar power plant, the largest solar plant in East and Central Africa, has helped facilitate Kenya's quest for green development since it was inaugurated three years ago. Nestled in a valley at the foot of the Andes, the Chilean capital of Santiago has been using electric vehicles from China as part of plans to revamp its public transport system and advance clean mobility. During the construction of the China-Laos Railway, which connects Kunming in China's Yunnan Province with Lao capital Vientiane, many tunnels were extended and roads replaced by bridges to protect elephant habitats. Philip Clayton, president of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China, a U.S. think tank, said China's contributions to ecological civilization have empowered the international community to pursue environmental reforms and more robust ecological governance. COMMUNITY OF LIFE China has always been a country of action, actively shouldering international responsibilities and stepping up efforts to build a community of life for humanity and nature. "Faced with unprecedented challenges in global environmental governance, the international community needs to come up with unprecedented ambition and action. We need to act with a sense of responsibility and unity, and work together to foster a community of life for man and Nature," President Xi said. Nigel Topping, Britain's high-level climate action champion for UN climate talks, characterized ecological civilization as "the most exciting" of the ideas coming from China. "Ever since I heard the term 'ecological civilization,' I was like 'yes,' that's what we're all trying to build, that's what we have to build," he said. Clayton said humanity must "recognize that we are a single species with a single shared destiny." "We would not exist at all without the stable and nurturing life-systems around us. In fact, in one sense we are not separately existing creatures at all. We are, from the bottom up, beings in community," he said. "The greatest vision for the future of humanity is to affirm that we all belong to a single global community of life," Clayton said. "When we acknowledge our deep interconnection, we become allies on behalf of the community of life." The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is no longer part of a project for reimagining Monument Avenue following the removal of Confederate statues from the historic roadway over the past two years. While museum officials had expected to get $10 million from the state to facilitate the planning process with historians, architects, landscape designers, activists and community members over the next few years, its now unclear how the project will move forward. Amy Peck, a VMFA spokeswoman, said Friday that the museums involvement in the project ended in December, right before Gov. Glenn Youngkin took office and as the state was handing ownership of the Robert E. Lee monument and the land where it stood to the city of Richmond. As a state agency, VMFA reports directly to the governor. After the commonwealth conveyed that property to the city ... VMFA was informed by the governors office that VMFA would no longer be involved with the Monument Avenue project since all of the property impacted by the project was now owned by the city, Peck said. VMFA was not consulted by the commonwealth or the city of Richmond on that decision. WTVR first reported the museums exit from the project. While former Gov. Ralph Northam had originally proposed allocating $10 million to the museum for the project in December 2020, the General Assembly voted to allocate just $1 million to get the process started and tasked the VMFA to present a plan to state officials by Sept. 1, 2022. Peck said only $100,000 had been spent and that the museum plans to return the rest of the money to the state. Northam and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, both Democrats, ordered the removal of the Lee monument and other Confederate statues from Monument Avenue in June 2020, amid local and nationwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The city removed the statues it owned that summer, but litigation challenging the governors order delayed the removal of the Lee statue until last September. The toppling of the statues followed a yearslong political debate over Confederate monuments, which critics say are odious symbols of white supremacy. Many Republican lawmakers argued against taking them down, saying that they represent the states history and cultural heritage. But the General Assembly in 2020, just a few months before the protest movement, voted to amend a law barring their removal. As the state finalized the removal of the Lee monument pedestal in December, right after Republican candidate Youngkin was elected governor, state and city officials announced plans to give the monuments to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia. Officials with the city and the Black History Museum, which is partnering with the Valentine museum in Richmond to shape a plan for what to do with the monuments, have since shared few details about next steps. In her weekly newsletter on Friday, 2nd District Councilwoman Katherine Jordan, whose district covers a long stretch of the Monument Avenue corridor, said she and other officials are unaware of what plans are in the works. We are working on obtaining more information from the [city] administration, and hope to share a more substantive update soon, she said. Katherine Driggs, a local resident who had been involved in a community group that was working with the VMFA on the Monument Avenue project, said the process had started to fall apart earlier last year. Driggs said there had been disputes about who should be involved, and that the group has effectively disbanded. In an interview on Friday, Driggs said she is worried that the absence of a grassroots planning effort could lead city officials to handpick a few organizations or individuals to shape the future of the avenue with little to no input from the community at large. We have a series of amazing historical assets lying around us waiting to be used, and we all just keep staring at them, too nervous to take the first step. And I think we all just need to start doing things, she said. It is going to be a lot for the Valentine and Black History Museum to figure out what to do with the monuments. Michael Paul Williams Follow Michael Paul Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The Food and Drug Administrations move Thursday to ban menthol cigarettes should have been a moment of unfiltered elation for Mignonne Guy. Instead, she was fuming over the gaslighting that followed. Yesterday, I was on fire, said Guy, chair of the Department of African American Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, who specializes in medical racism and health inequities. She was angry over the misinformation and disinformation on social media and other platforms intended to spark African Americans to defend an indefensible product. Nearly 85% of all non-Hispanic Black smokers smoke menthol cigarettes; 30% of non-Hispanic white smokers use menthols, according to the FDA. I want the public to know theyre being targeted again, Guy told me Friday. She anticipates a long legal fight ahead by the cigarette industry against this proposed ban. But if Black lives truly matter, we need to look askance at cigarettes, which disproportionately kill Black people. African American men have the highest rates of lung cancer in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The tobacco industry, Guy said, went from forcing us to grow and pick the tobacco to really targeting us to use the tobacco. In an interview with VCU News, she called the proposed ban which would also prohibit characterizing flavors in cigars historic and long-overdue action to protect all of our nations children, advance health equity and save lives, especially among Black Americans and other populations that have been targeted by the tobacco industry and suffered enormous harm from the predatory marketing of these products. When I committed to studying tobacco as a graduate student, it was solely for this moment, Guy said. I learned very early on that the tobacco industry manipulated menthol products to increase their addictiveness, that they targeted Black, low income White, LGBTQ+, and young people to use these products that, if used as intended, they would likely die from. My goal, she said, was to contribute to the body of evidence that would lead to the ban of menthol cigarettes and put a stop to the industry preying on Black communities. The marketing of menthol cigarettes to Black consumers was made easier by redlining and housing segregation. I grew up in a household where menthol cigarettes were smoked. Kool a brand that would have a jazz festival named after it appeared to be the brand of choice. The cooling effect of the menthol made the cigarettes easier to inhale, making for a more pleasant experience. My parents managed to quit. But it was too late for my father, Wilbert Williams, who was diagnosed with lung cancer before his death three decades ago. Stoking Guys ire Thursday was the alliance between cigarettes and some Black leaders, including Al Sharpton, who acknowledged in an article in The New York Times that his National Action Network has received financial support from the tobacco industry. Sharpton, in a letter to Susan Rice, the Domestic Policy Council director, wrote that the menthol ban would have unintended consequences and severely target and harm African American smokers, who overwhelmingly prefer menthol cigarettes. A menthol ban would impose serious risks, Sharpton wrote, including increasing the illegal sale of smuggled, black market menthol cigarettes as well as the street sales of individual menthol cigarettes loosies and in turn place menthol smokers at a significant risk of entering the criminal justice system. Sharpton knows better. Yes, Eric Garner, after being accused of selling loosie cigarettes, died from a chokehold by a New York City police officer in 2014. But to cynically turn this tragedy on its head is to ignore tens of thousands of African Americans who die of tobacco-related deaths each year. The targeting and harm of Black people by the cigarette industry is not an unintended consequence. The FDA ban would apply only to manufacturers and retailers. As the agency states: The FDA cannot and will not enforce against individual consumer possession or use of menthol cigarettes or any tobacco product. And state and local law enforcement agencies do not independently enforce the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, the FDA stated. Or as Guy told VCU News: This fearmongering cannot hide the fact that it is the industry itself that preyed on and caused so much harm and death to Black Americans through the targeted marketing of menthol cigarettes. This is not a question of criminalizing Black smokers; it is a question of saving Black lives. Numerous organizations have endorsed a menthol cigarette ban, including the NAACP, the Congressional Black Caucus and a broad coalition of 77 public health, medical, education and community organizations. No Black activist should dare defend a product that has taken so many Black lives. Disregard the smoke and mirrors. BEDFORD After more than a year of ongoing litigation in a civil case between the Bedford Broadband Authority and Roanoke-based Blue Ridge Towers where both parties accused each other of breach of contract, the parties reached a settlement. The settlement agreement, which unanimously was approved by the Bedford County Board of Supervisors on Monday, will transfer ownership of the Big Island, or Sunset Hill, tower site, rents and leases to the broadband authority. A net payment yet to be determined, according to county documents, also will be made to the broadband authority at closing. In January 2021, the Bedford County Broadband Authority filed a lawsuit that accused BRT of breaking contract in the countys broadband project and demanding overblown payment to turn over ownership of a cellphone tower. BRT returned the allegations of breach of contract, saying Bedford Countys broadband authority was the one that breached the contract and shortchanged BRT. In March 2021, BRT responded and said the authority breached contract and engaged in misrepresentation and deception. The company initially asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed. At the heart of the lawsuit was the authoritys claim Blue Ridge Towers intended to either keep the tower for itself or extort a massive profit from the Authority and the public before transferring ownership to the authority. The authority launched the broadband project in 2018 to bring better internet access to Bedford County residents and contracted BRT to design and construct 11 new cell towers across the county to meet those ends. Between grants and taxpayer funds, the entire project cost $3.5 million, and partners in the project still are connecting residents to service, which remains spotty in places. With construction complete, Roanoke-based internet service provider partner BriscNet was contracted to take over the rollout and management of services, for which it paid the authority rent on the towers. For coverage around Big Island, BRT was slated to represent the authority in purchasing property for the tower from Georgia-Pacific in May 2019 at a favorable cost of $30,000, the lawsuit stated. At the time, the company tried to negotiate ownership of the Big Island tower and site, which would have required a change order, but the agreement meant the authority would be the owner of the property and tower. BRT worked directly with Georgia-Pacific for the deal, and emails from Bedford County Attorney Patrick Skelley at the time stated he had no problem with BRT following through with that purchaser without my involvement, and that once you have closed with GP, the interest in the property can be transferred to the County, according to the complaint. Details for how to draft the deed for the authority were discussed at an advisory committee meeting May 9, 2019, the lawsuit stated, but BRT had drafted a deed with itself as the owner two days prior. The company then filed that deed later in the month. In May 2020, BRT demanded $302,324 to turn the tower back over to the authority, part of which was for entering into those leases, the lawsuit stated. The initial agreement was for BRT to turn over the tower after being refunded $30,000 for the property purchase. Tower construction ended seven months overdue, for which the suit stated Briscnet and one of its principal investors, Radius Capital encouraged the authority to sue BRT, indicating the authority didnt do so. BriscNet started using the tower at the end of June to provide services and had paid BRT monthly rent of $10 instead of paying the authority. BRT closed leases with T-Mobile and US Cellular later in 2019 so they could offer service through the Big Island tower also, according to the lawsuit. Those leases would be void by law except for the fact the providers were unaware of BRTs subterfuge, making them bona fide purchasers for value whose leases should not be disturbed, the complaint stated. Instead, the authority demanded damages from BRT for unjust enrichments that matched the leases. Those unjust enrichment counts claimed BRT collected money it wasnt entitled to. In one count, the authority demanded $27,470 in lease payments that BRT has received so far, plus any future lease payments while the lawsuit was pending. As an alternative to that, it demanded $769,000 in damages from BRT: the combined value of the leases with T-Mobile and US Cellular plus the amount the authority had spent on construction costs. Every other tower had been turned over to the authority without hitches, according to the complaint. The authority gave BRT written notice of a breach and offered the initially agreed-upon $30,000 to turn it over, which the company had refused. The settlement closeout is projected to be completed in May, Skelley said Monday. The countys broadband initiative has continued moving forward in spite of this dispute. FLORENCE The South Carolina Primary Health Care Association honored the late state Sen. Hugh K. Leatherman Sr. with the Marion P. Carnell Award on Thursday. The award was presented to Leathermans wife, Jean, at an award luncheon, held by HopeHealth at the Florence Country Club. The late senator was chosen for the award at the 2022 SCPHCAs Annual State Policies and Issues Forum. The prestigious award is named after the late Rep. Marion Carnell, who served in the House of Representatives for more than 40 years. The award is given to the person who has, over an extended period, shown extraordinary support of community health centers, their patients, and their mission. Sen. Leatherman was a longtime member of the South Carolina Senate, serving for 40 years. He was an advocate for health care access and ensured that his district, which was often underserved, received resources to provide health care access for members of his community. Francis Marion University President Fred Carter discussed the senators commitment to accessible health care. Sen. Leatherman would be terrifically pleased with this award, Carter said. He had a strong sense of obligation to ensure that every South Carolinian had access to primary health care, and that it be affordable, accessible, and equitable in its distribution across the state. From the time he became Senate Finance Chairman in the early 2000s, health care became an overriding concern of his agenda every single legislative session. HopeHealth CEO Carl Humphries told a story about his first time visiting the senators office to advocate for health center funding. My first visit to his office in Columbia told me really all I needed to know about the senator, Humphries said. The South Carolina Primary Health Care Association, which has given this award, is the association we [community health centers] all belong to. We were among a long line of people who were looking to come to the senator and ask him for help. This was my first year; I really didnt expect him to know who I was. Humphries described the defining moment during that first visit when Leatherman called him out of the crowd. As he was wrapping up the meeting, were getting up to say goodbye and he looks at me and says, Carl, could you stay behind for a few minutes? Id like to talk to you. He recognized me. Ill never forget that, and Ill never forget the way he always made an acquaintance feel like a close friend, he said. Upon being presented with the award, Jean Leatherman spoke of her husbands partnership with Carter. Ultimately, she shared the award with Carter, stating, Nothing in this [Pee Dee] area, in the area of health care, would be possible if it werent for the greatest partnership that ever existed Fred and Hugh. This is truly a joint award. HopeHealth is a nonprofit leader in providing affordable, expert primary and specialty health care services for all ages in Aiken, Clarendon, Florence, Orangeburg and Williamsburg counties. Its federally qualified health centers are the health care home of choice for nearly 60,000 patients. To become a patient, call 843-667-9414 or visit hope-health.org. Dear Helaine and Joe: I wonder if you can identify the period, style and approximated age of the bedroom furniture in the attached photos. The pieces were found in the attic of an old house in St. Paul, Minnesota. We "adopted" the furniture and always thought it was ornate, unique and heavy! But we don't know anything about its history. What can you tell us? Thank you, S. K., Minneapolis Dear S. K.: For the time period in which it was made, this is an attractive partial set of furniture. We say "partial" because the set is missing a nightstand, a bench for the vanity dresser and probably another chest or dresser. This was an elegant set when it was made in the United States, probably somewhere in the Midwest. Places such as Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zeeland, Michigan; Evansville, Indiana; Batesville, Indiana, or a myriad of other heartland places could have been the place of origin. But without a label or a branded-in signature it is hard to say more than this about the manufacturer. "Manufacturer" is the correct word in this case, not craftsman or cabinetmaker. The set was made in a factory using methods of mass production that can easily be seen in the pressed bellflower motifs on the vanity and bed headboard, as well as the pressed shield that forms the crest of the mirror and the aforementioned headboard. This is not a bad thing, necessarily, but it is typical for American furniture made in the 1920s and early 1930s. If we were pinned down, we would say the set was built just before the stock market crash in 1929, say circa 1924-28. As for the style, it is a standard 1920s mishmash. But at the time, it might have been referred to as "formal French" or something close to that. In truth, we think these are nice examples of 1920s French-influenced furniture with exceptional veneers of exotic wood that create a kind of kaleidoscopic fan across the top of the vanity table. We also think the extensive elaborate string inlays one large band of diamond shapes and another narrower band of square shapes are eye-catching and add both interest and value to this set. There may, however, be a problem. In the photograph we think we see a large area of discoloration on the vanity dresser top that is distracting and may be hard to fix. Veneers on 1920s furniture can be delicate and must be treated with a certain amount of care and caution. If this large area does in fact exist and S. K. wants to fix it, she should make sure the vanity is placed in the hands of a professional who understands the need for finesse and a light hand. As for its insurance replacement value, with a large discolored area on the vanity, it is about $1,000 for the set. Without the stain the price should rise to around $1,500. (Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson have written a number of books on antiques. Do you have an item youd like to know more about? Contact them at Joe Rosson, 2504 Seymour Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917, or email them at treasures@knology.net. If youd like your question to be considered for their column, please include a high-resolution photo of the subject, which must be in focus, with your inquiry.) 2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DAKOTA CITY -- Tyson Foods will spend $60 million to offer free education for all 120,000 of its employees. Starting this summer, the nation's largest U.S. meat company will cover the cost of undergraduate, master's and associate degrees or career certificates for employees. Tyson, metro Sioux City's largest employer, is partnering with social impact company Guild to expand its existing Upward Academy program to include access to more than 175 programs from over 35 of the nation's top universities and learning providers. The four-year, $60 million investment will cover 100% of all tuition, books, and fees. This commitment to our team members reinforces our belief that they are the lifeblood of our current and future success," said John R. Tyson, the company's executive vice president and chief sustainability officer. "Providing equity and opportunity to every single member of our team is part of our goal to make Tyson the most sought-after place to work." Since 2016, Upward Academy, an onsite adult education program has provided free ESL, GED, citizenship, financial and digital literacy classes to frontline employees. Upward Academy is currently offered at 46 Tyson locations, including its turkey plant in Storm Lake, Iowa. With the addition of the online curriculum, all workers, including thousands in metro Sioux City, will now have access to nearly 200 learning programs provided by dozens of institutions of higher learning. In metro Sioux City, Tyson employs over 4,500 people at its flagship beef plant in Dakota City, its fresh meats division headquarters in Dakota Dunes and its cold storage site in Sioux City. We are thrilled to partner with Tyson to further empower their team members to pursue career pathways that will help them open the doors to their dreams, Guild CEO Rachel Romer Carlson said. Tysons free education and upskilling program is enhancing its commitment to creating a top work environment and a workplace of growth. An online portal will provide Tyson employees with access to curriculum and courses covering foundational skills, career certificates and academic degrees. Tyson said free education is the latest example of the company's investment in its workforces. The company has spent more than $500 million in wage increases and bonuses for its hourly workforce last year. In addition, it is piloting subsidized and onsite childcare, as well as seven free, near-site health centers. A growing number of Tyson production facilities also are offering more flexible work schedules. Additionally, the company noted it recently committed more than $1 million to support its many immigrant team members .The Tyson Immigration Partnership (TIP), which serves 40 facilities in 14 states, helps provide team members with legal services needed to acquire U.S. citizenship. Tyson's U.S.-based workforce is comprised of team members from more than 160 countries who collectively speak more than 50 languages. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) The Connecticut Senate gave final legislative approval shortly before midnight Friday to a bill abortion rights advocates contend is needed to protect in-state medical providers from legal action stemming from out-of-state laws, as well as the patients who travel to Connecticut to terminate a pregnancy and those who help them. Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, said lawmakers in Connecticut, a state with a long history of supporting abortion rights, needed to pass the legislation in defense of our own values and our own legal system." It comes after Texas enacted a law that authorizes lawsuits against clinics, doctors and others who perform or facilitate a banned abortion, even in another state. The bill, which already cleared the House of Representatives earlier this month, passed in the Senate on a 25-9 vote. It now moves to Gov. Ned Lamont's desk. The Democrat has said he will sign it. Supporters voiced concern about the spate of new abortion restrictions being enacted in a growing number of conservative states and the possibility the U.S. Supreme Court may overturn or weaken Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established a nationwide right to abortion. We have to think about what we will do when that time comes and we have to think about what we're going to do right now, given what's happening in other states, said Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chair of the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee. Under the bill, state and local agencies in the state of Connecticut, which codified the Roe v. Wade decision in state law in 1990, would be prevented from cooperating in investigations and prosecutions of abortion providers in the state. The bill also modifies the states extradition statutes and prevents an out-of-state patients medical records from being disclosed. The socially conservative Family Institute of Connecticut has criticized the legislation, arguing it will create a safe harbor for abortion providers who violate abortion laws in other states. The bill would also allow an advanced practice registered nurse, nurse-midwife or physician assistant to perform the most common type of in-clinic abortion known as an aspiration abortion in the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy. The procedure is currently limited to physicians. Advocates contend the additional clinicians are needed to help address a shortage of doctors in Connecticut that perform abortions as well as prepare for the possible influx of women from out-of-state seeking to have the procedure. Sen. Patricia Billie Miller, D-Stamford, who is Black, said she agrees women should be able to make choices about their bodies. However, Miller said she planned to vote against the bill because of the racist history surrounding abortion, which was outlined during a speech delivered on the House floor by freshman Rep. Trenee McGee, D-West Haven, who spoke of Black girls being steered toward abortion as a form of birth control. I can't support a system that systemically tried to get rid of a race of people, Miller said. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SIOUX CITY -- Visitors to Stone Bru Coffee Company's new headquarters and roasting facility will be able to see and smell green coffee beans and watch a roast from beginning to end for the first time early this summer. Brad Lepper, Stone Bru's president, purchased the historic 22,000-square-foot building overlooking downtown, at 101 West Third St., in December 2020 and renovations began the following year. He said "everything" needed work. The structure, which most recently housed Stultz Plumbing, combines a historic front with adequate warehouse space. The back portion of the building, which Lepper said once served as the first mechanically cooled cold storage facility in town, was built in 1890. The front portion was added on and used as a showroom by Anderson Furniture Company around 1911. "The location was probably the first thing that drew us. Just being right here in downtown and the visibility right across from Hard Rock," Lepper said of Prospect Hill. "This is where Sioux City started. There's a lot of cool history in this part of town." Upon entering the front door, visitors will find themselves in the roast lab, which features red brick walls and wood floors. The roaster will be located on the west side, while burlap sacks containing green coffee will be stored on racks standing in the northwest corner. The building's upstairs is available to lease as an office space. "It basically mimics the front area downstairs -- similar wood, brick, lighting, all those types of things," Jeff Carlson, a realtor who owns RE/MAX Preferred, said of the upstairs. "It's just really a beautiful space." Two green couches currently sit in the middle of the roast lab, a warm, airy, welcoming space. Accent chairs underneath a chandelier, tables and chairs, a booth and bench along the back wall, and an espresso bar will round out the furnishings. Visitors will be able to purchase limited specialty coffee drinks and baked goods from the coffee bar, but no salads or wraps. The roastery isn't a cafe like Stone Bru's Sunnybrook location. It won't have a kitchen. However, Lepper said the plan is to sell 2-pound and 5-pound whole bean coffee directly to the consumer. "It's almost like a microbrewery, where you go to see how the product is made and learn about the deeper nuances of that business," he explained. "While you're sipping one cup of coffee, you can't watch a whole batch get roasted." Down a hallway and to the left is an area that Stone Bru will use to service and repair coffee equipment. Lepper said they'll be able to bring in new equipment and bench test it there. The warehouse portion of the building, which is adjacent to the repair area, was built in 1954. Lepper said the space underwent a "tremendous deep cleaning." The walls were painted white and, then, Wholesale Director Adrian Kolbo's sister, Annika Kolbo, painted a mural of coffee plants. "In the past, everyone has known Stone Bru as a cafe, as a drive-thru coffee shop. Our cafe now is more of showcase for us. It's a place where we can try things, learn on our own and, then, pass that information on to our clients," Lepper said. "Our growth pattern going forward is going to be more on the roasting and cafe consultation side and not so much retail locations." A piece of history It just so happens that the building selected for Stone Bru's headquarters is located right across the street from what was Empire Mills, one of the largest coffee roasters in the early 1900s. The Haddock Monument and a billboard currently stand on the site. Back then, Lepper said the grocers would get green coffee, so they could store it longer, and, then, roast it themselves. "According to the museum, most of the coffee in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and some of Missouri originated right here in downtown Sioux City," he said. "It's fun to come back to a historic building that would've been built during that time period and bring it back into an industry that was once very prevalent in Sioux City." Lepper said the building underwent a complete gut, renovation and build out. All new electrical, lighting and HVAC systems were installed along with new windows. In what is now the roast lab, the infill was taken out, the old tile was pulled up and the plaster on the walls and ceiling was removed. In fact, Lepper said the only thing that's still original is the building's bones and structure. He said it was "fun" taking down the ceiling and having items from the early 1900s fall onto the floor. He plans to frame a railroad map from 1908. Another interesting find is a letter from 1931, which was still inside an envelope. "It was a customer who had sent a letter requesting $10 in product and saying that he would send the rest when he could and that things were just as bad there as everywhere, but at least the weather's good," Lepper recalled. "It was like a really unique piece of depression era business communication." A new direction Lepper, describes himself as a serial entrepreneur who loves business and creating things. He got his start by purchasing a laundromat in Dakota City. Shortly after that, the Burger King on Gordon Drive relocated, freeing up that building. "My wife and I, our first home in Sioux City was on Mulberry Street, right at the top of the hill in Morningside. Every day that I would come down and go to work, I would look at that building. Of course, being the laundry business, I see every building as a potential laundromat. I thought that would be a good spot between the colleges," he said. Since the laundry business didn't need a drive-thru, Lepper thought it would be a good coffee shop. Lepper reached out to his aunt, who lives in Lincoln and owns a coffee shop. "She didn't want to expand, but she had met a gentleman from town, Nick Topf, who worked for a roaster here at the time. She said I should go talk to him. So, I went and talked to him," Lepper recalled. "That first experience of pulling espresso shots and seeing the roasting and seeing the green coffee beans and just seeing the inside works of the coffee business, I think I was hooked at that moment." Topf, who now serves as Stone Bru's director of coffee, convinced Lepper that they could handle the business proposition on their own. Lepper partnered with Robbie Jennings and Jeff Boonstra. They opened the first Stone Bru retail location on the corner of Stone Avenue and Gordon Drive in December 2015. A location in Dakota Dunes followed in 2018. Then, amid the pandemic, Stone Bru consolidated its retail operations at 5822 Sunnybrook Drive. The coffee company currently does its roasting at 609 Wesley Way, but that operation will be moving to the West Third Street headquarters. "If nobody were come in in a day, it really wouldn't affect our operation," Lepper said of the West Third Street headquarters. "We have this because we want people to be able to come in and see what we're doing. Our real customer-facing operation is the Sunnybrook store." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- For years, parents have encouraged their kids to go outside to get some fresh air or turn off the TV and read a book. Kids now can do both at the same time at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. Work began Wednesday on installation of the Tale Trail, an addition to the center's trail system in which nature- and animal-themed storybooks will be displayed page by page on metal stands placed along the Loess Loop Trail. As they walk the trail, children and their parents can follow the story as they stop at each of the 20 stations. By the time they're finished, they'll have read a book and hiked half a mile. "Our goal is to inspire literacy with young children and their families along with science and nature," naturalist Theresa Kruid said. As kids walk from station to station, they might also realize the birds, animals, plants and trees they see along the way are just as interesting as the story they're reading, or something they'd see on TV. "We want them to gain an awareness about the outdoors," Kruid said. As she, Tyler Flammang and Kari Sandage installed the first viewing stand at the trail head, Kruid pulled out the laminated pages of "On the Nature Trail," a colorful book filled with pictures of birds and animals, some of which might be encountered here. Nature Center staff members hope that reading a book along the trail will excite children about nature, leading to return visits to the Nature Center for other activities. Maybe they'll even convince their parents to visit other parks and conservation areas the Woodbury County Conservation Board manages. "Anything to get kids outside and away from electronics," Kruid said. Call the Tale Trail one of the positive things to come out of the COVID pandemic. The idea was inspired by StoryWalk, a children's literacy project created in 2007 by a Vermont woman in which pages from books are displayed along walking trails, encouraging children to read and be active outside. StoryWalk trails now are found in all 50 states and more than a dozen countries. Kruid thought it would be a neat addition at the Nature Center, but the idea was put on the back burner. When COVID shut down indoor programming at the Nature Center and other indoor activities were canceled, parents began bringing their children to hike on the trails and play outside, one of the few activities they could still enjoy during the pandemic. Seeing that, Kruid said the idea for a StoryWalk trail resurfaced as an additional outdoor activity the Nature Center could offer. As planning proceeded, Nature Center staff named it the Tale Trail because it didn't quite fit all the parameters of StoryWalk, a trademarked enterprise. The Nature Center received $5,000 grants from the Siouxland Community Foundation and CF Industries to buy the display stands. Books were donated. Stories will be rotated every two-four weeks year-round. If the book isn't long enough to fill all 20 stands along the trail, the remaining ones will be filled with nature-related information. There's been no promotion yet, but Kruid said the local Prime Age to Engage literacy group already is excited to bring kids to the trail. The Tale Trail could become part of the many classroom field trips that take place here or something families can do on their own, even at times when the Nature Center isn't open. Installation of the stands was completed Friday, and Kruid said she hoped to have the first book posted on the trail next week. "We already have people excited," she said. "I think it will be a great addition." Sounds like a much more fun way to spend a beautiful spring day than parking in front of a TV or staring at a cellphone screen. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. by Yosley Carrero HAVANA, April 30 (Xinhua)-- China is fundamental to the development of Caribbean countries in the coming years, a Cuban expert said here on Friday. "The outcome of the bilateral relations of half a century between China and the Caribbean has been very positive in the economic and trade fields alike," Eduardo Regalado, senior researcher at the International Policy Research Center of Cuba, told Xinhua in an interview. Thanks to China, concrete works have been materialized in Caribbean countries despite economic vulnerability, he noted. Regalado said that the two sides "have strengthened their cooperation in the fields of agriculture, fishery, tourism, services and infrastructure," which has been highly beneficial for the Caribbean, and they have also advanced collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Commenting on a foreign ministers' meeting held Friday via video link between Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and nine Caribbean countries that have diplomatic relations with China, Regalado said both sides "have expressed their political will to develop their bilateral relations," adding that effective strategies have been set to create new opportunities. Looking into the future, the expert suggested that the two sides further enhance mutual understanding through various channels, and level up cooperation and collaboration in the environmental and medical fields. "China and the Caribbean could work together on the area of climate change impacts," which is essential for the Caribbean as many countries in the region could be affected by sea level rise, Regalado said. Also, China has achieved fast development in renewable energy, "from which Caribbean nations could learn a lot," he said. "It is fundamental to improve the performance of the health systems in the Caribbean when it comes to equipment, technology transfer and training of human resources," for which Caribbean countries need China's support, he added. DES MOINES -- The Sioux City Journal won seven first-place awards Friday in the annual Iowa Newspaper Association contest, including two for reporter Dolly Butz's coverage of the growing number of missing and murdered Native American women. Competing in the division for the state's three largest circulation dailies, the Journal brought up a total of 13 news awards. Editor Bruce Miller noted Journal reporters, editors, photographers and designers won recognition in a broad array of categories. "It really shows the depth and the breadth of what the Journal is able to do," Miller said. "We are very proud of our staff. Our readers are fortunate to have such a noteworthy team working hard each day to keep them informed about Siouxland." Butz placed first in the Best Series category for The Journal's three-part series, "Stolen Lives: The Epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women," which was published April 21-23, 2021. Butz spent over a year on the project, examining the issue, researching the deaths of four Native women in Siouxland and talking to victims families, tribal officials and MMIW activists. Miller also placed first in the Best Personality Feature Story category for his profile of Tony Award nominee Cora Vander Broek, an Orange City native. The Journal also finished first-place for Total Newspaper Design, Best Front Page, Best Editorial Pages and Coverage of Government and Politics. In the latter category, Nick Hytrek, Caitlin Yamada, Dave Dreeszen and Butz contributed to the coverage. In the Best Coverage of Agriculture category, the Journal placed second. Third place honors included Best Website -- siouxcityjournal.com -- Community Leadership, Best Headline Writing, Best Use of Graphics and Best Podcast. In the Community Leadership category, the Journal was honored for its program that annually honors five outstanding local nurses. The Best Podcast honor was for the Journal's "Streamed and Screened" podcast, which features the Journal's Jared McNett and Miller. The awards were presented at a ceremony Thursday night in Des Moines. The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald was named as the INA's 2022 "Newspaper of the Year." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 NEW YORK (AP) Prices for Russian credit default swaps insurance contracts that protect an investor against a default plunged sharply overnight after Moscow used its precious foreign currency reserves to make a last minute debt payment on Friday. The cost for a five-year credit default swap on Russian debt was $5.84 million to protect $10 million in debt. That price was nearly half the one on Thursday, which at roughly $11 million for $10 million in debt protection was a signal that investors were certain of a eventual Russian default. Russia used its foreign currency reserves sitting outside of the country to make the payment, backing down from the Kremlin's earlier threats that it would use rubles to pay these obligations. In a statement, the Russia Finance Ministry did not say whether future payments would be made in rubles. Despite the insurance contract plunge, investors remain largely convinced that Russia will eventually default on its debts for the first time since 1917. The major ratings agencies Standard & Poors and Moodys have declared Russia is in selective default on its obligations. Russia has been hit with extensive sanctions by the United States, the European Union and others in response to its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine and its continuing military operation to take over Ukrainian territory. The Credit Default Determination Committee an industry group of 14 banks and investors that determines whether or not to pay on these swaps said Friday that they continue to monitor the situation after Russia's payment. Their next meeting is on May 3. At the beginning of April, Russias finance ministry said it tried to make a $649 million payment due April 6 toward two bonds to an unnamed U.S. bank previously reported as JPMorgan Chase. At that time, tightened sanctions imposed for Russias invasion of Ukraine prevented the payment from being accepted, so Moscow attempted to make the debt payment in rubles. The Kremlin, which repeatedly said it was financially able and willing to continue to pay on its debts, had argued that extraordinary events gave them the legal footing to pay in rubles, instead of dollars or euros. Investors and rating agencies, however, disagreed and did not expect Russia to be able to convert the rubles into dollars before a 30-day grace period expired next week. Follow all AP stories about events related to the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) The public is invited to pay tribute in May to a World War II soldier from St. Landry Parish whose remains were identified nearly 80 years after his death. Army Pvt. Hillary Soileau went missing during a mission to clear Guadalcanal of Japanese forces in January 1943. He was 23. He was declared killed in action in December 1945. Its a supreme honor to be a part of bringing someone home who has been missing for 80 years, Soileaus nephew, Greg Badeaux, told KATC-TV. Funeral services will be held on May 21 at Sibille Funeral Home in Opelousas. A Rosary will begin at 10:45 a.m. followed by the services, which will conclude with the burial and gravesite honors at Cedar Hill Cemetery in the town of Washington. Badeaux is working with the military and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to coordinate his uncles final arrangements. Its amazing the attention to detail the Department of Army and the DPAA are putting forward to make this an honorable event, he said. Soileaus remains were identified in 2020, following a forensics investigation by the DPAA. Badeauxs mother, Mary Soileau Badeaux, is Soileaus only living sibling. She was contacted in 2018 to provide a DNA sample as the agency investigated the identity of a soldier known as Unknown X-52, whose remains were uncovered in Guadalcanal in 1943. The DNA was a match. It was very emotional for her, Badeaux said of his mother. She remembered being nine or ten years old and Hillary leaving for war hugging everybody and everybody crying. And unfortunately, that was the last time they actually saw him. Badeaux said the family decided to bring Soileau home to St. Landry Parish where he'll be laid to rest in Cedar Hill Cemetery, which is also the resting place of Soileaus parents, Odey and Leona Soileau, who died never knowing what happened to their son. There are no emotions to describe what they would be going through right now, if they had the opportunity to see this come to fruition, Badeaux said. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, KATC-TV. 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. DES MOINES -- Soon, 16- and 17-year-old workers at child care centers in Iowa will be able to work unsupervised, and all workers will be allowed to oversee more children, if Gov. Kim Reynolds signs into law legislation headed her way. The Iowa Legislature approved the bill last week with mostly Republican support. They said the proposal will help child care centers to address critical staffing shortages. Democrats warned that the legislation will not address the shortage in a meaningful way because most centers will choose to not take advantage of the loosened regulations. And in the cases where centers do, Democrats warned it could create dangerous scenarios. Workforce shortages have been brought up quite often over the last couple of months, and I think this is a good answer to that, Sen. Craig Johnson, a Republican from Independence, said during Senate debate on the bill. Its the option (for) an employer to utilize their workforce. Its an opportunity for more Iowans to go to work. Like many areas of the country, child care staffing, access and affordability are issues in Iowa. According to state figures, almost 1 in 4 Iowans live in a child care desert, which is an area with a shortage of licensed child care providers. The issue is more pronounced in rural Iowa, where more than 1 in 3 Iowans live in child care deserts. A family earning the states median income of roughly $77,000 would pay 15 percent of that income on child care at a licensed center, or 10 percent at a registered home, according to the states Child Care Resource and Referral. The national nonprofit advocacy organization Child Care Aware of America classifies affordable child care as 7 percent of a familys income. And 4 out of 5 child care centers nationally said they are experiencing a staffing shortage, according to a recent survey by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The legislation would address only the workforce issue at child care centers. In addition to allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to work unsupervised, it would allow child care centers to operate with one worker for every seven 2-year-olds and one worker for every 10 3-year-olds. The measure does not contain any provision to encourage the establishment of more child care centers, lower costs to families or increase child care workers wages. The Republican majority Iowa Legislature did pass in 2021 legislation that allows more low-income Iowans to access the states child care assistance program. This is a workforce issue. This is not the only thing thats going to solve this problem, but its part of the issue, Rep. Ann Meyer, a Republican from Fort Dodge, said earlier this year during House debate on the proposal. Its opening up more possibilities to child care centers if they choose to take them. Most Democrats were staunchly opposed to the proposal, saying it does nothing to meaningfully address child care issues. Iowa parents deserve better, Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, leader of the minority House Democrats from Windsor Heights, told reporters last week. Just because we dont have enough child care spots, instead of just shoving more kids in a room with younger people, maybe we should be focused on opening more centers, partnering with more communities, making sure that across the state were opening up opportunities for affordable child care instead of just trying to make do with what we have. The legislation, House File 2198, was approved by both the House and Senate and is now awaiting Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signature to become law. It is the only child care bill that has passed both chambers and made it to the governor this session. That sort of sideways look at addressing the child care crisis is indicative of what (Reynolds) and Republican leaders continue to do, which is to make piecemeal, tiny steps in the wrong direction and then claim victory over one of the problems, Konfrst said. I promise you, Republicans (seeking votes) on the doors this summer will say they fixed Iowas child care crisis. And my question for everybody at the door is ask back, Oh yeah, why dont I have a spot for my kid? Why dont my neighbors have an opportunity to get child care so they can go back to work? Sen. Zach Wahls, leader of the minority Senate Democrats from Coralville, said its not just Democrats opposed to the proposal, but that child care centers dont want the changes, either. I would be mostly interested in what Iowa child care providers think. Theyre the ones who actually deliver this essential service to Iowa families and children. And what Iowa child care providers tell us is that these (staff to child) ratios are dangerous, they wont solve the problem. And many of them wont actually change their practice, because they dont feel like they can safely deliver that service, Wahls said. So I think that tells you everything that you need to know. There is no statewide organization representing child care centers that lobbied on the legislation, according to state lobbying records. The Iowa Alliance of YMCAs, Easter Seals, and the respite provider ChildServe registered in support of the proposal; among those registered in opposition are the advocacy group Save the Children, and the progressive advocacy organization Common Good Iowa. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Mujtaba Karimi crowded with hundreds of others outside a half-open gate to Hamid Karzai International Airport one night late last August. Afghan or maybe American soldiers hes unsure in the darkened chaos fired their rifles in the air and launched tear gas, trying to disperse the crowd. Karimi did not run. He couldnt. The 27-year-old was a young up-and-comer with the Afghan government. He lived in a nice apartment. He drove a Toyota Land Cruiser and he wore good clothes. But by late August 2021 the government had fallen to the Taliban, President Ashraf Ghani Karimis boss had fled the country and America and its allies were evacuating as many of their friends as they could. Everybody wanted out. But Karimi needed out. As an official of the old guard government, he was no longer safe. He waved his blue official Islamic Republic of Afghanistan passport in front of a beefy U.S. Soldier at the gate. He yelled Diplomat! the only English word he knew that came close to describing his status. The beefy American reached out and grabbed Karimi, pulled him through the crowd. Suddenly he was on the other side of the gate. He was on his way to something entirely new. It was a small thing, Karimi said. But it changed my life. Today, the 27-year-old lives in Omaha. In some ways, its not bad. He has a decent apartment. He takes English classes at the University of Nebraska at Omaha today hes much more comfortable with English than that perilous day in August. But in other ways, its not so great. In Afghanistan he could leave work at 4 p.m. Today he works second shift and is up past midnight studying English. He once worked for his nations president. Now he works for Walmart, pushing forklifts loaded with boxes from trucks into the store. He wants to become a citizen and make something of himself here. He wants to attend the prestigious John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, something he dreamed of long before relocating to the United States. But he knows he will need to take a lot more English classes and haul many more boxes in Omaha before he steps behind the ivy walls in Massachusetts. The fall of Kabul late last summer spurred a mass exodus from Afghanistan. Roughly 75,000 Afghans have come to the United States since then. As of last week, state officials say that 1,214 have resettled in Nebraska. Some are educated professionals like Karimi, who fled because they were Taliban targets. Others fled because they could see no future under the Taliban. People are still desperately trying to leave. Everybody is just trying to get out of Afghanistan because of the restrictions and poverty, said Sayed Omar Sadat, 27, who fled Afghanistan because his wife worked in the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The passport department is crazy nowadays. Those that came during the sudden Afghan influx faced confusion and chaos once they landed in Nebraska. So many arrived in such a short time that it overwhelmed local resettlement agencies. These agencies faced years where they were starved of federal funds and received almost no refugees because of Trump Administration policies that severely limited refugee numbers. In the last nine months, following an abrupt pullout from Afghanistan by President Joe Biden's Administration, they have been forced to quickly swing into action. Because the airlift happened over a quick, two-week, period there was very little time of actually very little structure around how those resettlement efforts would happen, said Matt Martin, assistant vice president for refugee and immigrant programs at Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska. In a normal world, thats a very structured process. Kubra Haidari, a former Afghan refugee and current case manager for Omahas Refugee Empowerment Center, said chaos reigned from August until February. Every day we were working, from like early morning till 12 oclock at night, she said. For many, an arrival in Nebraska was a bureaucratic accident. Sadat and his wife wanted to go to Virginia, but Virginia had reached its limit of Afghans. An immigration agent told him he was going to Omaha. It was the first time I had ever heard of Omaha, he said. He Googled it. Thatll work, he thought. Many Afghans arrived with their documentation in disarray or no documentation at all. The vast majority came in under a humanitarian parole status that allowed them to stay for up to two years. They must change to another status or face potential deportation. More than half had to go into temporary housing, some for a significant period of time, Martin said. Some hiccups have resulted from well-meaning people trying to help new arrivals. A Grand Island meatpacker brought in six families 41 people total to central Nebraska so the adult males could work in the plant. The necessary coordinating or planning wasnt completed. The families ended up living in a hotel. But there has been a groundswell of support and locals are now working to get them into permanent housing. A situation where a significant number of people are just dropped into a community without forethought and planning is really a recipe for, if not disaster, then at least some chaos and confusion, Martin said. We want to do what we can to get ahead of that in communities so it can be a better process for everyone. At the Empowerment Center, intake works like this: The refugees are met at the airport and taken to their first residence, often an Airbnb during the recent wave. On the second or third day they are brought to the office. Staff explains basic things, like calling 911 in an emergency. Later comes cultural orientation. When they arrive here, I think everything is a challenge for them, Haidari said. Ahsan Arian, 29, a new arrival, said some of his fellow new immigrants are puzzled by things like a mobile phone or Google Maps. They dont know about voicemail, he said. They dont know about texting. Drivers license training is a critical class. Many Afghans have experience driving, but motoring around Omaha is a very different experience than the streets of Kabul. One client drove his car for twenty years in Afghanistan but here was befuddled with all the stoplights and signals. Many women dont know how to drive at all. And learning to drive is important for women who might get left alone with children while their husband works. Their lives in Nebraska open up if they can learn to drive. It helps them show their husbands they are equal, Haidari said. The housing chaos made life difficult for parents who needed to get their kids into schools. Many showed up without records of required shots. The medical clinic the Empowerment Center works with nearly doubled its clients per week to 100 to accommodate the influx. Children cant go to school without a vaccine card. And they cant attend without a permanent address Omaha Public Schools doesnt want them to enroll in one school, then move to another a week or month later. New Afghan arrivals struggle with these things while continuing to unpack the heartbreaking ways in which they left their homes. Arian was a journalist for French broadcaster RFI in Afghanistan. Colleagues of his have been murdered by the Taliban. His bosses told him he should leave. When he did, he had to leave behind his parents, siblings, his wife and 14-month-old child. He prays its temporary, hoping to soon reunite with his family and build a new life in Nebraska. I cant live without them, he said in a recent interview in his northwest Omaha apartment, where the living room currently consists of a donated chair, a stool and a Sony TV that doesnt work. In Afghanistan, being a journalist is a dangerous but respected profession. In Omaha he works the assembly line for Airlite Plastics while he applies for asylum. I was something more in Afghanistan, but here I am something other, he said. Ultimately, he wants to be a U.S. citizen. It would be a good gift for me. Shafiq Jahish, 34, knows how hard this transition is. Hes been in the United States for eight years and works in information technology for First National Bank. It took him three-and-a-half years to get a visa even though he worked for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. There are hundreds of pages of application that you have to complete, he said. Learning the system is one thing. But if you cannot speak and write in that language, it is even more difficult. Established immigrants try to help, he said Jahish translated much of the interview with Khan. But life in America is hectic. Even though Arian is educated and has experience with English, here the pronunciation and the speed are different. Hes starting an ESL course. He hopes to be more fluent in a few months. As the Afghan arrivals continue to adapt to their new home, Lutheran Family Services is preparing for the next wave of refugees to come: Ukrainians. President Biden has said he will accept 100,000. But they should arrive differently, not in one giant airlift. Already the agency has greeted some Ukrainian walk-ins. Right now we are challenged on that front because there is no Ukrainian refugee program, at all. And so the services that we can provide are very minimal, Martin said. But we are trying to do what we can to provide at least some basic needs, emergency support, for the few who are asking so far. We are preparing to support more as necessary. The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter. The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WAHOO Kolton Barnes took the stand here for more than a day telling jurors that he didn't remember much of the violent struggle he had with Kayla Matulka in the bedroom they shared. Or how she ended up with his double-edged knife sticking out of her chest, along with about two dozen more stab wounds. But he was clear on how he said it started: With her coming at him with a knife. Just before midnight on July 14, 2020, Barnes, 27, says he returned home from the bar in Malmo after getting texts from his fiancee saying it was over. He said it was probably the 15th time she'd sent him a text like that. Barnes texted her it wasn't over and, in others he later deleted, threatened to kick the door in if she didn't let him inside. Prosecutors say a piece of trim from the door, found lying in the hallway with the nails up the next morning, suggests he did. Though Barnes denies it. Video from across the street showed him getting into the garage with the opener. Inside, he said, he found two of his motorcycles on their sides and the interior door open. "When I walked into the bedroom the lights were off. I seen my dog laying on the floor. She didn't look at me, she didn't move. But it was dark," Barnes said. When he came around the door, he said he could see from the light of the TV. "Kayla come at me with the knife," Barnes said. "I panicked and put my hand up to try to grab her wrist or stop her. And I ended up having to hit her in the side of the head three times." He said they struggled and went to the floor. "And when I sat up she wasn't moving and her eyes were huge. And it's just like that feeling when you stand up too fast and you zone out. I don't remember anything after that," Barnes said. The knife was in her chest, he said. Barnes calls it self-defense. He said he has bits of memories after that. Of holding his dog, Diesel, who had been stabbed to death, too. Of feeling something in his pocket -- the knife, he thinks -- and throwing it into a field near Valparaiso. "It was like a tilt-a-whirl nightmare. It's what it felt like," he said. Asked if he thinks he inflicted any of Matulka's 27 stab wounds, two of which came after she died, Barnes said it's possible, even "very likely." "I just don't remember," he said. Barnes said he was just trying not to get stabbed and everything happened so fast. But he didn't remember Matulka moving after she went to the floor and admits he may have knocked her out with the punches. Crime scene photos showed her on the floor naked, her eye black, her pajama top and shorts cut off her, a restraint on one of her wrists and the mattress shifted off the frame, and the outline of three fingers smeared in blood on the wall beside her. Investigators found the ring Barnes was seen wearing that night under the bed. "Why did you have your hand on the frame of the bed under the mattress?" Assistant Nebraska Attorney General Sandra Allen asked him on cross examination. Barnes said he doesn't remember. He could've put his hand there to brace himself when he got up after they both went to the floor. It could have slipped off then, he said. "You also could have had your hand on the bed frame while you were bending down stabbing Kayla 25 times, too. Isn't that true?" Allen said. "I don't know. I don't remember," Barnes said. "It's a possibility, isn't it?" she pressed. "There are a lot of possibilities, yes," he said. He said he didn't remember much of what happened after. How he left and came back multiple times, then drove to Matulka's mom's place in Blair. The next morning, when he stopped at a store in Arlington and saw a blood stain on his shirt and got a new one, then saw all the cop cars at their house when he came over the hill at Malmo, Barnes said he was scared. "It was pretty real at that point," he said. Before that, he said he thought he just got too drunk and had a really bad dream. Barnes said he didn't know what to do so he lied to the investigators and his family. He said he hadn't gone inside and had no idea what happened or who did it. Then, for months he told his mom it was a suicide. Allen said Barnes' story has evolved over time, first after getting Matulka's mental health records, then after seeing the autopsy report and learning she couldn't have caused all the injuries herself. "That's when you came up with this whole self-defense story, isn't it?" she asked. Barnes denied it. "I'm telling the truth because this is my chance to tell my side," he said. Closing arguments are expected to come next week. Reach the writer at 402-473-7237 or lpilger@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSpilger Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I was a stranger, and you did not invite me in . . . Matthew 25:43 A few words on creating God. Last week, Right Wing Watch, the liberal watchdog group, flagged online video of a recent interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene by one Michael Voris of Church Militant, a far-right Catholic organization. In it, the Republican congresswoman, whose website touts her strong Christian faith, unburdens herself of an opinion that is, to put it mildly, startling. Satans controlling the church, she says. The church is not doing its job. And its not adhering to the teachings of Christ. And its not adhering to what the word of God says were supposed to do and how were supposed to live. Maybe you wonder what precipitated such harsh criticism. Was it some act of fiscal malfeasance? Some new scandal of pedophile priests? Actually, Greenes ire was stirred by the idea of Catholic bishops rendering aid to undocumented immigrants on the Southern border. Oh, we have to love these people and take care of these migrants, she says in a mocking singsong. Yes, were supposed to love one another, but their definition of what love one another means means destroying our laws. ... The true meaning of loving one another ... means that you also have to uphold the law. Its a bizarre exegesis supported by no Bible. To the contrary, Greenes take invalidates generations of Christian activism, thousands of believers Martin Luther King is only the most prominent arrested in every cause from racial equality to climate change to nuclear arms to the death penalty. Further, it ignores that the very founder of the faith was a refugee who was later executed spoiler alert: it didnt stick for supposedly breaking the law. The congresswomans misapplication of the faith she claims to uphold ought not surprise anyone. The Bible says God created mankind in his own image. But many alleged conservatives invert that. They create the deity in their image, a God who thinks and acts like them, who bears their limitations and biases, their solipsism and illogicality, their mendacity and abiding fear. And they hold to that false deity with ferocious vigor. Author Eddy Harris once described a conversation with a white woman in Mississippi whose mother belonged to a whites-only church in the 1960s. The older woman was asked whether Jesus would have allowed African Americans to worship in his church. Of course he would have, she said, but Jesus would have been wrong. In other words, asked to choose between the prime directive of her faith Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind ... love your neighbor as yourself and the miserly nature of her own heart, she chose the latter. As does Greene. As do millions of other putative Christians on a daily basis. Its not hard to understand why they create God in their own image. If God is just like you, it makes life a lot easier. If God is just like you, you already are everything you need to be. So theres no cause to work, challenge, stretch or pray yourself into becoming a better, humbler, gentler, kinder, more liberal and generous soul. You dont have to care about the plight of the stranger, the hungry, the broken, the unhoused, the immigrant at the border. If God is just like you, you can be self satisfied and judgmental instead. Why not? If God is just like you, you are, by definition, correct in all your biases and fears. But what if God is not? Love 6 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 BAKU, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijan-China relations are strategically important and have a lot of potential, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said here Friday. "I am very glad that the relations are developing very successfully," Aliyev said when answering a question about the cooperation between Azerbaijan and China during an international conference themed "South Caucasus: Development and Cooperation." Highlighting the cooperation in the field of transportation and transit, he said Azerbaijan "already started to receive cargo from China, but not in big volumes because we clearly understand that China has the diversified supply routes through different sources. And we just tried to make our route more attractive." "But recently we got several messages from Chinese companies that they want to increase the transportation of cargoes through the Middle Corridor," said the president. Calling these the new opportunities for Azerbaijan, Aliyev stressed the necessity of investing in the expansion of the country's transportation to handle potential cargo growth. The Azerbaijani leader also said his country's cooperation with China is not limited just to transit and transportation. "We are now in the process of creating the Alat Free Economic Zone, which will receive its first residents, I hope, next year. It is in a very good location, just next to the sea port, and has a big area. And the regulations there are very attractive for international companies," he said. "We would like to see Chinese companies as investors here," Aliyev noted. It begins in the very first episode. Duane, a delivery man for the generically named Express Delivery Service, carries an oversized box up to a nice house. He waits for the woman inside to sign for the box, then cheerfully thanks her. And you have yourself a great day now, he says, and he sounds like he really means it. Maybe Duane genuinely loves his job and has made it his personal mission to spread joy to all the new people he gets to meet on his route. Maybe hes actually tired and cranky, but hes performing good old-fashioned emotional labor, putting this rich, white ladys feelings ahead of his own. Maybe hes just practicing basic common courtesy. Advertisement We dont know, because we dont know much about Duane. We dont even know if his name is Duane; despite it being stitched into his uniform, actor Maxwele DAngelo is credited in the episode merely as Delivery Man. Whatever Duanes deal is, his reaction indicates that he certainly didnt expect how the WASP-y woman in the nice house in La Jolla would respond to his well wishes: Fuck you. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As viewers of Grace and Frankie, of course we know that that woman is Grace Hanson, played by Jane Fonda, and that shes upset because her husband Robert (Martin Sheen) just announced that hes gay and is leaving her for his business partner. We know a lot about Grace already in this first episodethat shes uptight, proud, and in pain. We know that in time shell come to find a new life with her husbands lovers ex, Frankie, played by Lily Tomlin. And over the course of seven seasons, well learn even more. But Duane doesnt know any of that. Duane is just trying to get through the day. And hes but one of many unintended casualties in Grace and Frankies adventures. Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for the Slate Culture Newsletter The best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered to your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. The life of a bit character like Delivery Man is not an easy one. They exist for mere minutes, bearing witness to the protagonists antics, cleaning up after their hijinks, possibly creating a few of their ownand then, poof! They often vanish from the story entirely, never to be seen again. On Grace and Frankie, though, these roles result in some of the shows most fascinating performances. In Season 4, Diona Reasonover plays a waitress who seats Frankie and her ex-husband Sol (Sam Waterston), who are wearing bunny ears. Its a Chilis now, she explains nonchalantly when the pair ask what happened to the animal testing facility they were hoping to protest. Her subsequently delivery of Welcome to Chilis is devoid of any enthusiasm, but its not monotonous, either. It has a rehearsed, resigned, only slightly ironic amiability to it. Reasonover plays the entire scene with the same pleasant nihilism, unconcerned with the main plot of the episode, counting down the minutes until she can clock out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Season 5, Albert Kuo appears as yet another Delivery Man, this time one bringing Chinese food to Frankie and Robert. On this occasion, Frankie and Robert are so high they try to pay him with a photo of the money. Kuo has just a few lines, but between his dead stare and flat delivery, he creates a character at once haunted and desensitized, with a rich past spent peering into the lives of the kind of people who order too much Chinese food. The horrors hes seen! And these two characters are the lucky ones. You see, over the course of Grace and Frankie, the heroes find themselves battling ageism in its many formsa crosswalk light thats too short, a beauty industry hostile to older women, children who dont respect their autonomy. But there are plenty of times when theyre not so much sticking it to the man as inconveniencing a bunch of minimum wage workers who work for him. When Grace and Frankies kids trick them into moving into a retirement home, they balk at the residences rules, enforced by orderlies whose job it is to enforce those rules. One, after informing Grace she cant run a business from her residence, finally snaps, telling her: Well, Im not a fan of working here, but Invisaligns dont pay for themselves and my girlfriend says I need them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And sometimes, the seniors displace their anger entirely, taking it out on service workers like our pal Duane who have nothing to do with the problem at hand. When Grace and Frankie finally flee the home and take refuge at a Del Taco, Frankie insists on being served at 9:52, even though the dining room closes at 10:00. Behind her, employees are mopping up, probably exhausted after a long day. She demands to talk to an absent employee, Craig, only to be informed that he is taking his SATs the next day. We are not leaving until we decide that its time for us to go, Frankie yells at poor Bob behind the counter, even though he is not the one who sold her house out from under herher kids did that. You stay as long as you like, he tells her nervously. Bob is not getting home at a reasonable hour that night. Advertisement Advertisement The latest batch of episodes from Season 7 sees Grace and Frankie turn away from money laundering to a more relatable, more noble cause that takes them over the border to Mexico. But even there, no service worker is safe. Grace and Frankie are only in the country a few hours before trying to rope a waiter into their latest schemesschemes that could land him in prisonwhen all the poor man wants to do is take their order. Fans will miss the odd couple, but at restaurants, at the DMV, at big-box hardware stores, and inside delivery trucks, the end of Grace and Frankie surely means that service workers of La Jolla are breathing a sigh of relief. An expert on the digital afterlife responds to Cat Rambos The Woman Who Wanted to Be Trees. You never know precisely how much time you have left, despite what life insurance industry mortality tables or death-prediction startups might claim. Now, an emerging field of death tech is capitalizing on such anxiety by pitching individual immortality as deepfakes or AI-driven chatbots. Meanwhile, were facing an ongoing environmental catastrophe perpetrated by colonialism and relentless extraction. These two forms of existential uncertainty may seem separatebut they are intrinsically related. Advertisement Im a death scholar and a sustainability researcher at a major tech company, so Cat Rambos The Woman Who Wanted to be Trees hit home. In the story, a death care worker is asked to memorialize clients in innovative ways, using cutting-edge technologies to blur the boundaries between life and death, and between humans and the natural world. For the past 15 years, I have been researching how people use technology to remember and communicate with the dead. My forthcoming book, Death Glitch: How Techno-Solutionism Fails Us in This Life and Beyond, explores the fundamental incompatibility between dreams of technologically mediated life extension and the planned obsolescence of material technologies. The Woman Who Wanted to Be Trees captures something my research has also found: Efforts to commemorate or even re-create people using their data fail because they lack the larger relational infrastructures that make both life and posterity possible. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In The Woman Who Wanted to Be Trees, a wealthy woman known only as K plans to have her mind implanted in a redwood tree on Love, an intergenerational starship. The redwood is itself a memorial to flora that no longer naturally exist on this future Earth. Nefirah, the death care worker, is legally prevented from equating a replica with a person, even if it can pass a Turing test, but she nevertheless has made a name for herself by promising to upload versions of individual humans into networked systems to assuage their fears of death and decay. Echoes of this tension exist in real-life immortalist fantasies: Some companies are building metaverse avatars that can stand in for you and converse with your loved ones after you die, but NFTs are not eternal life and are also environmentally harmful. What good is posterity on a dying planet? Advertisement In Rambos world, the Earth has already been crumpled and discarded by the ultrawealthy. Rather than working to solve the problems they created, men like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk seek to exit. But care and maintenance labor tethers outer space to networks of life back on Earth. K, unable to leave Earth due to her health, must stay behind, making the redwood her legacy in space. She refuses Nefirahs offer to create a memorial that would instead be part of an ecosystem on the ship. In the end, under threat, Nefirah does what K asksbut what K doesnt realize is that the tree is doomed to die because it isnt connected to any other living plants. Even a souped-up redwood tree cannot survive in isolation. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Remembrance of the dead on the Love resembles todays often clunky or sometimes convincing chatbots, where startup companies build digital interactive replicas of dead humans. Such memorials also have the capacity to take on new characteristics. Subjectivity, including that of the dead, is always relational. Social media memorials are one thing, perhaps surprising mourners with an email reminder, Instagram memory, or ping from LinkedIn. But there are also more robust models such as OpenAIs GPT-3, making it hard to distinguish between the living and the dead, sometimes taking on a poetic life of their own, or perhaps threatening to kill their creator. Advertisement Advertisement At heart, digital remains are traces of relationships that once were. To put it another way, your Facebook profile is really a long-term aggregation of exchanges, reflecting relationships over time. The profiles value, for corporations and surviving loved ones alike, is a result of its interactivity, its metadata. One profile cannot be preserved in isolation because it depends on an entire ecology of social relationships and platform infrastructures to be discernible. Advertisement Memorials, too, are collective endeavors and, like the mortal beings they commemorate, subject to decay. Through the years, Ive encountered many startups that purportedly emulate you or a loved one after physiological death or digital estate planning companies that say they will preserve your digital assets for all of eternity, but the majority of those companies quickly lose funding and disappear; my research archive is littered with 404 error messages and dead links. Devices, websites, servers, people, companies, and even planets: all of these suffer breakdown and die. In the immortal words of Axl Rose, nothing lasts forever, even cold November rain. Advertisement Advertisement Yet in some elite transhumanist circles, there are attempts at uploading mind files into computers to achieve immortality, perhaps contributing to a technological form of rapture known as the Singularity, or, for traditionalists, using cryonics to preserve the brain for later. For powerful white men, their long-term legacies are bound up in the futuristic fantasies they engineereven as the climate crisis is already impossible to ignore. Arctic sea ice is melting at an alarming rate, and the temperatures at both poles were recently 50-70 degrees above normal. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report tells us that humanity has a short window left in which to mitigate mass extinction. Advertisement Rambos story captures all of this, critiquing extreme wealth inequality and techno-solutionism as well as computational immortality that doesnt take into account social and ecological relations. The fungi that break down a redwood tree to support other life, signaling an embrace of or at least acceptance of death, are in stark opposition to AI as gimmicky immortality. Rather than posing a problem to be solved, death generates meaning and the desire for connection. Advertisement Caring for the dead, too, is a necessary form of work, and women and non-binary people dominate the DIY and green burial scenes. Death doulas, like birth doulas and midwives, resist patriarchal forms of expertise and norm creation, putting new value on the often secretive work of mortuary care. Death acceptance is a political act. Nefirah uses wetware to merge organic matter with networked protocols, forming cyborg ecologies. Having someones data double uploaded into a tree is a riff on current burial trends, where you might decide to be composted, turned into a diamond, ensconced in a mushroom burial suit that use the bodys nutrients to feed surrounding plants, or placed in a biodegradable urn with a tree planted above your body. Decay and finitude haunt Rambos story, including social breakdown, the limits of technology, and the loss of Earth as a habitable place. Advertisement But decay is not just an organic process. Even the best-planned smart home running after a designers death requires human work; memorialization relies on the continued labor of the living, upon networks of human and non-human entities from specific devices to social protocols. A posthumous chatbot is only as good as its upkeep, and someone has to pay for domain names and delete spam. This all becomes even more heightened when we consider the material realities of climate disasterhow ecological destruction challenges the very way we think about the future. Who and what is a memorial for? A 2019 memorial to a disappeared Iceland glacier recalls this question. The memorials creator used copper, not paper, imagining that people might read the plaque in 300 years. Even in the face of extinction, thoughts of material posterity on a mythic timescale persist. Which brings us back to Rambos tale. With the Earth dying, Love is a living memento mori. Mourning is not only for individuals who have died, but for all living things on Earth. Rambos parting lesson is that instead of becoming a single tree, be an ecosystem with intertwined roots. Echoing the mushroom burial suits embrace of precarity, the redwood tree memorial preserves life by gracefully accepting its breakdown, its inherent corruption. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. TheStable.cas annual Spring Open House will be held at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Sunday, May 8. The event features brunch in the Mohawk Harvest Kitchen overlooking the track where 50 two-year-olds will train in sets. The sets will also be broadcast via livestream on TheStable.ca website and social media starting at 10 a.m. EST. Brunch will be served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Mohawk Harvest Kitchen. Brunch tickets are $25 per person and must be purchased in advance. (The price includes tax and gratuity.) Prizes totalling more than $1,000 will be awarded to clients through random draws during the event. TheStable.ca merchandise will also be available for purchase during brunch. Additional festivities are planned for the weekend, including race night dinners at Woodbine Mohawk Park on May 6 and 7, and the opportunity for a limited number of clients to jog a horse (accompanied by staff) at Tomiko Training Centre on May 7. For complete information about the weekends events and to purchase tickets for brunch on May 8, visit TheStable.ca/openhouse. Open Houses are an important social component of TheStable.ca and this is the first major in-person event offered to clients since the start of the pandemic. Open Houses are typically held in December and May of each year at TheStable.cas Ontario headquarters at Tomiko Training Centre. More than 300 clients and their guests from across North America are expected to attend festivities throughout the weekend. In addition to seeing their horses in-person, our clients really enjoy meeting each other and our staff, explained Anthony MacDonald, TheStable.ca co-founder. The social aspect of TheStable.ca is valuable to many of our clients, so theres a lot of demand now that many COVID restrictions have been lifted. Were grateful to Woodbine Mohawk Park for working with us to meet this demand and offer a great event at their world-class facility. The program for the Open House will be available online on May 6, detailing all two-year-olds featured on the broadcast and a schedule of when each horse will be showcased on the track. (With files from TheStable.ca) This week Robert Smith has chosen to offer a couple of short stories for his Rewind offering. These personalities and events were in the news back in the 1980 range. It was a great time in our sport's past and great to relive a few memories. A Fast Track Thanks To Diesel Fuel Back in 1979 the track management at Stampede Park in Calgary had a problem on their hands trying to keep the track safe, speedy and to do it in an economical manner. The winter session at this track had faced this problem since its inception back in 1974. The problems of frost, snow, ice and mud; all brought on by thaws was perplexing to say the least. Management was not about to undertake the costly installation of a crushed limestone surface which was the track of choice to ensure a safe winter racing surface. Much of the decision making fell on the shoulders of Track Superintendent Doug Perdew, himself a former leading driver at this very track. "We had to try something," he said and he admitted his suggestion was "mostly luck" that led to his discovery. He found that diesel fuel applied to the track would greatly improve the racing strip for winter racing. Doug Perdew, track superintendent at Stampede Park, pictured here in his days a trainer and driver (the Standardbred Record photo) The discovery may have quickly led to a newly coined nickname of "Diesel Doug." He figured that an application of 1,000 gallons should last for at least three weeks. He told reporter Doug Abraham "It prevents snow from compacting into ice and when the track is frozen and dry it enables harrowing to provide the thin, fine cushion that's needed." A strong smell of diesel fuel wafted around the track, including the press box area, but it seemed like a small inconvenience for the benefit it was apparently providing. Soon after the new plan was implemented, trainer-driver John Baxter helped to prove just how effective the new surface treatment would turn out to be. Baxter, originally from Ontario but by then a long-time fixture in Western Canada, went a very fast mile with a horse called Look Twice. The winning fractions were consistent throughout the mile after an opening quarter in :29.3 and a mile time of 2:02.4. This horse had a current lifetime best of 2:01.2 but taken during the summer time. Please see below for a trivia question related to this picture of John Baxter (Photo courtesy the Standardbred Record) After three weeks of winter action that season, Stampede Park was averaging $302,000 in daily wagering which was about a 25 percent increase over the previous year's figures. Several more fast miles were logged by other horses who were undoubtedly benefiting from the new and improved winter racing conditions. My thanks to Doug Abraham, a gentleman who wrote a lot of great stories about the harness racing scene in Western Canada for many years. Note: This what I hope has been an interesting sort of "behind the scenes" story took place some 43 years ago. I can't help but think our views on the environment might have changed quite a bit since then. Young Canadian Horseman Doing Well At Vernon Downs - Looking Back To 1979 Bill Sharpe, a young 27-year-old horseman from Oshawa, was enjoying a productive season at Vernon Downs in 1979. Three years previous to this, Sharpe had been stabled here with the Vernon branch of the large William Wellwood stable. His successes on that visit had proven to be good enough that he came back in 1978 to launch his own public stable. Bill Sharpe, 27-year-old horseman from Oshawa, appears with his stable's promising trotter Super Victory at Vernon Downs (Courtesy of the Standardbred) His stable of nine head at the present time while moderate in size had some rapidly improving performers. His best pacer was the four-year-old Baroness Wilma, one of two horses that belonged to his newest owners Harry Snowden, a rubber company executive, and Ms. Mary Kelterborn, both of Willowdale. Their horses raced in the name of the Beeline Stable. They also had a promising trotter called Coaltown Road, by then already a winner of more than $20,000 lifetime. Sharpe seemed to be very hopeful for one of his up and coming stable members, a trotter named Super Victory. A one-time member of the famous Stanley Dancer stable, this fellow was now owned by another of Sharpe's owners, Frank Philips of Whitby, Ont. It seems that this horse had a bad habit of making breaks which made getting him ready to race a major hurdle. Thanks to the input of George Johnson, an old friend of Sharpe's father, he rather quickly became a much better performer. After hearing of the horse's ongoing problem Johnson suggested that young Sharpe try a specially-designed trotting boot that might be the answer. It was designed to protect the area where the fledgling trotter was hitting himself. Soon after the experiment began the horse qualified in a respectable 2:05.2; obviously staying on gait and minding his manners. Just four nights later in only his second pari-mutuel start of his life, Super Victory was a winner in 2:04.2. The son of Super Bowl out of the Noble Victory mare Egyptian Jody soon began to draw the attention of many around the Vernon backstretch and eventually went on to a five-win season. This happening along with other positive signs helped to raise the confidence level of the young Canadian horseman. He told reporter Gordon Pepper in an interview "Just give me a couple of years with my current owners who are all determined to have good horses around them, and I'll get our share against anybody's comparably sized outfit." Quote For The Week: This week's quote is really not a quote but rather a picture. Photo courtesy of Barbara Day on the Foxboro Memorabilia website. This is a cute one. Trivia Question: John Baxter, pictured with a short story shown above, was originally from Ontario and moved to western Canada around the late 1960's I believe. Question is, What well known Ontario stable/farm did he work for prior to heading west? Who Is It? Can you name this fellow? Clue: he was in a rather uncustomary spot in this photo (Harness Horse photo) Who Else Is It? Can you correctly identify this young lad sitting in the sulky seat? Let us know who you think it is. A sense of wonder shines from the globe-trotting pages of the beautifully-illustrated new childrens book, Wander World, by Madison County elementary-school art teacher, Katie Gigliotti. A little girl called Willow is bored, with nothing to do, in this 38-page volume enlived by the authors original watercolors. So she takes a trip with her grandfather to each of the globes seven continents from the comfort of their living-room couch. The poignant, rhyming story for grades K-4 is based on Gigliottis childhood in Pennsylvania, where her grandparents and great aunt were her babysitters and her brothers were much older. I was the only kid in the house and often very bored because my grandma was watching her stories, cooking or cleaning, and my great aunt, she was always a bachelorette, so she never wanted to really be bothered, said the author and art teacher, for the past 16 years, at Waverly Yowell Elementary School. My grandfather was usually the one who would swoop in and do things with me. One of the things wed do, wed sit on the couch, OK, where are we going to go? And I would just talk about random places and hed play along We always ended up in Antarctica. Never lose your send of wander is the tagline for the self-published Wander World, printed and distributed by IngramSpark and found on Amazon, other online outlets and for free on Kindle Plus. The 38-year-old art teacher released this, her first book, at the end of March after a yearlong process that included learning everything she could about online self-publishing. Gigliotti, a Culpeper resident, hopes it can be a teaching tool at home and in the classroom, and created free lesson plans to go with the new book. Its based on her own experiences growing up without other kids around. Somehow, the plane always ended up crashing, and wed have to survive off the land, she said in an interview about the imagined trips she went on her with her grandfather. The characters in her book resemble the art teachers family. She included personal references as wella drawing of her sons baby blanket and her daughters plush duck from when she was small. They go to all the continents, have a little adventure and grandpas always wanting to go home. Finally, its time for dinner, so they have to go home, Gigliotti said, reading a section from the new book: When visiting grandma and grandpa one day there was nothing to do and I wanted to play; But playing is never much fun on your own and in a house full of people I felt all alone; My grandma was busy and told me to go and my auntie was watching her favorite show; Then from a room over I heard a loud snore so I peeked through the keyhole and opened the door; My grandpa lie sleeping in his comfy chair I ran over woke him and ruffled his hair; Lets go on a trip now, I said with a smile, because we havent gone anywhere for quite a while; Then grabbing his hand I pulled up and toward the big comfy couch where we both climbed aboard; We strapped on our seatbelts excited to play now were ready for takeoff up, up and away; Then grandpa asked brightly, just where shall we go? And I said, dont be silly, to play in the snow. The characters also end up in Australia swimming the Great Barrier Reef, and in Africa watching the safari animals. In Europe, they visit Venice boating down the canals, and in the rain forest in Brazil. The skyline rises during a trip to New York City. And they scale Mount Everest to end their trip around the world. Gigliotti has only visited New York, though she had planned a trip to Italy during college that got cancelled because of 9/11. She has been an artist all her life. Her grandfather always encouraged her to be an illustrator. The main focus of Wander World is using your imagination, said Gigliotti, a mother of two teenagers. Kids really struggle right now with social media and the immediacy of everything and the 30-second videostheir attention spans are gone, the art teacher said. Even whenever I give them a project and they can draw whatever they want, theyre like, I dont know what to draw , Gigliotti said. Just making sure youre not losing your imagination, its so important for so many things. In work, if you cant problem solve, come up with a solution using your own thought process. (If) you have to Google everything, thats not good. Being a teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic has been interesting, she said. She enjoyed the smaller classes when many kids attended virtually, and working with students in their individual classrooms. The current school year has been challenging, she added, with its shortage of employees. Gigliotti said she tries to make art fun for the kids, especially the older grades that dealing with the pressures of SOL tests. She tries to expose them to various medians and types of art because once students leave elementary school, art is an elective. To be accurate in her book, Gigliotti incorporated digital editing into her traditional watercolors of the places around the world she researched. She dedicated Wander World, of course, to her grandfather, and her children, though its not the first book she has illustrated. Gigliotti collaborated with local colleague Tori Gelbert in 2021 to illustrate Gelberts book, The Giraffe who Loved School. Gelbert, the principal of Culpeper Countys Emerald Hill Elementary School, used to work with Gigliotti in Madison. She reached out to me and I ended up illustrating that for her, which was really fun and definitely an experience, the art teacher said. Gigliotti launched her own book project after getting confident enough to do so. She said she is happy with the finished project, though critical of the quality of the beautifully painted prints published therein, compared to her originals, now tucked away in a manila folder in the cupboard at home. The art teacher said she struggles with the marketing part of being author, but was brave enough to send a message to the local newspaper about Wander World. Gigliotti hopes kids will like the book. I hear a lot of, Im bored, if they dont have a device in front of them or something entertaining them, said the local educator. Its good for them to be bored because otherwise when are you going to use your imagination? katiegigliotti.com/ 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. Palestinians shop at a market ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) "We are facing tough economic situations in the Gaza Strip ... There are no strategic plans in place to lift local people out of poverty," says a customer. GAZA/RAMALLAH, April 30 (Xinhua) -- In the run-up to Eid al-Fitr, which begins on Monday, only a few clients were seen in the shops on Gaza's Omar al-Mukhtar Street, showing a sharp contrast with previous years, when shoppers would rush to the markets for food after 30 days of fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Mohammed Dahalan, a Gaza-based clothing retailer, said he has sold barely half of the merchandise he imported from China and Turkey for the upcoming festival that marks the end of the Ramadan. A Palestinian vendor sells glasses at a market ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) "Customers come into the store to look at the clothes but do not buy anything. They want us to sell our products at a lower price," said the 29-year-old man, as he bargained with a customer for the price of a shirt. Dahalan had assumed that the losses sustained in recent months would be reimbursed in the run-up to Eid al-Fitr when sales should be much higher, only to find that he lost even more money these days. He blamed his slack business on a delay in the distribution of social welfare benefits and the payment of salaries to Palestinian Authority employees. Palestinians shop at a market ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) "We are facing tough economic situations in the Gaza Strip ... There are no strategic plans in place to lift local people out of poverty," said Mahmoud Saadallah, a customer. The 32-year-old walked around the market for a while but did not buy anything. "There has been a significant increase in prices. I cannot buy Eid clothes, let alone Eid sweets," he told Xinhua. Since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel has imposed a tight siege on the Palestinian coastal enclave, with four large-scale military operations launched against it. Years of blockade has led the unemployment rate in Gaza to one of the highest in the world, according to World Bank reports. In the West Bank, retailers are seeing a scenario similar to that in Gaza, also because of customers' concerns about high prices. Palestinians shop at a market ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Mohammed Bowaitel, a vendor in Ramallah, complained of his poor business despite the Eid. "Business is poor for both merchants and street vendors, because the economy has become worse," said Bowaitel. "Eight years ago, it takes about half an hour to walk through the street because it was so crowded, but now it's empty," he said. Minatares only restaurant has been a go-to destination for diners ever since it opened. The Broken Spoke Bar and Grill, owned and operated by longtime Minatare resident Dennis Wecker, will soon be celebrating its fifth anniversary of serving customers from the town and beyond. At the restaurant decked out in a combination of Old West and modern decor, diners can enjoy staple American cuisine with their families or host various large gatherings at the establishment. The restaurant operates with a skeleton crew. Wecker cooks four days a week and another cook works the other two days; the Broken Spoke is closed on Mondays. Weckers daughter Denasha Scmunk tends bar and a part-time bartender sometimes aids her. Wecker said the Broken Spokes most popular items are its chicken-fried steaks and chicken-fried chicken. We hand-bread it all, he said. Nothing is brought in frozen. Other menu items include burgers, chicken strips, chicken alfredo and appetizers. The restaurant doesnt offer special items very often. ... What works, we stay with it, Wecker said. The building had been operated by the Remington Club, but sat empty for nearly two years when Wecker bought it. He had worked at the local sugar factory and took an early retirement. After moving to Minatare in 1995, hed often driven by the site. His grandchildren were the ones who encouraged him to open the building up as a restaurant. Based on the two broken wagon wheels propped up by the front entrance, Weckers ex-wife suggested the name The Broken Spoke. Lots of work needed to be done to get the restaurant into working shape. It took four months just to clean the building out. Wecker added new decor, new flooring and built an expanded entryway. The Broken Spoke officially opened on May 5, 2017. Aside from the main dining area, the Broken Spoke also features a second level for dining, a gaming room and an event hall. The restaurants event room hosts a slew of events: graduation parties, Christmas parties, anniversaries, wedding receptions, bridal showers and more. Were kept pretty busy, Wecker said. ... Its been fun. I met a lot of people and I think I enjoy that as much as anything. Another aspect that makes the building special is its unique history. During World War II, the building was located just east of Scottsbluff and housed prisoners of war. One of them, an Italian named Romiti Pola, painted several intricate murals to decorate the camp. Over the years, Wecker said, hed heard that most of the murals were destroyed. Most does not mean all, however. Wecker says he has so far found two intact murals by examining photographs given to him of what the Broken Spoke used to look like. The first was discovered above the double doors in the new entryway, and we were really surprised to find it, Wecker said. Then I got to looking at those photos a lot closer and went back and tried to figure out where some of them might be. About three weeks ago, another guy and I, we looked at them real close and said There might be another one right back here. We pulled the paneling back a ways and we could see there was a mural there. The second mural was autographed by Pola and is several times larger than the first, but it was made on fragile material. Wecker said he plans to frame it and place a glass case over it. Then, he aims to tear down the paneling in the event room to search for additional artwork. Wecker said the past few years during the coronavirus pandemic have been the most difficult for the restaurant, mainly because there was a point in time where people were skeptical about going out. Everything had gone way up in price, yet you dont want to increase your menu (prices), raise them very much ... I raised them just barely enough to try to get by, he said. We do have a good turnout. A lot of people come in. Believe it or not, the majority of the people come from Scottsbluff, Bayard, Bridgeport, Alliance and rural areas. I would say 75% of them are from out of town. We really dont do any advertising. Just word of mouth and thats it. Its a strategy that Wecker says has helped the establishment weather the pandemic and acquire a dedicated customer base. Customer Caitlyn Bollman, who lives south of Minatare, said, The chicken fried steak is great and Dennis is great. We love him. Thats kind of why we like coming here, its a good environment. The restaurant still gets fair share of customers from the city proper, including those who have never eaten there before. Ive never been here before. I just moved to Minatare and it looked like a pretty good place, first-time customer Don Jacobs said. Theyre doing a fantastic job on these steaks. From regulars to newcomers, Minatares only restaurant continues to be an attraction that draws people in to town. Submit Your News We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The oldest home in Cowlitz County may be older than the county, and it remains with the family that built it. The home Squire and Milly Bozorth constructed in the early months of 1851 has gone by many names over the years. It was called the Woodland Farm House decades before the city of Woodland got its name in 1882. Growing up, David Bozorth knew it as C.C.s House, named after Christopher Columbus Bozorth, the son of Squire and Milly who spent decades living in the house. Earlier this year, the home officially was recognized as a piece of Washington history when it was added to the Washington Heritage Register. Bozorth and Erin Thoeny, a board member for the Woodland Historical Museum Society and a commissioner for the Cowlitz Historical Preservation Commission, spent the last several years making their case to the advisory committee of the Heritage Register. Id wanted to do this for years and we finally got someone who knew how to help us, Bozorth said. The Bozorth House sits near the front of a 20-acre parcel of land along North Pekin Road that was part of the familys original land claim. David Bozorth owns the home through a family trust and rents it to other families, which he said his parents did when he was growing up. The house survived two attic fires and a flood over the decades. It was moved to the other side of Pekin Road in the 1940s. During the process, its siding was replaced and a rear attachment was added. Even with all the updates, though, there are clear similarities between photos of the Bozorth House taken this week and an illustration of the home published in 1885. The bones are still all there, Bozorth said. Bozorth and Woodland history The Washington Heritage Register is kept by the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. To be eligible for the register, locations need to be at least 50 years old with historical significance at either the local or state level and have a level of integrity and similarity to how they looked when they first were built. Supposition, or a good sounding story, would not be sufficient, Thoeny wrote in an email to The Daily News. (The DAHP) wanted firm proof. So, it was a big puzzle that just needed to be put together with documented facts. Their application included 147 pages of documents and evidence for the timeline of the house. Original records included the land claim made by John Squire Bozorth in 1850, firsthand accounts mentioning the home as the residence of C.C. Bozorth, and maps showing the buildings location over the course of its first century. The homes connection to C.C. Bozorth represents a major piece of the citys history. C.C. served as the county assessor for Clark County in the mid-1850s, was a legislator for the Washington Territory in 1860 and was the county assessor for Cowlitz County in the 1870s. His wife, Rhoda Ruth Johns, purportedly suggested the citys name change from Forest City to Woodland. In 1893, C.C. Bozorth wrote a short history of his familys arrival in Southwest Washington and his local involvement with the Cathlamet Gazette. Bozorth wrote his family spent six months traveling from Iowa to western Oregon in 1845, then shifted north over the next few years before homesteading in what is now Woodland. This has grown to be quite a little village and promises to be a thriving town in the near future, Bozorth wrote in 1893. David Bozarths daughter, Amy Bozorth, grew up immersed in the familys history and connections with Woodland. Amy lives in Albany, so she was not hands-on with the application process, but she saw a lot of the original records and documents Thoeny and her father pulled together. As the collections manager for the Albany Regional Museum, Bozorth said she appreciates more people will learn about her familys history and Woodlands history with the homes designation. It is really neat to be able to connect our family to the larger picture of the city of Woodlands history and the regional area, Bozorth said. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Do you use Google Maps while travelling in your car? Here is how you can use Google Maps offline. Google Maps is one of the most prominent and widely used applications for locating and reaching places you want to visit or are travelling to. However, you will need an internet connection to run Google Maps. But wait! As per the information provided by Google's support page, if you are travelling by a car you can use Google Maps offline too for reliable navigation and safety features when your car has a poor internet connection. Google Maps offline can be automatically downloaded and updated based on your current location and travel patterns. It can be noted that it is only for Google Maps built into your car. Feature availability or functionality may depend on your car manufacturer or region and data plan. Also, this feature is not available in all languages and countries/regions. You will be notified if you are outside the area covered by your Google Maps offline. In fact, you can let Google Maps manage your offline maps. Here is how. Google Maps provides data via Vehicle Map Service (VMS) to support safety-related driver assistance features in cars, like road sign integration and adaptive cruise control. These safety features rely on offline map data. To ensure that map data is always available, turn on auto-download in the Privacy Center. How to turn on auto-download in the Privacy Center 1. Open the Google Maps app. 2. At the bottom, tap Settings. 3. Tap Privacy Center and then Offline maps. 4. Select Auto-download offline maps. 5. Make sure you have an internet connection and wait for your offline map download to finish. 6. It can be known that if you turn off auto-download, already downloaded maps will remain saved, but no new maps will be automatically downloaded. Elon Musk's SpaceX launched a new batch of Starlink Satellites yesterday. Last time as many as 49 were destroyed by a solar storm. The aerospace manufacturer company led by Elon Musk, Space Exploration (SpaceX) launched a Falcon 9 rocket at 5:27 PM EDT this Friday from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying another big batch of satellites. Falcon 9, which is a partially reusable two-stage-to-orbit medium-lift launch vehicle powered 53 more Starlink internet satellites into space. Within 8.5 minutes of launch, the first stage of the rocket returned to Earth and landed on the SpaceX drone ship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. Last time as many as 49 SpaceX satellites were destroyed due to a raging solar storm. These satellites could not reach there or safe orbit because of it and were pulled down towards Earth and were burned up in the atmosphere- you can read it here. Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here. Also read: This was the sixth flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, and now two Starlink missions, the SpaceX launch description mentioned. 21 days ago, the same booster Falcon 9 had lifted off Ax-1, the first all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. And now, after three-week, this turned out to be the fastest ever for a Falcon 9 first stage. Earlier, the previous mark was six days, EverydayAstronaut.com reported. Meanwhile, Ax-1 has returned to Earth this week. All about Starlink launches Starlink is a satellite internet company operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX. And so far, SpaceX has launched nearly 2,400 Starlink satellites, with a majority of them departing recently. And surprisingly, 10 of the company's 17 launches this year have been dedicated to Starlink missions only. And the Starlink mega constellation will certainly expand in the future. According to SpaceX, the network's next generation might include up to 30,000 satellites. Looking at yesterday's launch was one of the latest in a series of complex launches for SpaceX. On April 27, a Falcon 9 launched the Crew-4 mission for NASA while sending four astronauts to the International Space Station. It was the company's fourth liftoff in the last 12 days and the second in the last three days. On April 25, the Dragon capsule from that trip splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, bringing home four astronauts, three of whom were paying customers. You can watch the launch video of yesterday's SpaceX launch of 53 Starlink satellites on the official website of Starlink with this link. Just last night, Huawei unveiled a bunch of devices but nothing takes the spotlight like the Huawei Mate Xs 2. After two years, the new foldable successor to the Mate Xs is now available in China and here's what you need to know about it. Weighing at only 255g, Huawei highlighted that the Mate Xs 2 is using ultra-light glass fibres as well as aerospace-grade titanium alloys. To further improve the folding experience, there is now a new-gen double-rotating Falcon Wing Hinge Design that was developed by the company itself. The display also adopts a Composite Screen that absorbs shock and impact. On the other hand, the folded display is 6.5-inches. When unfolded, the Mate Xs 2 features a 7.8-inch True-Chroma Foldable Display with 2480 x 2200 pixels and an 8:7.1 aspect ratio. As expected, there is also a 120Hz refresh rate and it's also accompanied by a 1440Hz high-frequency PWM dimming and up to 240Hz touch sampling rate. Furthermore, the Mate Xs 2 also features a Snapdragon 888 4G chipset, up to 12GB + 512GB memory capacity, and up to 4880mAh battery with 66W Huawei SuperCharge technology, a Graphene Liquid Cooling System and a new AI Sound Engine. To the camera corner, you can find the primary 50MP + 13MP (ultrawide) + 8MP (telephoto) triple rear camera utilising the True-Chroma Camera system by Huawei. The company said that the XD Optics is now improved to further elevate image clarity thanks to the assistance of the XD Fusion Pro True-Chroma Image Engine, the 10-Channel Multi-Spectrum Sensor and colour calibration of more than 2000 colours in P3 full-colour gamut. Alternatively, you may get a Huawei M Pen 2 as a separate accessory for the Mate Xs 2. Available in three colours - purple, white and black, the pricing for this new Huawei foldable device is 9999 Yuan (~RM6601, 8GB + 256GB) and 12,999 Yuan (~RM8582, 12GB + 512GB). We aren't sure if Malaysia will get it or not, so we have to wait and see. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com. White House communications director positive on COVID-19 test Xinhua) 14:38, April 30, 2022 WASHINGTON, April 29 (Xinhua) -- White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said on Friday that she had tested positive for COVID-19. Bedingfield, 40, tweeted she last saw U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday "in a socially-distanced meeting while wearing an N-95 mask." Biden is not considered a close contact as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the White House official. "Thanks to being fully vaccinated and boosted, I am only experiencing mild symptoms," Bedingfield wrote. "In alignment with White House COVID-19 protocols, I will work from home and plan to return to work in person at the conclusion of a five-day isolation period and a negative test," she added. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has exceeded 81 million, with over 993,000 related deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji) Palestinians shop at a market ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival in northern Gaza Strip, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) by Sanaa Kamal GAZA/RAMALLAH, April 30 (Xinhua) -- In the run-up to Eid al-Fitr, which begins on Monday, only a few clients were seen in the shops on Gaza's Omar al-Mukhtar Street, showing a sharp contrast with previous years, when shoppers would rush to the markets for food after 30 days of fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Mohammed Dahalan, a Gaza-based clothing retailer, said he has sold barely half of the merchandise he imported from China and Turkey for the upcoming festival that marks the end of the Ramadan. "Customers come into the store to look at the clothes but do not buy anything. They want us to sell our products at a lower price," said the 29-year-old man, as he bargained with a customer for the price of a shirt. Dahalan had assumed that the losses sustained in recent months would be reimbursed in the run-up to Eid al-Fitr when sales should be much higher, only to find that he lost even more money these days. He blamed his slack business on a delay in the distribution of social welfare benefits and the payment of salaries to Palestinian Authority employees. "We are facing tough economic situations in the Gaza Strip ... There are no strategic plans in place to lift local people out of poverty," said Mahmoud Saadallah, a customer. The 32-year-old walked around the market for a while but did not buy anything. "There has been a significant increase in prices. I cannot buy Eid clothes, let alone Eid sweets," he told Xinhua. Since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel has imposed a tight siege on the Palestinian coastal enclave, with four large-scale military operations launched against it. Years of blockade has led the unemployment rate in Gaza to one of the highest in the world, according to World Bank reports. In the West Bank, retailers are seeing a scenario similar to that in Gaza, also because of customers' concerns about high prices. Mohammed Bowaitel, a vendor in Ramallah, complained of his poor business despite the Eid. "Business is poor for both merchants and street vendors, because the economy has become worse," said Bowaitel. "Eight years ago, it takes about half an hour to walk through the street because it was so crowded, but now it's empty," he said. Palestinians shop at a market ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival in northern Gaza Strip, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians shop at a market ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival in northern Gaza Strip, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians shop at a market ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival in northern Gaza Strip, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A Palestinian vendor sells glasses at a market ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival in northern Gaza Strip, on April 29, 2022. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) More than 1,000 engineering students flooded the corridors of the Zachry Engineering Building on the Texas A&M campus with their Capstone Design projects that ranged from cameras on Earth to plants on other planets. The students represented 245 different projects, some with industry sponsorships in which they were given a problem and asked to create a solution. Each team created a poster explaining the problem they were given, their process and the solution they developed, along with a prototype. More than 140 industry judges spent much of Friday visiting with the teams to determine the top three in eight different engineering majors and an overall showcase winner. The Reliable Instrument Counter ended the day as the overall Showcase Capstone champion, winning $1,500, while the eight awarded majors won first-place prizes ranging from $250 to $1,000. We have lots of students, and they are doing some amazing things, said Magda Lagoudas, executive director of industry partnerships in the College of Engineering. The annual showcase gives the students the chance to show off two semesters worth of work and talk with people outside their programs about their product. Lagoudas didnt visit all 245 teams spread across the second through fifth floors of the Zachry Building, but she saw some when they were in the pre-Capstone phase in her class. Its amazing to see not only the development of the prototype, but the development of the students themselves and how they mature through the process, she said. Lagoudas said students understand what they can do as an engineer, and the project lets them see how they can apply those skills. Conner Jenkins, one of the showcase judges and senior project manager with Austin-based Icon, said he was impressed with how applicable the skills were, saying he did not expect such a wide range of industries. Showcase judge Cheyenne Harper, human resources business partner with Icon, said the event gives the company a chance to recruit future talent who they feel could benefit Icon. Theyre willing to learn, and theyre super knowledgeable, she said. She looks at what the students have done with the resources they had. Its just really impressive seeing what these students can do. Sneha Sequeira and Aaron Ildefonso, both mechanical engineering majors, partnered with the City of Bryan to develop models and a quarter-scale prototype of the Queen Theater crown, saying the project can help preserve the theaters history. The lack of documentation of the original crown meant the team had to create the model based on their observations and study of the crown that is still on top of the theater in Downtown Bryan. Realizing it spins, realizing this is accurate, I could confidently present this to the City of Bryan and not be worried, Ildefonso said. Theres a sense of fulfillment, like, wow, I did my job as an engineer. The team, along with the other 244 teams, will present its project to sponsors in the coming weeks. Ildefonso said the process and seeing the quality of the original crown gave him a greater perspective and respect for engineers who built products from the ground up. Holden Campbell, a senior mechanical engineering major, was part of the Multiplanetary Agricultural Sustainment team that partnered with SpaceX to develop a prototype to create a system to grow leafy greens and produce off Earth. The team ended up earning the $1,000 first-place award for mechanical engineering awards. One of the greatest challenges but most interesting aspects of the project, Campbell said, was the lack of design requirements from SpaceX, saying they were not told a specific size or weight the system needed to be. Their one main task was determining if a lower-cost lighting system was as effective as a more costly option. The answer they determined is the more expensive option is more effective, producing a more robust product, Campbell said. Campbell called it surreal to work on a project with SpaceX and said he is proud to present it to the company in Brownsville this weekend. In the future, he said, he will be watching as SpaceX develops its Mars program to see if he sees any familiar systems. Senior mechanical engineer Josh Duartes Intelligent Chessboard idea came about during the COVID-19 pandemic when he wanted to play board games, particularly chess, but could not meet up with his usual opponents. Team member and senior mechanical engineering major Cynthia Jarvis said online chess was not an ideal solution because they were participating in Zoom university and were tired of looking at computer screens. Unlike most of the other teams, the Intelligent Chessboard did not have an official sponsor, so they had the freedom to develop their own problem and create their solution. Using magnets and computer coding, the Intelligent Chessboard allows someone to play the computer, but the computers actions happen on a physical board. Some people who saw the computers chess piece move on its own with the magnet said it was reminiscent of Wizards Chess from the Harry Potter franchise. Duarte said it was refreshing to see people gravitate toward his product and the shock on peoples faces when the first chess piece moves on its own. Its been an amazing process just seeing everything together and to see it actually working and people interacting with it and people enjoying it, he said. Jarvis said the electrical and computer science skills needed to complete the project meant the team of mechanical engineers had to do a lot of problem solving and troubleshooting, sometimes spending hours on a single problem. Duarte said the project aligns with the masters degree he is pursuing next year at University of California concentrating on product design. VenuMadhavi Vudayagiri, a high school math and computer science teacher at Round Rock High School and was visiting campus with her son who will be a freshman next year, said she has a lot of information and pictures to take back to her high school students to encourage them to pursue their dreams. Its amazing to see this, and Ill have a lot to talk about when I get back, she said. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, nearly all Texas public universities responded by making the submission of an SAT or ACT score optional for college admission. But although COVID infections are down and in-person standardized tests are widely available again, the majority of Texas public universities are keeping the SAT and ACT optional until the spring of 2023 or later. Even before the pandemic, some universities considered themselves test-optional because of a state law that grants automatic admission to Texas students who graduate in the top 10% of their high school classes. But the COVID-19 pandemic pushed many more schools to become test-optional for all applicants. It was an opportunity that a lot of schools are grateful theyve been able to take, said Chris Reed, executive director of admissions at Texas A&M University. The pandemic created an opportunity when it was the right thing to do. Now we have a living, breathing dataset to evaluate some of those assumptions. So far, Texas A&M has extended the policy through spring 2023. Stephen F. Austin State University in East Texas and the University of Texas at Dallas have extended their test score policies through the fall of next year. Texas Tech University has extended its policy until 2025. The most selective public university in the state the University of Texas at Austin announced Wednesday via Twitter that it is extending its test optional policy through fall 2023. Other schools, including the University of Houston, Texas State University in San Marcos and the University of Texas at Tyler, say they will make decisions on test score requirements in the coming weeks or months. Others, including Sam Houston State University, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Tarleton State University, have extended the test-optional policy indefinitely. Some private universities, including Baylor University and Rice University, have extended their test-optional policies through fall 2023 and say they will reevaluate afterward. Meanwhile, the states two public historically Black universities continue to require standardized test scores. Texas Southern University in Houston requires test scores only for applicants with a 2.5 grade point average or below. Those with higher GPAs do not need to submit test scores. Prairie View A&M University reinstated its standardized test score requirement for fall 2021 applicants. A Prairie View spokesperson said most students continued to submit scores but did not explain why the school switched back to a test score requirement. Texas Southern said there has been no discussion to shift to a test-optional policy for all applicants. Even before the pandemic, there were discussions at some schools to make the SAT or ACT score optional. Some school leaders have argued that the tests are not predictive of student performance in college and are an additional barrier to enrollment for low-income students. Universities that shifted to test-optional policies said they rely on a holistic approach to applications, giving weight to areas like a students grade point average, the high school transcript and where the student attended high school. Reed cautions that its too early to definitively state the impact of the change to enrollment with test-optional policies. But he said early data shows that Texas A&M did not see retention rates dip from fall to spring during either of the last two years. Also, the average fall GPA for first-time students remained the same. These data points helped inform the universitys decision to continue the test-optional policy. Many Texas universities said they saw an increase in applications once standardized test scores became optional for admission. But they havent seen a significant change in the makeup of their freshman classes. College counseling experts said that is likely because the states Top 10% Rule allowed schools to enroll those students year after year. Many universities said they saw minimal changes in the diversity of students who enrolled. But a few universities reported some remarkable differences. The University of Texas at Arlington increased the number of Black students in its freshman class by almost 34%, from 519 to 694, in fall 2021. The number of Black freshmen at Texas State increased by 6%. Texas A&M International University in Laredo reported that it had accepted more students ranked in the top 40% of their graduation classes. Some schools, including West Texas A&M University, accepted more students who qualify for need-based federal grants, known as Pell grants. The regional public university in Canyon accepts any student who has at least a 2.0 GPA and meets at least one other requirement, which can include test scores. For those who dont meet the qualifications, the school has adjusted its alternative admissions process to include two essay questions and a high school recommendation letter. The test-optional trend has opened up a lot more opportunities for students who are low-income, who dont come from high schools that emphasize testing like more resourced counterparts, said Sara Urquidez with Academic Success Program Dallas, which helps low-income and first-generation college students apply for and enroll in college at 18 high schools in the Dallas area. But I dont think its changed the fundamental question of college affordability for low-income students. Many Texas public universities say they still use test scores to determine merit scholarships, but they also take a more comprehensive look at applications from students who apply without SAT or ACT scores. Yet Urquidez said she saw a stark reduction in the number of merit scholarships awarded to students who did not submit test scores, and many students and families are confused about what schools are using to determine merit scholarships. Its a black box for students and families, she said. We cant talk about test-optional being a vehicle for change when the vast majority of institutions are still using it in this other way. Urquidez said she sits on a few private scholarship committees and heard anecdotally from students that they were unaware that applying without a test score could negatively impact their chances of receiving aid from the university. She said she still encourages students to submit good scores if they have them. Yet some universities across the state saw a majority of students apply without scores for fall 2020 and fall 2021. At Texas A&M University-Kingsville, just 36% of applicants for admission last fall included standardized test scores. And at West Texas A&M University, which is keeping a test-optional policy permanently, nearly 80% of students did not submit scores. So far, about 35% of students applying to enroll next fall at the University of North Texas had submitted test scores. In contrast, 75% of Rice University applicants submitted test scores with their applications for the fall 2021 semester. Reed, the executive director of admissions at Texas A&M, said more than two-thirds of applicants to the school submitted scores. National experts say if schools want to make it clear they are truly test-optional, then they need to remain agnostic toward the exams. On some university websites, schools will say students wont be negatively impacted if they dont submit test scores but simultaneously encourage students to submit scores if they have them. Once they start making recommendations, its going to be interpreted as we would prefer this, said Akil Bello with the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, an organization that works to [eliminate] the racial, class, gender, and cultural barriers to equal opportunity posed by standardized tests. You see the same thing with [Advanced Placement] testing. AP classes are optional, but kinda not really. The confusion that test-optional policies can create for families is one reason St. Marys University in San Antonio became the first university in Texas to become test-free, meaning it does not consider standardized test scores at all. Rosalind Alderman, St. Marys vice president for enrollment management, said an analysis of student data determined that for the vast majority, the standardized test did not provide any additional information as to whether students would successfully make it to their sophomore year. Everyones worried about putting your best foot forward, she said. Sometimes families ... they kind of want a yes or no, and so [we said], No, were not considering it. While a majority of Texas universities have committed to continuing test-optional policies for the near future, some universities across the country have announced theyre beginning to require the scores again. Earlier this month, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced it was bringing back the test requirement. The University of Georgia system recently reinstated its test-optional policies at all universities except at the University of Georgia, Georgia State and Georgia Tech. Urquidez said shes worried MITs decision will give colleges permission to bring the exams back at their schools, even if their circumstances around selectivity are different than MITs. Theres some institutions that are going to say we found ways to adjust, Urquidez said, but higher ed is guilty of [saying], This is the way weve always done it. This is always a little bit easier. AUSTIN Texas is scrambling to come up with nearly a half-billion dollars to pay the growing tab for its decision to post National Guard soldiers at the southern border. As foreshadowed by a top aide to Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month, Texas will free up general-purpose state revenue that lawmakers previously budgeted for salaries of state workers by tapping federal coronavirus relief money. That will allow GOP state leaders to rush $465.3 million to the Texas Military Department, whose top leader has said hell run out of money at the end of this month for the 10,000 troops who are supporting Abbotts Operation Lone Star. Other state agencies involved with the border effort will share in the transfer of another $30 million. On Friday, Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker Dade Phelan, Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Joan Huffman and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Greg Bonnen signed a letter to the heads of six state agencies approving the fund shifts. The letter didnt acknowledge use of federal pandemic-relief funds, instead focusing solely on the simultaneous reassignment of state general-purpose revenue dollars. These transfers are meant to support the deployment of the National Guard with $465.3 million and to support border security surge operations in other state agencies with $30 million, the leaders wrote. We understand the fiscal years 2020-2021 appropriations would otherwise lapse and be unavailable to your agencies, and that the fiscal year 2022 appropriations have been fully funded with other sources, thus this transfer will not affect any agency or program function. In a joint news release, the state GOP leaders blasted President Joe Biden for what Phelan called irresponsible handling of immigration policy. The six agencies will fork over $248.8 million of state general revenue from the fiscal year that ended Aug. 31, and slightly more than $246.5 million from the current years budget. The money goes to Abbotts disaster fund, from which hes been regularly transmitting money for the Texas National Guard and Texas State Guards support of the Republican governors immigration dragnet at the border with Mexico, according to records obtained by The Dallas Morning News using the states open-records law. While some Democrats have fretted that Texas may be misusing federal COVID-19 relief aid to help finance Operation Lone Star, Abbott and top GOP lawmakers have denied that. The Biden administration hasnt objected, nor has anyone taken Texas to court over its money maneuvers. The series of bills Congress passed during the pandemic, signed by Biden and former President Donald Trump, allowed states to use their federal funds for salaries of state public health and public safety employees. In early April, Sarah Hicks, director of policy and budget in Abbotts office, told the Senate Committee on Border Security the state could make up for shortfalls in the border security effort by using up to $600 million of the federal dollars to backfill salaries at health, law enforcement and prison agencies, and then transfer the freed-up state discretionary dollars to the border effort. Its a move that strikes some as misuse and one they worry could put the money at risk of being clawed back by the federal government. On April 8, though, Phelan, a Republican whos the Houses presiding officer, said his chamber will take a long, hard, deep dive in how were spending dollars and well ... make certain the federal clawback is (in the) front of our mind. The problem arose because last year, even as they were more than quadrupling the states level of spending on border security, lawmakers gave the Texas Military Department only $412 million for the current two-year cycle. In just the first year of the cycle alone, its costing at least $1.3 billion to keep several thousand soldiers at the border and thousands of others in support roles elsewhere. If thats repeated in the fiscal year that begins Sept. 1, the states tab for border security will soar past $5 billion, from $800 million last cycle. In their letter Friday, Abbott and the four top GOP legislative leaders said the state general-purpose revenue that the six agencies were offering has been fully funded with other sources. They didnt elaborate. In their past letters offering to yield the money, agency heads appointed by Abbott used variations of a theme stated this week by Department of Public Safety director Col. Steve McCraw, in his latest request to give up money. Its critical that the Disaster Fund (in Abbotts office) have sufficient monies available to respond quickly and ensure the safety of Texans, McCraw wrote. I can confirm the agency and its programs will not be negatively affected by this transfer. After a January transfer of $480.5 million from agencies that run state prisons and perform law enforcement functions, to pay for the National Guard deployment, the new head of the Guard, Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, told senators earlier this month that money would run out at the end of April. He needed $531 million more to fund the Guards part of Operation Lone Star through Aug. 31, Suelzer testified. Since then, apparently, the Guards shortfall has shrunk slightly. Yielding the money were the Health and Human Services Commission, $210.7 million; Department of Public Safety, $159.3 million; Texas Department of Criminal Justice, $53.6 million; Department of State Health Services, $36.1 million; Texas Juvenile Justice Department, $31.3 million; and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, $4.3 million. In the first few months of the Guards border mission, reports emerged of problems with pay, a lack of equipment and a string of suicides within the ranks. In response, the military department issued a morale survey and pledged to address the issues. This week, Abbott downplayed the problems. The criticisms were overblown, he told Guy Benson of Fox News Radio. Were there some pay issues? Yes, but they were extremely small in number. Abbott attributed Guard glitches to a surge of 14,000 Haitian migrants to Del Rio in September a circumstance he says he couldnt allow to be repeated. I said that we cannot have another Haitian crisis like that ever occur, he said. And so there had to be an extraordinarily quick deployment that led to, lets say, a less efficient rollout than what you would typically see. To hit the college scholarship jackpot once is blessing for any family. But twice? Emma Smith, a Grand Island Senior High senior, was recently awarded the Bob Hamblet Northwestern University Scholarship. The Hamblet scholarship is one of GIPS Foundations most prestigious, as it awards a recipient enough money to attend Northwestern University; that includes tuition and fees, room and board, and booksestimated to cash in at $65,000 per year for 4 years. As impressive as being awarded the Hamblet scholarship is, the Smith family has had it awarded twice to someone in their family: Austin Smith, Emmas brother, is a junior at Northwestern and had his education at an elite school possible by also winning the Hamblet scholarship. Northwestern was a dream school, Austin Smith said. But theres definitely a price tag that made it seem out of reach. Not completely, he found. Besides making matriculating at a dream school possible, it opened Austin up to a world he might not have otherwise seen. Its definitely something very unique that I dont think I would have gotten in Nebraska, being up there and just being able to meet a lot of different people. Now Emma Smith has the same chance truly unique, as the application process for the Bob Hamblet Northwestern University Scholarship is blind. None of the evaluators know the applicants names. When (Austin) got his scholarship, there was a lot of joking like, oh, big shoes to fill, Emma Smith remembered. Its kind of incredible, to have all that happen. For my family in general, having two kids go to an elite university, and not have any debt is amazing. Emma Smiths motivation to apply didnt have anything to do with competing with her brother; rather, it was about competing with herself. I had always wanted to go to an elite university just because thats who I am. I like to push myselfI want to shoot big. You dream of things, but you dont always see them coming true. When Emma Smiths dream came true, she shared the news with her brother, of course. She texted him a picture of herself with the award letter. Austin Smith said he wasnt surprised. I was kind of expecting it. Throughout high school, she was much better the student than I ever was, he said. I like to think that shes been doing a lot of this just for her, and what she has for her own expectations and her own standards and what she wants to accomplish. Having the Hamblet scholarship feather in ones hatlet alone two in one familyis special, but even more special is the experience, Austin Smith said. Its definitely something very unique that I dont think I would have gotten in Nebraska. It has meant a lot, being up there and being able to meet a lot of different people. Emma Smith said she is looking forward to the experience, too. Like her brother, she is excited to meet classmates from different states, countries and walks of life. Decades ago, Lanny Martin had a similar opportunity. The 1964 GISH graduate attended Northwestern following graduation, his guidance counselor, Bob Hamblet, helping him stretch towards the stars. According to the GIPS Foundation website, Hamblet was this caring professional that guided students to dream big. He opened many opportunities for the students under his care. Because of Mr. Hamblets encouragement, (Martin) attended Northwestern University. Mr. Martin believes that this one decision and his support from Mr. Hamblet was a game-changer for him. Such a game-changer, Martin and his family were inspired to make an experience like Martins possible. Lanny Martins brother Tom Martin said: It was quite the story because our family were just moderate income people. Going out of the state of Nebraska was kind of a big thing. Since the scholarships inception, a number of GISH students (one per year) have experienced a big thing, no matter what their income. The Smith family, though, can say theyve had two big things. Jessica Votipka is the education reporter at the Grand Island Independent. She can be reached at 308-381-5420. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. "When a rival called him 'two-faced' during a political debate, Lincoln replied: 'I leave it to my audience. If I had another face, do you think I'd wear this one?'" from Lincoln: A Photobiography I spent yesterday happily immersed in learning more about Lincoln, which evidently you did notI don't think any recent post here has gotten less response than yesterday's! Sorry about that. (Note to self: TOP readers are not interested in Lincoln.) I also got pretty far into the Benjamin Thomas biography. Among the things I learned: Lincoln had a lazy left eye, which accounts for the fact that there is only one portrait of him (O'Sullivan's) looking straight at the camera; he was the first President with a beard, which he grew at the suggestion of a young girl who wrote him a letter saying he would look better with one; the killer of John Wilkes Booth, a soldier named Boston (originally Thomas) Corbett, was completely crazyat the time he shot Booth he had already castrated himself with a pair of scissors to help himself resist the lure of prostitutes, and he later lived in a hole in the ground, which, believe it or not, you can still visit (in fact, there are a large number of Lincoln-associated places you can visit, including the site of a town Lincoln lived in that is no longer there). Corbett eventually escaped from an asylum and more or less vanished. Abraham Lincoln's last confirmed descendant, a fellow named "Bud" Beckwith, died in 1985. However, George Clooney is a distant cousin. I don't think I'm ever going to need to know that. Books of Lincoln photos Regarding books of Lincoln photographs, I came across this list, on the frankly named "Abraham Lincoln Research Site": "Among the Abraham Lincoln books that include his photographs are: Lincoln's Photographs: A Complete Album by Lloyd Ostendorf, The Photographs of Abraham Lincoln by Frederick Hill Meserve and Carl Sandburg, Lincoln: A Picture Story of His Life by Stefan Lorant, and The Face of Lincoln compiled and edited by James Mellon. Additionally, there is The Lincoln Family Album by Mark E. Neely, Jr. and Harold Holzer. Also recommended are Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography by Philip B. Kunhardt, Jr., Philip B. Kunhardt III, and Peter W. Kunhardt, and Lincoln: A Pictorial History by Dr. Edward Steers, Jr." The Kunhardts' book is the one I remember. It's been a long time since I've seen it; I'm pretty sure it was in the library of the Corcoran School. My impression was favorable, although I can't say that with assurance. But I guess we've already determined that you don't care anyway. Mumlered And check out this weird thing: Mary Todd Lincoln was said to be "erratic" later in life, which may be her right after having lost three of her children and her husband. Her only surviving son, Robert Todd Lincoln, who evidently inherited none of the traits of his father in any respect, tried to have her committed to an asylum. She managed to extract herself, but the two of them were estranged afterwards. Wikipedia says of the above, "In 1872, she went to spiritualist photographer William H. Mumler, who produced a photograph of her that appears to faintly show Lincoln's ghost behind her (photo in Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana). The College of Psychic Studies, referencing notes belonging to William Stainton Moses, claims that the photo was taken in the early 1870s, that Lincoln had assumed the name of 'Mrs. Lindall,' and that Lincoln had to be encouraged by Mumler's wife to identify her husband on the photo. [This would have been only a year after she lost her son Tad at 18maybe he was the one she was trying to summon from the spirit world Ed.] P.T. Barnum, testifying against Mumler in his eventual fraud trial, presented a photo featuring himself with the 'ghost' of Abraham Lincoln, demonstrating for the court how easy it was to make one of Mumler's images. The image is recognized now as a hoax created via double exposure (by inserting a previously prepared positive glass plate featuring the image of the 'deceased' into the camera in front of an unused sensitive glass plate)." Maybe we could say that a Photoshopped digital file has been "Mumlered." And now let us move on. Mike Book o' the Week Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman. A very brief, illustrated overview of the life of America's 16th President suitable for young people. This book link is a portal to Amazon. Link to B&H Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.) Featured Comments from: A $13 million buildout of a multi-faceted food, fermentation and biotechnology research and economic development facility at Southern Illinois University Carbondale was greenlighted by the SIU Board of Trustees Thursday. The board approved three items related to the universitys McLafferty Annex, located on the far-west side of the Carbondale campus. The approval will allow for construction to begin on and in support of several related endeavors, said Lynn Lindberg, interim director of SIUs Office of Innovation and Economic Development, all which will provide economic benefit to the region. The project has acquired $6.3 million in grant money from three agencies: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity ($2.7 million), the Illinois Innovation Network ($2.5 million) and the SIU Foundation ($1.1 million). Taken together with several grants from related projects and matching in-kind funds from the university, the project has a total value of $13 million. The Illinois Food, Entrepreneurship, Research, and Manufacturing (iFERM) Hub will provide a state-of-the-art research and training suite for faculty use, students, start-up companies and private firms in the region and will include a biotechnology core laboratory, an analytical core laboratory, a business support facility and pilot facilities for value-added agriculture efforts. The hub is aimed at solving food/nutrition, agriculture and health challenges through interdisciplinary research, innovation and education. It also will provide infrastructure for the development of Illinois agriculture value-added products to promote and support successful entrepreneurial activities. It also will benefit SIU students and researchers engaged in such pursuits and enhance public-private partnerships. This is a big project that has been in the works for several years as we pulled it together, said Gary Kinsel, vice chancellor for research in a news release. When it is completed and operational, it will rival any such facility at any other university in the country. Im optimistic it will be a real game-changer for both the university and the region. Lindberg agreed. The best part is with the Board of Trustees approval, we are now able to begin construction, she explained. We've been doing a lot of planning, a lot of architectural and engineering designs, but now we can actually move forward with purchasing equipment and as well as beginning the actual construction. Lindberg said she the timeline for construction is about a year. The new projects will utilize about one-fourth of the buildings 65,000 square feet. The McLafferty Annex was first built as a storage facility during remodeling of the universitys Morris Library. It currently houses SIUs Fermentation Science Institute, the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, and a laser facility, all of which are part of the new hub, as well. Fermentation Science Institute Director Matt McCarroll said the diversity of the facility and the mix of business and research will be beneficial. Having all those things together under the not just under the same administrative structure, but under the same roof is going to build synergies that are going to be pretty unique, he said. Kinsel said the new iFERM Hub will demonstrate the university's commitment to research and should be a catalyst for even more funding. Centralizing much of the universitys research equipment in one area, where it can be maintained and used more efficiently, will provide a certain synergy that also will help the university vie for more research grant money, as the granting agencies can be assured the equipment has a good home, Kinsel said. It will give us a great advantage. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CROWN POINT A Hammond man dropped his keys after fatally shooting a Chicago man Friday outside a Hammond smoke shop, hid his fluorescent green jacket in a garbage can as he fled the scene and dropped his credit cards on the ground when he returned to retrieve the jacket, court records state. Marcus A. Ross, 28, was taken into custody Saturday after Hammond officers went to his apartment with a search warrant and found him outside waiting for his landlord to deliver a key to him, Lake Criminal Court records state. He's accused of shooting Zachery S. Smith, 27, of Chicago, about 1:45 p.m. Friday outside the Oasis Smoke Shop, 5535 State Line Ave., after an earlier confrontation where Smith pointed a gun at him while the two exchanged words. The gunfire damaged a car, which was occupied by a woman. Ross told a magistrate he planned to hire a private attorney during an initial appearance Wednesday. The magistrate entered preliminary pleas of not guilty on his behalf to charges of murder and criminal recklessness. Mychael A. Thomas, 27, of East Chicago was wanted on charges of murder and criminal recklessness. She's accused of dropping Ross off just before the shooting and helping him flee the crime scene in her gray Acura MDX, which has Arkansas license plates. Hammond police were dispatched to State Line Avenue and Pulaski Road after Smith, who had been shot in his chest, right leg and left knee, got into his black Ford Fusion, drove north several blocks and rear-ended another car near Franciscan Health hospital, causing the Ford to overturn in the middle of State Line Avenue, records state. Smith was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. Police gathered surveillance video from multiple locations that showed Ross and Thomas arrive in Thomas' Acura outside the smoke shop, according to court documents. Smith exited the smoke shop, took two handguns from his pants pockets, walked up to the Acura, pointed one of the guns at Ross, argued with Ross and got into his Ford Fusion, records state. Thomas and Ross left, but they were seen driving by the smoke shop about three minutes later. The Acura traveled out of camera view, and Ross appeared wearing a fluorescent green jacket less than a minute later and fired four shots at Smith, records allege. Ross ran a distance south, turned around and fired about five more shots at Smith, according to documents. Surveillance video showed something fall from the pocket of his green jacket. The item was later determined to be keys, records state. Thomas then allegedly drove by the crime scene looking for Ross. Another camera showed Ross place the green jacket in a garbage can in an alley behind Carroll Street, records state. About seven minutes later, Ross returned driving the Acura and removed the jacket from the garbage can, documents allege. As he got back into the car, several items fell from the jacket's pocket onto the ground. Police later determined those items included Ross' credit card and a fuel card issued to Ross by his and Thomas' employer, records state. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BAGHDAD, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Two Katyusha rockets hit an air base housing U.S. military experts and agencies in Iraq's western province of Anbar on Saturday, the Iraqi military said. The two rockets landed in the evening in the Ayn al-Asad AirBase near the town of al-Baghdadi, some 190 km northwest of the capital Baghdad, causing no casualties, the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement. The rocket attack came, although Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had confirmed on Dec. 29, 2021 the end of the combat mission of the U.S.-led coalition forces in the country. Ahmed al-Dulaimi, a colonel from Anbar Operations Command, told Xinhua that the Iraqi forces found two rocket launchers several km from the air base and the incident is under investigation. Also on Saturday, an Iraqi soldier was killed and another injured in a roadside bomb explosion near their vehicle on the highway near Trebil Border Crossing with Jordan, al-Dulaimi said. In the eastern province of Diyala, six mortar rounds hit a village at 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT), wounding a woman and causing damage to several houses and civilian cars, according to a statement from Diyala Operations Command. Over the past few months, Iraqi security forces have carried out deadly attacks against the extremist militants to crack down on their intensified activities. The security situation in Iraq has improved after Iraqi forces defeated the Islamic State (IS) militant group in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. COLUMBIA -- On Oct. 27, 2021, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) announced a partnership with CompTIA, one of the nations leading information technology associations. The contract enables South Carolina businesses staff training and certification to enhance IT proficiency at no cost. This training is offered through the CompTIA Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) Scholarship Program that helps businesses reskill and upskill employees, improve cybersecurity and data protection, and address their individual tech talent needs. We are proud to share that over 100 businesses have already applied for the CompTIA IWT Scholarship Program, DEW Executive Director Dan Ellzey said. While this is terrific news, we know that more businesses should participate to receive the benefits from sending their workers to the free training. Businesses with two or more employees and are current on their state taxes are strongly encouraged to apply. As the first cohort of participants graduate and their employers complete evaluation surveys, 100% of the responding businesses indicated they would refer the program to other businesses. Moreover, all businesses who have already had employees complete CompTIA certification testing agree that their expected outcomes for participating in the program were met. The IWT Scholarship Program has provided our staff with valuable cybersecurity skills with the credentials to back it up, said David Viscusie, operations director and HIPAA chief security officer at Keystone Substance Abuse Services. Viscusies employee, Nelson Lane, became the first graduate of the scholarship program since the start of the partnership between DEW and CompTIA. We are very proud of Nelson for seizing this opportunity and passing his CompTIA Security+ exam on the first try. Our mentor for this course was amazing! Keystone takes the security and confidentiality of our data very seriously, and we are grateful for this opportunity DEW has provided us with, Viscusie said. It has been a privilege to participate in the CompTIA Security+ program, said Nelson Lane, IT assistant at Keystone Substance Abuse Services. My success and graduation would not have been possible without the support of my employer, Keystone Substance Abuse Services, and it is an honor to be able to apply the skills acquired in the protection of their clients health records. I would like to thank DEW for the scholarship and opportunity to further my skillset and career. We want employers to know that this scholarship can benefit companies in any industry and the current makeup of our participants range everywhere from healthcare to manufacturing, Ellzey said. There are businesses who can benefit from the program by improving their staffs current knowledge of wide-ranging IT functions. There are other businesses who can benefit from the program by introducing employees with little to no IT skills to the basics of IT. This program is universally advantageous no matter a companys baseline IT aptitude. This program is helping scores of individuals unlock their potential, build their confidence and thrive in tech jobs that offer long-term opportunities for advancement and growth, said Mark Plunkett, vice president for education services and business development at the CompTIA Tech Career Academy. Just as important, were helping South Carolina employers find and retain tech workers with the skillsets that enable them to be at the forefront of innovation. South Carolina is projected to see a tech employment increase of 2.9% this year, which is the fifth highest percentage in the country and may result in the creation of approximately 2,400 new jobs in the state, according to CompTIAs recently published State of the Tech Workforce Report. South Carolina businesses that participate in the scholarship program can choose between CompTIA A+ and Security+ certification options. The 16-week A+ training program provides workers with the fundamentals of computer hardware and software, as well as the skills needed for positions such as Data Support Technicians, Help Desk Technicians, Desktop Support Administrators, and Technical Support Specialists. The 8-week Security+ training program provides workers with an understanding of network security, identifying and mitigating security threats, and the skills needed for positions such as System Administrators and Security Administrators. Registration is currently open for the next phase of candidates to participate in the CompTIA IWT scholarship program. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BAMBERG Senior citizens aged 60 years and up from Bamberg County recently completed a three-session digital inclusion learning program conducted by Palmetto Care Connections (PCC), a statewide, non-profit telehealth organization. The program was part of a $35,000 grant program funded by Spectrum to help seniors who live in rural communities with digital training and a Chromebook at no cost as well as assistance with affordable internet service. We applaud Palmetto Care Connections for their broadband education initiatives and for helping us support efforts that promote digital literacy in rural South Carolina counties, said Rahman Khan, vice president of community impact for Charter Communications Inc., which operates the Spectrum brand of broadband connectivity products. Through this partnership with Palmetto Care Connections, the Spectrum Digital Education program is able to bring essential resources to those in need, and we look forward to continuing to work with them on this transformative project. Palmetto Care Connections was honored to receive this Spectrum Digital Education Grant to help close the digital divide for senior citizens, especially during times like these, as we work to reduce social isolation and when the need for virtual access to health care providers is so great, said Kathy Schwarting, Palmetto Care Connections chief executive officer. With Spectrums assistance, PCC is providing hands-on digital training for 100 seniors who live in Bamberg, Oconee, Pickens, Marion and Dillon counties. Over the course of three, two-hour classes, participants learn how to send and receive photos and emails, safely search the internet for health information, connect with family and friends using a virtual face-to-face app, play mind-expanding games and connect with their doctor for virtual telehealth appointments. I think this training is wonderful for someone my age. I will definitely use telehealth. It will save gas, time and I can speak from the house thats exciting! It will be a joy the first time I see my doctor with telehealth, said participant Marie Stephens. This is very good information. I am a disabled veteran. This is one of the best things you could have brought to seniors and those with disabilities like me. I have a phone, but I can see and hear so much better with this computer, said participant Detra Bruce. COVID-19 has created an explosion in telehealth services and uncovered a tremendous need for internet access and digital inclusion in rural areas, said Schwarting. As PCC surveyed rural health care providers, we confirmed that many of the seniors they serve have difficulty using and understanding technology, and many do not have internet access at home. The goal is to connect seniors not only to telehealth, but also to a variety of quality-of-life resources, to combat the social isolation that many seniors have faced during the pandemic. I have learned theres a whole world to explore. I will enjoy using Zoom with my children, grands and great-grands, playing games and finding recipes. I have questions for my doctor. When the doctors office calls and wants information, now I can fill it out on the Chromebook. I plan to wear it out, said participant Lubertha Brabham. I have really enjoyed this. I have learned about email and about how to talk to my doctor without going into the office. I can use Zoom with my church, and I can use the internet to order clothes and things for the house. This has been very educational, said participant Samella Porter. I will definitely use Zoom to connect with my son and my grands. I will play games like Solitaire and search the internet. Im not scared to mess with the computer you have to use it to learn! No dust will get on my Chromebook, said participant Edith Myrick. We are grateful to our partners, Bamberg County Library for providing a wonderful training space and Bamberg County Office on Aging for assisting with identifying eligible seniors for this program, said Schwarting. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Orangeburg County is developing an industrial waste pretreatment program designed to meet the latest federal standards. County Council recently gave unanimous first reading by title only to its new policy. When you have industrial waste, it requires pretreatment, Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young said. This is a policy to make sure we have documentation to make sure we follow the EPA regulations, he said. He said the ordinance is just a new process that the EPA requires for compliance. Some industrial prospects the county is pursuing require pretreatment of their waste, Young said. We want to make sure we have proper documents to accept that if it comes about, he said. The county's current wastewater system customers are not industrial users and do not require pretreatment. In other business: Council gave unanimous first reading approval to tax incentives for Premium Peanut, including a 30-year fee-in-lieu of taxes agreement and the placement of the project in a multi-county business park with Dorchester County. Premium Peanut announced plans to invest $64.3 million and create 130 new jobs in a peanut shelling plant. The company will locate in the S.C. Gateway Park in Santee. Premium Peanut plans to break ground on about 42.34 acres in late spring 2022. Council gave third and final reading to the sale of the Way Building on Memorial Plaza to Claflin University. The university plans to turn the building into the Claflin University Downtown Community Center. The university has received $3 million in federal funds to improve the building. Council gave third and final reading to the placement of Italian fabric maker Pratrivero USA Inc. into a joint county industrial park. The company also received a fee-in-lieu of taxes incentive and special source revenue credit. Both are designed to reduce property taxes the industry will have to pay. Pratrivero announced last month it is planning to invest $17.6 million and create 34 new jobs in the former Mayer Industries building at 3777 Industrial Boulevard. Operations are expected to be online in September 2022. Council gave third and final reading to the placement of Tri-County Electric Cooperative's $10 million to $12 million broadband expansion project within a joint county industrial park with Calhoun County. Council gave third and final reading to rezoning a .63-acre piece of property at 203 Third Street in Eutawville from residential-general to a rural community district to allow a second manufactured, doublewide home on the property. Council gave second reading to changes to the animal control ordinance. The amendment is designed to help the county establish a trap, neuter and release program for feral cats. Greenville and Charleston counties have similar programs. Council gave second reading to changes to the countys solid waste ordinance. The amendment will make it easier to prosecute matters related to animal and litter control, the county's attorney said. Council gave second reading to incentives for DP World Americas designed to help it develop parcels for future buildings. DP World Americas plans to develop speculative buildings at its 1,322-acre South Carolina Gateway" Industrial Park in Santee. Council agreed to place the project in a multi-county industrial/business park with Dorchester County. The multi-county park is an incentive mechanism designed to encourage economic development. Council read a resolution recognizing April as Fair Housing month. Council congratulated James Rickenbacker for being sworn in as an Orangeburg County magistrate. County administration thanked the City of Orangeburg for allowing the county to use the Stevenson Auditorium for circuit court jury selection during the coronavirus. Council went into closed session to discuss contractual matters related to the Orangeburg County sheriff. There was no discussion or vote on the matter. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Cecil Adams still finds it hard to talk about his experience in the Vietnam War, particularly the friends he served with that didnt come back from their mission. A brotherhood had been formed while performing what he considered a duty to his country, but his nightmares and aversion to loud noises and large crowds were among the residual effects of his year-long stay in the Southeast Asian country. I was lucky A lot of my friends out there wasnt lucky, and they didnt make it back. Some were wounded, but I came through without being wounded or hurt. I got a little shrapnel, but it wasnt that much, the North resident said. By the time he left Vietnam in 1970, he said there were some memories that would always stay with him. The Vietnam War pitted communist North Vietnam and the Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the United States. The war ended when U.S. forces withdrew in 1973 and Vietnam unified under Communist control two years later. I think the conditions were a little bit better, but any time youre in the field and you get fired on and shot at, its not good any time. I just thank the good Lord I made it back, Adams said. The Vietnam veteran was one of 14 children born to Norway couple Bailey and Bertie Lee Adams. He grew up on a farm with his siblings and recalled the experience of being drafted into the United States Army in 1969. Most of my brothers served in the military. I got drafted in 1969. It was quite an experience just being away from home, and then learning about new things and other people, Adams said. Some of those new things included living with a couple hundred more men and learning how to get along and depending on others to do their job while you do yours, he said. He laughed when he recalled his sergeant not believing he was from Norway after initially mistaking the Orangeburg County town for the European country. The sergeant went and asked me where I was from, and I went, Im from Norway, he said, noting that the sergeant asked him the question again. I said, Norway and I wouldnt tell him it was South Carolina. He thought I was talking about the country, but he was always getting on me about that. I said, Its down next to Denmark, Finland and Sweden, Adams said, referring to the neighboring towns which also had the names of European countries. Adams received basic training as a private at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and his Advanced Individual Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He said he had a pretty good idea he was headed to Vietnam. I went through my combat training at Fort Polk. Back then they called that the little Vietnam. So everybody that went there, most of them went to Vietnam. They taught you basic infantry training and what to look forward to and what not to do. When I got into Vietnam, they told you to listen for the sound of mortars, be on the lookout for different stuff, Adams said. He continued, When I got to Vietnam, I was put in the First Infantry Division, and the company was the 26th Infantry. After seven months, I went to the 101st (Airborne) Division and got put in recon (reconnaissance). Adams started out as an ammo bearer while in the 1st Infantry Division. When his crews gunner was killed, he was promoted to that position. I was located mostly around the center of the country. Then after seven months, the First Division pulled out. At that time, I thought I was going to come home early, said Adams, who instead was placed with the 101st Airbornes reconnaissance unit. Youre going out in the field to looks for signs of the enemy. You got small teams, and we worked in six-man teams. Youd go out and look for signs at a certain location and report back and then theyll send out a company-wide force to investigate. A lot of times youd come under fire from the enemy. I was lucky, he said. Adams recalled the experience of staying on guard, including having to sometimes sleep in his helmet. When I first got there, you had to learn sleeping in the rain. ... I learned right quick to learn how to sleep sitting up. You was always anxious, but you learned how to sleep in the rain. With monsoons and stuff, it rained every day, he said, noting that he also had to be on the lookout for snakes and red ants. What I didnt like was the red ants. ... In the morning, youd wake up and theyd be ants all around you. Theyd be building mounds and stuff, Adams said. He was not prepared to share any specific stories of heroism or bravery during Vietnam. It was too hard for him, especially when he recalled the times he and his fellow soldiers would come under enemy fire. Youd be walking in line. They open fire, and you see the next guy to you go down. Its just like seeing a brother go down, Adams said. Everybody had a job to do Adams said he learned teamwork and patience while in the military. Everybody had a job to do. I tried to do mine as best as I could, he said, including with an M60 machine gun, which he said was a formidable weapon against the enemy. He recalled the Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord, which was a 23-day battle between elements of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and two reinforced divisions of the Peoples Army of Vietnam, or PAVN. It was the last major confrontation between the U.S. ground forces and the PAVN during the Vietnam War. We did have a firebase Ripcord that got overrun. We did a lot of recon around it, and then it got hit and stuff. ... We defended that area, which was right over the A Shau Valley, Adams said. He was ranked as a sergeant E-5 upon leaving Vietnam in 1970 and said the experience changed him. While he has some hearing loss, I know it made me a better person. I had more patience, said Adams, who also learned the value of teamwork. Doing my part and letting other people do their part, working as a team. You felt safe inside the firebases and stuff, but you knew outside that gate would be danger, he said. Faith also sustained Adams during his war experience. It was very important. Most of the time before you went out on a mission or something, the chaplain would have a service for the ones who wanted to be there. That was very important in getting close to the Lord, he said, noting that his faith was built up from the time he was a child. Every Sunday, my mama and daddy made sure I was in church. I kind of drifted a little bit after I came home, but Im happy to say Im back in church now thanks to my wife and children, Adams said. He most enjoyed making new friends during his military experience, but what he liked the least was having to lose some of them. "There was another guy from Norway. He was in the First Infantry Division, too. He talked kind of funny. I knew he was in Vietnam, but I didn't know exactly where. We came in off a mission off the helicopters and (while) going into the firebase, I heard a voice. I said, 'I know that voice, Adams said. I turned around and sure enough it was my friend from Norway. I was glad to see him. ... I still see him every now and then today. We talk about it a little bit, he said, noting that nightmares and other residual effects of war still haunted him upon his return home. I suffered bad dreams and stuff like that. Still yet today I dont like people coming up behind me and being around loud noises. I dont like to be around a large crowd, Adams said. He said he would do it all over again, though, if he had to. We got to defend our country. I feel like if we hadnt went over there, communism would be more so in this country today. You see it now in Ukraine and what the people over there is having to put up with. Its just unbelievable. You dont want your country in that shape that theyre in right now, Adams said. Anti-war protests did not make him feel good upon his return from Vietnam, he said. I didnt like the way I was treated. I could have been treated better. Being in a small town, thats a little different, too. It wasnt like in Orangeburg. You didnt see that much protesting against the war. Now when I got back to the state of Washington when I came back from Vietnam, I seen a little bit on the streets down there and stuff. ... It didnt make me feel good, Adams said. Ive come a long way Adams went to work upon coming back from Vietnam and eventually enrolled at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College to study industrial management. It took me a little while to adjust, naturally. I went to work. First I was doing carpenter work, and then I worked putting in burglar alarms. Then from there, I went and started Tech, said Adams, who eventually moved into work as an electrical contractor, which is what he worked as for more than 30 years before retiring. He and his loving wife of 50 years, Linda, are the parents of two daughters, Wendy and Carmen, and the grandparents of four. Adams feels his life has come full circle. I think so. Ive come a long way in life, I believe, from where I started. I come from a good family, and I think I got a good family now. My brothers and sisters, were all close, he said. Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD Love 13 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Dogs and puppies King, a 1-year-old black male Boxer-mix, needs the warm embrace of safety with you (case 0328). Cyndi Lou, a 3-year-old black-and-white female Lab-mix, is no Grinch to be around (case 0361). Ollie, a 1-year-old spotted white-and-black male Lab-mix, will only have eyes for you (case 0542). Nosey, 2-year-old tan female Shepherd-mix, needs someone to love just as much as she does (case 0001). Bandi, a 4-5 year-old white female Lab-mix, needs love she has never been shown (case 0051). Petunia, a 2-3 year-old brindle female Boxer-mix, will cuddle with you all day long (case 0137). Diesel, a 14-month-old black male Boston Terrier-mix, is that fire you need in life (case 0242). Rusty, a 9-month-old black-and-brown male Huskey/Rottweiler-mix, will make you feel brand new (case 0274). Rex, a 1-year-old brindle male Boxer-mix, is more than the average mans best friend (case 0261). Timmy, a 1-year-old tan male Mountain Curr-mix, needs someone to show him a loving touch (case 0159). Starlight, a 3-year-old gray female Lab/Boxer mix, will give you all of her love (case 0422). Sampson, a 2-year-old black male Boston Terrier-mix, is searching for his Delilah (case 0034). Dick, a 5-month-old gray brindle male Pointer-mix, wants a Batman for his Robin (case 0281). Smoke, a 11-month-old brindle male Boston Terrier-mix, will light a fire in your heart (case 0023). Max, a 7-month-old white-and-orange male Lab-mix, is the best track partner (case 0020). Bruce, a 16-month-old black male Lab, will always be there to save the day (case 0028). Sawyer, a 2-year-old white-and-orange male Lab-mix, needs a good country girl in his life (case 0026). Rambo, an 18-month-old white-and-black male Lab-mix, will go on any adventure with you (case 0014). Pugsley, a 5-month-old black male Boston Terrier-mix, needs your love to make sense of his life (case 0033). Lovegood, a 5-month-old black-and-white female Lab-mix, will catapult straight to your heart. Archer, a 4-year-old tan-and-white male Lab/Pointer-mix, will always point his love in your direction (case 0022). Apollo, a 3-month-old tan male Lab-mix, is like music to your ears (case 0036). Albert, a 1-year-old tan male Lab/Boxer-mix, will love you more than himself (case 0045). Mercedes, a 3-month-old gray-and-tan female Lab/Shepherd-mix, will make you feel like a million dollars (case 0039). Glimmer, a 4-month-old black female Boxer/Lab-mix, will bring sparkle into your life (case 0048). Shera, a 4-month-old red female Boxer/Lab-mix, will rescue you (case 0047). Beau, a 4-month-old white male Boxer/Lab mix, will mend any broken heart (case 0046). Fred, a 5-year-old white-and-tan male Carolina-mix, is patiently waiting for his Wilma (case 0052). Nugget, a 3-year-old tri-color male Sheltie-mix, is the little joy you need in your life (case 0067). Henry, a 6-month-old chocolate male Lab, would go to the end of the Earth for you (case 0068). Cats and kittens Penelope, 2-year-old tabby female, will turn your sour in to sweet (case 0331). June, an 18-month-old black female Bombay-mix, who makes it feel like summer all year long (case 0178). Dotty, a 2-year-old tabby female DSH, will make your heart skip a beat (case 0548). Freda, an 11-year-old tri-color female calico, knows cuddles are the best medicine (case 0075). Missy, a 7-month-old female tortoise shell, who needs someone classy in her life (case 0229). Haley, an 11-month-old female tortoise shell, is out of this world fun (case 0218). Cynthia, a 1-year-old female diluted calico, is the best couch surfer (case 0132). Sunshine, an 18-month-old orange-and-white female tabby DSH, will show brighten your day (case 0185). Meow, an 11-month-old female tortoise shell, knows purrs are the way to your heart (case 0260). Gomez, a 6-month-old black male DSH, needs a Morticia in his life (case 0031). Mingo, a 2-year-old grey tabby male Persian-mix, is the handsome gentleman youve been searching for (case 0029). The Orangeburg SPCA will be limiting the number of people inside its facility at this time. Hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays. The SPCA is located at 225 Ruf Road and the phone number is 803-536-3918. Check out available adoptions on the internet at orangeburgspca.petfinder.com, the interactive website at www.OrangeburgSPCA.org and Facebook page at Orangeburg SPCA. Email any questions to adopt@orangeburgspca.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The U.S. Supreme Courts first major ruling on the meaning of the First Amendments Establishment Clause was in Everson v. Board of Education, in 1947, when it upheld a state law that provided busing of students to parochial schools. The Courts entry into this constitutional maze foreshadowed the controversy that surrounds to this day governmental acts and programs that promote religion. At issue in Everson was a New Jersey statute that authorized local school boards to reimburse parents, including those whose children attended Catholic parochial schools, for the cost of bus transportation to and from school. Arch Everson, a local resident and taxpayer, contended this program violated the Establishment Clause, which provides: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. Justice Hugo Black delivered the Courts 5-4 opinion, which began with a review of the history of the Establishment Clause and the contributions to it of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Justice Black said of the meaning of the Clause: Neither a state nor the federal government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions or prefer one religion over another. No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions, whatever they may be called, or whatever form they may adopt to teach and practice religion. And then, in words familiar to Americans across the land, Black added: In the words of Jefferson, the clause against the establishment of religion by law was intended to erect a wall of separation between church and State. Justice Blacks review of the background to the Establishment Clause emphasized that American settlers believed that religious liberty could best be achieved by a government stripped of all power to tax, support, or otherwise assist religion. For this conclusion, he relied on the writings, teachings and efforts of Jefferson and Madison who, in 1785-1786, led a successful fight against a tax to support Virginias established church. Madisons famous essay, Memorial and Remonstrance, written in 1785, championed a complete separation of church and state, which he believed was the only guarantee of the equal right of every citizen to the free exercise of religious liberty. Madison, who was the principal author of the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights, conceived of religious freedom as an unalienable right to be exercised solely on a voluntary basis. Religion, he asserted, should be exempt from the power of society, the legislature and the magistrate. A true religion, he contended, did not need the support of state tax dollars. Its standing hinged on the support of its faithful. Madisons elaborate argument led to the rejection of the tax measure and to the enactment of Jeffersons famous Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom. Justice Blacks historical review of the origins of the Establishment Clause seemed to point the way to a ruling that would declare the New Jersey law unconstitutional. To the surprise of his colleagues, however, he pivoted and upheld the law on grounds that the state assistance was a public safety measure enacted to protect students and not to be interpreted as aid to church-related schools. Black introduced the Neutral Benefit principle and explained that the Establishment Clause requires the state to be neutral in its relations with believers and non-believers alike. The state, he said, should neither favor nor handicap religion. The state should not be an adversary of religion. The busing program, he asserted, provided no funds to parochial schools, but simply sought to assist parents in getting their children to school safely. Drawing on Jeffersons words, Black concluded that there was no violation of the Establishment Clause. The First Amendment has erected a wall between church and state. The wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach. Four Justices dissented. They shared Blacks analysis of the historical origins of the Establishment Clause yet believed he had erred in applying that history to the case at hand. In short, they thought he had missed the point. Justice Robert Jackson wrote a dissent in which he declared that the undertones of Blacks opinion were at odds, indeed, utterly discordant with its conclusion. The case which irresistibly comes to mind as the most fitting precedent, he wrote, was Lord Byrons epic poem, Don Juan, in which Julia, who whispering I will neer consent, consented. Justice Wiley Rutledges dissent characterized Everson as the Courts first breach in the wall of separation between church and state and forecast a future in which additional breaches would occur: Thus with time the most solid freedom steadily gives way before continuing corrosive decision. Whether subsequent church-state cases would constitute a breach of the wall would be the subject of considerable, often heated debate. Yet, as we shall see, the high, erect wall envisioned by Jefferson and Madison, has become, through the Courts interpretations, a winding, serpentine wall, leaving citizens in a state of confusion about the legal line separating church and state. David Adler, PHD, is a noted author who lectures nationally and internationally on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Presidential power. His scholarly writings have been cited by the US Supreme Court and lower courts by both Democrats and Republicans in the US Congress. Adlers column is supported in part through a grant from Wyoming Humanities funded by the Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Adler can be reached at david.adler@alturasinstitute.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 There are two reasons why consumers experience a power outage. The first is obvious: a storm comes along and knocks down trees and power lines. Thats what typically happens. But theres now a second reason for power outages in the United States there simply isnt enough electricity to go around. Power generation in the United States has always been an extremely dependable commodity. But recently, theres been a startling decline and both Texas and California have offered previews of this worrying trend. In February 2021, portions of Texass natural gas infrastructure and wind turbines froze, leaving utilities without sufficient fuel and generating capacity to meet demand. The ensuing blackouts claimed more than 200 lives. In California, the challenge over the past two years has been rolling power outages. Its an increasingly regular occurrence on hot days. Power grid regulators have been warning that Californias and Texas troubles are only a preview of a brewing national grid-reliability crisis. It appears theyre right. Mismanagement of Americas transition to renewable energy is leaving entire regions of the country short of on-demand power generating capacity when its needed most. Recently, the grid operator for 15 U.S. states, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), announced some startling news. In an April power capacity auction which serves as the annual marketplace to ensure sufficient generating capacity during peak needs prices jumped nearly 50-fold. Why this stunning increase? MISO President Clair Moeller explained that some utilities simply dont have sufficient generation to cover their load plus their required reserves. That has left them scrambling to obtain back-up power at nearly any cost. Moeller cautions that these states could see an increased risk of temporary, controlled outages to maintain system reliability. In other words, get ready for blackouts. In recent years, Americas electricity supply has endured what one industry analyst described as a slew of coal and nuclear retirements. That has translated to the loss of a large chunk of reliable electricity production across the nation. Wind and solar power are currently being added to regional grids. But they only provide power when the weather cooperates. Adding this renewable capacity looks good on paper. But reliable, on-demand capacity from coal and nuclear is being eroded at the same time. During peak demand on a bitter cold, windless day or on a scorching summer night there may not be enough power to go around. This is a situation poised to go from bad to worse. Utilities are now begging for reliable power generation. But Americas coal plants are being pushed into early retirement by regulatory pressures. That means environmental regulation is out-of-sync with the alarming facts on the ground. Any transition to renewable energy must be managed in ways that dont impose soaring costs on consumers or sacrifice reliable power delivery. Natural gas prices have doubled in the past year, and the challenge of matching power supply with the limits of renewable energy remains an ongoing challenge. We need to rethink the role existing coal plants can play in getting us to our energy future. Instead of dismantling our existing generating capacity, lets build on its shoulders. Rolling blackouts or complete grid failures due to faulty planning are unacceptable. Its past time for a responsible energy policy, not a reliability crisis. Terry Jarrett is an energy attorney and consultant who has served on both the board of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the Missouri Public Service Commission. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The two separate cases of teenaged girls who went missing last week and were found in shacks PHOENIX A judge on Friday threw out a lawsuit by three current and former lawmakers claiming that former state Rep. Charlene Fernandez, D-Yuma, smeared their names. Yuma County Superior Court Judge Pro-Tem Levi Gunderson said Fernandez had an absolute First Amendment right to send a letter to federal law enforcement officials asking them to investigate the activities of state Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley; now former state Rep. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale; and Republican Congressman Paul Gosar in connection with the events around the Jan. 6 riot and breach of the U.S. Capitol. In the six-page ruling, Gunderson acknowledged that the right of free speech is not an absolute defense against charges of defamation, particularly when it involves private matters. But when speech involves a matter of public concern, the balance changes significantly, he wrote. The storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is a matter of great public concern. At issue is a Jan. 12, 2021, letter that was signed by 41 other Democratic state lawmakers to the FBI and the Department of Justice asking that they investigate the trio, all of whom were in Washington for the event. The letter said Finchem and Kern, who went to Washington, actively encourage the mob, both before and during the attack on the Capitol. And it claimed that the pair sought to conceal the consequences of their conduct by falsely blaming antifa. It also raised issues about Gosar and fellow Congressman Andy Biggs. That was based on a claim by Ali Alexander, who organized the Stop the Steal movement, that he worked with them and Alabama Congressman Mo Brook on the plan for the Jan. 6 demonstration that coincided with the counting of the electoral votes by Congress. We four schemed up of putting maximum pressure on Congress while they were voting, Alexander said in a now-deleted video on Periscope. There was no evidence that either Finchem or Kern were involved in trespassing at the Capitol. And both Biggs and Gosar were inside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 session. While all Democratic state lawmakers signed the letter, the lawsuit was filed only against Fernandez. In filing suit, Kern and Finchem and later Gosar contended that Fernandez knew the allegations they had helped stir up protesters were false or that she made them in reckless disregard of their truth or falsity. That is a critical point as the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that public figures cannot sue over simple negligence or even false statements. Instead, they have to show actual malice. In this case, they said that Fernandez falsely accused them of being involved in, or in aiding and abetting, the crimes of terrorism, insurrection, treason and sedition, or at least having conspired to commit them. Such crimes are punishable by death, they noted. Gunderson, however, said Fernandez, who has since resigned from the Legislature to take a job in the Biden administration, did nothing wrong. The Jan. 12th letter goes to the heart of free speech and the right to petition the government in connection with matters of great public concern, he wrote. Defendant had the right to express her concerns, both as an individual and as a state legislator, Gunderson said. Defendant had the right to petition the government, just as her constituents has the right to petition her. And the judge said that the letter falls well within First Amendment protections for political speech. Alexander Kolodin, who represented the plaintiffs, said he wanted to review the ruling before commenting. On Twitter: @azcapmedia Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. The Arizona Department of Safety has identified the three people who died in a crash on Interstate 10 near Eloy last week. Alexis Miguel Fuentes De La Cruz, 22; Omar Ortiz-Ramirez, 36; and Raul Carranza-Alonso, 39, were identified as the victims in the crash. All three were Mexican nationals, DPS said. On April 21 at 8:38 a.m., a state trooper attempted to stop Kevin Avila, 18, who was driving a Toyota SUV recklessly on westbound I-10, DPS said. Avila failed to yield and entered the dirt median, rolling over into the eastbound traffic lanes and colliding with a tractor-trailer. A box truck traveling eastbound also sustained damage in the crash. There were nine occupants in the SUV, DPS said. Five of them were airlifted to hospitals in the Phoenix and Tucson area. Two of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene and the third died at the hospital. Four victims have since been treated and released from the hospital, DPS said. The tractor-trailer driver and the box truck driver sustained minor injuries and were also treated and released. Avila was booked into the Pinal County Jail and charged on suspicion of first-degree homicide, endangerment and aggravated assault. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. A Tucson couple was sentenced to prison on Friday after they pled guilty to killing a 72-year-old veteran in 2019. On Friday, Blane Barksdale was sentenced to 22 years in prison and Susan Barksdale was sentenced to five years in prison for their roles in the murder of Frank Bligh, Tucson police said. On April 16, 2019, police and Tucson Fire responded to an explosion and house fire at a residence in an east-side neighborhood. Bligh, a retired resident and military veteran, was identified as the homeowner, but his remains were not found in the home, police said. One of his vehicles was also determined to be missing from the garage. The next day, Pima County Sheriff deputies found Blighs vehicle abandoned on South Wilmot Road, police said. Detectives examined the vehicle and determined that foul play was involved. A person of interest, Brent Mallard, 30, was found in Maricopa County and interviewed on April 24, 2019. Detectives arrested him on suspicion of arson, second-degree burglary and felony criminal damage for his suspected involvement, police said. In May 2019, police identified both Barksdales as suspects and issued a warrant for their arrest. U.S. Marshals and the Monroe County Sheriffs Department later found and arrested the couple in Henrietta, New York. While being extradited back to Arizona, Blane and Susan Barksdale escaped custody in Blanding, Utah, but were eventually found by U.S. Marshals outside a home in Gila County, Arizona, police said Both suspects were arraigned in September 2019, police said. Susan Barksdale pled guilty to one count of manslaughter in November 2021 and Blane pled guilty to one count of second-degree murder in December 2021. Earlier this year, on Jan. 4, Blighs remains were discovered in a remote wash in Gila County. Police said Blighs family expressed appreciation to TPD, the Pima County Attorneys Office and the other agencies who helped find Bligh so that he can receive a proper burial and be put to rest. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. If youve been driving in Tucson for a while, you know that moment of uncertainty when a red light turns green. Should I go yet, you ask yourself, or will that get me killed by a red-light runner? You crane your neck to be sure the approaching vehicles have stopped. Its not an abstract concern, and the stakes are even higher for pedestrians and cyclists. So far this year there have been 35 traffic fatalities in the city, 18 of those pedestrians. That puts us on pace for a grim 105 traffic deaths this year, the citys highest toll. Eighty-six people died on Tucson roads last year. Traffic deaths and collisions are a surging problem nationally, and weve been trying to deal with it here locally. But the problem keeps speeding ahead of our efforts to catch it. The city approved a five-year traffic-safety plan in 2018, a year when there were 69 traffic fatalities, a number then considered alarmingly high. Last year, the new Tucson police chief, Chad Kasmar, dedicated more officers to traffic enforcement, even as the total number of officers continues to drop. This years Proposition 411, the citys transportation initiative, would put somewhere around $150 million into traffic-safety improvements over 10 years. And this Tuesday, Mayor Regina Romero is proposing that the city become a member of the Vision Zero Network, which imagines reducing traffic deaths to zero by redesigning streets and traffic flow in such a way that mistakes dont lead to deaths. This would formalize an approach the city has already started pursuing. Even with all these efforts and plans, though, we are missing one tool that has helped here and in other cities. In 2015, Tucson voters overwhelmingly outlawed red-light cameras and photo enforcement of speeding laws. It was an understandable decision at the time, but its regrettable now. The way our red-light cameras worked was unfair, and the City Council had not fixed the problems. There were too many borderline cases due to the definition of where the intersection begins, and how much time the cameras allowed before issuing a ticket. The fines were also too big, hurting people and giving the impression it was a big money-making scheme. These days, though, it makes no sense that we dont have this tool. Tucsons system started in 2007 when there were at least 200 more Tucson police officers than the approximately 750 there are now. It zeroed in on eight intersections with lots of collisions. Over the eight years of the program, collisions dropped at those intersections. While there were problems with the program, they are not inherent in the technology. And the technology promises more consistent, broader enforcement than our dwindling police force can provide. Faced with a similar backlash against photo enforcement in Illinois, the Chicago-based Active Transportation Alliance presented 10 steps for reform, rather than removing the cameras. Among them: Target the most dangerous violations, such as blowing straight through red lights. Dont create bad incentives for the vendor by paying them by the number of tickets issued. Allow for due process by having an easily accessible process for contesting tickets. Develop sliding-scale fines and alternatives to payment, such as traffic school, for low-income drivers It wouldnt be worth this bother, but crashes decrease in cities with red-light cameras, and they increase after those cameras have been turned off, as national studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have shown. The result when cameras go away is more deaths in crashes, the institutes research shows, as weve seen in Tucson. Deaths like that of 8-year-old Yarel Ruiz, who would have turned 9 on Friday. She was a passenger in a car driven by her mother June 1 last year at the intersection of Grande Avenue and West Congress Street. When the light turned green that night, her mother drove into the intersection, and the car was struck by a speeding red-light runner, killing her and injuring her sister and mother. Red-light cameras may not have prevented that particular crash. The driver was impaired and flying down the road for blocks, Yarels father, Yarko Ruiz, told me. But red-light cameras tend to have an influence all around the cities where they are in operation. Of course, there is no great appetite on the Tucson City Council to revisit this issue. When I asked Romeros spokesman about it, he said her focus is on passing Proposition 411. Council members Paul Cunningham and Steve Kozachik responded with varying degrees of skepticism about trying to reintroduce the traffic cameras. It would require a citizens initiative or ballot referral by the council to overturn the initiative passed in 2015. I wasnt a fan of that program, but my perspective has bias as I got three of them, Cunningham said by text, noting the camera citations hed received. The program felt like a money grab. But he said he would be open to reconsidering if the programs previous problems could be fixed. Kozachik recalled that Tucson voters were decidedly against the cameras. Still, he noted, lines could be painted to show drivers where intersections legally begin, the system could be set to allow drivers a tad bit more time to get into the intersection without being cited, and fines could be set at a low enough level not to be excessive. Council member Lane Santa Cruz, in whose ward that tragic crash occurred last year, texted me about the broader problem. I have an issue overall with the toxic car-centric culture in Tucson, she said, adding that we need a comprehensive approach. Vision Zero can be a start, but we have decades of bad behavior to unlearn. People in cars oftentimes forget that the thousand-plus ton machine they are operating can be a weapon on our public roadways. Red-light and speed cameras are just a tool in this broader effort, of course. But as the casualties mount and the police force diminishes, its a tool we cant afford to leave unused. Unless were content to accept more tragic losses like that of 8-year-old Yarel. Contact columnist Tim Steller at tsteller@tucson.com or 520-807-7789. On Twitter: @senyorreporter Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. With the first, fat drops of summer rain, the sun-bleached desert exhales a perfumed breath of pure relief. But where does the intoxicating scent of a monsoon storm actually come from? Theres a lot more to it than just wet earth and creosote bush. At least 60 different aromatic plants may contribute to what people think of as the smell of rain in the Sonoran Desert, according to a new paper by a trio of researchers led by renowned ethnobotanist and author Gary Paul Nabhan. Our analyses suggest that a suite of memorable fragrances are emitted from a diversity of desert plants in the Arizona Uplands just before or during the summer rains, the paper states. These may be likened to an orchestra of fragrances that are inhaled in concert to generate a sensory effect greater than the sum of its parts. The study represents the most comprehensive effort yet to identify the actual biochemical components of something that seems to stir a strong, sometimes spiritual response in desert dwellers. Even the scientific word for the earthy smell of rain on dry ground is tinged with reverence: Australian biochemist Richard Grenfell Thomas coined the term petrichor in 1964 by combining the ancient Greek words for stone and the ethereal fluid from the veins of the gods. Its easier to describe how it makes you feel, said study co-author Tammi Hartung, a Colorado-based herbalist and organic farmer with more than 40 years of experience working with plants. Its a peaceful smell. Its a smell thats invigorating. Its a smell that inspires you to have hope, especially for people who are in agriculture or horticulture in that part of the world. Feels so good Nabhan loves the smell so much he jokes about wanting to sprinkle the wet dirt on a sundae and eat it. Theres this feeling of elation and excitement and restfulness that hits with that storm front and that rain, he said. My whole body just feels so good. Its one of the most powerful feelings I feel all year. The new paper represents a return to familiar territory for Nabhan, who borrowed a phrase from a Tohono OOdham boy for the title of his first book: The Desert Smells Like Rain. Forty years later, Nabhan is back to find out why. I feel so hilariously geeky to be doing this, he said with a laugh. The researchers started by posing the question to about 50 of the Sonoran Deserts best botanists in Arizona and Mexico. Almost immediately, Nabhan knew they had struck a chord. Usually people are bored senseless by my emails, but within seconds people were just rolling in with their responses, he said. The resulting list of 68 aromatic plants includes several desert natives that produce the same compounds known as volatile oils used in therapeutic treatments along the Pacific Coast of Asia. According to the paper, dozens of scientific studies have documented real health benefits from simply walking along a wooded path and taking in the aromas of certain plants and living soils, a practice known in Japan as forest bathing. As Hartung put it: People do all kinds of things for their health. Sometimes all we need is to just be outside in nature and breathe that in. A complex smell Though more study is needed, the new paper suggests the volatile oils in some local desert plants could at least briefly help improve sleep patterns, stabilize emotional hormones, enhance digestion, heighten mental clarity and reduce depression or anxiety. In recent years, various groups have organized desert bathing walks at Saguaro National Park and elsewhere. This is more than wishful thinking, Nabhan said. As for the plants, Hartung said they depend on volatile oils for sunscreen and to help retain water, repel pests and attract wildlife necessary for pollination or seed dispersal. Its not for our benefit, its for the plants own survival, she said. The paper by Nabhan, Hartung and Eric Daugherty appears in the latest edition of Desert Plants, a 43-year-old journal published by the Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior. For a long time, Nabhan said, experts seemed to be split into two camps: those who credited creosote bushes alone for the smell of rain, and others who believed it wafted up from the dirt itself namely from biological soil crusts formed by highly specialized mosses, lichens and photosynthetic bacteria. He said creosote and soil are key ingredients to be sure, but the smell we associate with rain is far more complex than that. Hartung said her favorite notes from a Sonoran storm include the violet scent of desert willow, the sweetness of mesquite and the minty, floral aroma of verbena, which reminds her of something she would drink as tea or toss in a salad. Summer heat can intensify the smells, before the wind and rain comes along to disperse them like a blast from a can of aerosol. Nabhan said he worried that studying the phenomenon might take some of the wonder out of it. After all, desert rain is one of lifes simple pleasures, he said. We dont have to analyze it to enjoy it. Thankfully, Nabhan said, there is no one answer to the question of what makes the desert smell like rain, because no two monsoon events ever smell precisely the same. The scent varies subtly based on differences in plant communities, elevation, timing, soil composition and past weather. A downpour after extended drought might produce a different aroma than light rain in a wet year. Its not like weve solved anything. Were just pointing in the direction of more interesting research, Nabhan said. The mystery is not going to go away. Its bigger than all of us. Photos: Monsoon 2021 Rillito River after Tropical Storm Nora Storm Preparation Tropical storm Nora Storm Preparation Storm Preparation Storm Preparation Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon, 2021 Arizona Weather Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon lightning 2021 Monsoon lightning 2021 Monsoon lightning 2021 Monsoon lightning 2021 Monsoon lightning 2021 Monsoon lightning 2021 Monsoon lightning 2021 Monsoon, Sabino Creek Monsoon, Sabino Creek Monsoon, Sabino Creek Monsoon, Sabino Creek Monsoon, Sabino Creek Monsoon, Sabino Creek Monsoon, Sabino Creek Monsoon storm, July, 2021 Monsoon, Santa Cruz River Monsoon storm, July, 2021 Monsoon storm, July, 2021 Monsoon storm, July, 2021 Monsoon storm, July, 2021 Monsoon flooding, July 2021 Monsoon flooding, July 2021 Monsoon flooding, July 2021 Monsoon flooding, July 2021 Monsoon flooding, July 2021 Monsoon flooding, July 2021 Monsoon storm, July, 2021 Possible water rescue Possible water rescue Sandbag Sandbag Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon 2021, CDO Wash Monsoon 2021, CDO Wash Monsoon 2021, CDO Wash Monsoon 2021, CDO Wash Monsoon 2021, CDO Wash Monsoon 2021, CDO Wash Monsoon Monsoon, 2021 Monsoon, 2021 Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon, 2021 Monsoon, 2021 Monsoon, 2021 Monsoon, 2021 Monsoon, 2021 Monsoon 2021 Monsoon 2021 Monsoon 2021 Monsoon Monsoon Monsoon Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@tucson.com or 573-4283. On Twitter: @RefriedBrean New edition of monsoon classic The timing of this new monsoon analysis is no accident. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Gary Paul Nabhans acclaimed first book, The Desert Smells Like Rain: a Naturalist in O'Odham Country. The 1982 book is now considered a classic work of nature writing. On Aug. 30, the University of Arizona Press will publish a special 40th anniversary edition of the book, complete with a new introduction by Nabhan dedicated to the OOdham people who changed his life. Its a prayer of gratitude to them, he said. They taught me so much about how to live here. The book is now available for preorder on the UA Press website at https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/the-desert-smells-like-rain. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. ACCRA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Ghana will offer stronger and better protection for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), said an official late Friday. Yaw Afriyie, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC), made this pledge during discussions with economic, commercial, and trade counselors of diplomatic missions in Ghana on Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs). He said Ghana would continue to negotiate and ratify BITs with its partnering countries as a sign of its resolve to protect FDIs in the country, adding Ghana has ratified BITs with a total of seven countries including China, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Malaysia, Britain, and the Netherlands. He stressed that BITs were still relevant at country-to-country levels, enabling partners to agree to abide by international law and standards for expropriation and compensation, free transfer of funds related to investments, fair and equitable treatment, and most-favored-nation treatment. "We continue to negotiate new BITs with our key partners actively. And for the old generation BITs, we are committed to renegotiations towards making them compliant with best practices and our current investment regulatory framework," said Afriyie. Naa Lamle Orleans-Lindsay, head of the legal division of the GIPC, told Xinhua that since the BITs were bilateral in nature, the benefits were mutual for investors from both countries. "Ghanaians who seek to invest in our partner countries also enjoy reciprocal treatments from the host governments under the treaties," she explained. "The BITs are one of the important tools the government uses to improve the attractiveness of Ghana as an investment destination. So we go into the negotiations with countries, which have FDIs in Ghana, seeking to create an environment of protection and promotion of these Investments in the country," she added. The value of FDIs flown into the West African country decreased from 2.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2020 to 1.3 billion U.S. dollars last year, GIPC data showed. Ukrainians plead for Mariupol rescue; Russian advance crawls KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian forces are fighting village by village to hold back a Russian advance in their country's east, while the United Nations works to broker a civilian evacuation from the ruins of the city of Mariupol. Ukrainian officials have said that up to 1,000 civilians are living with soldiers beneath a sprawling steel plant that is the city's last defensive holdout. Russian state media report Saturday that 25 civilians have been evacuated from the plant, though U.N. and Ukrainian officials haven't confirmed that. Video from inside the Soviet-era Azovstal steelworks that two Ukrainian women shared with The Associated Press shows wounded men with stained bandages, open wounds and amputated limbs. Naomi Judd, of Grammy-winning duo The Judds, dies at 76 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Naomi Judd, the Kentucky-born singer of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died. She was 76. The daughters announced her death on Saturday in a statement provided to The Associated Press. The statement said that they lost their mother to the disease of mental illness. It did not elaborate further. The Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday. Led by Wynonna's powerful vocals and Naomi's harmonies, their hits included Love Can Build a Bridge," "Mama Hes Crazy," and Rockin With the Rhythm of the Rain." The mother-daughter performers scored 14 No. 1 songs in a career that spanned nearly three decades. Autopsy backlog plagues Mississippi, with worst delays in US JACKSON, Miss. (AP) An Associated Press analysis has found that Mississippi has long operated in violation of national standards for death investigations, accruing a severe backlog of autopsies and reports. Autopsies that should take days take weeks. Autopsy reports that should take months take a year or longer. Too few pathologists are doing too many autopsies. Some cases are transferred hundreds of miles to neighboring states for reports without their familys knowledge. Records sent to AP in April show the office was waiting for about 1,300 reports from as far back as 2011. That leaves criminal cases incomplete. The public safety commissioner hired in 2020 is working to whittle down the backlog and says it's his top priority. Biden order to boost mining may not have quick payoff WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is turning to a Cold War-era law to boost production of lithium and other minerals used to power electric vehicles. Experts, though, say the move by itself is unlikely to ensure the robust mining Biden seeks as he promotes cleaner energy sources. Bidens action does not waive existing environmental and labor standards, nor does it address the years-long process needed to obtain a federal permit for a new mine. Even so, the mining industry and supporters in Congress cheered Bidens use of the 1950 Defense Production Act to increase U.S. supplies of lithium, nickel and other minerals. But environmentalists are wary that boosting extraction can contaminate groundwater and harm wildlife. Meadows says 1/6 panel has sought to publicly 'vilify' him WASHINGTON (AP) Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has accused the congressional committee investigating last years attack on the U.S. Capitol of leaking all of the text messages he provided to the panel as part of an effort to vilify him publicly. The argument was made in a filing Friday in Washingtons federal court, where Meadows sued in December to invalidate subpoenas issued to him for his testimony and to Verizon for his cell phone records. The committee declined to comment on Meadows' accusations. Vegas water intake now visible at drought-stricken Lake Mead LAS VEGAS (AP) The water supply for Las Vegas has marked a milestone, with a water intake breaking the surface of drought-depleted Lake Mead and the activation of a new pumping facility to draw water from deeper in the crucial Colorado River reservoir. The Southern Nevada Water Authority released photos this week of the uppermost intake visible at the lake behind Hoover Dam. The agency says a deeper intake completed in 2020 that's called the third straw continues to let Las Vegas pump water from its primary supply while the lake level continues to decline. The moves come as several states relying on the Colorado River take new steps to conserve water amid ongoing drought and climate change. Warren Buffett tells shareholders about spending $51 billion OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Warren Buffett gave Berkshire Hathaway investors a few details of how he spent more than $50 billion earlier this year and again reassured them that the company he built will endure long after the 91-year-old billionaire is gone. Tens of thousands of investors packed an Omaha arena Saturday to listen to Buffett and Berkshires vice chairmen answer questions for the first time since the pandemic began. Berkshire revealed that its mountain of cash shrank to $106 billion in the first quarter from $147 billion at the beginning of the year. Buffett didnt reveal everything he bought but did mention several highlights, including boosting Berkshires stake in oil giant Chevron to $26 billion to make it one of the company's four biggest investments. Motorcycles rumble through Canadian capital under police eye OTTAWA (AP) Motorcycles have rumbled through the streets of Canadas capital and a memorial service was held at the national War Memorial as a strong police presence kept an eye on the Rolling Thunder protest. Many of the people involved in this weekends event also took part in the Freedom Convoy that shuttered downtown Ottawa for weeks in February. Ottawa police say two people were arrested Saturday and 33 vehicles have been towed from the exclusion zone since Friday morning. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the National War Memorial, which was a focal point during the early days of the February protests. Bill Murray says his behavior led to complaint, film's pause Bill Murray has acknowledged that his behavior towards a woman led to the suspension of production on his latest film. In his first comments about the shutdown of Being Mortal, Murray on Saturday described the incident as a difference of opinion but declined to provide specifics on what transpired, or who it involved. Murray said he did something that he thought was funny but that it wasnt interpreted that way. The 71-year-old comedian also said he and the unnamed woman are trying to make peace. The film studio has declined to comment and its unclear when or if production will resume. Angelina Jolie makes surprise Ukraine visit, meets children LVIV, Ukraine (AP) Hollywood actress and U.N. humanitarian Angelina Jolie has made a surprise visit to the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. The area's regional governor said Jolie who has been a UNHCR Special Envoy for Refugees since 2011 had come to speak Saturday with displaced Ukrainians who had found refuge in Lviv. Those included children undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the Russian missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station. The attack in the eastern Ukrainian city appeared to deliberately target a crowd of mostly women and children trying to flee a looming Russian offensive, killing at least 52 and wounding dozens. Jolie also visited a school, talking with students and taking selfies with them. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg had a bounce in his step as he made his way from house to house in search of voters on a cold spring afternoon. But when people recognized him, it wasn't for reasons hed anticipated when he announced his run last year. Some had seen news reports from Feb. 14, when a man showed up at Greenberg's campaign headquarters and fired multiple rounds at the candidate and his staff, who barricaded the door with tables and chairs. No one was hit, but a bullet grazed Greenberg's sweater. A local social justice activist was charged in the attempted shooting. Now Greenberg has resumed his campaign in a city roiled by racial tension, a spike in gun violence and deep misgivings many harbor about the Louisville police department. Two years ago, this city of roughly 600,000 was known primarily as the home of the Kentucky Derby, bourbon whiskey and Muhammad Ali. Then a botched police raid in March 2020 left Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, dead in her own apartment at the hands of white police officers. Her name was plastered on T-shirts and magazines. It swept across social media and resounded in city streets as thousands marched nationwide, demanding justice. And her death still reverberates in local politics. Not long after the attempt on Greenberg's life, the only officer criminally charged for his actions in the Taylor raid was acquitted by a Kentucky jury, leaving many with a sense that the justice system had fallen short. The suspect in Greenberg's shooting, Quintez Brown, 21, was also on the May 17 ballot, a candidate for metro council. Now hes in federal custody, charged with state and federal crimes that could put him away for the rest of his life. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Brown, who is Black, was released two days after the shooting when the Louisville Community Bail Fund paid his $100,000 bond. Republican minority leader Sen. Mitch McConnell took to the floor of the U.S. Senate almost immediately, calling Brown's release jaw-dropping" and suggesting that it reflected badly on his political rivals on the left. But the blowback from Brown's release crossed partisan lines. Charles Booker, a Louisville Democrat running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Rand Paul, insisted that anyone who has been arrested for attempted murder and is feared to be a harm to themselves and others should be in custody. Now finding himself at the center of that uproar, Greenberg speaks cautiously about the attempt on his life but doesn't hesitate to draw connections to his campaign. I believe its made me a stronger person who can hopefully work with others more effectively to make Louisville safer, he explained. He's back to normal campaign activities, but with added security. He also vows to address the concerns of Black voters by increasing transparency and accountability if elected. I share their frustrations, he said. Im not interested in any more studies. We all know what the problems are here in Louisville. One of Greenberg's opponents, Shameka Parrish-Wright, has her own connection to Louisville's troubled recent past. She trails Greenberg in fundraising, but as she makes her way around Louisville's predominantly Black West End, some residents recognize her, too. After Taylor's shooting, Parrish-Wright joined monthslong protests in downtown Jefferson Square Park, where she became a voice for protesters. I want to be the change I seek, she said of her mayoral bid. Many of the Black voters she's talked to doubt that any mayor can deliver on their promises. They also resent that no one has been charged for Taylors death, while the white men who killed Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd have been convicted of murder. Parrish-Wright worries that some voters might conflate her actions as an activist with Browns or the group that funded his release. She said she didn't know Brown very well but hopes he gets the mental health resources he needs. If elected, Parrish-Wright would join a growing group of Black female mayors in cities like New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Representation in the mayors seat, she said, could restore faith in a city where nearly half of Kentucky's Black population lives. The state legislature is dominated by white Republicans, and while there's a Democratic governor, the city often finds itself at odds with the Capitol in Frankfort. Greenberg and Parrish-Wright are among eight Democratic candidates on the primary ballot. The contenders have plied voters with plans for economic development and other matters, but public safety and policing are never far from the conversation. The primary winner will be heavily favored in the general election come November, because Democrats outnumber Republicans by a wide margin. The next mayor will be called on to lead the city through a complicated period, and leaving the past behind won't be easy. Louisville's police department remains under federal investigation, and many activists want to be heard. The two-year lockdown during the pandemic has left empty storefronts and office buildings downtown. There are lots of people who feel discouraged because we have had two of the worst years, for many of us, in our lifetime. We're exhausted," said Sadiqa Reynolds, president and CEO of the Louisville Urban League. Reynolds, who endorsed another Black candidate for mayor, the Rev. Tim Findley Jr., said the task facing the winner will be formidable and patience is wearing thin. Its not enough to create good programs; you actually have to be able and have a desire to change the structures," she said. The current system we have its just not working fast enough." Hudspeth Blackburn is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Serbia on Saturday publicly displayed a recently delivered Chinese anti-aircraft missile system, raising concerns in the West and among some of Serbias neighbors that an arms buildup in the Balkans could threaten fragile peace in the region. The sophisticated HQ-22 surface-to-air system was delivered last month by a dozen Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes in what was believed to be the largest-ever airlift delivery of Chinese arms to Europe. Although Serbia officially seeks membership in the European Union, it has been arming itself mostly with Russian and Chinese weapons, including T-72 battle tanks, MiG-29 fighter jets, Mi-35 attack helicopters and drones. Back in 2020, U.S. officials warned Belgrade against purchasing HQ-22 missile systems, whose export version is known as FK-3. They said that if Serbia really wants to join the EU 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. Serbia is the first operator of the Chinese missiles in Europe. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at the end of the arms display at a military airport near Belgrade that the Chinese missiles, as well as other recently delivered military hardware, are not a threat to anyone and only represent a powerful deterrent against potential attackers. We will no longer allow to be a punching bag for anyone, Vucic said, apparently referring to NATOs 78-day bombardment of Serbia for its bloody crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists in 1999. Serbia, which was at war with its neighbors in the 1990s, does not recognize Kosovos independence declared in 2008. It still has frosty relations with NATO-members Croatia and Montenegro as well as Bosnia, whose separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik attended the military drill on Saturday. Vucic said Serbia is also negotiating a purchase of French multi-purpose Dessault Rafale jets, as well as British Eurofighter Typhoon fighters. He said that only political hurdles could prevent the purchase of the Western aircraft. There are widespread concerns that Russia could push its ally Serbia into an armed conflict with its neighbors to try at least partly to shift public attention from the war in Ukraine. Although Serbia has voted in favor of U.N. resolutions that condemn the bloody Russian attacks in Ukraine, it has refused to join international sanctions against its allies in Moscow or outright criticize the apparent atrocities committed by the Russian troops in Ukraine. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A tornado that barreled through parts of Kansas destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and buildings, injured several people and left more than 15,000 people without power, officials said Saturday. More than 1,000 buildings were affected when a strong twister swept through Andover on Friday evening, according to authorities. In the daylight Saturday, emergency crews found a more widespread path of destruction than was earlier estimated. "We now know that our damage path extended approximately 3 1/2 to four miles to the north of where we believed it to have ended last night, Andover Deputy Fire Chief Mike Roosevelt said at a briefing. There were no fatalities or critical injuries despite the widespread destruction. Officials said only a few injuries had been reported. In Sedgwick County, three people were injured, including one woman who sustained serious injuries. Search and rescue operations continued Saturday with more than 200 emergency responders from 30 agencies. Officials kept volunteers away from the damage until a secondary search of debris is done. Andover Fire Chief Chad Russell said earlier that some neighborhood homes were completely blown away. There are homes knocked completely off their foundations and entire neighborhoods wiped out, Russell said. City Hall, the Andover YMCA and Prairie Creek Elementary School were among buildings heavily damaged. Field crews from the National Weather Service worked Saturday to determine the extent and strength of the twister, said meteorologist Kevin Darmofal at the Wichita office. Flor and Aldo Delgado said they prayed in the basement of their Andover home as a tornado passed right above them, destroying their home and cars. The couple looked out of the window Friday night and saw the tornado beginning to form, so they headed to the basement. The lights started flickering and eventually went out, and within a minute from that the whole house started shaking and it was so loud. We started feeling water hitting our faces, and there was just dust everywhere. It lasted for what felt like a minute that it was right above us, Aldo Delgado said. Flor Delgado said she could hear their home being torn apart as they prayed for their safety, the Wichita Eagle reported. In the moment I realized there is absolutely nothing we could do. I knew my husband felt it too because he was calm and comforting me, but at one point he just starts losing it and crying. I could hear his voice cracking as hes praying, she said. Once the tornado passed, the couple made it out of the debris with only the clothes on their backs. Their home, cars and personal items are gone. We didnt even have our wedding rings on at the time, Flor Delgado added. Gov. Laura Kelly declared a State of Disaster Emergency for the hardest hit areas. The declaration makes state resources available to help local jurisdictions with response and recovery efforts in areas impacted statewide. Evergy said about 15,000 customers lost power during the tornado and that work continued to restore electricity. Any broken gas and water lines were shut off and by noon there were no known active leaks. In addition to the tornadoes, large hail was reported in several towns across the Plains. Hail the size of softballs was spotted near Holbrook, Nebraska, and Enterprise, Kansas, according to the National Weather Service and storm spotters. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Its 2007. Youre sitting on the crunchy bedspread at a mid-range chain hotel. The TV has channels you dont get on the basic cable at home: Nickelodeon, ESPN, HBO and Food Network. Your dad is flicking through the channels while a movie is on commercial. He lands on a segment and the volume seems to be turned all the way up. The host, a man with bleached tips, wears his sunglasses backwards and is yelling at the camera, but in a happy way. A montage emerges to a rockabilly soundtrack. The footage can only be described as food porn: a deep dish pie with a crust shelf like Marianas Trench; a melange of different prepared meats crammed between two buns; bowls of spices being dumped into a 10-gallon bucket of red sauce. The show is called Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and its an initiation for many Americans into our countrys unique food culture. The premise, if you dont know, is an endless road trip sampling the best down-home cooking the 50 states has to offer. Sitting in the hotel room, youll take a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan, or Wilmington, North Carolina, and make note of the food to try if you ever do find yourself there in person. In 2018, Guy Fieri, the magi of holes-in-the-wall, visited Tucson. He filmed six segments that were distributed across just as many episodes. Every one of these establishments survived the pandemic. One is even persisting despite the never-ending construction project on Broadway. The restaurants that Fieri picked defy the milkshakes and cheeseburgers collaged in Triple Ds intro: his research team curated a diverse roster. Eaters interviewed at these restaurants often said, You cant find this kind of food anywhere else in Tucson. One vegan restaurant even made the cut as an homage to Fieri's sister, who died in 2011 and was a vegetarian. Fieri shows off a tattoo honoring his sister during the episode: she's stylized in the image of La Virgen. Here are the six restaurants Guy Fieri visited in Tucson and what he ate there: Chef Alisahs During the Bosnian war, Chef Ahmet Alisah and his family were put in a concentration camp. He came to Tucson as a refugee. Now he serves up eastern-European-style fare in the Casas Adobes neighborhood, aided by his wife and son who work in the front-of-house. In the broadcast segment, Guy Fieri sampled the cevapi, homemade beef sausages served with tzatziki and yeast bread, as well as the goulash. Chef Alisahs was featured in episode 13 of season 28, Seafood and Savory. Location: 5931 N. Oracle Road Hours: Lunch service 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday | Dinner service 5:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday | Closed Monday For more information, check out their website. Incas Peruvian Cuisine Incas shared an unusual backstory with Fieri: the restauranteur Fatima Campos is a Mexican woman who fell in love with a Peruvian man. She said her mom told her the love starts with the food, so she learned how to make his favorite recipes from home. The Foothills-area establishment served Fieri a stewy steak dish served with a sauce made from herbs and peppers the chef imported from Peru, called seco de carne con frejoles. He also tried their lomo saltado, Peruvian-style steak frites. Incas was featured in episode 11 of season 28, Pizza, Pork and Peru. Location: 6878 E. Sunrise Dr. Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday | 4-8 p.m. Monday For more information, check out their website. Renees Marchin to the beat of their own drum; doing it their own way is Fieris pitch for east-side favorite Renees (then Renees Organic Oven). The restaurant now serves a Food Network box alongside other takeout combos like a series of vegan or comfort food dishes. The standout item is the spinach dip calzone: This is dangerous, bruh, Fieri said to the chef, Steve Kreager (owner Renee Kreagers high school sweetheart and husband). Fieri also sampled the Tailored Tony, branded as an open-faced sloppy joe, with a little Caesar on the side. I love Caesar dressing, Fieri said. He pointed out Renees commitment to organic ingredients, which elevate the simple flavors: The kicker on the whole thing are these red bells, man. Renees was featured in episode 7 of season 28, Rollin in the Dough. Register for more free articles. Log in Sign up Location: 7065 E. Tanque Verde Road Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday | Closed Monday-Tuesday For more information, check out their website. Roccos Little Chicago Im usually a thin-crust guy, but I hear the deep-dish you do is pretty gangster, Fieri said to owner Rocco DiGrazia, a transplant from Chicago who has brought his hometown eats to the Old Pueblo. Roccos Little Chicago often features creative pies, including monthly specials that customers can write in suggestions for. (This month, April, is the Cretaceous Mass Extinction II: The Lost World a deep-dish pie covered in mac n cheese, a single meatball asteroid and a scattering of terrified lil dino nuggets, topped with Hot Cheetos lava.) The pie featured on the show, though, was the Kitchen Sink: pepperoni, Italian sausage, red onions and green peppers. They also filmed a side of Hot Sticks: pizza dough breadsticks, smothered in Buffalo wing sauce and twisted into shape. Roccos Little Chicago was featured in episode 14 of season 28, Grab and Grub. Location: 2707 E. Broadway Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily For more information, check out their website. Tumerico Walking down the sidewalk off of Sixth Street, Guy Fieri gives us a little anecdote. His sister Morgan said, You gotta give vegetarian food a chance. But he insists hes not willing to sacrifice flavor. So he comes to Tumerico, where you can get eerily convincing carnitas made of jackfruit. In the kitchen with Chef Wendy Garcia, Fieri points to a tattoo on his forearm. Morgan, thats my sister, he said. She taught me so much about vegetarian cooking. By the end of the segment, Fieri is video-calling his mom to get her to attest to the dupes. He shows her a jackfruit carnitas plate, with house-made soyrizo, adobo, rice and beans with ranchero sauce, and eggplant chicharron. He also samples the nopales tacos. Tumerico was featured in episode 10 of season 28, Lights Out Latin. Location: 2526 E. Sixth St. and 402 E. Fourth St. Hours: Sixth Street | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Sunday | Closed Monday. Fourth Avenue | 3-8 p.m. Friday | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday | Closed Monday-Thursday For more information, check out their website. Zemams Zemams, like Chef Alisahs, is a restaurant founded and run by someone who came to Tucson as a refugee. Amanuel Gebremariam fled Eritrea over 40 years ago. Zemams original location, now temporarily closed due to construction on Broadway, was the home he settled in with his wife and kids. For now, though, well have to suffice with Zemams Too, their second location on Speedway. Fieri first watches Gebremariam make injera, the traditional sourdough bread made with teff flour that is used both as a plate and utensil in Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine. Then, he tries a vegetarian platter called gomen alicha, and the doro wat chicken platter. Each of the individual dishes is its own little song. And it becomes an Ethiopian musical! Fieri said. Zemams was featured in episode 8 of season 28, International Intrigue. Location: 119 E. Speedway Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday | Closed Monday For more information, check out their website. Visit to Sudan Highlights Importance of Strengthening Solidarity with Churches The churches of Sudan and especially the Sudan Council of Churches as their ecumenical forum have suffered from a serious lack of attention and support by international ecumenical partners since the separation of South Sudan in 2011. A woman carries the Bible into a Catholic Mass in Gidel, a village in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth pictures NEWS PROVIDED BY World Council of Churches April 29, 2022 GENEVE, April 29, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- To begin to close this attention gap, a delegation comprised of representatives from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its ecumenical partners undertook an ecumenical solidarity visit to accompany the churches and people of Sudan in the midst of significant changes and challenges in the country. Together with the All Africa Conference of Churches and the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa, the solidarity visit to Sudan took place from 20-25 April. The delegation committed to closer accompaniment of the Sudan Council of Churches and the churches of Sudan, and especially resolved to empower churches participation in national discussions during this critical transitional period. Dr Agnes Abuom, moderator of the WCC central committee, was part of the 12-person delegation. "We will continue to journey together with the churches of Sudan as they seek sustainable peace and justice for al the people of Sudan," said Abuom. "We both acknowledge and support the pivotal task of local churches in accompanying the people during this time of transition." Among other specific initiatives in this regard, the delegation committed to promoting exchange with national councils of churches in other contexts, so the Sudan Council of Churches interim leadership can benefit from the experience and expertise of national councils of churches elsewhere. Specialized ministries present in Sudan including Norwegian Church Aid and the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development have also agreed to help the Sudan Council of Churches re-establish essential systems and processes to effectively function. The Sudan Council of Churches leadership and representatives of the churches in Sudan confirmed the importance and timeliness of the visit, and the encouragement it gave them for the work ahead. Government representatives affirmed their recognition of the Sudan Council of Churches as representative of the Christian community in Sudan, and as an essential participant in the national discussion in Sudan. WCC member churches in Sudan Dr Agnes Abuom, moderator of the WCC central committee, leading a workshop with the church leaders of the Sudan Council of Churches. Photo: WCC SOURCE World Council of Churches CONTACT: Media Office +41 79 507 6363, media@wcc-coe.org Related Links www.oikoumene.org/press OKLAHOMA CITY Gov. Kevin Stitt on Friday announced the state has filed a lawsuit against Swadleys Bar-B-Q restaurants following questions about the companys contract with the state. We are committed to getting to the bottom of this, Stitt said. There are a lot of different investigations going on right now. I think we can all agree that the most important things are protecting the taxpayers and shining a light on any corruption and any bad actors. Stitt also announced that he had accepted the resignation of Jerry Winchester, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department executive director. I regret that in the best interest of the department, I feel it necessary to resign as executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department effective immediately, Winchester wrote in a Friday letter to Stitt. I dont want my continued involvement to overshadow the great accomplishments that have been achieved these past three years. It was not immediately clear if Stitt sought the resignation. Stitt held a press conference with Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who serves as secretary of tourism, wildlife and heritage. Pinnell will take more of a role overseeing the tourism department, the governor said. Questions have arisen about how much Swadleys has charged the state to operate Foggy Bottom Kitchens restaurants at several state parks. The state paid the company nearly $17 million to install restaurants and make improvements at the parks. Stitts news conference lasted less than six minutes. Citing the lawsuit, he declined to take questions from the media. The announcement came after the Oklahoma House said Thursday it would investigate the matter. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater also has called for an audit and asked the OSBI to investigate. On Monday, the state cancelled the Swadleys contract due to potential fraudulent activity. In the two-page lawsuit filed Friday in Oklahoma County District Court, the state alleges the company violated its promises and obligations and is in material breach of contract and has failed and refused to provide an accounting. Stitt said all the renovations at state park restaurants are state property. Those restaurants are move-in ready, Stitt said. And we are excited to get them reopened. Stitt said his team keeps getting asked about comments reportedly made by Brent Swadley, the owner of the company. Let me be clear, Stitt said. I dont have any sort of relationship with Brent Swadley. I dont know Brent Swadley. I have no involvement in this contract. Prior to the press conference, Swadleys Foggy Bottom Kitchen issued a statement. Swadleys is proud of the work it has done in Oklahomas beautiful state parks, the company said. In March 2020, the company entered a contract with the state to redesign, rebuild and revitalize six restaurants in state parks and got it done in less than two years despite complexities, the statement said. From the beginning, Swadleys acknowledged and accepted that this project would be a difficult undertaking, but the extent of the decay and neglect at the various restaurants made it more difficult than either party initially anticipated, the company said. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic increased the cost of labor and raw materials and imposed restrictions on indoor dining, the statement said. Swadleys is proud of the hard work of our employees, which brought the amenities at these state parks in line with the breathtaking natural beauty of our great state has to offer, the statement said. Swadleys leadership team is disappointed by the recent decision to terminate its contract and heartbroken for the hundreds of employees whose livelihoods are directly impacted. Video: House leadership announces investigation of Swadleys state contract. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Researchers at Oklahoma State University and the University of Arizona are partnering to try to accelerate development of alternatives to opioids that treat chronic pain but dont cause addiction. In a virtual media briefing Friday, university leaders hailed the collaboration as combining strengths to create a new class of drugs that address a national crisis the opioid epidemic and hasten what separately might take longer to accomplish. OSUs National Center for Wellness & Recovery is the recipient of a nearly $200 million endowment from the state of Oklahomas $270 million settlement with Purdue Pharma, an opioid manufacturer. This is really an epidemic that has gone unnoticed, said Dr. Kayse Shrum, OSU president. The money that was created from the settlement and created the foundation really amplifies the work that can be done and the speed in which we can get new discoveries out to Oklahomans. OSU didnt say how much of the settlement money is earmarked for the joint effort, only that some will be used and none of it will leave Oklahoma. The National Center for Wellness & Recovery has access to about 18,000 novel research molecules from Purdue Pharma that were designed to target neuronal mechanisms associated with chronic pain and addiction, according to OSU. There also are 40,000 to 50,000 human bio-samples from consenting patients enrolled in clinical trials involving opioids and nonopioids. Don Kyle, CEO of the National Center for Wellness & Recovery, described the team as holding a real head start because the molecules with which its members will begin research were designed to potentially become drugs. The discovery of a new molecule and demonstrating its safety in animal models and in human studies and its efficacy this takes a long time, said Kyle, who likened the jumping off point as pretty high on the platform rather than the ground floor. The researchers said the earliest deliverable drugs targeted will be a more potent and longer lasting way to combat opioid overdoses, which can cause severe respiratory distress and death especially fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid similar to morphine but 50 to 100 times more potent and typically used to treat severe pain, especially after surgery, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Some drug dealers mix fentanyl with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, as a cheaper option because not much of it is needed to generate a high. Kyle said naloxone also known by the brand name NARCAN has been effective in heroin or oxycodone overdoses. However, he said, stronger treatments than naloxone are needed to combat fentanyl. Someone who overdoses on fentanyl may need multiple doses of naloxone to overpower it, and even then it may not be effective, Kyle said. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has published that there is an urgent need to find new therapies. Frank Porreca, a University of Arizona associate research director, said the two universities already have a plan to create and advance that type of new drug quickly. This is desperately needed for first responders. Its needed for individuals that are in an opiate overdose crisis, Porreca said. This is something that I think were going to tackle first, then followed by efforts to develop medicines to treat chronic pain in a nonaddictive way. Kyle said moving research into human clinical trials governed by the Food and Drug Administration can take anywhere from one to five years. He said researchers dont have the answers yet thats what the experiments are for but do have some solid ideas with molecules that do specific things when tested on cells or in animals. An open-ended question is whether that might translate into a positive result for a human clinical trial. I would say in rough terms, from where we sit today, we could be three years maybe from an IND (Investigational New Drug Application) or starting a clinical trial, probably, Kyle said. But theres some uncertainty in that number. The partnership will share resources from three research centers: the OSU Center for Health Sciences National Center for Wellness & Recovery, the University of Arizona Health Sciences Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded Center for Excellence in Addiction Studies. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JAKARTA -- Tens of millions of Indonesian Muslims are expected to travel back to their hometowns to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in coming days, with traffic jams of up to 10km already starting to form on some routes out of the capital Jakarta. The decision to once again allow mass travel home, known locally as "mudik", comes after authorities banned the tradition in the past two years to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the Southeast Asian nation of 270 million people. Drone footage this week showed long lines of cars crawling along on either side of toll booths at one of the main highways out of Jakarta. People wait for the buses at Kampung Rambutan bus terminal, as Indonesian Muslims travel home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, known locally as 'Mudik', in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 29, 2022. Photo: Reuters Passengers were also starting to throng train and bus stations to complete their trek home. "It will be nice to be able to see the family as... it's been two years and we haven't been able to go home," said Tri Wahyuni, 24, who was waiting at the Pasar Senen train station in Jakarta to head to her hometown of Lampung on Sumatera island. Cars queue to board the ship for Sumatra island as Indonesian Muslims travel home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, known locally as 'Mudik', at Merak port in Cilegon, Banten, Indonesia, April 29, 2022, in this photo taken with a drone by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Akbar Nugroho Gumay/via Reuters Earlier this month, President Joko Widodo said on Twitter data showed at least 79 million Indonesians intended to go home for Eid al-Fitr this year. For the past two years, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation has grappled with one of the highest rates of coronavirus infections in Asia, but in recent months it has loosened many of its pandemic restrictions after a sharp drop in infections. People wait for the buses at Kampung Rambutan bus terminal, as Indonesian Muslims travel home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, known locally as 'Mudik', in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 29, 2022. Photo: Reuters Some local travellers, however, remained cautious about the risks from COVID-19, though pointed to higher vaccination levels and the lower caseload. "Hopefully in the future, there will be no COVID. Hopefully we can go home every year," said Sri Suyanti, 35, another train passenger who was waiting with her daughters. A woman walks with a child at Kampung Rambutan bus terminal, as Indonesian Muslims travel home to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, known locally as 'Mudik', in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 29, 2022. Photo: Reuters Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnams sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has asserted in response to China imposing its illegal fishing ban in the East Vietnam Sea. Hang made the statement at a press conference on Friday while replying to reporters question about Chinas ban on fishing, effective from May 1 to August 16, in the East Vietnam Sea, including the waters of Vietnam. The sea area subject to the ban includes part of the Gulf of Tonkin and the waters of Vietnams Hoang Sa archipelago. Part of the fishing bans scope violates Vietnams sovereignty over the Hoang Sa Islands, and Vietnams sovereign rights and jurisdiction under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as the Agreement on the Delimitation of the Gulf of Tonkin between Vietnam and China that was signed in 2000, the spokeswoman said. Vietnams stance on Chinas fishing ban in the East Vietnam Sea is consistent and well established over the past years, the spokeswoman said. Vietnam demands that China respect Vietnams sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over Vietnams waters when implementing measures for conserving fisheries resources in the East Vietnam Sea, Hang said. China should not complicate the situation in the sea area, but should contribute to maintaining peace, stability, and order there, added the spokesperson. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check out the news you should not miss today: Politics -- Vietnam opposes Chinas unilateral decision to ban fishing in the East Vietnam Sea from May to August, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said in a press meeting on Friday. Society -- Numerous people have begun leaving Ho Chi Minh City for their hometowns prior to the four-day holiday celebrating the Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers' Day (May 1), causing heavy congestion at major gateways. -- A sixth and a seventh-grade schoolgirls from southern province of Dong Nai drowned while bathing in a local lake on Friday morning, an official confirmed, adding that their bodies were found in the afternoon of the same day. -- Numerous youngsters who are required to work throughout the four-day holiday commemorating Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers' Day (May 1) crammed into some restaurants in a downtown Ho Chi Minh City shopping center to celebrate the holiday at midnight. -- A music event titled 'Bai ca thong nhat, khat vong vuon cao' (Song of unity, ambition to rise) that was taking place at Ho Chi Minh City's Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street on Friday night had to be postponed due to torrential downpours after two-thirds of the event had been completed. -- Several streets in Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City, were submerged by floodwaters following an hour-long downpour on Friday afternoon. -- Numerous transport firms operating on the Ho Chi Minh City-Mekong Delta route were unable to return to Ho Chi Minh City on time due to a congestion in Tien Giang Province, resulting in thousands of passengers returning home for the holidays as they were unable to board the buses on time. Lifestyle -- Son Tung M-TP, Vietnam's leading pop star, has apologized for his latest music video, which contains suicidal and 'violent' themes, and has suspended distribution in the country. -- Ho Chi Minh City will offer a new tourism product entitled Sai Gon River Cruise, allowing travelers to enjoy sightseeing from the river by travelling on a high-class yatch. -- The Binh Dinh Tourism Festival with the theme Quy Nhon Sea Paradise, an activity in response to the 2022 National Tourism Year, was kicked off on Friday night in the south-central city of Quy Nhon, attracting hundreds of locals and tourists. -- A sand castle building contest, part of the 'Da Nang beach tourist season 2022' series of events, took place on Friday, drawing approximately 300 local students . -- A honeycomb weighing 43kg, measuring 2.2m long and 1m wide, is projected to provide approximately 15 liters of honey and is on exhibit at the U Minh National Park as part of the 'Ca Mau - Destination 2022' event. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese police on Friday arrested the leader of a business group and the director of a provincial health department for their violations related to equipment procurement bidding packages for a hospital project, leading to damage of over US$6.6 million. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, 53, chairwoman and general director of Hanoi-based Advanced International Joint Stock Company (AIC Group) and Phan Huy Anh Vu, 55, director of the Dong Nai Province Department of Health, have been indicted on charges of violating bidding regulations, causing serious consequences, under the Vietnamese Penal Code, Lieutenant General To An Xo, chief of staff and spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security, said the same day. When committing the offense, Vu was director of the Dong Nai General Hospital, which was put into operation in April 2015 after several years of construction, according to the ministrys Investigation Police Agency. Hoang Thi Thuy Nga, former deputy general director of AIC Group, and three employees of this group have also been arrested and indicted for the same offense. In addition, Vo Quang Ngoc, deputy director of Mediconsult Vietnam Joint Venture Company Ltd., and Nguyen Cong Tien, general director of New Generation Valuation and Investment Construction Consulting Joint Stock Company (NVC JSC), and Ninh Van Sinh, a price appraiser of NVC JSC, have also been prosecuted for the same charge. Along with the arrest orders and prosecution decisions served on the defendants, the search warrants were also executed at their offices and residences on the same day. All the defendants have been found committing law-breaking acts related to 12 bidding packages for medical equipment procurement for the project to build Dong Nai General Hospital in the 2013 - 15 period, investigators said. Specifically, Vu and Nhan had colluded with Tien and Sinh to hike medical equipment prices included in 11 out of the 12 packages and joined hands with other defendants in committing various violations of the Bidding Law to facilitate the AIC Group to win these 12 packages at VND476.87 billion (nearly $20.8 million), the investigation police agency reported. The defendants illegal acts have caused a total damage of VND152 billion (some $6.62 million) to the State budget. Further investigations into the case are underway, the agency said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Nine has landed the second Leaders Debate between PM Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese for 8:45pm Sunday May 8. Sarah Abo from 60 Minutes will moderate the event with questions from Nine political editor Chris Uhlmann, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald chief political correspondent David Crowe and Nine radio host Deb Knight. Darren Wick, Director of News and Current Affairs for Nine, said: In less than three weeks, 17 million Australians will head to the polls to determine who will govern the nation for the next three years. With inflation at its highest rate in more than 20 years, house prices spiralling to unattainable levels and interest rates set for successive hikes, this will be one of the most important elections in recent times. Coupled with climate change, global insecurity, stagnant wage growth and aged care, both leaders have their work cut out for them to sell their respective policies. We cant wait to see how this debate will unfold. Seven has also been jockeying for a debate with Mark Riley as moderator while ABC hopes David Speers will land a third debate. Sunday May 8 is also Mothers Day. Updated. Screen Producers Australia has defended its position on government streaming proposals, after Communications Minister Paul Fletcher responded to their call for 20% local content on SVODs. Minister Fletcher maintains the governments proposal of voluntary reporting of 5% of revenue from streaming giants such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and Apple TV+ had worked and would now be formalised. We think transparency is very important. We do live in a world that has more opportunities than was the case 30 years ago when essentially the production sector was largely about Australian broadcast TV and some movies getting into cinemas, he told IF . There are now many more options and we want a regulatory framework which encourages, boosts, and supports the Australian production sector. But while the Minister advocated the proposed scheme as being sufficient SPA insists we can do far better than that. It argued the sector, which is made up of a significant number of Australian small businesses needs a robust plan for industry growth. Other territories that have qualities that are comparable to the Australian market and industry have already placed clear, certain and much higher requirements on these streaming services. Australias proposed scheme would amount to less than 0.3% of these global businesses content spend on Australian content, SPA said in a statement. This simply does not deliver the Australian content that we know audiences both here and elsewhere want. The weakness of the scheme is demonstrated by the possibility of a small 5% obligation quite possibly less to local content from an undetermined set of businesses. Any way one looks at it SPA believes that this will be a framework that sees the Australian screen industry go backwards and create less than what is currently being delivered. SPA argued the screen industry needs a balanced regulatory system for the good times and the bad not a scheme that is essentially self-regulation, and that provides no certainty in a high-risk sector. On the issue of Ministerial discretion, SPA and its members reject the characterisation of this as just business as usual. Regulatory decision-making should be through a commonly understood framework that is transparent and offers consistent, predictable and positive outcomes and is characterised by arms length decision-making and Parliamentary scrutiny. Anything else makes regulation more subjective and uncertain, the statement continued. There are clear examples of frameworks in comparable countries for streaming services that are predictable and robust and that support local industry, that Australia should be modelling. Anything less exposes our industry to incredible ongoing uncertainty, on which other markets will capitalise. Through this consultation process, SPA is advocating for fair investment safeguards so that Australian stories on our screens arent just at the whim of global business decisions, but are anchored in clear and certain regulation that delivers what Australian audiences want. Batwoman, produced by Greg Berlanti, has ended at 3 seasons in the US. Showrunner Caroline Dries revealed the news on social media. The first season focused on Kate Kane, the cousin of Bruce Wayne, played by Aussie Ruby Rose, but who departed after a single season in a blaze of headlines. She was replaced by Javicia Leslie as former convict Ryan Wilder who protects Gotham City in the title role. Just got the sad news that #Batwoman will not be seeing an S4. I am bummed, but full of gratitude. What an honor to make 51 episodes. So many inspiring, brilliant people contributed to this series. Thank you producers, cast and crew. Thank you, fans! We love you. Caroline Dries (@carolinedries) April 29, 2022 Source: Deadline After four flights of action in Event #1: 1,100 FPS Main Event, a total of 287 players have advanced to Day 2 and are guaranteed at least a min-cash. Leading the way come tomorrow, Lucas Scafini will be the only player with a seven-figure chip stack after bagging a whopping 1,101,000 chips on Day 1d. There were a total of 349 entries in the fourth and final flight and 52 players advanced to Day 2. It was the shortest flight in terms of time due to the 20-minute levels, but in terms of levels, this flight went the furthest as they reached level 18 with the blinds at 5,000/10,000. Scafini took full advantage of the extended length and pushed his big stack around in the last few levels. 1,100 French Poker Series Main Event Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts Rank Name Country Chip Count Day 2 Big Blinds 1 Lucas Scafini Brazil 1101000 220 2 Youcef Benzerfa France 607000 121 3 Teddy Kefalas France 595000 119 4 Alexandre Poulain France 493000 99 5 Jamie Flynn Ireland 489000 98 6 Ruslan Lukash Ukraine 382000 76 7 Jacob Amsellem Israel 371000 74 8 Fahd Boudaouine France 338000 68 9 Hung Nguyen Switzerland 331000 66 10 Jean Albertini France 316000 63 The Italian was also the one who burst the bubble at 2 a.m. when Ikam Benyeffou flopped top pair from the big blind and shoved into Scafini's pocket aces. Scafini held on to put a rest to all of the Day 1 flights but will still have a long road ahead of him if he wishes to capture the title. Some other big stacks moving on from Day 1d include Youcef Benzerfa (607,000), Teddy Kefalas (595,000), Alexandre Poulain (493,000), and Jamie Flynn (489,000). Some other notables that will have a shot at the title include Tibor Nagygyorgy (136,000), Ana Marquez (118,000), and Aylar Lie (50,000). One of the surprising stories was Andrea Albonetti who squeaked into the money with just 3,000 chips, less than one big blind. When the action resumes for Day 2, the blinds will be rolled back to 2,000/5,000 with a 5,000 big blind ante. That was the level that Day 1c finished where 139 players advanced out of a total of 927 entries. The blind levels will also increase to 60-minutes in length going forward and a champion will be crowned on Day 4. The PokerNews live reporting team will be on the tournament floor to bring you all of the live updates throughout the event going forward. Aerial view of the Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Archive) Northern Ireland goes to the polls on May 5 to elect 90 Assembly members to the devolved legislature in Belfast. The last Assembly election, a snap poll in March 2017, was held as crisis engulfed the powersharing institutions, which had collapsed two months earlier amid a row about a botched green energy scheme. Fast forward five years and voters will cast their ballots in the single transferable vote (STV) election with a similar cloud of uncertainty hanging over Stormont. The ministerial executive imploded in February when the DUP withdrew its first minister Paul Givan in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol a post-Brexit trading arrangement that has enraged unionists by creating economic barriers between the region and the rest of the UK. Here are some of the main issues and themes that have dominated the election campaign and are set to factor when the votes are counted and efforts to form a new administration begin. Former DUP First Minister Paul Givan and Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill seldom saw eye to eye (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Wire) The race for first minister: Somewhat confusingly for outside observers, there is no legal difference or power disparity between Stormonts first and deputy first ministers their co-equal status is a cornerstone of the regions powersharing structures. Under current rules, the largest unionist party occupies one of the posts and the largest nationalist party occupies the other, with the first ministers job going to the one that has more seats. A properly functioning ministerial executive cannot be formed without both roles being filled. Since 1998, when the governance system was devised as part of Northern Irelands historic peace accord, the first minister has always been a unionist. While Sinn Fein would gain no more authority if it displaces the DUP as the largest party and its Stormont leader Michelle ONeill assumes the first ministers job, it would undoubtedly be a symbolically significant moment in the post-Good Friday Agreement era. Just how significant has been intensely debated during the campaign. Story continues The DUP has insisted that Sinn Fein would be emboldened to call for a border poll on Irish unity if it emerged as the largest party. Unionist rivals characterise that as a scare tactic designed to shore up DUP support in the wake of a series of opinion polls that put the party well behind Sinn Fein. The republican party, for its part, has maintained that it is prioritising the cost-of-living crisis over a push for constitutional change at this election. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (centre) on the campaign trail (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Wire) Cost of living, waiting lists and the prospects of a swift return to powersharing: There is the real possibility that Sinn Fein could emerge as the largest party but be prevented from taking up the first ministers post certainly in the short to medium term due to a lack of a willing partner in government. Despite intense media questioning on the issue, neither the DUP or UUP have said they will serve as deputy first minister alongside a Sinn Fein first minister. Their critics have denounced this stance as undemocratic and it potentially runs the risk of galvanising infuriated nationalist voters to back Sinn Fein in greater numbers. The DUP and UUP have responded to the criticism by insisting any decision on entering an executive should only be taken with knowledge of what the new administrations proposed programme for government would look like. Stormonts smaller parties have challenged the DUP and Sinn Fein to defuse the issue by agreeing to change the names to joint first ministers titles that perhaps more accurately reflect the roles. While Sinn Fein once proposed such a move, the party has now stepped back from that position, insisting that if it was good enough for a nationalist to serve as a deputy first minister it should be good enough for a unionist too. If nationalist voters do coalesce behind Sinn Fein the obvious casualty would be the SDLP. The party has shown signs of resurgence in recent years, as it has sought to promote young talent to its front-line positions, but it always faces the peril of being squeezed in a battle between the DUP and Sinn Fein for top spot. The polls suggest Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle ONeill could be on course to become first minister (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire) Not surprisingly, leader Colum Eastwood has dismissed the fuss over the first ministers job as a distraction as he has tried to steer the electorates focus onto bread and butter issues such as soaring living costs and spiralling health service waiting lists. The SDLP is not alone in concentrating on the real life difficulties facing an increasing number of households in the region. All the parties accept there are currently too many citizens struggling to heat their homes or waiting years for a consultant led hospital appointment and addressing those twin concerns have been front and centre of all the main manifestos. In that context, the DUP has taken plenty of political flak for pulling down the executive at a time of such acute need across society. It has justified the move by insisting the Northern Ireland Protocol is contributing to rising consumer prices and health service pressures and radical action was therefore required to force changes to it. Aside from the issue of a Sinn Fein first minister, the DUP has made clear it will not re-enter an administration without major reform of the protocol. While there are parallels with the crisis of 2017, albeit back then Sinn Fein was the party that quit government, there are important differences too. The major difference is a recent law change that means an executive can trundle on in shadow format for six months without a first and deputy first minister in place. Before that change, failure to nominate to those positions within a week would have led to full-scale collapse of devolution and would have placed an onus on the UK Government to call another election. With this buffer now in place, and departmental ministers from the last mandate able to continue in their jobs, few Stormont watchers are placing bets on a new executive being formed in the immediate aftermath of the election. The Northern Ireland Protocol: Contention over the so-called Irish Sea border has been a source of political and societal tension in Northern Ireland since it came into place at the start of 2021 under the terms of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. Jointly agreed by the UK and EU as a means to keep the Irish land border free-flowing, it shifted regulatory and customs checks to goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Many unionists and loyalists are furious about arrangements they claim are driving a constitutional wedge between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The other Stormont parties, which backed Remain in the Brexit referendum and represented a majority overall in the Assembly in the last mandate, acknowledge that changes to the protocol are needed to cut the burden of red tape on businesses. However, they insist the main thrust of the arrangement that Northern Ireland is afforded special status to enable its exporters to trade freely across the Irish border and further into the EU single market should be retained. TUV leader Jim Allister (right) and DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson move from public view a poster of UUP leader Doug Beattie in noose at an anti-protocol rally (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire) For these parties, their stance on the protocol is unlikely to make or break their electoral fortunes. For unionist parties, however, the Irish Sea border will assume much more significance on polling day. While all unionist MLAs from the last mandate oppose the protocol, they differ on how to bring about changes. The fallout over the Brexit deal was a key factor in the unprecedented turmoil that engulfed the DUP last year, when two leaders, Arlene Foster and her successor Edwin Poots, were ousted in successive internal revolts that occurred within weeks of each other. That flux came amid poor polling results and fears within party ranks that the unionist electorate would blame the DUP for the protocol, accusing it of squandering its unprecedented influence in the Brexit process during the two-year confidence-and-supply deal with the Conservatives at Westminster. The harder line Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) party is hoping to capitalise on the DUPs travails and has adopted a strident anti-protocol approach. Critics have previously derided the TUV as a one-man band that relies solely on its leader, formidable barrister Jim Allister, for an identity. While opinion polls suggest the party could be poised for a breakthrough in this election, with the potential to mop up disaffected DUP voters, it still faces a significant challenge translating any increase in overall vote share into physical seats in the keenly fought five seat constituencies. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire) On the other wing of unionism, UUP leader Doug Beattie has been trying to move his party more to the centre ground, insisting that engagement and negotiation rather that protest and government walk-outs are the way to bring about changes to the protocol. The decorated military veteran is betting that any votes he loses from the ranks of traditional unionism he will make up by attracting more liberal unionists into the UUP fold. The DUP has undoubtedly hardened its position on the protocol over the last 18 months as it bids to retain votes it was otherwise at risk of shedding to the TUV. This strategy culminated with leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldsons move to withdraw the partys first minister from the executive. He is now a regular on the podium alongside Mr Allister at anti-protocol rallies organised by loyalist groups. Some of the gatherings have proved controversial and at one, in a clear sign of the tensions within the broader unionist family, a poster of Mr Beattie with a noose around his neck was seen. The role that outgoing independent unionist MLAs Claire Sugden and Alex Easton, the latter a former DUP representative, could play in final shake-down of results should not be discounted and both will be confident of retaining their seats. Alliance Party leader Naomi Long (Niall Carson/PA) (PA Wire) The rise of the others: Sinn Fein had a very good election in 2017, winning 27 seats, and arguably maxed out its potential in several constituencies by capturing three of the five seats available. The DUP, by contrast, spread its 28 seats more broadly, winning more doubles with surplus votes to spare. In theory, that means Sinn Fein would have to do very well to make gains on its 2017 tally, while the DUP could absorb a dip in popular support and still hold on to its seats in multiple constituencies. It is possible that Sinn Fein could lose a number of seats but still emerge as the largest party, if the DUP loses more. If that scenario plays out it will likely mean that the Alliance Party has had a very good election. Support for the cross-community centrist party has surged at recent elections in Northern Ireland and all opinion polls indicate that rise is set to continue. It has long been the smallest of the five main Stormont parties but a good showing on May 5 could see it leap above the UUP and SDLP to become the third largest party. Leader Naomi Long claims a big result for Alliance can herald the end of a political system based on binary division. Stormont currently uses a community designation method that effectively hands blocs of unionists or nationalists a veto in contentious votes. That means parties that designate as neither, such as Alliance, the Greens and People Before Profit (PBP), cannot influence votes where the results are determined by how many unionists and nationalists support or reject a proposal. The Greens are confident of retaining their two seats and PBP its single seat in west Belfast. Both parties would need to have a very good day to make gains. A strong showing overall for the parties that make up the designation known as the others would undoubtedly strengthen the hand of those calling for reforms they claim are needed to reflect adequately the increasing diversity in Northern Ireland society. A Waco man, who fired on police when they approached a home to arrest him last month, now faces five more charges of attempted capital murder stemming from that shootout, affidavits show. Kevin Dwayne Kirven, 37, of Waco, received arraignment Thursday on five additional attempted capital murder charges stemming from the events of March 29, when police say he fired on six peace officers as they went to arrest him, records show. Police charged Kirven with attempted murder of one of the peace officers the next day, court records show. That day he was also arraigned on on five domestic violence related warrants from Lacy Lakeview and Waco, records show. On the evening of March 29, officers with the U.S. Marshalls Lone Star Fugitive Task Force observed a home in the 3700 block of Hay Avenue in Waco looking for Kirven, an affidavit says. To protect the identities of the officers, the affidavit refers to them as Officers A, B, C, D, E and F. Watching the home, Officer A saw a subject enter who looked like Kirven, the affidavit states. Additional officers gathered to arrest Kirven. A voice from inside the home called out that he had hostages, according to the affidavit. Officers then observed several people leaving the house. None of those leaving the home looked like Kirven. As six officers approached the home, Kirven fired numerous rounds in their direction, the affidavit states. Officers A and B were at the front doorway when they were shot at from within the home, and Officer A received a shrapnel injury, the affidavit states. Officer C, standing to the west of the doorway, saw a person inside the home point a guy in his direction, the affidavit states. During another volley of gunfire from inside the home, Officer C saw rounds strike the ground in front of him. This volley of gunfire also struck near Officer D, the affidavit states. Further to the west of the doorway than Officer C, Officers E and F also observed rounds strike near them, according to the affidavit. Officers returned fire toward where they saw Kirven in the home and called for backup, police officials said at the time. As Kirven barricaded himself in the home, two area SWAT teams, one of which included a bomb squad, arrived for back up, police said at the time. Following a 90-minute standoff, during which a Waco police negotiator talked with Kirven, he eventually surrendered peacefully, a Waco police spokesperson said at the time. During the negotiation Kirven and the assembled officers exchanged no further violence. After officers took him into custody and read him his rights, Kirven agreed to talk with investigators. The affidavit says Kirven admitted at the time that he knew he was wanted and that he fired with his own guns at the officers he knew were trying to arrest him. According to police, Kirven said he would have tried to kill officers if he had a clean shot. McLennan County Jail records show Kirven held Friday on about $4.3 million bail for the six attempted capital murder charges and other charges. The other charges include a criminally negligent homicide charge from Tarrant County and the five domestic violence related charges from Lacy Lakeview and Waco. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Transformation Wacos continued operation of five Waco Independent School District schools through June 15, 2024, was sealed in writing Thursday when Waco ISD trustees approved a contract amendment in a 3-2 vote. The amendment, proposed last month by Transformation Waco officials but tabled by Waco ISD trustees at the time, extends the current contract and changes some of the measures used to evaluate student and Transformation Waco performance. Compared to an alternative proposal, it also allows more time for a school failing state standards to turn around under Transformation Waco direction before Waco ISD could pull it back under direct district administration. Under the approved amendment, a school would essentially have to fail state ratings three years and continue under Transformation Waco for a fourth year before shifting back to Waco ISD, while under the alternative proposal, a school that failed ratings three years could be back under Waco ISD administration the next school year. Under the alternative proposal, two schools that failed state standards last time they were assigned could have been back to Waco ISD by the 2023-24 school year if they did not improve their score in the meantime. The alternative amendment the board did not approve was recommended by Waco ISD administrators after discussion this month between Waco ISD Superintendent Susan Kincannon and Transformation Waco CEO Robin McDurham. Both proposals included a two-year contract extension. Some trustees said the shorter timeline for pulling a struggling out of Transformation Waco would give Waco ISD more time, two years instead of one, to help the school avoid reaching five consecutive years of failing state standards. At that point, the state could intervene with options that include closure of the school or replacement of the school board with an appointed board of directors. Waco ISD and community nonprofit Proper Waco created Transformation Waco in 2018 as a special charter system focused on turning around schools with years of low academic performance through supplemental funding and resources including social services and support personnel. Transformation Waco includes Alta Vista Elementary School, Brook Avenue Elementary School, J.H. Hines Elementary School, G.W. Carver Middle School and Indian Spring Middle School. When Transformation Waco was formed, the five schools were nearing the point of potential closure by the state. But improved scores at the schools before Transformation Waco was up and running meant none ended up requiring the protection from state closure that Transformation Waco was conceived to provide. The original contract between the charter and Waco ISD was set up to automatically renew with the approval of their two boards. The Texas Education Agency ruled last year it would not accept automatic renewals, meaning a contract revision was needed to avoid the risk of Transformation Waco losing the $1.8 million in state funds it had received this school year. At Thursdays meeting, board President Angela Tekell moved consideration of the administrations amendment from the meetings consent agenda, where multiple items are approved in a group without discussion, to open discussion. Trustee Keith Guillory moved the board approve the amendment tabled the month before, not the administrations amendment, and Trustee Jeremy Davis seconted the motion. After sometimes spirited discussion over the differences between the two proposed amendments, trustees voted 3-2 to pass the earlier amended contract. Guillory, Davis and Jose Vidana voted for the amendment, and Stephanie Korteweg and Tekell voted against it. Trustee Emily Iazzetti was not at Thursdays meeting. In the discussion on the amendments, Korteweg said Waco ISD trustees and the district unanimously support Transformation Waco and its efforts, and that characterizations that paint the two entities in opposition are incorrect. I want to clarify that no one is against the Transformation zone, she said. I would love for the adults in our community to put aside what seems like divisive, polarizing narratives and come together. We have to move forward in partnership. She said the issue that concerns her is the potential under state law for the Waco ISD board to be suspended if any of the districts schools, including the Transformation Waco schools, fails state standards for five years. Tekell said trustees had directed Kincannon to work with McDurham on a contract amendment and both administrators had approved the one presented Thursday night. Tekell said it is disheartening and troubling that there is a perception the board does not support Transformation Waco. Guillory, who brought up the March proposal for consideration during this weeks meeting, said Friday that after the March board meeting he talked with Transformation Waco school officials and community leaders, attended school board candidate forums and saw student performance data. That provided the clarity and information I was seeking, Guillory said. I found overwhelming support from the community and think it (the approved contract) will allow them (Transformation Waco) to move out of the pandemic. I believe moving forward we can support Transformation Waco the way we should. In a statement released Friday, McDurham said, Were grateful for the Waco ISD School Boards decision to extend our contract. Our strategy will continue to be treating schools as neighborhood hubs that bring together academics, youth development, family and community engagement with an infusion of wraparound health and social services. Transformation schools J.H. Hines Elementary School and G.W. Carver Middle School have an F school performance rating from the state in 2019. Pandemic disruptions led state education officials to pause school ratings for two years, 2020 and 2021, but they will return for 2022, although schools rated D or F will receive an NR instead as another concession to the pandemics deep impact on student instruction. The next round of school ratings are expected Aug. 15. Under the contract amendment recommended by the administration but not approved by the board, an NR rating for Carver or J.H. Hines this summer followed by a failing grade in 2023 could have opened the door for Waco ISD to consider returning a failing school to district management in the fall of 2023. That would have allowed Waco ISD to intervene, should trustees wish, earlier in hopes of forestalling state action, Waco ISD Chief of Staff Kyle DeBeer said Friday. Further complicating the issue is Carvers next two years. The schools building burned in a July 27 fire, forcing a merger this year with Indian Spring Middle School at that campus until a new school funded from a $350 million bond issue is completed by fall 2023. Next year Carver and Indian Spring students will attend the same campus although test scores and other student academic information will be maintained separately for the two student populations, DeBeer said. In discussion Thursday night, Davis said that in two years time Carver students had experience a principals death, the loss of a school building, merger with another school and ongoing pandemic disruptions. That merited more time for Transformation Waco to continue its work and the outside resources, from funding to support specialists, it brings. Other trustees agreed and the earlier contract amendment passed. DeBeer said Friday that both amendments had state approval, removing the possible challenge to the $1.8 million in state funding for Transformation Waco already funded. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Legendary Tribune-Herald outdoors editor Earl Golding likely had no idea the bass tournament he put together at Lake Whitney back in 1955 to settle the debate about who was the best angler in the state would still be going strong all these years later. At the time, Whitney was a newly impounded lake, and everybody was learning how to fish it. Golding publicized the tournament, and 73 out of the 75 teams invited showed up to prove themselves at the Waco Tribune-Herald Invitational. Seeing the success of that first tournament and the potential for bigger things, Golding organized the Texas State Bass Tournament in 1956, and the flower of competitive tournament fishing started to bloom. In the decades that followed, competitive fishing would explode into a multibillion dollar industry. The Texas State Bass Tournament will return to Whitney on Saturday and Sunday, and anglers from around the state will compete in numerous divisions for awards and, most importantly, bragging rights. Tournament representative Scott Burns, of Tyler, said the Texas State Bass Tournament is as much about getting together with old friends as it is about the competition. The tournament brings not only the opportunity to fish with some amazing anglers, but to reconnect with some amazing people, Burns said. Some of our competitors have been fishing it for more than fifty years, and theres almost a family get-together feel to it, sort of like a Texas-style family reunion. Unlike club tournaments, no membership is required to take part in the fishing. This is an open tournament format. So anybody can enter and compete, and I want to invite everyone to come out and fish it, Burns said. Weve had up to 300 boats in the tournament, and with all the categories we offer, including a new kayak division, anybody can compete. The tournament has added divisions over the years, and in 1975, 1,285 anglers participated, which was an all-time record for competitors in a single bass tournament. As interest increased, organizers expanded from Central Texas-area lakes to other reservoirs around the state. Golding, through the sponsorship of the Tribune-Herald, served as tournament director for 25 years before handing the leadership baton to Skeeter Boats, and eventually, a tournament committee was formed and took over management. Since the 1970s, the tournament has overwhelmingly been held at lakes in deep East Texas, mainly Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn. Burns said bringing it home to where it began is as much about economics as sentimentality, which is no surprise considering the growth in Central Texas. It is in easy driving distance of Dallas, Waco and Austin, along with many rural towns that are brimming with talented and competitive anglers. In addition to the newly formed Kayak Division, anglers can compete in the Individual, Team, Couples, Senior Team, Adult/Boy, Adult/Girl, and Bass Club Top 6, which allows clubs to send their best six to compete. A Big Bass award will be included for both boaters and kayakers. The top five finishers in each division are awarded, so you can come fish and write your place in history in the worlds oldest fishing tournament, Burns said. Divisional winners will be eligible for cash drawings, and the Top 6 Division champs will win free entry in the 2022 Fun-N-Sun BCT Top 6 Tournament. Participants or their delegates are required to check in at the Lofers Bend Day Use Park pavilion between 4 and 9 p.m. Friday, April 29, to register. Fishing will start at 6:30 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, with weigh-in beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Cost is $60 for individuals and $70 per team. Participants will get a complimentary gift bag that includes Strike King tackle, a fishing hat and towel and a Saturday evening meal. For more information, go to texasstatebass.com or Texas State Bass Tournament social media pages. The recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia is generating questions regarding how important Russia is to the Texas economy, particularly as policies restricting trade and investment interactions are contemplated. The short answer: not very. Texas trade with Russia (both imports and exports) was just over $6 billion in 2021, only 0.87% of overall Texas global trade. Of the $657.4 million in Texas exports to Russia, the largest categories were machinery (largely oilfield equipment), transportation equipment, computer and electronic products, and chemicals. Texas imported nearly $5.4 billion in commodities, with over 90% being crude and refined petroleum products. The oil imports likely stem primarily from the fact that refineries are designed for specific types and combinations of crude, and Russian products are often included. However, this pattern will likely change as refineries adapt to higher U.S. production levels and convert to cleaner crude options available from the Permian Basin and Gulf of Mexico. The refined products (over 76% of total Russian imports) could easily be supplied by producers within the state using Texas natural resources (in turn, generating economic benefits). Any economic stimulus leads to dynamic responses across the economy. For trade, exports involve business activity in Texas to produce and transport the commodities. Imports create downstream effects as they are transported and sold or used in additional production. There are also indirect effects through the supply chain and consumer/induced impacts as earnings throughout the production process are spent. When multiplier effects are considered, Texas-Russia trade generates no more than $6.9 billion in annual Texas gross product and 81,348 jobs (and probably much less), with imports comprising the bulk of benefits (primarily through the sale of finished goods). For perspective, total effects comprise only 0.38% of gross state product, 0.35% of earnings and 0.63% of employment. Moreover, we have ready markets for these exports and sources for imports elsewhere. Thus, the true impact would be negligible. Another issue is whether public entity investments in Russia should be divested and, if so, what consequences would occur. Data related to investments is limited. We do know, however, that U.S. foreign direct investment in Russia is miniscule, only 0.2% of the total. Available information indicates that for various large Texas public pension funds, well under 1% of investments are linked to Russia, and divesting (which may well happen in any case due to increased risk) should not have any material impact on returns. It is generally preferable to allow markets to determine where goods are exchanged and money flows, but there are times when humanitarian and geopolitical considerations merit exceptions. Given the size and scope of the Texas economy, severing remaining ties with Russia would not have notable effects on long-term growth. Economist Ray Perryman is president and CEO of the Perryman Group, an economic research group and analysis firm based in Waco. INDEPENDENCE A 15-year-old boy was arrested Friday after allegedly leading police on a high speed chase through Independence toward Rowley. He was charged with eluding, reckless driving, careless driving, and third degree criminal mischief. Police say an officer attempted to stop the vehicle at about 3 p.m. near the 1800 block of West First Street, reportedly because of an equipment violation. Instead, the driver continued on his way, refusing to stop at signs while traveling at excessive speeds, and through private property within the Prairie Hills Assisted Living Facility on Enterprise Drive. Process begins for Bremer County property value reappraisal The new property values, along with the municipal-set levy and the state-set rollbacks, impact how much an owner pays in city, school and county property taxes. Police located the vehicle in the 2400 block of 290th Street. The driver and a juvenile passenger were detained. No injuries or collisions were reported. The Independence Police Department was assisted by the Buchanan County Sheriffs Office, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO A Friday night fishing excursion turned out to be yet another example of an adventure on the Cedar River for two best friends after they possibly saved the life of a man who was floating on the waterway inside a car. Bryan Olson and Rodney Barnes of Cedar Falls almost didnt venture out from the Sherwood Park boat ramp to catfish because of the weather. But they ended up going out anyway and coming across the taillights of a floating, four-door vehicle with a man inside. They made their way to the middle of the river, where they found the water was up to the mans ankles, and he still had his seatbelt on, they said. Olson and Barnes managed to pull him out through the car window, which was already open when they arrived, and get him onto their fishing boat. About 15 minutes after the rescue, the car was almost completely submerged in the river. The friends feared he could have gotten hypothermia, or even died if the vehicle had reached the Sans Souci Island wing dam because of its turbulence and suction. He was going to die, said Olson without hesitation. Process begins for Bremer County property value reappraisal The new property values, along with the municipal-set levy and the state-set rollbacks, impact how much an owner pays in city, school and county property taxes. They called 911 at about 9:20 p.m. Olson and Barnes had already brought the man ashore by the time first responders arrived on scene. Not shaken up at all, the buddies continued to fish later into the evening. It was a weird situation, said Waterloo Fire Rescue Captain Kevin Lee. The man was very lucky they were there. The fishermen described the man as discombobulated when they found him. He supposedly drove the car down the parks boat ramp for an unknown reason, and couldnt stop it before the waters edge. Its not the first adventure for Olson and Barnes. The said they found a dead body when they were out on the water in Des Moines. And they helped a boat escape a log jam in a similar spot along the Cedar River. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Olena Koval found out that her husband was dead via text message. He was shot by Russian soldiers inside their home in Bucha while she was sheltering nearby, their neighbors told Human Rights Watch. In the days that followed, despite the brutal cold and her spinal disability, she made repeated attempts to recover his body but was turned back each time by the soldiers threats. As the atrocities escalated, Olena fled Bucha to save her remaining family. Before their departure, she left a note with a neighbor that marked where her husbands body was, hoping someone could give him a burial. War is synonymous with death, but its emotional toll extends beyond the loss of life. The inability to say farewell to ones loved ones and lay them to rest can often be just as painful. Humans have always cared for their dead so much that archaeologists often consider mortuary rites among the traits that distinguish Homo sapiens from other species. In other words, it is a fundamental part of being human. Paying respect Humans close relatives also showed concern for the dead. The Neanderthals practiced burials, and other extinct hominids probably did too. Even chimpanzees appear to grieve over deceased relatives. But no other species goes to such extraordinary lengths to care for its dead. As an anthropologist, I have spent two decades studying rituals, particularly those that can seem extreme. At first glance, these customs seem puzzling: They appear to have no direct benefits but can feel utterly meaningful. A closer look, however, shows that these seemingly senseless acts express deeper, profoundly human needs. Take funerary rites. There is a practical need to dispose of a dead body, but most burial customs go far beyond that requirement. Among the Toraja people of Indonesia, for example, deceased family members are kept in their homes for months or even years. During that time, their relatives treat them as if they were still living: They offer them food, change their clothes, and bring them the latest gossip. Even after their funeral, their mummified bodies are exhumed, dressed up, and paraded around town on ceremonial occasions. The Toraja are not alone. In Madagascar, I have visited communities where people lived in fragile reed huts, at the mercy of frequent deadly cyclones, as the only robust brick-and-mortar buildings in the area were used as tombs. And in the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, the architectural masterpieces carved into the rock by the Nabataeans two millennia ago were resting places for the dead. Those practices may seem like outliers, but they are not. In all cultures, people clean, protect, embellish and carefully deposit their dead. Muslims wash and shroud the body before interring it. Hindus may bathe it with milk, honey and ghee and adorn it with flowers and essential oils before cremation. Jews keep watch over the deceased from the time of death until the burial. And many Christians hold wakes at which family members gather to pay tribute to the deceased. Creating closure Funerary rites are ostensibly about the dead. But their importance lies in the roles they play for the living: They allow them to grieve, seek comfort, face the reality of death and find the strength to move on. They are deeply human acts, which is why being deprived of them can feel devastating and dehumanizing. This is what is happening in Ukraine. In besieged cities, people cannot retrieve the bodies of their loves ones from the streets out of fear of being killed. In other cases, Ukrainian officials have accused the Russian army of burying victims in mass graves to hide war crimes. Even when they are retrieved, many of the corpses have been mutilated, making them difficult to identify. To people who have lost their loved ones, the lack of a proper send-off can feel like a second loss. The need for closure is widely recognized to be indispensable not only by anthropologists and psychologists, but also first responders, governments and international organizations. This is why armies go to great lengths to return the remains of fallen soldiers to their families, even if that takes decades. The right to a burial is acknowledged even for ones foes. The Geneva Convention stipulates that belligerents must ensure that the bodies of enemies are honorably interred and that their graves are respected and properly maintained and marked so that they may always be found. Given the importance of those rites, it is also striking that the Russian defense ministry has reportedly been reluctant to bring their own dead back home, because they are concerned with covering up the scale of the losses. This seeming indifference to the suffering of Russias own people and their need for closure may be yet another act of dehumanization. ___ Explore the intersection of faith, politics, arts and culture. Sign up for This Week in Religion. Dimitris Xygalatas 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. ___ Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Seventy-six: It's the number of tornadoes the Jackson, Mississippi, area experienced in less than five weeks. Seventy-six. "I know I'm fatigued by it and I'm sure others are," said Hunter Dickerson, a lifelong Jackson resident and recent storm victim. "Every Wednesday for the past month has been either a tornado warning or watching the news to see if you need to get your safe spot," he recalled. From March 22 through April 17, there were storms each week. "We've had one of the most active springs so far in recorded history, as far as the number of tornadoes that have been documented," said Eric Carpenter, National Weather Service meteorologist in Jackson. "I've been in this office about 25 years now. And this is definitely one of the busier stretches I've endured." His office has put out 70 tornado warnings since March 22, far more than any other NWS office in the country. Carpenter told me on the phone in some cases the office is still surveying the tornado damage from the previous week, and then the next round of storms comes through. "The folks who live here are accustomed to periods of real active weather," Carpenter acknowledged. "But this definitely has been more active than typical." An above-average season In fact, nationwide, the tornado count is way up compared to the average. So far this year, the U.S. has had 562 preliminary tornado reports. On average, we typically see 426 at this point in the year. I spoke with Bill Bunting, chief of forecast operations at the Storm Prediction Center, a few weeks ago about how storms have been hitting the same areas week after week. He explained the placement of the jet stream is driving the storms, and how storms following similar patterns is not as uncommon as you might think. "The atmosphere has a fairly chaotic component to it, but it does occasionally get into patterns where we see this repeatability. We've seen it in all seasons," Bunting explained. "And unfortunately, for the past month, the pattern that we're in is one of periodic, fairly low latitude, upper-level storm systems moving across the southern U.S." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Fast Forward to Fascism: https://www.rt.com/shows/documentary/554728-ukraine-ideology-fast-forward/ The nationalist movement in Ukraine didnt just happen. Its been nurtured by western curators and supported by western funds. By the beginning of the Maidan, a network of neo-nazi units was already up and running. The Ukrainian government didnt prosecute them, and there were no repercussions. Ready and able military and terrorist units dispersed and showed up at anti-Maidan meetings in Ukrainian cities. One of its goals was to form an ideology that would dehumanise Russians and break all ties. Initially, Russians werent seen as a minority in Ukraine, but the anti-Russian sentiment gradually became overwhelming. Nationalists led a campaign on social media, launching a targeted communication battle against the Russian people. The Ukrainian nationalist movement wasnt formed in a day; it has been building up for decades. How was it created? Learn in the premiere Fast Forward to Fascism. WtR Russian special operation in Ukraine contributes to the liberation of the world from the oppression of the West Lavrov It is obvious that the attempts of the collective West to interfere with the natural course of history, to solve their problems at the expense of others, are doomed. Todays world has several decision-making centers, it is multipolar. We see how the states of Asia, Africa, Latin America are developing dynamically. Real freedom is emerging for everyone choice, including ways of development and participation in integration projects. Our special military operation in Ukraine also contributes to the process of liberating the world from the neo-colonial oppression of the West, heavily implicated in racism and an exclusiveness complex, the Russian Foreign Minister said in an interview. WtR Sweden to Bypass Referendum on NATO Citizens will not be given a choice Stockholm will not hold a public vote on joining the military alliance, if parliament approves the measure. Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson said it would be a bad idea to have a referendum. I dont think it is an issue that is suitable for a referendum, the Swedish leader told reporters, implying that Parliaments support was sufficient. There is a lot of information about national security that is confidential, so there are important issues in such a referendum that cannot be discussed and important facts that cannot be put on the table, she explained. A majority of Parliament is reportedly backing NATO membership, while Anderssons own party, the Social Democrats, is considered the primary obstacle to Stockholm signing on to the 30-country alliance. Sweden and Finland are planning to simultaneously submit membership applications to NATO in mid-May, local media have reported, citing government sources. RT t.me/rtnews WtR Appeal of a captured AFU soldier to his former comrades-in-arms: Waste of people. Its the governments fault Every day more and more Ukrainian soldiers voluntarily surrender. They declare their unwillingness to fight, blaming the US and their government. All of them emphasise the good attitude of the Russian servicemen towards them. #MoD #Russia #Ukraine @mod_russia_enjoy WtR Appeal of a captured AFU soldier to his former comrades-in-arms: We were abandoned by our own commanders Every day more and more Ukrainian soldiers voluntarily surrender. They declare their unwillingness to fight, blaming the US and their government. All of them emphasise the good attitude of the Russian servicemen towards them. #MoD #Russia #Ukraine @mod_russia_enjoy WtR STATE OF NEW MEXICO IN THE PROBATE COURT BERNALILLO COUNTY Case No. 2022-0405 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MILDRED L. SWITENDICK, DECEASED. NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Michael Bittner has been appointed personal representative of the estate of the decedent. All persons having claims against the estate of the decedent are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the first publication of any published notice of creditors or sixty (60) days after the date of mailing or other delivery of this notice, whichever is later, or the claims will be forever barred. Claims must be presented either to the undersigned attorney for the Personal Representative, or filed with the Probate Court of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, located at the following address: One Civic Plaza NW, 6th Floor, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102. Dated: April 12, 2022 /s/Adrian Terry Adrian Terry, Esq. The Terry Firm, LLC P.O. Box 846 Edgewood, NM 87015 (505) 336-1290 (505) 281-3398 Fax adrian@terryfirm.net Attorney for Personal Representative Journal: April 15, 22, 29, 2022 Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal City officials have repeatedly budgeted enough money to pay for at least 1,100 officers in the Albuquerque Police Department, something Mayor Tim Keller wants to do again in the coming fiscal year. But even Police Chief Harold Medina is acknowledging that number is likely unrealistic. APD which has struggled to hire enough to make up for retirements and other departures has 878 sworn officers as of this week, according to an APD presentation during Thursdays City Council budget hearing. The fiscal year 2023 budget Keller has proposed to the council would cover 1,100 officers out of the citys general fund and 40 more with grant money. However, APD estimates that it will finish FY 2023 with just 982 officers, Medina said. Since budgeted officer positions are worth $105,000 apiece, that means millions of dollars in unspent salaries could accrue. But Medina said APD intends to use some of the money to hire more police service aides. We know thats the best pipeline for us to add officers to this department, Medina told the council. The vast majority of our police service aides become officers. The department aims to have 96 PSAs by the end of next year. It has 39 today, according to the presentation. The officer salary savings also will provide APD some flexibility to hire civilians for certain tasks that do not require a sworn officer such as scouring social media accounts for evidence something the department is doing with more regularity. Its going to be very difficult for us to get to 1,100 (officers), Medina said in an interview. But we want to start laying the groundwork with extra PSAs and helping find proper support for our officers. But the unspent officer salary money will not go exclusively to other forms of manpower. City finance officials said Kellers 2023 plan assumes using about $7.2 million in budgeted officer salaries for non-personnel operating costs. Should the city somehow exceed hiring expectations, it would have to find another way to pay those operating expenses. City Councilor Dan Lewis pushed APD for clarity on that budgeting strategy during Thursdays meeting. I think its good for us to understand this is not a budget that (actually) funds 1,100 police officers, he said. Kellers 2023 budget proposal which is now winding through the councils review and amendment process is not necessarily unusual, as the city has consistently set aside money for more officers than the number it actually employs. With the 2022 budget, Medina said that financial cushion helped cover a union-negotiated 8% officer pay increase that took effect in January and was not otherwise funded. But Lewis said he wanted more detail about how APD which has hundreds fewer officers than the present years budget assumed has used all of those 2022 savings before the council approves a similar budget for FY 2023. Were going to give you (money for) 1,100 officers this year; were going to fund (that) just like we did last year. Were continuing to do that, but I think at the very least what this council is going to need and want is a very specific breakdown of where those salary savings went because we didnt hire those officers, he said. Those questions have emerged in the past. Even prior to Lewis current tenure on the council, Councilors Pat Davis and Isaac Benton had begun pursuing additional information about how APD and the mayoral administration more generally apply the salary savings that accrue each year, since the moves do not always require City Council or public vetting. In 2021, Davis and Benton introduced legislation that would have meant more council oversight. They ultimately withdrew it with the understanding the Keller administration would give the legislative body regular money-movement reports. Davis said in Thursdays meeting that the council had yet to receive any such reports. But he said he was pleased at APDs forthrightness during this years budget process. Were being more transparent with the public about what were trying to do (by saying) We want to get (1,100 officers). Were not there yet. Heres how we intend upfront to use the savings,' Davis said during the hearing. I appreciate that because in the old days we knew there were $20-$30 million dollars in there of money we werent going to get to (spending on planned staffing), and it really was a black hole. Thursday was the first of three public hearings the council is holding on the FY 2023 budget. Kellers proposal totals $1.4 billion including $841.8 million in general fund spending but the council can make changes before approving the final version. New Mexico State Police say an off-duty officer critically injured a suspected shoplifter during an exchange of gunfire Friday night outside the Cabelas in Northeast Albuquerque. State Police Chief Tim Johnson said the officer is OK and the man he shot is at University of New Mexico Hospital. Johnson did not say how many times the officer fired or if he identified himself beforehand. Whether hes in uniform or not, if he identified himself hes working, Johnson said. Im certain he was just trying to do his part for his community. Johnson said it began around 8:30 p.m. when a man tried to shoplift ammo from Cabelas near Paseo del Norte and Jefferson. He said employees escorted the man outside before he pointed a gun at them. We had an officer who was here, he was off-duty shopping, Johnson said. He said the officer witnessed the initial altercation and he went to confront the man outside. Johnson said the man pointed a gun at the officer and the two fired at each other. The man was struck by gunfire. The exact timeline of who fired first or how many (shots) we obviously wont know that right way, he said. Johnson also said a person in a vehicle that was with the man at the time fled the scene and they are looking for the driver. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Santa Fe police arrested two men accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of paintings before trying to sell them back to the owner. Ian Marlin, 32, and Scott Chambers, 39, are each charged with conspiracy and receiving or transferring stolen property worth over $20,000. Marlin, who allegedly tried to flee the sting operation on a stolen bike, is also charged with receiving stolen property over $5,000, extortion, resisting, evading or obstructing an officer, and drug possession. It is unclear if either man has an attorney. Chambers has no arrests in the past two decades, but Marlins criminal history includes several arrests for charges related to burglary, larceny, drug possession, auto theft and criminal damage to property, according to court records. All of the past cases ended in a dismissal. Childrens book writer and illustrator Gianna Marino made a public plea earlier this month when the penguin paintings were stolen, searching pawn shops and even offering a reward in the newspaper. I never thought I would see them again Im thrilled, Marino told the Journal Friday. She said about six months of work went into the stolen paintings, one of which is still missing. Marino has published 16 books and said these latest illustrations are for an upcoming book on emperor penguins dedicated to her late mother. She first filed a police report on April 3 that 20 paintings worth $30,000 had been stolen from her car. On April 27, Marina received a text message from someone saying they had bought the stolen art by mistake and would return it for a reward she posted in the paper, according to a criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court. If you involve the police Ill surely not give you this opportunity, the message read, according to police. Im just trying to do whats right and what I hope someone would do for me. Court records state the person offered to meet at Fort Marcy Park on Wednesday and police set up the sting operation: Canvass Recovery. Marlin and Chambers showed up around 4 p.m. at the meeting spot and police moved in to arrest them. Chambers was arrested and found to be holding a plastic bag with the paintings inside, according to police. Marlin fled on a mountain bike, but was arrested soon after. Police said Chambers told them he didnt do anything and was carrying the paintings for Marlin, a high school friend. Marlin refused to speak with officers. Court records state police found methamphetamine and fentanyl pills in Marlins pocket and discovered the $1,000 bike he was riding had been stolen the day before. The long-dormant Kellys Brew Pub in Nob Hill will soon be showing signs of life with Mtuccis readying to open their new location in the former brewery this month. Its gonna be full of life and energy and that was really our goal from the beginning was just to really bring something here that could be transformative for this area and build on what was already here, said John Haas, Mtuccis Restaurants managing partner. Mtuccis Bar Roma, at 3222 Central SE, opens Wednesday. Haas said the restaurants menu and its name was inspired by a company trip to Rome. During the trip, Haas and several employees got the chance to sample local foods for menu inspiration, which will feature classic Roman dishes like aglio e olio, a pasta made with olive oil and garlic, cacio e pepe ravioli, and dishes with octopus. Mtuccis Bar Roma executive chef Damien Lucero said traditional ingredients used in Roman cooking, like artichokes, will be sprinkled throughout the menu. Though the restaurant is focusing part of the menu on Roman fare, entree items available at other locations will make an appearance. Haas said the new restaurants menu will emphasize small dishes and charcuterie options that will be assembled at a central charcuterie station by a specialized chef. There will be a chef out here that works and does all of the charcuterie, puts out some cold appetizers, desserts, and if youre sitting here, obviously hell pass it to you, Haas said. Our idea was really to focus on the charcuterie side and I mean thats obviously a big part of Italian culture, not just in Rome. Aside from the menu, the newly renovated 9,500-square-foot restaurant also took inspiration from Rome with the outdoor seating area and arch motifs throughout the building, Haas said. I think we try to pull on kind of some old things, old architecture things, like putting in these archways and youll see a lot of archways throughout it, he said. He said the patio, which can seat around 130 people, will be full of greenery to create an al fresco dining area to make it more of a park and less of a parking lot. The new restaurant also features a near 100-foot-long bar which seats about 40 people. We wanted to give people a large area to go out and have drinks, Haas said. Austin Leard, Mtuccis partner and beverage coordinator, said the drink menu will lean into the Italian influence by offering slightly more bitter and spirit-forward drinks than those typically seen in American bars. Other Mtuccis drinks, like their shrubs, will be available to order in addition to the new cocktails. Mtuccis Bar Roma will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. For more information, visit mtuccis.com. Precision Medical Hair Restoration and Aesthetics, a new medical practice dedicated to helping patients with hair loss, is now open and accepting clients. The clinic, located at 5111 San Mateo NE, opened in mid-February, and according to its founder, Dr. Christopher Plaman, is the first practice in New Mexico solely dedicated to hair loss. Plaman, a University of New Mexico Medical School graduate, said he chose to focus on hair restoration during his residency in San Diego. During that time, he said he came across a specialist in that area and soon realized that hair restoration patients were coming out of their procedures happier than any other patients he had seen. Its honestly a really incredible gift to be able to help people, Plaman said. I saw the patients were coming in after the surgery follow-up and they were the happiest patients Ive seen. They felt like they were like a new person again. He said he decided to start his practice in New Mexico since he was raised in Albuquerque and realized there were few hair restoration options available to people in the state. About 60% of his clients are local, but the remaining clients often come from other states, he said. Plaman said that since a persons hair is often integral to how they perceive themself, hair restoration procedures can often lead to dramatic improvements in quality of life through an increase of confidence. He said that hair loss is more common than most people think nearly 80% of men and about 50% of women deal with hair loss in their lifetimes and for some patients, hair loss can begin at an early age. We see a wide range of patients, Plaman said. Typically we treat adults, but a lot of times Ill have parents come in and theyre also like hey, what can I do for my teenager, and make sure that they dont experience the same hair loss that I have.' His practice uses a combination of techniques to combat hair loss like topical treatments, injectable treatments and hair transplants using a machine that utilizes artificial intelligence to select and harvest individual hair follicles. The main machine the practice uses for hair transplant operations, the Artas iX Robotic Hair Restoration, is also the only one of its kind in all of New Mexico, according to Plaman. Hair restoration services can range from under $100 for certain prescription medications to over $10,000 for hair transplant operations. Plaman said consultations are free, but services are not covered by insurance. Visit PrecisionMedicalHair.com for more information. ATLANTA Add one more group of contests to the white-hot races for Congress and governor that will dominate this years midterm elections: secretaries of state. Former President Donald Trumps attempts to reverse the results of the 2020 election and his subsequent endorsements of candidates for state election offices who are sympathetic to his view have elevated those races to top-tier status. At stake, say Democrats and others concerned about fair elections, is nothing less than American democracy. If they win the general election, weve got real problems on our hands, said former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, a Republican who has pushed back against the false claims made by Trump and his allies about widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. This is an effort to replace the people who oversee these races to change the rules to make the results come out the way they want them to. The primary season begins in force in the coming week with elections in Ohio and Indiana. Ohio voters will decide which candidate will emerge from the Republican primary for secretary of state, with the winner favored to eventually win the office in the GOP-dominated state. Primaries for the top election offices will follow over the next few weeks in Nebraska, Idaho, Alabama and the presidential battleground of Georgia. While Indiana also holds a primary Tuesday, nominees for secretary of state and some other offices wont be decided until party conventions in June. In all, voters in about two dozen states will be deciding who will be their states next chief election official this year. In three politically important states Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas the position will be filled by whoever wins the governors race. In New Hampshire, the decision will be made by the state Legislature currently controlled by Republicans. States United Action, a nonpartisan advocacy organization co-founded by Whitman, has been tracking secretary of state races and identified nearly two dozen Republican candidates who deny the results of the 2020 presidential election. That includes John Adams, a former state lawmaker challenging Ohios incumbent secretary of state, Frank LaRose, in Tuesdays GOP primary. Adams has said theres no way that Trump lost and said LaRose wasnt any different than Stacey Abrams, a Democrat and national voting rights advocate who is running for governor in Georgia. LaRose hasnt talked much about the 2020 election in the campaign other than to say it was secure in Ohio and to tout his offices pursuit of voter fraud cases. This marked a departure following the 2020 vote in which he praised the work of bipartisan election officials in running a smooth election, promoted voter access and presented statistics showing how rare voter fraud is. Earlier this year, LaRose brushed aside questions about his shifting rhetoric. Unfortunately, some people want to make a political issue out of this, he said. Of course, its right to be concerned about election integrity. The pivot was enough to earn him an endorsement from Trump, who is considering another run for president in 2024 and said LaRose was dedicated to Secure Elections. LaRose has been touting the endorsement. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, said it was important for Republican secretaries of state, in particular, to speak the truth about the 2020 election. Those secretaries who are accepting the support of election-deniers or accepting the support of a former president who openly interfered with the results of a free and fair election are abdicating their role and responsibility to stand as nonpartisan guardians and choosing to put their own partisan agendas ahead of democracy, Benson said in an interview. This year, the most high-profile races will unfold in four of the six states where Trump disputed his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Michigan. Trump has endorsed secretary of state candidates in all but one, backing those who support his false claims. There is no proof of widespread fraud or wrongdoing. Judges, including ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed by the former president and his allies after the 2020 election. Last year, an Associated Press review of every potential 2020 voter fraud case in the six states disputed by Trump found nowhere near enough cases to change the outcome. Kristina Karamo, Trumps pick in Michigan, is the first to advance to the November election after state Republicans nominated her at the partys April 23 convention. A community college professor, Karamo gained prominence after the 2020 election claiming she had seen irregularities in the processing of mail ballots while serving as an election observer in Detroit. At a rally with Trump before the convention, she accused the media of trying to demonize her, adding corruption in our elections systems is a national security threat. She will face Benson, a former law school dean seeking her second term. All one has to imagine is what it would be like or what it would have been like if Brad Raffensperger had said, Yes, I will find you those votes and deliver Georgia for you,' Benson said. Thats what could happen if you have an election denier serving as secretary of state. Raffensperger is the Republican secretary of state in Georgia who withstood enormous pressure to uphold the results of the presidential race there, won by Biden. At one point after the election, Trump called Raffensperger and asked him to find nearly 12,000 votes to overturn Bidens win. Of the 25 secretary of state races on the ballot this year, nine Republican and seven Democratic incumbents are running to keep their seats. While only one of the Democratic incumbents has drawn a challenger, seven Republican secretaries will be facing at least one GOP opponent who either denies Biden won or makes unsubstantiated claims that elections are not secure. This includes Raffensperger, who rebuffed Trumps demands and has drawn three primary challengers. Among them is one endorsed by Trump, U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, who objected to Georgias electoral votes being counted for Biden. In nine states, incumbents have opted against seeking reelection, are running for higher office or are term-limited, leaving open contests. This includes Arizona and Nevada, which hold primaries in the coming months. Both races feature Republican candidates Arizonas Mark Finchem and Nevadas Jim Marchant who have questioned the outcome of the 2020 election. Another high-profile race is unfolding in Colorado, where a Republican county clerk under indictment for a security breach of voting systems is running to challenge Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat seeking a second term. Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. She has been a frequent guest on conservative media and appeared at various events with Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and Trump ally who has sought to prove voting machines were somehow manipulated in 2020. In an interview earlier this year, Peters said she was committed to finding the truth of what happened in 2020 and hoped the powers that be instead of taking time to attack me would solve violent crime, would look into election irregularities and find the truth. Colorado Republicans will be deciding who their nominee will be in late June. Americans are going to have a very simple choice do we want people overseeing elections who believe in upholding the will of the voter regardless of how they voted? said Griswold. Or do we want extremist politicians who will do anything it takes to tilt elections in their favor and claim victory regardless of how the American people cast their ballot? ___ Associated Press writer Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal A fire burning in the Jemez has torched more than 15,000 acres, destroyed three homes and is 15% contained as of Saturday morning. Santa Fe National Forest spokeswoman Julie Overton said the Cerro Pelado Fire, which sparked on April 22, is burning seven miles east of Jemez Springs. The fire was stoked by 40 mph wind gusts Friday and spread east into Frazier Canyon and Bland Canyon, entering a burn scar from the 2011 Las Conchas Fire. Hundreds of firefighters on Saturday mopped up the northwest to southwest side of the blaze and will move east to increase containment. Overton said the cause of the fire is under investigation. The team battling the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire has come to dread Fridays, and for good reason. A week ago Friday, massive winds set off explosive growth as the Calf Canyon Fire merged with the Hermits Peak Fire into what was then a 42,000-acre blaze. Over much of the following week, crews began getting their arms around the raging beast and then came another Friday when extreme winds again caused the fire to explode and burn another 35,000 acres and cover 15 miles of ground in the course of a day. Incident commander Carl Schwope on Saturday evening said the fire could easily double in size before its contained. He warned people to be ready to evacuate if the time comes. Folks who originally saw fire way on the horizon when it started a few weeks ago, its now right here I need folks to think about that, he said. Now it may be right in your backyard and, weeks from now, maybe its in somebody elses backyard. The blaze had grown to more than 97,000 acres and was 30% contained as of Saturday evening. It has destroyed 166 homes in San Miguel County. Fire officials lamented Fridays immense fire growth in the south but touted the successes of crews holding back the blaze from communities in the north. Looking ahead, meteorologists and fire behavior analysts predicted more windy and difficult days. Schwope said as the fire moves south of Las Vegas, the smoke will be in town every night. Were still in a very dangerous fire situation. Its going to continue, theres nothing in the weather that looks like its going to change, he said as his team prepared to hand the baton to Team 2. The explosive growth Friday had New Mexico State Police officers and other members of law enforcement frantically banging on doors and telling people to flee their homes in areas not previously believed to be in play. Students at the United World College in Montezuma and residents in areas like Los Vigiles, a small community just outside Las Vegas, were among people told to leave Friday afternoon. San Miguel County Sheriff Chris Lopez said that evacuation orders will likely continue if the wind direction resumes its path from Friday as predicted. He asked that residents cooperate with those orders. Just understand that its for the best and its for keeping you all safe, he said. On Saturday, Jayson Coil, an operations section chief, said the blaze was within a half-mile of the closest structure in Mineral Hills, which had been evacuated around midnight Friday after a smoke column collapsed, sending embers and flames to the south. Its just going to be a matter of seeing how well we do versus how much energy that fire puts out. Its a bit of a race right now, Coil said. He said the goal of keeping the fire above N.M. 65 was not possible anymore and led to difficult choices. Coil said one of those choices was shifting manpower from the western wilderness side of the fire, where it had crossed Tecolote Creek, to fight the flames threatening Gallinas watershed, the Hot Springs area and nearby communities. We know how important the Gallinas watershed is to the community of Las Vegas, Coil said, adding that intense fire can turn watershed into kiln-baked clay. He noted the flames are still a ways off from Las Vegas. But Coil said crews had successes in the north where they had a heck of a firefight to keep the flames at bay near Rociada, Mora and Ledoux. He noted the threat still exists in those areas but crews had been making headway and they had a big win containing the fire near Canoncito and Manuelitas. Coil praised those crews, saying they made good decisions on the fly with limited information in chaotic environments. Crews would disengage when there was an immediate threat to their life and then as soon as that threat passed they would reengage, and that happened all across the fire (Friday) multiple times, he said. Its going to be easy when we tally this to look at the loss in acres, the loss in watershed, the loss in homes, but there was a lot of wins yesterday there was a lot of saves as they were out there working in that country. In a weekend rife with worry for the communities encroached by flames, incident meteorologist Gary Zell said the windy and dry weather isnt expected to get much better. He said winds decreased Saturday but Sunday will bring another red flag warning for the area, predicting wind gusts up to 40 mph similar to what drove the fire Friday. Zell said those winds will decrease slightly Monday before reaching critical status Tuesday and possibly into Wednesday. So we have this three-day wind event where, even though they come down, theyre not going to come down a whole lot, he said, predicting the first relief from high winds will come Thursday. Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo said the fear and uncertainty has been constant since the fire torched communities to the northwest last weekend. This feeling hasnt changed because there are still people losing their houses, you know, and their properties, he said Saturday. Its just like a recurring nightmare, actually. As opposed to last weekend, Trujillo said they now have 1,000 boots on the ground fighting the fire along with aircraft. Right now, our biggest challenge is Mother Nature and the wind, he said. They are expecting the winds to pick up again. Trujillo said a little ash had reportedly gotten into the reservoir but its still safe. If shut down, he said they have a three-day supply in storage. Trujillo called it a blessing that the winds changed and fire hadnt touched the reservoir. He recalled the Viveash Fire of 2000, which torched more than 20,000 acres and threatened the citys water supply before being snuffed out. At that time we were scrambling to see what we were going to do. However, we were blessed with that fire as well, Trujillo said, hoping for a similar outcome in this case. Meanwhile, Incident Commander for Team 2 Dave Bales said they are ready to take over. He noted, after weeks of fire fighting, there are still many challenging days ahead of us. My heart goes out to all of you. This has been a challenging event. Its unprecedented, really, in the area, Bales said. Cerro Pelado Fire A fire burning in the Jemez has torched more than 15,000 acres, destroyed three homes and is 15% contained as of Saturday morning. Santa Fe National Forest spokeswoman Julie Overton said the Cerro Pelado Fire, which sparked on April 22, is burning seven miles east of Jemez Springs. The fire was stoked by 40 mph wind gusts Friday and spread east into Frazier Canyon and Bland Canyon, entering a burn scar from the 2011 Las Conchas Fire. Hundreds of firefighters on Saturday mopped up the northwest to southwest side of the blaze and will move east to increase containment. Overton said the cause of the fire is under investigation. KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy switched into Russian in his nightly video address to urge Russian soldiers not to fight in Ukraine, saying even their generals expected that thousands of them would die. He said Russia has been recruiting new troops with little motivation and little combat experience for the units that were gutted during the early weeks of the war so these units can be thrown back into battle. He said Russian commanders fully understand that thousands of them will die and thousands more will be wounded in the coming weeks. The Russian commanders are lying to their soldiers when they tell them they can expect to be held seriously responsible for refusing to fight and then also dont tell them, for example, that the Russian army is preparing additional refrigerator trucks for storing the bodies. They dont tell them about the new losses the generals expect, Zelenskyy said late Saturday. Every Russian soldier can still save his own life. Its better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land, he said. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: Ukrainian forces fight Russias grinding advance in eastern Donbas region Wives of Mariupol defenders appeal for soldiers evacuation from final holdout Some Ukrainians go back across front line toward homes, despite dangers Ukrainian women learn how to clear land mines at course in Kosovo Angelina Jolie makes surprise Ukraine visit, meets children Follow all AP stories on Russias war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: STOCKHOLM Sweden says a Russian military plane has violated Swedish airspace. The incident happened late Friday in the Baltic Sea near the island of Bornholm. In a statement Saturday, the Swedish Armed Forces said a Russian AN-30 propeller plane flew toward Swedish airspace and briefly entered it before leaving the area. The Swedish Air Force scrambled fighter jets which photographed the Russian plane. Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told Swedish public radio that the violation was unacceptable and unprofessional. In a similar incident in early March four Russian warplanes violated Swedish airspace over the Baltic Sea. Sweden and neighboring Finland are both considering NATO membership following Russias invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has warned that such a move would have consequences, without giving specifics. ___ LONDON Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the progress of the U.N. effort to evacuate people from the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol and offered the U.K.s continued economic and humanitarian support during a talk Saturday with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskky. The prime minister reiterated that he is more committed than ever to reinforcing Ukraine and ensuring (Russian President Vladimir) Putin fails, noting how hard the Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom, Johnsons Downing Street office said. He confirmed that the UK will continue to provide additional military aid to give the Ukrainians the equipment they needed to defend themselves, the statement said. The United Nations has been attempting to broker an evacuation in the port city where some 100,000 civilians remain. Up to 1,000 civilians are living beneath a Soviet-era steel plant in Mariupol, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine has not said how many fighters are also in the plant, but the Russians put the number at about 2,000. ___ A Russian rocket attack destroyed an airport runway in Odesa, Ukraines third-largest city and a key Black Sea port, the Ukrainian army said Saturday. In a Telegram post, Ukraines Operational Command South said there was no way that the Odesa runway could be used as a result of the rocket attack. Local authorities urged residents of the area to shelter in place as Ukrainian news agency UNIAN, citing army sources, reported that several explosions were heard in Odesa. Odesas regional governor said that the rocket was fired from Russian-occupied Crimea. Maksym Marchenko said there were no reports of any injuries. Russian forces have embarked on a major military operation to seize significant parts of southern and eastern Ukraine, the countrys industrial heartland, and capture the countrys Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukraines national grid operator says it has has restored reliable power supply in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, around the site of the 1986 nuclear reactor disaster. In the afternoon, the last necessary 330 kV power transmission line was put into operation, the state-owned Ukrenergo wrote in a Telegram post Saturday. According to the same post, Ukrenergo also restored another 330 kV line in the northern Kyiv region last night, helping stabilize the energy supply in the capital. It said the reconstruction of further transmission lines in and around Kyiv remains underway. ___ KYIV The mayor of the eastern Ukrainian town of Popasna said in a video interview that two buses headed to the town to evacuate residents had been fired upon and that contact with the drivers had been lost. Yesterday we evacuated 31 people from Popasna. Many more people were waiting; for that reason we dispatched two more buses to the evacuation point, Mayor Mykola Khanatov said in an interview posted on the Telegram channel of Serhiy Haidai, the Ukrainian governor of the eastern Luhansk region. We know that (the buses) reached the town and then came under fire from an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group, Khanatov said. There is no contact with people who were inside the vehicles and were organizing the evacuation. Russian forces have embarked on a major military operation to seize significant parts of southern and eastern Ukraine, the countrys industrial heartland. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Another mass grave has been found in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the scene of alleged mass executions of civilians before its recapture by Ukrainian forces in early March, the head of Kyivs regional police force said Saturday. On April 29, a pit with the bodies of three men was found in the Bucha district, regional police chief Andriy Nebytov wrote on Facebook. The victims were tortured for a lengthy period of time. Bullet wounds were found on the extremities of their bodies. In the end, each of the men was shot through the ear. This is another mass burial made by the occupiers in the Bucha district, the long-suffering district where more than a thousand civilians have been killed and tortured, Nebytov added. According to Nebytovs post, the burial site was found in the forest near the village of Myrotske, 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of the town of Bucha. Nebytov said the three bodies were being sent for a forensic examination, following a preliminary inspection by the Kyiv regional police. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Seven Ukrainian soldiers and seven civilians have been released in a prisoner swap Saturday with Russia, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on social media. Were bringing home 14 of our people: seven military personnel and seven civilians,Vereshchuk wrote on Facebook and Telegram. To me, this exchange is special: one of the female soldiers is five months pregnant. As of Saturday afternoon, the swap had not been confirmed by official Russian sources. ___ NEW YORK Prices for Russian credit default swaps insurance contracts that protect an investor against a default plunged sharply overnight after Moscow used its precious foreign currency reserves to make a last-minute debt payment on Friday. The cost for a five-year credit default swap on Russian debt was $5.84 million to protect $10 million in debt. That price was just about half the price on Thursday, which at roughly $11 million for $10 million in debt protection was a signal that investors were certain of a Russian default. Despite the insurance contract plunge, investors remain largely convinced that Russia will eventually default on its debts for the first time since 1917. The major ratings agencies Standard & Poors and Moodys have declared Russia is in selective default on its obligations and earlier this week, the governing body over CDS contracts declared Russia in default. ___ Ukraine evacuated more people Saturday in the eastern town of Lyman in the fiercely fought-over region of Donetsk, where at least half the residents have fled Russian shelling since the start of the war. About 20 mostly elderly people boarded a minivan amid the sounds of outgoing artillery and explosions in the distance. All the shops in the almost-empty town were closed and those who decided to remain rely on aid distributed by groups including the Ukrainian Red Cross. Those who remain say they are either too old, dont know where to go or dont want to leave their homes unattended. They seek shelter in their basements whenever the shelling starts. Meanwhile, in Dobropillya, further to the west, Russian shelling hit the town on Saturday, damaging buildings and slightly injuring seven people including three children, according to authorities. Ukraines deputy agriculture minister says Russian forces are seizing vast amounts of grain in territory they hold, while its president says the war-torn country is facing fuel shortages. Today, there are confirmed facts that several hundred thousand tons of grain in total were taken out of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, minister Taras Vysotsky told Ukrainian television on Saturday. Ukraine is one of the worlds major grain producers and the Russian invasion has curtailed exports, pushing up world grain prices and raising concerns about severe grain shortages in importing countries. Ukraine is also facing fuel shortages as Russia destroys its fuel infrastructure and blocks its ports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday night. Fuel shortages have been reported in Kyiv, Dnipro and other cities. Vehicles can be seen lining up at gas stations and drivers in most places can purchase only 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of fuel at a time. Zelenskyy promised that officials would find a fuel supply system within a week or two to prevent a deficit but called it a difficult task after the refinery at Kremenchuk was hit by a Russian missile. But, Zelenskyy said, there are no immediate solutions. ___ PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron has conveyed to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy his wish to actively work to re-establish the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine during his second mandate, in coordination with allies, the presidential Elysee Palace says. Macron assured Zelenskyy in their hourlong conversation Saturday that military material and humanitarian assistance would keep flowing to Ukraine, the Elysee said. France has so far sent 615 tons of equipment and aid, including generators for hospitals, ambulances and food. France has been coy about its contribution in defensive weapons, but Macron recently mentioned Milan anti-tank missiles and a delivery of truck-mounted Caesar cannons among consequential equipment. This support will continue to strengthen, the French president told Zelenskyy, according to the Elysee. Macron was re-elected president of France six days ago. During his first term, Macron held numerous conversations with both Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin since Russias invasion Feb. 24. ___ LVIV, Ukraine Russias foreign minister says Moscow has evacuated over 1 million people from Ukraine since the war there began. The comments Saturday by Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua come as Ukraine has accused Moscow of forcefully sending Ukrainians out of the country. Lavrov said that figure included more than 300 Chinese civilians. Lavrov offered no evidence to support his claim in the interview. Lavrov also said that negotiations continue between Russia and Ukraine almost every day. However, he cautioned that progress has not been easy. Lavrov in part blamed the bellicose rhetoric and inflammatory actions of Western supporters of the Kyiv regime for disrupting the talks. However, Russian state TV nightly has had guests who suggest that Moscow use nuclear weapons in the conflict. ___ LVIV, Ukraine The British military believes Russian forces in Ukraine are likely suffering from weakened morale. The British Defense Ministry made that assessment in a tweet Saturday as part of a daily report it provides on Russias war on Kyiv. It says Russia still faces considerable challenges in fighting. The British military believes Russian forces have been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in northeast Ukraine. It offered no information on how it arrived at this assessment. However, analysts believe Russian forces that failed to take Kyiv at the start of the war have been redeployed without the time needed to properly rearm and restaff. The British believe Russia hopes to reorganize its effort and shorten supply lines. The ministry added: A lack of unit-level skills and inconsistent air support have left Russia unable to fully leverage its combat mass, despite localized improvements. ___ WASHINGTON A senior U.S. defense official said Friday the Russian offensive is going much slower than planned in part because of the strength of the Ukrainian resistance. We also assess that because of this slow and uneven progress, again, without perfect knowledge of every aspect of the Russian plan, we do believe and assess that they are behind schedule in what they were trying to accomplish in the Donbas, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the U.S. militarys assessment. He said the U.S. believes the Russians are at least several days behind where they wanted to be as they try to encircle Ukrainian troops in the east. As the troops try to move north out of Mariupol so they can advance on Ukrainian forces from the south, their progress has been slow and uneven, and certainly not decisive, in any event, the official said. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to destroy the Donbas and all who live there. The constant brutal bombardments, the constant Russian strikes on infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to empty this territory of all people. Therefore, the defense of our land, the defense of our people, is literally a fight for life, he said late Friday in his nightly video address to the nation. He said the cities and towns of the Donbas will survive only if Ukraine remains standing. If the Russian invaders are able to realize their plans even partially, then they have enough artillery and aircraft to turn the entire Donbas into stones. As they did with Mariupol. Zelenskyy said Mariupol, once one of the most developed cities in the region, was now a Russian concentration camp among the ruins. In Kharkiv, a major city to the north, the situation was brutal but Ukrainian troops and intelligence agents have had important tactical successes, he said without elaborating. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said about 20% of the citys residential buildings have been so badly damaged that it will be impossible to restore them. Zelenskyy said rescuers were still going through the rubble in Kyiv after Thursdays missile strikes. He expressed his condolences to the family of Vira Hyrych, who was killed in the bombardment. He said she was the 23rd journalist killed in the war. ___ DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appears to have dismissed the need for the United Nations to help secure humanitarian corridors out of Ukraines besieged cities, striking a tough line a day after the U.N. chief toured war-wracked Kyiv with that very aim. As an interviewer at Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV tried to ask Lavrov about U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians, Lavrov cut him off. There is no need. I know, I know, an irritated Lavrov said. There is no need for anybody to provide help to open humanitarian corridors. There is only one problem humanitarian corridors are being ignored by Ukrainian ultra-nationals, he said. We appreciate the interest of the secretary-general to be helpful, he added. (We have) explained what is the mechanism for them to monitor how the humanitarian corridors are announced. During the hourlong interview, Lavrov also accused the West of sabotaging Russias peace talks with Ukraine. He claimed that thorny negotiations in Istanbul last month had been progressing on issues of Russian territorial claims and security guarantees until Ukrainian diplomats backtracked at the behest of the West. We are stuck because of their desire to play games all the time, Lavrov said. Because of the instructions they get Washington, from London, from some other capitals, not to accelerate the negotiations. When asked about the risks of war spilling into neighboring Moldova after a series of explosions rattled a breakaway border region within the country, Lavrov struck an ominous tone. Moldova should worry about their own future, he said. Because theyre being pulled into NATO. Danielle Childers of Nashville, Tennessee, visited the Alien Zone in Roswell in June of 2017. An alien in shorts keeps watch. (Adolpe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Main Street in Roswell in 1890. (Courtesy of the Roswell Museum and Art Center) The post office and general store, pictured here, were the first buildings in what would become Roswell, New Mexico. (Courtesy of the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico) The front page of the Roswell Daily Record from July 8, 1947, refers to a flying saucer found on a ranch near the town. (Courtesy of The Roswell Daily Record) The flood of Main Street in Roswell in September of 1904. (Courtesy of the Roswell Museum and Art Center) Prev 1 of 5 Next Editors note: The Journal continues Whats in a Name?, a twice a month column in which staff writer Elaine Briseno will give a short history of how places in New Mexico got their names. Theres more to Roswell than shot glasses, T-shirts, earrings, mugs, Christmas ornaments and fake drivers licenses featuring little green men. Aliens may have put the small, southeastern city on the radar for national and international travelers, but it wasnt UFOs and their passengers that founded Roswell. Roswell is the story of the Wild West, the oilman, the adventurer, the rancher and the everyday, hard-working citizen. It was businessman Van C. Smith and his partner Aaron Wilburn who in 1869 helped stack the adobe bricks that would become the citys first two buildings. The structures housed the general store and post office, and provided sleeping accommodations for paying guests. According to The Place Names of New Mexico by Robert Julyan, the two men settled on the Rio Hondo stream near the area where it intersects with the Pecos River. Before their arrival, locals called the area Rio Hondo after the stream. Smith decided to give his small settlement a different name for practical reasons. Smith christened the town Roswell after his prominent Lafayette, Indiana lawyer father Roswell Smith. According to Julyan in 1872 Smith let it be known among his friends that he was calling his place Roswell, for his father A short statement in the May 25, 1872 Santa Fes The Daily New Mexican announced his intentions. Van C. Smith has named his place on the Rio Hondo, in Lincoln County, Roswell, which address should be placed upon all mail matter directed him, for if simply directed to Rio Hondo it may be carried to any point upon the stream, and cause a great delay and inconvenience. The post office was established in 1873. Smith became postmaster and the name Roswell became official. Although Smith established Roswell, he wasnt the driving force behind its growth. He sold his holdings to Capt. Joseph C. Lea, for whom Lea County is named, and it was Lea and his family who helped it grow and thrive. New Mexico wasnt the only place where Smith left a mark. A 1997 New Mexico Historical Review article by Frederick Nolan provides more insight into the life of Smith, whose full name was Van Ness Cummings Smith. He was born in 1837 in Windsor County, Vermont. He initially left home at a young to seek gold, but was unsuccessful. He ended up in Arizona in the 1860s, where he became a prominent citizen helping settle Prescott and becoming the states first sheriff. By the late 1860s, Smith was down on his luck and left Arizona for Omaha, Nebraska, where, according to Nolan, he became a successful professional gambler. While there, he wrote a letter to his friend Follett Christie about his discontent. A March 21, 1868 blurb in the Arizona Miner said that Smith told Christie he was tired of the East, and intends to strike out soon and hunt bed-rock in some auriferous region where folks are more free-hearted, liberal, and honest. A year later, he was in New Mexico involved in various adventures and dealings. But the one that had the most lasting impact was settling Roswell. Smiths life came to an end in August of 1914 after a long illness. He died in Prescott, Arizona. An obit in the Sept. 2, 1914 Weekly Journal-Miner, with the headline Arizonas First Sheriff Is No More, paid tribute to him. It referred to Smith as one of the strong men and most useful citizens of Arizonas early days. To state that the deceased was one of the pilgrims in blazing the way for others to follow, may justly be accredited to him and others of that era. He came to Prescott early in 1863, and when the territory was organized none were more faithful, zealous and courageous than the deceased. Visitors can find Roswell in the southeastern part of the state within Chavez County on the northern fringe of the Chihuahua Desert. Its population has reached nearly 48,000 and its the fifth largest city in New Mexico. Roswell is also home to Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the J. Kenneth Smith Bird Sanctuary & Nature Center and New Mexico Military Institute. Oil rigs are a familiar sight, as are rows of pecan farms and cows. The area is a huge producer of milk. Interesting tidbit: Theres also a Roswell in Georgia, founded in 1839 by Roswell King. Its a close suburb of Atlanta and has a population near 90,000. The now infamous Roswell incident has created a cult following among UFO enthusiasts. The story goes that in July of 1947, local rancher W.W. Mac Brazel found tinfoil, rubber and thin wooden beams scattered around his ranch. There were reports of silvery flying discs sighted, so he took the debris to the Roswell sheriffs office, who then contacted the U.S. Army. The real frenzy began when the Army, in a news release, announced it had recovered a flying disc on a ranch near Roswell. Authorities later said the materials were part of a weather balloon kite, but it was too late. The conspiracy seeds were planted and subsequent books, stories and documentaries helped the alien story blossom into a full identity for the town. People from around the world flock to the city every year for the Roswell UFO Festival in July. This year, the city will recognize the 75th anniversary of the rumored extraterrestrial landing. Beyond the storefronts of main street, Roswell is a town similar to other rural communities across the state. They just happen to embrace the legend of little green men. Fires are raging throughout New Mexico displacing many residents. While the normal fire season doesnt begin until summer, forecasters fears are realized with a handful of fires already affecting the ecosystem. Its really scary, says Laura Paskus. Weve been pretty lucky. I know that Im not the only one who is watching what is going to happen. I think its devastating how early our fire season started. Paskus is a driving force behind the New Mexico PBS series, Our Land: New Mexicos Environmental Past, Present and Future. At 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5, Paskus takes a look at why and how the fires started. The hour-long special will air on New Mexico PBS. Paskus explores the reasons behind this years devastating and early fire season. The special dives into the concerns about the ability as a country to support and recruit the federal wildland firefighters on the front lines of these disasters. It will also include information on why fire season is becoming longer and scarier; how to protect your home and community; how the federal wildland firefighting force is being challenged; how the impacts of fires last far past when the flames are extinguished; and how communities can look toward the future. Our Land began airing in 2017 on New Mexico in Focus. The series covers extensive and diverse environmental issues. Paskus says prescribed burns that were scheduled now cant be done for a few years. Hermits Peak (Fire) started as a prescribed burn, she says. Im sure a lot of New Mexicans feel wary about that. New Mexicans are children of drought and as the drought carries on, we have longer, scarier fire seasons. The special encompasses a bunch of content that Paskus and crew had already pulled together. Some of the material has already aired. The thing we can do is provide context and resources by looking at things more of a big picture, she says. Thats what were trying to do with this special. Progress is being made on the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire in San Miguel and Mora counties. The New Mexico Environment and Health departments said that wildfire smoke will continue to impact air quality and road visibility in the areas of the fires. On Tuesday, the Forest Service closed parts of the Santa Fe National Forest due to the Cerro Pelado Fire, which began 7 miles east of Jemez Springs on April 22. Jemez Falls Campground and Las Conchas picnic area are included in the closure. Meanwhile, the Cooks Peak Fire is located in Mora and Colfax counties and has burned more than 54,000 acres. There are dozens of wildland firefighters battling the blazes across New Mexico. Paskus was surprised by what wildland firefighters had to say about their profession. The conditions they face, she says. They are not only working on individual fires, but an entire fire season. Its crazy hours and low wages. The fact (is) that labor force is struggling and the federal agencies cant fill those jobs. I take it for granted that when theres a fire, these firefighters show up. I never really understood the extent of the stress that each individual takes on. Were not taking good care of these people and they need all the support they can get. Paskus is aiming for the special to educate viewers on fires in New Mexico. I hope that people get the resources that they need to fire-proof their homes and communities, she says. I hope that people recognize that we have changed our planet. We have to adapt to this new world. ON TV The Longest Season: An Our Land Wildfire Special will air at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1. It will rebroadcast at 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 11. Datil may be one of the smallest towns in New Mexico, but for Jim Wagner it has a big, sprawling history, a history that takes more than 550 pages to tell. Wagner is the author of the recently self-published Datil: A Hidden History of an Historic New Mexico Town. Datil is located on U.S. 60 between Magdalena and Pie Town in west central New Mexico. To help the reader better grasp the plethora of information, Wagner divided the book into two volumes. An author-provided readers advisory is that the subject of one chapter is presented independent of the subjects of the others. In other words, theres no continuity of chronology or of topics. Im a reporter, so I think of each of the 40-some chapters as a separate newspaper article. Its not like a novel, where what happens at the end of the book is related to what happens at the beginning of the book, said Wagner, an Albuquerque resident. He worked as a newspaper reporter and editor, including 28 years at the Albuquerque Tribune. Even before the reader arrives at the first chapter of the first volume, a preface poses five questions, the answers of which presumably can be found inside. This is the first question: Did the second version of Datils Navajo Lodge indeed double as a brothel? That question will go unanswered here. Suffice it to say, there were three iterations of the Navajo Lodge. The first iteration was at one time a landmark. According to the book, it had been described as one of the great lodges of the American West, a marvel of hand-hewn construction. Wagner writes that the lodge became an icon in the region: A guest could enjoy a meal, pay for a room for the night, visit with friends and strangers, and have a grand ol time. He also quotes an article written for the Federal Writers Project in 1935 about the lodge. It stated that hogans were erected on site and Navajos wove and sold blankets of wool harvested from their sheep herds. The lodge was one of two popular places in Datil that served travelers. The other was the Eagle Guest Ranch. The first Navajo Lodge burned down in 1944, Wagner writes. The second lodge was apparently built later in the 40s though it bore no resemblance to the original lodge. Wagner writes that the third version of the Navajo Lodge began to show a faint pulse of life in late 2019, though theres no explanation of what that means. Navajo Lodge in its three iterations is the subject of one chapter. Eagle Guest Ranch is the subject of another, also in the first volume. Other chapter titles in the volume include Camp Datil, the Military, and Indian Threats, Magdalena Livestock Driveway, and The Vanished American, the last-mentioned is about Agnes Morley Cleavelands essay on the cowboy. Mentioned in other chapters and in the volume two preface are Wagners references to Cleavelands 1941 bestselling autobiography No Life for a Lady, about life on the frontier in Datil. Some said it was the best book of life on the frontier by a woman. Others said by it was the best by any author, male or female, Wagner said. Both volumes have lists of names on various topics. For example, volume two has a chapter containing the surnames of some of the people buried in Datil Cemetery, another chapter on the authors rough ride in search of remote Greens Gap Cemetery. Theres a chapter on what had been Datil National Forest; its name was discontinued when its acreage was transferred to the Gila National Forest. Theres a chapter on a series of missile tests from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s that triggered military-ordered evacuations of Datil. And theres a chapter about the communitys Baldwin Cabin Public Library, started in 1999, and located just west of Datil. Wagner credits Linn Kennedy, a library co-founder, for providing him with materials that sparked his interest in writing the first history of Datil. Very little, in my opinion, in those two (volumes) is significant. Its just a collection of hundreds of pieces of information that this retired newspaper reporter thought could be a book, Wagner said. Readers tell me it is significant. Furthermore, he writes, he did not fact-check the accounts and recollections he quoted. Rather, he trusted they were truthful and accurate. The tireless Wagner is still gathering random facts and information about Datil and environs. What could be considered volume three exists in his computer, though hes unsure if it will be printed. Im still collecting content for book three. I dont know. Its like a locomotive that wont stop running with an endless supply of coal, he said. IF YOU GO Jim Wagner will discuss and sign copies of Datil: A Hidden History of a Historic New Mexico Town at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 10 at the Catron County Historical Societys Museum in Quemado. Wagner can be reached at jim@daddywagsediting.com.